Kids Kicking Cancer has enlisted 15 martial arts teachers to become volunteers; Ethiopian-Israeli Eden Alene, 17, of Jerusalem, won Israel’s “X-Factor 2018; Students of the Entrepreneurship in the Travel Industry course at the Akko Center of Arts and Technology include a Druze beekeeper, a Bedouin mother and daughter, and a Jewish woman, and much more.

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Helping kids fight cancer pain

The non-profit Kids Kicking Cancer has enlisted 15 martial arts teachers to become volunteers, helping children with cancer and other serious illnesses achieve a sense of physical and emotional well-being through free martial arts classes, counseling, and other kinds of support.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/yes-we-kendo-volunteer-martial-artists-teach-kids-with-cancer-to-fight-the-pain/

Ethiopian-Israeli wins X-Factor Israel

Ethiopian-Israeli Eden Alene, 17, of Jerusalem, won Israel’s “X-Factor 2018. Her performance of pop star Demi Lovato’s song “Stone Cold” went viral. Alene, who was raised by her Orthodox Jewish single mother, sang “Human” by Christina Perri for her final performance.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ethiopian-israeli-teen-wins-israels-x-factor/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk-92_tEFuU

Training for all

At the non-profit Akko Center of Arts and Technology (ACAT), among the students of the Entrepreneurship in the Travel Industry course are a Druze beekeeper, a Bedouin mother and daughter who serve homemade meals in their home, and a Jewish woman with guest cabins near the Lebanon border.
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/where-a-druze-beekeeper-a-jewish-hotel-owner-and-a-bedouin-mother-talk-shop/

https://www.acatcenter.org/

Young Jerusalem Arabs are integrating

22-year-old Ro’aa is typical of a growing number of Jerusalem Arabs. She works in a Jewish area of Western Jerusalem. “On the Israeli side you get paid more and receive all your benefits, and if they see you are working hard you get promoted.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-30/big-changes-are-reshaping-jerusalem

No politics in Knesset backgammon tournament

Jewish and Arab Israeli lawmakers from the coalition and opposition competed together at the Knesset (parliament) backgammon tournament. The competition was won by Oren Hazan (Likud) who ironically has been suspended from the Knesset for his bad behavior.
https://worldisraelnews.com/diverse-group-israeli-lawmakers-unite-backgammon-tournament/

The weekly influx of Syrian wounded

Operation Good Neighbor – the transportation of wounded Syrian children to Israeli hospitals – isn’t a one-off event; every week Israel receives a busload of sick kids. There is also a field clinic for non-emergencies. Read the individual stories.
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Operation-Good-Neighbor-540359

Owls for Peace

I reported previously (3 times) on how Israelis have convinced farmers in Israel and Jordan to use owls as a natural control of rodent pests. This article brings us up to date and suggests that the cross-border solution is even helping Israel’s relations with Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-01388-5

Knesset members develop Jewish-Muslim ties in Croatia

Israeli-Arab Member of Knesset (MK) Esawi Frej (Meretz) and Avraham Neguise (Likud) visited Croatia last week to strengthen ties between the two countries.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/knesset-delegation-lauds-croatian-jewish-muslim-coexistence/

Panama gives award to United Hatzalah

Panama’s Homefront Command has presented an award to Israeli emergency response organization United Hatzalah. The award is to honor the life-saving aid that United Hatzalah has provided to the Central American nation.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-emergency-org-honored-in-panama-for-life-saving-assistance/

Strong ties with Greece

Israeli President Rivlin concluded his state visit to Greece by lauding the warm relations between the two countries and the growing security cooperation, which contributes to the stability of the region. https://worldisraelnews.com/rivlin-concludes-greece-visit-praise-strong-ties-security-cooperation/

Planes from Israel may overfly Saudi Arabia

Early reports indicate that Saudi Arabia has approved Air India to cross its airspace for direct flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. If confirmed, it will be the first time that flights to Israel have been allowed through Saudi skies.
http://honestreporting.com/idns-02-07-2018-saudi-flights/

A cyber security superpower

Former CIA director Gen (Ret) David H. Petraeus hailed Israel as “a small country in all aspects, but it is a cyber superpower.”. He was speaking in Tel Aviv at CyberTech 2018. The 3-day event attracted 15,000 attendees from 80 countries, including 160 international delegations.
http://nocamels.com/2018/01/israel-cyber-superpower-cia-cybertech-2018/

UK Defense Secretary – “Israel is a beacon of light”

Speaking to the Conservative Friends of Israel, the UK’s Secretary of State for Defense, Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson MP, praised Israel as a “beacon of light and hope, in a region where there is so much hatred and hurt”. https://cfoi.co.uk/defence-secretary-gavin-williamson-hails-amazing-relationship-with-israel-at-cfi-parliamentary-reception/

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