Israel Active

Zambia is to host the first ever Africa-Israel Summit in 2018, according to Zambia’s President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. President Lungu flew to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and accepted his request for Zambia to host the summit.

UN Development Program rep Roberto Valent said, “The UN is very happy that Israel is advanced in not only its own actions towards the SDGs implementation, but in also providing a platform for others in the areas of gender, gender equality, education, and especially in innovation.”

A 25-member Bahraini delegation made a 5-day visit to Jerusalem to talk about peace and coexistence. The group included Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims, Christians, the leader of a Hindu temple and a Sikh. It was led by Betsy Mathieson, a British ex-pat, now a Bahraini citizen.

Nice article on Israel’s SodaStream, highlighting the excellent relations within company’s multi-ethnic workforce. For example, the 22-year-old Bedouin female team leader who supervises two Bedouin men, a Palestinian Arab, a Jewish woman and a Russian.

EMT volunteers at United Hatzalah exemplify Israel’s inclusiveness.

Captain “Y”, an F-15 navigator, has been appointed the first female deputy commander of an Israeli Air Force combat squadron. She will be promoted to Major in the summer. Meanwhile, two other female IAF officers were appointed as deputy commanders of a squadron of drones.

Israel’s Ministry of Labor has launched a joint venture with She Codes, an Israeli organization promoting the inclusion of women into the tech industry. The three-year plan will establish 40 centers to provide free computer programming training for 4,440 women to work in the tech sector.

It is already illegal in Israel to discriminate against the disabled in the workplace. A new extension order requires companies with over 100 workers to have 3% disabled employees. They must also have a person responsible for the employment of people with disabilities.

The IDF has helped establish a maternity hospital on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Although staffed by Syrian doctors, the incubators, beds and ultrasound equipment come from Israel. Since its recent opening, 30 Syrian women have given birth at the hospital.

Israel marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd Dec. There are 1.6 million in Israel with disabilities. Israeli empowerment involves cochlear implants for the deaf, a theater for blind/deaf actors, the ReWalk exoskeleton for paraplegics, OrCam, EyeControl and more.