Israel Active

The Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration for the Gaza Strip hosted twenty-nine farmers from Gaza at the annual Strawberry Fair in Qalansuwa, Israel. The event publicises new varieties of strawberries, new growing methods and approved pesticides.

17 Israeli children (Jews, Arabs and Druze) from the Northern Galilee and Golan Heights are visiting Winnipeg, Canada to play Canadian hockey. The students (aged between 11 and 14) are all members of the Canada Israel Hockey School in Metulla.

Israel Defense Force medics treated four wounded Syrians after they approached the Israel-Syrian border evidently seeking medical attention. Two were seriously wounded and were evacuated to an Israeli hospital for further treatment.

Ben Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Chicago have announced a partnership to collaborate on new water production and purification technologies for deployment in regions of the globe where fresh water resources are scarce.

(Thanks to Israel21c) The UK’s Tag International Development organization utilizes Israeli knowledge and expertise to run more than 20 projects in developing nations. Israeli volunteers and professionals work in Myanmar, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka; and Kenya.

Five new ambassadors (Chile, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia) presented their credentials to the Israel’s President Shimon Peres, marking the start of their service in Israel. They also expressed their hope to develop technological and strategic connections.

Israel’s six-year project to improve its Arab community’s job prospects will also help to bolster slowing economic growth. Manuel Trajtenberg, who helped to draft the plan, said in an interview, “There is a huge potential there for economic gains, economic benefits, first of all for the Arab community itself and for the Israeli economy at large.”

This image sums up the situation very aptly.

The new Miss Israel, Ethiopian-born Yityish Aynaw from Netanya, spoke about her invitation to the exclusive gala dinner in honor of the US leader. "Ten years ago I was walking around barefoot in Ethiopia and I never imagined that one day I would be in the Land of Israel, meeting the Israeli president and the president of the United States.”

Data released by Israel’s Central Bureau for Statistics (on International Women’s Day) revealed that in the Israel Defense Forces, 57% of all officers are women.