Israel Good
News Archive – 1st April to 24th June 2012
120624
In the 24th June edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli men live longer than men in almost any other
country.
·
Exclusive story – read how Israel Technion students are
able to study and have babies.
·
The Israeli cabinet has approved a proposal to build
artificial islands.
·
Record-breaking numbers of PhD graduates from Israeli
Universities.
·
An Israeli company is helping India to develop
drought-resistant rice.
·
The son of the founder of the Hamas terrorist
organisation urges Arabs to support Israel.
·
Some excellent youtube videos this week.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary:
Click here for “Israeli
help when you need it”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Sequencing the human genome in 2 minutes. That’s the target of scientists at the
Israeli Technion’s Lokey Lifescience centre in Haifa. It will allow doctors to prescribe drugs tailored to the
individual’s DNA, rather than generic to the condition. Watch this video and marvel at this and
other amazing Israeli medical research.
The future of brain science. At the President’s Conference in Jerusalem,
scientists presented Israel’s innovative research and devices including a
neuro-stimulator implanted in the brain for treating Parkinson’s and
schizophrenia.
Israeli men have world’s 3rd
longest life expectancy. At
79.6 years, only men in Switzerland (79.9) and Iceland (79.7) live longer than
Israeli men. According to Ha’aretz, the
reasons are money and diet. With 25% of
Israelis living below the poverty line and all the fried food, I doubt it! Medical science seems likelier.
The world’s largest, most advanced underground hospital. I was torn as to whether to include this
news story because it is sad that the hospital had to be built. However, it shows that Israel’s priority is
to life.
Israelis discover reason for Devergie’s disease. After 10 years research, researchers at Tel
Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center have identified the genetic mutations that cause
the severe skin disease pytiriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) also known as Devergie’s
disease. It affects approximately one
in every 5000 people.
Healing brain injury using cannabinoid compounds. The medicinal benefits of cannabis are still
controversial, however award-winning Hebrew University researcher Dr. Lital
Magid has designed and synthesized compounds of the drug that reduce brain
inflammation and promote healing.
Technion babies – Israel’s
scientists of the future.
Israeli students are unique.
They go from high school into the army; then many get married, go to
university, have children and get degrees.
Weird sequence? This article by
writer and childbirth expert Wendy Blumfield explains how it works. And it works very well.
Free dental care for children up to 12. The Israeli cabinet has approved
extending free dental care for children (previously up to 10 years old) to the
age of twelve. It includes examinations, x-rays, removing plaque, fluoride
treatments, fillings, first aid, reconstructions, root canal, extractions,
crowns, and other treatments.
Training to save lives together. The IDF holds drills each year with the US
Armed Forces to practice how to extract injured victims from a collapsed
building, to clear paths through debris and to navigate in the chaos that is
left by a natural disaster.
US Jews use Israeli hi-tech to save African lives. Jewish Heart for Africa has used Israeli
solar and agricultural technologies to assist rural villages in Ethiopia,
Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda. The
technology serves 250,000 people and JHfA is shortly to complete its 57th
project.
Israeli education program for Ghana. (Thanks to Stuart Palmer) The 1st Early Childhood Education
training course took place in May in Accra. The MASHAV (Israel’s Agency for
International Development Cooperation) program focuses on using proven Israeli
knowledge and experience to train qualified teachers in Ghana with skill sets
that focus on studying through play.
Africans speak up for Israel. The inaugural Africa's Voices in Israel
mission has arrived in Israel and features a delegation of Bank Governors from
Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Zambia, Ghana and Swaziland. The tour will include Save A Child's Heart,
where 40 percent of the patients are young children from Africa.
Israel does more with less. Over 2000 people viewed PM Netanyahu’s speech prior to the Rio+20
Environmental Summit (featured here last week and on my JPost blog). Please also watch Gilad Erdan - Israel’s
Environment Minister – who was elected Vice Chairman of the conference.
Israel to build artificial
islands.
Tiny Israel is well known for its outside-the-box thinking, but
the cabinet’s approval for new islands is truly ambitious. Plans include a new airport, a seaport, a
desalination plant, a power plant and a military testing base that would
normally have required valuable coastal land.
Scientists use the media to change society. Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie
credits the media for bringing about Israeli scientific improvements such as
teaching science in Hebrew, Israeli Summer Time and “silent” radio to provide an
emergency channel to alert the public if necessary during wartime.
The Israeli projects to make fuel from CO2. Ben Gurion University Professors Moti
Herskowitz and Miron Landau have just been awarded a grant to further their
groundbreaking research in liquid fuels.
Weizmann and Technion scientists and Israeli start-up NewCO2Fuels are
also working to achieve a similar result.
How the octopus makes itself invisible. A new paper, co-authored by Ph.D. student
Noam Josef and Dr. Nadav Shashar of Ben Gurion University's Department of Life
Sciences, suggests that octopi focus on a limited selection of nearby objects in
order to determine their disguise. The
youtube video is remarkable.
Israeli IT education is unique. Ruth Boneh, formerly of Intel, is Director
of Technion's new Computer Engineering Centre. She describes this one-of-a-kind
centre where students can study academic and practical computing in one
place. It leads to some amazing
developments.
Israeli “hackers” honoured for helping Twitter. Four Israelis were included in Twitter's
"2012 White Hat Hackers" list, honouring users who helped prevent
hackers taking over user accounts. The
four discovered a security "hole" in Twitter itself, provided
solutions and even helped Twitter through the repair process.
Record-breaking Ph.D. graduates. 366 new doctorate students received their
Ph.D.’s from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. They also received a pep talk from honorary doctorate Rick Hansen
who has been paralysed since the age of fifteen. “New goals and new dreams will be unfolding. Anything is possible.”
Israel leads the world in water technology. Here is a Newsletter first – a link to a
radio program - Walter’s World on Israel National Radio, hosted by Walter
Bingham. In 2015 when you turn on your
water taps in Israel, 75% of all water will come from desalination plants.
Today, already 80% of water used in agriculture is recycled wastewater.
Israel’s first start-up – The Technion. One of the greatest innovations in history,
that helped conceive and shape a nation.
The Technion’s first seventeen graduates in 1922 included Israel’s first
female architect. By 1971 there were
10,000 Technion graduates and today more than 70,000. 25% have founded a start-up.
Israel’s teenage entrepreneurs. Mickey Haslavsky (18) of Holon is already on
his 2nd start-up. Tal
Hoffman (15) of Haifa, founder of Itimdi, says the “Start-up Nation” has
encouraged young business developers.
Gal Harth (15) of Herzliya set-up Doweet to get his friends off their
games consoles and into the real world.
Janet had Imaginenation. Following her Aliya from Australia, Janet Sernack founded the
Israeli start-up ImagineNation, based in Zichron Yaakov. The aim of the company is to coach
innovation skills. In a nation of
innovators, that idea definitely displays imagination.
Israel to clean up Russia’s water. 14 Israeli water companies attended Ecwatech
Russia, the largest water technology event in Eastern Europe. They included
Amiad and Aqwise and attracted much interest for their wastewater treatment systems.
And produce better rice for
India. Israel’s Evogene Ltd
has signed a cooperation agreement with India's Rasi Seeds Ltd. to develop
drought resistance rice with better crop yields. Rice is highly dependent on rain, and droughts can cause
widespread hunger. India is the world's
leading rice producer.
India’s Infosys signs pact with Israel. Bangalore based IT company Infosys has
signed a memorandum of understanding with the Office of the Chief Scientist of
Israel to drive industrial research and development. This will help industrial cooperation in cloud, information
security, sensors, analytics, and sustainability.
Leviathan gas production tests successful. Work at the site of Israel’s largest natural
gas deposit is back on track. Meanwhile
there is more gas and oil at Israel’s other sites than previously estimated.
It could have been mine! An all-electric Better Place Renault Fluence ZE has been spotted
and photographed in South Netanya. And
then I saw it parked just 200 meters down the road from where I live. Having promised that my first Israeli car
will be all-electric, I admit that I could not justify the expense. But I can still dream….
The holy city bathed in light. The 2012 Jerusalem festival of light
featured some mesmerising displays.
Jaffa Gate, Damascus Gate, Earth Harp, the Davidson Centre and
Zedekiah’s cave illuminated Israel’s capital city.
Jerusalem of Gold.
Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum is marking its 20th
anniversary with an exhibition of ancient gold never before seen in
public. Many of the items are well over
2600 years old and include artefacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome,
Greece, Etruscan Italy and Persia.
Rare rhino born in Ramat Gan Safari. Ramat Gan Safari announced Friday the rare
birth of a white rhino calf. The birth, following an 18-month pregnancy has
important implications for the endangered species. White Rhinos are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity and
this is the 2nd successful birth for Tendra, the mother.
2000-year-old Israeli jewellery unearthed. Israeli archaeologists have discovered 140
Roman gold and silver coins, earrings, rings and sticks of silver that probably
were hidden by a wealthy woman around the time of the Bar Kochba revolts. The find was uncovered near Kiryat Gat.
Happy 3025th birthday King David. He looked a lot younger, however, as he
celebrated with residents and visitors in the streets of Tel Aviv.
Israel’s top supporter – the son
of Hamas’ founder. Mosab
Yousef spoke to thousands of Druze soldiers during Druze Soldier Day in
Tiberias. "It is time that the
neighbours will learn from Israel what the value and holiness of life is.” Yousef has prevented dozens of terrorist
attacks and helped Israel capture his father.
Israel’s President wins US Presidential Medal of Freedom. You can watch the whole event here.
and the transcript of President Peres’ speech – which
differed slightly from the actual speech he made.
Tomorrow. The
theme of this year’s Israeli Presidential Conference was “Tomorrow”. Its sessions were designed to look forward
to a better future within the fields of Science, Medicine, Social Issues, The
Economy, The Environment, Politics, Religion and even Art.
120617
In the 17th June 2012 edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Medical robots from an Israeli company have performed
brain surgery on humans.
·
Israel’s delegation to the Rio+20 summit has the answer
to the world’s environment problems.
·
The Israeli inventor of micro-irrigation has won the
World Food Prize.
·
An Israeli company has developed a process to generate
energy from Aluminium (Aluminum)
·
Natural gas has started flowing from one of Israel’s
new gas fields – just in time for summer.
·
Israel Opera staged Bizet’s Carmen at the magnificent
Dead Sea fortress of Masada.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
-
Click here for “Israel is a
Voyage of Discovery”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Israeli robots perform live brain
surgery. Mazor Robotics
announced that three procedures for obtaining brain tissue biopsies were
successfully carried out using the company's robotic system. The procedures
were carried out on live patients. The surgeons said that the procedures were a
complete success.
Here are Mazor’s systems; SpineAssist for working on the
spine and Renaissance for inside the cranium.
The bones of a major breakthrough. (Thanks to Michael A.) Israeli biotech Bonus BioGroup has produced
human bones using fat tissue stem cells. The patient’s body will more easily
accept these regenerated bones because they will be formed from the same
patient’s tissue. Over 2 million bone grafts are performed annually.
Lower melanoma rates for Israeli women. Incidents of skin cancer amongst Israeli
women and subsequent mortality rates have decreased by 30 percent since 1992
thanks to increased awareness and use of sun protection. Globally, however, melanoma rates continue
to rise.
Haifa doctor removes objects from babies’ lungs. In the same week, Doctor Arye Goldin
examined two babies and found food items trapped in their lungs. Using a
broncoscope only 4mm in diameter Rambam hospital doctors gently inserted a tiny
pair of tweezers to pull the items out.
Teva’s Copaxone prevents MS relapses. Phase III clinical trials using 40mg
Copaxone three times a week on 1400 Multiple Sclerosis patients in 155 sites
worldwide, resulted in a 34.4% reduction in relapse rates.
Free education for another 250,000 kids. A quarter of a million Israeli 3-4 year-olds
will benefit from the free education law in the coming year. The three-year plan has been implemented two
years ahead of schedule. The cabinet
also discussed Israeli Book Week and Hebrew literature, integration of
minorities and natural gas.
New vacation village for sick children. Legendary actor Chaim Topol was one of
several celebrities who inaugurated the 60-acre campus overlooking the Yavne’el
valley in the Galilee. The village will
provide respite for children with serious or life threatening illnesses and was
the dream of Hollywood legend Paul Newman.
Haifa Uni celebrates Israel’s Mosaic. Haifa University’s 40th Meeting of the Board
of Governors enjoyed a festive and exciting opening ceremony to celebrate “The
Israeli Mosaic“. Nine honorary
doctorates were conferred on people who have contributed to humanity and have
made the world a better place.
And here is a positive article highlighting that these
Israeli honorary degrees actually mean something.
Kenyan doctor trains in Israel. Peter Magabe’s first job after leaving
school was as a tea-picker in Kenya.
Now Dr. Magabe returns to his homeland from Israel, trained as one of
the two interventional radiologists in East Africa, an area of 1.8 million
square kilometers with a combined population of more than 130 million.
Israel is Wiki’d.
The keynote speaker at the 4th annual Israel Wikipedia
Academy conference at the Herzliya IDC was Jay Walsh, Head of Communications at
the Wikimedia Foundation. He said that
the Israeli Wikipedia community is a great model for success to look at. We
have a lot to learn from what’s going on here.”
Israel can solve the world’s
environment problems.
Israel has sent a 66-member delegation Rio de Janeiro for the Rio+20
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said, “Our main
goal is to present Israel’s solution to the world crisis. We want to focus on
giving them our knowledge”.
World prize to Israel’s inventor
of micro-irrigation. Daniel
Hillel has won this year’s $250,000 World Food Prize during a ceremony in
Washington. Hillel is credited for the development of drip irrigation methods
that conserve water while allowing food to be grown in some of the world’s driest
climates.
Israel is top of the global hi-tech table. Senior Goldman Sachs strategist Abby Joseph
Cohen gave a lecture at Israel’s Technion entitled "Economic Growth and
Innovation". She praised Israel’s
high-value products and co-operation between Israel and the US, especially with
the Technion Cornell University venture in New York.
Apple runs Israel’s Waze traffic report software. Apple Inc has again adopted Israeli
technology, this time deploying Israeli traffic report navigation app Waze Ltd.
as a source for its iOS6 Maps operating system.
Intel selects adaptors from Mellanox. Israel’s Mellanox Technologies announced
that Intel Corporation has selected the company’s 56 Gbps InfiniBand solution
to optimize Intel's I/O Expansion Modules and half-width server boards for high
performance applications.
Power from Aluminium. (Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli company Alchemy
Research offers a new method to power electric cars by using energy stored in
aluminum grains. They have developed a
process that produces clean energy from a reaction between aluminum and water. It also can make very efficient electric
batteries.
You walk, and your phone talks. (Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli developers at
Microsoft have produced an application called “on{X}” that can detect
what is happening and perform automatic actions that you have
pre-programmed. Drive or walk somewhere
and your Android phone can text someone or suggest something.
Israeli firm wins solar-thermal prize. Israeli company TIGI Ltd. was one of three
winners in the solar-thermal category at this week's Intersolar Europe
Exhibition. TIGI won thanks to its
"Honycomb Collector," a new type of solar-thermal technology that
uses a transparent insulation mechanism that significantly increases the
efficiency of the collector with minimal heat loss, making it suitable for
places like northern Europe.
Negev berry uses mice to propagate. Scientists at Israel’s Technion have
discovered a desert plant that uses a “mustard bomb” toxin to induce mice to
spit out its seeds and help the plant germinate. Taily weed, is the first known
single species using “directed deterrence” to have itself eaten by an animal
that will spread its seeds.
New natural gas starts flowing. The Yam Tethys' Mari B satellite field,
Pinnacles, is due to produce 150 million cubic feet of gas a day. The development timetable was brought
forward and will save Israel NIS 650 million of energy costs in this summer
alone.
Tel Aviv is 5th most popular city. Tel Aviv ranks as the fifth most visited
city in the Middle East and Africa according to the annual MasterCard Global
Destination Cities Index. The report analyzes visitor traffic and travel
spending in 132 cities around the world.
Haifa to build life-sciences park. The 85,000 square meters industrial park
will cost NIS 500 million and contain five buildings that will host biotech
companies.
Israel sells hummus to Mexico. Israel’s Strauss Group and Pepsico have
announced that their joint venture “Sabra Dipping Company” will launch Obela -
a range of healthy refrigerated dips and spreads brand in Mexico.
More broadband to Uruguay. Israel’s Alvarion has won a follow-on order with Uruguayan
carrier Dedicado Telecomunicaciones SA to provide wireless broadband services
to its corporate customers in the country's capital and business center, Montevideo.
India to use Israeli garbage-to-fuel technology. Bangalore has decided to turn its landfills
into alternative power units using Israel’s refuse-derived fuel (RDF)
technology. The city needs to overcome
its growing garbage disposal problem from the 3,000 tonnes of rubbish it
generates every day.
Israel is really going Dutch. The Netherlands is Israel’s 2nd
largest European trading partners and trying to get even bigger. Over 60 Dutch business officials have come
to Israel with Maxime Verhagen, the Dutch Vice Prime Minister and Minister of
Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.
Another Boeing contract for Elbit. Israel’s Elbit Systems unit Cyclone will
supply $80 million worth of structural components to Boeing over the next seven
years.
Carmen at Masada. 50,000 people attended the Israeli Opera’s
production of Bizet’s Carmen at the ancient desert fortress of Masada by the
Dead Sea. The high notes were sung at
the lowest point on Earth and when Carmen died on stage, the whole mountain was
floodlit in a chilling blood red. Next
year – Puccini’s Turandot.
First ever Israeli film festival in London. London hosts “Seret”, the UK’s first-ever
Israeli film festival celebrating the contribution that Israeli film and
television has made and the diversity of its projects. The festival is the
brainchild of Odelia Haroush, a former manager of the Ahava cosmetics store in
London.
Israeli singer Rita is big in Iran. Rita Jahanforuz,
50 years old, is Israel's most famous female singer—and suddenly she's big in
Iran. Iranian-born and fluent in Persian, Rita’s album went gold in Israel in
just three weeks, despite being sung entirely in Persian. It also propelled
Rita onto the music scene in Iran.
Deceased donates 7 major organs. Over 2000 people came to the funeral of
46-year-old chef Gil Karo. His legacy
has saved the lives of five patients who received his heart, lungs, liver,
kidneys and pancreas. His corneas will
restore the vision of two further patients.
From prisoner in Sudan to policeman in Israel. Asher Ayesa, a former Prisoner of Zion in
Sudan is about to become an Israeli police officer. Ayesa's journey to Israel began when he was two years old and was
carried on his mother's shoulders from his native Ethiopia. On reaching Sudan, he was imprisoned until
seven years old.
120610
In the 10th June 2012 edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
An Israel company has developed a system that destroys
breast cancer tumours using extreme cold.
·
An Israeli-developed bone marrow drug has been found to
be effective in treating lung cancer.
·
Four Israeli women have been named in the list of the
top 100 most influential European women.
·
The OECD is consulting the Israeli National Water
Carrier to help solve the global water crisis.
·
Israel has made another massive oil and gas discovery.
·
Israel’s Arava “desert” is truly blooming and now
produces 60 per cent of Israel’s vegetable exports.
·
The Jewish State publishes one new book every 80
minutes. Read all about the People of
the Book.
·
Click here for last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary “Israel has true
vision”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Removing tumours without surgery. Israel’s IceCure Ltd.has announced the first
use of IceSense3, its cryoablation procedure for the removal of breast cancer
tumours. Having previously been used to
remove benign tumours, this is the world’s first extreme cold system to remove
cancerous tumours.
Effective against cancer. A study has found that the drug Treanda, from Israel’s Teva,
worked better than standard therapy, to slow the growth of immune system
tumors, and had fewer side effects.
Rewriting DNA to understand what it ays. A new Weizmann Institute study advances our
understanding of the genetic code. It proposes a way of effectively introducing
numerous carefully planned DNA segments into genomes of living cells and of
testing the effects of these changes.
Israeli success in lung cancer
treatment. Researchers at
Hadassah University Hospital have identified that protein receptor blocker
BKT140 kills cancer cells and reduces tumour growth by about 50 percent. BKT140 was developed by Biokine Therapeutics
of Rehovot, originally to increase bone marrow cell production.
Hope to the handicapped. Read Israel’s greatest medical breakthroughs – Rewalk’s
exoskeleton, BrainGate’s robotic arm, artificial fingers, artificial pancreas
for diabetic children and sound that gives sight to the blind.
BioMed 2012 Conference highlights Israel's excellence. The ILSI-Biomed 2012 Conference in Tel Aviv
displayed the achievements of the Israeli biotech industry. It also highlighted Israel’s drive to tailor
medical devices to the individual patient whilst making them easier for the
expert physician to operate.
Israel increasing imports from PA territories. Original article was in the Media Line, but
nice to see it here.
Free seminar for PA in Netanya. The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture provided
three days of lectures, free of charge, for officials of the Palestinian
Authority Ministry of Agriculture at the Seasons Hotel in Netanya. The seminar
focused on various agricultural technologies and methods of plant protection to
improve output.
4 top Israeli women. Four Israelis made the list of the 100 most
influential women in high tech in Europe drawn up by Girls in Tech London
Group, the UK branch of Silicon Valley-based Girls in Tech. Selections were made on the basis of
leadership and excellence in innovation and technology.
Mandatory access for handicapped. New Israeli government legislation has been
approved that requires tour companies and car rental firms to provide services
and facilities for handicapped people.
Tour companies must have accessible buses and rental firms must provide
vehicles that can transport disabled passengers.
Ethiopians come to learn from MDA. The head of the situation room at Ethiopia’s
Foreign Ministry Getachew Teshoma and his deputy Yeganaw Mengist Belay visited
Magen David Adom at MDA’s Tel Aviv headquarters to learn from Israel’s first
aid, ambulance and blood supply organization.
From Buddhist to Christian to Jew. Moshe Hattori served as a Protestant
minister in Japan’s fourth-largest city – much to the annoyance of his Buddhist
parents. However his journey to Judaism
and becoming a Jerusalem kollel student is an even greater eye-opener.
Israel to help stave off world
water calamity. Israel’s
national water company Mekorot is working with the OECD to disseminate Israeli
know-how and technologies to third world countries as part of an effort to deal
with the global water crisis.
Galaxy S3 – with Israel inside. Samsung’s latest smartphone uses security
software from Israel’s Discretix. It is
also reported to use the innovative wireless recharging system developed by
Israel’s Powermat.
Decoding the tomato.
Professor Dani Zamir of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University was a key member
of an International team of scientists that has decoded the 35,000 genes that
comprise the genome of the tomato. The
project began in 2003 and benefits will include improving the nutrition, taste
and yield of this important plant.
A new cheaper fuel.
Haifa’s Dor Chemicals is manufacturing a fuel called M15 – which is
85-percent benzene and 15% methanol – to be used in an upcoming six-month pilot
program. This will determine if a
methanol mixture can provide a more environmentally friendly, less expensive
fuel with no changes to cars or the pumps.
Bringing clean water to the world. (thanks to
Israel21c) Great article about the water filtration systems developed by
Kibbutz Amiad, where my cousin works.
Amiad’s filtration and treatment technologies bring clean water to
industries, households and farms in 70 countries.
A true “Friend” of the Technion. Cambridge Professor Sir Richard Friend talks
about his research and relationship with Israel’s Technion.
100 Israeli companies developing alternative energy
solutions. Head of national
economic council Professor Eugene Kandel revealed to Israeli ministers that
more than 100 alternative energies start-up companies are active in Israel
today, in addition to 100 university-based research groups.
New giant oil & gas
discovery. Israel
Opportunity Energy Resources reported that the Pelagic licenses have an
estimated 6.7 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas. The five deep-water Pelagic licenses - Aditya, Ishai, Lela,
Yahav, and Yoad - cover two million dunam (500,000 acres) 170 km west of Haifa.
Success of Jerusalem’s Startup Weekend. 150 budding entrepreneurs participated in
the first Jerusalem competition to select hi-tech business ideas. Among the 13 final selections were several
from the Arab and ultra-orthodox religious communities, plus from the
Palestinian Authority.
Israel’s vegetable paradise – the
desert. 60 per cent of all Israel’s agricultural exports are now
grown in the Arava – originally the desert region from Eilat to the Dead
Sea. Israel has truly made the desert
bloom. 600 farms now produce 150,000
tons of peppers per year, plus tomatoes, dates, melons, mangos, and even fish.
Israel can be Hong Kong squared. Professor Charles Murray – author of “The
Bell Curve” – spoke at the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies conference on
the free market.
Israel is top country for R&D investment. Also 2nd for most investment in
education. And Israel ranked 19th of
the world's 59 leading economies in terms of competitiveness, according to the
2012 World Competitiveness Yearbook of the International Institute of
Management Development.
Checked in his final attempt. Israel’s chess grandmaster Boris Gelfand was
just one game short of beating the world champion Viswanathan Anand at the
Chess World Championship in Moscow.
The Indian won 2.5 to 1.5 in the 4 tie-break “blitz” games after a
thrilling final in which the matches were tied 6-6.
The magic of Israel.
Last month, the city of Holon was transformed into a magical place
thanks to it being the venue of the International Magicians Convention.
June events in Israel. (thanks to Janglo). A
broad spectrum of entertainment is available to visitors to the Jewish State
this month. From Carmen at Masada to
sixties band The Doors, to heavy metal band Sceptic Flesh. But don’t miss White Night Tel Aviv on 28th
June.
I’m really happy about this. Moving up from 8th place, the
world’s sixth happiest people in the world are – the Israelis! It’s published in the Wall Street Journal.
Hero of Silence.
British Jew David Littman, who passed away recently, had been a Mossad
agent, human rights activist and a historian.
His biggest achievement was rescuing 530 Moroccan Jewish children and
bringing them to Israel in 1961. In 2009 Israeli President Shimon Peres
presented him with the “Hero of Silence” citation.
“Israel is a beacon of true freedom”. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
certainly didn’t hold back on the accolades for the Jewish State at the 8th
annual Jerusalem Banquet of the Eagles' Wings organization in Manhattan. "Every time we win a friend for Israel,
we win a friend for democracy, freedom and justice."
Israeli teenager is top volunteer. Ben Havardi is the youngest winner ever to
receive the “President's Award for the Volunteer” given to those who have
contributed to Israeli society in an extraordinary way. He works with special needs children,
distributes food to the needy, visits nursing homes and much more.
A new book every 80 minutes.
A new book, CD or magazine is published every 80 minutes by the “People of the
Book” in the Jewish State, amounting to about 20 titles per day, according to
data released by the National Library ahead of Israel Book Week. 6,302 books
were published last year, 240 CDs were released and 334 new newspapers and
magazines were founded.
120603
In the 3rd June edition of Israel’s good news,
the highlights include:
·
Israel’s bone marrow donor registry has just celebrated
its 1000th transplant.
·
Israel provides insulin for diabetics in Samoa.
·
Technion scientists have made a ten-fold improvement in
the magnification of microscopes.
·
Israelis won four sporting International gold medals.
·
An Israeli attorney is winning the fight against
terrorism in the law courts.
·
Archaeological proof that Bethlehem was a Jewish city
800 years BCE.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
- click here for
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
The 1000th stem cell
donor. Israeli charity Ezer
Mizion runs the world's largest Jewish Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The registry just marked its 1,000th
transplant. The stem cell donor, 24-year-old Liraz, joined the Registry in
2004. She was thrilled when she was called to donate her stem cells to save the
life of a patient.
Hope for cure to inherited mental retardation. In the Benvenisty laboratory at the Hebrew
University, scientists have identified a chemical compound that restored normal
gene expression to mutated neuronal cells of patients with Fragile X syndrome –
i.e. severe mental retardation.
US approves Israeli endoscope. The US Food and Drugs Administration has
approved a special device for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD). The SRS endoscope already had
Europe’s CE Mark certification and can now be used on patients with GERD – at
least 5% of the world’s population.
Clue to Hepatitus B in Korean mummy. A joint Israeli-South Korean scientific team
has been able to analyse the evolution and spread of the Hepatitus B virus from
studying a recently discovered 16th Century mummified Korean
child. Hebrew University researchers
compared ancient and modern DNA sequences.
Surgeons use Israel’s Kinect. The BBC did an
excellent feature about UK trials of Microsoft’s Kinect gaming device being
used for touch-less surgery. Pity they
didn’t mention (surprise, surprise) that it is Israeli technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect
(see under “History”).
Top Arab judge receives honour. The University of Haifa is conferring an
honorary doctorate upon Israel’s Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran for his
many years of distinguished service to the legal profession and for his efforts
to improve Jewish-Arab relations and create a more just and equitable society
in Israel.
Insulin for Samoa. The Israeli Government, in partnership with
the Australian charity Insulin for Life, has donated much needed diabetes
supplies to the Minister of Health of Samoa at a special ceremony to mark the
50th anniversary of Samoa’s independence.
Israel supports similar projects in the Pacific and Central Asia.
Israel can teach China “to ask questions”. Jiang Xueqin is a deputy principal at Peking
University High School and the director of its International Division. He and twenty of his students travelled to
“arguably the world’s most dynamic economy” for six days to study what makes
Israel “a start-up nation.” A great
article.
Iranian flies Israel flag outside Manchester home. After having been subjected to torture in
the Islamic Republic, Ali Ramezan fled his home country and settled in Cheetham
Hill, Manchester, where he now supports the State of Israel and is attempting
to file charges against the Iranian regime.
Empire State Building in blue and white. Between 1st June and 3rd
June New York's landmark building, the Empire State Building, are to be lit in
the colours of the Israeli flag in honour of Israel's 64th anniversary. And on 3rd June Manhattan's Fifth
Avenue will see the largest ever Israel Parade of 35,000 marchers and 29
floats.
Technion improves microscope
resolution 10-fold. Israel’s
Technion patented a breakthrough technique that improves tenfold the
performance of any type of sophisticated microscope and imaging system. It brings about the ability to view
dynamically changing molecules smaller than the wavelength of light.
Israel’s electric car – in China. Guangzhou, located in China’s Pearl River
Delta, isn’t the kind of setting in which one would expect to find a
demonstration centre for Israel’s Better Place electric vehicle. But it is ideally positioned - just across
the road from the largest auto mall in southern China.
Jerusalem – capital of Jewish innovation. There are more Jewish social innovators in
Israel’s capital city than in any other city in the world.
Intel opens computational intelligence centre in Israel. "It was only natural that when we
started to think about where we'd might locate a new research institute that
we'd want to look at Israel," said Justin Rattner, Intel's Chief
Technology Officer. The Israel Technion
and Hebrew University will collaborate on the project.
Israeli teens win international prizes. Israeli religious high school students won
third place out of 1,500 candidates – in the Intel International Science and
Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh. Nerya Stroh and Gal Oren, designed AquaStop - a
user-friendly computerized device that detects and stops water leaks in
buildings.
Still photos from video. Israel-based Macadamia Apps, have developed StillShot that
analyses videos taken on an iPhone and extracts each frame as an individual
photo.
Israeli storage is Flash. Big article in ComputerWorld magazine publicising Israel as the
land where the USB flash drive was invented and where innovative companies such
as Anobit and XtremIO are drawing American companies to their shores in droves
to get a piece of the intellectual property pie.
Israelis can speed through US customs. Frequent Israeli visitors to the US will
soon have an easier time entering the country.
Israel will be admitted into the Global Entry program so that business
travellers, diplomats, and those with family in both countries can utilize a streamlined,
computerized customs procedure.
Barclays tips 4 Israeli companies. “Israeli technology stocks appear well
positioned for 2012,” Barclays Capital analysts Joseph Wolf and David Kaplan
wrote in its Global Technology Outlook. It recommends Mellanox Technologies
Ltd., Nice Systems Ltd., EZchip Technologies Ltd. and Ceva Inc.
John Cleese in Israeli film. British comic actor John Cleese has signed
on to a film by Israeli director Reshef Levi.
Cleese will play a disgraced, eccentric British lord in the heist comedy
Hunting Elephants, in which three Israeli senior citizens help a 12-year-old
boy hatch a plan to rob a bank in order to save his family home.
Hollywood stars rave about Israel. Here are some photos of the eight US actors
touring Israel with America’s Voices in Israel (AVI). On their last day, they had a martial arts class at the Inbal
Hotel Jerusalem.
CSI investigates Israel. Jonathan Frederick Togo and Omar Benson Miller (stars of CSI:
Miami) and Carmine Giovinazzo and AJ Buckley (stars of CSI: NY) will visit
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada and the Galilee among other sites. It
is the first time any of the actors have visited the Jewish State.
She’s here.
Superstar Madonna has arrived in Israel to start her 2012 world tour
with a concert in Tel Aviv.
Four Israeli gold medallists. Following Israel’s success at the Euro
swimming championships, Israelis also won gold in windsurfing (Shahar Zubari),
judoka (Alice Schlesinger) and archery (Guy Matzk). Gymnast Alex Shatilov won bronze at the European championships in
France.
Bible Lands are our Birthright. The Bible Lands Museum has launched a new
Jewish Heritage Tour for Birthright-Taglit that shows the Bible as Israel’s
true birthright. The Museum is gearing
up for 1,200 Birthright visitors from North America, and the tour is part of
the Museum’s Birthright Israel Education Fair.
“This is your
country.” Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the
thousands of young Jews who came to Israel as part of the Masa Israel project.
And Jerusalem is our heart. The Prime Minister’s Jerusalem Day speech on Ammunition Hill.
The law is on our side. One of the recipients of the 2012 Moskowitz Prize for Zionism is
Attorney Darshan-Leitner, who fights for the interests of victims of terrorism
in Israel, filing lawsuits against major terrorist organizations, such as Hamas
and Hizbullah, while upholding the victims’ dignity.
Peres receives first fruits. Children from the Megilot-Dead Sea Region
brought President Shimon Peres some of the first fruits of harvest, in place of
the ancient temple offerings at the time of the festival of Shavuot.
Tel Aviv has come a long way. Another feature on the “White City”, this
time by Steve Rubin.
Bethlehem was Jewish 800 years BCE. Archaeologists in Jerusalem have discovered
a 1.5cm clay seal with the name of Bethlehem in ancient Hebrew. It is the first time the name Bethlehem
appears outside the Bible.
3000-year old treasure unearthed. Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University have
found jewellery from the eighth millennium BCE at Tel Megiddo, near Afula. The jewels include over 1000 beads of gold,
silver and carnelian. Nine gold earrings include one shaped as a basket bearing
a bird.
120527
In the 27th May edition of Israel’s good news,
the highlights include:
·
A medical breakthrough - Israeli researchers have
turned human skin cells into heart cells.
·
An Israeli invention has enabled eight totally blind
people to read an eye chart.
·
An Israeli climber saved a Turkish climber 250 meters
from the summit of Everest.
·
The United Nations has recognised Israel’s humanitarian
aid to developing countries.
·
Israel has built Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs)
weighing under 20 grams.
·
Israel has made it easier for foreign lawyers to work
in Israel – so no more Aliya excuses!
·
Please watch the video
about Israel’s army – the most moral in the world.
·
Last week’s Jerusalem Post Israel Good News descriptive
summary
Click here for “A bumper
harvest for all, thanks to Israel”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Human skin cells turn into heart
cells. Israeli researchers at
the Technion and Rambam hospital in Haifa are the first scientists to reprogram
healthy stem cells from the skin of heart patients and turn them into healthy
heart cells. In the next decade, the
scientists predict that they will be able to repair damaged hearts.
It’s not junk after all. Scientists were baffled as to the purpose of non-coding RNA. Labelled as “junk DNA”, Dr Noam Shomron of
Tel Aviv University has discovered that when infected with a virus, ncRNA gives
off biological signals that indicate the presence of an infectious agent, known
as a pathogen. This provides scientists with a new avenue for fighting off
infections.
Working together for children. Ben Gurion University of the Negev is
collaborating with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to create
medical devices for children. Current
paediatric devices are inadequate miniaturised adult devices. Israeli skills will develop devices that are
tailor-made for children.
200 healthy IVF births. Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital specialises in pre-screening
the eggs of IVF patients for genetic diseases.
Since its first PGD-IVF birth in 2005, the hospital has helped deliver
200 healthy babies to “at risk” Jewish and Arab mothers.
The blind can see. In my 12th Feb newsletter I
reported a method developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for training
blind persons to "see sounds" through the use of a sensory substitution
device (SSD). Now, eight congenitally blind participants using the system are
actually able to "read" an eye chart.
IDF hosts NATO medical services conference. For the first time ever, the Committee of
the Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) will hold their annual
conference in Israel.
Israeli abandons Everest attempt
to save Turkish climber.
24-year-old Nadav Ben-Yehuda was 250 meters from the summit of Mount
Everest when he spotted the body of Turkish climber Aydin Irmak in the snow. He picked Aydin up and carried him back to
Camp IV and helicopter rescue. Despite
200km/hr winds, no Oxygen and no gloves, both climbers survived. Please read this amazing story of
selflessness and courage.
Israel to aid PA in event of earthquake. Israel has set up a mechanism to funnel aid
to the Palestinian Arabs in the event of an earthquake. Israeli military relief would be available
on request from the PA. A tremor
registering 5.5 on the Richter scale shook Israel and the territories last
week.
Finland adopts Israeli nursery education method.
Finland, with one of world's best education systems, has adopted the nursery
program of 90-year-old Bar Ilan Professor Reuven Feuerstein. "The secret is
that we do not teach content, rather we impart learning and cognitive thinking
strategies," said the Professor.
Israeli-Filipino TV star. 11-year old Kathleen Eligado recently performed Miri Aloni’s
classic “Ballad of Hedva and Shlomik,” in Hebrew, before a TV audience of a
million Israelis. Born in Israel to Filipino
migrants, she is one of the stars of the popular Israeli show “Music School,” a
kind of “American Idol” for kids.
Owl love knows no borders. Israeli farmers breed barn owls to control rodent pests on
farmland. The program has been extended
to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan and the Society for Protection of Nature
in Israel has just publicised the story of a breeding pair consisting of an
Israeli owl and a Jordanian owl.
Czechs have “a special feeling” for Israel. Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas entertained
Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu and seven cabinet ministers in Prague. Mr Necas said, “We’ve got a full
understanding of Israel’s situation as a small, democratic country in a very
dangerous region with very dangerous neighbours”.
Israel hardens security of critical US systems. The Department for Homeland Security has
turned to Israel’s National Information Security Authority and Motorola’s
ACE-3600 to protect its water and energy infrastructure.
US learned about homeland security from Israel. At the Motorola-Israel conference, former
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice described the events of 9/11 that convinced
the US that it significantly needed to ramp up security. The US government turned to Israel, and
companies like Motorola, for help.
Israel and Japan mark 60th anniversary of diplomatic
relations. Annual bilateral trade
totals $3.3 billion. Scientific and
technological ties are strengthening, as is the cultural relationship. Japan also supports the Peace Corridor
project, which entails the establishment of an agro-industrial park near the
city of Jericho.
UN and Israel sign aid agreement. The Memorandum of Understanding between
Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, (MASHAV) and the UN
Industrial Development Organization recognises Israel's abilities and
contributions to the world. It will increase cooperation in food security,
water management, women empowerment and industrial development in developing
countries.
An Ulpan to learn hi-tech. In Israel the place to learn Hebrew is at ulpan – an intensive
school. But a similar method is being
used to help budding entrepreneurs learn how to succeed at running a hi-tech
business. I featured Google’s R&D
incubator previously; here you can also read about Haifa’s hiCentre.
Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow. Scientists in Israel, the USA and Japan have
recalibrated rock-dating clocks due to a previous erroneous estimate of the
half-life of samarium-146 (146Sm). The
solar system is now thought to have been formed much quicker – although it is
still reckoned to be over 4.5 billion years old.
The world’s tiniest UAV. Is it a bird or a plane? No, it’s an Israeli Unmanned Ariel
Vehicle. It weighs less than 20 grams
and can “see” into the most sensitive establishments. Watch out Ahmadinejad – Israel is watching you.
An exclusive club – space technology. Daniel Hershkowitz, Israel’s minister of
science and technology, was interviewed by Scientific American magazine about
Israel’s homegrown platforms for launching satellites into space.
Great service.
(thanks to Israel21c and Globes)
A new Israeli app called Zappix takes the frustration out of automated
customer-service call centres, by putting menu choices into a visual screen on
your phone. No elevator music or wasted
time; just press the menu option to get straight through to the department you
want.
A super battery to last 500km. (thanks to NoCamels) The Israeli National Center for
Electrochemical Propulsion was founded one month ago, with the sole purpose to
research and develop new technologies that can store electricity more
effectively.
A “sea of inspiration” in Korea. The Israeli pavilion at Korea’s Expo 2012
captures Israel's unique marine offering as characterized across technology,
science, education, culture and environment.
Visitors will be able to re-live their visit with the Israel Pavilion
2012 app, available to smartphone and tablet users.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFA%20events/Around%20the%20world/Israeli_pavilion_Yeosu_Expo_May_2012.htm
Rare giant turtle rescued. The male sea turtle only visits Israeli shores once in ten
years. So when one was caught in
Israeli fishing nets last week, it was returned quickly to the ocean, with the
addition of a tracking transmitter, specially flown in.
Azerbaijan invests in Israeli oil. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR)
has bought a 5-percent stake in Med Ashdod, Israel’s only economically viable
oil field, located 16 km off the Mediterranean coast. SOCAR wants experience of
international oil production and this will be its first foreign drilling
operation.
Lawyers for Israel. Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz has
signed a directive removing barriers that prevent foreign lawyers from working
in Israel, and permitting collaboration between Israeli and foreign law firms.
“Head & Shoulders” above the rest. The name of Proctor and Gamble’s shampoo
could be the subtitle of its “Israel House of Innovation” R&D hub in Tel
Aviv. A recent visit by Forbes magazine
revealed why Israel is considered by P&G as a start-up Nation.
More jobs available.
Israel’s employment data revealed that 44,300 new jobs opportunities
opened in March.
Israel means business. Don’t forget the Israel Conference in Los Angeles on 31st
May and 1st June. 70 global
companies include Microsoft, CISCO, Oracle, Powermat, Max Brenner, Verizon,
LivePerson and Iron Dome.
Go for a stroll on Shavuot. The days surrounding the Jewish festival of Shavuot (Pentacost)
are an excellent opportunity to enjoy the weather and explore on foot. Here are five suggested locations.
Harlem Globetrotters in Jerusalem. (thanks to Israel21c) The venerable touring
jugglers/ball handlers glided into Israel last week for three shows – two in
Tel Aviv and one in Jerusalem. They
displayed some amazing magician-ship with the ball, tons of laughs, incredible
baskets, and good, clean fun.
Medals galore.
Israeli swimmer Jonathan Koplev won gold and Guy Barnea won bronze in
the 50 meters backstroke at the Euro 2012 European Swimming Championships. Meanwhile, Israeli swimmer Yakov Toumarkin
captured the bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke.
Tel Aviv streets to shut on the Sabbath. The centre of Tel Aviv is to become a
pedestrian paradise from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Rothschild Boulevard, Haaretz Avenue, most
of the length of Hasmoneans Street, Dizengoff Street, and Herzl Street will be
closed to allow the residents some peace.
Stand-up cops. You may have seen Israeli police using
3-wheeler Electric Stand-up Vehicles (ESVs) to supervise popular events in Tel
Aviv, Haifa and even in Netanya.
Following pilot trials, the Israeli government has signed a two-year
contract for the T3 Series ESV personal mobility vehicles.
Jerusalem to become global tourism centre. The Israeli cabinet approved the allocation
of NIS 350 million over the next six years for the development of public
tourist spaces in Jerusalem. The funds will be used to develop the city’s
infrastructure and open spaces, as well as to renovate major tourism sites.
'Israeli prison 5-star hotel compared to Syria jail'. A Turkish journalist compared his
experiences in Israeli and Syrian jails having recently been released from a
Syrian prison after a two-month detention period. Palestinian Arab terrorists previously on hunger strike should
take note.
Israeli author wins international book prize. Holocaust survivor Aharon Appelfeld has
become the oldest recipient of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize at the age
of 80. The Israeli author's Blooms of
Darkness was inspired by his own escape from a concentration camp during World
War II. (Note the BBC’s headline.)
The 1000th Torah Titbits. For 20 years, The Orthodox Union’s Jerusalem
Centre has published its weekly guide to the Torah portion. Volunteers deliver the magazine to 500
synagogues across Israel. It is also
published online at www.ttidbits.com
Jerusalem Day Parade – in pictures. Thousands took part Sunday in the annual
Flag March in Jerusalem, which celebrates the city’s reunification in 1967
after 19 years of division.
Israel is not replicable. (thanks to Rodger) “Young New Zealander of 2010” Divya Dhar asked
the panel of Israel Conference in Harvard how New Zealand could become a start-up
nation like Israel. The answer was
“Move to Tel Aviv” or “do a small acquisition of a country in the Middle
East”. Israel – there’s no place like
it.
The most moral army in the world. I have no
words that can describe this video.
Israeli by chance.
Leon Arusi Medalia had everything he wanted in Mombassa, Kenya – until
his Israeli father and Kenyan mother were killed in a car crash. After being refused a Kenyan ID he came to
Israel and joined the army. “Here I got
everything I needed and I’m so glad this is my country.”
“We’ve been waiting for so very, very long”. The Bnei Mensashe tribe of India can’t wait
to get to Israel.
Please watch this video from their community centre Beit
Shalom in Manipoor, Northern India.
120520
In the 20th May edition of Israel’s good news,
the highlights include:
·
A new Israeli discovery addresses the cause of
Parkinson’s disease, rather than the symptoms.
·
A Haifa doctor extracted a toothbrush from a woman’s
stomach, without need for an operation.
·
Israel is to build an agricultural village in South
Sudan that will become a model for the country.
·
Israel’s innovations on show at AgriTech 2012 in Tel
Aviv have attracted the world’s attention.
·
Israeli university researchers have developed a sensor
that can detect toxic chemicals instantly.
·
Another record month for Israeli tourism and British
Airways’ 80th anniversary of the Israel route.
·
The new Beit David museum in Tel Aviv celebrates King
David’s birthday.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive
summaries
Click here for “Israel is a model for
the world”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Halting Parkinson’s in its
tracks. Tel Aviv University
researchers have developed a peptide, which protects dopamine-producing neurons
in sufferers of Parkinson’s disease. The peptide can be delivered easily by
daily injections or absorbed into the skin through an adhesive patch.
The genetic systemic cause of autism. There is no single gene responsible for autism,
however Hebrew University scientists had discovered several genetic mutations,
all located in specific functional groups.
This could pave the way for large-scale genetic scans that allow for
early diagnosis and targeted medication.
Israeli medical breakthroughs offer hope to autoimmune
patients. A team of Israeli scientists
from the Weizmann Institute managed to “trick” the immune systems of mice into
targeting an enzyme known as MMP-9, which triggers autoimmune diseases and
spreads cancer.
New dental implant is the “root” to treatment. Israel’s Sialo Technology has received
Europe’s CE mark for its unique Dynamic Implant Valve Approach or DIVA. It is the first solution ever to allow the
dentist to perform complex surgical procedures, such as a closed sinus
elevation, via the implant in a minimal invasive manner simultaneously with the
implant insertion.
New MRI scanners put to the test. The new MRI unit at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek
hospital offers a level of advanced medical imaging not available in any other
hospital in Israel. A soldier,
seriously injured in the tragic collapse the Mount Herzl stage, underwent
surgery expertly dictated by images produced in the MRI Unit.
Sometimes, it gets personal. Oded Stern, 36, has a rare and incurable
disease − Late Onset Tay-Sachs. Oded’s
father runs the Endocrinology Institute at Ichilov’s Sourasky Medical Center
and has been overseeing a unique research effort aimed at finding a drug to
halt the disease’s progression and save his son’s life.
By the skin of her teeth. This is a “must read”. Dr. Uri Segol, at the Carmel Medical Center
in Haifa, removed a toothbrush from the stomach of a 24-year old woman after
she accidentally swallowed it.
Following a CT scan, Dr Segol used a diagnostic endoscope to inch the
toothbrush up the woman’s esophagus, into her throat and out of her mouth, to a
standing ovation from hospital staff.
Arab-Israeli swimmer to represent Israel in Europe. Arab-Israeli swimmer Jowan Qupty will
represent Israel at 100m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championship in
Hungary in June.
Israeli police rescue dogs smuggled to Jericho. Judea and Samaria Police officers backed by
IDF, and Border Guard forces, raided an Arab gang's hideout in a search for
stolen Israeli dogs. Despite
Palestinian Arabs pelting police with stones and Molotov cocktails, the dogs
were eventually reunited with their relieved owners.
Now we’re cooking.
A unique cooking workshop for the blind and the visually impaired took
place this week, for the first time in Israel.
The workshop was organized by the Lions volunteer organization and was
held in the “Cooking Experience” centre.
The technological power of women. "TechCamp Tel Aviv", held at Kfar
Maccabiah, brought Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Israeli civil society organizations
together under the theme of women's empowerment with the focus on education and
entrepreneurship.
Everyone in the race for breast cancer cure. The parks and streets of Jerusalem were full
of Jews and Arabs united in one cause – raising money and awareness for the
treatment of breast cancer. The second
Komen Race for the Cure was led by Jerusalem’s Mayor Barkat, US Ambassador Dan
Shapiro and Senator Joe Lieberman and their wives, of course.
Europe Day at the Hebrew U. The Hebrew University in Jerusalem hosted 12 European Ambassadors
on 8th May to mark Europe Day, an annual celebration of peace and
unity in Europe.
Israel to build agricultural
village in South Sudan.
Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon met with South Sudan’s Minister of
Agriculture, Betty Ogwaro at Agritech 2012 in Tel Aviv. Together they decided to
promote the establishment of an agricultural village in South Sudan which will
be constructed based on Israeli methods and technologies and will serve as a
model for other villages in the future.
ORT helps disabled in Montenegro. USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and
Humanitarian Assistance has given the maximum grant from its global fund for
disabled people to the Persons with Disabilities Initiative in Montenegro,
implemented by World ORT’s International Cooperation division.
Rain from a cloudless sky. One of the many Israeli innovations
featuring at Agritech 2012 in Tel Aviv includes a solar-powered drone that can
fly for six months without landing and extract water from the atmosphere to
irrigate crops.
And 2000 Indian farmers,
including 600 from Gujarat flew in to attend the event.
Sustainable plastics for farming. Delegates from over 54 countries observed
Israel’s innovative use of plastics in irrigation systems, greenhouses, netting
and other systems, at the 2012 International Committee for Plastics in
Agriculture Conference: Plasticulture for a Green Planet, held alongside Agritech
2012 in Tel Aviv.
Hi-tech Israeli agriculture on show in Holland. 60,000 people visited the Israeli pavilions
at the Floriade agriculture expo in the Netherlands. At Israel’s high-tech lounge, visitors created imaginary fruits
or vegetables For each new fruit, Israel pledged to donate 100 seeds to be sown
in hunger-stricken countries.
Increasing yields and staying fresh. Yissum – the research and development
company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – is spinning off the discovery
of four HU professors. Their
cyclopropene derivative both increases wheat crop yields and extends shelf life
of harvested crops and flowers.
Heliofocus Solar Technology Dish Unveiled in Israel. In the heat of the Negev sun, Ness
Ziona-based firm HelioFocus opened the demonstration phase of its HelioBooster
system, a solar-thermal process that aims to back up existing power
plants. The system is jointly funded by
Chinese and Israeli entrepreneurs.
The largest online foreign exchange platform. Two Israeli brothers developed eToro, which
provides users with a social investing platform for easy trading of forex,
commodities, and stock indices. eToro has 2.5 million users in 80 countries
(including Arab countries). See the
video clip for its latest innovative facility.
Israeli technology defends the free world. Boeing has purchased Elbit’s Joint Helmet
Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) for the US Navy and Air Force, plus Finland,
Australia, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland.
Israel hardens security of critical US systems. The Department for Homeland Security has
turned to Israel’s National Information Security Authority and Motorola’s
ACE-3600 to protect its water and energy infrastructure.
The cutting edge of science, with Jewish values. US
Ambassador Daniel Shapiro visited Bar Ilan University and was impressed how its
scientists were breaking into new areas of knowledge whilst holding the utmost
respect for the wonders of creation.
I know that face.
(thanks to NoCamels) If you have trouble remembering names, now your
smartphone can tell you. Face.com has
just released KLIK 1.0 for the iPhone.
Dip chip test for toxicity. Scientists from Tel Aviv and Hebrew
Universities have developed a sensor that can detect toxic chemicals. When exposed to a substance, microbes in the
chip produce a biochemical reaction, which is then converted into an electronic
signal that can be interpreted by a device as “toxic” or “not toxic.”
Israeli economy grows faster than expected. Israel’s GDP grew by 3% on an annualized
basis in the first quarter of 2012, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported
today. The growth rate was above the 2.5% growth predicted in Bloomberg’s poll
of analysts. Exports for the first
quarter of 2012 rose 14%.
Demand for hi-tech engineers up 15%. “The recession everyone feared would come
happily has not arrived to Israel's high-tech industry," said Ethnosia
Human Resources Ltd’s CEO Eyal Solomon. "Instead of falling demand, we're
seeing the opposite. Foreign investors want to increase their investments in
Israeli companies."
Another record month for tourism. Some 354,000 visitors arrived in Israel in
April, 19 percent more than in April 2011 and 12 percent more than in April
2010, during Israel's record year for tourism.
Over one million visitors arrived in Israel between January and April of
this year, 4 percent more than the previous record.
Sweden loves Israeli hi-tech. Erel Margalit is helping Sweden develop its
start-up industry. A crowd of some 400
Swedish entrepreneurs, managers and venture capitalists gathered to hear
Israel’s leading venture capitalist speak at the 10th anniversary of
entrepreneurial incubator STING, one of the biggest in Sweden.
EMC buys the store.
US technology giant EMC has confirmed the purchase of its sixth Israeli
company. It paid $430million for
Israeli flash memory storage systems company XtremIO.
British Airways Celebrates 80
Years of Flying to Israel.
In pre-State 1932, British Airways (known then as Imperial Airlines)
operated seaplanes to the Kinneret (Galilee). Now it flies Boeings twice a day
to Tel Aviv.
Morrissey returns to Israel. Morrissey will give a concert at Tel Aviv’s Bitan 1 club on
July 21st 2012. He last
performed in 2008. Morrissey was the
lead singer of 1980′s group, The Smiths and has since had a successful 25-year
solo career.
U.S. TV stars see Israel. Israel is hosting several United States television stars as part
of an initiative to show the world the real Israel. They include Omar Epps (House); Mekhi Phifer (formerly on ER);
Holly Robinson Peete (21 Jump Street); Anna Lynne McCord (Nip/Tuck) and Paget
Brewster (Criminal Minds).
Disabled Uruguayan Jews fulfill dream with Israel visit. Twenty-nine disabled Uruguayan Jews arrived
in Israel for the first time in their lives.
The visit was organized by the Israel Experience organization, and made
possible by Avital Sharansky, after she visited Uruguay's Jewish community a
few months ago.
Beit David celebrates King David. The new Beit David Museum in Tel Aviv –
dedicated to the House of David – is honouring the holiday of Shavuot, which
also marks King David’s 3,025th birthday.
The museum has 1st and 2nd Temple exhibits, plus
ancient slingshot stones like the one with which David killed Goliath.
Fortifying the Iron Dome. The Young Israel Movement has dedicated a new Torah scroll to the
IDF’s Iron Dome anti-missile unit.
Together with $1billion investment voted by the US House of
Representatives, the Iron Dome system could soon improve on its 90% success
rate in shooting down rockets from Gaza terrorists.
Return of the Exiles. Michael Freund, Chairman of Shavei Israel writes about the latest
Government decision to bring remaining members of the Bnei Menashe tribe from
India to Israel. The “lost” tribe of
Menashe was exiled by the Assyrians 2700 years ago.
Bumper crop of cherries. The cherry crop is so huge that farmers had to take the rare step
of thinning the fruit before it ripened in order to allow each cherry to grow
and to avoid overweight tree limbs crashing to the ground. As it says in this week’s Torah portion – “
The land will give its fruit and you will eat your fill”.
120513
In the 13th May edition of Israel’s good news,
the highlights include:
·
Remarkable recovery of 7-year-old Romanian girl who
received a revolutionary Israeli transplant.
·
The Israeli government and Bezeq telecom have set-up a
call centre run by Arab women.
·
The “bionic” Israeli ReWalk suit has helped a
paraplegic to walk the London Marathon.
·
An Israeli company has received a top United Nations
award – in Cairo.
·
Israel’s Ram and Erlich have won the Serbian Open
tennis tournament – their 15th career title.
·
Israeli archaeologists have discovered Jewish artefacts
dating back 3000 years.
·
250 members of the “lost” tribe of Bnei Manashe are
making Aliya from India to Israel.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive
summaries
Click here for “Israel
does not run like clockwork”
Click here for “Israel is full of
surprises”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Israeli stem cells save Romanian
girl. Two months after a
second bone marrow transplant failed, surgeons at Hadassah hospital gave PLX
stem cells from Israel’s Pluristem to a 7-year old Romanian girl. After 10 days, blood levels improved and
nine months later she is to be discharged from hospital and will return with
her mother to Romania. This is a major breakthrough.
Diabetes treatment – more good results. After one year of Phase III trials, Type 1
diabetes patients receiving Diapep 277 from Israel’s Andromeda Biotech, had
significantly improved pancreatic performance.
In the expanded trials, 450 patients were involved, from 120 medical
centres across the world.
42 countries to attend ILSI BioMed expo. (thanks to Israel21c) Thousands of top
Israeli and international business executives, decision makers, and leading
researchers, will participate in Tel Aviv’s annual expo that is known for
highlighting the bio-medical industry’s latest innovations and technologies.
The gene that blocks the intestines. (thanks to Israel21c) A research team from
Ben-Gurion University has discovered genetic mutations that lead to intestinal
blockages in newborns from two Bedouin tribes in Israel. To date, the team has discovered the genetic
mutations leading to more than 20 diseases in human beings.
Immune response to melanoma. Israeli oncology treatment developer cCam
Medical Ltd has developed CM-10, an immune-modulating antibody, whose
anticancer effect has been demonstrated in multiple pre-clinical tests. cCam
has just raised $3million to fund further trials.
Come to Israel for treatment. As medical costs continue to rise in the
United States, both those seeking treatment and the companies that insure them
are feverishly looking for ways to cut costs. One of those ways is to “export”
treatment — to send patients abroad to countries where treatment is cheaper.
Among those destinations is Israel, with some 30,000 patients coming here
annually to take advantage of treatments.
Save the Earth – in any language. Israel’s Environmental Protection Agency
recently launched a free online game and iphone application called Thinking
Green, aimed at promoting eco-conscious consumerism. It is available in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Russian.
Israeli call centre run by Arab
women. Israel's Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Labor, together with telecom company Bezeq, have launched a
new call centre inside a local mosque. Now, dozens of women from one Bedouin
town are earning a competitive salary without breaking societal norms.
Hear O Israel.
This Israeli video from the Together Project, features deaf and
hearing-impaired people of different races and religions dancing and signing in
unison to Me’ir Banai’s “Shafshaf’s song”.
World Bank excited about Israeli clean-tech. Senior Investment Officer at the World Bank
Group’s International Finance Corporation, Ruzgar Barisik said, “Israel is a
very exciting place for us: market interest in a growing number of Israeli
technologies makes this a very promising area we want to be part of.” http://blog.cleantechies.com/2012/05/07/world-bank-excited-about-israels-cleantech-companies/
Claire and ReWalk complete the
London Marathon. Paralysed
Claire Lomas finally crossed the finish line of the London Marathon after 16
days. Her Israeli exoskeleton didn’t
let her down. Please tell everyone
where it was made, as the British TV channel ITV somehow “forgot” to mention
it.
(A few will have seen it, though, on this fast-moving
youtube video.
Digital printing – a whole new industry. Two Israeli companies are revolutionising
printing technologies, as highlighted at the drupa print media fair in Dusseldorf. Landa has developed super-efficient, high
quality nanometric ink. And Objet’s 3D polymer sprays can produce products
direct from your printer.
“Intel, Broadcom & Cisco are all Israeli companies” “because all of their innovation comes from
Israel.” George Gilder (technology guru
and author of “The Israel Test”) revealed this truth at the ChipEx2012 industry
show in Tel Aviv.
Free calls on your smartphone. Israel’s Viber Media has launched Blackberry
and Windows Phone 7 versions to join its iPhone and Android mobile platforms
for free HD-quality phone calls, text and photo messages.
Israeli students win robotics competition. A team from the Savionim middle school in
Yahud-Monosson has won first place in the First Lego League International
Robotics Competition, held in Orlando Florida.
The Israelis developed a sophisticated robot that gave an optimal solution
to food quality problems.
10 Google apps developed in Israel. Forbes magazine has published the results of
a visit by one of its reporters to Google’s offices in Tel Aviv. They include Person Finder (following a
disaster) and emails via SMS for countries without broadband.
UN recognises Israel’s JoyTunes. JoyTunes, which develops applications for
fun music learning, received the United Nations’ “World Summit Award 2011” in a
special ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt.
JoyTunes was selected from 460 projects and 105 countries that were
submitted by regional experts.
“Israel is the model for the world”. So said Dr. E. Williams Colglazier, science
and technology adviser to the US secretary of state at Israel Chief Scientist’s
Annual Conference for Research and Development, held at Airport City. “Governmental investment in scientific
education is the key to facilitating innovation.”
No slowdown here.
The Bank of Israel has just issued its survey of Israeli companies for
the first 3 months of 2012. It shows
that business sector activity expanded in the first quarter of 2012, reversing
the slowdown trend reflected in the survey in the second half of last
year. Industrial output increased and
confidence is high.
On the Russian track. Israel’s Orbit Technologies Ltd has won a NIS 5.6 million order
from the Russian Federal Space Agency to supply low-earth orbit remote sensing
satellite tracking and communications systems for ground stations to cover the
Russian Federation.
Flying to the Finnish. Israel’s Aeronautics Ltd has just won a $30million order to
supply hundreds of mini Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) to the Finnish army.
Tel Aviv – one of the best places for success. According to a study by Silicon Valley’s Startup
Genome Project, Tel Aviv ranks 5th in the world’s top “start-up
success ecosystems.” behind Silicon Valley, New York, London, and Toronto, but
ahead of Los Angeles, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Bangalore, Seattle, Paris and
Chicago.
Wifi tags are worth their weight in gold. We’re just waiting for the name of the
company that has offered to buy Israel’s AeroScout for $240 million. AeroScout is the developer of WiFi-based
RFID tags used for the tracking and monitoring of valuable enterprise assets.
Get ready for the Israel Festival. The 51st Israel Festival (May 23 to June 14)
in Jerusalem features 31 different events in dance, theatre, jazz, classical, Israeli
and world music. Twelve countries, including Japan, the Czech Republic and
China are sending some of their best acts to the event.
Fresh Paint Tel Aviv. The annual Fresh Paint Tel Aviv Art Fair hosts 30,000 visitors
each year and presents works by leading contemporary galleries and independent
artists, making it one of Israel’s largest and most influential contemporary
art events.
And all that (Israeli) Jazz. Ooo – another rare, positive article about
Israel in the New York Times.
'Seoulful' rhythms in Jerusalem. In the 50th year of diplomatic
relations between Israel and South Korea, Jerusalem audiences will soon be
treated to a unique Korean cultural and musical experience in the comedic stage
show NANTA. Kitchen items are turned into
percussion instruments to prepare for a wedding banquet.
Supermodel or Super-spy? Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli will play a sly seductress in a
new movie called “Kidon” about the 2010 assassination of a Hamas terrorist in
Dubai. Rafaeli told reporters, “I would
love to be in the Mossad and maybe I am. Who knows? I think that being a famous
model is the best cover.”
Contrast these two videos. I know some of you love the Israeli youtube film clips I
post. The first was produced by a
non-Israeli company to advertise a film channel. The second is an Israeli response. Enjoy!
Israelis win the Serbia Open. Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich won their 15th
career title together and their first in 2012 with a 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 win over
Martin Emmrich and Andreas Siljestrom in the final of the Serbia Open tennis
tournament in Belgrade on Sunday.
Israelis are well-connected. “Israel in the Digital Age” is the most
comprehensive survey ever of how engaged Israelis are with social media. It
portrays a nation that takes full advantage of all the Internet has to
offer. Nearly one third of the
ultra-Orthodox population is online.
Also, Arabs blog more than Jews.
Three Ethiopian schools to close. Is this good news, you ask? Yes – because Israel is steadily integrating
its Ethiopian community into regular State education. Just an example of the ways a news story can be treated.
Pre 1st Temple
discoveries. Archaeologists
from The Hebrew University have found 3000-year-old artefacts that shed light
on the design of the First Temple in Jerusalem. The models utilize important architectural designs written in the
Torah that describe how the Temple should be built.
A gem of an Israeli.
Renowned jeweller Henri Padani has passed away aged 92. He fled Antwerp
with nothing when World War II began. Post WW2, he came to pre-State Tel Aviv
working as a fruit picker and a barman.
His pre-war jewellery design skills slowly allowed him to build a
flourishing business and a home.
His last haircut.
Celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, who was committed to fighting
anti-Semitism and fought in Israel's War of Independence, has died age 84. Sassoon passed away on the eve of the Jewish
minor festival of Lag B’Omer – the day when traditionally Jewish boys have
their first haircut.
Israel, against all odds. This article reminds ourselves of what a miracle it is to have a
Jewish country.
Why Jerusalem must always be united. “I know not one good example in the world of
a city that was split and ever worked.” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said, during
his recent trip to Washington. “There’s no other way than to keep Jerusalem a
united city. The costs of dividing the city of Jerusalem along political lines
are too great.”
Aliya of ‘lost tribe’ resumes. 250 members of the Bnei Menashe community of
Northern India will start new lives in the Jewish State this summer. The Bnei Menashe trace their roots to the
Biblical Jewish tribe of Menashe who were taken into captivity from the Land of
Israel by the Assyrians more than 2,700 years ago.
120506
In the 6th May 2012 edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Surgeons successfully performed Israel’s first totally
artificial heart transplant.
·
A new Israeli-developed medicine to treat Gaucher’s
disease has been approved.
·
The United Nations awarded their top prize to an
Israeli advertising campaign.
·
Israeli energy converters were selected to power a
geothermal plant in the USA.
·
News of three new life-changing Israeli
technology products.
·
Watch the winner of a pre-Para-Olympics rowing
competition sing the Israeli National Anthem.
·
More 1st Temple archaeological remains have
been discovered in Jerusalem.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Great party,
but now back to work”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
First Israeli artificial heart
transplant. Doctors at the
Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva transplanted a totally
artificial heart into a 63-year-old man suffering from severe cardiac insufficiency
and organ failure. Israeli surgeons
normally use artificial hearts as a bridge to a patient’s existing heart,
however in this case the patient’s own heart would have been unable to survive
the operation.
MS patients benefit from Israeli drug switch. Multiple Sclerosis patients who switched to
Teva’s Copaxone from interferon-beta treatment showed a significant reduction
in spasticity. In addition, interim
results for the first 52 of 110 participants of Teva’s study revealed much
reduced muscle stiffness, pain and discomfort.
Israel’s helps asthmatics breathe easier. (Thanks to Israel21c) On World Asthma Day,
here are the top 10 Israeli innovations to help prevent, diagnose, monitor and
treat the chronic disease.
Gaucher’s drug approved.
(Thanks to Israel21c and Globes)
Elelyso – a new treatment for Gaucher’s disease, from Israel’s Protalix
BioTherapeutics, is set to hit pharmacies around the globe, following approval
by the American Food and Drug Administration.
The drug has been licensed to Pfizer.
IDF feeds hungry Syrian soldiers. Israeli border lookouts report that large
groups of armed Syrian soldiers have been seen deserting their Golan bases and
prowling for water and food, after their regular supplies were stopped. They
don’t ask Israeli soldiers for food, but parcels thrown across the fence vanish
in a trice.
India asks Israeli companies to help clean up the River
Ganges. The Indian government has
invited leading Israeli water technology companies to take part in efforts to
clean India’s most important river. A delegation of Indian research institutes,
water technology companies and other relevant agencies will come to Israel to
learn about the Israeli water and sewage purification technologies.
Israel can help bring peace to Sri Lanka. In semi-arid Eastern Sri Lanka, Singhalese,
Tamil and Muslim populations struggle over meagre water resources. The head of Sarvodaya, the largest NGO in
Sri Lanka, has come to Israel to learn about Friends of the Earth’s
cross-border Good Water Neighbours project and Israeli Foreign Ministry’s
Mashav program.
UN prize for Israeli
advertisement. The United
Nations has granted Israeli advertising company Baumann Ber Rivnay a gold medal
for its campaign, Blood Relations. The
campaign brought bereaved Israelis and Palestinians together for a blood
drive. Blood donated from Israelis
went to Palestinian patients and vice versa.
Israel's handicapped miracle. On the 60th anniversary celebration of the
Israeli Foundation for Handicapped Children, please read how Israel gives hope
to less fortunate members of society.
Note its work with Down’s syndrome, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s
sufferers and the victims of Chernobyl.
Power from the centre of the
Earth. Ormat Technologies –
a subsidiary of Israel’s Ormat Industries – has won a $61.2 million deal to
provide two air-cooled Ormat Energy Converters for a geothermal power plant
project in North America.
Here is video about Ormat’s green-energy system in Kenya.
Energy for Nigeria from algae. An Israeli company, Univerve, is to help
transform Nigeria into one of the global suppliers of bio-fuel, animal feeds
and food supplements, by the massive cultivation of algae in the country. Also involved is Actiview Solutions of
Belgium, which is run by Israelis.
The world’s first Basil tree. (Thanks to Israel21c) Normally basil has a
short shelf life, and the plant rarely lives longer than a year. However, the Israeli company Hishtil
(“seedling” in Hebrew) has grafted two types of basil plants together. One of the company’s first grafted trees is
five years old, and still provides fresh Basil.
Israel can grow bug-resistant cotton. Israel’s Rosetta Green, which produces
special genes that are developed and modified to improve crop production, has
signed a deal with international seed manufacturer Bayer CropScience AG to
produce seeds to improve cotton yields for farmers.
And Apple wants to grow in Israel. Apple‘s new development centre in Haifa is
looking for hi-tech engineers to expand its operations in Israel. The recent recruiting follows last month’s
Apple’s advertisements for workers for Anobit, the Israeli flash memory
start-up that Apple bought out in January.
The Israeli that developed the iPod. Guy Bar-Nahum’s journey took him from being
a Yemenite boy at a Bat Yam yeshiva school, to the IDF’s prestigious Talpiot
program; then to Philips, Apple and finally to Samsung. On the way, he assembled Apple’s team that
put “1000 songs in your pocket”.
Another round of science on tap. The Weizmann Institute ran another session
of its popular lectures in Tel Aviv bars.
Topics ranged from alternate realities; the fate of the universe;
genetic engineering; and even on how quantum physics works in a glass of beer.
New Nanotechnology Centre. Thanks to a $3million donation, Ben Gurion University will start
building a new atom chip and quantum optics research and development
facility. It will contain advanced
nanotechnology equipment, including sophisticated optics and lasers, high level
computing capabilities and complex electronics.
Winning the war on super-bugs. (Thanks to Israel21c) Researchers from Tel
Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center and Tel Aviv University have developed a
cheap, non-toxic solution, which disrupts the DNA of resistant bacteria and
renders them susceptible to antibiotics.
Keep your “i” on the road. A new Israeli app, iOnRoad, is encouraging hundreds of thousands
of drivers to drive more safely and avoid collisions. It’s advanced algorithms turn the phone into an intelligent road
safety system, with warning facilities and links to other iOnRoad users to
exchange details of road hazards.
Heads-up. Control your devices
just by moving your head.
Israeli app Umoove uses head and eye movement to control the
applications and content that can be found on a mobile device. The uses include gaming, entertainment,
helping people with disabilities, homeland security, book reading and so on.
The quake-proof desk. 300 million schoolchildren are exposed to
danger every day, in badly built schools, in schools along fault lines and in
countries subject to war and terrorism.
In a crisis, children are told to shelter under their desks. Thanks to Israeli manufacturer A D Miraz,
these desks no longer need to be death traps.
Super-absorbent material. (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Exotech Bio
Solutions has developed a unique natural super-absorbent polymer (SAP) with
almost unlimited applications. It has
recently partnered with three companies who will build factories to manufacture
products that contain the amazing material.
It’s now “Scale-up Nation”. The “Start-up Nation” is about to grow up. So says Jonathan Medved, CEO of Israel’s
mobile software platform provider Vringo Inc.
Every one of us is touching Israeli technology in computers, instant
messages, cell phones, voice mail, flash memory.
Swiss investor likes Israeli clean-tech. The Swiss company ABB Technology Ventures
has joined the financing round for two Israeli companies. TaKaDu monitors for leaks in systems run by
water companies (including in London).
Pentalum’s technologies make wind energy systems more efficient.
Helping build BC and Israel. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark
announced a delegation to Israel to commercialise medical technology and spur
even more innovation in order to “create jobs that put food on dinner tables in
both British Columbia and in Israel”.
Triple whammy.
Global medical devices giant Covidien has just announced its third
acquisition of an Israeli medical devices company in the last few months. Polytouch Medical has developed the
PatchAssist device for the precise and rapid deployment and placement of mesh
during hernia operations.
Bono had a great time in Jerusalem. According to his message in the guest book
of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, Bono likes Israel’s capital city. And he left a thoughtful poem to share his
hopes for future peace.
In a class of her own. Organizers of a rowing competition for the
disabled in Italy forgot to bring the CD with the national anthem,
"Hatikvah," to the awards ceremony.
Israel’s Moran Samuel won the competition and then took the microphone
and sang the national anthem to great applause.
Running for Israeli lives. The Star of David was on show during the London Marathon. Three athletes were running to raise money
for Magen David Adom and one even carried the Israel flag.
New internship program. Masa Israel expects over 1,000 college graduates from North
America to join a unique program in Israel, providing students with crucial
experience — and a closer relationship with Israel.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-intern-program-helps-north-american-college-grads-get-a-leg-up/
Miami’s biggest ever federation trip. A record group of 711 members of the Greater
Miami Jewish Federation are in Israel on a 10-day visit. It is the largest single group from the
United States in the last 13 years.
They cross the political spectrum and include 25% who have never visited
the Jewish State before.
The rhythm of Israel. And this new video shows what visitors might see and hear while
they are here.
A new pro-Israel Arab party. The party’s founder, Sarhan Bader said that
the tentatively named Israeli-Arab Nationalist Party will serve the majority of
Arabs inside Israel who want to live here in peace with their Jewish
cousins. It would even join a coalition
government, which no Arab party has ever done.
“The Jews are Israel’s indigenous people.” So said Ron Evans, chief of the Norway House
Cree Nation in Manitoba, Canada, who is currently leading a mission of thirty
young aboriginal leaders to Israel to study culture and society in the Jewish
state. Evans continued, “Israel's story
demonstrates how an ancient people can maintain their heritage while embracing
the modern world, and in so doing achieve self-determination.”
Matanyahu seal found near remains
of 1st Temple.
Archaeologists digging under Robinson’s arch have discovered a seal
inscribed with a name similar to Israel’s current Prime Minister. The
semi-precious stone seal was found in a location close to the foundations of
King Solomon's Temple.
120429
In the 29th April edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Hadassah doctors saved the life of a pregnant woman
from Cyprus.
·
IDF medics saved the life of an Arab baby.
·
Israel’s new Ambassador to New Zealand is a Druze Arab.
·
Israel is the joint developer of the new Intel Ivy
Bridge microprocessor.
·
Arik Ze’evi won a gold medal at the European Judo
championships.
·
Israel’s Independence Day TV show was spectacular – see
the video clip.
·
Read a selection of the many articles about Israel’s
achievements on its 64th birthday.
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Israeli surgeons save pregnant
Cypriot woman. In a 48-hour
operation, doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital saved the life of a 30-year
old woman from Cyprus suffering from an ectopic pregnancy. Her non-viable foetus was discovered behind
a kidney and had already damaged blood vessels, causing major bleeding.
Ukranian wakes from coma in Israeli hospital. 25-year-old yeshiva student, Aharon
Alexander Goncharov, had been in a coma after he was beaten up in Kiev on the
second night of Passover. Following
surgery, Goncharov defied all odds and regained consciousness two weeks later,
in Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Centre (Ichilov Hospital). "I got my life back only because you
all prayed for me," he said to his many well-wishers.
The first international medical devices summit. Tel Aviv’s MEDinISRAEL June summit will
focus on the Asia-Pacific region. It
will feature hospital care equipment, diagnostics, monitoring, rehabilitation
solutions and technologies for personalised medicine of the future.
An innovation in caring. ALEH is Israel’s largest network of residential facilities for
children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. It provides over 650 children from around
Israel with high-level medical and rehabilitative care to help them reach their
greatest potentials. ALEH is
celebrating its 30th anniversary.
IDF Soldiers Save Life of Arab
Infant. A young Arab woman
arrived at the Binyamin IDF post with her 12-day-old baby, who was suffering
from severe breathing difficulty. The
IDF Home Front Command soldiers treated and stabilized the baby and then called
an emergency ambulance to evacuate the infant to a nearby hospital in
Ramallah. Over the past two weeks,
paramedics at the post have treated three similar cases.
Arab IDF soldier honoured. On Israel’s Independence Day, an East Jerusalem Arab received a
citation of excellence from President Shimon Peres. In his community, only his immediate family know that he is a
medic in the Israeli army. Last week
two of his brothers also joined the IDF.
Bedouins make Israeli theatrical history. The performance of Molière’s “The Bourgeois
Gentleman” by fifteen Bedouin teenagers was the first time a Bedouin troupe had
staged a Western-style play in Israel.
The Hura Community Youth Group created a hilarious portrayal, in the
jargon of modern Bedouin Arabic.
How green is my wadi? Israel’s annual green globe awards event recognized environmental
excellence in the governmental, business, and civilian sectors. And the Arab Alzahraa school northeast of
Tel Aviv was among this year’s nine recipients. The school has an ecological
garden and solar power station.
10 reasons Arabs should celebrate Israel. The blogs editor of Israel Hayom has written
an excellent article highlighting some of Israel’s contributions to the Arab
and Muslim worlds.
Tikvot has rebuilt them. Tikvot is a non-profit volunteer-based organization that
rehabilitates Israel's victims of terror through sport. Tikvot ("Hopes" in Hebrew) has
proved that sport provides our heroes with hope, giving paraplegics and
amputees the power to restore self-confidence and dignity.
Israel observes Earth Day. On the Sunday before Independence Day, residents of 21 Israel cities
turned off their lights for one hour to conserve energy. A concert in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square was
powered solely by renewable energy sources.
Israel’s government recently installed energy-efficient computers in all
ministries.
Druze ambassador to New Zealand. Druze Professor for Hebrew Literature Naim
Araidi is Israel's new ambassador to New Zealand. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said after the appointment,
"Araidi represents the beautiful face of Israel, in which a talented
person, irrespective of religion or sector – can reach the highest places on
merit, and be an inspiration for all Israelis".
Israeli Desert Yields a Harvest of Energy. (Thanks to Herb) For once, the New York
Times has published a positive article about Israel, so I’ve just got to
include it.
Microsoft and the Israel connection. Microsoft revealed the extent of its
adoption of Israeli technology at the tech giant’s Think Next event in Tel
Aviv. Visitors got a peek at no fewer than 40 new projects being developed at
Microsoft’s labs and development centres in Israel.
“Alice” through the looking glass. The Innovation Labs (iLabs) team at
Microsoft Israel have developed a technology (called “Alice”) that allows for
any mirror or reflective surface to become a three-dimensional display.
Going nano for another five years. Israel’s nano-technology field has over 2000
scientists and students. Thousands of
papers have been published plus 170 “success stories” in the form of start-up companies
and approved patents. The next 5 years
will focus on R&D programs that can be applied to industrial applications.
The top 64 innovations. (Thanks to Israel21c) A clever display of Israel’s technological
achievements during its 64 years. You
need to click on the right arrow key when the image appears.
The “TentTech Unconference”. The first ever “TentTech” Sustainable
Technology Camp for ecological innovation took place in Southern Israel’s Negev
desert. 80 participants represented the
disciplines of science, technology, art and environment to build 15 useful
projects for environment-friendly living.
http://bit.ly/tenttechpressphotos
(courtesy of Ilan Graicer)
Intel launches new Israeli
developed chip. Intel
Corporation has launched its 3G Ivy Bridge processor, which it developed in
Israel and the US. The Ivy Bridge is a quad-core processor, designed to offer
substantially improved graphics and computer processing speed. The processors
is being embedded in all new PCs.
Robots link Israel and India. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
and National Committee on Robotics and Automation recently organized a mission
to Israel with the purpose of strengthening Indo-Israeli collaboration on
robotics and automation.
WiFi to 41 million Chinese. Liaoning Province in northeast China has deployed 2500 base
stations from Israel’s Alvarion. The 41
million residents of the province includes 24 million in rural areas that
currently have no telephony or internet connections. Further sales to China are expected following this latest
project.
Israel’s economy gets another ‘A’. The Fitch credit-rating agency announced
Wednesday that it had ratified Israel's credit rating and set it to A with a
stable outlook.
Water is life. Water was the theme of the Yom Ha’Atzmaut
celebrations at Mount Herzl. And the
subsequent spectacular Israeli TV show transformed popular water-themed songs
into a cascading extravaganza of music and dance.
European Judo champion for the 4th time. Israel's Arik Ze'evi made history by winning
his 4th gold at the European Judo championship in the under 100kg
category. At 35, he is also the oldest
ever champion. The Israeli team won
another three medals at the European championships, held this year in
Russia. Arik now goes on to compete at
the 2012 London Olympics.
Israeli wins air-rifle silver at World Cup. Israeli sharpshooter Sergey Richter won the
silver medal in the 2012 Shooting World Cup held in London. Richter won 701.1 points and was a mere half
a point from winning the gold. The win also represents a personal record for
the 23-year-old from Raanana.
Israelis take bronze in para-triathlon. Adi Deytsch and Oren Blitzblau won bronze
medals in the European Championships' competitions, which took place in
Eilat. Deytsch, an above the knee
amputee, finished third in the Male Tri-5 event. Blitzblau finished third in
the Male Tri-6 event for the blind.
The museum of legend. The Israel Air Force Museum at Hatzerim contains 150 aircraft
including famous exhibits. Spitfires made from abandoned British spare parts; a
MIG-21 flown by an Iraqi defector; the Boeing 707 used in the Entebbe rescue
and the F-16 flown by Ilan Ramon, in the raid on the Iraqi nuclear reactor.
The Kurds of Israel.
Jewish immigrants from Kurdistan established the Moshav of Yardena in
the Beit She'an Valley in late 1952.
The history of the community will be told in the new Centre for Kurdistan
Cultural Heritage and for the History of Kurdish Agriculture Settlement in
Israel.
“Celebrate Israel”.
Los Angeles’ celebration of Israel's 64th Independence Day showcases
some of Israel’s leading innovations.
They include Given Imaging’s PillCam, ReWalk’s exoskeleton, Pythagoras
Solar and The Arava Institute for renewable energy and energy conservation.
64 reasons to love Israel. Barbara Sofer writes an annual Yom Ha’Atzmaut article, each one
containing fresh and exciting observations and events that celebrate Israel’s
existence. Here is her list for
Israel’s 64th birthday.
And here are six more. This JPost blog describes some of the major categories of
achievements that Israel can be proud of.
The author has missed out one, however.
See if you can spot it. If not,
check the comments.
Appreciating the achievements. Excellent advice from the Jerusalem Post
Editor - Stop being negative and emphasise the positive aspects of the Jewish
State.
Standing Together to celebrate. Since 2003, volunteers and donors to
Standing Together have provided food to Israel’s soldiers and those civilians
who are under threat of attack from Israel’s enemies. This year Standing Together organised a series of barbecues at
army bases to celebrate Independence Day.
See Israel Up Close.
The website www.israelupclose.org
contains a library of hundreds of videos that highlight Israel’s contributions
to humankind. Please read this recent
introduction to the site and then have a look at some of the films that you
haven’t seen already.
Celebrating more than one birth. We may be celebrating the birth of the
Jewish State, but we can also be proud that a record 161,000 babies were born
to Israeli citizens in the last 12 months.
“I can remember each of the 64 years.” Happy Independence Day from Israel’s
President Shimon Peres.
120422
In the 22nd April edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli medication to prevent nausea during cancer
treatment has completed final trials.
·
Israelis have discovered the gene that causes a
debilitating and sometimes fatal skin disease
·
An Israeli woman has donated her bone marrow to save
the life of a Turkish leukaemia patient.
·
Graduates of Israel’s program for its brightest
students include a 15-year old Arab girl.
·
An Israeli agricultural start-up can prevent disease in
crops.
·
The International Monetary Fund has successfully
stress-tested the Israeli banking system.
·
The new video from Israel21c is a whistle-stop tour
through Israel’s top achievements.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Questions and
Answers”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Nausea drug success. Israel’s Redhill Biopharma announced success
in Phase III trials of RHB-102 – a once-a-day pill for the prevention of nausea
in cancer patients. Redhill now plans
to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for a pre-New Drug Application (NDA)
hearing for marketing approval for RHB-102.
Effective treatment for depression. Brainsway’s Deep TMS (transcranial magnetic
stimulation) device can make a significant improvement to those suffering from
severe depression. In trials on 250
patients, 30.4% of the patients treated with Deep TMS achieved remission,
compared with 14.5% of the control group.
Hopes for obesity / diabetes treatment. Israel’s Prolor Biotech announced
positive results in a pre-clinical trial of MOD-6030, its long-acting
obesity/Type II diabetes drug. In the
laboratory, the drug reduced blood glucose levels, increased insulin
sensitivity, and reduced cholesterol levels compared to a placebo.
EU approves Israeli cranial stents. Israel’s ITGI Medical has obtained EU CE
Mark for its latest stent - the AneuGraftNx.
The new stent is partially covered by living tissue, greatly reducing
the risk of blockages.
Israelis discover skin disease
gene. A team of researchers,
led by Prof. Eli Sprecher of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, has discovered
the genetic basis for the serious and sometimes fatal autoimmune skin disease –
pemphigus vulgaris. The symptoms of the
disease are blistering and sores on the skin and mucus membranes. The team worked together with Egyptian
Professor Ibrahim Saleh of the University of Luebeck in Germany.
Israeli professor helps US PTSD research. Dr. Yair Bar-Haim, of Tel Aviv University is
performing his Attention Bias Modification treatment at Creighton and Nebraska
Universities in Omaha. The treatment
hopes to help US soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
following service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Immunity research requires the Midas touch. (Thanks to Israel21c) Tel Aviv University
scientists have developed a new method of prompting the immune system to create
protective antibodies. Using
nano-particles made of pure gold, the immune system responds when they are
coated with different chemical residues.
Scientists search for the Peres gene. Galilee Genetics Analysis (GGA) Laboratories
in the Golan has taken a sample of DNA from the saliva of Israeli President
Shimon Peres to try to find out the secret of his longevity and mental clarity.
Let’s collaborate.
A new open-access online medical journal seeks to promote intellectual
interactions between scholars in Israel and abroad. All work on the journal (including editing and peer reviews) is
voluntary and unpaid. It will deal with
all aspects of health care and aims to help develop health policy globally.
Tomorrow’s genii. From an initial 120,000 students, eighteen
completed Israel Education Ministry's unique high school project for
"super gifted children". They
included Israeli-Arab Arij Hatib, from the town of Majdal Krum.
Israel’s Ethiopian-born champion of higher education.
(Thanks to Israel21c) 30-year old Pnina
Gaday Agenyahu is the first Ethiopian-born member of Israel's Council for
Higher Education. She is also Hillel director at Tel Aviv University. She arrived in Israel aged three, following
her family’s trek across Sudan.
Israeli saves life of Turkish
leukaemia patient. Mehmet
Burhan Gül was matched with a bone marrow donor from Israel. “Everybody should
learn a lesson from this donation, which was made without any discrimination of
religion, language or race,” said Gül (same surname as the Turkish President).
Israel to help fight hunger in Africa. Israel is to support USAID’s “Feed the
Future” initiative in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda. MASHAV, Israel's
Agency for International Development Cooperation will supply the agricultural
expertise in agriculture production, research, irrigation and water
technologies.
Immunising plants against
disease. (thanks to Herb) An
Israeli start-up has a way to make plants genetically resistant to disease.
Morflora's Dotan Peleg and Miri Lapidot believe they will change the face of
global agriculture. The U.S. government found the technology so promising that
it's helping to fund trials.
An olive tree forest in the desert. Ben Gurion University are developing an
olive tree forest at their Wadi Mashash agricultural research farm in the Negev
desert. 240 olive trees have already
been planted with at least 600 more to follow.
The trees are expected to survive on the normal limited and variable
rainfall of the Negev.
Hi-tech dispensing.
The Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera became the first Israeli
medical centre to implement an advanced robotic system that automatically
dispenses medication to hospital wards.
The system prevents errors in the medication distribution process and
saves time for the nursing staff.
Learn Hebrew – there’s an App for you. Depending on what you want, you can download
one of these useful applications for helping you learn the Hebrew language.
Search for the right treatment. Israel’s First Life Research has launched
Treato, an on-line search engine that provides clear, organized medical
information on symptoms, medication and other treatments. It re-interprets the diverse and confusing
details contained in billions of Internet postings.
Democracy on-line.
Einat Wilf, chair of the Knesset Subcommittee for Israeli Relations with
World Jewish Communities, is using Skype and Webinar video-conferencing
services to allow subject experts, invited guests and the public to “virtually”
attend her subcommittee meetings via the Internet.
Gas, oil, Uranium and now Gold? Something amazing is happening under the
Land of Israel. Gulliver Energy has
applied to the Mining Supervisor for a gold exploration permit in the Nahal
Roded area in the Eilat mountains.
It’s going to be “easy” from Manchester. EasyJet announced that it will start
twice-weekly flights from Manchester to Tel Aviv from November 1st
2012. The airline also said that it has
carried more than 270,000 passengers on flights to and from Israel since
inaugurating its Tel Aviv routes in November 2009.
Israel’s banks are sound. The IMF has performed stress testing on the
Israeli banking system and has given it a clean bill of health. So I can now safely take my cash out from
under my mattress.
Energy for South Africa.
14 Israeli energy companies, specializing in renewable energy and
energy efficiency, visited South Africa recently. Several pilot projects and
distribution agreements resulted.
Tourism is at an all time high. There has been another rise in numbers of
tourists to Israel – 752,000 tourist entries during the first quarter of 2012 –
a rise of 2% over the same quarter in 2011.
The first biotech incubator. Merck Serono, a division of the German giant
Merck, is investing at least 10 million euros in a project to grow Israeli
biotech companies. Israeli start-ups
can use Merck’s R&D InterLab facilities in Yavneh for research in order to
bring new drugs to market.
Israel is “on fire”.
(thanks to Herb) Small start-ups, innovative technology, high risks and
fast exits. This is a highly
intelligent analysis (by Matt Marshall) of the hi-tech business world in the
Jewish State. Israel is good, but it
can (and will) get even better.
The Innovation Marathon. From the same author (Matt Marshall), here is his write-up of the
35 Israeli start-ups that presented their products and business plans to
prospective investors at the Israel Innovation Marathon event in Tel Aviv. Several have been featured previously in
this newsletter, but most are new to me.
The Agrivest Summit.
In a similar format to the Innovation Marathon, 14-16 Israeli start-ups
in agriculture technologies will have six minutes each to present their business
ideas to 100-150 investors from around the world. Israel is recognized as a leading innovator in agriculture
technologies.
Tel Aviv online. A new website has been launched to make Tel Aviv more accessible
to tourists.
Smile please, I’m Israeli. Three Israeli students have reached the final ten in Google's
Photography Prize competition, beating out more than 20,000 students worldwide
who entered the contest. The finalists' work will be displayed at the
prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London for a month-long exhibit.
Cruyff joins Maccabi Tel Aviv. Jordi Cruyff (son of Johan Cruyff) has been
appointed sports director of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football team. The former
Dutch international and Manchester United midfielder will officially join the
Israeli Premier League club at the end of the season.
Building a green training base. Bahadim City is the location of the IDF’s
new environmentally friendly training facility. The base will reclaim the Negev desert, generate hundreds of
jobs, utilize solar power and recycle water from the wastewater treatment plant
for use in agricultural irrigation.
Celebrating Mimouna.
Here are some articles about the feast that Moroccan Jews traditionally
celebrate at the end of the Passover festival.
Mimouna means “luck” in Arabic – possibly in gratitude to Arab
neighbours for their help during Passover.
Some regard Mimouna as “the holiday of faith” to strengthen belief that
the Messiah may arrive during the next Passover. In 1966 it became a national holiday.
Israel’s prospects have never been brighter. In case you missed it, here is a link to the
advertisement that FLAME placed in newspapers across the USA. FLAME stands for Facts & Logic About the
Middle East. We certainly need more
publicity like this.
Made in Israel – the video that
sums it all up. (Thanks to
Israel21c) A 3 minute tour through the
many innovations that are improving lives across the planet, thanks to Israeli
creativity. Hi-tech, water technology,
medical - a myriad of life changing technologies that have all been “Made in
Israel”.
120415
In the 15th April edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
A Technion professor’s simple blood test can
potentially save the lives of diabetics
·
Israel has the lowest mortality figures for patients
who have heart attacks.
·
Israel is hosting this year’s Interpol (International
Police) conference.
·
Israeli packaging can keep food fresh for weeks without
refrigeration
·
A water filtering system from Kibbutz Amiad is being
installed in hundreds of ships.
·
150,000 people visited the Haifa flower show in four
days.
·
Israelis are the 14th most happy people in
the world.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Close
encounters of the Israeli kind”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
One drop of blood can save your
life. Professor Andrew Levy
of the Israel Technion describes the test that can discover which diabetics are
also susceptible to heart disease. He
also developed treatment using Vitamin E that has a dramatic effect on survival
times for affected individuals.
A 90-year old innovator.
20 years after his retirement, Hebrew University emeritus Professor
Nathan Citri developed a novel kit enabling speedy detection of multi-drug and
extremely antibiotics-resistant “superbugs”.
Full details of the kit were reported in my newsletter on 4th
March.
Orthodox Jewish women age slower. Researchers at Hadassah University Hospital
have discovered that four genes generate an anti-aging effect on women who
conceive naturally after age 45. The findings were the result of a genetic
study of ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi women from Mea She'arim who have at least six
children.
Israeli drug can save sight. Israel’s Can-Fite BioPharma has reported
successful pre-clinical trials of CF101 for the treatment of anterior uveitis –
the inflammation of the iris. An earlier trial found CF101 effective in
treating posterior uveitis – inflammation of the retina. Uveitis is a common cause of blindness in
the USA.
A very smart delivery platform. Ben Gurion University’s V-Smart drug
delivery technology has been licensed to a New York biotechnology company. Lauren Sciences will develop the technology
for treating Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS / Lou
Gehrig’s), and brain malignancies.
Lowest mortality from heart
attacks in Israel. 2010
figures show that only 2.2% of heart attack victims died soon afterwards. This compared to 16.2% in the USA. Lives are saved due to expanded treatment
facilities plus the use of catheter angiographies, to determine the need to
unblock arteries immediately on admission.
Arab women in workforce double. In 1970, only 10% of Arab women had jobs in
Israel. Today it is around 20%. However, whilst the Jewish State has given
opportunities to Arab women, cultural difficulties in their families prevent
job numbers reaching the levels common in Jewish families. An interesting Bank of Israel study and
highlights the further improvements (and expenditure) that the Israeli
government is making.
“Stop bashing the Jews”. Please read these articles in the Malaysian Insider - by Abdul
Haleem Abdul Rahiman and Farish A. Noor.
I cannot comment further, as my last praise for the Malaysian opposition
party leader got him into trouble (Search on Google for “Michael Ordman
Malaysia”)
The long arm of the Law. Israel was chosen by top European police
officials to host the annual International Criminal Police Organization
(Interpol) conference in May, marking a historical first for the country. The
three-day conference will take place in Tel Aviv and will include 200 representatives
from 50 countries.
Ambassadors plant trees in the Negev. Some 20 foreign diplomats to Israel joined
KKL-JNF on Wednesday for a tour of several different Negev research sites. They were very keen to get hold of some of
the drought-resistant seeds being developed by the organisation.
China and Israel – a transformation. Over the last 12 months, China has changed
its official approach to the Jewish State.
The Arab “spring” caught the Chinese government off-guard
politically. Also, the country wants to
change industrially from “factory” to “innovator”. Israel has become important to solving both issues.
Israel’s trade with Philippines bears fruit. (Thanks to Rodger) Israel is seen as a
market for several Filipino processed products as well as bananas, pineapple
and mango. Conversely, Israel is
looking to Filipino companies to contribute to its growing international
investment in agriculture and other sectors.
Singapore likes Israel’s education system. A delegation from Singapore were guests
of Kadima Mada – the Israeli branch of
World ORT. They had a demonstration of
E-Scape - an innovative learning environment being implemented in three Israeli
high schools.
Keep milk fresh for a month –
without refrigeration.
Israel’s Oplon has developed packaging can keep food germ-free for weeks
without refrigeration or preservatives. An open container of milk will stay
fresh for 30 days. Its coating uses a
special set of molecules that creates an electrical charge, zapping bacteria.
“Don’t give money to the Technion – Invest in it.” That was the message from Israel’s Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his March 20th visit to Israel’s
powerhouse of innovation, creativity and science. He was deeply impressed and asked to take one of the robot snakes
home with him.
The ‘Nobel Prize’ for Computing. Technion Graduate Prof. Judea Pearl has won
the 2011 ACM Turing Award for a “contribution that transformed artificial
intelligence”. He developed the
computational basis for processing information under uncertainty – a core
problem faced by intelligent systems.
Einstein archives get 21 million hits. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s new,
digitized Albert Einstein Archives website is proving massively popular. It contains a catalogue of more than 80,000
Einstein-related documents, and a visual display of 2,000 documents up to the
year 1921, with more to follow.
Nanotech product of the year. Israel’s CollPlant was awarded the Product
of the Year prize at last week’s NanoIsrael 2012 show for its work in
developing artificial collagen from tobacco using nanotechnology. Collagen plays a major role in connective
tissue and is used by the body to repair broken bones and joints.
No bugs in our vegetables. Petah Tikvah-based Meteor’s anti-virus “spider nets” feature a
web of tiny micro-fibres that insects cannot penetrate. By keeping the bugs
out, the nets are able to prevent the spread of diseases that until recently
have caused major financial losses for farmers. Customers include several Arab countries.
Get Office on your iPad. Microsoft has chosen Israel’s CloudOn as their supplier of
popular applications WORD, Excel and PowerPoint to iPad users. CloudOn 2.0 can be downloaded at App Stores
in the US, Canada and UK. The Israeli
connection is interesting, as Microsoft and Apple don’t normally talk with each
other.
A well-rounded idea.
Israel’s RotaryView has been shortlisted to participate in Microsoft’s
first-ever incubator program for early-stage start-ups. RotaryView allows even the smallest
businesses to present a 360-degree view of their product, by simply
photographing the subject from all angles and uploading.
Israeli school wins robotics competition. Teams from the World ORT-affiliated Misgav
High School in Northern Israel won first and third place at the Fire Fighting
Home Robot Contest at Trinity College in Connecticut, USA. 29 teams from China, the USA and other
countries took part.
Filtering ships’ ballast. Amiad Filtration Systems (from my cousin’s
Kibbutz) has won a 10 year contract with Calgon Carbon Corporation for cleaning
ships' ballast water. Amiad’s Arkal
automatic self-cleaning disc filtration technology also protects the marine
environment from invasive species transported by ballast water.
Tourism brings in record revenues. According to Dun & Bradstreet, 2011
turnover for the top tourist sites was NIS 149 million - about 4.5% more than
in 2010. Massada and Jerusalem’s
biblical zoo topped the charts. The
Ramat Gan Safari Park and the Yamit 2000 water park in Holon also had record
years.
Another Israeli medical device company is snapped up. International medical device maker Covidien
has bought Jerusalem-based Oridion.
Oridion makes devices designed to measure concentrations of carbon
dioxide in patients to help assess how well they are breathing. Last month
Covidien bought Israel’s SuperDimension.
Israel’s first billion-dollar Internet company. Israel’s Conduit Holdings was formally
valued at $1.4 billion following JP Morgan’s purchase of a $100 million
stake. Conduit made $200 million profit
in 2011 thanks to revenue from its toolbars, used by 250 million users on
200,000 websites.
Bono visits Israel.
The U2 lead singer spent Monday evening at the Container restaurant bar
in Jaffa port. U2’s last concert in
Israel was in 1997.
150,000 visit Haifa flower show. The Haifa International Flower Exhibition is
the largest ever to be held in Israel.
Nine domes contained thousands of flowers bursting with colour from all
over the world, each arrangement boasting a different theme.
Israel beats Portugal in Davis Cup. Israel beat Portugal 3:0 to advance in the
worldwide Davis Cup tennis tournament. The win takes Israel out of Group 1 in
the Europe/Africa division and into the World Group playoffs, where it will
contend for a spot in the coveted World Group.
We are sailing…
Sailing team Gidi Klinger and Eran Sela won the silver medal in the 470
Class competition at the World Cup in Spain.
They will now challenge for a medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Yossi is Arsenal’s talisman. Since Israel’s soccer captain Yossi Benayoun
joined UK’s Arsenal team on loan, the London club has climbed to 3rd
in the English Premier league and an automatic European qualification
spot. Yossi is one of the most popular
members of Arsenal’s squad.
Israelis are happy. In the United Nations World Happiness
report, Israel came 14th out of the 150 countries. The USA was 11th and the United
Kingdom was 18th. Factors
include income, health (especially mental), family, friends, job satisfaction,
political freedom and the pleasure of living in a trusting community and
nation.
But they work hard too. The latest OECD study shows that Israelis work an average of 2000
hours per year. That’s 20% longer than
the average British worker and 40% longer than a typical German. Israelis are top of the league for reading
books and attending cultural events.
Israel’s Golden Age. Please read this heart-warming vision of Israel by David Siegel -
the Israeli Consul for the South Western United States.
US emigration reversed. More people made Aliya from the USA in 2011 than left Israel for
American shores. 4,070 US-born Jews
came to live in Israel during 2011, compared with 3,850 going in the other
direction.
120408
In the 8th April edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
A device that takes your blood pressure and pulse from
a distance.
·
110 boys, who have lost a parent, celebrated their bar
mitzvah together at the Western Wall.
·
Latest Israeli innovations include an invisible
keyboard and a hands-free rescue device.
·
Israel announced trade expansion plans into China, the
UK and Peru.
·
You can now sightsee Jerusalem underground, and explore
the Israel Museum via the Internet.
·
A 65-year old Israel is well on the way to a world
record for donating blood.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive
summaries
Click here for “An Extraordinary
State”
Click here for “A Nation Reborn”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Take your blood pressure – from
100 meters away. Israel’s
2012 Young Nanotechnology Researcher is Professor Ze’ev Zalevsky of Bar-Ilan
University. His invention - the
“Opto-Phone” – can read an individual’s medical information (heartbeat, blood
pressure, and blood glucose levels) remotely.
A laser beam, an advanced camera and sensitive software, use
nano-photonics to detect movement on the surface of the body.
Israeli woman is ‘Europe’s top young researcher'. Multinational cosmetics firm L’Oreal and
UNESCO have named a Weizmann Institute biologist “Europe’s top young
researcher.” For her work in researching probiotics to treat disease, Dr. Naama
Geva-Zatorsky will receive a two-year $40,000 postdoctoral scholarship.
Teva launches generic schizophrenia drug. Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals is to sell, in
the US and UK, Quetiapine Fumarate tablets – the company’s version of
AstraZeneca’s Seroquel schizophrenia treatment.
Israel’s stroke treatment drug. (Thanks to Israel21c) More details about
Thrombotech’s THR-18 and how it soon could be making a significant impact on
saving the lives of stroke victims.
With personal wishes for a speedy recovery to the father of one our good
friends.
FDA recruits Israeli biotech. The US Food and Drug Administration has
recruited Israel’s OptiCul Diagnostics for a special project to detect the
presence of bacteria on medical devices.
OptiCul has developed a fast kit for the detection of bacteria without
the use of reagents.
Israeli geneticist advises Arabs against inbreeding. Prof. Ohad Birk, head of Soroka’s genetic
institute appeared in Qatar on the Doha Debates TV program that was dedicated
to the subject of consanguinity – inbreeding by first cousins that causes
genetic disorders in the Arab population.
110 boys celebrate barmitzvah
together in Jerusalem. The
Chabad movement arranged a mass barmitzvah celebration for boys who have lost
one or more parents. After the ceremony
at the Western Wall, the boys and their families enjoyed a festive party at the
Jerusalem International Convention Centre attended by Israel’s Chief Rabbis and
ten government ministers.
Israeli-Arab wins Hebrew song contest. Haifa born Nissren Kader has won the reality
TV song contest “Eyal Golan is Calling You,” a popular television show. She sang Arabic and Hebrew songs, including
a song commemorating fallen IDF soldiers.
Model Seder for Ethiopian Jews. Prior to Passover, the Jewish Agency and the
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews sponsored events to help new
Ethiopian Jews prepare for their first Seder in the Jewish State. All participants were encouraged to share
their personal stories of Exodus and renewal— to retell the details of their
immigration to Israel and their renewed life free of religious persecution.
Israelis connect with Iranians via Facebook. (thanks to NoCamels) Technology from Tel
Aviv-based startup “Rounds has connected 100,000 Israeli with 10,000
Iranians. It is part of the “Israel
Loves Iran” facebook campaign that highlights Israel has nothing against
ordinary Iranians – just their mad leaders.
Harvard conference aims to change the conversation. A group of Harvard students are organizing
that university’s first-ever Israel Conference tell the story of Israel’s
contributions to the world. Speakers
will include Bank of Israel Governor Prof Stanley Fisher and Start-up Nation
co-author Dan Senor.
The invisible keyboard. (Thanks to Israel21c) Another revolutionary
new Israeli keyboard – this time from SnapKeys. It’s simple to use, with only two fingers or thumbs and is
available on Windows and Android operating systems.
Your phone can have a split personality. The Jade application from Israel’s Cellrox
allows employees to use the same mobile smart-phone for work and personal
use. The app allows the phone’s android
operating system to run in separate environments, with a different contact
list, different applications and different email accounts.
Israeli technology helps Canadian farmers. Canadian farmers are turning to Israel’s SAE
Afikim, better known as Afimilk, to help them increase the milk production of
their cows. The average US and Canadian
cow will produce 10,000 litres per year. In Israel, it’s around 12,000 litres due
to better management of the animals.
The recruitment agency app. QTRecruit can save companies a fortune in recruitment costs and
could make recruitment agencies redundant altogether. Two former IDF solders have developed computer software that
searches the Internet, gathering information about relevant candidates for a
client’s open positions.
Israel to the rescue. (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Agilite has
produced a hands-free rescue device called the IPC (Injured Personnel
Carrier). The IPC weighs less than
0.5kg and secures an injured person on a rescuer's back. It is a huge
improvement on the Fireman’s carry technique and is already popular internationally.
Microsoft is really thinking about Israel. The Microsoft annual Think Next conference
in April at Tel Aviv port will focus on the most creative technology people in
Israel. This "Globes" report
profiles eight of the start-ups that will participate in the conference.
A Technion graduate.
This video will give you some appreciation of the high calibre of the
graduates from Israel’s Technion.
Professor Beth Murinson says at the end – “As you can see, I’m quite
busy”.
Israel’s technological advantage. Israel’s natural gas is mostly methane and
has a wide variety of uses in the chemical and transportation industries. Also, as a latecomer to the industry, Israel
can benefit from the experiences (and mistakes) of other countries.
China and Israel – “a winning
combination”. Israel's
cabinet on Sunday moved to bolster bilateral trade ties with China by voting to
support joint industrial research and development projects between the two
countries.
UK & Israeli partnerships. A joint UK-Israel “tech council” has been
set-up to encourage Israeli entrepreneurs to connect with their UK equivalents
in order to boost technology exports from both countries to foreign markets.
Israel targets Peru. The Andean country has announced it will
auction concessions for infrastructure projects totalling nearly $10.4 billion,
according to Israel's ambassador in Lima, Modi Ephraim. Israeli entrepreneurs “would be keen to participate
in the energy, agriculture, communications, medical equipment sectors. In
general, everything related to technology.”
Israel has around $1 billion of projects invested in Peru currently.
Satellite network for Mexico. Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks will
supply its Sky Edge II VSAT satellite network to Grupo Televisa SAB, Mexico's
largest commercial television broadcaster to provide remote access and local
content distribution nationwide.
From IDF to entrepreneur. From army, to start-up.
After five years of service in an elite intelligence unit, Raphael Ouzan
went on to found BillGuard - essentially, antivirus for your credit card. BillGuard’s unique algorithm scans forums,
social networks and websites, and analyses transactions for “suspicious”
behaviour.
Even easier from the UK. EasyJet has announced that it will commence a second flight on
Mondays and Thursdays between Tel Aviv and Luton starting in November. Customers can book these flights on-line
now.
The hottest cars have arrived. A Tel Aviv showroom has opened, selling
Ferrari and Maserati cars.
Venture Capital indicators are all green. Investors are positive about Israel
prospects in 2012.
Confidence in Israel’s economy. This is a very positive article by Yoram
Ettinger. Five year growth of 21% (270%
over 20 years); export strength in technology products; world leader in
R&D; natural gas discoveries; population increasing with unemployment
falling; foreign investment; the list is impressive.
“Breakin’ Free”.
Please watch the Passover “hit” video from the Fountainheads. It’s clever and the ending is quite
emotional (to some of us anyway).
“Acollective” – the indie band that made Aliya. From London’s Portobello Market, to Tel
Aviv. The video features their
performance of “Simon Says” at SXSW.
(Definitely one for the younger newsletter readers.)
The Israeli Opera.
Slightly more traditional musical entertainment – but with fascinatingly
varied facets.
Israel’s Voice is chosen. The singer chosen as the ‘voice of Israel’ turned out to be the
new immigrant from Canada, Kathleen Reiter.
“I know that this is an amazing opportunity for me and a great start to
what will hopefully be a great life here in Israel,” Reiter said. The youtube video is of the winning song
“Shout to you”.
The world’s first underground
tours. Descending from
Jerusalem, these tours offer a unique opportunity to explore the Jewish State
from beneath. Travelling in a special vehicle, through specially carved tunnels
deep beneath the ground, the tours will whisk visitors around Israel to some of
the country’s most famous sites.
Tour the Israel Museum – virtually. You can now enjoy an on-line visit to the
Israel Museum using Google Street. 520
objects have been made available as part of the museum’s partnership with the
Google Art Project – an online compilation of high-resolution images of
artwork.
Our latest visitor has sixth sense. Spiderman – alias Tobey Maguire – is coming
to Israel both for business and personal reasons. A family function will coincide with his promotion of the “mobi”
smartphone app.
Kiryat Shmona win Israeli league. Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona won the Israeli
soccer championship on Monday for the first time in the small northern city’s
history. The team has caused an upset
by breaking the domination of the much larger and more affluent Tel Aviv and
Haifa clubs.
“Go South, old
man”. There are job
opportunities in Israel for “old hacks” like me. But I would need to move to Southern Israel. Some 1,100 jobs were offered to southern
Israel residents aged 45 and above, at a special job fair held in Dimona. More
than 70 employers took part in the event.
The 2012 Moskowitz prize. The winners of the 2012 prize for Zionism are are Dr. Yitzchak
Glick, Chairman of the Emergency Medical Center in Efrat; Attorney Nitzana
Darshan-Leitner, who fights against terrorist "lawfare"; and Tzvika
Slonim, a founder of Gush Emunim and of the Ariel University Center.
Environmental Ambassadors. A new program creating young environmental ambassadors through
the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem is training several hundred third-
through sixth-graders to be stewards of Jerusalem’s ecological future.
World record attempt – at giving
blood. Menachem Steinmetz, a
65-year-old man from Rishon Lezion, has given of himself, quite literally, by
donating more than 272 units of blood to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency
medical response service, over the course of 41 years. The world record is 314 units and Menachem
plans to continue donating until he gets to 70 years old.
120401
In the 1st April edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli surgeons removed a 14cm tumour growing next to
the heart of an Angolan girl.
·
A 94-year old Israeli was given a successful heart
bypass in Rehovot.
·
An Israeli doctor has returned from working in Africa
to treat African refugees in Israel.
·
NanoIsrael 2012 displayed Israel’s innovations in the
microscopic world of NanoTechnology.
·
The Bank of Israel’s annual report showed that the
economy is in good shape.
·
The European “Open skies” agreement promises cheaper
flights to and from Israel.
·
An Israeli windsurfer won gold at the World
Championships.
·
The Chief Rabbi of South Africa hails the Israel
miracle in his terrific Passover video.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive
summaries
Click here for “Making a clean
start in Israel”
Click here for “The full bodied
Jewish State”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
A medical miracle by Save A
Child’s Heart. Israeli
doctors at Wolfson Medical Centre were able to save the life of 14-year old
Elisa Manuel Antonio from Angola after they took out from her chest a 14 cm
tumour that pressed her heart and threatened her life. Only a few similar cases
are known in the whole world.
Not to be sneezed at. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Israeli
Pharmaceutical Teva’s QNASL nasal aerosol for the treatment of nasal allergy
rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is the most common allergic disease in the US,
affecting 10-30% of adults and adolescents.
Increased US regulation – not a problem. The US Food and Drug Administration has made
it more difficult for many bio-techs to prove safety and efficacy of their
products. But Israeli start-ups are
flexible and can make the necessary adjustments much more efficiently, giving
them the edge on the competition.
Heart bypass – aged 94. Shimon Ganot was born in 1918, fought in the
pre-state Palmach and was an IDF infantry officer in four wars. So his heart attack and subsequent operation
to replace diseased arteries was probably no problem to him. (A bit tricky for the surgeons at Rehovot’s
Kaplan Medical Centre, though.)
A very special school. The unique Yad Hamoreh School in Jerusalem has a mixed population
of regular pupils and severely to moderately autistic children. Principal Ana Goren, a special-education expert,
often leads tours for curious educators from several Eastern European
countries, South America, China and the United States.
Putin putting his feet on Israeli soil. Russian President elect Vladimir Putin is
reportedly rushin’ to visit the Jewish State. He wishes to unveil a monument in Netanya
honouring Jewish Red Army soldiers who fought in World War II. Putin will be
formally inaugurated on May 7th.
Israel will be his first foreign destination following the G8 summit on
May 20th.
Feeding the hand that bites us. What other country would in one week deliver
180 trucks of aid, building materials and merchandise to a terrorist-run state
that fired 300 rockets at its civilians?
Iranians reveal truth to Israelis. Iranians speak to an Israeli newspaper and
reveal the state of affairs in the Islamic Republic. Many confess their fondness for Israel and a Western lifestyle.
Treating Africans wherever they
are.
After three years of caring for thousands of sick patients in
Africa, gynaecologist Dr. Avigail Maayani has returned to Israel to treat
African refugees in Tel Aviv.
SNAP! – Grabbing the world’s attention. SNAP stands for Start-up Nation Awareness
Programs. It is the major project of
Kinetis – the organisation formed to increase world-awareness of Israel’s
creativity and innovations.
Israel is getting smaller. The best of the world of nanotech was on
display at NanoIsrael 2012. Dozens of companies, along with over 40 start-ups,
presented projects and products that use nanotechnology to produce better
solutions in electronics, photonics, biotechnology, medicine, materials,
agriculture, and more.
All the information you need – in your car. Israel’s Iway Mobile Ltd sells 70 Comodo car
consoles a day. The system provides
navigation, plus access to online radio and TV stations, parking by mobile
payment, and much more. Iway Mobile is launching a pilot with China Unicom,
which has 150 million subscribers.
Build it on anything. Israeli website builder Wix has released a version of its free
DIY website builder that supports HTML5.
Now Wix’s product will run on any platform from PC to mobile device. Its user-friendly interface allows users to
build a professional on-line presence without the need for any coding or design
skills.
The Start-up nation started here. Yossi Vardi graduated from Israel’s Technion
some 40 years ago, and helped to build over sixty hi-tech companies. Yossi
remains a strong advocate of the Technion’s vital importance to today’s
innovative entrepreneurs – a key ingredient to Israel’s success.
The economy is in good shape. Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer
issued the central bank’s annual report, saying that the economy performed well
in the face of significant challenges in 2011.
Here is a summary of the 321-page report.
Better than we first thought. The Bank of Israel has revised its GDP
growth forecast for 2012 upwards to 3.1% from its previous forecast of 2.8%. The
Bank of Israel also said that it expects growth to climb to 3.5% in 2013. Recent positive indicators triggered the
upgrade, including latest import and export figures.
Israel Beats All Comers in Job Creation. A combination of fast population growth,
robust exports, and sound monetary policy has allowed Israel to create jobs
faster than the U.S., the European Union, Poland, and even Brazil. Bank of
Israel Governor Stanley Fischer says the country is now near full employment.
Morgan Stanley recommends Israeli Technology companies. The US banking giant has just compiled a
global list of possible acquisition targets for IBM. One third of them are Israeli companies.
Bio-med investors come to Israel. A delegation of top life sciences executives
is in Israel to seek collaborations or investment in small-sized Israeli
medical companies. Israel offers incentives to multinationals to open R&D
centres and invest in start-ups.
Another Tel Aviv marathon. Dozens of investors from the US, Europe and the Far East are in
Tel Aviv to review the offerings of Israeli high-tech companies, at this year’s
Israel Innovation Marathon in Tel Aviv, sponsored by Bootcamp Ventures. Twenty
Israeli start-ups will give eight-minute presentations to investors.
Cheaper flights to Israel. Israel has joined the European Union
aviation zone. The new “open skies”
agreement will result in more flights, more tourists, more destinations, more
jobs, more airlines flying to Israel, more competition and (yippee!) cheaper
ticket prices.
A 2nd Madonna concert. The “Queen of Pop” is giving Israeli fans an
extra opportunity to see her, with performances at Tel Aviv’s Ramat Gan stadium
now on 29th and 31st May.
Israel’s gonna rock.
Legendary rock bands Guns & Roses and Jethro Tull will be performing
in Israel later this year. Guns &
Roses are scheduled to perform at Yarkon Park on July 3rd, whilst
Jethro Tull will be doing three gigs between Sept 6th to Sept 8th
in Jerusalem, Haifa and Raanana.
A real appetite for games. Israeli computer game company Funtactix was started due to the
vision of JVP founder Erel Margalit and developed a game to accompany the
fourth “Mission Impossible” movie.
Funtactix has now also designed and developed the official online game for
the smash hit movie “The Hunger Games”.
Spiritually moving.
The Jerusalem Marathon invoked several Biblical phrases in the mind of
Rabbi Tuly Weisz – one of the runners.
He was overjoyed to see “the streets of the city filled” (Zechariah 8:5)
with 15,000 runners from all over the world and recalled more of Zechariah’s
prophecies before he completed the race.
Next stop – Tel Aviv. Runners who still have energy after the Jerusalem Marathon raced
over to Israel’s “city that never stops” for the Tel Aviv Gillette
Marathon. More than 35,000 were
expected to take part.
Israeli windsurfer wins world
sailing gold. Lee Korzits
won the women's RS:X title at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Cadiz, Spain. It is the third time Korzits has won the
world championship and it secures her an automatic place in the 2012 London
Olympics.
Huge surge in Aliya of young professionals. Immigration to Israel has increased in
recent years, however one key fact has almost been hidden. According to data from Nefesh B’Nefesh, over
1,300 singles and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 30 made Aliyah
in 2011 alone – a 250% increase over the last five years. Excellent career opportunities have made
moving to the Jewish State a much easier decision.
Learning under fire.
It is truly incredible that, thanks to organisations like AMIT, the
academic performance of Israeli students in the South continues to improve
despite the terrorist missiles from Gaza. In Sderot, 85% of students matriculate
into universities when they finish high school, while the national average is
only 62%.
The clock is still ticking. Half of David Salomons’ collection of nearly 200 unique watches
and clocks was stolen in 1983 but almost all have since been returned to the
Jerusalem Museum of Islamic art. This
video shows some of the beautiful items recovered.
Feathered visitors to the Western Wall. The annual migration of the swifts is well
underway. Several hundred of the aerial
acrobats nest in the cracks between the stones of the Kotel – providing an
exciting spectacle to their international audience.
The top 5 Archaeology sites in Jerusalem. No prizes for guessing that the awards go to
the City of David, the Archaeological Park & Davidson, the Rockefeller
museum, the Bible Lands museum and the Tower of David.
Try a nice juicy cactus. Israel’s Orly Cactus Farms is to offer a new fruit to the Israeli
market. According the company, its
taste is unique and it also tastes good pickled. If it is successful locally, Orly hopes to export the cactus to
Russia and Europe.
Krav Maga could save your life. The Israeli self-defence technique “Krav
Maga” (close touch) is being taught extensively to women in the USA. Darren Levine - one of the highest ranked
Krav Maga instructors in the world - said that the classes not only provide
individuals with the appropriate moves and skills to defend themselves during
an attack, but also teach them a mindset that is essential for survival.
Shabbat-friendly phone. The Zomet Institute has designed the “Shabbatphone” for those
engaged in vital (non-life saving*) services on Shabbat. It works on the
principle of changing electric capacitance. Numbers are printed on a smooth
sealed surface. On ordinary phones,
pressing buttons completes electric circuits, which Jewish law prohibits on the
Sabbath. (*Jews may of course break
Shabbat laws in order to save life.)
And keyboard.
The Zomet Institute has also developed a kosher-for-Shabbat capacitative
keyboard, which operates on the principle of “gramma” (indirect action). The IDF has purchased 500 of the keyboards
for religious soldiers who need computers to perform military duties on the
Sabbath.
A greater miracle than the
Exodus. “Vhi Sheamda” – this
video is a “must-see” before the Passover Seder. An inspiring message from South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren
Goldstein and the music of Yaakov Shwekey.
