Israel Active

Nice story about Motke (“Berko”) Berkowitz and Mohammed Einan who have been friends for over sixty years, having played on Hapoel Nahariya’s soccer team in the 1950s and 1960s. Each week, Berko drives from Shavei Zion to the coastal village of Mazra’a to have coffee with Einan.

I reported previously about the new community named “Daniel” being built in the Negev that will provide home care for children (mainly Bedouin) with severe medical and therapeutic needs. Here is a much more detailed article on the new town and its aims.

Israeli mum Ayelet Sanens launched the Ashdod Environmental Preservation and Recycling Fair. Toys, cosmetics, costume jewelry, clothing, household items etc. were sold to raise funds for Israeli charity Ezer Mizion’s special summer program for special needs children in Ashdod.

The Israeli charity In Their Shoes (ITS) trains caregivers to better serve patients with compassion. ITS’ Virtual Dementia Tour allows participants to feel the effects of dementia - hence “In Their Shoes”. ITS also conducts the Music and Memory Program for residents in nursing homes.

Following on from PM Netanyahu’s historic visit, Israel’s transport and intelligence minister, Yisrael Katz, visited the Arab Gulf state of Oman to discuss “Tracks for regional peace” - his revolutionary proposal for a new system of shipping by sea and rail to and from the Middle East.  And even the BBC can no longer ignore Israel’s warming ties with Arab countries.

I reported previously that to save their coral reefs, Hawaii had banned sunscreen ingredient BP-3 thanks to Ben-Gurion University research. The Pacific island of Palau has now done likewise – although reports by the BBC and New York Times do not credit the Israeli scientists.

For those with Facebook access, it is worth following Nas Daily. He’s got over 10.8 million viewers for his one-minute video “Tel Aviv – World’s Vegan City”. Nas is an Israeli Arab and records his nationality as “Israeli”.

Professor Ben Ayade, Governor of Nigeria’s Cross River state, has signed an agreement with the government of Israel to train from 1000 up to 12,000 rice farmers in modern farming techniques. His goal is for Cross River to become the number one rice producing state in Nigeria.

On his return from Bulgaria, Israeli PM Netanyahu met Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and discussed economic cooperation and other opportunities for strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Ghana’s President hopes to visit Israel in 2019.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu discussed security, trade and technology with the leaders of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Greece at the Craiova State Forum in Bulgaria. It was the first time the four European leaders had invited a foreign leader to their joint summit.