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An Israeli
biotech’s treatment is poised to rid the world of AIDS.
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Israeli scientists
discovered a molecule that destroys brain cancer cells.
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An Israeli
minister in Oman proposed new trade route with Arab states.
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Israeli
research now prevents coral reef damage in South Pacific.
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An Israeli
design breakthrough makes drip irrigation affordable to most farmers.
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An Israeli
games projection system rehabilitates sick children.
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October broke
the all-time-record for tourists to Israel.
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ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
AIDS / cancer treatment success. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Zion Medical has conducted successful human trials of its
“Gammora” AIDS / cancer treatment. Gammora (see here) eliminates HIV virus-infected
cells - not the virus – preventing development of resistance.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/24/c_137553489.htm http://zionmedical.com/?page_id=2603 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvWN9gJ5ZQs
New molecule kills brain cancer cells. Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have developed a molecule
to treat glioblastoma, a very aggressive type of brain cancer. The molecule
blocks the ability of the MKNK2 gene to produce Mnk2b – a cancer-causing protein
but increases the levels of Mnk2a – an inhibitor protein.
Destroys tumors in weeks. I reported
previously (9th Sep) on Israel’s Alpha Tau’s radiation emitters starting trials in the
USA. Trials have also been launched at
two centers in Rome, Italy. But I should have mentioned that 70% of patients in
earlier Israeli and Italian studies saw their tumors disappear in just a few
weeks.
Seeing early Alzheimer’s, before symptoms appear. I’ve reported previously (see here) that Israeli researchers at Sheba hospital have linked Alzheimer’s
disease with loss of retina function. They have now found that in those with a
family history of Alzheimer’s, the inner layer of the retina is thinner than
usual.
Shape-shifting pills for better targeted treatments. 3D-printing is relevant even in the medical industry. Hebrew
University of Jerusalem scientists have engineered capsules from a hydrogel that
can change shape upon various conditions.
E.g. to release medication only in the intestines, or to expand to fill the
stomach.
Major partnership to prevent diabetes. (TY
OurCrowd) I reported previously (Apr 2016) on Israel’s Sweetch and its system for detecting pre-diabetics. Sweetch
is partnering with US-based WellSpan Health, providing its 15,000 employees with
“the tool we have been looking for to augment our wellness assessment program”.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-mobile-health-app-sweetch-partners-with-wellspan-health-to-help-fight-diabetes-300741126.html http://nocamels.com/2018/11/diabetes-israel-sweetch-health/
Breathtaking technology. I reported
previously (see here) on Israeli innovations that can detect illness by analyzing someone’s
voice. Israeli startup HealthyMize (see here) has just won $75 million in the Henry Ford Health System’s “Increasing
Patient and Caregiver Engagement to Reduce Readmission” Challenge.
More about finding cancer treatment trials. I reported recently (21st Oct) on Israel’s TrailJectory which helps match cancer patients with
clinical trials appropriate to their condition. I believe the subject to be so
important that I’m publishing another recent article about this innovative
startup. It could save someone’s life.
Why Israelis live longer. If the
previous medical articles haven’t given you the answer, this article might. Then
click the link (here) to see the youtube or (here) Facebook video “Nas Daily meets United Hatzalah”.
Just a day in the lives of Hadassah medics. When 7-year-old Elisha Alush collapsed in the Judean desert,
paramedics rushed him to Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital. They realized he had
been stung, but by what? They guessed a scorpion
and the antidote worked. Had it been a Black Widow spider, it may have been too
late.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Cyclists raise $3.5 million for sick children. Israel’s annual bike ride “Wheels of Love,” broke records raising
more than $3.5 million for ALYN - Israel’s leading pediatric rehabilitation
hospital in Jerusalem. 600 cyclists (nearly a third from the US) cycled for 3
days in the Dead Sea region, followed by 2 days in the Judean hills.
A factory of co-existence. The 150 Israeli
and Palestinian Arab employees of the Israeli Snapir aluminum factory at Mevo
Horon in Samaria work side by side. As Subhi from Beit Sira said, “Our
relations are great – we are like brothers here – one family”.
IDF medics risk their lives for wounded Syrians. (TY UWI) Israeli Defense Force medic 21-year-old Staff Sargent Bar, speaks
about how he saw the “best and the worst of humanity” in Syria while he provided
care to the innocent victims of Syria’s civil war.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7Sjlyr0OjQ?rel=0
https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7Sjlyr0OjQ?rel=0
Trade route discussions in Oman. Following on from PM Netanyahu’s historic visit, Israel’s transport
and intelligence minister, Yisrael Katz, visited the Arab Gulf state of Oman to
discuss “Tracks for regional peace” - his revolutionary proposal for a new
system of shipping by sea and rail to and from the Middle East. And even the BBC can no longer ignore Israel’s
warming ties with Arab countries.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/middle-east/gulf-states/israeli-transport-minister-in-oman-on-official-visit-us-envoy-says-trip-supports-our-efforts/2018/11/05/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtR1ysPilFM?rel=0
European leaders improve relations. (TY UWI) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu discussed security, trade and
technology with the leaders of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Greece at the Craiova
State Forum in Bulgaria. It was the first time the four European leaders had
invited a foreign leader to their joint summit.
Closer cooperation with Ghana. On his
return from Bulgaria, Israeli PM Netanyahu met Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley
Ayorkor Botchwey and discussed economic cooperation and other opportunities for
strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Ghana’s President hopes to
visit Israel in 2019.
Training rice farmers in Nigeria. (TY
Hazel) Professor Ben Ayade, Governor of Nigeria’s Cross River state, has signed
an agreement with the government of Israel to train from 1000 up to 12,000 rice
farmers in modern farming techniques. His goal is for Cross River to become the
number one rice producing state in Nigeria.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/10/30/why-israelis-are-training-1000-cross-river-farmers/
Saving the coral in Palau. I reported previously (13th May) that to save their coral reefs, Hawaii had banned sunscreen ingredient
BP-3 thanks to Ben-Gurion University research. The Pacific island of Palau has now
done likewise – although reports by the BBC (here) and New York Times (here) do not credit the Israeli scientists.
Millions see Vegan Tel Aviv video. (TY
Louise) For those with Facebook access, it is worth following Nas Daily. He’s
got over 10.8 million viewers for his one-minute video “Tel Aviv – World’s Vegan
City”. Nas is an Israeli Arab and records his nationality as “Israeli”.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel to host forum of digital nations.
(TY Ruth) The annual international Digital 9 forum, comprising the world's
nine leading digital countries, will convene in Israel for the first time. The
conference will be held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv simultaneously on November
19-21.
Sustainable Nation. (TY Hazel) Israeli-developed water technology
is being used in more than 100 countries. New York’s Micah Smith has directed
“Sustainable Nation,” a new Israeli documentary that follows three Israelis bringing
sustainable water solutions to an increasingly thirsty planet using solutions
developed in Israel.
Water technology for Vietnam. Israel has
displayed new water technology in Hanoi, Vietnam, to improve its agricultural
sector. Hanoi’s “Exposition of Futuristic Agro and Water Israeli Technologies
and Cultural Performance” featured Israel’s Watergen, plus a 100-meter vertical
rice field from Israel’s Vertical Field.
Drip irrigation just got even more efficient. Israeli Simcha Blass had the idea for drip irrigation over 80 years
ago but it is still too expensive for 85% of farmers. Israel’s NDrip has
developed a low-cost system that uses gravity, not energy. It also removes the
need for filters. NDrip has just raised over $50 million of new funds.
Saving palm trees. Israel’s PlantArcBio has
developed a pesticide that it says is 100% effective in fighting the deadly red
palm weevil that attacks trees around the world. The UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), considers the red palm weevil one of the world’s most invasive
pest species, infesting palm and coconut trees.
Never get lost again. Israel’s TrekAce
Technologies has developed a tactile wrist-strap that serves as a navigator, directing
wearers using vibrations and sound notifications. Get a buzz on your left? turn
left; on the right? just follow the vibration. A strong buzz? Stop where you’re
at.
Ford cars will make decisions. Ford
Motors is investing $12.5 million in its Israeli subsidiary SAIPS so that it can
build a decision-making system for Ford’s future autonomous vehicles. System
development will be led by Professor Shie Mannor of Israel’s Technion Institute,
who joined SAIPS in August.
More effective solar energy production. Much
solar energy is lost due to defective, degraded, misaligned or dusty panels. Israel’s
RayCatch - one of World Economic Forum’s 61 Technology Pioneers (see here) uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to diagnose and optimize solar
farms. RayCatch has just raised $4.5 million of funds.
Tiny solar panels to power home devices.
(TY Hazel). 3 years after receiving a US-Israel BIRD clean energy grant (see here), Israel’s 3GSolar Photovoltaics is launching tiny solar panels that
allows electronic devices to generate their own power. The panels work indoors,
in low light and can sustain devices for up to 15 years.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-23/israel-startup-rolls-out-tiny-solar-panels-for-smart-electronics https://www.3gsolar.com/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/jU2cW_xOEy0?rel=0
Downloadable 3D printable clothing. I’ve
reported previously (Sep 2015) on Israel’s Danit Peleg when she printed clothing on her home
computer for her final project at Israel’s Shenkar College. Danit is the first
person in the world to create an entire fashion line using an at-home 3D
printer. Here are some more of her designs.
Successful 3D printed circuit tests. In
a major breakthrough for additive manufacturing for printed electronics, tests
conducted by Harris Corporation showed that 3D printed radio frequency (RF)
circuits made by Israel’s Nano Dimension performed equal to that of circuits
developed using conventional manufacturing techniques.
Convert any space for games. Israeli startup EyeClick’s BEAM platform converts a normal floor into
an interactive playtime site, using a projection screen and dual motion
sensors. Hospitals use it to help children regain muscle strength through games.
EyeClick has just won a $50 million deal with China’s Guoshu.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3749242,00.html https://joinbeam.com/case-studies/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Moving on from R&D to production. The
Israel Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Economy’s investment center have
partnered to provide grants mainly to Israeli life sciences companies looking
to make the transition between research and development to manufacturing. BiondVax
(see here) is already benefiting.
All-time monthly tourism record. October 2018 was the best month ever for Israeli tourism, with
close to half a million people entering the country. It was a 14% increase on
Oct 2017 and the total number of visitors for the ten months of 2018 is 15%
higher than for the same period last year.
New Jerusalem Entrepreneurship Center. Israel
has allocated NIS 20 million to a consortium of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, the Bezalel Academy of Design and Azrieli College of Engineering, to
establish an entrepreneurship and innovation center in central Jerusalem.
Exports to China are booming. (TY IsraPundit) Israeli-Chinese trade reached nearly $10 billion in 2017, more
than double the figure of a decade ago. This trend appears to be accelerating,
with Israeli exports to China increasing dramatically by 62% to $3.5 billion in
the first eight months of 2018.
Israel has the 8th cheapest Internet.
(TY Janglo) UK company Cable.co.uk’s 2018 survey of Internet prices places Israel
8th cheapest in the world. Israel had ranked 18th in last year's report. https://www.cable.co.uk/broadband/deals/worldwide-price-comparison/
Israel values its security personnel. Israel knows how important it is to have good cyber
security experts. This article highlights how highly this can be recognized.
“Pitch in the Dark”. 21 startups battled
to win the favor of judges in complete darkness at an event hosted by Citigroup
in Jaffa. The idea was meant to increase objectivity, however Avenews-GT, (an
agricultural produce trading platform that uses blockchain technology) would
probably have still won even with the lights on!
Direct flights from Manchester (UK) to Tel Aviv. El Al are to launch a 3-times-a-week direct service from Manchester
UK to Tel Aviv, commencing 25th May 2019.
“We’re going to make Israel even closer,” said Michael Strassburger of
El Al, at the 2018 World Travel Market in London.
Indian airline evaluates TaxiBot. I’ve reported
previously (see here) on Israel’s IAI’s TaxiBot aircraft towing system. Three Indian
airlines (SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Indigo Airlines) are currently evaluating
the system. A SpiceJet flight used TaxiBot for the first time to take off from Indira
Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
Financial security for top Latin American banks. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s BioCatch, whose
cybersecurity software prevents potential financial criminals from committing on-line
fraud. BioCatch has just signed up seven tier-one banks in Brazil, Chile,
Columbia and Mexico.
Engie moves into the fast lane. I’ve
reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Engie and its car maintenance decision software. Engie
has just launched its Fleet app, to help car fleet operators, including rental
and leasing companies, maintain their vehicles. Engie now has over 150,000
users in Latin America, the UK and Israel.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Eat your way round Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In Open Restaurants Jerusalem (Nov 14-17) restaurants open up to chefs,
who offer a combination of workshops, meals and talks. Meanwhile, visiting
chefs take over the kitchens of the most popular restaurants for Tel Aviv’s 4th
annual AMEX Roundtables Tour (Nov 11-23).
93-year-old artist’s new exhibition. (TY
WIN) Painter and sculptor Aviva Naaman (age 93) spoke on ILTV about her
latest solo exhibition of Judaica, that has just opened at Jerusalem’s Hechal Shlomo’s
Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art. https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6v0jOarsLA?rel=0 http://eng.hechalshlomo.org.il/
Israel’s remarkable culture of innovation. Sheldon Kirshner sums up Avi
Jorisch’s recent excellent book “Thou Shalt Innovate.” https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/israels-remarkable-culture-of-innovation/
Weizmann Institute – a must visit. The
Levinson Visitors Center at the Weizmann Institute of Science takes you on exciting
journey through interactive exhibits to personal testimonials from scientists
whose research has led to some of the most groundbreaking of medical and
technological applications.
The best place to sing. 4,000 college
students from 60 countries gathered in Tel Aviv for the latest mass singalong by
the social music project, Koolulam. They sang Kit Chan’s “There’s No Place I’d Rather
Be”.
THE JEWISH STATE
Investing in Israel is Biblical. According to David Parsons, vice-president of ICEJ (International
Christian Embassy in Jerusalem), “Investing in Israel is biblical”. ICEJ therefore
engaged equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd to present to 6,000 evangelical
Christians at its annual Feast of Tabernacles conference.
UK trust funds Israeli clinic for
disabled children. London-based Jewish philanthropists
Gillian and Irving Carter, of the Locker Foundation trust, opened the Sylvia
Carter Medical Clinic at ALEH Moriah, a treatment center for Israeli children
with severe, complex disabilities. https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/london-philanthropists-open-clinic-for-israeli-children-with-severe-disabilities/
Record
funds raised for IDF. I wrote three weeks ago (see
here) that the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) raised over $32 million at their gala
in New York. Well, their Beverly Hills
event eclipsed that by raising $60 million - a record amount for the charity at
a single event. The IDF’s paramedic “heroes” were specifically honored.
Celebrating
Sigd. Israel’s President
Reuven Rivlin sang “Jeena, Jeena, Ierusalem, longing, longing for Jerusalem” at
celebrations marking the Sigd holiday of the Ethiopian-Israeli community. He
praised “those ancient, wonderful prayers that you kept hold of and held dear
to you and learned by heart and taught your children and passed down the
generations.” http://rjstreets.com/2018/11/07/sigd-celebrated-in-jerusalem-2/
Israeli
Jews are the quintessentially indigenous people. (TY IsraPundit)
Dr Nan Greer, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Redlands, outlines
the five essential characteristics of an indigenous people and summarizes that
Israeli Jews tick all the boxes. https://www.youtube.com/embed/U5raihYpexQ?rel=0
Come
Home. (TY Janglo)
Beautiful song and video by Akiva Pamensky.
