130929
In the 29th Sep 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists have made elastic
transplant tissue for repairing damaged hearts.
·
Israeli surgeons performed an
intricate operation to save leg of 8-year-old Syrian girl.
·
A Nazareth-based company has launched
a 5cm cube computer.
·
An Israeli cellular modernization
upgrade will benefit 125 million phone users in India.
·
Israel is to stop providing free
throwaway plastic carrier bags.
·
Huge parades and celebrations in
Israel to mark the end of the festive season.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Putting the spring
back in broken hearts. Tel Aviv University scientists have manufactured cardiac tissue
from spring-shaped fibers. The elastic
tissue mimics the expanding and contracting heart and is more suitable for
transplants than tissue made from straight fibers.
A diet just for you. Israel’s Weizmann Institute
of Science has launched The Personalized Nutrition Project. Over the course of ten days, local
volunteers will have their glucose intake and absorption monitored. Using the data, scientists profile each
individual’s response to foods and tailor a personal nutritionally balanced
diet.
AstraZeneca to work with Hadassah
hospital.
AstraZeneca and Hadasit, the commercial arm and technology transfer
company of Israel’s Hadassah University Hospitals have agreed to identify,
evaluate, and jointly develop new treatments for several diseases, primarily
focused on cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
Teva launches two generic treatments. Doctors can now prescribe
cheaper alternatives for heart patients using Adenoscan and sufferers of
primary hyperlipidemia and mixed dyslipidemia previously using Niaspan.
Bacteria test update. Back in June 2011 I
reported on BreathID from Israel’s Exalenz, which tests for H. pylori. The
bacterium causes peptic ulcers and gastric inflammation, and is associated with
stomach cancer. Today, BreathID is used
in 220 US centers, producing results in 10 minutes instead of 3 days for blood
tests.
The Israeli hospital that treats all
wild animals.
The Ramat Gan Wildlife hospital treats over 2000 animals every year,
including snakes, weasels, deer, hyenas, crows, pigeons or baby hedgehogs. On
one day 170 wild creatures were having treatment. Many injured birds arrive, as Israel is on a major migratory
route. http://www.timesofisrael.com/out-of-africa-to-an-israeli-wildlife-hospital/
Rapping the message for hospital
hygiene. A
rap music video produced by Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem has gone
“viral”. It features the hospital’s doctors and nurses dancing and singing the
virtues of anti-bacterial hand gel. The
Hebrew video, uploaded on September 21, has already been seen over 128,000
times.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Orthodox “settler” meets the East
Jerusalem Arab he saved. (Thanks to Geoff) I just
found this item from August. Haim Attias
from Judea’s Mitzpe Yericho resuscitated Haitham Azloni at the Arab bazaar in
the Old City. Azloni said, “No one came to help me, none of the brothers, no
Arabs. Only one Orthodox Jewish man.”
Israel’s ice-hockey team. (Thanks to Size Doesn’t
Matter and The National) Currently visiting Winnipeg Canada is a team of
11-14-year-old Israeli hockey players.
The team comprises Jews, Christians and Moslem kids who are among 400
children that regularly train at the only ice-rink in Israel.
A garden shop with a difference. In Feb 2012 I reported on
Café Motek, which employs staff with psychiatric disabilities. Now, when you buy plants at Botanica in
Jerusalem’s new First Station complex, you may be served by clients of Shaf
Yativ - a charity that integrates people with mental illness into society.
Everyone deserves happiness. Israel’s Inbar organization
holds events for about 40 disabled singles seeking to find a soul mate. Inbar was founded by Rabbi Shaul Inbari who
was born with severe cerebral palsy and dreaded life in an empty house. Rabbi Inbari met Neta at Inbar and married
her last year. An amazing video.
8-year-old Syrian girl
walks again.
A Syrian girl whose right leg was shattered in the civil war is the
youngest patient ever to undergo the Ilizarov technique at Israel’s Ziv
hospital. Orthopedists, anesthesiologists,
plastic surgeons, physiotherapists and operating theater staffers succeeded in
saving and restoring her leg.
And five more Syrians arrive. Ziv Hospital in Tzfat
treated two 25-year-old Syrians suffering from gunshot wounds in the chest and
limbs. Two more arrived later in the week, suffering from shrapnel
injuries. Another Syrian was evacuated
to the Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya in moderate to serious condition.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tel Aviv University to set up Life
Sciences center in China. Tel Aviv University is to set-up a new research center at China’s
Tsinghua University. Initially, the new
“XIN” center will focus on life sciences and nanotechnology. It will recruit researchers and students in
Israel and China.
The world’s largest date. Israeli agriculturists have
cultivated the world’s largest date.
The Anbara date species, which can grow to over 10cm, was planted at the
Eden R&D center seven years ago and is being harvested for the first
time. The largest specimen was
presented at President Peres’ open succa.
New Israeli computer
is a 5cm cube.
(Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter) The 2x2x2 inch CuBox-i from
Nazareth-based SolidRun has no moving parts.
You need a separate monitor (or TV screen) and power adaptor, but you
have probably got these already. From
$45 to $119. Deliveries begin in
November.
Saving lives from IEDs. (Thanks to Eli) Defeating
the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) has been the aim of the
world’s anti-terrorist forces. The
Miniature Reactive Jammer (MRJ) from Israel’s Elbit Systems was launched at
DSEi in London. The device detects,
analyzes and disrupts the IED trigger signal.
PointGrab wins Euro Prize. Israel’s PointGrab has won
the 2013 European Technology Innovation Award from Frost & Sullivan for its
achievements in "gesture recognition for consumer electronics." PointGrab’s technology is in computers,
smartphones and TVs, including Samsung’s Smart TVs, Acer and Fujitsu PCs.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Exports to Africa up 250 per cent. In the last 10 years,
Israeli exports to Africa have increased from $342 million in 2002 to $1.2
billion in 2012. 2.6% of Israeli
exports go to Africa.
Upgrading India’s
mobile network.
Israel’s Ceragon has won a huge contract with Idea Cellular to modernize
thousands of wireless backhaul connections. Idea is India’s third largest
mobile carrier with 125 million customers.
Return of the Romans? Low-cost airline easyJet
has launched twice-weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Rome’s Fiumicino
Airport. easyJet’s UK and Middle East
commercial manager Hugh Aitken said, "The new route emphasizes that
easyJet is a long term committed partner of the Israeli economy and tourism
industry."
More Israeli security for Miami. Israel’s NICE Systems will
supply its “Situator Solution for Situation Management” as part of a runway
incursion detection solution at Miami International Airport. It enhances NICE’s NiceVision Net 2.5 system
already deployed at the airport.
Israeli-Chinese cars. Qoros Auto, the joint car
venture of Israel Corporation and China’s Chery Automobile, will have four
ranges of cars to accompany the Qoros 3 - the company's first model. The commercial launch is scheduled for later
this year.
Need a viral video? Veed.me matches up the
creative people who know how to produce, film, or edit a high-quality video
clip with businesses that need them. Veed.me’s founders are two Tel Aviv
University film school graduates and its clients already include Google and
Waze.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Emmy eats Israel. On-line food taster Emmy is
a Youtube sensation who has been sampling sweets and snacks from around the
world and giving her opinion. She
received a parcel of Israeli products and liked everything, apart from (not
surprisingly) the tinned eggplants in brine.
On your bikes. (Thanks to Israel21c) Sovev
Turki Elite on Sep 25 is Israel’s largest cycling event with 30,000 cyclists
and over 100,000 spectators. The
longest route for experienced cyclists covers 43km around Tel Aviv with shorter
routes for active families, beginners and roller-blades. The Ayalon freeway becomes a cycle track.
US actors to visit Israel. 13 US TV stars visit Israel
this month including David Zayas, Lauren Vélez and C.S. Lee of “Dexter”, one of
the most popular US TV series. They
have been brought over by "America's Voices in Israel". Others
include Zoey Deutch, Anson Mount, Jason Butler Harner, Vivian Bang and Lea
Thompson.
Get any Israeli beer you want here. The beer bazaar in Tel
Aviv’s Carmel Market sells up to 93 different Israeli beers made by more than
20 different microbreweries. The idea
came from Lior Weiss a Technion graduate. Business partner Yuval Reznikovich
runs the stall from 10am till around 7:30pm daily.
Tel Aviv’s dog races. Tel Aviv Municipality is
launching a new kind of race, for dogs and their owners. Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park on October 11 is the
venue for the Pro Plan Doggie Run including 3 distance events plus a special
heat for visually impaired people and their guide dogs.
THE JEWISH STATE
An end to throwaway
plastic bags.
My wife cheered when she read this.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection plans to end the use of
disposable plastic bags at shops.
Multiuse plastic bags will be distributed to the Israeli public for free
over several months, after which the use of throwaway plastic bags will be
ended.
250,000 Israelis clean up. Over a quarter of a million
volunteers from 250 localities removed litter across the country on
International Cleanup Day. Organizer
KKL-JNF’s chairman Efi Stenzler said, “By respecting the environment we also
show our respect for other people, and we all want our country to be clean and
beautiful.”
Uncovering the Jerusalem of the Bible. Gordon Robertson’s video
for CBN.com explores the ruins of the palace of King David and the wall of King
Solomon in Jerusalem from 1000 BCE. Dr
Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University describes how current excavations
continually confirm the text of the Book of Kings.
We prayed for this for thousands of years. The blessing of the Cohanim
(priests) during the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was a spectacular
event.
Tens of thousands in
Jerusalem parade.
Jewish and non-Jewish men, women and children from more than 30
countries gathered in solidarity to march in Jerusalem’s annual Succot
Parade. Thousands also visited the
succa (booth) of President Peres, which featured colorful carpets, unusual
fruit, flower and vegetable displays.
How Israel rejoices. Immediately following
Sukkot (Tabernacles) is the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the
Law) when Jews celebrate the completion and re-starting of the weekly Synagogue
reading of the Torah. During and after
the festival, Israelis took to the streets to celebrate with dancing and music.
130922
In the 22nd Sep 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli researchers can turn adult
cells into stem cells in 8 days.
·
Haifa scientists have developed a
handwriting test to detect early-stage Parkinson’s.
·
Brazilian farmers use Israeli
technology to “grow” fuel.
·
An Israeli app shows which financial
analysts make the best predictions.
·
An Israeli infrared light device can
recharge mobile devices wirelessly.
·
The World Bank has invested in its
second Israeli company in a fortnight.
·
Two derelict Ottoman palaces in Acre
have been restored.
·
Thousands of non-Jews come to Israel
to celebrate the most inclusive of Jewish festivals.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Speeding up stem cell
production.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Weizmann scientists have discovered removing the
protein MBD3 from cells reprograms them into stem cells within 8 days instead
of the current 4 weeks. Stem cells have
the potential to become any cell in the body and are able to regenerate damaged
tissue and organs.
See Israel’s stem cell experts. Speakers at Jerusalem’s 5th
International Stem Cell conference in October include 22 Israeli professors and
six Israeli specialist doctors. Oh yes,
and there will also be eight international professors speaking.
Another Israeli non-invasive glucose
monitor. In
June I highlighted Integrity Application’s GlucoTrack that takes readings from
your earlobe. Now I’ve come across
Cnoga’s TensorTip Combo Glucometer which measures the effect of infrared light
passing through a finger. Diabetics now
have a choice of Israeli devices.
Israel’s Teva teams up with UK Cancer
Research.
Cancer Research UK’s technology development arm, and Teva Pharmaceutical
have signed a multi-project alliance agreement to research and develop
first-in-class cancer drugs that modulate DNA damage and repair response (DDR)
processes in cancer cells. The US FDA
also approved two of Teva’s cancer medications - for secondary cancers and for
non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Brainsway treatment improves OCD
patients.
Trials of Deep TMS treatment by Israel’s Brainsway at Sheba Medical
Center have shown a 27 percent improvement in patients with Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder. These were OCD
patients that had previously failed to respond to both pharmacological and
psychological therapy.
Handwriting test
detects early stage Parkinson’s. A noninvasive handwriting- analysis
technique developed at the University of Haifa and Rambam Medical Center can
detect the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
Changes in handwriting occur years before a clinical diagnosis can be
made - and is much safer than current tests.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Injured Syrian brought to Nahariya
hospital for treatment. The wounded man was in moderate to critical condition and was
receiving treatment at the Naharyia Medical Center. The Nahariya Hospital has
treated 87 Syrians since the beginning of the internal Syria conflict.
Charity brings Israeli technology to
Kenyan farming (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli
brothers Gilad and Yonatan Shilo founded Israel for Africa (IFA) to promote
better sustainable agriculture in Kenya.
IFA uses the knowledge and technological advances achieved in Israel to
empower the people of Kenya.
Training US police bomb squad. (Thanks to Eli) A special
team of bomb squad members from the Southwest Border was recently in Israel.
They worked alongside their counterparts from the Israeli Police in an effort
to improve techniques and tactics they use along the US-Mexico border.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Fuel from castor bean
seeds.
Israel’s Evogene has successfully completed three years of field trials
in Brazil to develop castor bean into of biodiesel and other industrial
uses. The crop is sown after the
soybean harvest, when rainfall is insufficient for other crops. It provides farmers with a high value crop
and vital extra revenue.
Tal-Ya trays go into production. Tal-Ya’s product is a
unique tray that surrounds the base of a tree, vine or orther crop. It saves
farmers over 50% in water and 30% fertilizer resources, while preventing
weed-growth. The tray also achieves a
dramatic increase in crop yield. The
company is now selling trays internationally.
Learning to dare. A case study that
highlights how the IDF implants technical skills in young recruits that equip
them later to build hi-tech companies.
Israelis touch the stars. (Thanks to Israel21c) Space
exploration was the theme for this year’s “Night of the Scientists when
research institutions and science museums around Israel opened to the
public. 2013 is the tenth anniversary
of the flight of the first Israeli astronaut - Ilan Ramon.
Greek student at Hebrew U wins top
dental prize.
Georgia Kotantoula, a Greek biomedical master’s student at Jerusalem’s
Hebrew University, won first prize in a European Association of Orthodontists’
competition. Georgia’s dental bacteria
remedy has been patented by the university and will commence trials shortly.
Should you trust the
tipsters?
Tel Aviv-based TipRanks, a financial start-up that aggregates and ranks
stock recommendations, was one of the “Best of Show” winners at this year’s
Finovate competition in New York.
TipRanks measures how well analysts’ stock tips have performed
historically.
You’re never lost with Israeli indoor
GPS. There
are now at least four Israeli start-ups offering customers free applications to
help them find their way around giant shopping malls. I reported WiseSec’s Wiseby in March. Now Mally from GeniusMatcher has hit Spain and NavIn and IndoorGo
are beginning to move in.
Information at your fingertips. (Thanks to Israel21c) The plug-in from Israeli start-up Curiyo
will display a subtle link to instantly available details about interesting
subjects in any web page you visit.
And typing now fits your fingers. (Thanks to Arlene) Israel’s
“invisible touchscreen” maker SnapKeys has updated its SI Revolution keyboard
app to allow you to position the keys anywhere on the screen. Say goodbye to the QUERTY keyboard. One-finger typing just got even easier.
Re-charge your battery
through the air.
Israel’s Wi-Charge will recharge mobile devices via a power
“transmitter” suspended from a high point in the room. The transmitter,
connected to an existing electrical outlet, generates a narrow beam of infrared
light to a light receiver installed on your mobile device.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Samsung TVs are getting cleverer - with
Israeli technology. (Thanks to Mike G) The world’s top “smart TV” manufacturer has
bought Israel’s Boxee (in July). The
Israeli technology will help Samsung integrate cable / satellite / terrestrial
TV with Internet streaming services and record / playback capability.
F5 buys out Israeli security company. US giant F5 Networks has
made its 4th Israeli acquisition with the purchase of Versafe. Versafe is a provider of web anti-fraud,
anti-phishing, and anti-malware solutions.
World Bank invests in
another Israeli company. The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) has
invested $5 million in Tel Aviv based DiViNetworks, a supplier of cloud-based
broadband solutions to the world’s least developed countries. Two weeks ago, the World Bank invested in
Israeli seed company Kaiima.
Israel shines at IBC 2013. Almost 53,000 visitors
attended IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) 2013 in Amsterdam and the
Israeli pavilion was a constant hub of activity. Over 140 countries were represented and more than 100 meetings
took place between Israel exhibitors and UK representatives alone.
Israel has changed since 1987. Monty Munford was a
scruffy, moneyless itinerant when he attempted unsuccessfully to enter Israel
in 1987. He has since smartened himself
up and held no grudges when visiting last month. Instead, he was very impressed with how smart Israel has become
with all its successful start-ups.
Israeli start-ups in San Francisco. Four start-ups in the
Israeli pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt SF include EventWith, Numbeez, Peer2 and
Navin (mentioned above). Watch the
video to see what they have to offer.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Botticelli arrives safely. The 15th-century fresco
“The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala” is now on display in
Jerusalem. Regarding rumors that the
130 kg Italian masterpiece might be withdrawn from exhibition, Israel Museum
director James Snyder said to the media, “don’t always believe what you read”.
Ruined Ottoman palaces
restored. Two conjoined abandoned Ottoman palaces in
Acre have been reconstructed and converted into a beautiful boutique
hotel. The Efendi Hotel even has a
Turkish bathhouse.
Zubin Mehta receives honorary Technion
doctorate.
Maestro conductor Dr Zubin Mehta received the honor for his
“contribution to the betterment of Israel and the entire world with the magic
of music”. Israel’s Nobel Prize
laureate Dan Shechtman conducted the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra as Dr Mehta
was escorted in.
The largest sukkah decoration. Youth groups from Haifa
hope to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records with the world's longest
paper chain - 88 km, consisting of pieces of recycled paper folded and stapled
together. Decorated paper chains are a popular feature of the booths built for
the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
Things to do during Sukkot. Activities for the family
include illusion at the Israel Museum, the Holon theatre music fest, kids
operas in Tel Aviv, Gilboa’s Hot-Air Balloon festival and Bible reenactments in
Samaria.
Discover “Jewish” art. Five Jerusalem venues will
host the inaugural Jerusalem Biennale, a six-week contemporary art festival
that seeks to combine the best in Jewish and contemporary art. More than 50 artists share a single goal: To
show that Jewish art reaches far beyond Kiddush cups and menorahs.
THE JEWISH STATE
Time favors Israel. Efraim Inbar, Professor of
political studies at Bar-Ilan University, writes about security, economy,
society, democracy and international relations and concludes, “At age
sixty-five, Israel is a great success story, and if it can continue to
inculcate the Zionist ethos into new generations, its future looks bright.”
Eilat’s corals have external protection. (Thanks to Israel21c and
Hebrew U) The world is losing its coral
reefs due to vital algae being expelled when water temperatures rise. However a “warm-water barrier” at the
southern Red Sea, allows in only heat-tolerant genotypes of corals to the Gulf
of Eilat.
Thousands of
Christians visit Israel for Tabernacles. Over 5,000 Christian pilgrims from around
100 nations will take part in the International Christian Embassy in
Jerusalem's (ICEJ) annual Feast of Tabernacles this week. The festival is the largest annual tourist
event in Israel.
The Jewish festival
for everyone.
Sukkot / Tabernacles is the most inclusive of Jewish festivals. The Sukkah (booth) itself can be of infinite
width, in order to accommodate as many people who wish to celebrate. And in Israel, the last time we saw more
representations from nations of the world, was in King Solomon’s time.
130915
In the 15th Sept 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Four Israeli advances in fighting
cancer include discovery of a protein that destroys cancer cells.
·
Israel’s Technion scientists have
developed a molecule that reduces cholesterol.
·
Five youth charities received a major
windfall following Google’s takeover of Israel’s Waze.
·
A new recycling plant will produce
160,000 tons of fuel per year, from garbage.
·
Tel Aviv now has free Wi-Fi for
everyone.
·
A 1400-year-old Jewish medallion has been
discovered next to Jerusalem’s Temple mount.
·
After a 40-year gap, an Israeli lung
transplant patient can blow the shofar again.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A protein to kill
cancer stem cells.
(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Dr. Sarit Larisch of the University of Haifa
has discovered a protein called ARTS that triggers cell death. It is found to be lacking in cancerous tissue.
The research can lead to a pre-cancer marker and development of similar
molecules that can stop tumors forming.
Further success in leukemia treatment
trials.
Israeli biotech Gamida has successfully transplanted just its
manipulated NiCord stem cells into patients with blood cancer. The impact is to reduce recovery times even
further from the two years achieved from using NiCord combined with
non-manipulated stem cells.
USA promotes Israeli leukemia treatment. The United States FDA has
granted orphan drug status to Israeli biotech BioLineRX’s BL-8040 treatment of
acute myeloid leukemia. Because there
are limited alternatives, BioLineRX will now receive US Federal support,
financial assistance and market exclusivity.
Trial of anti-lymphoma technology. Israeli biotech KAHR
Medical plans to trial KAHR-102, one of its groundbreaking Signal Converting
Proteins (SCP), for the treatment of lymphatic cancer.
New molecule reduces
cholesterol – and more. Researchers at Israel’s Technion have developed an antioxidant
1-FE that lowers cholesterol. It also eliminates oxygen free radicals that
cause organs and tissues to age. The
compound could be an important alternative to statins in the fight against
heart disease.
Get your knee fixed. Active Implants, whose R&D
center is in Netanya Israel, is looking for patients in Israel and Europe
willing to join the trial of its NUsurface Meniscus Implant. The novel, composite polymer implant is for
osteoarthritis patients who have pain and disability but are too old or young
for a total knee replacement.
Israel’s hi-tech emergency service. Magen David Adom used its
technology and skills to save a 3-month-old baby. First, MDA’s sophisticated C4I dispatch system allocated the
closest first-responder to the call.
Then the dispatch operator advised the responder on CPR for the baby.
All telephone operators are medics or paramedics.
Bone regeneration with a “magic”
membrane.
(Thanks to Israel21c) I reported
on Regenecure in June when it was promoting its safe dental bone augmentation
procedure. But it appears that the
company’s BoneCure membrane has been healing animals for some time and is
working on a similar product for humans.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Waze exit benefits
thousands of young Israelis. The Israeli Public Service Venture Fund,
Tmura, has distributed NIS 5 million of funds that it received when it sold
share options following Waze’s takeover by Google. Tmura split the proceeds among five charities specializing in
helping Israeli youth.
Muslim woman is top Technion graduate. (Thanks to Israel21c) Dr.
Mais Ali Saleh is the newest Israeli-Arab obstetrician-gynecologist at Carmel
Medical Center in Haifa. She recently graduated No. 1 in her class at the
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, one of the country’s top medical
schools. (More minorities at link)
It’s all over the news - Syrians treated
by Israelis.
Here are two recent NBC and CNN reports on the wounded Syrians being
treated free of charge at Israel’s Western Galilee and Ziv hospitals.
Two young Syrian brothers treated at
Ziv.
Israel’s Ziv hospital treated its 89th and 90th
victims of the Syrian civil war – two brothers aged 12 and 15 years old who had
been wounded by a land mine. Plus more
news.
Israelis feed Syrian refugees. Here is an update on the
work of Israeli NGO IL4Syrians.
Plenty of water for PA swimming pools. Those who say Israel is
depriving the PA of water need to read this.
Israeli Health Care of Palestinian
Arabs.
(Thanks to Stuart Palmer) For those on the receiving end of recent
anti-Israel propaganda, here is a timely fact sheet on Israel’s amazing
humanitarian work for Palestinian Arabs.
London’s police are learning from Israel. Assistant Commissioner of
Specialist Operations at the London Police, Cressida Dick, spoke at the IDC,
Herzilya, Israel about London Police’s determination to fight terrorism with
the same virtues as Israel – endurance, determination and courage.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Half of Tel Aviv’s
garbage to be turned into fuel. When complete, the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)
plant at the Hiriya Recycling Park will transform 1500 tons of waste into
usable fuel every day. The “green” fuel
will power the kilns at Nesher’s cement works in a method that does not emit
any pollutants or toxins.
Made in Israel. Here is an opportunity to
view CBN’s excellent series by Gordon Robertson about Israel's remarkable
innovation and ingenuity to produce breakthroughs in products and processes
that affect the way we live our every day lives. The 5 parts feature
Agriculture, Water, Medicine, Clean & Green and Technology.
Netafim receives Stockholm prize. Israeli drip irrigation
pioneer Netafim has just attended the ceremony to collect the prestigious
Stockholm Industry Water Award. Netafin won because it helps farmers in
developing countries live better. I
reported the story when the award was announced in June, but it’s good to enjoy
it again.
Thousands to attend Night of the
Scientists.
Thursday night (before Yom Kippur) is Researchers’ Night, a celebration
of all things scientific, with hundreds of events taking place at over a dozen
Israeli universities and colleges.
Tel Aviv deploys free
Wi-Fi network.
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality has completed deployment of its Wi-Fi
network, with the establishment of 60 hotspots in the city. The network covers 3,660,920 square meters
and includes commercial centers, main commercial streets, boulevards, parks,
and the beach.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
12 more years of geothermal power. Israel’s Ormat Industries
has extended its agreement to supply California with electricity from its 46MW
geothermal power plant at the Heber complex in Imperial Valley.
A million customers GetTaxi. The popular Israeli
smartphone application GetTaxi now has over a million users in Israel, London
and Moscow with an average of 20,000 daily orders. GetTaxi has just launched in New York, for business customers to
order luxury black cars in advance at a pre-arranged price.
The impact of Israel’s hi-tech industry. Yoram Ettinger provides
some detailed examples of multinational companies that benefit from their
Israeli research and development centers.
The next big Israeli business? Although it may not reach a
value of $1 billion, Israeli content recommendations company Outbrain reckons
its advanced algorithmic engine will raise $100 - 200 million when it goes
public later in the year.
UK mutual likes its Israeli software. LV= Ltd., the UK's largest
friendly society and leading financial mutual, has extended its services
contract with Israeli financial services software developer Sapiens
International in a $10.5 million deal.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem railway station - old and new. Trains no longer run
through to the Old railway station in Jerusalem, but the reconstructed Ottoman
buildings are a center for tourists and residents, young and old.
See who’s coming to Israel. Creative Community For
Peace supports all the artists and entertainers who visit the Jewish State and
refuse to be intimidated by BDS campaigns.
Thanks to Rhianna, Jose Feliciano, Earthdance Zion (due here soon) and
to all those who have performed here recently.
THE JEWISH STATE
Look what we’ve dug up
next to Temple Mount. In summer excavations 50 meters from Temple Mount, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar discovered 36 gold Byzantine
coins, jewelry, and a 7th century gold medallion depicting a menorah (Temple
candelabrum), a shofar (ram’s horn) and a Torah scroll. As Dr Mazar says “At Rosh Hashana, it’s the
best gift we could get”.
King Solomon’s mines are genuine. Excavations by Tel Aviv
University archaeologists in Israel’s Arava desert reveal that copper mines in
Israel (previously thought to have been built by the ancient Egyptians in the
13th century BCE) actually originated three centuries later, during the reign of
King Solomon.
Entering the New Year with optimism. Member of Knesset Rabbi Dov
Lipman seems to have a positive outlook for Israel’s internal issues. He highlights initiatives for Haredi army
service and employment, support for Jewish values and education, building of low-cost
housing, hi-tech high schools and electoral reforms.
Sri Lankan-born student wins prize,
defending Israel.
Winner of the Blankfeld Award for Media Critique is Sri Lankan-born,
Dutch student Timon Dias. He started defending Israel when he realized that one
side had always rejected peace and that the conflict was not about territory
but about ideology.
Former anti-Semitic party leader visits
Israel, as a Jew.
Csanad Szegedi used to be vice-president of Hungary’s far-right,
anti-Semitic Jobbik party until he discovered he was Jewish. He abandoned Jobbik and embraced Judaism.
The change to his life culminated this year when he made his first visit to the
Jewish State.
Lung transplant patient blows shofar. Meir Tzan’ani blew the
shofar in his synagogue until he was 17 years old when his lungs were burnt in
a schoolboy prank. Following a
transplant and rehabilitation at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson campus in
Petah Tikva, Meir (now age 57) can blow the shofar once more.
130908
In the 8th Sept 2013 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli doctors have used robots to
treat two children and a Parkinson’s sufferer.
·
Israel’s Teva has just funded 46
Israeli university projects into brain diseases.
·
Indonesia is to use Israeli technology
and skills to build its roads.
·
A new design Israeli aerosol contains
no gas.
·
Israel’s Ornat has built the largest
geothermal power plant of its type in the world.
·
Israeli start-ups attribute their
success to the help they get from their competitors.
·
A Jerusalem family discovered a
2000-year-old house underneath their home.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The first robotic
brain surgery.
Dr. Nizam Razack successfully performed the world’s first deep brain
stimulation (DBS) using Renaissance robotic guidance system from Israel’s Mazor
Robotics, at Celebration Health Hospital in Orlando, Florida.
Israeli doctors use
robots to treat children. For the first time in Israel, doctors at Rambam hospital used
surgical robots to perform advanced pediatric surgery. Using the Rambam’s da Vinci robot they
corrected congenital defects on three Israeli children. Surgeons from Boston Medical Center trained
the Israeli doctors.
Multiple studies produces research
breakthrough.
Dr. Ayelet Erez studied at the Technion, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv
University, Baylor College Texas and now Weizmann. Her wide experience led her to discover the link between the
enzyme ASL and Nitrous Oxide, which is essential for regulating blood pressure.
Skin defect can trigger allergies. Scientists at Tel Aviv and
Northwestern Universities have discovered that mutations in the molecule
desmoglein 1 in skin cells can disrupt the immune response and lead to allergic
reactions.
Exciting new cancer research. Ariel Munitz of Tel Aviv
University is researching a type of white blood cell called macrophages. Exposed to a certain stimulus and they’ll
promote healing of cancer and fibrosis. But exposed to a different stimulus and
they actually make the condition worse.
You can see where this is heading.
Against all odds. Toddler Zion Rubenstein was
diagnosed at the age of 6 months with a rare inflammation of the spinal cord
that invariably leads to paralysis. A
year after intravenous injections of high levels of antibodies and steroids
coupled with accelerated physical therapy, Zion can now walk and climb stairs.
Israel’s network of
excellence in Neuroscience. Teva has established Israel’s "National
Network of Excellence" (NNE) to boost therapeutic developments for
Alzheimer’s, MS, dementia and other brain diseases. Teva has just granted funds
to 46 scientists at seven universities and teaching hospitals in Israel.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Improved police ties with Arab
community.
(Thanks to Hazel) Central District Assistant-Chief Bruno Stein said that
the past ten years have seen a significant change in the Arab sector’s
cooperation and faith in the police.
The Arab public is requesting more police posts to help fight drugs and
illegal firearms.
Support group for siblings of sick
children.
The Center for Children with Chronic Diseases in Hadassah Mt. Scopus has
announced a new support group for siblings of chronically ill or handicapped
children. Siblings struggling with emotional, familial and social challenges
will receive weekly counseling starting in November.
Indonesia to use
Israeli advanced technology. (Thanks to Hazel) The world’s largest Muslim
country will utilize advance technology from Israel to build roads in its most
eastern and poorest province of Papua.
Authorities have issued permits for the import of a chemical hardener
and use of manpower from Israel.
World Bank invests in Israeli agri-tech
company.
The private sector investment arm of the World Bank is set to become a
major investor in Israeli seed and breeding-technology company Kaiima. Kaiima focuses on developing strains of
plants that are more resilient and yield more grain.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Cars that talk to each other. (Thanks to Israel21c)
Israel’s Autotalks is a world leader in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication
systems. The purpose of V2V systems is
to cut the millions of road traffic deaths and injuries by warning drivers of
impending hazards.
No gas in new Israeli
aerosols.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli startup GreenSpense has developed an
eco-friendly system for dispensing liquid products. Instead of compressed air
or chemicals, a thin elastic sleeve inside the product generates high
pressure. There is also no need for the
container to be metallic or cylindrical.
Technion graduates make top US CEOs. According to Bloomberg Rankings,
graduates of Israel’s Technion Institute make up the seventh highest number of
Chief Executives of the top technical companies in the USA. Bloomberg analyzed 250 CEOs of US hi-tech
companies with a turnover of over $1 billion.
Israeli printers print futuristic
clothing.
(Thanks to NoCamels) Award-winning Japanese designer Yuima Nakazato used
a Stratasys (Objet500 Connex) multi-material 3D printer to design bibs that
combine numbers and images of human muscles, emphasizing his perception of
clothing as an “extension of the body.”
The highest percentage of twins in the
world.
(Thanks to Israel21c) In Israel, 51 of every 1,000 births result in
twins. The next highest - Holland - has 20 twins per 1,000 births. Israel’s fully funded fertility treatments
are chiefly responsible. (N.B. This may
not be good news in every case!)
Advanced science on the ground. Bar Ilan University
archaeologists have purchased a $70,000 X-Ray Florescent Spectrometer Handheld
(XRF) to go with the Fourier Transform IR spectrometer (FTIR) already being
used. The devices provide the best
in-the-field atomic and molecular analytic capabilities in the world.
A shoe for diabetics. (Thanks to NoCamels.com)
Young Israeli designer Lilach Steiner, from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and
Design, has come up with a shoe designed to improve blood circulation. Her “diabetic shoes” are modeled on the
mechanism of a horse’s hoof, which acts as a pump to return blood to the legs.
One button to rule them all. It can be frustrating that
it takes so many actions and so much time to get your Android smartphone to do
a simple task - like take a photo. Now
Israeli start-up Pressy does everything for you at a press of a button attached
to your headphone socket. (Great
youtube video)
Geothermal power
station completed.
Israel’s Ormat Industries has completed the 100-megawatt Ngatamariki
geothermal power plant in New Zealand. The plant is the largest singular binary
power plant in the world. Ormat has now built 14 geothermal power plants in New
Zealand totaling 350 megawatts.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
A good business, in anyone’s language. Israel-based One Hour
Translation (OHT) provides online professional translation of documents for
half of the Fortune 500 companies. Each month OHT translates 100,000 projects
for 15,000 business customers. OHT’s
17,000 professional translators work in 75 languages.
El Al security catches thieves at JFK. When passengers flying
through New York’s main airport complained about missing valuables, the Israeli
airline monitored the baggage handlers. El Al caught the luggage thieves
stuffing their clothes with thousands of dollars of goods, and recovered
several items later in their homes.
The secret to Israel’s
start-up success.
Avishai Abrahami writes that a key factor in generating a successful
start-up is the “pay it forward” philosophy. Even competitors helped him to found
Wix. When he asked why, the answer was
invariably the same: "We were helped when we were starting out. Now it's
our turn."
2000 Israeli traders head to China. The Canton Fair in
mid-October accounts for about 25% of China's foreign trade volume, and houses
about 25,000 exhibits on an area of 1.1 million square meters. Israeli companies are eager to add to the
$10 billion of trade with China last year.
China buys into Israeli treatments. China’s Acebright Holdings
is investing $1 million in NasVax Ltd for two of its treatments. One is
NasVax’s Anti-CD3 technology for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
(NASH), or fatty liver disease. The other is its BBS technology for the
treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Israel to mine phosphates in Vietnam. Israel Chemicals says that
the agreement is part of its plan to expand and diversify its mining sources
outside of Israel, broaden its global phosphate operations, and provide a
growth engine for its primary markets.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Beautiful Israeli art. A new website promises to
deliver the works of artists such as Yaacov Agam, Marc Chagall, Yosl Bergner,
Reuven Rubin and Joseph Zaritsky, straight to your living room or office,
anywhere in the world. I am not advertising the site, but it does give the
opportunity to view some wonderful paintings.
Hummus takes center stage at Budapest
Israel festival. (Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter and
Ynet) At the opening of the Israel festival in Budapest, hundreds of Hungarians
tucked into the biggest plate of hummus ever to be seen in Hungary. The Israeli
market contained produce, exhibitions and tourist information.
Eilat’s international sports center. The cornerstone has been
laid for Eilat’s new international sports complex. In the near future, sports
teams from Europe will be able to come for training in Eilat during the winter.
The complex will include a football stadium, five training fields, basketball
hall, gym and spa.
Celtic sign Israeli international. (Thanks to Size Doesn’t
Matter and Ynet) Scottish soccer champions Celtic have signed Israeli
midfielder Nir Biton from FC Ashdod.
The 21-year-old joins fellow countryman, Beram Kayal. Celtic said that the club was
"delighted" to have signed the “talented Israeli” on a 4-year
contract.
THE JEWISH STATE
Living history. Miriam Siebenberg lives in
a very unusual house - her Jerusalem home was built on top of another home, one
that existed over 2,000 years ago. “Both my roots and the roots of our people
are right underneath this house,” she says.
The Siebenberg House Museum is definitely worth a visit.
Israel, lone light in a dark region. This article lists some of
the main differences between the Jewish State and its neighbors.
StandWithUs holds International Law
conference.
The Israel advocacy group StandWithUs hosted a 4-day Student Conference
on International Law - Turning Theory into Practice. The 35 participants came from 17 countries and speakers came from
the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the IDF and Israeli media.
200,000 volunteers ready for Clean Up
Day.
(Thanks to Israel21c) On Sept 9, some 200,000 volunteers are expected to
take part in Clean Up Day in Israel. KKL-JNF is leading councils, government
bodies and schools who will head out to the country’s forests and open spaces
with garbage bags and rubber gloves.
Knesset to install solar panels. In 2014, the Knesset will
become one of the world's first parliaments to generate its own electricity.
Plans have been progressed to install photovoltaic panels for the generation of
electricity on the Knesset building's roof.
Solar panels on the White House roof were removed due to cheap oil.
Happy New Year to all our workers. Over 1.8 million Israeli
employees and contract workers received gifts from their employers in the week
before the Jewish New Year. The average
gift was NIS 700 ($200).
130901
In the 1st Sept 2013 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli students have designed a
medical device to counter obesity.
·
An Israeli biotech has developed cures
for malaria and sleeping sickness.
·
More wounded Syrians have been treated
in Israeli hospitals.
·
Israeli scientists have produced a
plant to survive extensive droughts.
·
Israel has launched a new
telecommunications satellite.
·
Israel is producing winning wines in
the Golan and in the Negev desert.
·
An Israeli woman won gold in the Judo
World Championships.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Non-invasive medical
solution to obesity. Students from the amazing Biodesign program of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem have done it again, with a gastric sleeve to block food
absorption and counter obesity. Doctors
insert the sleeve down the throat and via the stomach to the duodenum, without
surgery or anesthetic.
Radio waves get rid of wrinkles. The US Food and Drug
Administration has given its approval to Israel’s EndyMed for its non-invasive
anti-wrinkle and rhytide treatment.
Keeping heart patients out of hospital. Following an agreement with
a US medical services company, heart monitors from Israel’s NI Medical's will
be in use at nursing homes across the United States. The Non-invasive Cardiac System (NICas) significantly reduces the
number of repeated hospitalization of cardiac patients.
The 4th best healthcare in the world. In Bloomberg’s latest
ranking, Israel’s healthcare is only surpassed by Hong Kong, Singapore and
Japan. The study compared life expectancy; per capita cost of health care and
cost as a percentage of GDP per capita. The UK came 14th and the USA 46th.
Cures for malaria and
sleeping sickness.
(Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s D-Pharm Ltd has announced positive results
for its treatments for human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and
malaria. D-Pharm’s Membrane Active
Chelators regulate metal ions in the cells that are disrupted by these
parasitic-born diseases.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli farmers donate beef. For the upcoming High
Holidays Israeli farmers across the country are donating 1.5 tons of beef to
feed 350 needy families in Hadera and the surrounding area.
5 Arab schools switch to Israeli
curriculum.
Five Arab schools in East Jerusalem have decided to switch from the
Palestinian to the Israeli curriculum.
Jerusalem’s city council said the schools had made the switch so that
their students could study for the Israeli bagrut (matriculation exam). The PA is not happy, however.
Israeli soldiers dance at Arab wedding? A controversial youtube
video showing Israeli soldiers in uniform being carried on the shoulders of Palestinian
Arabs in Hebron has gone viral.
How to change the
world. Big
feature article on the wounded Syrians being treated in Israeli hospitals.
Meanwhile, another two wounded Syrians were brought for treatment to Ziv
Medical Center in Safed on Friday.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Factory for medical start-ups. The Hebrew University’s
Biodesign Entrepreneurship program is Israel's first medical innovation
accelerator. Student teams take clinical problems from Israeli and American
hospitals, evaluate commercial potential and design a solution, protected by a
patent application.
Making dentures in minutes, not days. One of the latest medical
innovations arising from the Hebrew U’s Biodesign program (above) is a tool
that measures the mouth exactly, without the traditional putty method that
dental technicians have been using for 100 years. The process is fast and painless, producing perfect dentures.
Plant freezes itself
to avoid droughts.
Israeli scientists from Kinneret College have genetically engineered a
plant that can withstand droughts by ‘freezing itself’ after not receiving
water for a certain period of time. The plant then ‘returns to life’ after the
water supply is renewed, without any damage to the plant’s structure.
Israeli start-up Woosh installs and
maintains Drinking Water Vending Machines in major cities. Woosh cleanses recycled plastic bottles and
fills them with purified water.
Touch the glass to control the light. Israeli startup Gauzy has invented
smart glass that goes from transparent to opaque with just a touch. Too
hot? Touch the glass and the sunlight
is blocked. The glass can even be used
for refrigerators to see what’s inside without opening the door.
Where did I put that scalpel? (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Every
surgeon’s nightmare is no longer a problem for the 2900 US hospitals belonging
to Premier Healthcare Alliance. It has
just awarded a contract to Israel’s Haldor Advanced Technologies for its unique
RFID systems to manage the location and use of surgical instruments.
Smart way to learn a language. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israeli start-up Lingua.ly helps you to learn a new language by indexing the
Internet and feeding you appropriate texts based on your vocabulary. You take quizzes and via a Chrome plug-in
Lingua.ly offers you a personalized educational service.
Using our brains. Israel’s position at the
forefront of brain-computer interface is further enhanced by a new competition
called “Brainihack” at which neuroscientists, artists, designers, robotics
experts etc. will develop viable products in one weekend. Meanwhile Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart
used his brainwaves to produce a light show at his concert in Jerusalem.
The world’s first everlasting solar
battery.
Another article about Israel’s Sol-Chip and its solar-powered battery
that never needs replacing.
Israel launches Amos
4. The
satellite Amos 4, built by Israel Aerospace Industries and operated by the
Israeli company Spacecom, has been launched successfully into space from
Kazakhstan. The satellite will provide
services such as Direct-to-Home, video distribution, VSAT communications and
broadband Internet.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
“Significant signs of gas.” Gas and oil have been detected at the Yam 3 well, 16km off the
Israeli coast West of Ashdod. And now
Egypt wants to buy natural gas from Israel.
Israeli desalination system for Asia. An unnamed Asian country
has bought $75 million worth of desalination unit from Israel’s IDE
Technologies. Each Multi-Effect
Distillation (MED) unit can produce 24,000 cubic meters of fresh water a day
with low energy and low maintenance requirements.
Golan heights winery wins
top award.
(Thanks to Atid-EDI) On the eve of its 30th anniversary, Israel’s Golan
Heights Winery has won the coveted 2012 Wine Star Award from Wine Enthusiast
Magazine in the New World Winery of the Year category. The award is a first for
an Israeli winery.
Wine from the desert. Israel is truly making the
desert bloom – with vineyards. What
better location to get a really dry wine than the Negev desert. No need for pesticides here, because pests
cannot survive. And the harshest
climate produces the best wine.
Israelis in New York. A new app has been launched
that locates all the Israeli companies in New York. “IsraeliMappedinNY” comes on the back of the previous successful
app “Mapped in Israel”.
Israeli system safeguards US port. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) The
Port of Richmond in Virginia has deployed the wireless surveillance network
from Israel’s Radwin, to enhance security throughout its 121-acre port
facility.
Haifa launches ‘Metronit’ System. The Metronit uses special
extra-long, fast buses, with several doors to allow for quicker pauses at
crowded bus stops. It provides the
advantages of a light rail system without the years of road works involved in
creating a train line. They are now
planned for Tel Aviv and Ra’anana.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Italian masterpiece to exhibit in
Israel.
(Thanks to Hazel) To celebrate the launching of the Italy-Israel
Foundation for Culture and the Arts, Florence's Uffizi Gallery is loaning
Botticelli’s magnificent 50-meter Renaissance fresco, The Annunciation, to the
Israel Museum in September.
Bus stop libraries expand. Following the success of
the pilot at Kfar Saba and Haifa, a new bus stop library has been launched in
Petah Tikva. Mayor Uri Ohad said
“Thanks to this project, every resident and pupil will be able to enrich their
knowledge.” (Hebrew video is of the
scheme in Haifa)
Irish dance troupe in Ariel. Nice to see entertainers
from the Emerald Isle performing over the Green Line.
There’s more to sport than winning. As the national anthems
were played prior to a friendly soccer match in the Ukraine, the Israelis
shielded a group of children lined up in front of them on the field from the
blistering cold and the rain. Israel
lost the match 2-0, but won much support for their compassion.
But it’s great when
you do.
Yarden Gerbi, from Netanya, won the gold medal in the women’s under-63
kg class at the Judo World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. Yarden recorded
ippons – judo’s knockout – in all five of her fights. When Hatikvah - Israel’s national anthem - began to play, Yarden
burst into tears.
Where to cool down. Janglo has compiled a list
of the top water parks in Israel. If
you’re not on the beach, and/or you’re looking for something a bit different,
try one of these amazing locations.
THE JEWISH STATE
Why is Israel so bad at public
relations? Good article by P. David Hornick. His
conclusion is that no matter how much effort and money Israel spends on
advocacy (i.e. defending itself), those that hate us will always hate us. That’s why I now try to change the
conversation and just publicize all the good things that Israel does.
New Year stamps. (Thanks to Jacob Richman)
The latest issue of beautiful Israeli stamps includes silver etrog boxes and
children’s songs.
Share your love of Israel. (Thanks to Janglo) Now
there is a Nefesh b’Nefesh on-line dating site for Aliya-minded individuals.
Was he sent from above? George Lichter, who passed
away on Aug 2nd aged 92, was a hero of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence when
his skills as an ace pilot were crucial in testing and flying 50 modified Czech
Messerschmitts to Israel. He then
taught Israeli pilots, helping to established the Israel Air Force.
130825
In the 25th Aug 2013 week’s edition of
Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Two new Israeli devices help
unconscious patients to breathe and to be fed intravenously.
·
Big increase in numbers of Palestinian
Arabs employed by Israelis in Judea and Samaria.
·
BBC admits that Israelis are saving
Syrian lives.
·
Israeli scientists have discovered how
to turn inedible plants into food crops.
·
Israel has built an accurate
forecasting system to help put out forest fires.
·
Israel’s natural gas begins to boost
the economy.
·
Two new archaeological links to the
Biblical Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Patients can breathe
easier.
Students in the bio-design program of the Hadassah Medical Center in
Jerusalem’s Hebrew University have designed a robotic intubation device that
guides itself to the lungs. The “GuideIN Tube” prevents accidental insertion of
the air tube into the food pipe, which can be fatal.
And in the same vein…. A similar idea - the Sagiv (designed by Hadassah / Hebrew U
researchers) helps medical staff insert an IV tube (catheter) into the vein,
first time and without pain to the patient. It resolves one of the biggest
issues for nurses and paramedics – especially in young children whose veins are
very thin.
New Israeli tendon helps athletes spring
back into action. (Thanks to Israel21c) Torn knee
ligaments no longer need end sports careers. Israeli start-up Tavor has
developed an implant called Knee-T-Nol made from a titanium alloy. After
surgery, you can walk in 12 hours and total recovery is under three months.
Re-growing cartilage. CartiHeal - Israel’s
developer of cartilage regeneration technology - was awarded the distinguished
"2012 Incubator Company Excellence Award" from Israel’s Chief
Scientist. CartiHeal is running a
clinical study in leading European medical centers with very promising results.
Generic alternative for brain tumor
treatment.
Israel’s Teva has partnered with the US/Israeli firm Perrigo to launch
“a high quality, less expensive alternative” to Temodar (temozolomide) for the
treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (brain
tumor). Teva also had good news about
its chemotherapy and prostate cancer treatments.
A glue to stop bleeding. Surgeons will be pleased to
be able to seal up vascular operations using Seal-V from Israel’s Sealantis. A
spin-off from Israel’s Technion, Seal-V is safer than protein based or
synthetic based alternatives. It is
highly effective, fast bonding, easy to use and has just received European
medical approval.
Rambam hospital is music to
African-American ears. Haifa’s Rambam Hospital will be holding an end August gala event
to raise funds for research into the prevalent genetic kidney disease that
afflicts African-Americans. Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole (herself a kidney
disease survivor), and many others will perform.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
'Bedouin or Jewish, I am proud to serve
my country'.
Master Sgt. Marzuk Suaed, 37, a Bedouin father of three, comes from a
large family in which everyone enlisted into the IDF, many of them serving in
combat units. Saued goes from door to door telling Bedouin youngsters the
importance of enlisting.
20,000 happy
Palestinian Arab workers. BDS crazies should note that the number of Palestinian Arabs
working for Israelis in Judea and Samaria increased by 4,000 in the second quarter
of 2013. These 20,000 Arabs receive
double the average PA government wage.
Even the BBC reports
Israel’s help for Syrians. News of Israel’s treatment of wounded
Syrians has reached the Beeboids.
Although they can’t seem to understand why Israel doesn’t want to talk
to them about it.
Israeli volunteers help Nepalese extend
life expectancy.
Israeli humanitarian organization Tevel b'Tzedek has been working in
impoverished Nepalese villages for four years.
It has installed chimneys and biogas systems to reduce the number of
deaths from smoke pollution.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Producing edible crops
from poisonous plants. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute have discovered the
biochemical process responsible for producing glycoalkaloids – the poisonous
chemicals in many wild plants. The discovery will help make new food crops and
provide edible crops with protection from disease and pests.
Innovative by nature. Relative to its population,
Israel has more engineers than any other country in the world. Here, high-tech entrepreneurs offer their
theories on why Israel is a hotbed for startup companies.
Beersheva inaugurates “Silicon Wadi”. The Gav Yam Industrial Park
Negev will consist of 23 buildings on a 50-acre site adjacent to Ben Gurion
University and the planned IDF C4I Corps campus. Beersheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich hopes the hi-tech park will turn
the city into a technological powerhouse.
Chinese top managers seek Israeli
innovation.
On a five-day visit to Israel, 62 of China’s senior managers
participated in a Technion workshop titled “Visit to Israel – An In-Depth
Journey to the Factory World Innovation.”
They also saw leading Israeli companies Iscar, Amiad Water Systems,
Biosense Webster, Stratasys, NaanDanJain Irrigation and Gilat Satellite
Networks.
Israel retains World Computer Chess
Championship.
Deep Junior, a program written by Israelis Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky,
and running on a Dual 12 core Intel Xenon I5 2.7 GHz computer, won the World
Computer Chess Championship in Yokohama, Japan. Junior has now won six of the last eleven tournaments.
Unique research on the Coral Reef. Technion Professor Uri
Shavit and his team are conducting research that will contribute to helping
secure the world's coral reefs. Using a
Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV) laboratory, they measure flows in Eilat - one
of the few places in the world where this research can be carried out.
Putting out the fires. (Thanks to Israel21c)
Following the Carmel forest fires last year, Israel’s Ministry of Public
Security used theoretical models and live feeds to develop the Matash Fire
Forecasting System - the first operational system of its kind in the
world. It has already helped to control
and extinguish forest fires in Israel.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Another gas discovery. A new natural gas deposit
has been found close to Israel’s 282 billion cubic meter Tamar gas reservoir.
Tamar South West is expected to contain 19 billion cubic meters of gas.
Natural gas powers
economic growth.
Israel’s Composite State of the Economy Index for July 2013 increased by
0.2%, and was significantly impacted by the start of natural gas
production. Previously published
figures for March, April, May and June were also revised upwards following the
recent release of Q2 data. Q2 GDP rose
5.1% - far above expectations.
Moody's affirms Israel's A1 rating,
maintains stable outlook.
70,000 passengers in one day. Ben Gurion airport saw its
busiest ever day last Friday’s with a record 70,000 passengers. The figure is
expected to be exceeded this Thursday and this August the airport is certain to
record the highest monthly passenger traffic numbers in its history.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Tel Faher –
now Israeli farmers can have peace. Here is a lovely short video from Shmuel, of Villa Rimona,
featuring just one of the many thousands of Israel’s lesser-known historical
sites.
Israeli paralympic gold. Israel’s Itzhak Mamistvalov won the 100-meter freestyle S1 race at
the 2013 IPC World Paralympic Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Itzhak has cerebral palsy and swims using only his right hand. Israel’s Inbal
Pezaro won a silver medal in the women's 200-metre freestyle.
THE JEWISH STATE
2700 year-old Hebrew
inscription found in Jerusalem. Another Jewish biblical link to Israel’s
capital city has been discovered in the City of David excavations. The pottery fragment from the first Temple
period has an ancient Hebrew inscription possibly containing the name of the
Biblical figure Zechariah son of Benaiah.
And a 2700 year-old
wall in Ashdod.
At the same time, Assyrian king Sargon II was destroying the Philistine
army in the Ashdod area and an 8th Century wall has been unearthed
by the harbor. The prophet Isaiah
(ch.20) warned Judah’s king Hezekiah to stay out of the fight – advice, which
Hezekiah heeded. (Is history repeating?)
The 50th Nefesh b’Nefesh flight. A total of 331 new
immigrants (Olim) from North America landed at Ben Gurion Airport on August 13,
2013. This flight marked the 50th
Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight since the group began mass Aliyah flights to
Israel in August 2002.
Huge surge in French Aliya. French Jews are immigrating
to Israel in record numbers. A 10% increase in Aliya since the beginning of
2013 is expected to swell to 2500 new immigrants by the end of the year –
almost double the rate for previous years.
Matriculation rates improve. The percentage of Israelis
passing their school matriculation exams increased by 1.7% in the 2011-12
school year compared to the previous year.
In the past five years, the rate has improved by 3.5% to an overall rate
of 49.8%. Success for those actively
studying improved last year by 2.6% to 62.4%.
1993 Maccabiah USA team swimmer returns
as its Rabbi. Daniel Greyber won a Gold medal at
the 1993 Maccabiah. It was his first trip to Israel, his first visit to the
Western Wall and the first time he put on tefillin. Two decades later, he
returned to Israel for the games - this time as the rabbi escorting the US’s
delegation.
Dip the apple in the honey – Technion
style. A
hi-tech crossbow fires a piece of apple at a balloon filled with honey, high
above Israel Technion’s campus. The
apple, thus coated with honey, is then caught by Technion President, Professor
Peretz Lavie. What is their New Year
message? That the Technion aims higher!
Centenarian promoted. Yitzhak Pundak fought in
Israel’s War of Independence. He commanded the Nahal Brigade and the Armored
Corps after the War. In 1971 Moshe Dayan appointed him Governor of Gaza, but a
1954 promise of promotion to Major General was not fulfilled. Now at 100-years-old, Yitzhak gets his rank.
130818
In the 18th Aug 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli sensor can
make artificial skin sensitive to touch, temperature and humidity.
·
The latest Pillcam internal camera is
giving new life to Crohn’s sufferers.
·
1 million Palestinian Arab tourists visited
Israel during Ramadan.
·
Weizmann scientists have built
microscopic wires for more powerful microchips.
·
Israeli crops are “the solution to the
world food crisis”
·
IBM has bought its 13th Israeli
company.
·
Emotional Israeli reunion for 10
Yemenite children and their parents.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
An e-skin
breakthrough.
Scientists at Israel Technion have fused resin and gold particles to
make a sensor that can detect pressure (touch), temperature and humidity. The sensor could be integrated with the
current electronic skins applied to a prosthetic limb to give the wearer more
life-like sensations.
Another Israeli treatment for Hep C. Dr Leslie Lobel of Ben
Gurion University has identified antibody clones from patients who have recovered
from Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections.
BGU has now entered into an agreement with San Diego-based Sorrento
Therapeutics to develop the clones into anti-HCV therapeutics
A new Israeli stent. Israel’s Allium Medical produces stents that avoids the need for
those with blocked urinary tracts to go through invasive surgery. Allium has just won a NIS 58-million distribution
deal with a Chinese health company. In
March Allium won a similar deal to distribute the stents in Brazil.
Antibodies to fight cancer. The healthcare giant Bayer
is funding Israeli biotech Compugen’s development of antibody-based
therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy.
The Israeli company is at the forefront of promising cancer treatments
that stimulate the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer cells.
World’s first HIV patient transplant. Surgeons at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center successfully carried
out the first ever transplant between two living HIV carriers. A woman donated a kidney to her husband, who
has since returned to work. The main
problem was to prevent rejection by the man’s compromised immune system.
New resolution Pillcam is changing lives. The US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved Pillcam SB 3 – Given Imaging’s latest
internal intestine camera – for monitoring sufferers of Crohn’s disease and
other intestinal problems. Its use has already changed the treatment of 62
percent of Crohn’s patients.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week ending 10th Aug 2013, 1062 trucks carried 29,750 tons
of goods into Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They included 178 trucks of food and 254
trucks of construction materials. The
crossing was closed for the Eid al–Fitr holiday.
On the beach.
Israeli Arabs and Palestinian Arabs celebrated the end of the Moslem
holy month of Ramadan, at the beaches of Tel Aviv. Approximately one million Palestinian Arabs received permits to enter Israel as tourists during Ramadan and its concluding
holiday – 200,000 more than last year.
Shiloh trauma center caring for
children.
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is to support a
post-traumatic center for children deeply impacted by terror. The center is in
Shiloh - the 3400-year-old site of the biblical Temple. Children are rehabilitated using art, music,
movement, plus interaction with animals.
SACH is saving 22 young hearts. Surgeons at Israel’s Save A
Child’s Heart hospital are currently treating twenty-two children who desperately need
the heart operations that only Israel provides. They include three children from Iraq and seven from the
Palestinian Authority.
“Historic” Israel-Greece-Cyprus
agreement.
(Thanks to Hazel) Israel, Cyprus and Greece signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) on energy and water issues, paving the way for the further
strengthening of relations between the three countries.
Israel to host international disability
conference.
Israel is making great strides in enhancing well-being for people with
disabilities. In September, leading experts from the USA, Spain, Australia and
the Netherlands will join Israelis for the International Symposium on Quality
of Life and Well-being of People with Disabilities.
Israeli wins US highest civilian honor. Israeli Professor Daniel
Kahneman, who teaches at Princeton University, has been awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom. The White
House described him as a "pioneering scholar” who “applied cognitive
psychology to economic analysis, laying the foundation for a new field of
research”.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Making the smallest
wires.
Weizmann Institute scientists have managed to control the production of
microscopic nano-wires. Using gallium nitride (GaN) Professor Ernesto
Joselevich and his team have built a tiny microprocessor component, which makes
possible a whole new world of powerful microchips.
Every picture tells a store-y. The Israeli development
center of Trax Technology Solutions has taken picture-processing technology to
a new level. A supplier photographs the
shelves at a store and the pictures are analyzed by Trax’s software. A report
is written on the status of the goods (quantities, forecasts, and meeting
agreements with the retailer), including insights on competing products.
Disease-free bananas. Two Israeli companies –
Evogene and Rahan Meristem (1998) have developed and successfully field-tested
banana varieties that are resistant to Black Sigatoka (aka Black Leaf Streak
Disease), the most damaging disease threatening commercial banana
plantations. It removes the need for
fungicides
A whole new dimension. (Thanks to Israel21c) 3D
printing labs across Israel will spark a new age of innovation, says Roy
Keidar, CEO of the Reut Institute. At Reut’s first Communal Technological Space
(CTS) 3D printing lab you can wake up in the morning, sketch an invention, put
it on your computer and then print it.
In Reut’s XLN project, students manufacture inexpensive helpful devices
for people with special needs.
The idea just blew him away. (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli outdoor events planner Ilan
Elmaliach’s failed attempts to erect a tent gave him the inspiration to design
a portable aerodynamic sunshade that no sea breeze can dismantle. Similar to a
parachute, the Israeli-made, Otentik flows with the wind rather than fights
against it.
Israelis are top in AI. Dr. Aviv Zohar and Dr.
Ariel Procaccia, both PhD graduates of computer science at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, have been named in ‘AI’s 10 to Watch‘ by IEEE
Intelligent Systems magazine. The list recognizes 10 researchers who are rising
stars in the field of artificial intelligence (AI)
Silent pipes are a hit in Europe. Residents of apartments no
longer need to hear the sound of sewage through their neighbors’ waste
pipes. Huliot of Kibbutz Sde Nehemia
makes acoustic insulated pipes from a unique plastic compound that does not pollute
the environment. Six European countries have just purchased them.
Sun shines on Israeli solar home. The Israeli team of
university students participating in China’s international Solar Decathlon this
year came in fourth place overall and in second place for architecture and
structure of their solar powered eco-home.
22 teams came from a total of 35 universities in 13 countries across the
globe.
Israel “solves the
world food crisis”. The Indo Asian News Service has hailed
Israel’s Technion for developing “super plants” that resist drought. Modifying
a longevity hormone in the genes known as zytokinin produces more crops on less
water. The fruit and vegetables produced also have a much longer shelf life.
Capture the moment in 3 lines of text. (Thanks to Size Doesn’t
Matter) Israeli start-up Heyku helps you to transform a special event or
thought into three lines of creative writing.
You then share this on facebook, Instagram or twitter, together with an
optional picture of what inspired you.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel has a NICE big successful
company.
Israel’s NICE systems announced strong first half growth and profits,
plus the acquisition of California-based real-time big data analytics developer
Causata Ltd.
Lucky 13 for IBM. Just two weeks after buying Israel’s CSL, IBM has spent over $300
million on its 13th Israeli purchase.
Trusteer provides software solutions to protect companies from financial
fraud and security threats. IBM will
subsequently form a cyber security software lab in Israel.
Record foreign currency reserves. The strength of Israel’s
economy and its importance as a world trading partner was emphasized with the
publishing of Israel’s deposits of foreign currency as at the end of July. Israel now holds the equivalent of a massive
79 billion dollars of foreign currency.
Hot property in Netanya. A French immigrant paid a
record NIS 8.58 million (approx 2.45 million dollars) for a new apartment in
Netanya. Similar offers for our much more
modest apartment will be viewed favorably.
Tel Aviv – World no. 2 for tech startups. The Boston Globe (another
newspaper with a poor political balance on Israel) has named Tel Aviv the
world's second best city for tech startups, after Silicon Valley in California.
Tel Aviv was also stated to have the highest density of tech startups in the
world.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
“Tiny Dynamo” Marcella Rosen has written a book (hardback and Kindle) described as
“A fascinating collection of 21 stories detailing Israel's inventions that
benefit all of mankind.” I look forward
to reading it.
Israelis are world backgammon champions. (Thanks to Israel21c) A team of three Israelis in their seventies
beat 32 other countries to win the Fortis World Team Backgammon Championships
in Monaco. Team member Shimon Kagan said of the game, “You need to plan the
next move, understand all the possibilities and theories.
Shahar Pe'er wins Suzhou Open. Israeli tennis star Shahar Pe'er won her first tournament in four
years, defeating unseeded Zheng Saisai 6:2, 2:6, 6:3 in the final of the Suzhou
Ladies Open in Suzhou China. The win
will move Pe’er back into the top 100 table of women tennis players.
The cycle of non-violence. The normally anti-Israel UK
Independent newspaper has discovered that there is another side to Israel. “From vibrant Tel Aviv to the Negev Desert,
Israel's network of bike tracks is growing.”
It even publicizes how to travel there and the best places to stay.
THE JEWISH STATE
Three of the best. Three Israeli universities
have been placed in the top 100 of the 2013 Academic Ranking of World
Universities. The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem is at 59, the Technion is at 77 and the Weizmann Institute is at 92. The Hebrew U is also one of the top three
universities in Asia.
Yemenite children and
parents reunited in Israel. In 2011 six children from one Jewish
Yemenite family and four children of another were evacuated from Yemen to
Argentina. Last week they were flown to
Israel, whilst simultaneously their parents were brought to Israel from Yemen
in a secret operation.
Going the extra mile. (Thanks to Geoff) Thirty
Israeli children suffering with cancer were about to depart Ben Gurion airport
for Camp Simcha in the USA. But 11-year-old Imbar had to disembark in tears as
she had lost her passport. Just as the
jet taxied along the runway, someone found Imbar’s passport. El Al’s management
made an unprecedented decision and authorized the plane to return to pick her
up. A beautiful story.
130811
In the 11th Aug 2013 edition
of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli device saves victims of the
deadliest type of stroke.
·
An Israeli contact lens helps the
blind “see” through the sense of touch.
·
An inspiring story from a Bedouin Arab
who is a career soldier in the IDF.
·
Israeli technology busted a 46-member
international drug smuggling gang.
·
An Israeli company is building a sea
wave power station for an African capital city.
·
Successful tour for the Barcelona
soccer “peace” team.
·
Israel’s new baby Asian elephant is
the darling of its pregnant grandmother.
·
Last week’s JPost Israel Good News
descriptive summary
Page Down for more details on these and
other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Stroke device is a
lifesaver. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) The revolutionary
Ventritek105 device from Tel Aviv’s Biosan Medical treats Intra Ventricular
Hemorrhage (IVH), which has a 50% average death rate. More than 90% of the study patients treated with Ventritek105
were alive and well at the 30-day follow-up.
Researching a cure for genetic cancer. Another article on Weizmann
Institute’s use of two diverse antibodies to target aggressive hereditary
breast cancer.
“It’s about saving people”. Several subscribers have sent me this link
to Eli Beer who started United Hatzalah and its lifesaving ambu-cycles. The paramedics on two-wheels get to
emergencies in 3 minutes, saving lives before an ambulance can fight through traffic. Watch this inspiring story of Chutzpah and
co-existence.
92 years young and still practicing. Dr Cyril Sherer is still
treating patients in Jerusalem 70 years after graduating in London. He and his wife spent 13 years in New
Zealand and made Aliya to Israel in 1961.
His story reads like a history of modern medicine.
The blind can “see”
with their fingertips. (Thanks to Israel21c) Bar-Ilan Professor Zeev Zalevsky has
invented a bionic contact lens that receives electrical signals and transmits
the encoded image to the wearer’s cornea. The image gets translated into a
tactile sensation that can be interpreted visually.
Treating corneal
edema.
(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s EyeYon Medical has two solutions for
corneal edema, which affects an additional two million patients every
year. First, Hyper CL is a patented
contact lens that uses osmosis to release fluid build-up. Then a DSPEK polymer film implant prevents
the formation of fluid.
Inhalation masks for babies. Until now, infants’
inhalation masks have been miniature versions of adult ones – ill-fitting and
unable to deliver medicine effectively.
Now Israel’s Technion has made an infant-specific inhalation mask that
even allows a pacifier to be stuck in the child’s mouth while he/she is wearing
the mask.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Gaza weekly deliveries: In the week ending 4th Aug 2013, 1475 trucks carried 41,271 tons of
goods into Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Terrorists launched 1 rocket from the Gaza
Strip into Israel.
Christian Arabs become Israeli
Christians.
(Thanks to BIG) The goal of the pro-Israel Arab Christians of Nazareth
is to convince more young Arabs to join the army. “We live in a Jewish state, which is democratic and free. As
Israeli Christians we see ourselves as part of this state and not as part of
those who oppose it.”
Muslim IDF soldier
despite everything. Ahmed Inaim is a Bedouin soldier from Nazareth who enlisted in
the Israel Defense Forces, despite losing one brother who fell in military
service. Another brother was wounded by terrorists in the same raid that
captured Gilad Shalit. He explains why
he chose to extend his service in the IDF.
Israel helps build industrial park for
PA.
Israel’s Civil Administration has fully supported the joint French /
Palestinian Authority project to establish a new industrial park in
PA-controlled Area A territory, near Bethlehem. Infrastructure for the park runs through Israeli-controlled Area
C. The park opens in August.
Dead Sea salt makes healthy
relationship.
(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli startup Naked Sea Salt partners with a
Palestinian Arab company to use eco-friendly methods to harvest salt from the
Dead Sea. Each of Naked Sea Salt’s
fifteen flavors is blended with organic herbs and spices to create a tasty and
nutritious product.
Wounded Syrians brought to Israeli
hospital.
Ziv Hospital in Tsfat is treating a Syrian man suffering from shrapnel
and bullet wounds to his stomach and a 50 year-old woman with shrapnel in her
heart. A 15-year-old Syrian girl walks
after major surgery. Even the NY Times can no longer ignore Israel’s
humanitarian efforts.
Aviva inspires the world. Check out the latest video
and website of Aviva Krainess from Bet Shemesh, who founded Aviva Productions
despite suffering from Lupus and losing nearly all her eyesight. Aviva has just finished producing “The
Emperor’s Secret” – a unique production for “The Theatre of the Mind”.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A submarine that thinks for itself. Current remotely operated
submarines are limited by communication cables and require frequent
human-operator contact. Ben Gurion
University is developing an autonomous, independently thinking underwater
vessel to check pipelines, map minefields and search for sunken vessels.
Independent connects to electric grid. Independent power producer
Dorad Energy has hooked up its power station to the national grid. The
840-megawatt power station runs on natural gas and will begin full production
by the end of the year – well in time for next summer’s peak.
Hebrew U launches Quantum center. The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem has founded the Quantum Information Science Center to advance
computing and communication technologies.
A tiny Israeli computer for $100. Israel’s CompuLab has
developed the Utilite – a 5.3 inch by 3.9 inch computer selling from $100. Inside is a Freescale i.MX6
system-on-a-chip, with an ARM Cortex A9 processor. Higher spec versions have
4GB of RAM, 512GB drive, quad cores and run either Linux or Android.
Breakthrough in memory technology. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s TowerJazz and Santa Clara’s Crocus Technology have announced a major
breakthrough in magnetic technology. It
features best-in-class performance, fast access times, low power and unlimited
write cycles.
New Tel Aviv bus is electrifying. Passengers on Dan’s Number
5 bus line in Tel Aviv will encounter a much quieter and cleaner ride, aboard
the country’s first fully electric bus.
The vibrantly orange bus is about 12 meters long with a driving range of
about 250 miles and a 4-5 hour recharge time.
Fuel and maintenance costs are much less than the previous diesel
equivalent. Dan plan to upgrade 25% of
their buses to electric in 5 years.
Israeli technology
helps capture European crime syndicate. Israel’s Cellebrite developed technology for
the extraction and analysis of data from cellular phones, which has led to the
arrest of 46 members of an international money laundering and drug trafficking
organization.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Tasigli - “Please get it for me”. Tasigli is an Israeli
personal shopping agency, serving global customers looking to locate and
purchase unique, high quality and even simple Israeli products. Founded in 2012 by two top officers in the
IDF reserves, Tasligli delivers “land of milk & honey” products anywhere in
the world.
Building websites together. The unique code generators
and algorithms at Israel’s Webydo reduce the time and cost of building websites
vastly. Webydo has a secular CEO and a religious Zionist co-founder; it has an
Israel-Arab financer, 15 female ultra-orthodox Jewish employees and 10,000
customers.
Ashdod to Tel Aviv in 35 minutes. A new Israeli train line
has just been inaugurated that will cut travel times between Tel Aviv and the
Southern cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon.
Transportation minister Yisrael Katz said, “The train lines mean a
revolution in Israeli living”. People
can have jobs in Tel Aviv and live elsewhere.
Facebook now “likes” Israel. Facebook is reported to be
expanding its operations within the Jewish state in order to enhance its status
as a favored platform for developers of applications and games. Facebook said that Israelis developed five
of its ten fasted growing games.
Israel waives US funding. Despite assurances that the
US will not reduce spending on Israel’s Iron Dome, the Israeli government has
decided to allow its primary rocket defense system to be included in the US
cuts. Israel’s ambassador to the US,
Michael Oren, said that Israel “should bear its share of the burden.”
Wave power to Guinea. (Thanks to Atid-EDI)
Israel’s SDE Energy is developing a 100MW sea wave power plant along the
coastline of Conakry – the capital of Guinea.
The project will help Guinea Conakry become more independent and solve
all its energy problems.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Stoudemire applies for Israeli
citizenship.
Amar’e Stoudemire, the New York Knicks star, is seeking Israeli
citizenship. Stoudemire came to Israel
to help coach Canada’s basketball team in the recent Maccabiah games.
He is also part owner of Israeli basketball
club Hapoel Jerusalem.
Barcelona scores with
“peace tour”. Barcelona FC took a break from pre-season
training to hold a two-day “peace tour” in the holy land with Israeli and
Palestinian Arab kids. A favorite among
Israeli and Palestinian Arab fans, the Barcelona team included Lionel Messi,
regarded as one of the best players in the game.
THE JEWISH STATE
“The
Event” helps Olim. Jerusalem hosted
the largest-ever seminar for new and veteran Olim (immigrants to Israel), to
help them find employment and provide other assistance in settling into life in
the Jewish State.
NY bar mitzvah boy helps Safed kids. Josh Wasserman has donated
his 13th birthday gifts to establish a basketball team and renovate a new court
for children living in a center for new Ethiopian immigrants in northern
Israeli city of Safed (Tzfat).
Israelis are human too! (Thanks to Israel21c) Four
blogs depict the face of Israel rarely portrayed in the media: Humans of Tel
Aviv, Humans of Israel, Humans of Safed and Humans of Jerusalem.
But not this baby! When a rare baby Asian
elephant was born at Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari Park, La Belle (the mother)
received some coaching in how to bring up junior from Bubba - her mother, La
Petite.
NIS 27 million win will finance his
education.
The latest big winner of the Israeli lottery is determined to invest
rather than waste his fortune. An
unnamed soldier won first and second prize and will use the interest “to
finance my university education.” He
also promised to look after his parents and siblings.
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
Also, here is a photo of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh feeding
orphans in Gaza with “boycotted” Israeli yogurts.
Page Down for more details on these and other good news
stories from Israel.
