New party meets
The Independence Party, the new party formed by former prime minister Ehud Barak, held its first meeting May 12 in Tel Aviv. Barak, a former Labor Party chairman and currently Israel’s defence minister, was elected chairman by the party’s 80 members. MK Einat Wilf; Home Front Command Minister Matan Vilnai; Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Shalom Simhon; and Agriculture Minister Orit Noked left Labor with Barak to form the party and make up its secretariat.

Principal wins prize
The Karen Tal, principal of the Bialik-Rogozin School in Tel Aviv, received the Charles Bronfman Prize for 2011. The annual prize, which carries a $100,000 award, goes to a young humanitarian whose work is informed by Jewish values and has global impact that can change lives. Tal’s school in southern Tel Aviv serves students of foreign workers, Jewish and Arab Israelis of low socio-economic backgrounds, new immigrants from such places as the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, and refugees from Darfur, Sudan, Eritrea and other countries. The once-failing school, which now has 800 students in kindergarten to Grade 12, has become a model for improving students’ live, strengthening families, advancing socialization into Israeli society, and changing cultural attitudes. The Morocco-born Tal, 46, became principal of Bialik-Rogozin in 2005.

Israel Prizes Awarded
Ten Israelis received the Israel Prize, the country’s highest honour, on May 11 during the ceremony held annually at the close of Israeli Independence Day. Lifetime achievement awards went to Hulda Gurvitaz and Eli Elaluf. This year’s other recipients were aeronautics industry leader David Hariri in the engineering category; Tel-Aviv University’s Prof. Yosef Shilo, life studies; sculptor and painter Yaakov Dorchin, art; TAU’s Prof. Michael Schwartz, Israel studies; composer Noam Sheriff, music; Bar-Ilan University Prof. Pnina Klein, education; Hebrew University Prof. Ruth Gavison, law, and Maccabi Tel Aviv chairman Shimon Mizrachi, sports. The prize comes with a cash award of nearly $22,000.

Syria pulls  UNHRC bid
The Syria pulled its bid for a spot on the UN Human Rights Council. Its withdrawal May 11 came as western nations are working to convince the UN Security Council to condemn Syrian President Bashar Assad’s violent campaign to stifle opposition to the Syrian government. Kuwait was named to replace Syria on the uncontested May 20 ballot for the Asian bloc on the 47-member council.
With files from JTA