Israel Active

In mid-Feb, Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Khaja was sworn in as the first Ambassador to Israel from the United Arab Emirates. He had to wait two weeks before he could arrive in Israel, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

For the third year in a row, Newsweek magazine ranked Israel’s Sheba Medical Center in its “Top 10 Best Hospitals in the World” Its 10th place was due to superior care, innovation and pioneering research. Newsweek surveyed 2,000 hospitals globally in 2021 – twice that in 2019.

Israel’s SafeUP app has been downloaded by approximately 12,000 Israeli women. Any woman at risk of attack can initiate a video call to summon help from women nearby. Eight Israeli municipalities have partnered with SafeUP and a community has even been launched in Boston USA.

Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, co-founder and chairman of the Zaka volunteer emergency response group , was declared a winner of the Israel Prize. He won the life achievement award for his contributions to Israeli society and for being a role model for the spirit of volunteering.

Beautiful video of four married couples where both partners are United Hatzalah paramedics. They manage to achieve a work-life balance, despite being called on at any moment to save lives.

Israel has approved a NIS 700 million project to help 200,000 families most in need due to the coronavirus crisis. Colel Chabad and Pitchon Lev will manage the program which involves distribution of debit cards for purchasing critical food supplies in a way that protects family dignity.

The recent exit of Israel’s MyHeritage for $600 million, benefited Israeli youth charities. MyHeritage donated share options in 2013 to the nonprofit Tmura (reported previously) which distributes the proceeds. 718 Israel startups have donated options to Tmura since 2002 – 62 new ones in 2020.

The Claims Conference is partnering United Hatzalah to ensure that all of Israel’s 11,000 homebound Holocaust survivors receive their Covid-19 vaccine. The Claims Conference is investing NIS 5 million in the project to pay for the transport of all survivors to and from the vaccination centers.

President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say it is moving its embassy to Israel’s capital where it will join the USA and Guatemala. Kosovo and Malawi have also announced plans to open embassies in Jerusalem.

Swedish-Israeli wave energy developer Eco Wave Power (see previously) won the public voting for the Global Innovation Award in the "Life Under Water" category at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Eco Wave Power generates clean electricity from ocean and sea waves.