Israel Active

Many foreign embassies in China have an Internet presence on Sina Weibo – China’s most popular social media platform.  And the most popular embassy - with over 1.9 million followers - is Israel! Next are Canada and the US with just over 1 million followers.

Between 2008 and 2014 the number of Haredim newly enrolled in academic learning institutions increased from 1,122 to 3,227.

I have reported previously about Father Gabriel Naddaf and his work to promote Israel and integrate Christian citizens.  He heads the Christian Empowerment Council and their annual conference was attended by IDF and police officers, Jewish and Arab municipality heads and Muslim and Druze sheikhs.

89 women simulated the first ever all-female mass casualty incident of its kind in Israel. The women (many ultra-Orthodox) replicated a terror attack on a Jerusalem girls’ high-school, under the guidance of trainers, paramedics and doctors from United Hatzalah.

The design of new Israeli currency notes features two famous Israeli women.  The poet Rachel is on the new NIS 20 bill. Poet, author and playwright Leah Goldberg is on the NIS 100 bill.

Yad Sarah – Israel’s largest voluntary organization – has launched a new initiative to enable disabled individuals and their families to visit Israel. They arrange airport pick up in special vans and transport to hotels or specially prepared apartments. Tour guides and tours are also available.

Israel is to absorb 100 orphans from Syria.  The children will receive temporary resident status, be placed in boarding schools and with Arab foster families, and later, should their families seek a unification, both they and their family members would be absorbed in Israel. And 1000 Israelis formed a human chain from the Russian embassy to the US embassy to demonstrate support of Syria's civilians,

In a speech to the Conservative Friends of Israel, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May called the State of Israel “a remarkable country” and “a beacon of tolerance”. She said UK ties with Israel were “crucial,” and promised to raise the bilateral trade relationship to new heights.

I reported previously on the What’s App group “Linked to Life” run by Israeli charity Ezer Mizion.  Here are some more examples of the life-enhancing activities of its thousands of volunteers, taking parents by car to see their sick children in hospital.

Mohammad Darawshe, director at The Center for a Shared Society at Givat Haviva presents some “astounding” statistics.  23% of Israeli doctors are Arabs; 46% of Israeli pharmacists are Arabs; 28% of Technion hi-tech students are Arabs and 16% of the students in all of Israeli higher education are Arabs.