In the 20th Apr 2014 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists have discovered a
defective gene that triggers colitis.
·
An Israeli Arab Technion graduate won
Israel’s version of MasterChef.
·
Tel Aviv University offers
entrepreneurial scholarships to Indian women.
·
Watch as an Israeli device recharges
smartphones in 30 seconds.
·
An Israeli scientist has built a
bionic fin for an injured sea turtle.
·
Tel Aviv skies lit up with the launch
of a new Israeli satellite.
·
An Israeli app has resulted in
thousands of Passover meals being sent to needy people.
·
Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish
Business News and on IsraelSeen.com
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Breakthrough in
colitis research.
There is hope for many of the 5 million sufferers of colitis thanks to
scientists at Israel’s Bar Ilan University.
They have identified that the gene tmf1 controls the production of
beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut, which stop colitis developing.
Trials start for growing bones. Israeli biotech Bonus
Biogroup, which has developed a method for producing bone grafts from stem
cells, has begun a clinical trial of jawbone grafts. The trial's interim
results are due in four months.
Remove fat with ultrasound. Israel’s Syneron has
obtained FDA approval for its non-invasive UltraShape System for fat cell
destruction. Pulsed focused ultrasound
energy targets subcutaneous fat, while keeping the surrounding tissue
intact. The system is already sold in
Europe, Canada and Asia Pacific countries.
New Israeli heart devices successful. Surgeons at Poland’s John
Paul II hospital were impressed with the first use of Israel’s Gardia WIRON
devices. The devices place filters into
the arteries prior to stent insertions, which then protect patients against
dangerous blood clots and emboli that develop during these vital operations.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
International women’s group tour of
Israel.
(Thanks to Uri) AdventureWomen’s itinerary for its Sept 2014 “Nature of
Israel” trip says, “Long famous for its spiritual wealth and cultural
diversity, Israel has always been a stand-out destination, rich with history
and natural wonder.”
Arab Israeli wins
Israel’s “Master Chef”. Dr.
Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, an Arab-Israeli microbiologist from Baqa al-Gharbiyye won
first prize in the fourth season of reality cooking show “Master Chef Israel”. Dr Atamna-Ismaeel studied in a State school
and earned her Ph.D. from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
Innovation conference for Israeli
minorities.
Israel’s Chief Scientist is holding a conference for entrepreneurs and
technology executives from Israel’s Arab, Bedouin and Circassian Communities.
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett will unveil a plan to promote and fund
innovation within minority sectors in Israel.
Passover camp for Jewish & Arab
kids. The
Jewish Agency for Israel is hosting a special Passover camp experience for some
100 children (Jews and Arabs) from southern Israel whose lives have been
affected by rocket fire from Gaza and by other terror attacks.
Protecting Israelis and nature. The Israel Defense Forces
launched an initiative dubbed "the Environmental Protection
Army." Commanders of nine army
units will spearhead activities to advocate for the environment.
Birds of peace. This new article features
the barn owls and kestrels being used by Israel, the PA and Jordan to control
the numbers of rodents in local farms.
Conservationists, scientists and farmers from all three areas meet
regularly in Israel to exchange information and to manage and extend the
ecologically friendly project.
Joint emergency response teams. Health organizations from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority,
together with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, have launched a project to
jointly promote community preparedness and emergency response.
Treating wounded Syrians. Two Syrians were
transported to Israel after they were wounded as a result of civil warfare in
their country. The two were severely
wounded and have been hospitalized in the Ziv Medical Center’s trauma unit in
the city of Tzfat.
The efforts to save Iraqi baby. Shevet Achim is a
Jerusalem-based Christian organization that brings young children from Arab
countries to Israel for urgent surgery. Its blog details the total dedication
of Israeli doctor Lior Sasson and his medical staff as they struggle to keep
Iraqi baby Dyako alive.
Israel equips Indian
women entrepreneurs. An Israeli initiative will give Indian women entrepreneurs the
tools to acquire world-class leadership skills. The Bonita Trust, The Israel
Asia Center, and Sofaer International MBA at Tel Aviv University offer a
scholarship program specially tailored for Indian women entrepreneurs.
Doctors learn to handle terrorist
attacks.
Israel's chief pathologist, Dr. Chen Kugel, head of Israel's Abu Kabir
Institute of Forensic Medicine, is meeting medical students at Pavol Jozef
Šafárik University in Slovakia to discuss ways of dealing with terror
victims.
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/society/140406-future-doctors-learn-from-israel-about-terrorism
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Recharge your phone in
30 seconds. The amazing technology of
Israel’s StoreDot has sent smartphone users worldwide into wild
excitement. The youtube demo has had
over 2.5 million viewers.
Israel to test 1000 mini electric cars. Israel will import 1000
mini electric cars for a one-year pilot project to evaluate incorporating them
into Israel's municipal traffic. During
the August pilot, the general public will be able to buy the 400kg cars from
select dealerships approved by the Ministry of Transportation.
Designer-shaped cucumbers. (Thanks to Israel21c)
Israeli company Yofi Shel Yerakot (Beauty of Vegetables) has grown a variety of
cucumbers that can be sliced into shapes such as hearts and stars. The all-year-round vegetables are great for
catering parties as well as getting children interested in healthy foods.
The smartphone becomes a thermal camera. Israel’s Opgal Optronic has
launched Therm-App, which converts Android mobile devices into powerful thermal
cameras. For security monitoring,
rescue operations, tracing leaky pipes, inspecting faulty machinery, or medical
and vetinary diagnostics.
http://www.opgal.com/NewsEventsDetail/tabid/69/ArticleId/49/Opgal-Launches-Therm-App-the-Worlds-First-Android-Thermal-Imaging-Camera.aspx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMVwY4MJGds
New bionic fin gives
turtle real “freedom”. A disabled green sea turtle named Hofesh (“freedom” in Hebrew)
can now swim again thanks to industrial design student Shlomi Gez. Shlomi built
Hofesh a dual fin based on the design of Lockheed Martin's supersonic F-22
'Raptor' jet fighter.
$1 million for oil substitute. Israel’s Science and
Technology Ministry, in conjunction with the Prime Minister’s Office and Keren
Hayesod - UIA, is running its second annual competition for Innovation in
Alternative Fuels for Transportation.
The prize will be awarded in December.
Six new solar fields. Israeli solar energy
developer Arava Power Company has inaugurated six solar fields in the Arava and
Negev, generating a total of 36 megawatts of electricity. Arava Power was the first company to
inaugurate a solar field in Israel, which supplies 9 million kilowatt/hours of
power annually to the grid.
A printer in your pocket. Jerusalem-based Zuta Labs
is developing the Zuta Pocket Printer – a tiny robot print head that can move
around on a page and print documents at 1 page per minute. Zuta has reached its kickstarter goal of
$400,000 funding but you can still pledge to pocket one for $200.
New Israeli satellite
launched – from Israel. Israeli-developed radar satellite Ofek 10 was launched on Apr
9th from central Israel. Its advanced
technology provides day and night observation and imaging under any weather
conditions. It is quicker, more durable
and less expensive than its predecessors.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Boosting telecoms to Brazil. Israeli communications
specialist Radcom has sold its MaveriQ service assurance solution to a major
Brazilian cellular operator in a $3.5 million deal.
$163 million order for Elbit. Israel’s Elbit Systems has
won a $163 million contract from a European country for the supply of defense
electronic systems for ground applications.
Walk the web, step by step. Israel’s WalkMe is a
user-friendly app that allows website owners to build step-by-step guidebooks
for using their sites. WalkMe has just
raised $11 million in its third round of financing.
“Politicians don’t make peace – people
do.” Dr
Haim Shine writes about his meeting in Hebron with Musa, whose family conducted
business under the Ottomans, the British, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian
Authority. Trade between Israel and
Hebron amounts to about 5 billion shekels per year ($1.45 billion).
Muscovites get first taste of Israeli
chocolate.
Israeli chocolate company Max Brenner has opened first chocolate bar in
Russia - on Zvetnoy Boulevard in the cultural heart of Moscow. Russia accounts for nearly 10 percent of the
world's chocolate consumption, making the country a key growth market.
Deficit gets smaller. Israel’s budget deficit on
government activity fell to NIS 2.5 billion in March 2014 from NIS 2.9 billion
in March 2013. There was a budget surplus of NIS 100 million in the first
quarter, compared with a deficit of NIS 4.7 billion in the corresponding
quarter of 2013.
Lockheed Martin opens Israel office. Lockheed Martin officially
opened a branch in Be'er Sheva, in support of the IDF and the "Move
South" campaign funded by the Israeli government.
Microsoft re-launches as Israeli
start-up.
Microsoft is turning to the start-up nation for inspiration in
reinventing itself as a start-up, according to its local research and
development chief. Yoram Yaakovi was
speaking at Microsoft’s annual Think Next event, a showcase for new
technologies from Israel and abroad.
$16.4 million donation to put Israel on
the moon.
The project to land an Israeli satellite on the surface of the moon has
received a huge boost. SpaceIL, the
nonprofit organization competing for the Google Lunar X Prize has received a
$16.4 million donation from the Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Family
Foundation.
British Airways to add more Tel
Aviv-London flights. Due to rising demand, British Airways is to increase its number
of weekly flights between Tel Aviv and London from 14 to 17 (around 1000 extra
seats). The new schedule will also give
travelers from Israel more convenient arrival times as well as shorter
connection times.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Carla Bruni is crazy about Israel. French singer and former
first lady Carla Bruni will perform in Tel Aviv on 25th May 2014. Carla’s husband, former French PM Nicolas
Sarkozy hopes to come with her to Israel.
Tel Aviv beach - the best place to
party. Matador
Network has released the ultimate travel guide to partying around the world and
names Tel Aviv as its number one beach party location. It beat Goa and Ibiza.
THE JEWISH STATE
New center for Israeli antiquities. Israel is building a new
35,000-square-meternational archaeological center to store and showcase its
rich collection of some two million ancient artifacts, including the world's
largest collection of Dead Sea Scrolls. The Antiquities Authority's hoard of
treasures dates back as far as 5,000 years.
1300 BCE Egyptian coffin found in
Israel.
Israeli archaeologists in the Jezreel Valley discovered a late Bronze
Age tomb containing bronze and ceramic votive artifacts and a ceramic coffin -
the final resting place of a man who died some 3,300 years ago.
App helps feed needy
families.
Israeli charity Latet has launched Emojew - a free application for
android smartphones that allows users to send Jewish and Passover greetings
whilst donating a meal to families in need.
Over 7900 Passover meals have been donated using Emojew.
Aliya rate jumps 14% in 3 months. Numbers of new immigrants
to Israel have risen by 14% to 3,623 in the first three months of 2014. They included 899 from Russia and 802 from
France.
