Israel Active

Although at war, Israel is fifth on the World Happiness Report 2024, just one place lower than in 2023 and four higher than in 2022 (see ). The scores are from asking citizens questions about GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.

Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa has brought water and electricity to 1,100 villages in Africa. Each village costs $65,000 to provide costs for drilling, solar pump, solar panels, tanks, piping, taps, a 10-meter tower, and remote monitoring.  $20,000 brings light to all school classrooms and teacher’s homes.

Tel Aviv University Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron has been awarded the top prize in electrical engineering – IEEE’s Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies - for her groundbreaking technology that uses existing cellular networks to monitor meteorological phenomena.

The Israeli Bedouin settlement of Bir al-Maksur, which means Broken Well, and is located near the Jezreel Valley. The village held a parade to mark the start of Ramadan. Leading the parade was someone proudly carrying the Israeli flag.

Israel’s MEDX Xelerator (see previously) has generated the NorthMed innovation hub in the northern town of Sakhnin. In its first year, NorthMed helped Swift Duct (see previously) develop its endoscope for navigating the bile duct.

Tens of thousands of Moslems peacefully worshipped in the compound of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the first Friday prayers of Ramadan. Police reported no unusual incidents, despite Hamas calling for violence. The Islamic Waqf estimated that 80,000 people took part.

Professor Daniella Raveh is the first woman to become dean of the Israel Technion’s faculty of Aerospace Engineering. An alumna of the faculty, she graduated with honors and went on to earn both a master’s and Ph.D. degree at the Technion.

The Israeli Open Chess Championship in Acre brought together Jews, Arabs and Druze in friendly competition.  The 132 chess players ranged in age from 9 to 78 and included some 20 international masters and grandmasters.

Israeli President Herzog thanked the incoming ambassadors of Equatorial Guinea, Burundi and Eswatini for their support of Israel and in protecting Irael’s observer status in the African Union. “We believe in Africa. We love Africa,” Herzog told the ambassadors.

Representative Moimah Briggs Mensah is Chairperson of Liberia’s Israel Allies Foundation Caucus. She expressed her fervor for reinforcing Liberia’s diplomatic ties with Israel, which could even include establishing its embassy in Jerusalem by the end of 2024.