-
Home
- frontpage
- Details
- Written by Silvia G. Golan
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis followed, the Jewish community of Oporto in Portugal donated EUR15,000 to the largest food bank in Israel, "Leket Israel"
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis followed, the Jewish community of Oporto in Portugal donated EUR15,000 to the largest food bank in Israel, "Leket Israel", which handles food pickup and distribution and feeds hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the organization throughout Israel. The contribution was granted today by the president of the Jewish community of Oporto, Dias Ben Zion, to Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel.
The donation is a result of ongoing collaboration between the Catholic and Jewish communities in Oporto, which released the movie The Light of Judah three months ago via streaming platforms. The movie portrays the historical relationship between Catholics and Jews in the middle ages. The two communities decided that all Israeli streaming proceeds would be granted to "Leket Israel" and that proceeds from streaming in Portugal, which also totaled at EUR15,000, would be granted to the food bank in Oporto and three local Catholic charity organizations.
Production of the movie was made possible by ongoing religious, cultural and social collaboration between the Catholic and Jewish communities, which began in December 2019 with the goal of fighting antisemitism. The initiative has received financial backing from philanthropic Jewish families as well as B'nai B'rith International.
Dias Ben Zion, President of the Jewish Community of Oporto: "Our community is committed to the State of Israel, and we are excited that we have been able to fulfill our promise and donate the proceeding from the movie, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the demand for meals. Leket Israel is leading an important mission and we are proud to be able to help”.
Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel: "Leket Israel is truly grateful to receive support from Portugal of the Jewish community of Oporto and the Diocese of Oporto. It is heartwarming to see Oporto’s Jewish and Catholic communities working together to feed Israel’s poor at this troubled time for us all. We look forward to strengthening the bond between our communities and are honored that Mr. Dias Ben Zion, President of Comunidade Israelita Do Porto will be visiting with us to make the donation and see our activities firsthand."
Photo From left to right: Dias Ben Zion, President of the Jewish Community of Oporto and Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel.
Courtesy: Yossi Zeliger.
Debate for Peace celebrates another year of remarkable achievements with a moving online celebration
- Details
- Written by Silvia G. Golan
Debate for Peace celebrated another year of remarkable achievements with a moving celebration, held via Zoom of course, with participants joining from dozens of cities. Ten students and one teacher offered powerful reflections on their experiences.
The annual Debate for Peace end of year celebration marks the transition from one academic year to the next, and provides a platform for students to share their unique experiences. This year’s program, held on Thursday August 27, included representatives from the delegations to Sweden, Oxford, Yale and Johns Hopkins, as well as the members of the Empathy Storytelling project.
The program opened with a welcome from Carolina Frimer, on behalf of the Interfaith Encounter Association. Joe Wierichs, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv, offered introductory remarks. Mr. Wierichs spoke from his experience as a diplomat in more than half a dozen countries, and encouraged students to keep trying to learn different perspectives.
Debate for Peace Director Steven Aiello provided an overview of the programming over the last year, including more than an event a week, from in person meetings to Zoom debates and discussions. The five international delegations included meeting with the foreign ministries of Sweden and the Netherlands, the Embassies of Ecuador and Kosovo in the UK, the US embassy in Sweden, the US, EU, and Cypriot missions to the UN, UNICEF, UN Alliance of Civilizations, the Swiss embassy, US state department and the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, along with over a dozen different Jewish and Muslim communities. Debate for Peace presented in synagogues, mosques, and at the UN itself, through the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY.
Yara Katish spoke as a representative of one of those delegations. Yara talked about experiencing shabbat as a Druze student, together with her Jewish, Muslim and Christian friends. Shahav Navon explained how much he had gained from a meeting with an imam in Oxford, where they discussed feminism and acceptance from a Muslim perspective. Hassan Hassan, a teacher and MUN coordinator originally from the Golan, joined the delegation to Yale this year, and he spoke about that experience. As an educator, he said that he was very impressed to see the students competing against top MUN delegates from all around the world. Maayan Dahan shared how much she learned from the delegation to Johns Hopkins MUN, not just from the MUN conference and the meetings, but especially from traveling with peers from different cities and communities.
Shady Mansour and Oren Jian provided a musical interlude, playing Mawtini and haTiqva respectively. Then the Empathy Storytelling project participants shared their stories. The Empathy Storytelling project, supported by a US Embassy grant, pairs Jewish and Arab students, who then learn one another’s stories, and share them with different audiences. Along the way they also study and discuss empathy, and different aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and peacebuilding. The storytellers shared their powerful stories one after another, each with its own rich details.
After the storytellers, Sarah Shalabi played a classical Arabic song on keyboard, and Luna Abu Yunus then performed The Star Spangled Banner on violin.
To conclude the afternoon, Ambassador Adel Atieh, Deputy Head of the Palestinian Mission to the European Union, offered his reflections. Ambassador Atieh noted that in challenging times when top-level diplomatic avenues are struggling to advance peace, we must put extra effort into building understanding and reconciliation via education and grassroots efforts, and congratulated the students and Debate for Peace for taking on this important mission.
Finally, the Young Diplomat of the Year award was presented to Luna Abu Yunus from Sakhnin, for her efforts to build bridges, learn, and inspire, over the last year.
Congratulations to Luna and all of the participants, and to Debate for Peace! The full ceremony can be seen on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Photo credit: Debate for Peace
Steven Aiello
Founder--DebateforPeace
- Details
- Written by Prime Minister's Media Adviser
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Announcement on the Peace Treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates
PM Netanyahu: This is the greatest advancement toward peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years and it marks the third formal peace between Israel and an Arab nation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Thursday, 13 August 2020):
"Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world.
I just came from an historic virtual conference between myself, President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. We announced the establishment of a full and formal peace between Israel and the UAE. It includes the mutual opening of embassies, direct flights and many, many other bilateral agreements.
This is the greatest advancement toward peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years and it marks the third formal peace between Israel and an Arab nation.
In 1979, Prime Minister Menachem Begin made peace with Egypt. In 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a peace treaty with Jordan. And today, I am honored to announce a formal peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates. I believe that there is a good chance that we will soon see more Arab countries join this expanding circle of peace.
I want to thank President Trump for his critical help in brokering this historic accord. And I want to thank him for his revolutionary Vision for Peace, which is the most realistic and important formula for peace in the region. President Trump’s Middle East plan served as a basis for today’s historic peace announcement.
Israel and the UAE are two of the most advanced countries in the world.
Together, we will transform the region and forge an even better future for our people. This is a future of peace, a future of security and a future of prosperity.
I've always believed that we could establish peace with the Arab world and I have been working towards that lofty goal for decades. You may not know it, but I've been doing it all the time in meetings that are publicized and in many that are not. In Washington, in the Middle East, in daylight and in nighttime.
In recent years, Israel under my leadership has made advancements in ties with such countries as Sudan, Oman, Bahrain and other nations in the Gulf. I have reason to be very optimistic that today’s announcement with the UAE will be followed by more Arab nations joining our region's circle of peace.
And to the people of Abu Dhabi, and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, I say Salaam alaikum. Shalom Aleichem. Peace unto thee. Peace unto all of us.״
Photo credit: Koby Gideon (GPO)
- Details
- Written by Prime Minister's Media Adviser
.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 1 September 2020):
"I welcome the first understandings that have been signed in Abu Dhabi. These understandings will assist us in advancing mutual investments and widespread cooperation. We will soon announce additional agreements in aviation, tourism, trade and others."
Earlier today, Prime Minister's Office Acting Director General Ronen Peretz and United Arab Emirates Central Bank Governor Abdulhamid Saeed signed the first protocol in banking and finances.
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, the Finance Ministry and the relevant financial regulators in Israel have reached the following understandings:
A joint Israel-UAE committee will be established to advance cooperation in finances and investments. To this end, the sides will discuss advancing cooperation in financial services and lowering financial impediments to making investments between the countries and promoting joint investments in the capital markets.
The sides will also discuss advancing cooperation in banking services and payments regulations.
The sides will establish special working groups in order to create the conditions for joint investments that meet international standards including in the struggle against money laundering and financing terrorism.
Photo : PMO Acting Director General Ronen Peretz (seated, left) and United Arab Emirates Central Bank Governor Abdulhamid Saeed (seated, right) at the signing ceremony.
Copyright: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom
Copyright: GPO/Amos Ben Gershom
- Details
- Written by Silvia
The Israeli delegation, led by the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), in the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), will conduct a series of tests to determine the effectiveness of a number of rapid diagnostic solutions.
Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz: "The entire Ministry of Defense has been mobilized to address the Corona crisis. We hope that the research and development led by the DDR&D together with our excellent industries and academic institutions, will lead to a breakthrough that will change the way we diagnose and fight the virus, while giving the boost necessary to 'restart' our economy."
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi: "I see great importance in cooperating with India in the fight against Corona. This operation conveys a message of friendship and solidarity with India. It also provides a unique opportunity for scientific and technological cooperation that can assist Israel, India and the world in coping both with the pandemic and with the economic crisis that came with it."
In the coming weeks, the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs and Health will lead an unprecedented operation in the fight against the Corona virus, in cooperation with the Indian Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser. A senior DDR&D delegation will travel to India to conduct the final stages of testing of advanced technologies for the rapid diagnosis of the Corona virus.
Israel's Ambassador to India, Dr. Ron Malka will board the flight, which will carry cutting-edge equipment donated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the private sector. This delivery aims to assist India in dealing with the Corona crisis, and includes ventilators – exported to India following an exceptional approval.
Since the start of the pandemic, the DDR&D has tested dozens of diagnostic technologies. Some of them have matured and passed initial trials in Israel, however in order to complete testing and prove their effectiveness, these must be tested on a wide range of patients.
The cooperation between Israel and India will enable the delegation and its Indian counterparts, to collect tens of thousands of samples in just ten days, and analyze them using computer systems based on artificial intelligence. This massive sampling will shorten processes and advance the approval of effective technology. All tests will be validated using PCR tests.
In recent years, Israel-India relations have developed into a strategic partnership, and since the beginning of the Corona crisis, the two countries have agreed to provide mutual assistance and to cooperate in areas of research. For the purpose of this specific activity, the Government of India has designated a local team of around 100 professionals, as well as a team dedicated to the construction of testing sites that will be operated jointly by the Israeli and Indian delegations.
The four tech systems that will be tested are: voice test, breathalyzer test based on terra-hertz waves, isothermal test, and polyamino acids test. What they all have in common is the ability to detect the presence of the virus in the body quickly- usually within minutes. Developing diagnostic capabilities is a goal for the State of Israel and of many additional countries around the world. It is the most effective way to cut off 'chains of infection', prevent prolonged quarantine and enable the reopening of the global economy.
The Israeli delegation consists of 20 individuals (IMoD, IDF, Ministry of Health and representatives of relevant industries), and is led by Ambassador Ron Malka, and the Defense Attaché in India, Col. Assaf Meller. On the medical side, the delegation is led by Prof. Nati Keller, an infectious diseases specialist from Sheba Medical Center, and Itai Gordon, Head of the Innovation Department at the Ministry of Health. In addition to the DDR&D team, the delegation also includes engineers and other professionals from the companies involved in the development of the various diagnostic technologies.
Background Information: Technology to be Tested in India
Voice Test: This online voice test is based on artificial intelligence. The test analyzes the recording of a human voice and aims to identify changes in the patient's voice and/or deterioration in the condition of his/her respiratory system.
Breathalyzer test - detection based on terra-hertz waves: As part of an R&D program, officials developed a system of detecting the virus using THZ waves. The patient must breathe into a sterile sampling kit, after which his/her sample is analyzed using artificial intelligence.
Isothermal testing: This is a biochemical testing method that enables the detection of the virus in a saliva sample. An inexpensive sample kit has been developed, which detects the presence of the virus with the help of a chemical reaction that takes place once the content is heated at about 60 degrees Celsius. The kit is suitable for at-home use and produces a result within 30 minutes.
Testing using Polyamino acids This is a biochemical method that enables the detection of Corona virus proteins collected in a saliva sample. Using the appropriate instrumentation, a sample may be analyzed in several minutes.
