Israel Active

Deputy Speakers of Israel’s parliament include Arabs Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz), Mansour Abbas (Ra'am - United Arab List), and Ahmad Tibi (Arab Joint List).  Photo in second article shows Mansour Abbas in the Speaker’s chair conducting a main Knesset plenary session.

Israel’s Sarit Shani Hay Studio has won the Dezeen reader award for outstanding projects and exhibitions that foster child-centric experiences. It includes the desert-themed playroom at the new Six Senses Shaharut hotel and a Jerusalem-themed playroom at the David Citadel.

Israel has donated $500,000 to the United Nations for food, medical aid, and other assistance for Afghan refugees in Tajikistan. Alon Ushpiz, director general of Israel’s Foreign ministry, said the aid was part of Israel’s commitment to the international community.

There are around 5,000 Israeli Circassians, mostly Sunni Muslims, who converted from Christianity and have chosen to serve in the IDF. Israel’s soccer captain is a Circassian. Also (TY UWI) please see Arab Israeli Yoseph Haddad’s video featuring Arab Israelis who volunteer for the IDF.

Israel's first ambassador to Bahrain, Eitan Na'eh, handed his credentials to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Al-Sakhir Palace in Manama. The event included the hoisting of the Israeli flag and the playing of the Israeli anthem "Hatikva".

Israeli NGO IsraAID has deployed an emergency response team in the Philippines following Super Typhoon Rai (Odette - see ). It is delivering safe water, hygiene kits and trauma aid, to many of the 2.4 million Filipinos affected, focusing on Southern Leyte and Cebu provinces.

Volunteer divers in the Red Sea Port of Eilat removed 1.6 tons of discarded tires and other waste from the seabed in their annual cleanup operation. The divers belong to Israeli non-profit The Coast Patrol, and Eilat’s Palamida diving club.

Hazzaa al-Mansoori, the first Emirati astronaut in space, revealed he brought an Israeli flag to his first space flight in 2019. He then presented the same flag to delegates of the Israeli pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020. “This is my gift to all Israelis," he said, and plans to visit Israel this year.

Good feature article about Nuseir Yassin, better known to his 40 million Facebook followers as “Nas Daily” (see ). He famously produced 1000 one-minute videos in 1000 days. Born in Arraba near Nazareth, he has since opened Nas Academy, to teach others how to become viral stars.

An estimated 500 to 1,000 Palestinian Arabs work in Israeli hi-tech companies - many are graduates from Israeli universities.  In the video, Inas Awad describes her job at Israeli hi-tech Colabo.