Israel Active

Women joined the workforce in Israel faster than anywhere else in the OECD over the last three decades, thanks to changes in the labor market, the tax regime and available daycare. 79.7% at ages 25-34 is 24% up on 1985. 78.9% at ages 35-44, is 21% up.

Just 45 minutes north of Tel Aviv, Israel is expanding the sleepy 1000-residents town of Harish into a city with up to 100,000 inhabitants. The plans have been praised by its modern-orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews, secular Israelis, former Soviet and Ethiopian immigrants and Arabs.

Israel’s cancer charity Ezer Mizion has just completed its 20th Summer Camp for children and adults with cancer. Its jeep trip is always one of the high points and this year 160 volunteer drivers took 150 cancer sufferers in 14 groups on different trails across Northern Israel.

Israel’s Blue Flag program together with Netanya Municipality arranged for 12 disabled Israelis to enter the Poleg beach using amphibious chairs with wheels. Israel has 23 beaches accessible for disabled people.

The Grabski Rehabilitation Center in Migdal Haemek has installed a room with cameras and laser sensors, connected to computers and screens. By cutting the laser beams, the 40 patients can control sounds and create a computerized melody.

The portable “anaerobic digester” from Israeli start-up HomeBioGas turns kitchen waste and livestock manure into cooking-gas. It has become popular with Negev Arab Bedouins and rural Palestinian Arabs who previously damaged their health by burning wood or goat manure for cooking.

Film director Jules Dameron is deaf and uses the Israeli video messaging app Glide to communicate using American Sign Language both on and off the set. Glide has really caught on amongst the deaf community, as the youtube videos in the article visibly demonstrate.

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) is to start a three-credit course on ‘Developing technology partnerships between entrepreneurial firms in India and Israel’. Students will visit Israel and work in India with companies seeking Israeli tech partnerships.

Beverly Hills City Council and Israel have signed a formal partnership. It covers water conservation and management, technology and cyber security, public health, emergency services, disaster preparedness, public safety, counter terrorism and art and culture

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to give a one-time budgetary supplement of 900 million shekels ($230 million) to Israeli-Arab councils. It is designed to “integrate Israel's Arab citizens into Israeli society as equals among equals”, said the PM.