Israel Active

From earthquakes in Greece to tsunamis in Japan and terror attacks in Kenya, the IDF has carried out 37 humanitarian missions across 29 countries, proving that its mission extends far beyond defending Israel - it’s about saving lives worldwide.

Innovation Africa’s latest newsletter highlights a major area where Israelis benefits humanity.

One of Israel’s rarest plants - the spear-leaved dogbane - is currently blooming in the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens after its extinction from the Negev Desert. Until it is returned to the Negev, visitors can admire the plant’s beauty at the “refuge” pond at the Botanical Gardens’ northern edge.

US Ambassador and Christian Zionist Mike Huckabee has successfully unblocked the bureaucratic delays that evangelical Christians recently experienced when applying for entry visas to Israel. A new streamlined and efficient process now operates.

The Israel Sci-Tech School Network (ISTS – see previously) is implementing a model of respecting tradition while preparing for the future. Some 1,000 Haredi students are enrolled in ISTS colleges. In cities like Tsfat, 65% of the students at one ISTS college are Haredi.

Hundreds of young men from hesder yeshivas across the country have reported for duty, to begin their service in the IDF as part of the hesder combat track. They included the sons of two government ministers, and the son of the head of the hesder yeshiva in Holon.

Argentine President Javier Milei used his $1 million Genesis Prize to launch the American Friends of the Isaac Accords (AFOIA), aimed at deepening diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between Israel and Latin American countries. Milei’s effort is modeled after the Abraham Accords.

Almost 280 women from 15 countries gathered in Israel for an 8-day journey focused on Jewish identity and connection to Israel. The Momentum Journey of Growth project included participants from India, Venezuela, France, Canada, the United States, and Spain.

Speaking on the Israeli Arabic-language radio program Voice of the Druze, a Syrian Druze woman, identifying herself as Rama Rida, said her people would have been “completely destroyed” without the intervention of the IDF.

ELEM/Youth in Distress in Israel is Israel’s leading non-profit serving at-risk youth, handling some 13,000 young people across the country’s vast demographic spectrum. With 380 employees and more than 1,200 volunteers, it has established new programs in the aftermath of Oct 7 2023.