Israel Active

A timely reminder of the work of Israeli NGOs and government organizations, to alleviate the suffering of victims of global disasters and wars.

British Royal Navy’s HMS Bulwark stopped in Haifa Port on its way back to the United Kingdom. The Navy stated that the docking “demonstrates the growing relationship between the Royal Navy and the Israeli Navy and the desire to continue to develop that interaction.”

I reported previously that the SMART Broadcast alert system from Israel’s eVigilo saved hundreds of lives after the 2014 Chilean earthquake.  Well it has just done it again, following Chile’s recent 7.7 magnitude quake. 4,000 were warned to evacuate Chiloe Island.

At the annual Christmas reception hosted by Israeli President Rivlin for spiritual and lay leaders of Christian communities in Israel, Greek Patriarch Theophilos III said: "We take the opportunity of this holiday gathering to express our gratitude to you for the firmness with which you defend the freedoms that lie at the heart of this democracy - especially the freedom of worship...”

The normally anti-Israel UK Independent has run a feature on Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital, highlighting that it appoints whoever is best qualified for the job, regardless of ethnicity, gender or religion.  Also, critically injured perpetrators of attacks are treated before less-injured victims.

Vibe Israel brought 5 mega-bloggers with 10.8 million followers to Israel to learn about Israel’s eco innovations first hand.  They saw water conservation, desalination, green transportation, urban farming and solutions for smart cities. They even saw how Israel supports victims of human trafficking.   

Omer Lahat’s cerebral palsy did not hold him back from graduating high school with honors. His dream was to serve in the IDF through the “Special in Uniform” program. Lahat then became the program’s first-ever wheelchair-bound participant. =

The 2016 Israeli Democracy Index, produced by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, reveals some interesting facts.  55% of Israeli Arabs identify themselves as “proud citizens”.  Also, 60.5% of Israeli Arabs categorize their personal situation as “Good” or “Very good” and another 31% as “Not bad”.

Just 12 years ago, only 7% of students at Israel’s Technion were Arab.  Today, it is 20% - not due to any lowering of entrance standards, but thanks to its NAM program - a 10-month “boot camp” in math, physics, English and Hebrew.  And it is all paid for by Jewish philanthropy.

I’ve reported previously on Israeli charity Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS) and its work with disabled children.  Here is a recent article about Beit Issie’s Sindian Center in Kalansua, a 22,000-population Arab city in central Israel.