Israel Active

Social entrepreneurs from India, El Salvador, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Africa experienced Israel as part of the international conference S.E.E. Israel (Social Entrepreneur Exchange). Run by Jerusalem’s Hebrew Uni as part of a StandWithUs public diplomacy training program.

No problem with freedom of movement for Palestinian Arabs during the Muslim holidays. Their leaders may be furious, but 300,000 “normal” Arabs from Ramallah, Balata, Shchem (Nablus) and Bethlehem are in Israel, with many enjoying the sun, sea and sand of Tel Aviv’s beaches.

Nice photo of Israeli Arab children enjoying themselves during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr at a swimming pool amusement park in Acre (Akko). The headline jokingly suggests what some foreign anti-Israel press might print.

The Magen David Adom "Wish Ambulance" fulfilled the wish of a 6-year old girl from Gaza. Following three months treatment for leukaemia at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, MDA took the Palestinian Arab girl to the Mediterranean Sea at Yaffo, followed by pizza.

More than a hundred checkpoints in Judea and Samaria have been removed as “goodwill” measure to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The media frequently reports that roadblocks are a crucial reason for the failure of the Palestinian Authority to become economically solvent, but the PA itself said last week that it is enjoying an exceptional growth rate of 5.2 percent.

Here is the story of the charity ‘Learn & Live’ that rehabilitates those young people who, due to dysfunctional families, bad company or immoral influences, fall between the cracks of society.

Please read this guest blog. Five young Israeli volunteers from Project T.E.N. (Tikkun Empowerment Network - a project of The Jewish Agency for Israel) have opened a summer camp for street children in Gondar, Ethiopia. 51 children attend the camp, where they study English every day and participate in traditional camping activities including sports, arts and crafts, and drama.

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”.