Worldfocus » Michael Greenspan

Israeli company builds infrastructure for world’s electric cars

Worldfocus — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:12:22 +0000

Israel launched an electric car program as part of a plan to end the country’s dependence on foreign oil. Of course by now, the idea of an electric car is not new. But it is still a challenge to produce enough of the vehicles and get them to travel far enough. Shai Agassi’s company, Better Place, is not just promoting electric cars but designing an entire system to service them, with battery charging stations. Many countries are expressing great interest.

Worldfocus special correspondent Michael Greenspan and producers Yuval Lion and Ara Ayer report from Israel.

Could Agassi’s plan work in larger countries like the U.S.? Watch an extended interview: Debate on the electric revolution of the auto industry.

One Israeli company is not just promoting the use of electric cars but designing an entire system to service them, with battery charging stations. Many countries are expressing great interest. /files/2009/02/th_israel_car.jpg /files/2009/02/th_israel_car.jpg

One in five Israeli citizens is Arab

Worldfocus — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:55:55 +0000

The history of conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors is well-documented. A story told not nearly as often is the relationship between Arabs and Jews within Israel. It is a question with serious repercussions, as approximately one in five Israelis is Arab. How are they faring?

Worldfocus special correspondent Michael Greenspan and producers Yuval Lion and Ara Ayer report from Israel.

The history of conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors is well-documented. A story told not nearly as often is the relationship between Arabs and Jews within Israel, as approximately one in five Israelis is Arab. /files/2009/02/th_israel_arabs.jpg /files/2009/02/th_israel_arabs.jpg

Immigrants and religions redefine Israeli society

Worldfocus — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:25:57 +0000

Israel is commonly referred to as the Jewish state, but the label may not capture Israel’s rapidly changing demographics. A wave of immigration over the past few decades has created ethnic and religious diversity. Also, some 20 percent of Israelis are Muslims, Christians and other minorities.

Worldfocus special correspondent Michael Greenspan and producers Yuval Lion and Ara Ayer explore Israel’s melting pot.

Take a walk down Tel Aviv’s most diverse street (video).

The wave of immigration over the past few decades has changed the face of Israel. Also, some 20 percent of Israelis are Muslims, Christians and other minorities. /files/2009/02/th_israel_facesig.jpg /files/2009/02/th_israel_facesig.jpg

“Code red” is a way of life in Israeli town

Worldfocus — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:11:44 +0000

Even before the current war began, terror was a part of daily life for Israelis living on one side of the Gaza Strip. Mortar shells and rockets fired by Palestinian militants often rain down on Sderot, an Israeli city of roughly 20,000 people.

The people of Sderot faced thousands of rocket attacks last year alone, and yet many continue to live there, whether for financial or ideological reasons. For some Israelis, Sderot is a symbol of determination — while for others, the town represents the government’s inability to end what has become an ongoing nightmare.

Worldfocus correspondent Michael Greenspan and producer Yuval Lion capture what life is like in the city of Sderot.

Below, bloggers from Sderot and elsewhere write about their experiences living in fear as the Israeli-Hamas conflict continues.

A blogger of “Life must go on in Gaza and Sderot” writes that since the outbreak of the current violence, many people have left Sderot and streets are empty. He pleas for continued dialogue with people in Gaza.

Blogger “Jerry Waxman,” a resident of Sderot currently in Thailand, writes that even if the war ends, its impact on the people of Sderot — young and old — will be long-lasting.

Blogger “Elad” writes about experiencing a “Code Red” alert while travelling through Sderot, and writes about the determination of Jewish residents to remain.

Blogger “DonutsMom” of Ariel, an Israeli city on the West Bank, writes that many are coming to her hometown from Sderot, and discusses her own nightmares and fears.

In the town of Sderot on Israel’s southern border, mortar shells and rockets fired by Palestinian militants are daily part of life. /files/2009/01/th_israel_sigpiece105.jpg /files/2009/01/th_israel_sigpiece105.jpg