Saxonia Helps Sederot Children

To be at the side of children means, to help. Not talking.

The Saxon friends of Israel are doing this. They invite children from the Israeli border town of Sderot to Germany, to Saxony in the summer of 2020.

Yet Another BDS Failure

European Court of Justice & discriminatory labeling of Jewish goods

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will likely decide shortly 

whether European law requires the discriminatory labeling 

of Jewish goods from disputed Israeli territories. Meanwhile, a 

series of articles have been spreading misinformation or 

“fake news” about the case quoting anonymous Israeli officials, 

and therefore the record has to be corrected.

Through Hell or High Water: Five Startups Aiming to Save the Planet by Saving Water

Through Hell or High Water: Five Startups Aiming to Save the Planet by Saving Water

(Algemeiner - https://tinyurl.com/rjcsmmk )

While water is essential to all life, for many people around the world, access to clean drinking water is still a luxury they cannot afford. As of 2018, 785 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water, according to the United Nations’ water security organization WaterAid. According to the World Health Organization, every minute a newborn dies somewhere in the world from an infection affiliated with a lack of access to safe water.

From extracting safe drinking water out of thin, yet humid, air to turning rain into drinkable water, below are five Israeli startups trying to minimize the world’s water crisis.

Note the founders of WATA Solutions below - is this apartheid?

WaterGen

Founded: 2009

Founders: Arye Kohavi, Avi Peretz, - Based in Rishon LeZion

Water-Gen develops atmospheric water generators (AWG) that are able to extract clean and safe drinking water from the naturally occurring humidity in the air. Watergen’s technology can be used to provide safe water to places suffering from water shortage or lacking water infrastructure.

ToxSorb

Founded: 2007

Based in Kfar Giladi in northern Israel

ToxSorb designs and operates customized filtration systems engineered to remove certain chemical contaminants from wastewater, making it clean enough to drink. The company also cleans polluted water for industrial and agricultural purposes.

NUFiltration

Founded: 2011

Founder: Mino Negrin  - Based in Caesarea, south of Haifa

NUFiltration manufactures and distributes water and wastewater treatment systems using medical filtration devices. The company’s technology is used in greenhouses to recycle drain water by removing pathogens, viruses, and other microbiological pollutants while leaving micronutrient levels unchanged.

WATA Solution

Founded: 2018

Founders: Muhanad Alkharaz, Bar Horowitz - Based in Jerusalem

WATA Solution’s technology uses sensors to provide households, water companies, and municipalities with real-time data on their water, including purity levels and remaining supply.

Hilico

Founded: 2016

Founders: Moshe Belilty, Eyal Yassky-Weiss - Based in Ramat Gan

Hilico Off-Grid Solutions develops a portable lightweight rain-harvesting device designed to sustainably provide clean drinking water to off-grid communities and disaster-stricken areas.

Grandma's Pride

Below, a friend who blogs in "Grandma's Army" relates of the pride felt with the advancement of her grandchildren in the IDF

All four grandchildren still serving in the IDF are advancing in their particular fields. We are very proud of my granddaughter who just finished an officer’s course. Also of my grandson, serving in the armoured corps, who has just finished a preliminary officer’s course. The two army celebrations took place last month on the same day.

Amitai, who is one of triplets, gave me a brief account of his activities in the armoured corps. He began his army training a year ago. He admits that it was hard for him to adjust to army discipline and in the many pressures involved in army life  - especially since he had previously been studying in a Yeshiva (Talmudical college) for over a year.  However, the congenial atmosphere and the comradeship of his fellow soldiers helped to overcome the difficulties. Spending hours together in a very confined space turned them almost into a family unit . Although they were very strict, he  felt only respect for his excellent commanding officers. In particular, the commander of the corps who dealt with each request with understanding and efficiency.

He even enjoyed the advanced training course which was very interesting. Although some of the crew found it difficult to spend weeks-on-end training  in the field, Amitai even enjoyed the experience, since he was used to  being out of doors.  The work on the tanks is sometimes very hard and there were times when the crews were up all night in order to finish up the work involved. At least he is set for life when it comes to handling hammers, spanners, screwdrivers and other various gadgets. His training has also taught him perseverance and how to work as a team.

Amitai decided to continue afterwards in the officer’s course because many commanders are needed in the armoured corps and he felt it important to contribute whatever he could. He has become more mature and responsible since he joined the IDF and more aware of the importance of defending one’s country.

Adi is the youngest of five children and, apart from the moral suppport she enjoys from her family, her father and brothers help her on various assignments and from their experience in the IDF. One of her brothers is still serving as a commander.

The soldiers who participated in the officer’s course came from all segments of the IDF. They hailed from all over the country and from very different backgrounds.  The company was divided into teams, which enabled her to become  familiar with the various corps and the tasks involved – to picture the IDF as a whole.

The officer’s course was interesting and more theoretical than practical, according to Adi. They learned a lot about leadership and the ability of commanding others.

When I asked her if she envies Jewish youth from the diaspora who  are free to do their own thing after high school, the answer was categorically in the negative. She feels that they are missing out on a lot. The army enables her to get to know all sectors of the population. It offers challenges that she wouldn’t experience in civilian life. To understand that you are capable of much more than you believed of yourself. Above all, it places considerable responsibility on one’s shoulders which can be very satisfying and meaningful. 

Israeli Vultures Defy Extinction

By World Israel News Staff 

Despite a case of poisoning earlier this year and fears of extinction, 2019 was a productive year for vultures in Israel, reports Maariv Online, citing figures issued by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.
In fact, a new record was set, says the report.

Twenty-four vulture eggs were hatched in breeding programs in 2019 compared to 19 in each of the years 2016-2018, according to the figures.

The incubating process takes place as part of a special project called “Spreading Wings.”

Ten vultures were poisoned on the Golan Heights in May. The intention of the assailant was apparently to carry out an extermination to protect his own farm.

However, in the process, he poisoned the vultures and eight of them, half of the total population, did not survive, according to reports.

Therefore, this year’s productivity is considered especially encouraging.

The breeding in the Spreading Wings project takes place in the Mount Carmel area in northern Israel.

The fears of extinction of vultures have prevailed for years, says Maariv Online. The counter-effort is said to include veterinary research, taking measures against poisoning, preserving nests, preventing electrocution, greater supervision of feeding, and educating the public.

Spreading Wings began in 1996 but was less successful in its first years in “revitalizing” the vulture population, according to Ohad Hazofeh, an ecologist at the Nature and Parks Authority, cited by the news outlet.

Vultures have since been “imported” from Cyprus, Armenia, and Spain, he says, in an effort to enlarge the seed supply.
Even as he speaks optimistically of the future, Hazofeh calls on the Israeli government to continue aggressively with law enforcement, legislation, and stricter penalties in acting to protect the vultures and the animal world in general.

60 Years International Development Cooperation

What an amazing organisation! Helping the under developed countries to develop.

300,000 participants from 140 countries in courses 

since 1958. 

50 training centres set up around the globe

35 onging partnerships with international organisations