Israel Active

370 international students are beginning the spring semester at Tel Aviv University – the most in two decades. They hail from the USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Panama and UK. The average age is 20 and 69% are female. Most are on TAU’s study abroad program.

The United Nations ranked Israel 19th out of 180 in its 2017 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report on how well countries can feed their populations.

U.S. News and World Report ranks Israel as the 8th-most-powerful nation based upon defensive strength, strong international alliances, and economic and political influence. Bloomberg ranks Israel as the 10th-most-innovative country based on spending on R&D and number of listed hi-tech companies.

A Druze Staff Sergeant from southern Israel is saving wounded civilians from Syria. "When I meet the wounded,” he says. "I just go up to them and say in Arabic, 'Hi, my medical team and I are here to help you,' and then just treat them."

The Israeli delegation to the UN’s Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) presented Israeli projects for the benefit of Palestinian Arabs. They include an improved cellphone network, an enhanced water supply system, a PA industrial zone in Tarqumiyah and water desalinization in Gaza.

Arab students made up 16.1 percent of Israel’s undergraduates in 2017, a 60% rise from 2010, according to the latest survey by Israel’s Council for Higher Education (CHE). They also constitute 13% of Masters’ students, double that in 2010. 41% of Haifa University students are Arab.

20 members of the IDF’s “Special in Uniform” unit have graduated from the IDF’s dog handling program. They developed skills to direct, feed and exercise dogs and will now work on bases with guard-dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs.

Echoing the Jewish principle that everyone is responsible for everyone else, Israeli organization Yedidim (Hebrew for “loved ones” or “good friends”) has over 6,000 volunteers ready to help drivers on Israeli roads. Especially useful during winter storms.

Israel’s Kishorit winery and vineyard was founded in 1994 to support local teenagers with special needs. The students now run the wine production process from the beginning to the end. Kishorit (from the Hebrew “to connect”) links 160 adults with the land, their community, and their work.

India’s PM Narendra Modi changed his schedule and met Israeli PM Netanyahu personally on his arrival in India. The 150 members of the business delegation that flew with the Israeli PM makes it the largest that has ever accompanied an Israeli prime minister on an official visit.