Latest news with #AICAT
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Samoan woman stranded in Israel 'praying for Lord's protection'
A hospital in southern Israel and two towns near Tel Aviv were struck after a barrage of Iranian missiles early on June 19, with rescuers reporting at least 47 people injured in the latest attacks. Photo: AFP / Jack Guez A Samoan woman is among those stranded in Israel after completing training. Polino Falevaai, 25, from Tufuiopa village was meant to fly home on Wednesday but her flight was cancelled due to the Israel-Iran conflict in the area. She has completed a 10-month training program in Israel, focused on agricultural research and innovation. Last Friday, Israel launched an aerial assault against Iran , which it said were aimed at disrupting the Islamic Republic's nuclear infrastructure. Iran has been retaliating in what it says is self-defence. Falevaai told the Samoa Observer that the conflict was "scary". "But I'm still praying for the Lord's protection while I'm here," she said. "The first three nights we've been going to the bomb shelter. We've tried our best to stay calm." Polino Falevaai, holding cheque, at AICAT - the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training. Photo: Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa/Facebook Falevaai, who works for the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa, told the newspaper that while there have been some missile threats in the south, where she is, it is not as severe; and she hopes to return to Samoa next week once the airport reopens. Earlier this week, the Solomon Islands foreign ministry said five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining regular contact with the students. The White House said on Thursday (US time) that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks.
South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Presence of Indonesian students in Israel stirs debate over Jakarta's Palestine stance
The recent revelation that a small but growing number of Indonesian students are studying in Israel – a country with which Indonesia has no formal diplomatic ties – has stirred domestic debate about the credibility of Jakarta's long-standing support for the Palestinian cause. Advertisement There are currently 200 Indonesians studying agriculture at the Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training (AICAT) in Israel's southern Negev desert, according to a report published last week by an Indonesian news outlet focused on Middle East affairs. The report, citing an anonymous source, said the figure was a sharp increase from last year's intake of 'around 90' students. While Indonesia routinely condemns engagement with Israel on political grounds, student exchanges in niche sectors such as agriculture have quietly continued and even gained some domestic political support. Established in 1994, AICAT offers an 11-month diploma course in advanced and sustainable farming practices tailored to arid climates. Its website lists more than 20,000 alumni from Asian and African countries, including Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, Cambodia, Thailand and East Timor. Cooperation with Indonesia began in 2014, according to AICAT, which noted that since Israel had no diplomatic presence in the Southeast Asian country, student visas were processed through the Israeli embassy in Singapore. Advertisement In addition to AICAT, Indonesian students have also enrolled at other Israeli institutions, including Technion and Tel Aviv University. In 2022, the International University of Papua – then just formed – signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel's Ariel University to establish cultural and educational cooperation. According to a statement on Ariel's website, it was the 'first academic accord between Indonesia and Israel'.
