The recipients of Israel's first Presidential Awards of Distinction were announced on Thursday, February 9, 2012. The award is given to private individuals and organizations that have made unique and outstanding contributions to Israeli society and the State of Israel's image around the world, and which constitute examples of initiative, innovation, creativity and vision.

"I am old enough to know that people are no less important than ideas," siad President Peres at the awards ceremony. "The world has learned to say thank-you and the time has come for us as well to thank great people who have served as examples for the younger generation so that we might pass on the message that every person can be as great as his deeds and his ideas. "

Recipients of Israel's Presidential Awards of Distinction:

• Henry Kissinger, for his unique contribution to Israel and to peace in the Middle East, and for being a statesman with foresight, creativity and vision;
• Attorney Uri Slonim, the President of Variety Israel, for his voluntarism regarding Israel's POWs and MIAs and for his work at Variety Israel;
• Judy Feld Carr, for secretly saving thousands of Syrian Jews, including young people and entire families, for over 25 years;
• The Rashi Foundation, which was established by the Leven family;
• Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, for his unique and extraordinary contribution to Jewish culture and education; and
• Zubin Mehta, Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, for his unique contribution to the world of Israeli music.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, February 7, in Washington, D.C. for a wide ranging discussion on U.S.-Israel relations and the situation in the Middle East. Minister Liberman thanked Secretary Clinton for America's determination on the Iranian issue, noting that the measures taken in recent weeks sent an important message to the entire region. They also discussed and expressed their concerns for the situation in Syria. Minister Liberman and Secretary Clinton also spoke about the recent developments in Egypt and Lebanon, and on Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Following the meetings, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stated that Secretary Clinton reconfirmed the United States' "unshakable commitment to the relationship, not only to Israel's security, but to Israel's democracy, based on our shared values and the ties between our people."

Disabled athletes joined Mayor Nir Barkat to rappel down Jerusalem's Old City walls during International Disability Awareness Month

By Avigayil Kadesh

It's not every day that you see people rappelling and omega-lining down the thick stone walls of Jerusalem's Old City - and certainly not in wheelchairs. But to mark International Disability Awareness Month in December, ordinary folks with disabilities did exactly that, along with disabled athletes and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

The daredevil event was sponsored by Israel's National Insurance Institute (NII) in partnership with Etgarim (Challenges), a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by a group of disabled IDF veterans, disabled civilians and rehabilitation professionals.
Barkat's rappelling buddy was Nati Gruber, 42, who represented Israel at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics in hand cycling and expects to compete in the London Games this summer. "Every day, my goal is to bring to the public a realization that people who are different can be just like the person next door - or even better," says Gruber.

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President Shimon Peres on Wednesday (February 1), met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, at the start of the Secretary-General's visit to Israel.

UN Sec.-Gen. Ban Ki-Moon said that, "I am deeply concerned by the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.  I have been urging the Iranian authorities to prove that their nuclear program is genuinely for peaceful purposes.  I think they have not yet convinced the international community.  It is very important that the international community engage in a dialog with the Iranian authorities to resolve this issue peacefully.  I urge the Iranians to engage in dialog. There is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of this issue."

President Peres emphasized that, "At this time, the UN has a decisive role to play in the war against global terrorism, at the head of which stands Iran.  No country is immune from terrorism – not the US, not the European states and not the countries of the Middle East.  While Israel welcomes the sanctions, in and of themselves they are not enough.  I expect the international community not to take any option off the table, and to take determined action to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb!  Iran finances and uses terrorism.  We have witnessed the shipments of weapons and missiles that reach Gaza directly from Tehran and are received by Hamas, and the weapons convoys that go directly to Hezbollah in Lebanon and to Syria as well."

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Three reasons to visit Israel's up-and-coming Carmel region: organic wine, boutique beer and chocolate.
By Ariel Blum

Israel has come a long way since the main attraction in the Carmel region, located along the Mediterranean coast south of Haifa, was the Carmel Winery, producer of the country's original sticky-sweet sacramental wines used for the Shabbat and holiday Kiddush.

Today, not only have the wines improved to the point of winning international awards, but the entire Carmel is being positioned as the next up-and-coming region for natural and culinary tourism. The attractions include an organic farm, a trendy micro-brewery and several boutique wineries, including one with the added bonus of pioneering chocolate wine tastings.

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