The years 1954-1959 were the height of strategic relations between France and Israel. Not unlike today, the United States would not supply certain arms to the newly established Jewish state. But France was willing to sell Israel high-quality weapons, including Mirage jet fighters. This helped shift the balance of Mideast power toward Israel. Shimon Peres – at the time, the youngest-ever director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Defense – handled the rapprochement.
“October Rain” – Israel’s original entry for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest – was rejected for being political. Lyrics such as “They were all good children, each one of them” were considered references to the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The approved entry “Hurricane” retains some of the original lyrics. Performer Eden Golan skipped Eurovision’s opening to attend a Holocaust remembrance event organized by Malmö’s Jewish community.
Israel-South Africa relations have not always been rocky. In 1948, South Africa was the seventh nation to give de facto recognition the new State of Israel. The Israeli city Ashkelon was originally designed, financed, and built by South African Jewry, who managed it from 1949 to 1959. Started to house new immigrants and refugees from around the world, Ashkelon merged with Migdal Gad in 1955.
Although a tiny country, Israel is often one of the first to respond to natural and man-made disasters. Israel has provided support such as water provision, shelter, technical and medical know-how to more than 60 countries including: USA, Kenya, Ukraine, Malawi, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Haiti, Indonesia, Nepal, Japan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Albania, Philippines, Germany, India, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Guatemala, and South Africa.
