Israel Active

Israel was ranked 18th out of 188 countries on the 2015 UN Human Development Index (HDI) which analyzes economic strength, education, and health. Israel scored higher than Japan, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, all of eastern European, plus African and Arab countries.

Fifteen 12-year-olds from the Jewish town of Modi’in and 15 sixth graders from a Christian Orthodox school in the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Ramle met for the third time to play baseball at the Baptist Village field in Petah Tikva. The program for sixth graders is called Baseball for All.

In 2015 the Israeli-American Council hosted five Celebrate Israel festivals that reached over 43,000 community members. It has established regional centers in nine US cities plus three community centers. Its annual conference attracted 1,300 delegates.

70% of the employees of Jerusalem café Bistro Harutzim have various special needs. The café, opened by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, is operated under the auspices of SHEKEL, which enables people with disabilities to enjoy a better quality of life and integrate naturally into the community.

Ezer Mizion’s Hakalah Respite Program provides parents of special-needs children the opportunity to celebrate events with their families whilst knowing that their child is well looked after.

The Skystar 180 tactical aerostat surveillance balloon system developed by Israel’s RT Aerostat Systems was used to protect world leaders at the recent United Nations climate summit in Paris. And a nice cartoon by Dry Bones to illustrate the significance.

The UK Daily Mail has published video footage of an IDF mission to evacuate seriously wounded Syrian Sunni rebels and treat them in Israel. The mission also returned treated patients to Syria.

A delegation of 4 World Bank representatives and 20 from nine Brazilian states came to Israel in November to view water and agriculture technologies that can be implemented in the extensive World Bank and other projects planned in Brazil.

The Indo-Israel vegetable center of excellence in Haryana state, India has boosted the annual number of seedlings grown by state farmers from half a million in 2011 to six million in 2015. Farmers from Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are also using the facility.

15 French clinicians, trained by Israeli experts, provided psycho-trauma treatment to victims of the Nov 13 Paris terror attacks. The Israel Trauma Coalition trained 80 French mental-health professionals following the terror attack on a Paris kosher supermarket last January.