Israel Active

Dozens of children of foreign workers, who grew up in Israel, are petitioning Israeli ministers and pursuing legal avenues, to be allowed to serve in Israel’s Defense Forces. Many have already volunteered as agricultural laborers and now want to give back to the country via the IDF.

26 haredi Israeli soldiers have graduated as first-level technicians on F-16 fighter jets. They will serve at the operational center for combat aircraft in the Air Force and will ensure that aircraft and weapon systems are ready for operational activity.

The amazing story of Dr Kira Radinsky, CEO of Diagnostic Robotics (see previously) was reported here in 2022.  You can hear Israel’s “Woman of the Year” give more details here. She reveals that her mother was pregnant with her in Kiev when the Chernobyl reactor exploded only 80km away!

Israel’s Ethiopian community celebrated the holiday of Sigd with a prayer gathering at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Sigd is an official Israeli holiday, celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur. Moshe Solomon, born in Ethiopia, explains the festival. He is now Deputy Speaker of Israel’s Parliament.

When reporting the success of Israeli universities in the Shanghai Ranking previously (see ) I failed to mention that on a per capita basis Israel came overall fourth in the world, behind only Switzerland, Singapore and Denmark. It outperformed France, Germany, the UK, and Sweden.

Argentina’s outspoken, pro-Israel president, Javier Milei, announced a steadfast alliance with Israel, pledging unwavering support in the fight for democracy and the battle against terrorism.

Argentinian Defense Minister Luis Petri visited Israel to advance cooperation on modernizing Argentina’s defense systems and strengthening bilateral security ties. The visit emphasized the two countries’ shared commitment to freedom, democracy, and combating dictatorships.

Four Israeli high school students won three gold medals and a bronze at the 2024 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in Egypt, placing them second of the 94 nations. For security reasons they competed remotely, and next year will be forced to participate only under the IOI flag.

A sold-out audience of 900+ supporters gathered in Greenwich CT for the “2024 FIDF Westchester and Connecticut Evening of Solidarity Dinner” to help raise funds for the IDF. Many combat IDF soldiers shared personal stories and how FIDF had helped them on the frontlines.

The “Sheba Impact” initiative together with ARC Innovation, and Ofakim LaAtid have launched dozens of startups in Israel’s periphery. In a recent competition for Druze-led startups, AIBRID (educational tech) won NIS 300,000. Other finalists were Swift, AgriEye, Preln and MultiKol.