Israel Good
News Archive – 7th Apr to 30th June 2013
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In the 30th Jun 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli researchers have discovered
how to switch off alcohol dependency
·
Israeli surgeons treat 4 Syrian
children who were badly wounded in the civil war.
·
Israel has appointed the first woman
Ambassador to a Moslem country.
·
Israeli software restores
archaeological ruins on your smartphone screen.
·
Only in Israel, start-ups donate part
of their success to charitable causes.
·
The Russian Bolshoi Opera makes its
first ever visit to Israel.
·
London marathon paraplegic celebrity
Clare Lomas meets ReWalk’s inventors.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “Israelis
Wanted” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Alcohol
addiction? Forget it. Researchers in Israel and
San Francisco have been able to switch off a memory pathway in the brains of
rats responsible for alcohol dependency.
Tests on humans are expected soon.
The results may also lead to the treatment of nicotine craving.
Repairing the faces of twins. Surgeons at Haifa’s Ramban
hospital treated two 14 year-old twins for similar defects: cleft palate and
nose, and fused fingers. During the two three-hour operations, the doctors
reconstructed both brothers’ upper palate.
Safer bone augmentation. Israel’s RegeneCure has
developed an innovative synthetic membrane for those needing dental
implants. Alternative animal-tissue-derived
collagen membranes risk being contaminated from pathogens. RegeneCure’s membrane also degrades slowly,
giving the natural bone more time to regenerate.
Seeing Israel in a new light. (Thanks to Israel21c) Field
of Vision, a new series by photographer Vardi Kahana, documents the people
touched by Eye from Zion, an Israeli organization that provides free ocular
medical treatment to needy populations around the world.
This is how Israeli
doctors save Syrian lives. (Thanks to Israel21c) Over the past few
weeks I have been reporting only headline stories of wounded Syrians being
treated in Israeli hospitals. Here is
an amazing in-depth feature about what happens on the front lines (at the
border and at the hospital).
Israel’s Brain exhibition. One of the exhibits at the
Presidential Conference in Jerusalem spotlighted on Israel’s top research into
the human brain.
More medical research for children. The Hebrew University is to
establish a center for pharmaceutical research and treatment of children. Its focus includes incurable genetic
diseases, building new models for testing drugs for children and synthesizing
new molecules suited for children, despite being unprofitable.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week ending 22nd
June 2013, 1216 trucks carried 32,660 tons of goods into Gaza from Israel
through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They
included 324 trucks of food and 391 trucks of construction materials.
Gaza farmers transported to Tel Aviv
conference.
The Israeli army invited and facilitated the transport of 50 Palestinian
Arab farmers from Gaza to an agricultural conference in Tel Aviv. The goal was
to help boost agricultural output in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip
An emotional meeting. 10-year-old Yakub
Ivachisad, the Palestinian Arab boy who received one of the kidneys from
Israeli boy Noam Naor, received a visit in Schneider Children's hospital from
Noam’s parents. Noam's mother, said,
"To see Yakub today is very exciting. I wish him only health, a full and
speedy recovery.
Muslims who want to defend Israel. Brothers Milad and Muhammad
Atrash, Arab Muslims from the Galilee, volunteered to defend their country by
enlisting in the IDF. Muhammad has just
sworn allegiance to the State of Israel, and in two weeks his brother Milad
will start his officers’ training course.
An ordinary day in Israel. Read about a typical day
for Israeli Diana Bletter, interacting with Muslims, Christians, Druze,
Ethiopian Jews and a Baha'i woman. How
many different people have you spoken to today?
Four Syrian children
treated in Israel.
A 16-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds, a 13 year-old girl and
two boys aged nine and fifteen are the latest Syrian casualties to be taken to
Israel hospitals. The source for the final story is the Lebanese Daily Star –
usually very anti-Israel. In total, Israel has treated over 100 Syrians.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/syrian-girl-13-treated-in-nahariya-hospital/2013/06/22/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4397565,00.html
Feeding the world. Ms. Ertharin Cousin,
Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), visited
Israel for the first time. MASHAV
(Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation) is working with the
WFP in South Sudan and alleviating the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Arab countries fail to block an Israel
sponsored UN conference (Thanks to www.israelandstuff.com)
Arab states have failed to block Israel from leading the UN Entrepreneurship
for Development Debate in which Israel’s agriculture, solar energy and medical equipment
were showcased for developing countries.
Israeli ambassador to
Uzbekistan is a woman. Carmela Shamir will soon begin her term as Israeli ambassador in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, making her the first female Israeli envoy to serve in a
Muslim country. Another woman, Hagit
Mualem, will serve as the deputy ambassador in the Israeli embassy in Tashkent.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Sweet seedless Israeli peppers and more. At Fresh AgroMashov 2013,
Israel’s Zeraim Gedera presented its seedless sweet pepper “the Angello™”and
its disease-resistant long-life seedless watermelon “the Fascination”.
Hello Doctor. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) For
patients with complex medical conditions, Israeli-developed Hello Doctor is a
new mobile application that organizes all your medical records. It makes sure
you can easily navigate and access them, no matter how many different doctors
or clinics you visit.
The magic touch. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s N-trig has announced that its pen and touch controller powers Sony’s
VAIO® Duo 13 Ultrabook. N-trig’s DuoSense provides a single sensor for both pen
and touch.
Bringing archeology to
life.
(Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli startup Architip’s app will show an image
of what a site used to look, or informative text, when a smartphone is held up
to the landscape. Point it at a faded mosaic and Architip displays it in full
color, with all its drawings intact.
Chicago wants Israeli water technology. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel
plans to purify his city’s water using new technologies developed by the
University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University.
Aiming for the Moon. Kfir Damari
of Israel’s SpaceIL came to the downtown Jerusalem Startup Hub to make a
presentation on his lunar exploration startup, Israel’s sole entrant in
Google’s Lunar X competition, which offers a $30 million prize to whichever
team’s craft can make it to the moon first.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli pilot flies new Boeing to Tel
Aviv.
Lufthansa’s First Officer, Israeli Yaniv Emanuel, flew the airline’s new
Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv.
The first arrival of the World’s longest commercial plane also marked
the improvements to Ben Gurion airport to satisfy aviation regulations.
Record May for tourists to Israel. May 2013 was a
record-breaking month for tourism to Israel. The 336,000 visitor numbers were 5
percent higher than in May 2012. The total for 2013 so far is also a record 1.4
million.
European Life Sciences rush to work with
Israel. Over
a dozen international delegations attended the 2013 BioMed show in Tel Aviv. The German group was also visiting Israeli
universities to seek cooperation in research projects. The Italian delegation was looking to buy or
invest in Israeli life science companies.
Israeli start-ups must
give to charity.
Israel’s OurCrowd is the first Venture Capital Funding Organization to
insist its portfolio companies donate a portion of equity to a charitable
foundation. Start-ups allocate shares
to the non-profit Tmura. If the
start-up is taken-over, Tmura gives 90% of the share value to charitable
projects.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Old house / new house. Before David Cohen
demolished his house, his daughter invited 85 Israeli artists to transform it,
and raise money for children’s charities.
Russia’s Bolshoi Opera
makes first visit to Israel. For the first time,
the Israeli Opera is hosting the Bolshoi Opera House from Moscow, one of the
world's leading opera houses and the biggest in Russia. It will be performing Tchaikovsky's
masterpiece, "Yevgeny Onegin," perhaps the most "Russian"
opera of all times.
Four prizes for Jerusalem film school. Filmmakers from Jerusalem’s
Ma’aleh School of Television, Film & the Arts won 4 prizes at the
International Student Film Festival in Tel Aviv.
A long White Night. (Thanks to Israel21c) Tel
Aviv’s 10th annual White Night featured theater, dance, public
sing-alongs, operatic arias, classical music, jazz, rock, alternative music,
video displays, artists, art sales, storytellers, literature, philosophy, beach
volleyball, yoga, folk dancing, ballroom dancing, fashion events, an
accessories fair, shopping, street parades, club parties and tours. What, you wanted more?
Israeli wins International chess
tournament.
Israeli chess grandmaster Boris Gelfand took first place in the Tal
Memorial international competition in Moscow.
Gelfand was undefeated on six points, ahead of the current World Number
1 Magnus Carlsen. The current world
champion, Viswanathan Anand came ninth.
THE JEWISH STATE
UK paraplegic meets
ReWalk inventors.
Claire Lomas, the young British paraplegic woman who completed the
London marathon wearing an Israeli invention that enabled the use of her legs,
has visited the Jewish state to meet the Argo Medical team behind the
technology.
Look what they’ve found in Jerusalem. More proof of Jewish
settlement in Israel’s capital 2000 years ago.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/archaeologists-find-2000-year-old-evidence-of-siege-in-jerusalem/2013/06/27/ http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/jerusalem-home-harbors-buried-second-temple-artifacts/2013/06/26/
That’s a lotta bottle. Israelis recycled over 200
million 1.5 liter plastic bottles in 2012 – a seven percent increase on the
previous year. The 29
bottles-per-person average was easily exceeded by yours truly, who personally
picked up at least one discarded bottle every day and deposited it into
Netanya’s recycling bins.
Netanya is the coolest. Netanya is the only large
town in Israel that preserved its original cliffs, instead of cutting them down
to the sea level. As a result, Netanya’s homes are built at 40-50 feet above
the sea level, endowing the city with a lovely, cooling breeze most days of the
summer.
“This is The Land”. On her first visit to
Israel recently, Dr. Qanta Ahmed saw the country ‘as God sees it.’ The Muslim
physician, and daughter of Pakistani immigrants to the US, was smitten by the
natural beauty, history and modern achievements that came into vivid focus on a
helicopter tour of the Jewish State.
High flyer. Israel’s new pilots included 21-year-old Lt
B who made Aliya from New Jersey in 2009.
"I knew from a young age that Israel was an amazing country, and
that I was destined to fall in love with it," he said.
The SuperMoon over Jerusalem. The Moon came to its
closest point of the year to Israel last week.
130623
In the 23rd June 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
30,000 visitors came to Israel in 2012
for vital medical treatment.
·
The courage of Israel’s Miss World
1998 is shown in a new documentary film.
·
An Israeli company is building a solar
farm in Rwanda.
·
Elbit’s Clear Vision system can land
airplanes in any weather.
·
New fiber optic cable will turn Israel
“into the first digital nation”.
·
A quality performance by Barbra
Streisand at the President’s Conference.
·
Israel’s U21 Euro soccer tournament
was hailed as a great success.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “And
the Winner is?” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Come to Israel – get
healed.
30,000 of Israel’s 3.5 million visitors in 2012 came to get medical
treatment at Israel’s top health institutions.
Treatments include IVF, brain diseases, laser surgery and heart
bypasses. Please read about Dr. Jason Bodzin of West Bloomfield who had stem
cell treatment for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) – the condition also suffered by
Professor Stephen Hawking, who boycotted Israel’s Presidents’ Conference.
Boost for Israel’s icy cancer treatment. IceSense3 cryoablation
cancer treatment is to be covered by US medical insurance giant HCSC. Vast numbers of US patients will now be able
to have breast tumors removed by the minimally invasive ultrasound-targeted
freezing process developed by Israel’s IceCure Medical.
Why some cancer treatments fail. An international research
team, including Hebrew University Professor Raphael D. Levine, has discovered
that brain tumors switch their signaling network to evade growth inhibitor
medication. New treatments can now be
developed that take advantage of this knowledge.
Get your heart fat checked. Researchers at the Rabin
Medical Center in Petach Tikva have proved scientifically that the thickness of
the layer of fat enveloping the heart can predict heart disease. It is not the weight (BMI) of an individual that
matters, but whether the tissue supporting the heart muscle grows too large.
Treating Gaucher’s disease in Brazil. Israel’s Protalix
Biotherapeutics has entered into a supply and technology transfer agreement
with Brazil for its Gaucher treatment Uplyso. Brazil’s Health Minister said he
was pleased to be able to improve the health of Brazilian citizens impacted by
the rare disorder.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week ending 15th
June 2013, 1313 trucks carried 36,026 tons of goods into Gaza from Israel
through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They
included 265 trucks of food and 418 trucks of construction materials.
National service by Arabs up 76 percent. A ceremony was held in
Haifa to recognize the record-high 3,000 Arabs volunteering in the national
service program this year. This
represents an increase of 76 percent over last year, when 1,700
participated. 85 percent of
participants either study or enter the workforce afterwards.
Arab Muslim, female, activist,
professional and graduate student. This photo says it all.
Brave Miss World. In 1998 Miss Israel, Linor
Abargil from Netanya, became Miss World.
But her real story has only just been made into a documentary film. She went around the world, speaking out
about her ordeal, speaking with others who had also been assaulted, working
with survivors and those who help survivors.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/film-of-israeli-rape-victim-who-became-miss-world-at-afi/2013/06/18/
Helping India grow food. Israeli is to provide
technology and training to India to diversify its fruit and vegetable crops and
raise yields. Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation
(Mashav) would help set up 28 centers of excellence in 10 Indian states - each
focused on specific fruit and vegetable crops.
Solar power for
Rwanda.
Jerusalem-based Energiya Global is bringing light to the nations with a
project for an 8.5- megawatt solar field in Rwanda. The country’s first solar field will be located at the Agahozo-
Shalom Youth Village, a boarding school east of the capital Kigali, for orphans
of the Rwandan genocide.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel gets cyber-tough. Interview with Gadi Tirosh
of Jerusalem Venture Partners, which is building a cyber incubator in
Beersheba. It will grow IT security
companies from some of the most talented Israelis in academia and the military
in order to tackle the growing threats that firewalls and anti-virus cannot
handle.
Turn your mobile phone into a
smartphone.
(Thanks to Israel21c) An estimated 4 billion people own a simple mobile
phone – mostly in countries where a smartphone would not work. Israeli start-up VascoDe provides a 2G
system to provide email, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia etc. via national mobile
providers.
Landing in any
weather.
Elbit’s Clear Vision system was put on show yesterday at the Paris Air
Show at Le Bourget. The system’s advanced multi-spectral camera displays
real-time pictures on transparent glass in front of the pilot, enabling passenger
aircraft to land even in storms and fog.
The video is of an earlier version.
Israeli planes get new missile
protection.
An El Al 737 plane has completed trials with the new C-MUSIC DIRCM
system to protect against terrorist shoulder-fired missiles. Every El Al, Arkia and Israir civilian plane
will be equipped with the new system.
Free courses at TAU and the Technion. Tel Aviv University and
Israel’s Technion have partnered with free-course provider Coursera to offer
especially developed classes in four study areas – including engineering,
archeology, biology and cultural studies.
National Science Day, at a venue near
you. Israel
marked National Science Day with lectures in unlikely places. In people’s homes, the Israel Museum, and
(because it was also Einstein’s birthday) the Einstein Pub.
Technion Innovation for a Better World. Good video of some of
Israel Technion’s top developments. It
features robotics, ReWalk, focused ultrasound, stem cells, sustainable
engineering and new energy research.
No electric cars, but maybe electric
scooters.
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality is launching a pilot program to replace
its fleet of 300 motorcycles with electric versions. It is part of part of a broader citywide program to reduce air
pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and noise.
Israel’s 1Gigabit
Internet.
Israel has commenced a ten-year, multi-billion-shekel project to lay a
national fiber optic network that will allow Internet download speeds of up to
a gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second.
Israel will be the
first end-to-end-digital nation. Cisco CEO John Chambers’ prediction came
after meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu and agreeing to help upgrade Israel’s
digital infrastructure. Israel is
moving to connect fiber-optic networks and infrastructure to homes, businesses,
education and healthcare all at once.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
After Waze – who’s next? Here is fastcompany.com’s
“6 Israeli Startups To Watch” following Google’s purchase of Israel’s Waze for
a cool $1 billion.
Deutsche Telekom incubates Israeli
start-ups.
Germany’s communications giant Deutsche Telekom is preparing Israeli
start-ups for the European market.
During the three-month program, DT provides mentoring, pilot customers,
offices in Berlin plus travel & accommodation costs.
Another road for Nigeria. Israel’s Solel Boneh has
won a $580 million Nigerian government tender to rebuild and widen an 84km
section of the Ibadan-Lagos highway in southwest Nigeria. The deal follows a
$390 million contract in Oct 2012 to build a road in the Shgamu-Benin area of
Nigeria.
Cisco wants more Israelis. Cisco CEO John Chambers
announced plans to open a development center dealing with information technology
in Israel. The technology giant plans
to hire up to 100 more Israeli employees, who will join the 2,000 Israelis that
the organization currently employs.
Record Israeli food exports to USA. Exports of Israeli Foods
and Beverages to the United States reached a record $224 million in 2012 – an
increase of 50% in five years. One of
the reasons cited was “quality”.
14 projects will “get the BIRD”. No, it is good news.
In its latest round of investment, the Binational Industrial Research and
Development (BIRD) Foundation will provide $10.95 million for fourteen Israeli
projects. BIRD finds US partners and
provides up to a third of total projected costs.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
International Student Film Festival. The 15th International
Student Film Festival, sponsored by Tel Aviv University, is presenting 250
movies at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and other venues around the city.
Barbra. “Avinu Malkeinu” at Shimon
Peres’ 90th http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqjCENDhyk
Also “People” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnKkYig6ROk
and a beautiful HD sound quality version from Newsletter subscriber Paula http://vimeo.com/64798140 (with
appearances by Peres and Gilad Shalit)
Comedy is a serious business in Israel. LA-based comedian Avi
Liberman visits Israel twice a year, bringing with him some of America’s best
comics. They raise funds for the Koby
foundation – formed by the parents of Koby Mandel who was murdered by Arab
terrorists in 2001.
Israel wins bronze (and more) at World
Ball Hockey finals. A hastily assembled Israeli team beat Hong Kong 3-2 in a
shoot-out for third place at the 2013 World Ball Hockey Championships in St.
John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. It was Israel’s
first appearance at this tournament.
Israel also won the Fairplay award.
You have never seen Jerusalem from this
angle. An
amazing video of a Formula 1 Ferrari speeding through Jerusalem in front of
100,000 spectators.
A great U21 Euro
soccer tournament.
UEFA’s president Michel Platini praised Israel, saying "The
stadiums were wonderful and well-organized, the pitches excellent and the
atmosphere in the stadiums was great with many families with young children
attending. That is exactly the type of tournament that I like to
see". It was the most important international
sporting event to be held in the Jewish state since the 1968 Paralympics.
THE JEWISH STATE
Cherry picking in the Golan. It’s so lovely to have an
almost positive article about Israel from the BBC. We may get a few more, now that most of their news reporters
can’t risk working in any of the nearby war zones.
Tel Aviv is one of the world’s top 10
beaches.
(Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter) National Geographic Traveler has
selected Tel Aviv in its top ten choices for the best beaches in the world.
Comedy writer’s view of Israel. There are some classic
one-liners in Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Dave Barry’s description of his
first visit to the Jewish State.
Welcome to the chiffchaff. For the first time in
recorded history, 20 pairs of the common chiffchaff have been found in
Israel. The birds are nesting in a
remote valley in the Hermon. Turkey is the furthest South previously
detected. 534 species of birds can be found
in Israel. 500 million birds migrate
through Israel.
Only in Israel. See these clips of some
unusual Israeli buskers at the Mamila shopping mall in Jerusalem.
130616
In the 16th June 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli researchers have discovered a
new protein that can save women’s lives
·
Israeli technology prevents scars both
during and following surgery.
·
Israeli doctors successfully delivered
the conjoined twins of a Palestinian Arab woman.
·
The Hebrew University has given an
award to the Israeli who saved the bees.
·
Google bought Israel’s Waze for a
record $1 billion.
·
Jews, Christians and Moslems cheered
as F1 racecars roared through Jerusalem.
·
An inspiring speech by the UK’s Chief
Rabbi at London’s pro-Israel rally.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “No
Better Place” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
New protein can save
women’s lives.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered
a protein code-named PEDF that treats pain and fertility problems in women
suffering from angiogenesis of the uterus.
It can also cure potentially life-threatening side effects caused by IVF
treatments.
Good results in cancer vaccine trials. Israel’s Vaxil Bio
announced strong immune and antibody responses in Phase I/II trial patients
receiving injections of its ImMucin cancer vaccine. A reliable source informed me that Vaxil paid to
transport one of the cancer patients from Gaza to Jerusalem and back for his
regular treatments.
Israeli cancer centers in Moscow? At the "Moscow Days in
Israel" economic conference in Tel Aviv, Mark Groysman of Africa Israel
announced plans to develop oncology centers in Moscow. Over 500,000 Russians contract cancer each
year, where there is a lack of medical devices, equipment, doctors and clinics.
Israeli glucose monitor approved. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s Integrity Applications has received CE Mark approval for its
non-invasive blood glucose measurement device. GlucoTrack’s ultrasound,
electromagnetic, and thermal earlobe sensor obtains blood glucose measurements
in less than a minute without drawing blood.
China to use Israeli Hepatitis Vaccine. Israel’s BioLineRx has
licensed its BL-8030 oral treatment for the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) to China’s
Jiangsu Chia-tai Tianqing.
Approximately 43 million Chinese suffer from Hepatitis C – a chronic and
debilitating disease.
Treating illness through the skin. Marganit Cohen-Avrahami of
the Hebrew University has won a Kaye Award, for her development of
nano-structured gels containing skin-permeable proteins to treat illnesses
without causing many of the side effects accompanied by oral-based medications.
All eyes on your loved one. The Amity platform from
Israel’s Xorcom provides 24/7 remote supervision for the elderly or infirm,
whether they are alone, in sheltered accommodation, or a hospital or nursing
home. Sensors and cameras monitor pulse
rate, breathing, movement; even checking if the stove has been left on.
Children will breathe easier. (Thanks to Israel21c) The
Inspiromatic smart dry-powder inhaler for children from Israel’s Inspiro
Medical has just passed a critical clinical trial at Schneider Children’s
Medical Center in Petah Tikvah. The
Inspiromatic has an internal micro controller and flow sensor that dispenses
the particles of medication at the right time and of the right size, without
need for forceful inhalation.
Scarless surgery. Israel’s Eon Surgical has developed technology to perform
microlaparoscopy – a single minimally invasive surgical procedure through a
tiny incision in the abdomen. Even before selling its first product, Eon has
been bought by US giant Teleflex, indicating that Eon’s technology is
exceptional.
And scarless closure. (Thanks to Israel21c) Even
if you need a major operation – such as a caesarian – Israel’s IonMed will
ensure you won’t have unsightly scars from the stitches. BioWeld1 uses cold plasma (partly ionized
gas) to weld together the openings from surgical incisions.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week
ending 8th June 2013, 1239 trucks carried 35,177 tons of goods into
Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They included 302 trucks of food and 433 trucks of construction
materials.
Palestinian Arab’s conjoined
twins born in Israel. In an extremely rare case, Hadassah doctors performed a four-hour
caesarian operation to deliver “Siamese” twins, sharing a heart, weighing 4.9
kg. The mother, Basma from the Arab
village of Yatta near Hebron, is now back home with the twins, under medical
observation.
More Syrians treated in Israel. Two more Syrians wounded in
their country’s conflict were brought into Israel for treatment last week. The
IDF transported them to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, to get emergency
care. One of the Syrians treated the
previous week had a note from his Syrian doctor with details of his injuries.
Israeli activist promotes women’s rights
in South Sudan.
Ophelie Namiech, has made Aliyah to Israel and serves as Israeli
humanitarian aid organization IsraAID ‘s country director for South Sudan. Namiech trains social workers, community
leaders and teachers to be able to address gender-based violence.
20 years of repairing homes. Over the last two decades,
24,000 volunteers have helped Israeli charity Livnot U’Lehabanot repair over
2,700 houses for the less fortunate of Israeli society. It is just one of Livnot’s many projects at
the core of its mission to bring immigrants and native Israelis closer to the Land
of Israel.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel is a smartphone superpower. 57 percent of Israelis have
a smartphone - up from 35 percent last year – and the highest global annual
increase. Only the UK (62 percent) is
higher in smartphone ownership. But
Israelis beat the world when it comes to smartphone usage (Internet, apps, maps
etc).
Israeli oil protects vegetables from
pests.
(Thanks to Ophir) The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture has approved the
use of "Tamar Tech" pesticide based on non-toxic and edible oils.
When sprayed on the plants in the field or in the greenhouse it protects
leaves, stems and fruits from attacks by insects, spider-mites and fungi.
Chinese rice – Israeli style. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s Evogene is working with Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group (DBN) to
increase fertilizer uptake and drought tolerance in rice. Evogene has discovered several candidate
genes and these will be introduced into DBN’s pipeline for the development of
improved rice.
Another Israeli safe driving device. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s Cellocator has launched Cello-IQ, a driver safety and eco driving
solution, designed to improve fleet safety and reduce fleet operation costs. Over one million vehicles have a Cellocator
device. (Now we just need these installed in every Israeli car!)
Keep cool on your bike. Israelis Arik Bar-Erez and
Kobi Rein have invented Q-Fog – the world’s first spray device for
cyclists. The lightweight Q-Fog
provides 400 sprays of cooling water that evaporates of your body. The Israelis are now seeking funding via
crowdsourced fundraising site Indiegogo.
Israeli technology wins top Network
award.
Israel’s RAD Data Communications won the 2013 NetEvents Technology
Innovation Award for “infrastructure equipment and innovative solutions to Service
Providers’ current challenges”. RAD’s
MiNID device configures nearly any telecom equipment just by plugging it in.
Israel is top in cyber security. Tel Aviv University hosted
the 3rd International Cyber Security conference just as Israel found
it was ranked as the world’s leader in cyber security – up from 19th
place in 2012.
Israeli awarded for saving
the bees.
Professor Ilan Sela of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been
awarded first prize in this year’s Kaye Awards for Innovation. Sela discovered the IAPV virus responsible for
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and then founded Beeologics, the developers of
CCD treatment “remebee,”
Israeli wins top Blackberry award. Gadi Mazor, Chief
Technical Officer of Israel’s OurCrowd, has won the Blackberry Achievement
Award for Entrepreneur of the Year.
Gadi developed Nobex Radio for BlackBerry - an innovative mobile radio
app that has reached over 12 million registered users.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
UK-Israel bilateral trade up 21%. Trade between the UK and
Israel increased from $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion in the first quarter of
2013. Exports from Israel to the UK
increased by over 50 percent.
The long goodbye. Governor of the Bank of
Israel, Professor Stanley Fischer has begun his wind-down to retirement. He has already taken his leave of the
Knesset Finance Committee and the Bank of Israel will host a professional
Farewell Conference in his honor on June 18.
A great national asset – he is a hard act to follow.
Google buys Waze for
over $1 billion.
Traffic crowd-sourcer Waze became one of the largest purchases in
Israel’s history. Waze, founded in
2008, now has nearly 50 million users. The ability to produce such a high-value
application is also very good news for Israel’s growing hi-tech scene.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Welcome stars of Latin America. US hasbara organization
America’s Voices in Israel brought five major names in Latin media to Israel.
Among them was Don Francisco, the Chilean host of Univision’s “Sábado Gigante,”
the longest-running entertainment program in history. Francisco, born Mario Kreutzberger, is Jewish.
Two Israeli kickboxing world champions. Israel’s Sara Avraham – an
Indian convert to Judaism – is the new Muay Thai kickboxing world champion in
the 60-63kg category for the 16-19 age group.
She joins her Israeli friend Nili Block who is the world champion in the
52-56kg category for the same age group.
The peaceful roar of
Formula 1.
On the streets of Jerusalem 100,000 spectators - Muslims, Christians and
Orthodox Jews – cheered as the roaring state-of the art Formula 1 racecars sped
by. There was not one incident of
violence. Elizabeth Awwad, of east
Jerusalem, said “I am Muslim and they are Jewish, and we are together.”
THE JEWISH STATE
Israel the stabilizer. (Thanks to Michael Neifeld)
I don’t usually post political articles, but this one by Professor Norman
Bailey in Globes seemed particularly positive (for Israel) in the way it
summarizes what has happened to the Middle East in the two and a half years
since I started these newsletters.
Colombian President visits Israel. Juan Manuel Santos
Calderon, Israel's most loyal ally in Latin America, was received warmly in
Jerusalem. He signed a free trade zone agreement between Israel and Colombia,
an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in
matters of innovation.
The Memphis Israel Festival. Two of Memphis Tennessee’s
most famous personalities - Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King - were
pro-Israeli. But it is still amazing that
a US state with only 9,000 Jews held its 6th annual Israel Festival
that attracted 13,000 visitors.
“Israel is a blessing
not just to its citizens but to the world.” UK Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks gave an
inspiring speech at the “Closer to Israel” event in London. He listed dozens of Israel’s innovations and
humanitarian activities as well as the successful lives and the benefits that
Arabs enjoy in the Jewish State.
130609
In the 9th June 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists have discovered the
cause of a rare Arab genetic disease.
·
At Haifa’s Rambam hospital a Jewish
and Arab family have swapped kidneys.
·
An Israeli humanitarian organization
is helping victims of the Oklahoma tornado.
·
Israeli super-specs “read” to the
visually impaired in any environment.
·
Israelis have helped develop the
“Haswell” – Intel’s new 4th generation microchip.
·
Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg won the
2013 Queen Elizabeth Competition
·
A million Americans celebrated Israel
on the streets of New York.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “Three
weeks? Yes just Three weeks” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Insulin pumps for type 2 diabetes. Israeli biotech Valeritas
has developed a cheap, disposable mechanical pump for delivering insulin to
type 2 diabetes patients. The device is
important as health insurance companies are not prepared to cover expensive
insulin pumps and cheap pumps previously were easily damaged.
We don’t have to start from scratch. A research team led by
Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Dr Alex Binshtok has isolated the neurons that
carry the signals of itching to the brain.
The findings can lead to therapies for previously largely untreated dry
skin itch and allergic dermatitis itch.
Israeli researchers
uncover Arab genetic disease. An Israeli-led international research team
has discovered a rare bone marrow mutation, called congenital neutrophil defect
syndrome. It affected five Palestinian Arabs
at Sheba Hospital and two Moroccan Arabs in Munich. Israeli doctors are now working on a potential treatment.
Too much medicine. Israel’s Dr Doron Garfinkel
is a pioneer of intervention to prevent elderly patients taking many
treatments. The complex interactions
due to “polypharmacy” can lead to alzheimer’s-like symptoms. Dr Garfinkel visits patients to review and
agree which medicines are essential and which can be stopped.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week ending 1st
June 2013, 1300 trucks carried 35,996 tons of goods into Gaza from Israel
through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They
included 156 trucks of food and 436 trucks of construction materials.
Blood brothers. At Haifa’s Rambam hospital,
Israeli-Arab Mohammed Eckert received a kidney from David Ben-Yair’s son whilst
simultaneously Israeli-Jew David Ben-Yair received a kidney from Mohammed’s
wife. "We bonded both physically
and mentally," said David. "Here, in our country, and in the world at
large, we have to realize that we have the power to save people, all
people."
3-year-old Israel’s kidney saves PA Arab
boy. When
young Noam Naor fell out the window and was pronounced clinically dead, his
parents decided to donate his organs. Doctors at Schneider’s children hospital
transplanted one kidney into an Israeli child and the other saved the life of a
10-year-old Palestinian Arab boy.
A tablet for every child. Israel’s “Computer for
Every Child” project is designed to close the digital gap and allow Israeli
boys and girls from families with reduced means to receive the latest
technology, such as computer tablets.
Over 55,000 computers have been distributed in approximately 200
localities, in all sectors of Israeli society: Ultra-orthodox, Arab, Bedouin,
Druze, new immigrants, special needs children, etc.
Aid to victims of
Oklahoma tornado.
Israeli humanitarian organization IsraAID is providing disaster relief
to tornado victims in the Oklahoma towns of Moore, Bethel and Little X. They have been clearing debris from homes,
helping families salvage possessions and providing specialist trauma
counseling.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli schoolchildren develop Apple
apps. Apple
Inc. will inaugurate the first entrepreneurship development center of its kind
at the interdisciplinary arts and sciences Amal High School in Hadera next
week. The students will develop iOS-based apps for iPads and iPhones. Sixty 9th and 10th grade students will join
the project.
Safely deleted. (Thanks to NoCamels) When
old computers are disposed of, sensitive personal information recorded in them
may still be readable by malicious individuals and organizations. Israeli start-up Sure Erasure removes the
data completely, allowing equipment and parts to be recycled without compromising
security.
Israeli glasses allow
the blind to read.
Israeli start-up OrCam has developed a camera-based system that will
“read” to the visually impaired whilst on the move. So OrCam employee Liat Negrin, visually impaired since childhood,
can pick up a can of vegetables in a grocery store and easily read its label. Ships in September.
Using personal smartphones for work. Israeli hi-tech Red Bend’s
systems allow employees to use their own mobile devices to check company emails
and do other work while protecting the company from exposing sensitive
information. In the video, my cousin
Roger describes Red Bend’s TRUE (TRUsted) solution for BYOD (Bring Your Own
Device) at Mobile World Congress.
(Warning – it’s a bit technical!)
WIZO’s agricultural high school. Teenagers from the WIZO
Nachlat Yehuda School and Youth Village in Rishon Lezion, an agricultural high
school that specializes in life sciences, took their agriculture matriculation
exam last week. The curriculum covers
animal care and dairy cow production
Obama and the Technion. Here is a new video of US
President Obama seeing a selection of Israel Technion’s innovations during his
recent visit to Israel. It features robots, ReWalk and nano-technology.
Israeli frog 'is a living fossil'. This is essentially an old
story, but I’ve included it mainly because it is rare that the BBC includes any
good news from Israel.
A fifth of global biotech originates in
Israel.
20.5% of the global biotechnology industry's turnover - $24.6 billion
out of $120 billion - is based on products that originated in Israeli research.
This figure does not include several very important products by Israeli
researchers who are currently abroad.
Israel helps design
new Intel chip.
The new 4th generation Intel Core processor, codenamed Haswell, were
partly developed in Israel. The Haswell
extends battery life by 50 percent compared with the third generation
processors, and will give ultrabooks more than nine hours working time.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
High growth, low unemployment and health
costs.
Israel’s growth exceeds most of the other OECD countries. Unemployment is one of the lowest at 6.9
percent. Despite having one of the lowest mortality rates and highest life expectancies,
Israel spent the fifth least on health (7.7% of GDP). And then there’s the gas…
Lockheed Martin to set up Israeli
development center. Lockheed Martin Company, the world's biggest defense company,
will establish a development center in Israel. With Israel’s Bynet Data
Communications it is building the IDF Intelligence Corp's technology campus in
the Negev, known as the 5/9 project.
Israeli bubbles clean UK’s water. More about the deal that UK
water company Anglian Water has done with Israel’s Mapal. Mapal’s bubble-spreaders will be installed
in as many as 400 of Anglian’s 1,100 wastewater treatment facilities, and Mapal
is in “advanced talks” with other UK water treatment companies.
“We will bring 4-5 million tourists to
Israel”.
Ryanair’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Cawley was upbeat at meetings
with Israeli officials. “Ryanair has boosted the number of tourists in 28
countries in Europe and the world, and we intend to do this in Israel
too." Cawley said. 3.5 million
tourists visited Israel in 2012.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Positive Israeli art. The Arthur Szyk Prize of
Disruptive Thought and Zionist Art project is a $1000 award that hopes to
create a platform for those pro-Israel artists who want to express a more
nuanced, intimate relationship with the Jewish State. The contest is about creating honest artwork.
Israeli Pianist Wins
Prestigious Piano Competition. Boris Giltburg from Tel Aviv won the 2013
Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels, one of the most prestigious in the
world. Giltberg won thanks to his
originality, impeccable technique and emotional performance.
The Technion’s Garden of Eden. On the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology campus on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel is an ecological
garden. The idea of Prof. Emeritus Zev Naveh became a reality that is beautiful
and serene, providing a wonderful landscape for learning about nature.
No Clouds this summer. Cleveland Ohio-based
indie-rock group Cloud Nothing will perform concerts in Tel Aviv and Haifa at
the end of July.
Israeli actress is mother of Superman. The latest Superman film
“Man of Steel” opens on June 14th in the USA with Israeli actress
Ayelet Zurer in the role of Superman’s Kryptonian mum. Ayelet returns to Israel on June 17th
for the local premiere.
THE JEWISH STATE
Mendy convinces Israel-haters that
they’re wrong.
I never thought it possible, but kibbutznik Menachem (Mendy) Neeman uses
simple but very effective arguments to change how Israel’s opponents view the
Jewish State. If you run an
organization supporting Israel, please email an invite to him to teach you how
to do this.
A million New Yorkers
celebrate Israel.
More than a million Americans came out Sunday to show support for Israel
by attending New York City’s annual Celebrate Israel Parade. Hundreds of
thousands of spectators lined the route of the parade along Fifth Avenue,
drowning the street in a sea of blue and white.
Good show from the Brits. They couldn’t match New
York for numbers, but thousands of UK’s true Blue & White supporters young
and old made themselves heard in London’s Trafalgar Square at the “Closer to
Israel 65” event.
Druze News. A poor report in the UK Guardian newspaper
led to me finding some positive news about the Druze of the Golan. The Mayor of Majdal Shams, who says living
in the State of Israel “is a privilege”. And Shefaa Abu Jabal - the first
Syrian Druze woman resident of Israel to graduate from an Israeli university.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/israel-and-palestine/120412/syria-israel-golan-heights-druze?page=0,1 http://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/daydream-believers-a-saturday-in-majdal-shams-on-the-golan-heights
Where is Gilad Shalit? In the last three months,
Gilad Shalit - former prisoner of Hamas terrorists – has been promoting Israel
in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and South America. He has raised millions of dollars for the
Jewish State, telling the story of his captivity and thanking people for not
forgetting him.
More Israelis are reading books. Israel’s annual Book Week
is currently taking place in 45 cities. Israel's annual survey of libraries
reveals that the People of the Book increased the number of books borrowed by
25% in the last 4 years to 12.6 million books last year. Israeli Scouts are collecting, repairing and
donating used books to organizations that help children in need and long-term
hospitalized children.
Happy Israel. Daniel Pipes writes that
Israelis have plenty of reasons to smile.
GDP, birthrate, natural gas, low terror rate, US support, cultural
excellence and good diplomatic relations with 156 countries. “Israel’s enemies should give up and find
some other country to torment”.
A great Bar/Bat Mitzvah present – MDA
training.
For just NIS 120 (about $33) you can present your Bat/Bar Mitzvah
celebrant with the gift of a four-session Magen David Adom lifesaving
course. Jewish girls aged 12 and boys
aged 13 are obligated to keep the commandments – saving life being the most
important.
130602
In the 2nd June 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Haifa doctors have rebuilt the chest
of a baby born with an exposed heart.
·
Israeli computerized shoes are
teaching brain-damaged patients to walk again.
·
Israel’s Euro U21 Soccer Championship
squad contains Arabs, Druze and Ethiopian Jews
·
Israeli and Iranian researchers are
working together to benefit pregnant women.
·
Israeli technology keeps fruit and
vegetables fresh for many months.
·
Coca Cola prints your name on their
bottles using Israeli-developed printers.
·
Jerusalem is truly a “light to the
nations” with this week’s Light Festival.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
Special article
Click here for “Israel
Boycotters are in a World of their Own” (fast-loading version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Fixing the rarest of
heart conditions.
In only the second case in Israel in the last 30 years, a baby was born
without a breastbone to protect its heart.
Using 30-year-old medical notes, doctors at Haifa’s Rambam hospital
removed deformed bones and re-assembled the baby’s chest. After one week, the infant was able to go
home.
Technion scientists develop advanced
biological computer. Using only bio-molecules (such as DNA and enzymes), scientists at
the Israel’s Technion have constructed an advanced biological transducer - a
computing machine capable of manipulating genetic codes - and used the output
as new input for subsequent computations.
A valve to fix faulty heart valves. (Thanks to NoCamels) 7-8
million people a year suffer blood leakage from their heart’s mitral
valve. Now Israel’s MitrAssist is
developing a valve implant that will to work in unison with the body’s own
valve to prevent leakage and restore normal blood flow.
Israeli nanobots will change medicine. Founder of several biotech
companies, Dr Ido Bachelet is also assistant professor in the faculty of Life
Sciences and the Nano-Center at Bar Ilan University. He explains what computers the size of molecules can do inside
the body. These tiny computers exist in
Israel today.
Dental implants give children
confidence.
Children with Ectodermal Dysplasia have no teeth. Doctors used to wait until the children grew
up, but a new rehabilitative process at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem
fits implants and dentures to 5 and 6 year-olds. It benefits the children’s appearance, eating and social
interaction.
Doctors saves stroke victim. A medical miracle – a Haifa
man suffered a massive stroke and had only a 10 per cent chance of
survival. Doctors at Rambam Hospital
operated even after they believed it was too late. Next morning, the man awoke from his coma with no brain damage
and plans to dance at his wedding this summer.
One small step. Israel’s Re-Step has
developed a “magic” shoe called “step of mind” that allows people with brain
damage to re-learn how to walk. The
first treatment cycle using the computerized shoe at Israel’s Reuth Medical
Rehabilitation Center has improved the walking competence of 10 people with
brain damage.
An all-round endoscopic success. I reported in January that
Israel’s Peer Medical merged with EndoChoice of Atlanta, USA. Now the combined company has released “The
Fuse” –a next generation endoscope for examining the colon. It has two cameras providing a 330-degree
view to detect more cancerous polyps quicker.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Conference for religious businesswomen. The Temech Conference for
Women in Business took place in Jerusalem and featured world-class speakers on
business development, management and marketing. It included interactive workshops, guidance on individual business
issues and focused on formal and informal networking.
Israel’s united soccer
team. The Israeli squad for the European Under-21
Soccer Championships contains Jews, Arabs, Druze, Russians and Ethiopians. It is a true representation of the many
cultures in the country.
Israeli-Arab is oldest pediatric heart
transplant patient. Balal Kalash, 28, from Kfar Qara underwent a heart transplant at
Schneider Children's Medical Center. The young man had a complex congenital
heart defect and underwent several cardiac operations at Schneider’s in the
past. He has recovered and been
discharged.
Israeli-Arabs proud to serve in the IDF. Many Israeli Arabs want to
contribute toward Israeli society by serving in the Israel Defense Forces and
integrating into their home country. Bedouin and Druze Israeli communities
actively encourage IDF service. Christian and non-Bedouin Muslim Israeli Arabs
volunteer to proudly serve in the IDF, often in units comprised entirely of
Israeli Arab citizens. Here are some
testimonials.
A very “special” recycling factory. The employees of the new
Ecommunity Group’s electronic waste recycling facility in Karmiel are almost
entirely from Israel’s special-needs population. Workers with autism, Downs
syndrome, ADD/ADHD etc. transform technological trash into usable parts and
refurbished equipment.
Iranian and Israeli
doctors unite to help pregnant women. Israeli professor from Georgetown
University, Offie Soldin, has published a report with a group of Iranian
researchers analysing guidelines of how to deal with thyroid problems affecting
pregnant women. The thyroid hormone is vital for developing healthy babies.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Fruit and veg stay
fresh for a year.
At Israel’s Volcani Center, Potatoes sprayed with spearmint oil are not
sprouting for months; Granny Smith apples deprived of oxygen stay fresh for
over a year. Tomatoes are flourishing
despite being infected with the common yellow leaf virus.
Fill her up – Israeli style. Israel’s Gasngo has
developed technology solutions to enable authorized drivers to refuel without
having to use a credit card or perform a cash transaction. A Radio Frequency (RFID) tag on the vehicle
is read by the pump’s nozzle. The
solution has been installed in more than 3,000 gas stations.
Piecing together the fragments. In the basement of Tel Aviv
University, a network of 100 computers is running a sophisticated artificial
intelligence program to re-assemble the 157,514 fragments from the Cairo
genizah. The pieces from documents
dating from the 9th to 19th centuries should be matched by June 25.
Science on the streets. Visit Rehovot on June19th
to hear top Weizmann lecturers at the 4th annual “Beer, Science and
Good Spirits” event. In local bars and cafes you can learn about secrets of the
universe, curing cancer, growing body parts, quantum computing, the origins of
life etc. over a glass of beer, wine or coffee.
Israel’s scientists of tomorrow. Once a week, 76 excelling
and gifted students from Haifa’s Hebrew Reali School visit Haifa’s Science
Museum (MadaTech) to crack codes, discover the secrets of chemistry, engage in
mathematical thinking, construct robots and explore the world of space. They conduct their own in-depth research,
develop problem-solving strategies and strengthen their critical thinking,
originality and creativity.
Sorek desalination plant comes on
stream.
Starting this month, the new Sorek desalination plant will provide up to
26,000 cubic meters – or nearly 7 million gallons – of drinking water every
hour. When it is at full capacity, it will be the largest desalination plant of
its kind in the world.
A bumper crop of Israeli olives – in
India. The
Israeli firm Indolive is helping farmers to grow olives in the Rajasthan – a
desert state with complex soil conditions in the west of India.
Swedish prize for Israeli water company. Israel’s Netafim, the
pioneer of drip irrigation and the world’s largest irrigation company, has been
named the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award laureate. The award committee said, “Netafim’s
remarkable achievements, helping farmers across the world to ‘grow more with
less’, are directly contributing to a more water and food secure world.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli company prints
names on Coke bottles. Popular names that appear on hundreds of millions of bottles of
Coca-Cola are being printed on equipment produced using technology developed by
Israel’s Indigo. The campaign is
running in 32 countries, and some 800 million “name bottles” will be
distributed.
Funding for biodegradable packaging. Back in August 2012 I
reported that two mothers were so angry at all the packed lunch wrappings that
were thrown away that they invented an environmentally friendly packaging. Their start-up TIPA has now secured funding
from GreenSoil Investments to
help expand here and overseas.
Turks pleased to do business with
Israel. Zvi
Oren, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, and Muharrem
Yilmaz, president of the Turkish Industry and Business Association met to
discuss strengthening business ties and tourism. "It's amazing to see how
relieved they are that they can do business with us again," Oren said.
Russians love Israeli carrots. (Thanks to Ofir) Israel’s
“Uncle Moses” branded carrots are very popular in Russia. The Hebrew inscription was found to send an
“exotic” message to Russian consumers. In the harsh Russian winter, local
carrots are unavailable and Western Negev carrots and radishes are a valued
import.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Israel’s designer of the week. 52 Designers features one
of Israel’s most talented designers each week.
This time it is Artiom Dashinsky who designs interfaces for Israeli
technology, applications and innovative products such as SodaStream, Tvinci,
JitBit, Spotish and GoTasks. His
website features a very impressive portfolio.
Sunbeat 2013. The Summer Global Beats
Festival returns to the Mayan Harod Park in the Jezreel Valley on 21 – 22
June.
New Threads in Jerusalem. (Thanks to The Real Jerusalem Streets) Jerusalem Tower of David
Museum’s Summer of Inspiration: “Threads” exhibit is now on view. Ten Israeli fashion designers have created
original costumes around the theme of
’Women of Jerusalem’.
And there is light! “Light in Jerusalem” is the
name of the 2013 Jerusalem Festival of Light take place from June 5 to 13 from
8pm till midnight. The free festival
includes illumination performances, video projections on the buildings and
musical performances as well as a special Rock Circus show. See this amazing video.
Tectonics comes to Tel Aviv. The Tectonics Festival
takes place in Tel Aviv on June 6-8 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Famous Tel Aviv-born conductor Ilan Volkov
has performed Tectonics in Iceland, Glasgow and Australia. Tectonics is a rare fusion of classic and
contemporary music that appeals to a wide audience.
THE JEWISH STATE
Adelson donates another $40 million to
Birthright. Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam,
donated another $40 million to the Birthright Israel Foundation. Their overall donation to the program is now
$180 million. Birthright brings Jews
aged 18 to 26 to Israel to help broaden their awareness and deepen their
cultural identity.
Special celebration. Thirteen years after
discovering his Jewish roots, 64-year-old Moshe Lederman Cohen celebrated his
bar mitzvah at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.
Born Mariusz Robert Aoflko in Poland, his mother told him he was Jewish
just before she died. Israeli organization Shavei Israel brought him to
Israel. Moshe said, “This is the most
important day in my life. I feel like I’ve come home”.
Born on the way to Israel. The family of Zehava Elias
set out from Ethiopia in 1989 to walk to Israel, carrying only a little bit of
food, money and their Torah scroll.
Zehava was born on route.
Lieutenant Zehava Elias is now an officer in the IDF who have awarded
her with the citation of excellence.
130526
In the 26th May 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists have developed a
gel that can reverse paralysis due to nerve damage.
·
An Israeli’s medical theory from 1980
is curing cancer today.
·
300 Israeli and Palestinian Arab
children took part in the 2013 mini world cup.
·
IBM Israel’s computers are able to
identify water leaks.
·
Israeli technology is to treat UK
sewage.
·
Israeli security protects
international railways.
·
Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest
(the primary school version).
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
special article
Click here for “Why
do they not Boycott Israel?” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A gel to repair
massive nerve damage. Tel Aviv University researchers have invented a method for
repairing damaged peripheral nerves. A biodegradable implant and a new Guiding
Regeneration Gel (GRG) to increase nerve growth and healing can repair a torn
or damaged nerve, relieving pain and restoring mobility.
A supercomputer replica of the brain. It sounds like science
fiction, but the European Commission has granted 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion)
to Weizmann Institute graduate and ex-faculty member Henry Markram to simulate
the entire human brain on a supercomputer.
6,000 researchers are expected to work on the project.
Research into Mental Health. Ben Gurion University is
dedicating its new Center for the Advancement of Research on Stress Related
Disorders (CARES) to the promotion of awareness and understanding of
depression, anxiety and other related disorders. Its team includes six professors and many doctors.
Reduce stress to fight autoimmune
diseases.
(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Ben-Gurion University researchers have shown
that chronic stress increases the susceptibility to an autoimmune disease
similar to multiple sclerosis, which is characterized by damage to the nervous
system in the brain.
The Operating Room of the Future. Another terrific video from
Israel’s InSightec, which is using non-invasive ultrasound surgery to cure
Parkinson’s and essential tremors, to destroy tumors and fibroids and perform
hysterectomies. InSightec’s founder Dr Kobi Vortman learnt many of his skills
at Israel’s Technion.
IATI-BIOMED 2013 – a conference with a
difference.
Delegates at the Israeli Advanced Technology Industries’ June 2013
Biomedical Conference chose the topics in advance. Participants of the Israeli
Life Science industry’s premier event sent in their suggestions, voted, and the
top 250 subjects formed the program.
Weizmann scientist’s
idea is now curing cancer. In the 1980s, Zelig Eshhar, an immunologist
at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, conceived a cure for cancer: combine
monoclonal antibodies with T cells in the immune system. Today, the treatment has cured 20 cancer patients
in Pennsylvania and at other US centers.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: 862 trucks containing
23,447 tons of goods entered Gaza from Israel via the Kerem Shalom crossing in
the week to 18th May 2013.
The crossing was closed two days for the Shavuot holiday.
Ethiopian teen program grows. The Malkat Shva Youth
Program is expanding to include over 100 Ethiopian teens in two Jerusalem
neighborhoods. Malkat Shva promotes self-esteem with traditional dance,
instrument and theater. Late night
summer programs keep them busy and safe.
Please help them raise funds.
UK female Muslim doctor/writer praises
Israel.
British author Dr. Qanta Ahmed spoke about the difficulties for
minorities in Islamic societies and how Israel is the only country in the
Middle East that tolerates them. On her
first visit to Israel, she was asked to prove she was Muslim only when she
visited the al-Aksa Mosque.
Kids kick for peace. 300 Israeli and Palestinian
Arab children from the Peres Center for Peace’s "twinned Peace Sport
Schools" project took part in the 2013 Mini World Cup at Kiryat Gat. All the kids played in mixed teams,
representing different countries of the world.
See their facebook site for team photos.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tel Aviv to be the world’s first
‘digitalized’ city. This summer, “Digi-Tel,” will allow Tel Aviv residents to do all
municipal business online. Via free
wifi, you can receive event information and buy tickets for the shows and
sports you are interested in.
Weizmann’s lab of tomorrow. This exciting site allows
you to explore science at the Weizmann Institute and its impact on the
world. Open up each section of Tomorrow
Lab to view a branch on an ever-growing “Tree of Humanity” and share in Weizmann’s
ongoing efforts in pursuit of science for the benefit of humanity.
Agriculture and Health. Technological progress must
be balanced against its impact on health and the environment. This Hebrew University International
Symposium illustrates the importance that Israeli scientists place on this
issue.
No debris at Tel Aviv’s airport. (Thanks Uri) Israel Airports
Authority has installed the automated Foreign Object Debris detection system
FODetect developed by Israel’s Xsight, at Ben-Gurion airport. The system identifies material on the runway
that could cause a disaster like the one involving an Air-France Concorde jet.
Go-faster stripes for Israeli hi-tech. In a twist on the usual
scenario, Israeli networking equipment manufacturer Mellanox has bought
California-based silicon-photonics technology pioneer Kotura. The acquisition provides Mellanox with
Kotura’s 100-megabit data transmission capability and perhaps even more.
More leaks detected. Haifa-based IBM Research
Lab scientists have developed “Big Data” algorithms that can interpret utility
meter readings and sensors to detect water leaks. Israel’s Arad Metering Technologies will integrate IBM’s new
consumption pattern analytics program into their smart metering system.
These lampshades are really green. (Thanks to NoCamels)
Israeli designer Nir Meiri’s Marine Light project uses seaweed to make lampshades. He writes that seaweed is harvested on a
commercial scale, “as a result of a growing interest driven by environmental
concerns.” Meiri presented his creation at Milan Design Week.
Through the looking glass. (Thanks to Israel21c)
Israel’s Dip-Tech has an innovative digital glass printing solution that turns
ordinary-looking buildings into extraordinary landmarks. Examples of Dip-Tech’s
glass designs can be found on a Moscow Mall, Harlem Hospital, Barclays France
HQ and Exeter University.
Israel in Space. This new video shows
Israel’s satellite development. Israel is working with NASA, Italy (the Shalom
project) and France (Venus satellite to study environment and vegetation). It features Israel Aerospace Industries,
Elbit, Rafael & Space-IL (Israel’s moon mission). In memory of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut.
UK and Israel to double co-operation. UK’s Foreign Secretary and
Israel’s Minister for Science signed a Memorandum of Understanding, under the
British-Israeli Research Academic Exchange, to double existing cooperation in
regenerative medicine, increasing the number of research scholarships to 300
within five years.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Exports to Turkey at all-time high. The total amount of Israeli
exports to Turkey, not including diamonds, reached $560 million in the first
three months of 2013, 44% higher than a year earlier. Chemicals and processed
petroleum products accounted for 75% of all Israeli exports to Turkey and these
rose 67% from Q1 2012.
UK utility buys
Israeli water treatment system. (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Mapal has
just sold its advanced sewage treatment system to UK’s Anglia Water. Mapal
(Hebrew for “waterfall”) uses a unique form of “fine-bubble aeration”, which
decomposes waste using only 70% of the energy of other treatment systems.
Mapal’s system already operates in South Africa, Brazil, Peru, Angola and Congo
as well as in Israel.
Traffilog signs $40m Chinese deal. Israel’s vehicle fleet
management solutions developer Traffilog Ltd. has signed a $40 million deal
with China's biggest bus company Jiao Yun. Traffilog's Traffimech detects
mechanical problems and TraffiSafe warns of dangerous and inefficient driving,
helping to reduce accidents.
IKEA kitchen tops are Israeli. Kitchen buyers at American
outlets of the Ikea furniture chain will have their countertops covered by an
Israeli product – Caesarstone, an engineered stone marble and granite
substitute made in Kibbutz Sdot Yam. Caesarstone will serve as IKEA US’s
exclusive non-laminate countertop vendor.
Making trains safer. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Tel Aviv’s Radwin has announced its unique
solution geared for online video surveillance on board trains. “Wireless broadband in motion” transmits HD
video in real-time from multiple CCTV cameras onboard trains back to a control
center while the train is on the move.
And securing the Dutch
railway.
(Thanks to Atid-EDI) ProRail, the government agency responsible for rail
infrastructure in the Netherlands, is deploying Situator from Israel’s NICE
Systems to manage security, safety and operations. ProRail will be able to manage on-track malfunctions, fire incidents
and other crisis situations.
Israeli wines win prizes in UK. Israeli wineries won awards
at the 2013 DECANTER competition in Britain.
A record 14,362 wines from 52 countries were entered. The Adir Winery in the Galilee and the
Yarden Golan Heights Winery both took regional trophies. The Har Bracha boutique winery in Samaria
won two medals.
More gas. Noble Energy has announced a natural gas
discovery at the Karish prospect in the Alon C license, with a gross mean of
1.8 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas.
Total discovered gas in the Levant Basin is now estimated at 38 TCF.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Israel wins
Schoolovision 2013. Children from the Savyon-Ganei Yehuda School in Israel won first
place at Schoolovision 2013. 41 schools
from all over Europe took part in their very own version of the Eurovision
contest. Israel’s song “I’ll Remind you
to Fly” was inspired by the late Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut.
The Masada Project. This tribute to Israeli
Performing Arts takes place at the foot of Masada at the Dead Sea from May 30 –
June 1, 2013. It begins with a Shalom
Hanoch concert, then a Mayumana performance and finishes with legendary Israeli
singer Shlomo Artzi.
Tel Aviv Jazz Festival. Tel Aviv’s 24th Jazz
Festival brings the world’s best jazz musicians together for one of Israel’s
most revered and important music events. The world-class lineup at the new Tel
Aviv Cinemateque on May 29th – 31st includes Ester Rada, Daniel
Zamir Quartet, Corey Wilkes Quintet, and Gary Bartz Quartet.
THE JEWISH STATE
1st Temple era pillar found
near Bethlehem.
More ancient Jewish archaeological remains have been discovered in
Judea, providing additional proof of the unbreakable connection between the
Jewish people and the land East of Jerusalem.
The best views in Israel. You mustn’t forget your
camera if you visit any of these 10 sites.
High school supporters. Some young friends in New
Jersey are sending out Israel’s positive message.
Stamp(s) of approval. Jacob Richman has “posted”
images of Israel’s new stamps issued during May. They include the Israel National Trail, (10 stamps make up a
map), Australian Light Horse Beersheva 1917 and the late Yitzchak Shamir – the
Israeli Prime Minister who helped make Israel into an economic success.
Only in Israel. Two lottery stories to
report. In March, A woman from the Tel
Aviv suburb of Herzliya won in the Israeli lottery for the third time, bringing
her total winnings to NIS 625,000 (some US $170,000). And last week a couple
won NIS 28 million and said they are going to …. invest it in a textile business.
130519
In the 19th May 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli discovery can protect
fertile women from the effects of chemotherapy.
·
Israeli heart doctors saved the life
of a 4-year-old Syrian girl.
·
A Turkish zoo has received a shipment
of 40 rare animals from Israel.
·
Thanks to Einstein, Israeli scientists
have found a new planet.
·
The Israel Water Authority is opening
the Kinneret dam to replenish the Jordan River.
·
Israel has begun the building of a new
International airport in the South.
·
The Israeli government is subsidizing
conversion to solar heating.
·
Last week’s (very popular) JPost
Israel Good News special article
Click here for “Boycott
Israel? Good Grief” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Protection during
chemotherapy.
Scientists from Sheba Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University have
discovered how chemotherapy destroys the ovaries. They have also developed a medication (under trials) called
AS101, which protects the ovaries and should maintain fertility of women undergoing
cancer treatment.
The heart can heal itself. (Thanks to NoCamels)
Doctors at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem noticed that cell tissue
transplanted into the left atrial appendage of the heart in mice developed into
local heart muscle tissue. The
phenomenon – similar to that of embryonic stem cells – has major implications
for cardiology.
Mushroom derivative treats pancreatic
cancer.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Professor Solomon Wasser of Haifa University has
patented a medicinal product derived from a fungus found in Israeli
forests. In animal trials, the Cyathus
striatus drug appeared effective against pancreatic cancer.
The benefits of Israeli herbs. (Thanks to Israel21c) A team from Israel, Spain, Greece and
PA-administered Nablus is developing a database revealing the science behind
the medicinal benefits of thousands of plants they’ve been gathering and
analyzing since November 2011 – including many native to Israel.
Saving the sight of the elderly. Israel’s Chief Scientist
has awarded biotech Cell Cure Neurosciences a $1.5 million grant to help
develop their cell-based OpRegen treatment for macular degeneration. The dry form of age-related macular
degeneration is estimated to afflict over 7.3 million people in the US alone.
Free check for melanoma. To mark Skin Cancer
Awareness Week, approximately 300 Israeli health fund clinics are providing
free checks by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Early diagnosis, helped by the Israel Cancer Association’s
awareness campaigns, has reduced the toll from skin tumors.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week to 11th
May 2013, 1,579 trucks carrying 42,490 tons of goods entered Gaza from Israel
via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Israeli doctors save
Syrian girl’s life. A 4-year-old Syrian girl was born with only one heart ventricle
instead of two. She had only weeks to
live when doctors from Israel’s “Save A Child’s Heart” organization operated on
her. The operation was a success and
she is recuperating ahead of returning to her new home in Jordan.
Humanitarian aid for Syria. Jerusalem native Moti
Kahana heads a group of Israeli businessmen and American Jews who have raised
$500,000 and travel to the Syrian refugee camps to provide aid to victims of
the conflict. Moti’s brother Steve is
on IDF reserve service at the Golan Heights, treating injured Syrians.
The Arab-Jewish theater of Jaffa. This is true co-existence.
The Arab-Hebrew Theatre of Jaffa hosts bilingual plays - in Hebrew and Arabic -
that increase understanding between people and bind the audiences and the
actors in a common, fun experience.
Just enjoying themselves. Elder of Ziyon has a nice
image of Israeli Arab Moslem girls having a good time river rafting at Israel’s
Nahal Snir Nature Reserve.
Israeli zoo sends
animals to Turkey. Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari park has sent a shipment of 40 different
animal species to Turkey in order to reinforce the Izmir Wildlife Park. Turkish zookeepers in Izmir had previously
asked Ramat Gan Safari for help in boosting their zoological collection.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Einstein helps find
new planet.
Tel Aviv University researchers have used a light-measuring method,
based on Einstein’s theory of relativity to locate a new planet 2,000 light
years away from Earth. TAU Professor
Tsevi Mazeh said that Kepler-76b was the first planet discovered using the
Doppler relativistic beaming effect.
Water brings Israel, Egypt and Germany
together.
At “Wasser Berlin” the Egyptian Minister of Utilities, Drinking Water
and Sewage posed for photos with several Israeli delegates and the German
Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development. 23 Israeli companies
were represented at the event.
Look after your computers. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israeli hi-tech company Soluto has launched a new service that allows
businesses to manage all their Personal Computers from a single point. The cost is 90% less than most of the
competition. Soluto’s consumer product
has already had 3 million downloads.
Better connections. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s RiT Technologies has launched Beamcaster – its indoor wireless optical
networking solution. The ultra-high
bandwidth and ultra-secure wireless technology is ideal for open-plan offices,
hospitals, schools and trade shows, providing high connectivity and easy
installation.
Stopping security leaks. The CelluSec platform from
Israel’s WiseSec has “indoor GPS” that can monitor mobile computers and
smartphones inside an organization.
Israel’s Ness Technologies then can switch off your Internet capability,
Bluetooth, camera etc. to protect against stealing data inside sensitive areas
of the building.
The gates are opening. The Israeli water authority
is to open the Degania Dam and replenish the flow of the Jordan River by
releasing 1,000 cubic meters of water per hour from Lake Kinneret. It is part of an ecological regeneration
process to restore the river and is being implemented in conjunction with the
Kingdom of Jordan.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
MK’s take 10% salary cut. Israel’s Members of the
Knesset (parliament) have agreed to a 10% pay cut as part of the 2013-14
budget. The reduction of NIS 3,484 per month
per MK will save NIS 5 million a year.
It was enacted to show the public that the new economic austerity
program affects everyone.
Gartner lists 13 “Cool” Israeli vendors. (Thanks to NoCamels)
Technology research company Gartner has released its annual “Cool Vendors”
list, which includes 13 Israeli companies. It features small companies in the
fields of IT, communications and other branches of high-tech, which develop
“groundbreaking” technology.
The Israel Conference. Los Angeles on 30th
and 31st May is the venue for Americans wishing to meet and do
business with Israeli companies delivering the latest technology. 70 Global companies. You need to be there.
Funtactix wins “a Webby”. Israel’s Funtactix has just
won the digital equivalent of the “Emmy” awards. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)
chose the on-line developer’s Hunger Games Adventure Game as the winner in the
“Social Game” category. Funtactix won
the Variety award in December.
UK business delegation to Israel. Senior Policy Advisor to
the British Prime Minister, Mr Rohan Silva, will be leading a high-level
business delegation to visit Israel this week.
It includes some of the UK’s largest retail companies, which will meet
with over 20 Israeli hi-tech companies.
Asia is Israel’s new frontier. (Thanks to IsraPundit and
Forbes) 2012 was “The Year of Asia in Israel”.
India and China are replacing any trade lost due to the economic
slow-down of Israel’s traditional partners in the USA and Europe.
The US-Israel win-win relationship. (Thanks to Herb) Yoram
Ettinger writes that Israeli technologies, shared with the U.S. industry, have
enhanced U.S. employment, research & development and exports.
eBay to incubate Israeli start-ups. (Thanks to NoCamels)
International retail giant eBay is setting up a startup incubator in Israel.
The incubator will focus on startups dealing with ecommerce, social networks
and big data, and will be located at eBay’s Israeli headquarters in Netanya.
Building of Ramon
airport begins.
Rona Ramon, widow of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, laid the cornerstone
of the new Ramon International Airport at Timna, 19km north of Eilat. The first new civilian airport since the
founding of the state will take four years to construct and cost NIS 1.7
billion.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Wine and Jazz in Jerusalem’s Gardens. (Thanks to Janglo) There
can’t be a more pleasant way to spend an evening. For a mere 60 shekels, on May 30th you can admire the flora in
Jerusalem’s Botanical Gardens, listen to great music and sample delicious wines
from the Judean hills.
Visit Druse and Circassian villages. According to the Jerusalem
Post (Metro section) the Galilee Development Authority and North Tourism Center
are offering free, guided tours of Druse and Circassian villages in the Galilee
and Carmel every weekend during May, June and July.
Galilee Dragon Boat race. The second annual Dragon
Boat Israel Festival took place on Lake Kinneret near Tiberias. One of the most impressive teams contained
88 paddlers from OneFamily – the Israeli charity that helps rehabilitate the
families of terror victims. The team
won its category and came 8th overall.
Number 1 for soccer’s Euro U-21. As Israel prepares to host
the European Under 21 Soccer Championships on June 5th, Eyal Golan
has just recorded the official song of the tournament “Always my Number 1”.
THE JEWISH STATE
Israel subsidizes
upgrades to solar heaters. For eligible residents who don’t already
have a “Dude Shemesh”, the Israeli government will pay NIS 900 (at least 25%)
towards the cost of changing from an electric water heater to a solar powered
one. A new eco-friendly heater saves an
average of NIS 1000 a year.
UK to hold major rally to support
Israel. The
UK (Jewish and non-Jewish) community is holding a street parade on June 2nd
to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. The “Closer to Israel” event also includes
many other activities and projects designed to promote Israel to the British
public.
1500-year-old mosaic unearthed. The Israel Antiquities
Authority has discovered a Byzantine era mosaic floor under the fields of
Kibbutz Beit Kama in the Negev. The red, black, and yellow mosaic was found
prior to the paving of the highway 6, just below the soil along with
structures, pools and a system to move water.
130512
In the 12th May 2012 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli experts are helping Boston
residents recover from trauma.
·
There are now school education
facilities in all Israeli hospital children’s units.
·
Israeli doctors are caring for an
abandoned disabled Gaza toddler.
·
The Israeli army is clearing old
landmines laid by the Jordanian army near Bethlehem.
·
Israeli software can measure the
different emotions in speech.
·
Sony is investing millions to help
develop Israeli medical devices.
·
Depeche Mode entertained 35,000 fans
in Tel Aviv.
·
Archaeologists have found a door key
lost near Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary.
Click “Good
News is Infectious” for (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Another clue in the battle against
Alzheimer’s.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University believe they may have uncovered the
cause of Alzheimer’s disease. They
injected the protein Tomosyn into the brains of mice, and produced
Alzheimer-like syndromes. Tomosyn exists in the brain but excess damages
inter-cell communication.
Israeli post-trauma
team in Boston.
A team from the Israel Trauma Coalition has gone to the Boston suburb of
Watertown to help develop “a recovery process” for the local school
system. Watertown was the epicenter of
the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. Children in the area are still
reeling from the event.
Israeli program to help children of AIDS
patients.
Professor Pnina Klein of Bar-Ilan University has developed an innovative
in-home training program for caregivers and HIV-infected mothers. Children in
their care gained significantly improved language skills, memory and cognitive
abilities.
Stopping bugs in hospital beds. Reuth Medical Center in Tel
Aviv announced that, following a six-month trial of Cupron’s anti-bacterial
copper-embedded linens, it will be the world’s first hospital to fully deploy
copper-embedded textiles in all its patient-related hospital textiles. (see
current JPost blog)
Eat three Israeli dates a day. All nine varieties of dates
grown in Israel are better than other varieties at helping protect those who
consume them against cardiovascular diseases.
Researchers from Haifa’s Rambam hospital and Israel’s Technion have
proved this in a study published in the prestigious Journal of Agriculture Food
Chemistry. Three dates a day reduce
triglycerides and improve cholesterol.
Education for all
children – even in hospital. World ORT Kadima Mada in
Israel now provides educational facilities in all 35 Israeli hospitals with
children’s units. The Swiss-based SASA Setton Foundation has just made a $3.2
million investment to cover youngsters at psychiatric hospitals and mental
health units.
Israel’s center for MS patients. The Grabski Multiple
Sclerosis Center in Migdal HaEmek is Israel's first and only dedicated
residential and outpatient center devoted exclusively to patients suffering
from Multiple Sclerosis. It provides a
full home environment for 32 live-in patients and serves 35 daily outpatients.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: The Kerem Shalom crossing
was closed for 3 days due to Hamas rocket firing and Gaza terrorist
threats. Subsequently, 447 trucks
carried 13,277 tons of goods into Gaza during the week to 4th
May. On May 7th, 138
furniture items were exported from Gaza to Egypt, through the Kerem Shalom and
Nitzana crossings.
Gaza toddler lives at
Israeli hospital.
3-year-old Mohammed was born with a genetic disorder that required the
amputation of his hands and feet.
Abandoned by his parents and the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed has
been at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan all his life with his grandfather,
on funds raised by the doctors.
Cleaning up water together. Israel’s Technion is
working with Al Quds University, in order to attempt to remove pharmaceutical
residues from wastewater. The project,
sponsored by the Shimon Peres Center for Peace, is trying to create a community
of water researchers working together and visiting each other’s facilities.
PA Health minister visits Hadassah. Palestinian Authority
Health Minister Hani Abdeen visited Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital -
the first ever visit by a PA minister to Israel’s largest medical
facility. There are some 60 Palestinian
Arab doctors in residency at the hospital.
IDF saves Palestinian Arab with dry
blood plasma. The Israel Defense Forces has become
the first army in the world to use powdered blood products in field
operations. It was given to a
Palestinian Arab with internal bleeding following an auto accident. The man
recovered at Hadassah Hospital and has since been discharged.
IDF clears Jordanian
landmines. An Israeli specialist mine removal team has cleared dozens of
landmines planted by the Jordanian army in 1967 outside the Arab village of
Husan near Bethlehem. The Arab Council
supported the project and visited the site each day. The mines had killed four local children previously.
Israeli cyclists raise funds for
Nepalese poor.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Israelis Daniel Moores and Abraham Cohen cycled
1200 km on the highest road in the world to raise over $4200 for low-income
communities in Nepal. The journey from
Tibet to Kathmandu in Nepal took two weeks, at altitudes up to 5000 meters.
International architects’ tour Israel. Pro-Israel organization
Kinetis has brought a group of influential architects to see the Jewish State
and its innovative buildings. During
the trip, Portuguese architect Souta de Moura received the 2013 Wolf Prize from
Israel’s President Shimon Peres.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel’s street-lab in Manhattan. 15 scientists from Israel,
aged 16-18, are to present Israeli technological advancements in a "street
lab" tent in Manhattan's Union Square.
The inventions include a handicapped parking protection system, a
seizure-alerting cell phone app and a drunk driving prevention system.
Glowing plants. (Thanks to NoCamels.com) No
need for electric street lighting in the future – the trees will glow. Israeli-American company Genome Compiler is
working to synthesize the DNA of an Arabidopsis plant with genes from a firefly
that cause natural luminosity.
Grasping the opportunity. (Thanks to Israel21c)
Israel’s Omek Interactive has taken the new Gesture Technology to a different
level in order to manipulate PC, mobile and gaming screens. Omek’s “Grasp” follows 22 points along each
hand and fingers to open a whole new world of possibilities.
It’s how you say it. Voice emotion recognition
developer Beyond Verbal has launched a patented technology that can extract,
decode, and measure a full spectrum of human emotions from a person’s raw voice. Based on 18 years of research, its emotional
detection engines understand someone’s mood and attitude as they speak.
52 Israeli designers. 52Designers is a project to
showcase 52 of Israel’s most talented designers. Each week for a year a new
Israeli designer will be featured.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Cooperation with China is flourishing. As Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu visits China, the Chinese Ambassador to Israel says that Israel is a
stakeholder in helping China reform, open up and innovate.
And with India. Israel is to advance
bilateral business, technology and economic relations with the Indian State of
Karnataka. In the first-ever Research & Development agreement between
Israel and an Indian state, Karnataka benefits from Israel's innovations and
Israel benefits from the Indian state’s resources.
Indian firm invests in Israeli hi-tech. Indian conglomerate Tata
is contributing $5 million to Tel Aviv University’s Technology Innovation
Momentum Fund. It is the largest single
investment in Israel by an Indian group.
TAU’s relationship with Tata, is via an India-Israel tech and business
forum set up ago some years ago.
More fizz for SodaStream. Israel’s home carbonated
beverages maker SodaStream International announced its profits were up 19.5%
and revenue up 34% in the first quarter of 2013.
Sony invests in
Israeli medical fund. Sony Corporation has invested $10 million in Rainbow Medical,
which invests in the medical device inventions of serial entrepreneur Yossi
Gross. Rainbow Medical will effectively
function as a kind of R&D center for Sony.
The “Inside” story on Israeli Start-ups. "Business
Insider" yesterday listed Israel's 20 hottest start-ups, and praised the
country's developed start-up industry. Israel is home to some 4,800 startups.
It's also home to least two dozen accelerator/incubator programs in the Tel
Aviv area, alone.
“A lean, green manufacturing machine”
That’s what Israel can become, according to the Washington Post, thanks to its
huge reservoirs of natural gas discovered off the coast of Israel. It is “capable of supplying cheap, clean
energy to its people, factories and vehicles for a generation.”
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The White City’s heritage. Tel Aviv celebrated exactly
ten years since UNESCO proclaimed the historic zone of Tel Aviv as a World
Cultural Heritage site. The White City, so named for the buildings’ white
walls, is the world’s largest grouping of buildings in the International Style,
also known as Bauhaus.
"Oh, Tel
Aviv!" Depeche Mode’s lead singer Dave Gahan
and his band delighted the 35,000 fans that flocked to their open-air HaYarkon
Park concert during the second show of Depeche Mode’s Delta Machine tour.
The Bee Gees sang “Israel”. (Thanks to 12Tribe Films)
It was news to me that the Bee Gees produced a song about the Jewish State in
1971. The accompanying photos are
interesting, but can you spot the odd-ones-out?
Scandal hits Israel. Latest visitors to Israel
included a group of American actors, who included Guillermo Diaz, Bellamy Young
and Katie Lowes from TV’s presidential drama, “Scandal”. Another was Lana Parilla, who stars as the
evil Queen/Regina Mills in the adventure fantasy television series, “Once Upon
A Time.”
The Jerusalem anti-racist, winning team. Jerusalem soccer club
Hapoel Katamon has gained promotion to the National Soccer League – Israel’s
second division. Katamon was
established six years ago to provide Jerusalem’s soccer-loving public, with a
team built on fan-power, anti-racism and community outreach.
THE JEWISH STATE
CFHU and Morgan Freeman raise $2m. Canadian Friends of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem honored Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, who
is dedicated to combating racism and promoting knowledge and education
worldwide. The event raised $2 million for the Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada.
Jerusalem is on the up. Jerusalem Day celebrated
the 46th anniversary of the reunification of Israel’s capital city. Jerusalem
is the largest city in Israel with 804,400 residents. There was an 11% increase in tourists last year and a 300%
increase in cultural events and festivals.
Uncovering the past on Jerusalem Day. While celebrations went on
above ground, new excavations underneath and around the Old City are
continually being uncovered and opened to the public. Each site is peeling back the layers and expanding our
understanding of key events in Jewish history.
They finally found his
key.
Whoever it was that lost a door key on the way to the Temple in
Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago, will be pleased to know that it has been found
during the construction of Jerusalem Road 21.
The key will be available for collection at the Israel Antiquities
Authority.
The festival of Milk and Honey. Here is a guide to some of
the exciting events happening in Israel during the week that encompasses the
Jewish festival of Shavuot (Pentacost).
It includes the 13th annual Jezreel Valley Shavuot Milk and
Honey festival, which features agricultural fairs, circus activities and
organized valley tours.
130505
In the 5th May 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israel’s vaccination program has
resulted in a 70% reduction in cases of pneumonia.
·
Iraqi children arrive to have
life-saving surgery at Israel’s Save a Child’s Heart.
·
Israel’s Briefcam helped identify and
apprehend the Boston bombers.
·
Israeli software will help secure
Denver airport.
·
Two innovative Israeli clean-tech
companies have won International awards.
·
50 million people use one Israeli
company’s translation software every day.
·
Warren Buffet spends $2 billion to
complete his buy-out of an Israeli company.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “Journey
to the Center of the Earth” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Fighting pneumonia and
rotavirus.
Israel marked “International Week for Encouraging Vaccinations” by
announcing that the Prevnar vaccination introduced in 2009 had reduced annual
cases of pneumonia by 70%. The
rotavirus vaccine, added in 2010, has reduced gastrointestinal illness in
children by 60%.
The reason for infection. A group of researchers from
the Hadassah Medical Organization has located a gene that explains the reason
for recurrent life threatening infections and the bone marrow failure in
children.
Stopping the super bug. Israeli hospitals have
imposed a strict set of procedures to prevent the spread of the super-bug
MRSA. Isolation wards, dedicated staff,
mandatory hand-washing and daily reports have cut the incidence of the bacteria
by over 70 per cent.
Hadassah opens new center for pediatric
vascular defects.
Ten percent of babies are born with vascular defects, of which most are
incorrectly diagnosed and can be life threatening. With the opening of a new unit in Jerusalem at Hadassah Medical
Center, these children no longer need to be sent abroad for this type of surgery.
http://www.hadassah-med.com/about/news/hadassah-opens-new-center-for-pediatric-vascular-defects.aspx
The doctor will always be with you. Israel’s Elad Systems has
developed a smart-phone app to enable doctors at Tel Hashomer’s Sheba Medical
Center to view the medical files of patients in real time. It will show data on
hospitalization, operations, clinic visits, medical tests, prescriptions and
sensitivities to help speed diagnosis.
Israel hosts Biogerontology congress. Three Israelis invented the
science of Biogerontology (the study of longevity and the aging process) some
40 years ago. Recently, Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev hosted the eighth European Congress of Biogerontology —
the first time this event was held in Israel.
First Israeli operation to separate
conjoined twins.
Doctors at Haifa’s Rambam hospital performed one of the most difficult
surgical procedures possible. Although
one twin was not viable and was stillborn, the other is now fighting for its
life. There have been only 150 cases of
similarly conjoined twins in the last 126 years.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: 39,865 tons of goods (over
12,000 tons more than the previous week) were delivered from Israel to Gaza on
1,548 trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the week ending 27th Apr.
Muslim Arabs are Israel’s gatekeepers. Interesting source for this
positive article on the Bedouin trackers who help protect the borders of the
Jewish State. “The state of Bedouin in
Israel is better, as far as the respect we get, our progress, education,” says
Lieutenant Colonel Magdi Mazarib. “It’s a different league.”
Three Iraqi children
to undergo heart surgery in Israel. Israel’s Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar has
approved the arrival of three young Iraqi children to Israel, in order to
receive lifesaving medical care from Israel-based international organization
Save a Child's Heart.
Another Syrian treated in Israel. A Syrian man who was
wounded by shrapnel and gunfire in the ongoing civil war in his country was
transferred on Monday evening to the Ziv Hospital in Tzfat. The man had suffered moderate wounds to his
waist and was expected to undergo surgery.
Qatari prince to visit Israel. Israel's business site
Calcalist reports that Qatar’s Prince Khalifa Al-Thani is to visit Israel this
November. This would be the first official visit of a member of the Qatari
royal family to Israel, and he has expressed his desire to promote high-tech
cooperation between Qatar and Israel.
Jerusalem Hills Children’s Home. Over 85 at-risk children
aged from 7 to 14 receive a secure and stable home environment, therapeutic
treatment and special education at the Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Center.
Since 1943 the three JHTCs have rehabilitated more than one thousand graduates
back into Israel's normative society.
Preserving the Galapagos Islands. A delegation from Ben
Gurion University’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research has toured
the Galapagos Islands and has signed a cooperation agreement with the
Directorate of the National Park to promote the conservation of the endangered
biological diversity of the islands.
Our Turkish friends. Turkish TV commentator
Ceylan Ozbudak is a big supporter of the State of Israel. So is Muslim scholar Adnan Oktar. Chief
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Israeli Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara, among others,
have appeared on his TV show. Please
read the nice things that Ceylan says about the Jewish State.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli technology
helped capture Boston bombers. Surveillance cameras alone were not enough
to locate the Boston Marathon terrorists. Israeli hi-tech company BriefCam
enabled investigators to summarize an hour of surveillance video footage into
only one minute and also zoom in on people and objects whose movements changed
during the filming. The system then tracked those movements from the beginning
of the video.
Your computer knows it’s you. (Thanks to NoCamels.com)
Israeli start-up BioCatch can protect you against someone maliciously trying to
access your private information. It
recognizes that no two people use a computer the same way, whether it’s how you
move your mouse pointer or the tiny differences in your reaction speed.
Denver airport to be
NICE and secure. Israel’s NICE Systems is to deploy its
Situator global situation management solution at Denver International Airport
(DIA) to enhance security and safety.
Denver is the largest and fifth-busiest airport in the US, serving more
than 50 million passengers annually.
Watch your dog go for a walk. The ultimate dog-walking
service is available in New York and will soon spread to Boston, Chicago and
San Francisco. Swifto’s
Israeli-developed systems allow clients to view the route of their walker on a
live map through an internal GPS tracking mobile application. And much more.
Israeli device helps nursing mothers. Mothers worried whether
their babies are taking enough feed may appreciate Milksense - the latest
device from Israeli startup Bradley and Luka.
The Israeli chain store Dr. Baby will begin selling the device in May,
with plans to market it around the globe.
Bio-furniture. Adital Ela, a
sustainability design lecturer at Holon Institute of Technology, makes an
entire line of interiors out of earth, straw, water and other organic natural
materials. Using zero energy, she molds stools and lampshades that are
incredibly sturdy can be thrown away without any undue environmental impact.
Game changing clean
energy. The Israeli “smart water” network and
software management firm Whitewater was named a 2013 Bloomberg New Energy
Pioneer at a ceremony in New York.
Whitewater was described as one of the “game-changing companies in the
field of clean energy technology and innovation.”
Solar powered sensors
are a winner.
Israeli agro-tech Sol-Chip’s solar-powered sensors monitor the quality
of the soil, irrigate automatically and even keep track of cows. Sol-Chip has just won the Technical
Development Award in the 2013 IDTechEx Energy Harvesting & Storage Europe
Conference in Berlin.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
“The state of Israel’s economy is very
good.” Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer
spoke at the Institute for National Security Studies conference. Unemployment at 6.5% is the lowest in 30
years. GDP growth for 2013 is estimated
at 3.8% - a figure envied by most other advanced economies.
Babylon deal
translates into cash. (Thanks to Eli) Israeli translation company Babylon has signed a
four-year cooperation agreement with Yahoo Inc. The two companies will share in revenue from Internet advertising,
which provides Babylon with 94% of its revenue. Babylon already has around 50 million users a day.
EasyJet “goes big in Tel Aviv”. Low-cost airline easyJet is
launching an aggressive marketing campaign in London, aimed at promoting
tourism to Tel Aviv among young people and couples without children, under the
banner "Go Big in Tel Aviv."
It also plans to fly to Israel from Rome, Milan, Paris, Nice, Berlin and
more.
Israel’s space travelers go electric. Israel Aerospace Industries
has signed a leasing agreement with Israel’s Better Place to operate a fleet of
electric vehicles. The fleet of several dozen Renault Fluence Z.E. (Zero
Emissions) cars will replace regular fuel vehicles in the company car pool.
Israeli lasers go east. China's Shanghai Fosun
Pharmaceutical Group has bought Alma Lasers, which are developed in
Caesarea. Alma Lasers’ light-based,
radio frequency and ultrasound products for aesthetic and medical applications
command a 15% share of the global market for high-end aesthetic devices.
Israel’s oil shale. (Thanks to Herb) This article reviews Israel’s massive oil
deposits, the plans for extracting it and the potential benefits for both
Israel and its neighbors.
Buffet is good for
Israel. Seven years after mega-businessman Warren
Buffet paid $4 billion for 80% of Israeli precision toolmaker Iscar, he has
exercised the option to buy the rest for another $2.05 billion. The deal will generate $1 billion of tax
revenue to Israel and may remove the need for some planned budget cuts.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Be’er Sheva runners hope to shine. Competitors in the Be'er
Sheva Night Glow Race will be literally glowing with pride when they take part
in either the 5km or 10km runs.
Israeli hockey team wins in Turkey. (Thanks to SDM.) The
Israeli team gained promotion to IIHF League Division IIA at the 2013 IIHF Ice
Hockey World Championships in Turkey.
The blue and whites won four of their five league games to finish top of
Division II Group B, ahead of New Zealand, Mexico, China and Turkey.
THE JEWISH STATE
Why Israel? At least a dozen groups of Americans making
Aliyah (immigrating to Israel) with Nefesh b’Nefesh answer that question here.
“Make Israel relevant.” “A nation is not defined by
its problems”. “We need to begin a conversation about what we bring to the
table as a country.” “In today’s tech
environment it is not about winning debates, but building relationships with
people with influence and relevance, people who matter,” Great quotes by Ido
Aharoni, Israel’s consul-general in New York in this latest interview.
US Embassy supports ultra-orthodox
hi-tech students.
The US Embassy's diplomatic attaché and cultural attaché visited the
Lustig Institute in Ramat Gan and committed to assisting in the integration of
haredi women into the high-tech sector.
Two Lustig students helped develop an advanced chip for the US defense
industry.
The IDF is green. To mark Earth Day, the
Israel Defense Force published this list of how it protects not just the people
of Israel, but its environment too. This includes wastewater recycling, solar
power, re-using water from air-condition units, filtering bacteria from ship
water, recycling engine oil and switching to natural gas.
130428
In the 28th April 2013
edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
An Israeli biotech has developed the
only really effective vaccine against Hepatitis B.
·
Tel Aviv University scientists can
diagnose schizophrenia by checking your nose.
·
A Hebrew University on-line medical
course is popular in Muslim and Arab countries.
·
Technion scientists have developed the
first insulator for light particles.
·
Israel’s top water technology
companies are exhibiting in Berlin.
·
An Israeli won a gold medal at the European
Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
·
Israel marked Earth Day by screening
the first ever film powered by solar energy.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “Israel
is at the Cutting Edge”
(fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The best vaccine
against Hepatitis B Virus. (Thanks to Israel21c) Although nearly all
babies are vaccinated against HBV, the virus still kills 1.2 million people
every year – mainly immune-suppressed, gluten intolerant and diabetics. Israeli biotech SciGen’s Sci-B-Vac is the
only third-generation HBV vaccine, given to almost all Israelis and has reduced
HBV deaths in Israel significantly. It
will soon be available in most countries.
US funds Israeli university to research
measles virus.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has received a two-year UN National
Institutes of Health grant to investigate why the measles virus persists in its
target cells and establishes chronic infection, long after resolution of its
acute phase.
Praise from World Health Org chief. World Health Organization
director general Margaret Chan praised Israel’s national health infrastructure
on her first visit to Israel. She said,
“I’ve come here to learn from your excellent health system”. She also visited Gaza children at Tel Aviv’s
Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital.
Early cancer detection saves lives. Here is a report on the
cancer-screening program conducted at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center. Its Integrated Cancer Prevention Center
program is considered to be unique in the World. In a few hours you get examined for early detection of at least
11 most common cancers.
Keeping your strength up. Israel’s Health Ministry
has for the first time issued standards for food served in Israeli hospitals,
aiming to guarantee that patients receive more wholesome and tastier
meals. Changes include less salt,
wholegrain bread, menu choice, low fat poultry and fish and dairy products with
up to 5 percent fat.
Medical cooperation with Maryland. The Governor of the US
State of Maryland and the President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore
visited the Hebrew University Hadassah School of Medicine in Jerusalem. They pledged increased collaboration in
research and academia.
A nose test for
schizophrenia.
A Tel Aviv University team says they can diagnose the psychiatric
disease of schizophrenia at an early stage.
They take samples of nerve cells from the upper internal part of the
nose and test for a specific molecule of micro-RNA that has high levels in
schizophrenia patients. Previous tests
could only be performed post-mortem on the brain.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: 27,641 tons of goods
including food, medicines and construction materials were delivered from Israel
to Gaza on 1,042 trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the week ending 20th
Apr.
Israel and Jordan save Egyptian vulture. The rare bird was born in
Israel but flew into power lines in the Jordan valley. The Jordanian authorities contacted Israeli
nature organization SPNI who obtained special authorization to collect the
vulture. The injured bird is now
recovering at Ramat Gan Safari Hospital.
Israelis treat all alike. Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center is treating 24 victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. It also treated the surviving Chechen
bomber. And who is the director of the
hospital? Israel’s Professor Kevin
(Ilan) Tabb - a board member of Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem.
Muslims sign up for HU
on-line course.
Around 40,000 students have signed up for the 9-week on-line course
“Synapses, Neurons and Brains” run by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Participants come from Lebanon, Iran, Saudi
Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Morocco and Algeria as well as the USA, Europe etc.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A good name. Dr Irwin Jacobs and his wife Joan have
donated $133 million to have the new Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation
Institute named after them. The funds
will help support curriculum initiatives, faculty and graduate students, and
industry interactions in a two-year graduate program at the JTCII in New York
City.
There still is light. Protecting the transport of photons of
light is vital for computing and communications. Technion scientists have developed the first photonic topological
insulators that prevent light from scattering irrespective of any defects in
the materials that they flow through.
Israel to make wings for F-35. Israel Aerospace Industries
has signed a long-term contract with US defense giant Lockheed Martin to
produce wings for the F-35 next-generation fighter jet. State-owned IAI already manufactures the
wings for the F-16 jet and the T-38.
Breaking down pesticides. More about the literally
“groundbreaking” technology that Israel’s Weizmann Institute has
developed. Israeli start-up Catalyst Ag
Tech is commercializing the system that introduces eco-friendly catalysts into
the soil to break down the dangerous chemicals into inert compounds.
Look your best. (Thanks to NoCamels.com)
When an unsightly skin blemish spoils a photo, Facetune is your personal
“digital make-up artist”. Simply upload
your photo to Facebook and Facetune will erase pimples, spots and wrinkles. It
can even reshape your nose.
Unfortunately it doesn’t work on real life.
Linking up social media. Two Israeli companies are
expanding their reach. Graduway
(College alumni networks) is integrating with LinkedIn’s professional network
to enable graduates to get jobs.
Gigya’s social infrastructure (used by 1.5 billion users) is to include
links to Google+ .
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel gets another “A”. Fitch Ratings
reaffirmed Israel's long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at
'A' and local currency IDR at 'A+, both with a "Stable" outlook,
citing the country's diverse and advanced economy. It also predicted that
natural gas would boost Israel's growth rate to 3.7% in 2013.
Germany looks to
Israel for advanced water technologies. 24 Israeli companies including Mekorot,
Amiad and BlueI presented their products at Wasser Berlin last week. The trade fair focused on water and
wastewater technologies and management.
Checkpoint boss’s university career. (Thanks to Uri) Gil Shwed
runs Checkpoint – Israel’s leading IT security company. He never gained a university degree,
although at 16 he was running the computers at the Hebrew University. He is now on the board of trustees at both
Tel Aviv University and its Youth University.
Israeli biotech goes to USA for $480
million.
Miami-based Opko Health has just taken over Israel’s Prolor Biotech. Prolor develops long-lasting medicines
including a human growth hormone, a clotting factor for hemophilia and
treatments for diabetes and obesity.
The CEO of Opko is also the Chairman of Israel’s Teva.
13 Israeli start-ups graduate from
Microsoft incubator. Microsoft celebrated the graduation of its second Israeli class
of Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure after a four-month intensive program
in Herzliya. 12 of the start-ups are
launching products on May 7th and eight have already received over
$4 million of funding.
What Israel did for IBM (and vice
versa).
Meir Nissensohn, former general manager of IBM in Israel, explains why
IBM came to Israel, what investment opportunities Israel offers to large,
multinational companies and what these companies can give to Israel in
return. (Interview on Doug Goldstein’s
radio program).
US companies drool over Israeli
start-ups.
Israel has 4,800 start-ups. Only
the USA has more. Almost every U.S.
Venture Capital fund has at least one Israeli startup in its portfolio. Israel is a nation of people who can create
hardware, gadgets and apps and who have the confidence to leave good jobs and
launch companies.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The Israeli museum of Science. Madatech in Haifa has some
great events for Lag B’Omer. Learn all
about fire and burning. Also watch some
fiery objects at the new space exhibition – “Beyond Planet Earth”
Israeli gymnast wins
European gold.
Alex Shatilov became one of the greatest Israeli athletes of all time
when he won the gold medal in the floor exercise final at the European Artistic
Gymnastics Championships in Moscow. Alex
previously won silver in 2011 and bronze in 2009 and 2012. He also won bronze
at the World Championships in 2009 and 2011.
Israeli wins bronze at Euro Judo
championships.
Despite competing with an injury, Tommy Arshansky won the bronze medal
in the under-60 kilogram category at the European Championships in Budapest,
giving the Israeli delegation its first medal of the contest on opening day.
THE JEWISH STATE
Moskowitz Prize for Zionism. Sadly, I missed out for the
second year running. But the
well-deserved winners were Chancellor Yigal Cohen-Orgad of Ariel University,
Rabbi Moshe Levinger of Hebron, and Zionist education expert Dr. Zvi Zameret.
Walkathon for Benji. Every year, hundreds of
Israelis walk to raise funds for Ra’anana’s home for lone soldiers. Benji Hillman made Aliya from London in 1983
but was killed in Lebanon in 2006. As
divisional commander he always watched over lone soldiers and Habayit Shel
Benji was built in his memory.
New home for lone soldiers. A new home for Lone
Soldiers in Israel was opened in Ramat Gan with a special ceremony. It marks
the conclusion of the $5 million project launched by the American Friends of
the Israel Defense Forces.
Israel marks Earth
Day.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel celebrated Earth Day with the world’s first
full-length movie screening, powered by solar energy, sponsored by Energiya
Global. In Jerusalem the lights were
turned off, to highlight the need to save energy – but not until after the
opening of the Cool Globes exhibition.
The word “Jew” comes from “Judea”. This is the video “The
Spring of Judea and Samaria”.
He must be keen (or daft!). 39-year-old Jorgen Nilsson
left his home in Sweden six months ago on a 4,500-kilometer (2,800-mile)
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Jorgen, a
knight in the Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus, arrived just in time for the
first International Jerusalem Symposium on Green and Accessible Pilgrimage.
130421
In the 21st
April edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Within one hour an Israeli
mathematical innovation can identify patients at risk of heart disease.
·
Israeli training helped
Massachusetts’s hospital treat victims of Boston Marathon bombing.
·
Israel has opened an industrial park
fostering community relations in the Israeli-Arab city of Nazareth.
·
An Israeli start-up has a system that
reduces emergency response times to below 3 minutes.
·
Israel has signed a Free Trade
Agreement with India that will bring huge economic benefits to both.
·
Canadians and Israelis are the most
degree-educated people in the world.
·
An Israeli who was critically wounded
by a Hezbollah rocket is now a doctor.
·
Roni Pilo has painted what may be the
largest Israeli flag ever – visible hundreds of miles away.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Click here for “At
the Dawn of a New Age” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
Page Down for
more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S
MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Speedy heart
monitoring.
Sheba Medical Center researchers and Israeli start-up Lev-El Diagnostics
of Heart Disease have developed an algorithm that could save lives by quickly
identifying patients with heart disease.
Patients used to have to wear heart monitors for 24 - 48 hours. Now they
are diagnosed in one hour.
The cutting edge of cell therapy. 18 Israeli companies
develop or market cell-based treatment products - an unprecedented large
proportion in relation to the country’s population. All of them are attending
the Israstem Conference in Ramat Gan starting Apr 22, to discuss stem cells,
cell therapy, and regenerative medicine.
More clues in search for cause of
Alzheimer’s.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University gave electric stimulation to the
brains of rats and found that high-frequency “bursts” produced the same destructive
plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Success in IBD trials. Israel’s BiolineRX has
announced positive results for the Phase IIa clinical trial of BL-7040, an oral
treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease affect as many as 1.4
million individuals in the US alone.
A lifeline on your wrist. Israeli start-up Oxitone
has developed a blood-oxygen monitor that can be worn on the wrist by those “at
risk” to warn of any sudden deterioration in their condition. Oxitone has been selected for GE
Healthcare’s Start-Up Health Academy Entrepreneurship Program – one of only two
companies outside of the US to be chosen for their 3-year program that turns
fledgling businesses into prime companies.
Boston Marathon –
hospital had Israeli training. Dr Alasdair Conn, Chief of Emergency
Services at Massachusetts General Hospital stated that two years ago they asked
the Israelis to set up a disaster team that could respond to a mass-casualty
event. This prepared them for dealing with the Boston Marathon bombing.
ISRAEL IS
INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly
deliveries:
In the week ending 6th April, 992 trucks brought 27,880 tons of goods
into Gaza.
Industrial park for
Nazareth.
Israel has opened a new industrial park in Nazareth to promote economic
cooperation between the region’s diverse Jewish, Christian and Muslim
citizens. It is modeled on nearby Tefen
Industrial Park, designed to bring together industrial, educational and
cultural facilities all in one space to foster innovation, growth and peace.
Just like me, just like you. (Thanks to Stuart Palmer)
Dozens of Haifa University’s 800 overseas students from 40 countries wanted to
let the world know that they share desires and ambitions with local Israelis.
Israel’s on-line Ambassadors. A Muslim Bedouin girl,
several Druse, a Pole and 26 Israeli Jews make up the latest group of Haifa
University students training to represent Israel as unofficial ambassadors in
the international aren. Muslim Ayat
Rahal says “I want to show a true picture of Israel. It’s not all protests.”
Egyptian academics study Israeli
language and culture. I’m taking this article at face value, but I’m very
surprised. At any one time, close to
20,000 students at nine of the 14 Egyptian universities study Hebrew. Each year, at least 2,000 Egyptian students
graduate with bachelor's degrees that include the study of Hebrew.
Yale student
union’s President is Israeli. Daniel Avraham has made history at Yale
University after having been elected as the first Israeli to serve as the
institution’s student union president.
The 24-year-old Jerusalem native is a graduate of Herzliyah’s Gymnasia
high school and a former intelligence officer in the IDF.
SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
The fastest emergency
response.
(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli
start-up NowForce has developed a replacement for expensive emergency call
centers. It comprises a distress signal
app for the smartphone; an app for the rescue worker (including paging and
directing); finally, a dispatch center back-end solution. In the Missouri police department NowForce
has cut response times to one sixth of those experienced previously.
Your smartphone can have Everything. If you search for anything
on a smartphone running the new Firefox operating system, it will fire up the
software from Israeli start-up Everything.me.
Then things really happen as it loads applications dynamically to show
you everything you might want, in connection with your search.
Pump your photos up to the Cloud. Israel’s Pumpic is for
those who frequently want to share large numbers or high quality photos with
their friends and colleagues. Users can
send up to 10,000 images - each up to 100 MB in size - instantaneously. Pumpic has just raised $700,000 in its first
round of financing.
Fixing mobile phones wirelessly. Two Israeli companies
Cellebrite and CommuniTake are working together to establish a service that can
diagnose and repair smartphones whilst still in the hands of the customer.
Israelis get top European award. Eight Israeli companies
received the Red Herring's Top 100 Europe Award, given to Europe's leading
private companies in recognition of their innovations and technologies. They were Celeno, Modelity Technologies,
MyThings, NLT Spine, Phinergy, Somoto, Valens and WalkMe.
Inside the Technion – Israel’s Hard
Drive. A
rare positive article in the New York Times about one of Israel’s top education
institutes. It features an Israeli-Arab
student – one of the 20% of Arabs at the Technion.
The biggest hi-tech celebration. Israel’s high-tech industry
- in the form of the Israel Advanced Technologies Industry group - threw a huge
Independence Day party for hundreds of guests in Tel Aviv. Representatives of
17 R&D labs of multinational companies, including Intel, Google, IBM,
Microsoft, Yahoo, HP, Oracle and Philips talked about the innovations,
accomplishments, and contributions they make to their parent companies.
65 years of innovation. This is the definitive list
of Israel’s inventions. It includes the
solar water heater, amniocentesis testing, drip irrigation, desalination,
unmanned drone aircraft, 8088 and Centrino computer chips, RSA encryption, Quasicrystals,
instant messaging, Pillcam, the flash drive, ReWalk and a whole lot more.
ECONOMY
& BUSINESS
Georgia will G.R.O.W. with Israel. A program called G.R.O.W. -
Georgia Reaching Out Worldwide is attracting trade between the US State and the
Jewish State. Ronen Kenan, who
represents Georgia in Israel, said, “Israel is a gateway to a lot of markets in
Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa.”
What does Israel give to the USA? Ex Ambassador Yoram
Ettinger explains that Israel provides the United States huge financial
benefits just with its modifications to US military hardware.
Israel trade with
India to soar.
(Thanks to Herb) A new Free
Trade Agreement between Israel and India is expected to triple the current $5
billion trade between the two. Minister Yahel Vilan cited potential for immense
growth in healthcare, agriculture, irrigation, renewable energy, aviation, IT
and water management.
Israel’s exports have increased by
15,000 per cent. In 1948 Israel exported $6 million worth of goods and services. Today’s value is $91 billion, making tiny
Israel the 38th largest exporter in the world.
Not bad for the 97th largest population in the world.
Good publicity. Two Israeli companies
Outbrain and Taboola are at the top of the content marketing business. For a small fee, they can bring thousands of
new readers to a website. So that’s how to promote Israel’s good
news! I featured Outbrain in a
story about employee loyalty back in November last year.
CULTURE,
ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Recycled poetry on Israeli streets. Israeli artist Nitzan Mintz
writes her poems on the streets of Tel Aviv, using disregarded materials from
dumpsters and public spaces. “I use only recycled materials in my art. I use
birdcages, pieces of wood, anything. It’s like a gift from God. I need art
materials and I find them,” she said.
Book now for the Israel festival. Israel Festival Jerusalem
from May 25 to June 22 focuses on contemporary theater, music and dance. But there is plenty to attract
traditionalists. Plus hotel discounts.
Three Israeli acts at Glastonbury. For the first time, Israel
will be represented at the UK’s leading music festival. Acollective is a seven-piece band performing
punk, folk and electronic jazz. Saz
(Sameh Zakout) raps in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Soul singer Ester Rada has been compared to Lauryn Hill and Eryka
Badu.
Good show. The fly-past by the Israeli Air Force to
celebrate Israel’s 65th Independence Day was exciting to watch, from all over
the coastal plain of Israel.
THE
JEWISH STATE
One of the
best-educated countries. According to the OECD, Israel’s population has the second highest
percentage of college degrees in the world (46%). Only Canada (51%) has more.
The OECD average is 31%.
You are not alone. Absorption Minister Sofa
Landver greeted new immigrants who have made Aliya without their parents and
will join the IDF as “lone soldiers” immediately after Independence Day. “These
young men and women help guarantee the continued existence of the State of
Israel,” she said.
It’s much more than just Independence. The Jewish State is more
than just another country.
Israel has much to celebrate. (Thanks to
todaysCLIC.com) Nice piece in the
Montreal Gazette by Joel Lion.
We’re here to stay. (Thanks to 12Tribe Films)
Asael Lubotzsky was so badly injured by a Hezbollah rocket in 2006 that his leg
was hanging by a thread. Now he is an
Israeli doctor and has a daughter. “We called our daughter Neta, a sapling in
Hebrew, because “as much as they tried to uproot me, I am planting”.
65 Years of Achievement. I don’t know how I missed
out this video from last week’s newsletter.
That’s what I call a flag. Using 740 gallons of paint,
Roni Pilo has painted a gigantic flag, almost an acre in size, on an Eilat
hanger. The flag, painted in time for Israeli Independence Day, can be seen
clearly from the Jordanian shore and cities across from the Gulf.
130414
In the 14th April 2013 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists have made some major discoveries
about our immune systems.
·
Hadassah hospital has a new head of emergency medicine
– he is a Muslim Arab.
·
An Israeli actress donated her bone marrow to save a
leukemia sufferer.
·
A new low-cost milking machine could revolutionize the
dairy industry.
·
Israeli batteries have the power to transform the
future of electricity storage.
·
The legendary composer Burt Bacharach is to perform in
Israel in July.
·
Israel’s greatest moments of history are now accessible
over the Internet.
·
Articles and videos celebrating Israel’s 65 years of
achievements.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Happy
birthday Israel - Presents for all” (fast-loading, text-only version, no
adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Immune cells prevent and cause
brain degeneration. Weizmann
Institute’s Professor Michal Schwartz and her team have discovered that immune
cells at the edge of the brain travel an extraordinary route to repair brain
trauma. In the elderly, the cells no
longer do their function, which could open up new treatments for dementia.
Immune cells fight or cause liver
disease. Sounds
familiar? Professor Rifaat Safadi’s
team from Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem has identified that the normal
function of Neuroliglin 4 in the immune system is to fight cirrhosis of the
liver. But in patients with Hepatitis
or alcoholics, the cell changes and attacks the liver.
Sweetner could treat Parkinson’s. Researchers from Tel Aviv University have
found that the sugar substitute mannitol protects the brain against the effects
of Parkinson’s disease. Laboratory
trials are to be completed before human clinical trials can commence.
Pediatrician delivers baby in elevator. On her way to give a lecture at Kaplan
Medical Center Dr. Hanni Olivestone found a woman in labor in a public
bathroom. She took the woman in a
wheelchair to the delivery room but as they entered the elevator, the baby’s
head emerged.
Top US award for Israeli cancer specialist. The American Association for Cancer Research
has awarded Professor Alexander Levitzki of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
its 2013 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research. It recognizes Prof Levitzki’s work on signal
transduction therapy and the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as
effective agents against cancer.
Repairing the damage from acne. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Syneron Medical is launching its
unique bi-polar fractional radio-frequency (RF) energy device to remove acne
scars. 22% of adults 18 years and older
are adversely affected by acne scars and 77% of them want a low-cost, quick and
painless way to remove them.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli hospitals treat hundreds of Gazans. Siblings
Ahmad and Hadil Hamdan from Gaza both suffer from chronic kidney disease. For a
few days each month, they receive dialysis treatment at the Rambam Medical
Center in Haifa, Israel. "Before I
came here, I couldn't breathe or walk. My situation was really bad," said
Hadil. In 2012, Rambam Medical Center
alone treated nearly 400 children from Gaza.
Muslim heads Hadassah’s emergency
medicine. 57-year-old
cardiologist Dr. Aziz Darawshe is the new director of the emergency department
at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, and chairman of the Israel
Society for Urgent Medicine. Dr
Darawshe lives in the Arab village of Iksal, near Nazareth.
Israel gives Turkey safe passage. Transportation of Turkish exports has been
severely hampered by the Syrian crisis and riots in Egypt’s Port Said. So the Israeli government is allowing
Turkish trucks to enter Israel from Haifa and then travel over the ElKhalil
Bridge to Jordan. About 100 trucks a week use this route.
Tmura
shares its shares. Here is an update and new
video about Israel’s charity that receives donated shares from start-ups and
sells them when the start-up is successful.
When CISCO bought Intucell, Tmura gained $400,000, which goes to support
educational initiatives and youth opportunities. These include AMICHAI (integrates mentally disabled), Krembo
Wings (special needs children) and Eliya (programs for blind and visually
impaired children and their families).
Israeli model saves leukemia sufferer. Israeli actress and model Agam Rudberg donated bone marrow in an
effort to save the life of a woman with leukemia who urgently needed a
transplant. Agam was automatically
added to the national bone marrow donor registry Ezer Mizion in 2005 when she
was drafted into the IDF. The transplant was successful.
Israel commemorates World Downs Syndrome Day. More than 400 participants came to Hadassah
Hebrew University Medical Center at Mt Scopus, Jerusalem for World Down
Syndrome Day. Israel and Singapore
established the event in 2006 and it was subsequently adopted by the United
Nations internationally.
65 ways Israel is saving the planet. (Thanks to Israel21c) To celebrate Israel’s 65th
Independence Day, here is Israel21c’s list of the top 65 solutions that Israel
has provided to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel and Technion are top innovators. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
conducted a survey of 61 experts from 20 countries who voted Israel’s Technion
as the world’s sixth highest in the league chart of entrepreneurship and
innovation in higher education institutions.
Israel came third in the national chart.
A robot milking machine. Israeli agri-tech start-up MiRobot has
developed “the greatest thing to happen in dairy farming in 100 years” – an
automated milking machine. At a
fraction of the cost of competitors, MiRobot is finishing the development of a
working demo and seeking to raise funds in order to go into full production.
Hear what your friends are listening to. (Thanks to
NoCamels) Israeli startup ListNPlay has developed an app called EQuala that
enables users to create a personalized music stream based on the musical tastes
of their friends. It is claimed to be the first true social radio.
The answer in 10 seconds. Companies using computer software from Israel’s SiSense can
analyze their massive files of business data in seconds to provide answers to
key business intelligence questions.
SiSense has customers in 49 countries and has just raised funds to grow
its sales and support teams.
Ships that pass in the night. Israeli security company Windward Maritime
Solutions combines satellite imagery with intelligence data to spot vessels
with potentially dangerous cargos or suspicious intentions.
Finding a needle in a haystack. Israeli start-up SphereUp has developed a
smart contact search which can find anyone on a website, contact database, or
any other information source. The
search is nearly instantaneous, eliminates duplicates and displays only the
relevant data.
The Agri-tech road-show. Five Israeli agriculture technology start-ups are shortly to tour
the US, seeking investors. They include
use SolChip (solar powered livestock tracking sensors), EdenShield (natural
herbs to prevent insect infestation of plants) and MiRobot (robot milking
machine – see above).
The future is aluminum. More details about the evolutionary
aluminum-air battery of the Israeli-based technology company Phinergy. It powers an electric vehicle (EV) for up to
1,000 miles (1600 km) before needing a recharge – three times longer than
existing EVs. It certainly impressed US
President Obama.
And yet another innovative
battery. Tel Aviv’s
Enstorage has produced the first ever grid-connected Hydrogen-Bromine (HBr)
flow battery. The 50 KW battery provides up to 100 KWh of energy. It is the cheapest, smallest and most
powerful flow batteries on the market.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel invests NIS 3 billion in water. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) More than NIS 3 billion
was invested in Israel's water infrastructures in 2012. The increased desalination and recycling
facilities means Israel’s water supply is now in a position to meet future
crises.
First Budapest and now Bucharest. Just four months after launching flights
from Tel Aviv to Hungary’s capital, low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced a
new route - from Tel Aviv to the capital of Romania. Wizz Air says that its decision comes in response to the
enthusiastic reception shown by customers in Tel Aviv.
$400 million for CyOptics. In another massive exit deal, Israeli optical transmission
company Cyoptics has been bought up by Nasdaq listed Avago Technologies. CyOptics’ customers include governments and
some of the world's biggest companies and tripled its sales in the past three
years to $210 million in 2012.
One in six US prescriptions are for Teva products. The CEO of Israel’s largest biotech has been
speaking out proudly of Teva’s moral principles. Jeremy Levin said, "We are an Israeli company, and we will
remain an Israeli company.” At our Ashdod plant, whilst people (in Gaza) fire
rockets, we make medicines.
The shekel is the strongest currency. Of the 31 currencies monitored by Bloomberg,
Israel’s shekel had the best performance in the first three months of
2013. Reasons include Israel's stable
growth and anticipation of the favorable economic impact of new natural gas
flowing from the Tamar field.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Reality “check”.
(Thanks to Ted Belman) The Israeli Chess Championships 2013 for men and
women are taking place in April in Acre.
Of the 32 registered players for the men’s event, no less than 16 are
Grandmasters.
“What the world needs now is love”. It sure does – and the composer of that
song, Burt Bacharach, is coming to Israel to perform some of his 70 top 40
hits. There will be some “Magic
Moments” at the Zappa Shuni Amphitheater in Binyamina on July 2nd. “Say a little prayer” if you get tickets,
but don’t “Walk on by”.
Sonic Vision hits Tel Aviv. Sonic Vision is an amazing light show, transferring visitors from
Tel Aviv into a 360-degree party, through sound, light, and music. It takes
place at the Planetarium at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv until April 27.
The show lasts around forty minutes.
“Hope” for Yom Haatzmaut. Here it is – the Fountainheads new video and song for Israel’s 65th
birthday.
THE JEWISH STATE
Hiking in the Eshkol forest. Another beautiful video from newsletter
subscribers Shmuel and Chana who run Villa Rimona in the Galilee.
Talking in the holy language. Young members of the Religious Zionist
kibbutz movement are to spend Shabbat on the Hareidi Kibbutz Or Ganuz. Despite ideological differences, it is hoped
that discussions and mutual learning will benefit both groups and increase
cooperation among agricultural settlements.
Happy 65th birthday. Great article by David Harris containing
details of Israel’s history of achievements.
65 things we love about Israel in 65 seconds. See how many you love. I could add about 65,000 more!
2000 year-old ritual bath discovered. Archaeologists have discovered a mikvah
(ritual bath) from the second Temple period.
It was found during excavations prior to paving a highway in Kiryat
Menachem, near Jerusalem. The water
system is one of the most intricate ever discovered – preserving every drop of
rainwater.
State archives go on-line. In honor of Israel’s 65th
Independence Day, the State Archives have been digitized and put on line. Content includes the first Independence Day
celebrations, the 1948 War of Independence, the Six Day War, life in immigrant
camps, the Eichman trial and many immigrant and census records.
Shining bright for 65 years. (Thanks to Israel21c) A fast-moving collage of hundreds of
beautiful photos of the Jewish State.
Accompanied by an inspiring song.
130407
In the 7th April 2013 edition of Israel’s good
news, the highlights include:
·
Israel is building a specialist bone marrow
transplantation center in Bulgaria.
·
Israel is entering an energy self-sufficient house into
the Sustainable Olympics.
·
A recent international sale shows that Israel’s energy
technology has no boundaries.
·
Israel can provide luxury hotel accommodation for your
dog.
·
Builders of a new wedding hall in Southern Israel have
uncovered a 1500-year-old wine press.
·
A record 11,000 Jewish youngsters will participate in
“The March of the Living”.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “You
can Count on the Jewish State” (fast-loading, text-only version, no
adverts).
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israel to build modern hospital
in Bulgaria. A modern
medical center for bone marrow transplantation with the know-how of Hadassah
Hospital of Jerusalem will be opened in Varna by the end of the current
year. Also, a University of Haifa
program will allow 3rd-year Israeli students to finish their diplomas in
Bulgaria.
Israel invited to TedMed. The USA’s annual TedMed conference is normally an American-only
event, where doctors can relax and discuss matters that really concern
them. This year, Israel will be the
first country outside of the US to be officially represented. And on the final day, a satellite TedMed
event will be held in Israel.
Israeli plants fight infections. (Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli herbs have
generated special chemical compounds to deal with the extremes of the climate.
Israel’s Nufar Natural Products is developing these plants to treat problematic
wounds, assist in treating fungal and other skin infections and fight
parasites.
The gene that moves your heart. Researchers at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical
Center have found mutations in the LRRC6 gene cause primary ciliary dyskinesia
(PCD). Symptoms are repeated lung infections, sinusitis, frequent ear
infections and fertility problems. Early diagnosis may reduce the damage. And in half these cases, the heart grows on
the right of the chest instead of the left.
The liver, stomach and spleen are also transposed.
Bone marrow treatment gets boost. In
January I mentioned Apocell
from Israeli biotech Enlivex, which prevents GVHD rejection of bone marrow
transplants. Now, the treatment has
received US FDA “orphan” status due to its importance and lack of alternatives
for treating the unwanted autoimmune response.
Why the immune system fails. Hebrew University researchers have
discovered the mechanisms that the body uses to shut down the immune
system. The process can be beneficial
in preventing chronic inflammation, but very dangerous in patients with cancer
and HIV. This knowledge can help
develop better therapeutic strategies.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Three top African-Israeli women. Yityish Aynaw wants to use her “Miss Israel”
title to showcase Israel’s diversity.
Along with her, several African-Israeli women have recently made a pop
culture impact. Ethiopian-Israeli actress
Ester Rada, 28, has just released her first solo rock record to positive
reviews. And Ahtaliyah Pierce, a 17-year-old Black Hebrew Israeli, reached the
semi-finals on Israel’s edition of “The Voice”.
Israeli saves two Bedouin boys from drowning. You may have read that three sons of Hassan
Sariye drowned off Ashkelon, but you may have missed that Yaakov Bruchim jumped
into the dangerous currents to save two others. The emotional father Hassan
said, “God took away three sons but gave us another.”
Arab paramedic honored for saving Jewish child. Muawiya Qabha saved Adele Briton, aged 3,
who was critically injured by Palestinian Arabs throwing rocks. Qabha rushed to
the scene of the attack, even though he was not on duty at the time. This week,
he was a guest of honor at the Briton family’s Mimouna (post-Passover)
celebration. Qabha also visited Adele in hospital.
Israel’s youth villages provide “a place to belong”. 60 youth villages in Israel educate an
estimated 25,000 students per year, putting them on a path toward becoming
productive members of Israeli society, despite troubled pasts and higher rates
of unemployment and poverty among their families.
Agricultural help for the Navajo. The US State of New Mexico is running a
conference entitled “Navajo and Israel Agricultural Gathering for the First
Nations". Organizers hope that the conference will attract hundreds of Navajo
farmers and teach them how to better grow and sell their crops.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Happy 40th birthday to the cell phone. The International media is full of news of
the first cell phone call made in 1973 by Martin Cooper of Motorola. They are strangely silent about the fact
that much of the technology was developed at Motorola’s Haifa development
center.
Developing renewable energy together. Ben Gurion University and the University of
Michigan are to forge a research partnership on developing renewable
technologies. The three-year program
will research advanced vehicle fuels, solar energy and thermoelectric materials,
which convert heat to electricity.
A house for the Sustainable
Olympics. 30 Israeli
students have built an energy self-sufficient four-room house that will compete
in the Solar Decathlon event in China in August. It is solar-powered, has disabled access, a garden irrigated by
recycled water and the renewable energy products of several Israeli companies.
A UAV in your backpack. A new unmanned drone from Israel’s Elbit Systems is a
game-changer for the IDF. It takes 8
minutes to assemble, launched from a bungee cord, flies at 15,000 feet for
three hours and its on-board camera shows exactly what is happening on the
ground.
Clean panels for more solar power. Frequent Middle-East storms can coat solar
panes with dust, reducing their efficiency substantially. Sergey Biryukov at Ben Gurion University’s
National Solar Energy Center came up with the idea of using an electrical field
to “charge” the dust particles and repel them from the solar panels.
The dark side of the Internet. Ben Gurion University engineer Mark Last has
developed a system for detecting websites used for illegal military
activities. It analyzes the occurrence
of certain words and highlights those sites with an unusually high frequency of
them. The system has near-perfect
success rates.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
40 years of IBM magic. (Thanks to Israel21c) The Israel center of International Business
Machines has been performing technological magic at its Haifa offices for 40
years where it has developed RS/6000 computers, ultrasound equipment and a HIV
database. No wonder we computer nerds
say IBM stands for “I Bring Magic”.
Simulators for Finland. Israel’s Simlat Ltd was selected to provide an Unmanned Air
vehicle System (UAS) Training Center to the Finish Defense Forces.
Underground energy for Indonesia. Israel’s Ormat Industries has designed a
330-megawatt geothermal power plant in Northern Sumatra. It will also supply its Ormat Energy
Converters, for which it will receive $254 million. The first phase of the plant will be ready for operations in
2016.
Citi gets intelligent in Israel. Citi Global Markets has opened a global
financial data intelligence lab in Israel, as part of Citi’s Technology
Innovation Center. The decision was based on Israel's potential talent and
activities in data. The lab leads projects of complex processing in
large real time data.
A business bridge to Michigan. 60 per cent of US defense contracts touch
the US State of Michigan and many involve Israeli companies. State Governor
Rick Snyder has The Michigan-Israel Business Bridge (MIBB) officials’ phone
numbers on speed dial, and he is planning to visit Israel in June, to promote
business ties.
China goes Blue.
China’s Guangdong Province water company is currently in the process of
installing 75 water analyzing and control units supplied by Israel’s Blue I
Water Technologies. The news comes on
top of Blue I Water’s February’s announcement of deals in India and South
America.
http://www.israelnewtech.com/2013/04/blue-i-water-technologies-expanding-global-operations-in-china/
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Yemenite filigree is alive in Israel. Ben-Zion David, a traditional Jewish
silversmith of Yemenite descent, is one of Israel's best-known filigree
jewelers. David learned this intricate
craft from his father and grandfather and displays his work in his museum in
Old Jaffa.
Things to do in Israel in April. April in Israel is a month full of events –
festivals, concerts, and shows. Along
with Israel’s Remembrance Day and Independence Day, concerts by Ravi Coltrane
and Shlomo Artzi supplement the Jerusalem Ice Festival, Haifa’s Dali exhibition
and the Moroccan Mimouma feast.
Pamper your pooch. (Thanks to Israel21c) When Israelis go on
vacation, they no longer have to consign Fido to a kennel. Watch how KelevLand,
a one-of-a-kind dog hotel with elite accommodation, gives pooches the best
possible treatment – from mineral water on tap, to tummy rubs and
acupuncture. Plus DogTV of course.
Chinese film to be shot in Israel. A 22-member Chinese production company is
arriving in April to shoot scenes in Israel for a Chinese epic called “Old
Cinderella”. It is expected to be a blockbuster movie thanks to stars such as
Zhang Jingchu (“Rush Hour 3”) and director Lu Chuan.
Rihanna returns to Israel. Rihanna, largely acknowledged as the biggest pop star in the
world right now, will be performing a concert in Tel Aviv as part of her
“Diamonds” world tour. Although not yet officially official, the concert is
expected to be on October 22 in Tel Aviv’s HaYarkon Park. Her last Israeli
visit was in 2010.
Rocking on Independence Day. The rock independence party takes place on
April 15, 2013 (the eve of Israeli Independence Day), at the Rishon LeZion Park
Amphitheater. It features some of
Israel’s biggest names in rock including Aviv Geffen, Barry Sacharov, Balkan
Beat Box, Hadag Hahash, Mashina and Elisha Banai.
THE JEWISH STATE
L’Hayim. Israel Antiquities Authority workers have
discovered a 1500-year-old wine press during the construction of a wedding hall
near Hamei Yoav, east of Ashkelon in southern Israel. It is one of the
best-preserved examples of a Byzantine-era winemaking facility.
The oldest first-time Christian tourist to Israel? 104-year-old, Eleanor Hall from Richboro,
Pennsylvania is finally making her first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with her
daughter and two granddaughters. “I haven’t seen many pictures of Israel, so
everything is going to be new and exciting,” she said.
Jews are from Judea.
This blog by Andreas Faberbakke (from Norway) is so clear.
Israel is less isolated than ever. In this extensive report Bar-Ilan Professor
Efraim Inbar states that Israel’s international status has improved thanks in
part to its social, economic, technological, financial, and diplomatic
achievements. With its new energy reserves, water and agricultural
technologies, things can only get better.
We love life. 11,000 youngsters from over 50 countries
will take part in this year’s “March of the Living program” starting with Yom
Ha’Shoah at Auschwitz on 8 April and finishing on Israeli Independence Day in
Jerusalem on 16 April. 500 Holocaust
survivors will accompany them and relate their experiences.
