Government

Six Israeli start-ups, presenting innovative technologies in the areas of health, agriculture and water, have reached the final stage of the ibridge to the innovation program of Israel-India, launched during the mutual visits of Indian and Israeliprime ministers over the past year. The six companies were selected from 18 Israeli companies that presented their technologies to Israeli and Indian company directors and investors at the Demo-Day event last week at the Urban Place in Shalom Tower in Tel Aviv.

The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance reached an understanding with representatives of the Histadrut and the Haifa Port on a reform to be instituted at the port in order to increase competition and transfer parts of it to private ownership. The parties agreed that hundreds of workers would voluntarily retire and that extensive infrastructure would be set up at the port to deepen the anchorage and cargo services. The port's sea department will operate as part of a separate company. The agreement is expected to be signed in the coming weeks

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the leaders of the industry were presented as part of a festive event at the President's Residence in Jerusalem and in the presence of President Reuven Rivlin. The award was awarded to Stef Wertheimer, Yossi Vardi, Dan Propper, Sami Sagol, Maxine Fassberg, Yehuda and Zohar Zisapel, Giora Ackerstein, Rim and Imad Yunes, Shimon Eckhaus and Morris Kahn. The award is intended to express the appreciation of Israeli society to industry leaders who have contributed significantly to the development of Israeli...

Netivei Urban Transport Company, which is responsible for the construction of the urban rail system in the Dan region, will publish today one of the largest infrastructure tenders registered in the country. The tender includes at this stage a equipment coordinator for two new urban rail lines. The Green Line and the Purple Line, with the first tender stage (PQ) including the purchase of the cars, systems and maintenance of the lines. The Civil Engineering tender is scheduled to be released this year as well, with NTA estimating that by December, infrastructure relocation work will also begin

The Knesset plenum approved in a second and third reading the bill of the chairman of the Economics Committee, MK Eitan Cabel, to shorten the waiting times for a professional human response to deal with malfunctions, clarify the state of the account and end the contract. The amendment will apply to all companies in the economy, including, in an unprecedented manner, also to banks and insurance companies, and will come into effect in another nine months.

The state of Israel is not properly prepared for an earthquake. Most hospitals in the north are not earthquake-resistant; 2,350 schools operate in buildings that are not earthquake-resistant; 99% of the public buildings that require reinforcement have not yet been strengthened. In fact, only 52 public buildings have been reinforced in the past decade, 50 schools and two hospitals have been partially renovated. State Comptroller Joseph Shapira's report on "preparedness for earthquakes - buildings and infrastructure" published revealed the enormous destruction expected in Israel during a...

The Knesset finally approved the structural reform of the IEC, after 22 years of promises and discussions in the Labor Courts. As part of the reform, the IEC will cease to be a monopoly in the field of production and it will sell five power stations to the private market, thereby reducing its market share to 35%

about seven hours into the Israeli assault in the Gaza strip yesterdy, a Hamas spokesman announced that the cease-fire had been restored with the mediation of Egypt and the United Nations. There was no immediate confirmation of a renewed truce from the Israeli side although all Israeli attacks stopped and during the night no rockets were fired to Israel. Israeli warplanes launched Friday night a large-scale attack across the Gaza Strip on one of the fiercest in years, after a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier along the border fence during a day of escalating hostilities