Israel To Advise China On Securing Olympics

Despite the fact that the 2008 Olympics are still many months away, China is leaving nothing to chance.

In an effort to ensure that the event remains secure for all, China is asking their Israeli friends for advice in securing the Olympics from possible threats.

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Israel will help Chinese security forces prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

A group of senior Chinese police officers will visit Israel in March for specialized training in counter-terrorism and crowd control ahead of the summer Games, security sources said Sunday.

They said the Israeli advisers involved already are undergoing workshops on Chinese regulations and culture in order to ease communications with the trainees.

The last thing China (or any nation) desires is for this event to be interrupted by extremists as that would probably be embarrassing for the rising Asian power.

In turn, Israel will enjoy assisting the Chinese regarding security, as that means that their athletes will be provided with the utmost protection, as well as everybody else.

Dozens Of Nations Rally For Missing IDF Troops

It looks as if sympathy for missing IDF troops is not just limited in America, Israel and France.

Rallies for Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser, and Gilad Shalit have been forming across the planet in almost four dozen nations, in an attempt to raise awareness about the fate of the missing soldiers.

(Ynet News) Tens of thousands will hold simultaneous marches for release of captive Israeli soldiers. In New York students will protest in front of UN headquarters, in Uruguay the demonstration will head for the Iranian embassy [...]

The initiative will reach its apex on Tuesday evening at 21:00 (in Israel) when rallies will be held simultaneously in over 45 countries in a show of solidarity with the kidnapped Israeli soldiers and their families.

The first rally was kick started in Jerusalem with 3,000 young people participating to make their voices heard.

Unlike many nations where the memory of missing soldiers often fades with time, Israel seems to keep the images of their own in the public limelight, which speaks great volumes about the Israeli culture there.

Hopefully these men are found not only very soon, but safely as well.

Note: Here is a song created by Yair Gordon (from South Africa) in memory of prayer for and solidarity with the missing troops.


powered by ODEO

Note: Lyrics to this song can be found over at: http://milleniumhand247.googlepages.com/

Update (10/30): Fixed error with audio, as well as changed a few words to highlight this authors (and many others) belief that the missing soldiers are still alive. Thanks Yair!

Israel Could Make 800 Million At Paris Air Show

While Israeli companies are out there "strutting their stuff" to the world, Globes is reporting that these corporate firms could generate an enormous amount of cash from contracts--$800 million to be exact.

(Globes Online) 11 Israeli companies from the defense and security sectors will be exhibiting in the Israeli pavilion at the 2007 Paris Air Show opening tomorrow at Le Bourget. Israel is considered a leading defense exporter, and it is ranked fourth in aviation and defense technologies exports after the US, Russia and France.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the air show, Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute chairman David Arzi said the 11 Israeli companies exhibiting at the Paris Air Show could sign as much as $800 million in new contracts there.

Israeli companies competing in the air show include:

• Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd.


• Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.


• Bental Industries Ltd.


• Elbit Systems Ltd.


• Orbit Technology Group Ltd.


• Plasan Sasa Ltd.


• Rada Electronic Industries Ltd.


• Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd.


• SGD Engineering Ltd.


• SDS-Star Defense Systems Ltd.

As the air show started yesterday, there are no final numbers as to how much these companies will generate. Either way, it will be a great way for Israel to display their more technological side to not only Europe, but the rest of the world.

Israel Becoming A Competitive Place To Work?

Despite the regional events, it looks like Israel has climbed three notches in the overall most competitive places to work on planet Earth. The US (of course) is number one, but Israel has moved up to the 21^st spot.

(Globes Online) Israel's economy has climbed three places to 21st place in the World Competitiveness Yearbook rankings, published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The survey, which was published today, ranks 55 countries according 323 economic criteria, and is based on data collated from business entities worldwide. Israel is ranked in 20th place for economic strength, unchanged from last year. However, it has climbed 20 places, from 45th to 25th in the ratings for international investment.

Globes has more details regarding this, with exact specifics for those of you who enjoy the "nitty gritty details," but this goes to show that Israel continues to display not only a strong economy in the present, but a healthy outlook towards the future as well.

Foreigners Interested In Israeli Real Estate?

(Image: Yoo building project in Tel Aviv, Credit: Brian Hendler, via JTA.org)


The interesting item about this article is not about the buildings (or even who is investing in them) but the fact that the city of Tel Aviv has drastically changed so much since the 1980's.

So much in fact that one New Yorker had this to say about the improvements.

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) "The first time I was here was in 1983, and Tel Aviv has gone through a huge transformation from then to now," said Howard Glatzer, who runs a real estate fund that invests in New York City properties. "As a Jew from New York who is very accustomed to seeing high-rises everywhere, I think it's fantastic, it shows the vitality of Israel, and that's great." [...]

In 2002, foreign buyers invested $192 million in Israeli real estate. Just four years later the number had soared to $1.43 billion, according to the Bank of Israel.

Although many of the people investing in Israel are Israeli's themselves, the fact that wealthy individuals are risking a large portion of their capital in Israeli real estate speaks volumes about the nation.

Even Donald Trump seems to be investing in Israeli property, and there is speculation that he may construct a building there as well.

I've been scouting out Israeli property myself, and although the prices are a little expensive, the view of the land seems to be incredible (and well worth the cost).

Can You Handle The JIB Awards?

(Hat Tip: Life in Israel)

It looks like nominations for the JIB Awards are launching tomorrow. For those of you who do not know, the JIB Awards (or Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards) is:

(JIB Awards) the J-blogosphere's informal annual award contest. The aim of the contest is to direct new readers towards Jewish, Israeli, and pro-Israel blogs. The JIBs begin with nominations, then a semifinal and final round. Good-natured rivalry and campaigning are associated with this event.

I'm planning on nominating myself, although if you would like to support IsraPundit, then that would be great as well.

They have located several sponsors thus far, although if anyone would like to help out with the event (via money or volunteering) you can contact the committee over here.

(Image Credit: Compassionate Expression)

Israeli Pretzel Invades Down Under

It looks like the Aussie's are now acquiring a taste for Israeli pretzels.

(Israel Today) The pretzel company, Beigel & Beigel signed an agreement to export 3 million shekels ($711,913) worth of pretzels to Australia. Beigel & Beigel hopes to establish a market down under with its uniquely packaged pretzels, salty snacks and crackers.

Beigel & Beigel signed a three-year contract with Australia's Big W chain, which has more than 200 branches throughout the country. Big W is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, Australia's leading food, liquor and grocery retailer.

First Japan, now Australia. I wonder what country will be invaded next?

Israeli Citrus Farmers Profit From Crazy Global Weather

With the recent storm activities happening around the world, many countries are finding their breakfast tables less fruity than usual (assuming they eat breakfast that is).

If it were not for our kosher friends with kosher thumbs, the world may have had to decide whether or not orange juice (or even grapefruits) was worth the price at the grocery store.

(Israel National News) Japan, a major importer of citrus, has renewed its imports from Israel, ordering 800 tons of oranges a week. Earlier this month, China signed a contract to buy $50 million worth of oranges, grapefruits and pomelos a year from Israel.

Following the California crop failures, Spain and Morocco, both major exporters to the European Union decided to sell to the US instead, for a higher profit. European nations were therefore forced to increase their imports from countries like Israel. Traditionally, 68 percent of Israeli citrus exports are channeled to Western Europe, mostly the UK, with 19 percent sent to Russia and 9 percent Italy.

News like this makes me thirsty all of a sudden. Unfortunately I just discovered that I am out of orange juice. :-(

Iraqis Learn From Holocaust Museums In Secret

After Iraqi's were able to remove a brutal dictator of their own (with coalition support) they now want to set up a museum reminding the world of the atrocities of the worlds ugliest dictator Saddam Hussein.

(Ynet News) Members of an Iraqi organization planning to perpetuate the memory of thousands of Saddam Hussein's victims secretly visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington and the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem last year, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily revealed Tuesday.

The report noted that a special team of Iraqi exiles has for the past year been recording testimonies of survivors who managed to escape Saddam's atrocities. [...]

It also became known that the 30 members of the Iraqi memorial team met with Jewish film director Steven Spielberg, who is also documenting Holocaust survivors' testimonies.

Why they had to do this in secret I'll leave for you to guess.

I think this is a good thing for Iraqis and it may help bring the Jewish state and the Arabian/Kurdish state just a little bit closer together. I am not sure how many people Saddam killed, but some estimate it is as high as 8 million souls.

It will be interesting to see how much this Iraqi museum parallels the Israeli and American Holocaust ones, although I wonder if they will credit either of them for helping out via consulting.

Related Kosher News:

• Anne Frank's father's letters found
• Study trips to Poland offer best Holocaust education
• Other IsraGood Holocaust articles

Update: Forgot to mention this article as well.

Israel And The UN Partner For Environment?

It looks like the United Nations will be partnering with Israel in order to help make the earth "a little greener."

(Israel Hasbara Committee) The Memorandum of Cooperation is aimed at strengthening the capacity of governments of developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition in the field of environment in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Israel, represented by "MASHAV" - Center for International Cooperation in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with UNEP will focus on providing expertise and technical know-how through joint capacity building programs on environmental-related topics, including management of water resources, water scarcity, sanitation, waste management, food security and agriculture, management of dry lands, desertification and land degradation.

It's good to see the UN and Israel actually working together (a site all too rare on this planet). Hopefully more partnerships like these will develop in the future, as Israel seems to be a culture that is pro-environment as one can tell by some of the buses they ride.

Jews Keep Creating, Gentiles Keep Investing

Israel is once again setting records highs for foreign investments. Perhaps its time I started getting involved?

(Globes Online) Foreign investment in Israel reached an all-time high of $21.1 billion in 2006, up from $9.9 billion in 2005 and $7.2 billion in 2004, a three-fold increase, the Bank of Israel reported today.

Foreign investment in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) securities fell by a net $143 million in 2006, after a record net $2.1 billion was invested in 2005. Net foreign investment in TASE-listed securities totaled $219 million in December 2006.

What makes this very unique is the fact that Israel has no natural resources to draw upon to create this enormous interest from the outside world.

Most of this seems to be driven by Israeli brain power (i.e. technology, health sectors, entrepreneurship, etc.), although containing some of the world's most respected "holy sites" doesn't hurt either.

Ethiopian Jews Anxious To See Home

For those who didn't know--Jews come in all colors. It appears that some of the kosher brethren are waiting to make Aliyah; that is the right to immigrate to Israel.

Why this is taking so long is beyond me.

(Ynet News) The Gondar synagogue, its 60 benches arrayed on a dirt floor under a roof of corrugated iron, sits next to piles of garbage and a stream of sewage. Nearby is a feeding center financed by international donors. [...]

"Look at how we live," Asmare said, gesturing inside a dimly lit, one-room house he shares with his wife and eight children. "We sleep together in our beds and use the beds as a table for eating. I can't afford to feed my children, send them to school, or buy a new roof for my house. I want to leave for Israel."

While the conditions that they are in are not very fun, the fact that they desire to live in the holy land does make me very happy.

There are currently about 9,000 Jews left in Ethiopia, although some estimates run as high as 18,000. Israel currently allows 300 a year to immigrate, although there have been talks to double that amount.

I wonder if Prime Minister Olmert would consider increasing the amount? (as it would definitely help out his approval rating)

Israeli Stocks Taking Over Philly

It looks like residents of Philadelphia in the US are going to see some prominent Kosher corporations on the stock exchange.

(Israel Today) The Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) has announced recently that it is launching a trade index of leading Israeli companies traded in the United States. The announcement came with a special opening bell ceremony held at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange earlier in December.

The index, called the "Hapoalim American Israeli Index" (HAI) is an equal dollar weighted index consisting of 15 of the leading Israeli companies that trade significant volumes of ordinary shares or American Depository Receipts (ADR) in the US

This launch came about in large part thanks to Uriel Palti as well as by representatives of Hapoalim Securities USA (which is a subsidiary of the Israeli Bank Hapoalim). Although this is great news to hear, it would be nice if something similar was launched on the New York Stock Exchange.

Is Iran "Jew Friendly?"

Despite being ruled by Ahmadinejad (and Mullah friends) it seems that the Persian people have a deep respect and friendship with the Jewish state.

Amil Imani, an Iranian born American writes an excellent article describing why there is a strong bond between Persians and Jews.

(Arutz Sheva) The bond of friendship goes back to the landmark action of King Cyrus the Great of Persia. In 537 BCE, having conquered Babylon, the benevolent King Cyrus freed the Jews from captivity and empowered them to return to the Promised Land and build their Temple. [...]

True Iranians have remained friends of the Jews in both belief as well as deeds. During the shameful Hitlerian campaign of exterminating the Jews, for instance, Iranian missions in Europe, notably the one in France, issued Iranian passports to facilitate the flight of French and other European Jews from the claws of the Nazis and their gas chambers - the very gas chambers that the true Muslim Ahmadinejad, disgracing Iranians, denies ever existed.

This is something that I also have experienced when talking to Iranians about their relationship with Jews. Ironically Cyrus is referred to as "the LORD's anointed" in the Hebrew testament, and it was not until the Mullah's took over that Iran became a threat to Israel.

In case of war happening between the two, I wonder if Israel would help liberate Iran the way Cyrus liberated them?

Israeli Embassy Adopts Orphans With AIDS

I think this is a first for a government agency (at least to my knowledge). It's not everyday that you hear of any government taking tax money for an unplanned charitable cause.

(JTA.org) The Israeli ambassador to South Africa, Ilan Baruch, said in an interview with Yediot Achronot published Thursday that he decided to divert his embassy's discretionary budget toward 85 children, many of them sick with AIDS, who live in an orphanage outside Johannesburg.

The sponsorship will provide food, toys and equipment.

The article did not have a link, but it would be nice if readers could donate toys, money for food (and candy) or anything they found of value towards those kids.

Israel, Ukraine Negotiating Free Trade Agreements

Ukraine, a nation all-to-familiar with bordering nations hostile to its existence is in talks with Israel over establishing a free trade agreement between the two countries.

(Ynet News) Israel and Ukraine agreed last week to set up a joint working group which will negotiate a free trade agreement between the two countries. In 2005 bilateral trade between Israel and the Ukraine totaled USD 369 million [...]

Boaz Hirsh, VP Foreign Trade and Head of Foreign Trade Administration at the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, said at the end of
the meeting that certain developments were made in particular on matters related to agriculture, transport, standards and trade relations.

I could see how both countries could easily benefit from this deal and would not be surprised if Defense was also added to the list as well (as Ukraine and Russia do not exactly have a warm relationship).

Note: Is it me, or does it seem that Israel has greater luck at making allies abroad than within its own region?

Video: Bill Gates, Others Promote Investment In Israel

(Hat Tip: Israellycool)

With Israel leading the way in technology, science, etc., it looks like several major technological companies including Bill Gates from Microsoft are promoting investment inside the Jewish state.

(Globes Online) Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates is one of a number of executives of top global companies that appear in a promotional film produced by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. In the film, Gates praises "Israel's unique human capital" in four languages - English, French, Chinese and Spanish.

After a quick search on YouTube, I was able to find the full length video which you can view below.





Watching this video shows just how much technology runs through this tiny state. Israel has launched a website called Invest In Israel which promotes the world to invest within the Jewish economy.

Who would ever realize that everything from ICQ/AOL IM to new therapies for cancer would ever come from Israel?

Germany Pays $6 Billion To Holocaust Workers

It looks like survivors of the brutal Holocaust will receive a nice belated Hannakah gift from the German government.

(Jerusalem Post) Germany has so far paid out almost $6 billion to people forced to work for the Nazis during World War II, the chiefs of a compensation fund have announced.

Speaking in Berlin on Thursday, Guenter Saathoff, a member of the board of trustees of the Remembrance and Future Fund, said nearly 1.7 million people had been compensated, equal to more than 99% of people who qualify for the claims. [...]

In his statement, Herr Saathoff said 1.7 million victims or their legal heirs in 100 countries have so far received a total of €4.4 billion . The final deadline for victims or descendents to apply for compensation is December 31.

Although no one can ever compensate the Jews for what they went through over half a century ago, this will help struggling families (and heirs) in today's economy. The funding is being provided by not only the German government, but also companies that profited from the Jews forced labor (and anyone else's) as well.

Singapore Studies Venture Capital, Industry Relationship From Israelis

It looks like the kosher brethren from the middle east are going to help teach their friends from the far east how to network, research and raise funds for their businesses.

(Globes Online) A delegation of senior Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) officials visited Israel to study the Israeli model of cooperation and investment between research institutes and industry and venture capital funds. [...]

Opper said a Singaporean global study of industrial R&D found that the two leaders in patents for commercial use derived from academic research registered each year were Israel and Finland. Singapore therefore decided to focus its study on these two countries. Singapore is analyzing Israel's model for R&D and decided to send a delegation to Israel in order to view Israel's academic infrastructure and its R&D collaboration with industry.

When it comes to business, Israelis generally have a knack on how to operate one successfully. Despite the conflict, Israel seems to be still attracting businesses and governments seeking advice, technology or scientific help which is a testament to Israel's determination to thrive in the mid-east desert.

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Thousands Rally For Israel

The "Governator" (aka Arnold Schwarzennegger) spoke at a rally in LA demonstrating not only his support for Israel, but Los Angeles support as well.

(IsraelNN.com) "While we all regret the loss of innocent life, there is no doubt that Israel has the right to take all appropriate steps to keep its people safe.

"I have been to Israel many times," [Arnold Schwarzennegger] said. "I started in the '70s as a body-building champion. I went back in the '80s as the Terminator. I went back in the '90s to open my Planet Hollywood restaurant, and Israel was the first country that I visited after I became governor of the great state of California."

"There is nothing Israel wants more than to live in peace. That is why I am happy to be here to be supportive of that here today ...Am Israel Chai...I'll be back," said the governor.

As the war against Hezbollah continues, so does support for Israel worldwide. Rallies have been held in London, and some people have even created websites in order to support IDF soldiers fighting terrorists up north.

Although counter rallies have been held, they do not seem to be as large as the Pro Israel crowd.