Israel Active

US entrepreneur Stephen Grand highlights the good value of Israeli universities. Factors include lower faculty salaries and student costs and hence more undergraduates; focus on academic papers and research; advanced labs; and international partnerships (industry and academia).

Good article discussing the role of the IDF in Israeli society. Developing skills, training for civilian life; developing leaders; integrating immigrants; learning colloquial Hebrew; encouraging minorities; and promoting fair and equal treatment for every individual.

“Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot and WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann are two Israelis named by Time Magazine in this year’s “100 most influential people”.

President Reuven Rivlin has made the first visit by an Israeli head of state to Ethiopia. He and his delegation sought “to deepen our friendship and cooperation with Ethiopia”, particularly in water technology, health, agriculture, food security, cyberspace and countering terrorism.

In 2017 Tanzanian community developer and environmentalist Fabian Bulugu volunteered at Kaima - an organization that uses organic farming to give Israeli high-school dropouts an income and a fresh start on life. Now Fabian is building a similar social farm in Tanzania.

Tanzania is opening its first embassy in Israel on May 8th.  The grand opening of the embassy in Ramat Gan will be attended by Tanzania's Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga. Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked visited Tanzania in March.

Israel’s parliamentary committee for Arab affairs has allocated $5.6 million (NIS 20 million) to a new program that will provide thousands of Israeli-Arabs with jobs in the local tech sector. The funds will be used to establish tech workspaces and improve roads in Arab towns.

I reported previously that Israel’s Energiya Global is to install Liberia’s first ever solar field. I hadn’t realized that the 10MW plant will supply 25% of the country’s generation capacity. Following its civil war, Liberia is rebuilding its power infrastructure from scratch.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and many Israeli politicians joined in the annual Druze festival celebrations. Many Druze traveled from afar to visit the Tomb of Jethro near the Sea of Galilee. Jethro (father-in-law to Moses) is one of the main prophets of the Druze religion.

I reported previously on Israeli Arab Professor Ahmed Eid who is Head of General Surgery at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. Professor Eid proudly lit one of the twelve torches at the 69th Anniversary Independence Day ceremony last year.