Israel Active

Tikvot is a non-profit volunteer-based organization that rehabilitates Israel's victims of terror through sport. Tikvot ("Hopes" in Hebrew) has proved that sport provides our heroes with hope, giving paraplegics and amputees the power to restore self-confidence and dignity.

On the Sunday before Independence Day, residents of 21 Israel cities turned off their lights for one hour to conserve energy. A concert in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square was powered solely by renewable energy sources. Israel’s government recently installed energy-efficient computers in all ministries.

Druze Professor for Hebrew Literature Naim Araidi is Israel's new ambassador to New Zealand. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said after the appointment, "Araidi represents the beautiful face of Israel, in which a talented person, irrespective of religion or sector – can reach the highest places on merit, and be an inspiration for all Israelis".

A young Arab woman arrived at the Binyamin IDF post with her 12-day-old baby, who was suffering from severe breathing difficulty. The IDF Home Front Command soldiers treated and stabilized the baby and then called an emergency ambulance to evacuate the infant to a nearby hospital in Ramallah. Over the past two weeks, paramedics at the post have treated three similar cases.

From an initial 120,000 students, eighteen completed Israel Education Ministry's unique high school project for "super gifted children". They included Israeli-Arab Arij Hatib, from the town of Majdal Krum.

(Thanks to Israel21c) 30-year old Pnina Gaday Agenyahu is the first Ethiopian-born member of Israel's Council for Higher Education. She is also Hillel director at Tel Aviv University. She arrived in Israel aged three, following her family’s trek across Sudan.

Mehmet Burhan Gül was matched with a bone marrow donor from Israel. “Everybody should learn a lesson from this donation, which was made without any discrimination of religion, language or race,” said Gül (same surname as the Turkish President).

Israel is to support USAID’s “Feed the Future” initiative in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda. MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation will supply the agricultural expertise in agriculture production, research, irrigation and water technologies.

(Thanks to Rodger) Israel is seen as a market for several Filipino processed products as well as bananas, pineapple and mango. Conversely, Israel is looking to Filipino companies to contribute to its growing international investment in agriculture and other sectors.

A delegation from Singapore were guests of Kadima Mada – the Israeli branch of World ORT. They had a demonstration of E-Scape - an innovative learning environment being implemented in three Israeli high schools.