Israel Active

For the first time in the history of the state, starting January 1, 2017, every Israeli child below the age of 18 will receive a trust fund in which the National Insurance Administration (Israel’s Social Security) will be making monthly deposits.

The 3 Million Club is an Israeli NGO that works in Haiti, Nepal, and is now starting in India.  It supplies nutritional bars that are specially formulated to cure children from malnutrition within 12-weeks.

Good article detailing some of the international partnerships of the Technion (US), Tel Aviv University (China), Ben Gurion University (China), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Singapore), University of Haifa (China), Weizmann Institute (France) and Bar-Ilan University (China).  Also, the HUJ and TAU are in the Times Higher Education’s top 20 Asian universities.

Israel hosted the "Entrepreneurship Conference for Developing Countries” where Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf expressed delight in Israeli entrepreneurs whose commitment to innovation has transformed their nation and improved the lives of its people.

The first annual Israel South Africa Water Week held successful sessions in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Over a dozen Israeli companies were joined by South African partners, NGO’s and high ranking members of national and provincial governments to focus on solutions for water scarcity in South Africa.

In 2012 Israel-founded companies contributed $6 billion in direct revenue and over 6,600 jobs in Massachusetts .  For 2015 the figures are $9.3 billion and nearly 9,000 jobs. Israeli companies directly generate nearly 4% of the State’s GDP.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon invited a delegation from the Special in Uniform (SIU) initiative to the U.N. to share their stories about how people with disabilities can contribute to society and to a nation.

The Belgium city of Antwerp greeted Israeli President Reuven Rivlin with the Israeli national anthem played on the bells of the city cathedral.

My criticism of the BBC last week, for ignoring the Israeli source of life-saving melanoma treatment, was picked up by Israel National News .  But more importantly, it looks like the BBC has also taken notice.  This week, the BBC World Service featured a report on the largest solar tower being built in Israel’s Negev desert that I reported in Feb . (from 49mins).

Hundreds of Eritrean asylum-seekers marched in Tel Aviv in support of a UN probe into the African state's regime, considered one of the world's most repressive.  One typical demonstrator said, "for a march like this one we would already be dead in Eritrea."