Good News Israel presents Israel cares for its Bedouin Arabs, UK Christians declare Israel a safe haven and much more.

By Michael Ordman

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Bedouin Arabs and the JNF

If the New York Times won’t publish the response to its false accusations about the JNF, please read it here. Read about the JNF’s Wadi Atir project; about efforts to calm Bedouin children under fire from Hamas terrorists; care for disabled Bedouin at JNF-sponsored ALEH Negev and much, much more.
http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2015/3/6/new-york-times-gets-it-wrong-on-jewish-national-fund-and-bedouin-arabs#.VQxAtOE8ov4=

“Israel is a safe haven for Christians”

Newsletter readers already know the truth of that statement. Now it has been incorporated into the “Shalom Declaration” circulated by UK Christian organizations. The declaration is expected to be signed by more than 800 Christians at a gathering in London, UK later this month.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/03/10/uk-groups-circulate-declaration-of-appreciation-for-israel-as-safe-haven-for-christians/

More PA Arabs can work in Israel

Palestinian Arab men over 55 and over 50 no longer need a permit to enter Israel from Judea and Samaria to work. Married men over the age of 22 can also now apply (previously only married Palestinian Arab men over 24 who had children could work in Israel).
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-eases-entry-criteria-for-west-bank-palestinians/

Gazans pray in Jerusalem

Two hundred Gazans traveled in buses to Israel via the Erez crossing, to Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque (as reported in the Arab press).
http://www.maannews.com/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=759863

Top priority

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin held a soccer event at the presidential residence, inviting children and soccer stars from around the country to participate in an effort to raise awareness against violence and racism.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sports/Watch-President-Rivlin-plays-soccer-with-youth-at-residence-393718

Social business winners

The goal of Israel’s B the Change Competition is to promote startups to improve quality of life for millions of marginalized people. So look out for these winners – ESCO (supports startups) KitchenBug, MobileODT (affordable healthcare), Tulip Winery and VoiceITT (for speech-impaired).
http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/from-startup-nation-to-b-corp-nation-israel-joins-the-movement

Israel opens Lithuanian embassy

Israel has opened its first embassy in Lithuania. The embassy is in the capital Vilnius (Vilna) where Jews comprised a quarter of the population before WW2. Israel’s first ambassador to the Baltic nation is Amir Maimon. Lithuania’s embassy in Israel opened in 1992.
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Israel-opens-its-first-embassy-in-Lithuania-pre-war-home-to-250000-Jews-393875

Israel sends aid team to Vanuatu

A multi-sector emergency response team from Israel-based IsraAID has arrived on the remote islands of Vanuatu, devastated by Cyclone Pam. After meeting government officials and UN agencies in the capital Port Vila, IsraAID started distributing water and rice and more Israeli aid is coming.
(Info from IsraAID’s Shachar Zahavi)
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.646983

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