Israel Active

A seven-member delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce visited the Israeli Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan. Yoram Dvash, president of the Israeli Diamond Exchange, stressed the importance of strengthening the ties of Muslim companies and businessmen with the State of Israel.

Chris Martin, front-man of British rock band Coldplay, visited Bustan Yafa, Jaffa’s bilingual kindergarten network for Jewish and Arab children. Martin contributes to “The Orchard of Abraham’s children” Foundation, which promotes coexistence in the network.

I’ve reported previously on the use of barn owls to control rodent pests in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority areas. Newsletter subscriber Diana Bletter has published this article about Israel’s National Barn Owl Project that has reduced the amount of toxic rodent poison used in agriculture.

I reported previously on the shared workspace “Ampersand” for Haredi entrepreneurs in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv. Its success means it is now looking for larger premises.  This article, however, focuses on the end of the working week, when no-one lets their hair down!

Forbes Israel has released its annual list  of 50 Israeli women who are making an impact in business, government, tech, journalism, culture, sports, and entertainment. They “control huge companies, manage thousands of employees, invent breakthrough technologies and shape Israeli culture and society.”

Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank by market capitalization, has appointed Samer Haj Yehia as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. He becomes the first Arab chairman at an Israeli lender and is also on the board of both Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital and Israel’s Strauss Group.

Israeli PM Netanyahu revealed that Israeli intel thwarted a recent attempt to blow up a Sydney-Abu Dhabi flight. It has also used cyber-intelligence to help foil “major” terror attacks in “dozens” of countries. Israel shares info on cyberthreats with 85 countries.

Israel has just signed an agreement with the World Bank to support developing countries improve their cyber defense capabilities. It will contribute to the World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership and provide technical assistance to Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion inaugurated the new Jerusalem Square in Paris, 150 years after fire destroyed Paris’s Rue de Jerusalem. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote that the naming was “in order to remember the friendship and the unity between the city of Paris and the State of Israel”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to speak at the United Nations Environment Conference. He presented his “Tracks to Peace initiative, outlining an economic and strategic link from Haifa to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, via Jordan.