Israel Active

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) hosted a virtual forum for global air force commanders, on how to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees came from Italy, the United States, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Spain, France, Cyprus and Croatia.

Israel’s Department of Public Diplomacy reports that coverage of Israel in the global media has recently undergone a transformation. Israel’s efforts to control coronavirus were initially criticized. Now, its virus control success, rescue of citizens and interfaith cooperation are being highly praised.

University of Haifa linguistics Professor Wendy Sandler has become just the fifth Israeli woman to be accepted as a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the first Israeli in the humanities field to be inducted into the Academy since its founding in 1780.

The honor of lighting three of Israel’s twelve Independence Day torches was given to Arab-Israeli MDA volunteer , Druze IDF commander and Arab-Israeli nurse . Youtube below is I24 interview of Yasmeen Mazzawi.

Volunteers with Israeli NGO IsraAID are partnering with regional food banks and US veterans organizations, among others, to deliver food to Californians in need. They have been working in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Jose and Santa Barbara.

Here is the latest video from Innovation: Africa.  It shows the Israeli NGO’s latest work bringing clean water and electricity to remote African villages which are at serious risk of being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the medical research agency of the US, are joining forces to undertake applied scientific and clinical research to find treatments to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Abed Zahalka of the Mayanei Hayeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak has formed deep ties to the Haredi community in the city. Dressed in full protective equipment, the Arab-Israeli doctor recently brought a holy Torah scroll into the coronavirus ward for the patients to read from.

In Israel’s war against the coronavirus, Jewish and Arab doctors work side by side. Israel’s public broadcaster reported “This is the first time that Israel is conducting a war and Arab citizens have been recruited”. Arabs comprise 17% of Israel’s doctors, 24% of nurses, and 48% of pharmacists.

The Jerusalem municipality in partnership with the Jerusalem Foundation have distributed dozens of tablet computers to children with special needs. Mayor Moshe Lion stated, “During this crisis, determined actions are needed to support families with special needs children.”