Israel accepted into OECDFinance minister says new membership is 'stamp of approval', will attract foreign investments Zvi Lavi  Published: 05.10.10, 13:16 / Israel Business    The Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) accepted Israel into its ranks Monday during a vote, as its 32nd member. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, currently in China, received an unofficial message from the organization, and an official statement will be made in Paris in the afternoon. The official invitation is to be handed to Steinitz at a convention of the OECD's finance ministers in Paris at the end of the month. Slovenia and Estonia were also accepted as members Monday. "The significance of this is huge and that is why, as a matter of fact, I decided to treat it as a top priority 10 months ago and enter into a special program to introduce Israel into the organization at a peak time," Steinitz told Israel Radio. "It is the most respectable international club a small state like Israel can be accepted into," he added. "From what we know about other states, in the years following the acceptance there is a rise of billions of dollars in foreign investments in the state accepted." Steinitz said Israel was being accepted into the club responsible for dictating the world's financial guidelines. "There is also a political gain here. We are receiving a stamp of approval… that Israel belongs to the world's most advanced and developed countries, and not just financially – in civil rights, a clean and independent court system, regulations, equality, and steps to eliminate discrimination," he said.  Manufacturers Association President Shraga Brosh issued a pleased response saying that "Israel's membership with the organization constitutes a label of quality." Treasury chief Haim Shani said, "The joining of Israel to the organization points to the trust companies have in Israel's economy and solidity. I believe the new membership will help Israel's society and economy progress, attract foreign investors, and develop the market."

An Israeli has invented a tool that will shave time off of peeling carrots. The device? The Karoto, looks and works like a large pencil sharpener, and peels vegetables such as courgettes and carrots or any similar-shaped vegetable.Designed by Avichai Tadmor for Monkey Business design studio in Israel, it isalso touted for its safety. The Karoto’s creative team says it is a safer way to slice the skin off vegetables compared to using a peeler or knife.Tadmor and his team claim the Karoto can completely peel a carrot in less than 30 seconds and say that not only does it save time but the shavings can also be used for decorative purposes.Jenni Day, sales manager at London-based Luckies – a gift site that sells the Karoto in the UK - told the Daily Mail: “The Karoto is a really fun, quirky gift that can make preparing dishes a bit more interesting.“It makes peeling vegetables easy and can be used with any long root vegetables such as carrots, courgettes, parsnips, and cucumbers.“It comes with restrictions for children’s use as a lot of items of cutlery and kitchen gadgets do, but it is definitely easier to do than other ways of peeling vegetables. It looks like a pencil sharpener and works in a similar way and I would say it would take about 30 seconds to peel a carrot.” “Not only does it make peeling a fast process but it also leaves curls which can be used to decorate salads and brighten up other dishes.”The Karoto comes in both orange and black and is sold for around 10 pounds in the UK.Watch a video of the Karoto in action below: 

Global reliance on US drops; Paris seeks to purchase drones from J'lem "straight away."IAI instructor controls drone Photo: REUTERSIsrael is the largest exporter of drones in the world, a leading industry consultancy firm announced Sunday.In the past eight years, sales of Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles have totalled $4.62 billion, according to figures.The company said that in its calculations, it included products, services and licenses sold to other countries that enable them to produce their own drones. Those type of transactions made up almost 10 percent of Israel’s defense exports, it added.One of the main reasons for the growth in Israeli exports is the decrease in global importers that depend on the US Department of Defense, the company estimated.Between 2005 and 2012, Israel’s defense exports reached about $6.1b. a year, of which drones made up some $578 million annually.Meanwhile, France is in talks with the US and Israel to buy intelligence-gathering drones to build up a modern fleet, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday.France’s existing hardware is outdated and its military intervention in Mali this year has exposed its shortage of surveillance drones suitable for modern warfare. The US provided French commanders with intelligence from its drones based in Niger.“We need this capacity in the short term. There are currently two countries in the world that build drones, the United States and Israel,” Le Drian said on TV channel iTele.“We are in discussions with each to buy some straightaway,” he said.