A proposal aimed at shutting down Mazor Farms has been approved by Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. The decision, which will take full effect in 2015, will ban the import and export of monkeys to Israel and effectively close the controversial monkey-breeding program. Trouble for Mazor Farm began in July 2012, when a permit to export 90 monkeys, 50 of them born in the wild, to a Texas lab for toxicity testing was denied. News of the shipment of monkeys headed for experimentation caused a firestorm of …More

Mazor Farms has appealed a ruling barring the transport of 90 monkeys to Shin Nippon Biological Laboratories in the United States for research purposes. The farm has filed a 3-million shekel suit against the Israel Nature and Parks Authority decision, citing damages. Animal welfare groups from throughout Israel and other countries protested the shipment of the primates, which were to be used in toxicity tests by the American lab. In a petition signed by 8,433 animal lovers worldwide, the group stated that the 50 …More

The IDF has a reputation for sending out its soldiers not just to fight, but also to help others in need. Here are 4 touching stories that illustrate why it’s a source of pride to be part of the Israeli army. 1. Home Front Command soldiers rescue Shiran Franco In 1999, an earthquake struck northwestern Turkey. An Israeli delegation, comprised of IDF Home Front Command soldiers, was deployed to assist the rescue, eventually growing to two more delegations and a field hospital. Many civilians were trapped …More