Israel Active

I reported previously on the recent Tech-Career event for members of the Israeli-Ethiopian community. The winners of the event’s hackathon travelled to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa to showcase their initiatives at Ethiopia’s SolveIT Innovation Competition.

Tel Aviv’s latest accelerator - Women of Startup Nation Accelerator (WOSNA) - launched last week, comprising 11 startups with at least one female founder. Its aim is to change today’s male-orientated domination of top Israeli companies, one female-founded startup at a time.

Israel-based humanitarian group IsraAID is among the Jewish groups providing help the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian’s devastation. This includes distributing relief supplies, deploying filters to provide drinking water, trauma support and assessing further needs.

KKL-JNF World President Daniel Atar signed a cooperation agreement with Sergio Casas, governor of La Rioja, Argentina. It covers fighting desertification, supporting education about the environment and the efficient use of resources in two Argentinian provinces.

Honduras has opened a trade mission with diplomatic status in Jerusalem. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez declared the inauguration to be a “first step” toward moving the embassy to Israel’s capital. President Hernández was presented with the Friends of Zion award.

I reported previously that the Israeli Air Force would be conducting a joint exercise in September with UK’s Royal Air Force. Exercise Cobra Warrior is now underway and includes German, Italian and US planes. It is the first time Israeli military aircraft have flown in Britain.

The Friends Association of the IDF Disabled (and in collaboration with El Al) has organized a "Liberation Trip" to the Himalayas for 21 wounded Israeli veterans. They are currently climbing up to the Canadian-La crossing of the Himalayas - about 5,000 meters above sea level.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali began a two-day visit to Israel by speaking to the mother of Avera Mengistu held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu invited Agamesh Mengistu to meet Abiy. 150,000 Jews of Ethiopian descent live in Israel.

18-year-old Israeli Yuval Sinay founded Special Sound – a project in which young musicians help children and young adults on the autism spectrum to express themselves through music. Yuval received the President’s Award for Volunteerism in July.

Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, concluded its first-ever first responder course for some 20 civilian volunteers in the Arab town of Taibe. The six-month-long course taught the necessary skills to be ambulance drivers and medical emergency responders.