Israel Active

Before visiting Israel, the Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations visited Africa. The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, gave them a lecture on why the Jews have an historic right to be in Israel, even citing biblical references.

Back in 2012 I reported that Israelis were avid users of the Internet. A new study shows 77% of Israelis use social media – the most in the world. And 88% have smartphones, (second only to South Korea) making Israelis one of the most connected nations in the world.

There is no boycott of Israeli goods in Gaza. According to the Gaza Economy Ministry, 65% of all Gaza’s imports are made in Israel. Products made in Gaza are unpopular due lack of supervision, poor quality control, forged expiry dates and poor safety standards in Gazan factories.

The Judea Samaria Regional Development Financing Initiative (RDFI) encourages joint entrepreneurship between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs living in Judea and Samaria. Initial projects include technology, industry, tourism, the environment, energy and infrastructure.

Over the past 10 years, progressive legislation has improved access for the disabled to enjoy Israel’s parks and forests. Accessibility facilities have been installed in some 70 sites administered by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) and in 300 forests managed by KKL-JNF.

Israel’s Innovation Authority (IIA) has launched a grant program for any startup where at least 33% of its owners and tech managers are women. It will cover up to 75% of a startup’s R&D costs for its first year and up to 70% for the second year.

Israel’s WaterGen is donating ten GEN-350 atmospheric water generators to Brazil. They will be installed in schools and hospitals that lack safe drinking water.  Brazil’s Minister of Science Marcos Cesar Pontes visited WaterGen’s HQ during Tel Aviv’s recent Cybertech conference.

Karawan Halabi, has made history as the first person from Israel’s Arabic-speaking Druze minority community to win a track-and-field national championship. The Technion biomedical student won the women’s 10.45km annual Israel Open Field Racing Championship.

600 Israeli startups (55 last year) have donated equity stock or stock options to Israeli non-profit Tmura . When any are taken-over or go public, Tmura receives the proceeds of the stock sales and donates it to charity. In 2018, Tmura gave NIS 1.6 million to good causes.

The IDF Door to Door Project helps Palestinian Arab businesspeople transfer their merchandise from Judea and Samaria to other areas in Israel directly and quickly and at a low cost. The project has recently improved its efficiency by using Israeli trucks to collect goods directly from Palestinian Arab factories.