Israel Active

Israel’s deputy Foreign minister Danny Ayalon will fly from Ethiopia to Uganda and Kenya to inaugurate Israeli projects in agriculture and health. Many African leaders have said they want to repair the damage caused by the cutting of diplomatic ties in the 1970’s and 80’s.

The Peres Centre for Peace has launched a new project that fosters business ties between Israeli and Palestinian business people in the handicrafts, garment and textiles, and food sectors. A 458,000 Euro grant from the European Union funds 80% of the project expenditure until 2014.

Following her Birthright trip, psychology student Alexa Yakubovich volunteered to work at Israel’s Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) centre in Holon. As she played with a healed Palestinian Arab baby she wrote, “people can be brought together over a healed heart and a smile”.

During her company commander course, Yarden got married and fell pregnant six months later. She didn’t want to quit and became the first female combat commander in the Home Front Command. She even went on a march whilst 7 months pregnant.

Jewish Heart for Africa has received special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The New York based NGO focuses on bringing Israeli sustainable technologies to African villages.

Vessels from the Chinese fleet anchored at the port of Haifa to honour 20 years of cooperation between the IDF and the Chinese Army. During their stay, the Chinese will visit the IDF Naval Officers' Academy, Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial site, and visit different Israeli tourist attractions.

It has as much chance as anything the PA leadership is doing. Watermelon and Israeli cheeses brought together Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem’s Musrara neighbourhood as part of the first annual “Between Green and Red” festival. It revives the atmosphere in 1967 when the city was re-united.

Israeli President Shimon Peres received Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Chicoti and both agreed to strengthen the science and technology links between the two countries.

Four Indian navy warships arrived on a goodwill visit to Haifa to "strengthen service-to-service linkages", as the two countries celebrate 20 years of diplomatic ties this year. The Indian sailors will also be paying their respects at the memorial of Indian soldiers buried in Haifa. Haifa schools’ history textbooks include how Indian soldiers fought to liberate the city from the Ottoman Turks in 1918.

The sister of Gaza’s Hamas PM, Ismail Haniyeh, accompanied her husband for one week’s treatment in Beilinson Hospital four months ago. The sister’s husband chose Israel rather than Egypt, following a serious heart condition. (Are we crazy?)