Israel Active

A delegation of Israeli officials has traveled to Chad - a Muslim-majority country in central Africa. Chad cut diplomatic ties with Jerusalem in 1972 after a decade of good relations and cooperation, however the two countries have recently been quietly discussing the renewal of diplomatic relations.

Oman’s foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah was interviewed on Al-Jazeera about the visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Israeli delegation, to the Gulf State.

2,000 of Israel’s 11,000 Armenian Christian citizens live in Haifa. They continue to maintain their culture, language, customs and social religious heritage.  The community in the Holy Land began prior to 400 CE and many more arrived after the 1915 massacres in Armenia.

21-year-old Corporal Yahya Mahamid calls himself a “Zionist Muslim Arab.”  He grew up in the Arab town of Um-Al Fahm. He loves Israel and wanted to “give back to his country.” He volunteered to join the IDF in a combat unit. His army colleagues treat him with respect and admiration.

“Excellenteam” is the new program for “Enhancement of Arab and Haredi Human Capital for the Jerusalem High-Tech Workforce”. It aims to tackle the shortage of skilled hi-tech workers, while increasing the participation of Israel’s Arab and ultra-Orthodox community.

Jerusalem’s Ono Academic College launched its two-year Disability Studies program in 2017. 40 students (Muslim and Christian Arabs, modern Orthodox and secular Jews) completed the first year’s theoretical component and 13 are now developing community-based group projects.

The Israel Defense Forces sent its elite 699 search-and-rescue unit to Jordan to assist the rescue operation after a tour bus was hit by flash flood near the Dead Sea. They deployed rescue equipment, established a ground command team and illuminated the area from the air.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, made a “not so secret” visit to the Gulf nation of Oman – the first by an Israeli leader in 22 years. He discussed the peace process with Sultan Qaboos bin Said. See the extra-ordinary video of the event on the official Oman TV channel.

The Friends of Zion Museum hosted newly-confirmed Guatemalan Ambassador to Israel Mario Bucaro following his official presentation to President Reuven Rivlin. Guatemala has been a strong supporter of Israel in the United Nations in recent years and moved its embassy to Jerusalem.

Thailand's Ambassador to Israel Penprapa Vongkovit, thanked Israel’s Maxtech for its communication technology used in the rescue of the Thai boys earlier this year. She also thanked Israel for "its special navy team and specialized diving helmets to assist the operation."