Israel Active

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is to visit Israel from March 31 to April 4. Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly promised to relocate the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “The decision is taken; it’s only a matter of when it will be implemented” he said on TV in Feb.

Liberian President George Manna Weah, came to Israel with a large delegation of ministers and aides. President Weah is a former soccer star, considered to be among the best of Africa’s players. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said he watched him play for Chelsea in 2000.

The US National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) has endorsed the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE). GILEE organizes exchanges between US and Israeli law enforcement officers. NOBLE says it has benefited from the exchange for decades.

Female filmmakers and activists from Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada and the US came to Jerusalem for two days of screenings, meetings and conversations. The 49% Festival is named for the percentage of women in the global population.

Arab women often have difficulty travelling to work from their outlying towns. So, Israel’s Technion Institute has partnered with non-profit Kayan to launch Safarcon (“your travels” in Arabic). The app offers a ride-sharing service aimed at Israeli Arabs, particularly Arab women.

IKEA Israel has partnered with Israeli nonprofits Access Israel and Milbat to produce 13 furniture accessibility add-on products (e.g. mega switch, easy handle, gripper) for people with disabilities. Their “ThisAbles Initiative” helps Israelis with disabilities live more independently.

Israeli NGO Molet turns trashed wooden pallets into everyday furniture.  Molet also offers companies “away days” where employees help make furniture which is then donated to institutions in need.

45 budding entrepreneurs from all over Israel, took part in a pre-accelerator program in Jaffa, aptly named Starting Up Together. Around 50% were Jews and 50% Arabs (Muslim including Bedouin, Christian and Druze). They formed groups to work on “smart city” projects.

For nearly 4 years Israelis have been helping migrants from Syria, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan on the Greek island of Lesbos. There is no other foreign support. IsraAID runs a school for the migrants, some of whom even became teachers themselves.

Israel’s new embassy in Rwanda is its 11th in Africa. The new Ambassador, Ronny Adam presented his credentials to Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.