23-year-old Lian Najami from Haifa is Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar; the IDF’s ethnic mix includes a 19-year-old Muslim and immigrants from countries like Ethiopia and Australia; Israel’s Elbit Systems won a contract to supply direct self-protection systems to NATO for its Airbus A330 tanker fleet, and much more.

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar

23-year-old Lian Najami from Haifa is Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar. She is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English, German and Spanish. Her message: Arab Israelis, who make up some 20 percent of Israel’s citizenry, can succeed in the Jewish state. She has held herself up as living proof.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-first-arab-rhodes-scholar-loves-her-country-and-is-trying-to-change-it/

The melting pot of Israeli society

David Ben Gurion’s description of the IDF is particularly true of the Nahal Brigade. 100 of 450 recent recruits had a special status. Typical of the ethnic mix are Amir Rav’e – a 19-year-old Muslim, Netanel Mengistu – an Ethiopian immigrant and Jesse Amar from Melbourne Australia.

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5057745,00.html

Protecting NATO planes

Israel’s Elbit Systems has won a contract to supply direct infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) self-protection systems to NATO for its Airbus A330 tanker fleet. NATO’s Colonel Jan der Kinderen said Elbit’s systems will “greatly add to the safety and operational flexibility of the total fleet.”

http://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3727803,00.html

A truly meaningful haircut

Israeli charity Zichron Menachem spares no effort to collect hair offered by donors or salons and turns it into wigs, supporting children who have lost their hair during cancer treatment.

Children’s peace exhibition comes home.  For 15 years, New York art educator Maureen Kushner led children at 50 Israeli schools to draw pictures of peace. When completed in 2009, the resulting “Peace through Humor” exhibit went on an 8-year world tour. It now resides at Yemin Orde Youth Village near Haifa.

https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-kids-drawings-of-peace-come-home-after-world-tour/

United Hatzalah has 300 Muslim volunteers

This article is about Sanaa Mahameed – a religious Muslim woman who volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Israel’s United Hatzalah. She is the only woman of the 300 Muslim volunteers in the organization, but she calls on others to come and join her.

https://israelrescue.org/blog/religious-muslim-woman-spends-her-time-saving-lives-in-israel/

Coding skills course to go global

The UK Israel Tech Hub set-up the Founders and Coders program in Nazareth to teach computer coding skills in 16 weeks to young Arabs and Jews.  It is now exporting the model to Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/uks-israel-embassy-seeks-to-export-coders-program/

A fund to help developing countries that support Israel

According to Hadashot TV news, Israel has established a fund, dubbed “50 on 50,” which will distribute $50 million in government funding among 50 countries that support Israel on the international stage.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-establishes-fund-to-buy-developing-countries-support-report/

Israel goes international on systems analysis

Israel has become its newest member of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Israel joins 24 other countries. Representatives from Israeli universities, government ministries, and the public will constitute the Israel Committee for IIASA.

http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/about/news/171215-Israel-joins.html

Israel isolated? Think again

Israel is the “Innovation Nation” and world leaders are recognizing it.

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