Two Israeli soccer legends, both members of Israel’s national team, retired this weekend: Nir Davidovich and Walid Badir. The players ended their respective careers with a match against each other Saturday night, earning an emotional standing ovation from the crowds. Maccabi Haifa (Davidovich) beat Hapoel Tel Aviv (Badir) 3:2, but the climax of the game came when both players were substituted, cheered on by fans of both sides. “This was the most emotional moment of my career,” said Davidovich. …More

Four years ago, the Israeli government named Nazareth a national priority area, meaning that Israel's largest Arab city would be granted economic incentives as a preferential area and firms that relocate to the city are entitled to tax breaks. Recently, the first industrial park in Nazareth was officially opened in April by Israeli entrepreneur and philanthropist Stef Wertheimer after 12 years of construction. The Israeli billionaire tycoon, the founder of the Warren Buffet-owned Iscar Metalworking Cos., has …More

As Team Israel prepares for a friendly match against Honduras’ soccer team in New York on June 2, which will mark the first official Israeli appearance in the city in decades, head coach Eli Guttman held a phone press conference from Israel Monday afternoon. “We know a lot of Jewish people over there [New York] are waiting for us, and we want them to proud of the Israeli National team,” said Guttman. Israel’s soccer team is currently ranked 59th in the world, and second place in their …More

For Israelis, the fact that Beitar Jerusalem fans are racists is not news. What is though, is the fact the President Shimon Peres has now addressed the issue. Beitar’s management recently signed Muslim players to the team, causing the racism of some of its fans to show itself in full force. Just last week, fans displayed a huge banner calling on the team to keep it “pure” – causing management to ask the Israeli Soccer Association to not allow their own fans at an upcoming game against a …More

Jewish rates of birth grew in Israel in 2011, while Arab birth rates declined. The news was announced this week by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, which also stated that 75.4 percent of Israel’s nearly 8 million population is Jewish. Jewish women averaged 2.98 births in 2011, as compared to 2.53 in 1995. Among Muslim women, the figure was at 3.51 in 2011, as opposed to 4.74 in 2000. The CBS reported the Druze birthrate to have dropped even more drastically than the Muslim rate—down to …More

NoCamels Team, NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News Arab-Israeli company Yafa has developed a unique way of harvesting the sun’s energy for clean energy purposes. The company’s founder, Salih Manasra, has recently won a prestigious European Union EUREKA (Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) grant for this innovation. Yafa Energy, a four-person company, is the first Arab-Israeli firm to win the EU grant, which was awarded to Mansara by Israel’s Prime …More

Hanna Szekeres, NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News If there’s one thing Israelis and Arabs never argue about – it’s their mutual love for sunflower seeds. “Seeds of Bliss” (بذر / גרעינים) is a project by Israeli artist Noam Edry, which brings Middle Eastern peoples together through the ancient munching and shell-spitting habit. The artist’s goal is to bring people in the Middle East together to chew a total of 10 tons of sunflower seeds. In order to do this, Edry …More

Nine Jewish youths have been arrested in connection with an attack on three Arab teens. The August 16 attack took place in Jerusalem and was labeled a “lynch” by police, due to the many onlookers who stood by and watched the assault take place. One of the suspects, Shimon Siman Tov, 19, was brought under charges as an adult. He is accused of incitement, a call to violence and racially motivated assault. The others, ranging in age from 13 to 17, face similar charges, but will be tried as minors. Two …More

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack by Jewish teens on three Palestinians in the center of Jerusalem. "In the state of Israel, we are not prepared to tolerate racism; neither are we prepared to tolerate the combination of racism and violence," Netanyahu said Tuesday as he signed signed a document to encourage the absorption and integration of Ethiopian Jews in Israeli society and economy, and to prevent discrimination and racism. Netanyahu said he was following the medical progress of the …More

An attack by Jewish youths on at least three Arab teens is being called a “lynch” by Israeli police. The assault took place Aug. 16 in Jerusalem, and one of the victims was still on a respirator as of yesterday. Four suspects were taken into custody yesterday after a separate four were already arrested Sunday and a 19 year old was arrested Saturday. One suspect said he beat a 17-year-old victim in the chest, saying, “He could die for all I care, he’s an Arab,” according to …More

Three Israeli universities make the world’s top 100 list. [Arutz Sheva 7] For modern use of water in Israel to continue, the country needs to develop a deeper awareness for it. [The Jerusalem Post] Chron’s disease is on the rise in Ashekanzi Jewish children. [The Jewish Daily Forward] Israeli soccer players apologize for laughing during a Holocaust lecture. [The Times of Israel] Israel begins its EuroBasket 2013 qualifying campaign today. [The Jerusalem Post] Arab-Israeli arsonists are viewed by …More

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joins Defense Minister Ehud Barak on a tour of the Kerem Shalom area the day after a terrorist infiltration was stopped. [The Jerusalem Post] Israel bars five countries from attending a diplomatic conference in Ramallah, in the West Bank. [The New York Times] Security and government assessments find that a Hezbollah attack is a much greater threat to Israel than Iran’s nuclear missiles. [ynet] The World Jewish Congress welcomes the idea of legislation to ensure …More