Waiting for Syrian refugees on the shore is a rescue team of doctors and nurses, both Arab and Jewish, from the Israeli humanitarian organization IsraAid, and Israel’s first ever basketball league for people with special needs has been launched in Jerusalem.
By: Michael Ordman
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
The island of tears
New video of some of the thousands of refugees from Syria arriving daily by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos, hoping to find a new start in Europe. Waiting for them on the shore is a rescue team of doctors and nurses, both Arab and Jewish, from the Israeli humanitarian organization IsraAid.
https://vimeo.com/151279276
Israel’s first special needs basketball league
Israel’s first ever basketball league for people with special needs has been launched in Jerusalem. There are many special needs basketball teams throughout Jerusalem and Israel, but until now there had been no official or organized framework for such teams.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4753399,00.html
Boosting job skills for Ethiopian-Israelis
The Israeli government is to spend NIS 55 million ($14 million) on programs to improve the job prospects of at least 3,600 Ethiopian immigrants. It will focus on job training, academic programs, and grants to employers for hiring Israeli workers of Ethiopian descent.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-program-aims-to-bring-ethiopian-immigrants-into-tech-economy/
Building multi-ethnic Israeli companies
Forsan Hussein and Ami Dror are the Muslim and Jewish Israeli cofounders of Zaitoun Ventures. They build and invest in companies either cofounded by Jews and Arabs or with diverse employees, including Myndlift, Sidis Labs, Ninispeech, Comedy Break, Teramount, Galapromter and IceCure. Zaitoun is poised to invest about $100 million in 2016.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/why-jewish-and-arab-cofounders-are-good-for-business/
Helping Israeli-Arab employment
In 2015, over 8,000 new participants visited the 20 employment centers set up for the Arab, Druze, and Circassian populations throughout Israel. 13,600 people found jobs through the centers and 24,000 have received assistance. 68% of visitors found work – far more than the government’s 56% target.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4759117,00.html
Israeli doctors save life of 17-year-old Arab girl
Doctors at Rambam Medical Center, Haifa saved the life of Jummana, a 17-year-old girl from Nablus suffering from a serious and rare endocrine problem. With help from the US National Institutes of Health, the doctors traced the source to a tiny tumor, which they removed.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Health-and-Science/Israeli-Palestinian-and-American-collaboration-saves-life-of-Nablus-teen-443374
An Israeli mall in Israeli-Arab town
Supermarket magnate Rami Levy is building a $50 million shopping mall in the Israeli-Arab town of Al-Ram near the Palestinian Arab city of Ramallah. Levy anticipates that Jews and Arabs will be attracted to shop at the mall and will travel from both Jerusalem and Ramallah.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/supermarket-magnate-rami-levy-building-50-million-mall-near-ramallah/2016/01/16/
Israel to host Forbes 600 under 30
Forbes is to hold its Under 30 Summit EMEA in Israel. 600 young entrepreneurs and game changers from across the world will take part in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv events 2-7 April 16. The game changers include 200 from Europe, 200 from the US and 200 from Israel.
http://www.israel21c.org/forbes-to-hold-under-30-summit-in-israel/
High return on US investment in Israel
Ambassador Yoram Ettinger describes the USA’s “win-win” relationship with Israel.
http://www.theettingerreport.com/US-Israel/High-return-on-US-investment-in-Israel.aspx
Strengthening relations with India
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj came to Israel, seeking new areas where the two countries can cooperate. Speaking from Jerusalem, she stressed the importance of Israeli-Indian ties and said the “potential of our relations are much much more.” Meanwhile the number of visitors to Israel from India during 2015 increased by 13.5% compared to 2014 – to around 40,000.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/01/18/indian-foreign-minister-in-israel-to-strengthen-bilateral-relationship/
http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/Top-Stories/israel-records-132-growth-in-indian-arrivals-in-2015-29516
Health agreement with Cyprus
Cyprus and Israel signed a healthcare sector cooperation agreement covering issues such as improving health systems, epidemiology, prevention of infectious diseases, food safety and environmental hygiene. It also includes sending patients abroad for treatments and transplant procedures.
http://in-cyprus.com/cyprus-israeli-health-agreement-signed/
Israel is on it
The latest Untold News ad publicizing Israeli innovation in the New York Times.
http://www.israelisonit.com/inventions#/how-to-freeze-a-breast-tumor-to-death/
How to combat terror
15 Massachusetts law enforcement officials are on an organized 10-day trip to Israel to learn about fighting terrorism. The trip was sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League. http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/01/massachusetts_law_enforcement.html
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