Israel Featured Item

Taking you through some of Israel’s firsts

Apr 19, 2018 Go comment!

1952 High-school dropout Stef Wertheimer sets up a small metal shop and tool-making company in the backyard of his home in Nahariya. His company, ISCAR, is today one of the world’s largest manufacturers of carbide industrial cutting tools used by carmakers like Ford and General Motors, employing 6 000 people in branches in 50 countries.
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Why kibbutzim are thriving again

Apr 19, 2018 1 Comment

If there was ever a quintessential symbol of the Jewish State’s founding pioneers, it is the kibbutz – a phenomenon found only in Israel, and as intrinsic to the fabric of society as the Israeli flag.
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Bibi defends controversial Kotel decision

Jun 29, 2017 1 Comment

Netanyahu says he didn’t betray anyone by effectively cancelling a historic agreement to provide a non-Orthodox space at the Kotel, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, and caving to the interests of his Haredi Orthodox coalition partners.
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Israel’s ‘Facebook bill’ could hamper free speech

Mar 09, 2017 2 Comments

Israel’s Knesset last week passed the first reading of the Criminally Offensive Content from the Internet bill - dubbed the “Facebook bill”.
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Lenk: Jerusalem will always be Israeli capital

Feb 01, 2017 1 Comment

Ambassador Lenk appeared on the popular SABC News morning show, Newsroom, yesterday (Tuesday January 31) and discussed Israel's relationship with the US, the controversy over Donald Trump wanting to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, Israel’s capital city, and the need for the Holy Land’s Palestinian neighbours to reject terror and return to direct peace talks. Watch the full 12-minute interview and hear Ambassador Lenk’s frank and honest responses – and his open and relaxed demeanour.
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Swazi, Israeli PMs meet on expanding relations

Jan 10, 2017 1 Comment

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu last month hosted his counterpart from the Kingdom of Swaziland Dr. Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini in Jerusalem. The Swazi PM was visiting Israel accompanied by Agriculture Minister Moses Vilakati and the two two leaders discussed expanding their bilateral cooperation in the fields of water, education, agriculture, health and security. Netanyahu said: "We have a solid friendship and a desire to cooperate even more. This is part of 'Israel's return to Africa'. Read what else was said...
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Israel's 'flying car’ one step closer to delivery

Jan 08, 2017 1 Comment

From science fiction to reality, an Israeli tech firm is optimistic it will finally get its 1,500 kg passenger carrying drone on the market by 2020.
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SA lauded by Knesset on Israel's first Yom Aliyah

Dec 23, 2016 2 Comments

Last month Israel marked its first official Aliyah Day, celebrating immigration to the country and the contributions of immigrants to its society. Among observances of the day were celebrations in the Knesset, a programme at the president’s residence, as well as in schools, the army and the police force, as required by law.
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Mayor sees bright future for Jerusalem in Trump era

Dec 13, 2016 Go comment!

It's been nearly 50 years since Israel captured eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. For the past eight years, Nir Barkat has been this city's mayor.
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Were claims of Israel's 'arson intifada' overblown?

Dec 12, 2016 1 Comment

As wildfires threatened Israel last week, rhetoric linking arson to terrorism heated up.
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More opportunities in Israel for youth

Dec 08, 2016 1 Comment

The number of South Africans going to Israel to do their high school and university studies there (partly free or heavily subsidised) has risen by leaps and bounds during 2016, according to the Israel Centre (The Jewish Agency’s offices in South Africa) and Telfed. Aliyah is up by more than 40 per cent in the past two years. Read how the numbers are soaring with more that 10 SA Jews heading to a new life or to study in Israel WEEKLY! See the full infographic inside...
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Six amazing Israeli inventions discovered by accident

Dec 08, 2016 Go comment!

JERUSALEM - When Avram Hershko was a post-doctorate fellow at the University of California in San Francisco from 1969 to 1971, he made an unexpected discovery that led to his receiving the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
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UN’s 6 ridiculous new anti-Israel resolutions

Dec 02, 2016 4 Comments

Blatant hypocrisy shows anti-Semitic agenda – SEE SHORT VIDEO of the world body’s absurd new resolutions this week.
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3 days of wildfires saw Israel burn today

Nov 24, 2016 2 Comments

After three days of runaway wildfires Israel and the West Bank were ablaze today as hundreds of people were evacuated as firefighters battle to take control of the blazes. Hot and dry wind is fanning the flames, which have reached the city of Haifa and forced the temporary closure of a major Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.
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SA Progressives ‘appalled’ by attack at Kotel

Nov 10, 2016 3 Comments

The traditional Rosh Chodesh protest for egalitarian worship at the holiest Jewish site, the Western Wall (Kotel), saw Torah scrolls being taken to the women’s section last Wednesday morning, where they were met with pushing and shoving by charedi Orthodox worshippers. The women furthermore faced the indignation of a barrage of cries branding them “Nazis”, “goyim” and “whores”.
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Friend to Peres, Amos Oz asks: Who will fight for peace now?

Oct 14, 2016 Go comment!

Where were the “brave leaders” who were needed now to stand up, be counted, and make peace a reality.
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All the news items on Shimon Peres linked

Sep 28, 2016 2 Comments

Find links to all Peres-related content here - as well as those to come and later posts. JR Online will keep users informed of all community-related updates as they come in.
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Shimon Peres, last of Israel’s founders, dies

Sep 28, 2016 Go comment!

Shimon Peres, the former defence hawk turned Nobel Peace Prize winner and the last of Israel’s founders, died before dawn on Wednesday, at the age of 93.
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Five SA youths settle in their Israeli schools

Sep 22, 2016 1 Comment

South African teenagers are increasingly joining over 10 000 alumni of the Jewish Agency's Na'ele Elite Academy where they enjoy up to three years of free education and board. Meet the five new recruits who joined the programme for the first time this month. They study in English at first and change to Hebrew once they feel ready to. And, say the five new pupils and their parents, they are loving it!
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Turned off by the rabbis, Israelis plan Greek weddings

Sep 15, 2016 Go comment!

Destination weddings abroad are almost unheard of in this country. Israeli weddings are all about family and community. And what better place to celebrate Jewish continuity than the Jewish homeland?
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