Israel Active

Three areas were discussed when UK Prime Minister David Cameron met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Security, Peace and Technology.

Israel's new ambassador to Jordan, Einat Shlain, presented her credentials to Jordan's King Abdullah II at a ceremony at the Basman Palace in Amman. Shlain is the first female ambassador to an Arab country.

Nice to see Israel getting credit for something connected to this global upheaval, however I suspect that the situation is not quite as similar as the Swedish official believes.

The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies reports that Jewish and Arab pharmacists are satisfied with their careers and that pharmacy has led to increased levels of tolerance and acceptance on both sides. In 2015, 35% of Israeli pharmacists are Arab – up from 20% in 2000.

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.