Israeli Computer Chip Exports to China Soar
Computer chip exports from Israel to China jumped 80 percent in 2018 to $2.6 billion, JNS.org reported.
That increase was attributed to Chinese companies buying greater numbers of semiconductors manufactured in Israel at Intel’s Kiryat Gat plant, Reuters reported, citing an Israel Export Institute official. Intel Israel apparently was responsible for 80 percent of the sales to China.
Israel has worked toward having greater ties with China, and the countries have been in trade accord discussions. In 2018, exports of goods from Israel to China jumped 50 percent to $4.7 billion. That figure excluded diamond exports.
In all, Israel exported $3.9 billion worth of semiconductors in 2018.
Facebook Releases Political-Ad Transparency Tools Ahead of Israeli Elections
About a month before Israel’s national elections, Facebook rolled out a political advertisement transparency tool that makes it easier to figure out who is paying for an ad, JTA reported.
Before Facebook will publish ads about candidates, political parties and election, political advertisers will be required to supply verification of their identity. Those ads will appear with language that mentions who paid for the ad. The ads will be archived for seven years.
The transparency tool is not new — Facebook has previously used it in the United States, Brazil, Ukraine and the United Kingdom
In February Central Elections Committee Chairman Supreme Court Justice Hanan Melcer banned anonymous election ads on social media and all other media effective March 1.
Israelis, Palestinians Participate in Joint Firefighting Drill, Extinguish Simulated Fires
A firefighting and rescue exercise including both Israel and Palestinian firefighters was conducted March 19 in the northern West Bank, The Times of Israel reported.
The drill was overseen by two Israeli officials and one from the Palestinian Authority.
Simulated fires were extinguished in four locations, according to a statement from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Six Israeli firefighting airplanes, six Israeli firetrucks and two Palestinian firetrucks were used in the exercise. One exercise involved evacuating a school.
“What’s so important about these exercises is improving the knowledge and fitness of both Israeli and Palestinian firefighters in the Judea and Samaria region. We will continue to train these firefighters with the goal of saving lives across the region,” said Lt. Col. Saleem Saad, an Israeli defense official.
Israeli and Palestinian firefighters have participated in about 10 joint exercises over the last year.
Israeli Hospital Ranked 10th-Best Worldwide
Newsweek ranked Sheba Medical Center-Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan as the world’s 10th-best hospital, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Newsweek described Sheba Medical Center as “a leader in medical science and biotechnical innovation, both in the Middle East and worldwide” and cited its international collaborations that have led to advances in medical innovation, hospital systems and biotechnology.
An affiliation with Tel Aviv University was cited, as was treating more than 1 million patients a year and its wide range of medical divisions.
More than 25 percent of Israeli medical clinical research occurs at the hospital and it “works with nearly every Israeli medical institute to educate students and advance the future of the medical profession,” the report said.
