Israel Active

Female participation in the IDF is at record levels. They include combat positions, battle intelligence, artillery, rescue units, border police and patrols. In addition, two women passed the initial vetting process for the elite air force Search and Rescue Unit 669. (Hamas see it as a disgrace to be killed by a woman).

Israel and Taiwan have much in common. So it was good to see Taiwanese officials come to Israel in a show of solidarity and to help Israeli farmers in the field.

75 Evangelical and other Christians from 10 nations came to Israel on a “hope, healing, service” tour to support border communities impacted by the Oct 7 Hamas atrocities. The tour was led by the Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FIRM) which has set up a $10 million+ crisis fund.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has discovered 9 new species of pseudoscorpions (miniature scorpions) in Israel. Like the 52 previously discovered species, they are harmless to humans, being so small. Israel is diverse in animals, being at the junction of three continents.

The positive results of the international PISA test assessing literacy levels of 15-year-old students highlighted that haredi female students lead in Israel in mathematics and reading achievements. In addition, the gaps between Israeli Hebrew and Arabic speakers have narrowed.

14 Israeli university teams have won prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants. 6 went to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (total NIS 47 million) and 4 to the Weizmann Institute.  Only some 300 grants were awarded of 2,000+ applications.

A first flight carrying 221 young men left Malawi for Israel on Saturday and more are to be sent soon. They will work on farms in "fit and safe" environments and locations. Israel recently granted Malawi a $60 million aid package to help it recover from an economic crisis,

The many overseas volunteers to Israel include American ER doctors Dr. Dov Frankel and Dr. Barry Hahn, going to work at Ashkelon’s Barzilai hospital. They came via the Emergency Volunteers Project, a disaster-relief organization that recruits volunteer emergency responders in times of crisis.

$1.2 billion of the US’s latest aid package to Israel is to help finance Israel’s Iron Beam laser defense system (see previously). The US hopes that trials of the system will eventually also benefit the US army. Iron Beam will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range threats.

Major Foaz Hussein, a Bedouin Arab tracker in the Paran Brigade, was released from Emek Medical Center after receiving treatment for gunshot wounds received fighting terrorists on Oct 7th in Kibbutz Holit. He saved many lives before being wounded himself.