Israel Active

As reported previously, a Syrian baby was flown from Cyprus to Israel’s Sheba Medical Center for surgeons to reconstruct the missing left side of his heart. His first emergency operation was a success and he will return to Israel in the future for two more operations.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Israel21c’s digital ambassadors have been preparing excellent campaigns to promote Israel. They presented these at a Zoom seminar. The winner was Yalla on a Budget, closely followed by Ve Love (vegan) Israel and Celebrities in Israel.

In addition to food and protective equipment (see previous report ), the Israeli Embassy in Quito, Ecuador has donated a shipment of wheelchairs to the capital’s mayor. The wheelchairs will contribute to the recovery of patients with Covid-19 in the Quito Temporary Care Center.

The Israeli government is investing NIS 16 million to bring Bedouins online. It follows a 2017 project in the Arara council which was a resounding success. The decision to expand the project was taken by Israel’s President and partly funded with money from the National Lottery.

Israeli website builder Wix is offering a free web app to governments around the world. The COVID-19 Volunteer Call System connects volunteers to citizens in need of assistance with tasks from essential deliveries to home services. It is already in use in Israel.

Israeli organization Door2Dor has developed an app that connects the younger generation (Hebrew “Dor”) to the elderly. Door2Dor’s volunteers help the housebound during the coronavirus pandemic by delivering food, medicines and supplies right to their door.

Bedouin Arab "superwoman" Asmahan Abu-Yeheya has volunteered for Magen David Adom in Gan Yavne for 16 years. She is also a certified preschool teacher and works as a medical secretary at an orthopedic clinic. Meanwhile, she has raised 6 children!

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chose Israel for his first foreign visit post-Covid-19. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu praised their friendship and discussed re-opening mutual tourism. They also signed three Memoranda of Understandings - on cyber, agriculture and tourism.

Mexican magazine Lideres named Dr. Samuel Tobias, a senior neurosurgeon at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, among 101 Mexicans with significant influential achievements outside their native country. He was chosen for treating hundreds of Syrian civil war casualties from 2013 to 2018.

The EU has given its approval to Israel's permanent membership of the European Union’s "Open Skies" agreement. A temporary agreement was signed in 2013. Now Israel will be permanently open to full competition between airlines, lowering fares and (post-corona) increasing tourism.