The IDF Advisor to the Chief of Staff on Women's Affairs, Brig. Gen. Rachel Tevet-Wiesel, recently addressed the annual World Women's International Zionist Organization's (WIZO) Meeting of Representatives, sitting on a panel of prominent women leaders in the fields of medicine, education, sports and the advancement of the status of women. Brig. Gen. Tevet-Wiesel spoke about the vital role of women in the IDF, while maintaining that there is still a lot of work ahead. "We are the people's army, but that does not …More

Israeli and Jewish aid officials are denying an Israeli TV report alleging that Ethiopian immigrant women have been coerced into taking contraceptive shots. The report, which aired Saturday night on Israeli Educational Television, charged that coercive contraception is behind a 50 percent decline in the Ethiopian birth rate in Israel over the last decade. Ethiopian women interviewed in the program, called “Vacuum” and hosted by Gal Gabbai, said they were coerced into receiving injections of …More

The Women’s International Zionist Organization named the most sexist advertisement of the year in honor of International Women's Day. A Fix Gibor Sabrina underwear campaign won fifth annual contest for urging women to post a shirtless picture to the company’s Facebook page. Women who posted pictures were eligible for prizes. WIZO Israel chairwoman Gila Oshrat said the campaign "crossed a red line in objectifying women's bodies and presenting them as sexual objects." “In order to sell a bra, …More

Boston police are on high alert for an extremist attack on the city’s Israeli consulate, with tensions between Israel and Iran on the rise. [Boston Herald] In a farewell press conference, Israeli Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch voiced her belief that democracy will prevail over efforts to limit the court’s authority. [Israel Hayom] Jewish day schools across the country are enacting bold measures to boost enrollment, which has been dropping at schools outside the ultra-Orthodox community. Hyman Brand …More

The Women’s International Zionist Organization is acutely aware of the need to adapt to emerging technologies or lose the youth sector. The 92-year-old movement used their Enlarged General Meeting in Tel Aviv this week to showcase new websites and share social media experiences from around the world. "We are changing with the times," newly elected WIZO leader Tova Ben-Dov said to Haaretz. "That's what our young leadership wants." An organization annual budget of $166 million that funds more than 800 social …More

Over 800 world Women’s International Zionist Organization leaders from 40 countries will convene in Israel next week for the 25th Enlarged General Meeting of World WIZO. Representatives from the United States, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Jamaica, Brazil, India and Chile, among others, will discuss the main issues confronting the Jewish people and Israeli society under the banner, "Creating a New Tomorrow." An Enlarged General Meeting of WIZO, the largest women’s …More

Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein told WIZO’s Enlarged General Meeting that how Israel treats the Diaspora has changed, saying that the Jewish state is “now willing to invest” in programs like Birthright. [Jerusalem Post]   Roger Cohen writes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be making a huge mistake if he attacked Iran this spring or summer, because it would damage relations with United States President Barack Obama. [New York …More