Israel Active

The Israeli NGO HackAutism has organized 4 annual hackathons - 24-hour competitions focusing on solving autism-related challenges. These have produced 42 ventures, 15 of which have raised funding. This year’s winner Dive uses AI to help employers identify and hire autistic workers.

“Wild Walks” Israel is a nationwide project to help war-weary teenagers from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus adapt to a new life in Israel. It provides a safe space for these young men and women to use art, play and conversation to build their own world with their own places, friends, and activities.

Israel’s IDF “Operation Olive Branches” has hundreds of medics and Search & Rescue experts in Turkiye (Turkey). They have pulled dozens of survivors from the rubble of the massive earthquakes. Israel’s United Hatzalah, Magen David Adom and Zaka have also sent relief missions.

Israel has donated $250,000 worth of perinatal equipment to nine hospitals in Moldovia. It includes incubators and resuscitation tables, replacing equipment over two decades old.

The New Zealand Israel Innovation Hub (NZIIH) recently opened in Tel Aviv (see previously). Founder Josh Brown and startup advisor Elinor Swery are promoting 23 initiatives to foster business ventures including foodtech, agtech, climatetech, and spacetech.

HaShomer HaChadash (The New Guardian – see previously) safeguards Israel’s lands by agriculture & education. Its 25,000 strong youth movement HaTnua HaChadasha now includes some 3,000 Bedouin children, mostly meeting at the charity’s Zarzir educational farm.  (see Programs & Projects - HaShomer HaChadash Youth Organization)

Captain Udi Heller is autistic and founder of the "Titkadmu" (Move Forward) program at the largest employer of autistic people in the world – the IDF. Captain Heller spoke at the high-tech diversity conference organized by Calcalist, Bank Leumi, Meitar and PowerInDiversity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chad President Mehmet Déby have inaugurated the African country's embassy in Israel, five years after the two countries restored diplomatic ties. The majority Muslim country’s embassy is in Ramat Gan – a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Wonderful interview with Colonel Golan Vach, Commander of the IDF’s National Rescue Unit. He describes some of the unit’s international life-saving missions. But most amazing is the response from civilians when Colonal Vach tells them that they have come from Jerusalem.

Israel has transferred three more ambulances to Ukrainian rescue services (see previously). The Israeli “Plasan Re’em” company reinforced the ambulances and equipped them with life-saving medical gear including a defibrillator, oxygen system and more.