The Rhythm of Israel

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.

Visit Israel Without Leaving Your Home

Recently, Israel joined Google Street View. Viewers can now see famous historical sites in cities such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa. The hope is that such an advancement will boost tourism in Israel, once people see how much the country really has to offer.

One military intelligence expert shares his concern that terrorists can gain valuable information in order to attack Israeli civilians. Certain areas such as the Prime Minister`s house and check points are blurred, although that still does not reassure everyday citizens who are worried that their houses can be viewed from a computer screen from anywhere in the world.

Watch the full video here.

Happy Birthday, Israel!

On Thursday, Israel will be celebrating its 64th birthday. There are so many contributions that Israel has brought to the world in such a short period of time. We wish the state of Israel the strength and resilience that it needs to further prosper in the Middle East for many years to come!

Am Israel Chai!

The Nature of Dreams

Israeli writer, novelist and writer, Amos Oz, paints a picture of the life and times of Israel in a thought provoking video.

We Love You

A 41 year old Israeli, along with many others, is sending a message of peace to the Iranian people. His video is very thought provoking and is a must see.

Welcome to Canada, Bibi!

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, graced Canada with his presence last week when he met with Stephen Harper in Ottawa.

Harper reiterated Canada's commitment to its relentless support of the state of Israel. Watch what Bibi had to say below.

On another note, does anyone else think the two flags look so pretty side by side? :)

Breaking the Ice

When it comes to discussing the Middle East, you rarely hear good things. This is one of those stories that give me a sense of hope for peace between the two sides. Arab and Jew Jewish teenagers in Metulla, Israel, have come together to form an unlikely bond and are hitting the ice to play hockey together at the Canada-Israel Hockey School. The team will be travelling to Canada this month.

Click here to read the full article.

The Colours of Jerusalem

Whether or not you've had the chance to visit Israel, you can see all that Jerusalem has to offer right from your computer screen. It makes me want to go back!

Israeli Parody of Taglit

Eretz Nehederet is a really hilarious Israeli show; one of their skits for the season premier is probably one of the funniest videos that I've seen, which is ironic because I was recently in touch with Canada Israel Experience (CIE) about being a birthright leader this summer. It's good to know that I can practice Capoira to escape land mines!

Israeli Film Nominated For Oscar

Israel is going head to head with Canada, Belgium, Iran, Poland, and Holland at the Oscars next month, where the film 'Footnote' is nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. 

The movie displays the relationship between a father and a son and the importance of placing family above all else, even prestige and fame. It's a story that everyone can relate to on some level.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, you can check it out here.

This film will be one to watch out for as the Oscars are quickly approaching on February 26, 2012.

Small Population, Big Brains

One of the reasons that Israel is so strong as a country is its brain power. Israelis are known for their breakthrough medical, technological and environmental advancements, as well as many others. For example, this past November, it was reported that Israelis produced a cancer vaccine. If effective, it will halt 90% of cancers from returning.

Per capita, Israel has has the most number of Nobel laureates; awards have been distributed to these individuals based on their contributions to science, literature, economics, and even peace. When compared to other countries in the Middle East, there is no contest. If more countries focused on creating rather than destroying, the world would be a much better place.

The Jewish people as a group have always been innovators and have contributed immensely to the advancement of mankind. Surprisingly, however, they only make up approximately 0.2% of the world population. Over the past hundred years approximately 850 laureates have been awarded Nobel prizes, of which at least 170 are Jews.

Influential Jews have existed throughout history and surely the future will prove to be no different. Below are just a few worth mentioning.

Abraham, prophet and first Jew

Moses, prophet who brought the Jews to freedom and presented them with the Ten Commandments

Moses Maimonides, prominent medieval philosopher, Torah scholar and physician

Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis

Albert Einstein, revolutionary physicist

  Theodor Herzl, father of modern Zionism

David Ben-Gurion, founder and first Prime Minister of Israel

Golda Meir, first female Prime Minister of Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu, current Prime Minister of Israel

Natalie Portman, Israeli-born actress and advocate for Israel

Mark Zuckerberg, co-creator and CEO of Facebook

Shahar Peer, highest-ever ranked Israeli tennis player in the world

It's All Relative

I woke up this morning and turned on my computer to look at the current news stories of the day, which turned out to be pretty depressing. Iran this, hackers that...blah blah blah. So, let's start off the day with some humour instead :).

Also, the website being promoted in this video provides interesting and informative perspectives on Israel.

From the Beginning

I was born in Afula, Israel, and immigrated to Canada at the age of three. I've lived here for almost all of my life now; although, I can't help but feel that warm and tingly sensation every time I'm on a plane and I hear those calming words over the loud speaker saying, "Welcome to Israel." I am a Canadian, but also an Israeli at heart. I drive like a maniac, I eat hummus with everything and I absolutely despise cold weather. So, sometimes I wonder, what the heck am I doing here? Perhaps there is a greater purpose for me.

I recently completed my MA in International Relations and it turned out to be the most fulfilling of all my degrees. I was always interested in the Middle East, but over the course of my MA I undertook a new challenge. I decided that for my thesis/major research project, I would go where no man has gone before (figuratively speaking of course). I crossed disciplines, fusing together international relations theory with aspects of psychology and applying them to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to investigate the role of emotion in the region. Once I began this task I realized how incredibly difficult it was, which is probably why it hasn't really been done before. However, I decided to stick with it and in the end I completed a paper that I am proud of. I know that there is so much more that can be done on the issue of emotion within the conflict, so I am going to continue what I started.

I decided to create this blog in order to begin what will hopefully be a career in further research, writing and analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict by discussing the serious, and sometimes comical, politics and news of the Middle East. I hope that you will join me for this wild and exciting ride!