Israel Active

60 Israeli Arabs, Palestinian Arabs and UAE Arabs presented their startup ideas at a JVP “tech-pitch” event in Jerusalem. They included an eco-friendly hotel run by Jews and Arabs, music training for young Arabs and Jews, and an app to learn Hebrew and Arabic. (See for previous hackathon).

Arab and Jewish medical staff at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, joined together in solidarity events last week. Rambam used social media to showcase Jews and Arabs working together, displaying messages of peace in Hebrew and in Arabic.

Arab mobs wrecked the Arabesque Hotel, owned by Evan Fallenberg, and the Effendi Hotel and Uri Buri restaurant, owned by Uri Jeremias, in the Israeli city of Acre. But most of the Arab community was appalled by the events and has rallied round to help repair the damage.

Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari saved a black macaque injured when shrapnel from a Hamas rocket lodged in its spine. It is also treating animals wounded by the missiles that were brought in by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. And watch the elephants when they hear the rocket sirens.

Many Israeli organizations aim to help promote opportunities for women to join the Israeli hi-tech industry (see previously). Now Jerusalem-based Fem JLM has launched a program – FemForward, offering lectures, mentors and networking to help women in tech progress into management.

Volunteers from Israeli NGO “Clean the Butts” scour Israel’s beautiful beaches to remove discarded cigarette ends. Many are turned into artwork, while the remainder are shipped off to a recycling facility in Ireland. The NGO volunteers also sell pocket ashtrays to beachgoers.

Articles from executives including Intel Israel and SodaStream. Numerous Israeli startups (see ), multinationals and professions employ Israeli Arab Muslims working happily alongside Israeli Jews.

One of the kidneys of Yigal Yehoshua, murdered in Lod, was donated to Randa, a female Arab resident of Jerusalem. She said, "I thank Yigal's family, from heaven they will be comforted.” Five patients benefited from Yigal’s organs.

Israeli students joined thousands worldwide for the annual celebration of World ORT’s global education network. This year’s theme was “connection” with youngsters in Israel, Ukraine, Panama, Italy, Brazil, Russia and more participating in a digital postcard exchange and a live quiz.

Israel’s Bright Data has established The Bright Initiative to help work with British organizations to establish the UK’s National Data Strategy (NDS). During the consultancy stage, Bright Data highlighted the 3 key areas of the NDS - internet transparency, data skills, and the ethics of data collection.