·
Rare positive
news in the search for pancreatic cancer treatment.
·
Israeli experts
are helping seven Muslim countries save their coral reefs.
·
Intel
Israel has launched its 10th generation microprocessor.
·
Europe’s pursuit
of Israeli innovation increases.
·
Google Express
shopping is packaged using Israeli bio-degradable plastic.
·
A
15-year-old Israeli boy is European youth laser sailing champion.
·
Israeli
divers have discovered a Biblical fortress - underwater.
·
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ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Treatment for genetic pancreatic cancer. Researchers at Israel’s Sheba Medical
Center have had positive results in trials of Lynparza (olaparib) for treating pancreatic
cancer in carriers of BRCA mutations. An international trial of 154 patients
showed improved response, time to progression and quality of life.
New early test for Parkinson’s. Tel Aviv
University scientists have discovered a new method for detecting the
aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein, before Parkinson’s symptoms appear.
Doctors can then monitor how treatments affect this aggregation.
Transmitting neural messages to the next generation. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have identified a nervous system
mechanism that can transmit neural messages to future generations. They showed
that data on environmental factors are stored in brain cells (neurons) and expressed
in germline genes to one’s children.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-study-Nervous-system-can-transmit-messages-to-future-generations-591795 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-study-says-neurons-not-just-dna-can-affect-progenys-fate/
US approval for soft Exo-suit. Last week
(see here) ReWalk’s soft exoskeleton received European (CE) approval. This week, the US FDA approved the Israeli
innovation. Things are “looking up” for stroke victims.
Tracking response to cancer treatment. Israel-based
Techsomed develops an image analysis system that helps track tissue response to
thermal ablation - the process of destroying tumors using extreme heat or cold.
It works with ultrasound to simulate the effects over time and provide surgeons
with better control and accuracy.
Israeli diet is good for the brain. I
reported previously (14th Apr) that Israel has the lowest rate of diet-related deaths in the
world. Now, the American Academy of
Neurology medical journal has found that the diet can also help preserve memory
and thinking abilities.
Foolproof Ambulance inventory list.
Three students from Jerusalem College of Technology won first prize at the
college’s third annual Great Minds hackathon. They devised a system using
sensors to eliminate human error when checking crucial inventory on ambulances
before they are dispatched from their stations.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
An app to simplify
volunteering. (TY
Benyamin) Israeli ex-supermodel Michaela Bercu and her husband Israeli tech
entrepreneur Ron Zuckerman developed Tribu - an app which connects volunteering
needs with those who wish to help. It is in use all over Israel and a pilot has
recently been setup at a California university.
Faiths co-operate to clean
up Old City site.
Israel, Jordan, the Gulf States and Christian leaders have agreed for the Jerusalem
Development Authority to clear a long-standing Wakf-administered garbage dump just
outside the Old City walls. A new promenade is now being built on the site to
improve access for tourists.
Pope welcomes cross-border
owl project. Israeli,
Jordanian, Palestinian Arab and Swiss bird experts recently traveled to the
Vatican to discuss their successful cross-border project using barn owls (see here) for natural pest control. https://www.israel21c.org/pope-welcomes-israeli-jordanian-palestinian-bird-experts/
Ramadan in Israel. This video shows how the
month-long Muslim festival of Ramadan is observed and celebrated in the towns
of Ein Nakuba and Abu Ghosh – between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Residents and leaders highlight the importance
of improving ethical behavior and especially relationships with non-Muslims.
Middle
East unites to save coral reefs. Professor Maoz Fine of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has set up the Red
Sea Transnational Research Center to help try to save global coral reefs. The center
brings together experts from Israel and seven Muslim countries - Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, Jordan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, and Djibouti.
Israel hosts joint
US-Russia summit.
(TY WIN) In the first meeting of its kind, the US national security adviser, and
his Russian and Israeli counterparts will meet in Jerusalem to discuss regional
security issues and Syria in particular. https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/06/02/52-years-later-israel-and-the-superpowers/
Rare animals born in
Jerusalem. Israel again demonstrated its work to save
rare species. Two rare golden lion
tamarin monkeys were born at Jerusalem’s Biblical zoo. Thanks to efforts like
that of Israel, the population of these monkeys has risen from 80 in 1980 to around
3,200 today. Also five Griffin vultures
were hatched.
World Environment Day. This video produced for World Environment
Day on 5th Jun, highlights Israel’s progress with renewable energy, wastewater
recycling, desalination. Israel promotes the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and works with many countries in their efforts to achieve them.
Israeli innovation at its
very best. A great
summary of the work of Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa which has brought clean
water and electricity to over a million villagers in rural Africa.
How one tiny aid NGO
changed an island.
After Hurricane Maria, IsraAID distributed food and water filters to remote Puerto
Rican communities. They operated mobile health clinics, treated trauma victims and
trained medical staff. But it is two long-term projects (water and resiliency) that
have transformed Puerto Rican lives.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Seven Tel Aviv tech conferences this month. Thousands of investors, entrepreneurs, and tech experts will be flocking
to Tel Aviv in June to attend EdTech (4th-5th), EcoMotion (10th-13th), Travel Tech (11th), Mobile Summit (12th), IBM Think (13th), Cyber Week (23rd-27th) and Calcalist’s FinTech
(24th).
Top patents. The National Academy of Inventors and
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) listed Tel Aviv University as
the 66th top university worldwide, after registering 37 US utility patents through
its technology transfer arm Ramot. Israel’s Technion Institute was 75th with 32
utility patents.
Weizmann Institute in top 25 for R&D. Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science has been ranked among the
top 25 research institutes/universities in the world. It received this high ranking in two main
categories: Top-cited Publications and Patents Awarded.
Intel’s new Israeli processors have AI. I only recently reported (13h May) that Intel Haifa had launched its 9th generation of
microprocessors. Intel is now shipping its 10th generation chips – code named
“Ice Lake” and again developed by their Israeli team. Intel says it will bring
broad-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the PC.
Award-winning deep-learning microprocessors. (TY OurCrowd) Just as Intel are launching their new AI microprocessor, Israeli
AI chip manufacturer Hailo (reported here in Jun 2018) has been selected as a winner of Red Herring's Top 100 North
America Award in the AI/Machine Learning Sector.
Radio Frequency Energy. I briefly
mentioned about Israel’s InMode (Aug 2012) when it was called Invasix and selling its cosmetic treatments to
Lebanese women. InMode states that its products use Radio Frequency Energy to
tighten skin, remove fat, hair, spots, vascular lesions etc. A NASDAQ listing
is said to be close.
Catch that mosquito. Israeli startup Bzigo
is developing a device that uses lasers to track mosquitos within a room. It
then marks the mosquito’s exact location with a red laser once it lands and uses
WiFi to send alerts to users. It is currently
at the prototype stage.
Taking down drones and balloons. Finally,
a solution to the Gaza firebombs and drones.
The IDF have been trialing the Smash 2000 from Israel’s Smart Shooter. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/SMASH-2000-The-Israeli-technology-taking-down-Gazan-drones-and-balloons-591778 https://www.smart-shooter.com/
Paying royalties for music. Israeli
startup Revelator is launching a music mobile payment app called Artist Wallet.
When an artist’s song is streamed or played on the radio, rights holders are
notified and royalties are distributed as per a blockchain digital contract.
The platform supports 90,000 rights holders in 25 countries.
Israeli Argan oil. (TY Stuart) I wrote
previously (see here) about Israelis growing Argan trees for their oil. Recently our
friend Stuart Palmer visited Israel’s Oren Farm. Their Argan trees were originally
grown by Israel for Morocco but rejected due to the Arab boycott. These trees produce
5 times more oil than Moroccan trees.
Israeli technology becomes international standard. Global standards organization MIPI Alliance (including Intel, Texas
Instruments, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung) has selected the technology of Israel-based
Valens Semiconductor as a standard for high-speed links for cameras, displays
and sensors for autonomous vehicles.
Grab & Go supermarket shopping. I’ve
reported previously (see here) on the scan and buy systems of Israeli startups SuperSmart and
ShelfX. Now Israel’s Trigo Vision is beginning an advanced pilot of its computer
vision technology with Israeli supermarket giant Shufersal.
Floating cities. (TY Benyamin) Viewers
of the movie Waterworld can imagine a future with cities that float on the
oceans. Israeli naval architect Gil Wang and three colleagues have devised a
smart, economical way to build urban suburbs on water. Their Modular Floating
Structures (MFS) project is now a Technion Ph.D. program.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Millions
more tourists. 1.8
million tourists have visited Israel in the five months since the beginning of
2019. May 2019 saw an 11% increase on May 2018 with 400,000 tourists arriving.
And contrary to reports from biased media outlets, hundreds of thousands of
Christians, Muslims and Jews peacefully visited Jerusalem.
EU has funded over 1,000 Israeli projects. Horizon 2020, Europe’s flagship
innovation program, gave grants to 423 Israeli projects in 2018. Since Horizon
2020 was set up in 2014, it has funded 1,062 Israeli recipients to the tune of
742 million euros. Cooperation was celebrated at an awards ceremony in Jaffa on
4th June.
EU giants innovate in Israel. There are 41 top European firms with Israeli
innovation offices - nearly half established in the last 3 years. And unlike
Silicon Valley, most of the Israeli offices are fully-fledged R&D centers
with over 50 employees - not simply outposts. Most work in automotive, electronics
and Life sciences.
Renewing
Amazon’s planes. Retail
giant Amazon has its own airline called Prime Air, comprising 40 second-hand
Boeing 767s. Israel Aerospace Industries has converted 80% of the fleet from
passenger planes to cargo planes and the refurbished aircraft are now good for another
20 years of service.
PayPal
moves its customer service to Israel. Global payments giant PayPal is setting up a
new customer service center in Israel. It will replace its current operation,
run by an external company in Bulgaria. PayPal already has a Research &
Development center in Tel Aviv with 230 employees.
Another
Israeli Unicorn. I reported previously (Mar
2017) when Israeli-founded cybersecurity company SentinelOne raised $70
million of funds. It has just raised another $120 million, to join the ranks of
“Unicorn” companies – those worth around $1 billion.
Huge
new co-working site in Ramat Gan. Israel’s MindSpace is opening a new 4,125 square meters co-working location
at the Rogovin Tidhar Tower in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv. It will accommodate 640
people who want shared office facilities. It will be MindSpace’s 29th site,
which includes in the US, UK and Germany.
Google to use Israeli bio-degradable plastic. I reported previously (see here) on the environmentally-friendly
compostable packaging developed by Israeli startup TIPA. Now Google’s shopping
site, Google Express, is to package purchases in TIPA’s bio-degradable plastic.
UK supermarket Waitrose and others already use TIPA.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Hebrew Book Week. The people of the book celebrate Hebrew Book Week, June 12-22 in
Tel Aviv (Kikar Rabin), Jerusalem (the First Station), and Haifa (Hecht Garden)
plus specific days in other cities. It will include a tri-city public book
reading on June 12, at 6 p.m., in the three major locations.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tri-city-storytelling-hour-launches-hebrew-book-week/
http://sfarim.org.il/
Kosher
and tasty. Celebrity
Israeli chefs Meir Adoni, Yoram Nitzan, Eyal Shani and several others have
moved into the kosher sphere over the last few years, accommodating the growing
number of kosher diners in Tel Aviv seeking fine dining, and the ingredients
(and wine lists), that go with it.
Fresh
Paint fair. Billed
as Israel’s largest art event, the Fresh Paint art fair had exhibitions throughout
Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Expo Tel Aviv hosted the Independent Artists’ Greenhouse,
Fresh Design Complex, New Media and Video Area. Ten museums, hotels, boutiques
and restaurants hosted events in Tel Aviv & Jaffa.
Jerusalem’s
really cultured streets. (TY Sharon) This RJS article “Jerusalem Day, What
Next” incorporates recent and upcoming events, including a memorial to Ethiopian
Jews, the re-opening of the Sifting Project, Iftar, the Israel Festival,
Islamic Jewelry exhibition, Beat/Second, Nabucco (Jun 20), White Night and
more.
Heavy
metal support. Heavy
metal group 'Disturbed' prioritized their upcoming European tour around their 2nd
July Rishon LeZion concert. Front man, David Draiman sits on the advisory body
of Creative Community for Peace. Please see the video of his unexpectedly fascinating
interview and his wise words against BDS.
Four Euro golds for 15-year-old sailor. 15-year-old Yogev Alcalay of Caesarea
Israel won four gold medals at the EurILCA (International Laser Class
Association) 2019 Laser 4.7 Youth Europeans in Hyeres, France. Yogev made
history winning the top U-16 and U-18 medals ahead of competitors from 50
countries.
THE JEWISH STATE
Biblical fortress discovered. (TY WIN) Marine archaeologists have found a
2,200-year-old maritime fortress off the coast at Tel Dor, south of Haifa. The
site, mentioned in biblical texts, was built by a Hellenistic ruler during the
period of the Hasmoneans. The fortress in underwater due to the sea level rising
over the centuries.
The
Biblical town of Achziv. (TY I24 News) The city of Achziz in Northern Israel dates to the Israelite
tribe of Asher in the Bible. It is also mentioned in the Book of Judges. Its beach
has some breathtaking scenery.
Brazilian
diplomats find ancient coin in Shiloh. A delegation of governors and congress
members from Brazil were visiting the archaeological dig in Shiloh where the
Jewish tabernacle was sited over 3,000 years ago. During the visit, a coin was
discovered dating from the time of the Hasmoneans, some 2,000 years ago.
NYC celebrates
Israel. 40,000 participated in the annual Celebrate
Israel Parade in Manhattan. A delegation of diplomats from around the world took
part, including UN ambassadors from Australia, Germany, Ukraine, Norway, Nigeria
and several other countries. The theme of the event was “Rak B’Yisrael – Only in
Israel”
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/New-Yorks-Celebrate-Israel-Parade-turns-Manhattan-blue-and-white-watch-591389
https://unitedwithisrael.org/celebrate-israel-parade-un-ambassadors-from-around-the-world-march-in-new-york/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXa3qIQnSUA
Celebrating
Jerusalem Day. (TY
Jacob) Tens of thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem to
mark the unification of Jerusalem’s eastern and western sectors in the 1967 Six
Day War. See Jacob Richman’s photos – click on the first link and then on the
arrows. And worth watching the Six-Day-War video.
