Matters of Life and Death


When the regular news is full of distressing events, such as the recent terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, I try to focus my weekly positive news feature on the many life-affirming stories from Israel that barely get any attention in the international media.

Israeli scientists at Tel Aviv University stumbled onto a discovery that can help bring new life into the world.  Whilst researching the protein Interleukin-1 (IL-1), they discovered that its genetic deletion actually improves fertility.  It could help increase the effectiveness of IVF treatment.  If a baby is born prematurely and needs to be placed on a ventilation machine, Israeli medical device manufacturer, Pneumedicare, has developed a potential lifesaver.  The Pneumonitor detects the common dangerous condition pneumothorax, in which the preemie’s tiny air sacs can over-inflate and burst.  Pneumonitor’s alarm sounds an hour before any problem arises.

Staying with children, the bio-artificial pancreas, developed by Israel’s Beta-O2, can vastly improve the quality of life for sufferers of Type-1 (juvenile) diabetes.  The BetaAir delivers oxygen to newly transplanted islet cells in the body in order to produce insulin and avoid the need for regular injections.  Finally, Israel’s MediWound has commenced a Phase 3 study in around 25 sites in Europe and Israel to evaluate its innovative NexoBrid treatment for severe burns in children.  NexoBrid removes dead or damaged skin without harming viable tissue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQdIB6Ziqf0 


Many Israeli families cannot imagine life without Beit Issie Shapiro, Israel’s leading disabilities organization.  BIS is to set up the country’s first Center of Excellence for Cerebral Palsy and severe motor disabilities.  And since mobile phones are such a part of everyone’s life, Israel’s Sesame Enable is developing a smartphone for those who have limited or no use of their hands. The “Sesame Phone” can be controlled with a combination of small head movements and voice recognition.



All life is sacred to Israelis.  Quick-acting Israeli border police on routine patrol in Hebron found a Palestinian Arab youth who had been electrocuted, was unconscious and had no pulse.  They saved his life, performing CPR until the emergency services arrived.  And with the constant life-threatening risk of an Ebola virus outbreak, Israel responded to a request by the Palestinian Authority for Ebola screening tools. They will help PA officials to diagnose the virus among those entering from Jordan and also into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing.  Israel has also sent six cargo containers of specialist equipment to set up portable field hospitals for treating Ebola victims in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Water is vital for sustaining life in Africa.  Israeli companies Waterways, Tahal and Anyways Solutions are providing water solutions in Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana. Waterways recently signed an agreement with the Water and Sanitation Organization of Africa, which links 36 African countries under its umbrella.  Israelis are also helping to save Kenyan wildlife.  Israel’s Dr Bill Clark works with the Kenya Wildlife Service to combat poaching.  He uses Israeli dog-handlers, restores old Israeli planes and trains wardens and pilots to detect and pursue poachers. He also employed Israel’s Maisha Consulting - specialists in countering environmental crime.

Among the many recent Israeli technological achievements, two Israelis took only 24 hours to develop a potentially lifesaving facility for sending messages in regions of the world where there is limited cellular reception.  The AirHop won them the $100,000 grand prize at the global hackathon competition held at PayPal’s California HQ.  And several Israeli scientists are eagerly awaiting the results of their work on the Rosetta project that could determine whether life exists on a comet millions of miles away.

Back in Jerusalem - the center of planet Earth - life goes on.  So here are some news items relating to the capital of the Jewish State.  One Jerusalem family chose to hold their baby’s life-cycle brit milah (circumcision ceremony) as planned, in the synagogue where terrorists murdered five Israelis. "Judaism is all about moving from tragedies to happy days", said the baby's grandfather.  Meanwhile, on Nov 12, the moat surrounding Jerusalem’s Tower of David, just a stone’s throw from Temple Mount, was opened to the public after 15 years of careful excavations.  It reveals centuries of Jewish life, going right back to King Hezekiah in the 8th Century BCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alaGuJvnE4s
I will briefly mention that Israeli doctors have to make life and death decisions every day - such as treating a critically wounded terrorist before one of his less-injured Jerusalemite victims.  But there is good news about Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who was shot 4 times at point-blank range in the stomach, lungs, neck and arm by a terrorist in Jerusalem on Oct 29.  On his release from hospital, less than 4 weeks later, Rabbi Glick thanked the Jewish and Arab doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital who worked side by side to save his life.


Finally, the numbers of lives saved thanks to the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) are incalculable.  Its funding successes include 3 top cancer treatments, two major genetic discoveries and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. In the last 12 months, the ICRF has made 94 new research grants, totaling a record $3,453,332. 

The Jewish State is for life.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Time for a Fresh Start


In our weekly Torah readings we are currently learning afresh about the groundbreaking activities of the ancestors of the Jewish people. In parallel, recent news is full of the innovations being developed by startups, scientists and entrepreneurs in the Jewish State today.

Those suffering from Parkinson’s disease may soon look forward to a fresh start in life thanks to the recent success in Phase II trials of liquid levodopa/carbidopa developed by Israeli biotech NeuroDerm.  Another Israeli area of expertise - stem cell transplantation - is providing a fresh start to many with life-threatening ailments, however the side-effect Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) endangers the treatment.  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has therefore granted preferential orphan drug status to Glassia from Israel’s Kamada, which studies show is able to reduce the severity of GVHD.  The US FDA has also approved the innovative ECG system HyperQ Analyzer Rest developed by Israeli biotech BSP, which can diagnose early-stage heart disease without putting the patient under dangerous stress and avoiding invasive radioactive tracers.


Aging pilots can look forward to a fresh start thanks to the Israeli app GlassesOff. After 3 months of tests, 32 Israeli pilots experienced an average 35% improvement in visual acuity (sharpness and clarity) with just 12-15 minutes of exercise, three times a week.  GlassesOff doesn’t improve eyesight, rather the brain’s ability to concentrate on and process visual signals.  Over at Hadassah Medical Center, a fresh look at managing Attention Deficiency Disorder is giving children with the concentration ailment the opportunity to live normal lives with their families.  Hadassah’s Neurocognitive Center has one of the world’s most innovative models for the diagnosis and therapy of ADHD.  And if your own concentration fails during the post-lunch fatigue period, then you will be pleased to know that the no-caffeine natural beverage WakeUp, from Israel’s Inno-Bev can refresh you. WakeUp has just won the 2014 SupplySide CPG Editors’ Choice Award in the Energy Drink category.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=ZMRH7cWuEWc

Israeli technology is at the center of the world’s efforts to produce fresh agricultural produce.  Professor Eilon Adar, of Ben Gurion University's Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR), is helping California combat drought by sharing technology and experience of working with scarce water resources.  ZWIR specialties include desalination, hydrology, resource economics and water management.  Back in Israel, Evogene has opened a new center for crop protection, with dedicated Research & Development programs focusing on fungus, insect and weed control.  But the main news this week is of the fungicide developed by Israel’s Pimi Agro that keeps fruit and vegetables fresh for up to 10 weeks.  It extends shelf life by a staggering 1500 percent, and could prevent the current wastage of one-third of the world’s agricultural produce.




Recently, there has been some good news for startups in Israel, where investment during the 3rd quarter of 2014 was 6% higher than the same period in 2013.  Over $700 million of funding capital was invested in Israeli hi-tech from Jul-Sep 2014.  Eleven Israeli startups are currently attending Philadelphia's first Israel Technology Conference, hosted by Drexel University.  Philadelphia is a perfect gateway for Israeli companies, thanks to its abundance of higher education and healthcare institutions.  Meanwhile, hundreds of European and Asian investors looked to Israel for partnerships with Israeli startups at the twelfth annual Go4Europe/Go4Israel conference in Tel Aviv's Hilton Hotel. 




Anyone who normally only reads bad news about Israel could make a fresh start by taking a look at the excellent website From The Grapevine.  It features original articles highlighting the inspiring, beautiful and innovative side of the Jewish State.  It also includes some stunning photography to accompany positive Israeli stories that cover Innovation, Health, Nature, the Arts, Food and Lifestyle.  Another recommendation is Israel21c, which is currently running a story on Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Mikhmoret.  Its nine patients include Mazel (Luck) who is blind and Hofesh (Freedom) who has been given artificial fins.  They will stay and hopefully breed, but the other seven should eventually be given a fresh start when they return to the sea.  The video below is of the remarkable rehabilitation of Franki the sea turtle.




Good news for some of the Israelis who were terrorized by thousands of Hamas rockets during the summer.  The Jewish Agency for Israel has developed a $13.2 million aid package to give members of the communities of Israel’s south a fresh start following the hostilities.  Thanks are due to the Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod-UIA, and many other donors.

Finally, you have got to believe that anything is possible when you read about the fresh start made by a certain Shia Muslim man from Lebanon.  He was a commander in the terror organization Hezbollah when he fled to South Lebanon and eventually to Israel.  Soon afterwards he converted to Judaism and today he is Rabbi Avraham Sinai of Tsfat.

Israel – it all starts here. 

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Israel Goes Global


Abraham, the first Jew, was told to journey from Ur of the Chaldees to the Promised Land where he would become a blessing to the world.  Some 4000 years later his descendants in the Jewish State are traversing the planet with innovative products, technology and aid to benefit humanity.

An Israeli delegation is currently in Rwanda, as part of a program helping the poor east African nation save millions of dollars a year through recycling and green technology.  At the International Water Association’s annual conference in Lisbon, Israelis presented creative solutions to global water problems. At the same event, Israel’s Miya received the IWA’s Project Innovation Award, Asia Pacific Region, for significantly improving urban water system efficiency in Manila, Philippines.




Israel’s G-Med, the world’s first and only global social-professional network exclusively for physicians, allows doctors anywhere to consult with colleagues, and manage multinational research projects.  Since its 2013 launch, G-Med has linked up 20,000 medical professionals in over 50 countries.  One project, initiated by
Israeli biotech Pharmaseed brings Israeli, Jordanian and Swiss researchers together to search for a cure for cutaneous leishmaniasis.  The parasitic disease is common in the Middle East and can cause death in patients with weak immune systems. 

Doctors at Hadassah Medical Center not only perform complex cardiac surgeries on Palestinian Arab children, they also train Arab physicians so that they can treat Palestinian Arabs closer to home. However, the major humanitarian story this week concerns the Israeli NGO IsraAid, which has been distributing beds, blankets, basic supplies and food to over 1,000 Yazidis and Christians fleeing the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) terror organization in the Kurdish regions of Iraq.




Israeli technology has certainly gone global.  The Olympic Committee and the agencies managing the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympiad have selected Israel’s ISDS to integrate systems security for the world's biggest sporting event.  Amazon Web Services is partnering with Israel’s CTERA Networks for its technology to secure storage in the cloud.  Meanwhile, Israel’s Dr. Eli Harari just received the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation for his invention that led to Flash Memory.  And in 2013 alone, one billion products were sold globally with microprocessor chips developed by Israel’s CEVA Inc.  The latest Asus PadFone X hybrid smartphone-tablet contains a CEVA digital signals processor.




The next generation of Israeli scientists is already receiving the global treatment.  Eight Israeli high school students from the Ilan Ramon Youth Physics Center at Ben-Gurion University earned the top prizes in the latest “First Step to Nobel Prize in Physics” international competition.  Some 80 nations participate in the annual competition, which is held in Warsaw.  Ten major Israeli and multinational high-tech companies are encouraging Israeli children to achieve the same success in Math.  Intel, Sandisk, Marvell Israel, Microsoft, IBM, Qualcomm, Red Hat, Amdocs, eBay, and Philips have combined efforts in order to double the number of Israeli high school pupils matriculating in the five units of Math.

Keeping track of world shipping isn’t as straightforward as you might think.  The Automatic Identification System that supposedly tracks the global position of maritime freight is being manipulated to conceal criminal activities and worse.  Secure technology from Israel’s Windward provides reliable data for both economic and security purposes.  No secrets about the growing attraction of global travel to the Jewish State.  Due to increased demand, British Airways is adding six more weekly flights this coming summer, raising the seat capacity on the London-Tel Aviv route by about 50%. Also schedule changes will give passengers more convenient connections to/from North American destinations.

We can certainly expect an increase in business travel between Israel and California following the first annual California Israel International Business Summit at Microsoft’s Mountain View Campus last week.  And the Canada-Israel Industrial Research Development Foundation announced a new program to encourage research and development between Saskatchewan and Israel, and strengthen innovation and economic ties.  Hi-tech trade links continues to develop with China, where Israel’s SCR Engineers are installing dairy cow monitoring technology.  Finally, Japanese Culture Week in Jerusalem showed that Japan has definitely found the Israeli market. Under the guidance of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Japanese food manufacturers are even obtaining kosher certification.




Those lucky employees of Google Israel that get a chance to spend some quality time in the Jewish State will be able to appreciate working in one of the World’s Coolest Offices – as can be seen on pages 5 – 8 of Inc. Magazine’s 4th annual list.  Even millions of migrating birds use Israel’s Hula valley as a global hub, enjoying some Israeli hospitality on their way to their winter retreat in Africa.

Finally, as millions of Jews worldwide finish celebrating the first global Shabbat (Sabbath) Project together, a new world-class film is about to have its international premiere. “Body and Soul: The state of the Jewish Nation” tells of the remarkable journeys made by the Jewish people.  It culminates with the establishment of the modern Jewish State – a global powerhouse - in the land where it all began.



Israel – a nation of trailblazers.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Building a New World


In synagogues this week, Jews read about Noah and the Biblical flood, which tells of the destruction of the ancient world.  Today, there are many evils that again threaten to flood the planet, but at least now we have a nation - Israel - busy re-constructing the world to prevent disease, thirst, hunger, pollution and terrorism from submerging mankind.  Here are some of Israel’s most recent activities.

In the new world no one will have Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or Type 2 diabetes.  Ben Gurion University researchers have just discovered that these diseases have a common link in the build-up of a peptide, for which treatments now can be developed.  Another Israeli innovation facilitates damaged hearts to be repaired by building replacement tissue impregnated with gold atoms.  The electrical conductivity property of gold carries signals to and from the heart until the new tissue grows sufficient amounts of protein to do the same job. 

Complex fractures are often repaired by regenerating the bone using grafts taken from somewhere else in the body.  But now the damaged bone can be rebuilt from coral grown in the laboratory by Israel’s OkCoral.  And during breast cancer awareness month we are building our hopes up for a world without this deadly disease.  Among many Israeli discoveries and treatments is the vital Octava early diagnosis cancer test from Israel’s Eventus.



The excitement has been building for three international conferences showcasing world-changing Israeli technology.  The International Polymer Processing Society (PPS) is holding its annual conference in Israel for the first time in its 30-year history.  Top experts will discuss 3D printing, nano-technology, biodegradable polymers, super-hygrophobicity, medical polymers, smart materials and much more.  At the International Astronautical Congress in Toronto, over 200 leaders in the “space business” gathered at the Israel exhibit.  Israel is one of only seven countries to launch and maintain its own satellites and works closely with both NASA and the European Space Agency.  And the Israel Conference in Los Angeles at the end of October will feature 75 stellar speakers from Israel-facing hi-tech companies building the technologies and products of tomorrow.

Most computers are now built with Israeli technology inside.  Intel’s latest Core M chip was designed in Israel, as is its successor - the SkyLake due to be released in 2015.  Meanwhile, Israel’s Stratasys has built a factory described as the most advanced in the world for the production of 3D printers.  And Israel’s Nano Dimension is building a desktop-sized 3D printer that prints electrical circuit boards so that one day you may be able to print your own computer or mobile phone.



Israel is helping to build a world free from polluting chemicals.  The Jewish State has joined a group of 41 countries that have agreed to drop all customs duties on goods that contribute to a cleaner environment.  The global deal will also make Israel’s vast range of clean technology products cheaper abroad.  Israel is also building a new clean technology hub at Kibbutz Ketura near Eilat. The hub will allow companies to build and test products that provide energy and water to poor populations that are not connected to their national grids.  The waste digesters from Israel’s HomeBioGas already do this for Bedouin residents of the Arab town of Umm Batin near Beersheva. Israel’s environment ministry even subsidizes the 8,000-shekels cost per unit.  Additional units are heading overseas as part of a pilot project in the Dominican Republic.

In the new world, discrimination would be non-existent.  The Jewish State leads the way, for the head of Ziv Medical Center is Dr. Salmaan Zarka - a Druze Arab, and women are in charge of Hadassah, HaEmeq and Carmel hospitals.  Arab states would have good relations with Israel.  Already, hundreds of individual Syrians happily trust Israeli doctors with their lives; the Arab media praises Israel’s treatment of its Palestinian Arab workers; and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and even Turkey are negotiating to buy Israeli natural gas.

Away from the Middle East, there is even more cause to be optimistic about relations with countries that have large Muslim populations.  According to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, “the sky’s the limit” to Israel-India ties as evidenced by the warm meeting in New York between the leaders of the two states.  Turning next to Azerbaijan - the biggest supplier of oil to Israel and its closest Muslim ally.  Moshe Ya’alon was the first Israeli Defense Minister to visit the majority Shiite nation since diplomatic relations were established 22 years ago. And finally, Israeli eye doctors performed 55 operations and examined over 250 patients at the Eye Microsurgery Department of Osh Interregional Hospital in Kyrgyzstan. 

There are no doubts amongst many of Israel’s supporters that Israel is key to a better world.  Every year thousands of Zionist Christians express their belief in the Biblical prophet Zechariah’s vision that “all nations of the world will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles”.

Finally, even Noah might have been impressed by the efforts of six Israelis to reach Israel in time for Tabernacles.  They swam the 236 miles (380km) from Cyprus to Tel Aviv to make a new world record and build awareness for protecting the environment of the Mediterranean. 

Israel – making a world of difference.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Defeating the Forces of Darkness


On the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law) we read how the universe was created – starting with the four words “Let there be light”.  Today, Israeli solar energy projects light up countless homes.  However, the Jewish State also has found another way to illuminate millions of lives – by removing the darkness itself.

It is sad to see the shadowy effects of aging on previously brilliant minds.  Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute may therefore have opened up the promise of a brighter tomorrow.  They have discovered that the protein interferon beta impairs the cognitive ability of the brain – common in old age.  New treatments that block or remove this protein may one day prevent or reverse cognitive decline and rejuvenate the brain.  Israeli biotech Compugen has discovered another “murky” protein, codenamed CGEN-15049 that prevents the immune system from destroying tumors.  Attacking CGEN-15049 could prevent cancers of the lung, ovaries, breast, colon, stomach, prostate and liver.  A new treatment may already be underway thanks to FutuRx - a new Government-funded incubator for Israeli bio-techs.

Watching someone being treated successfully for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is like seeing a dark cloud lifted. So we hope for only blue skies from now on, now that the US FDA has fast-tracked the NurOwn ALS treatment developed by Israel’s Brainstorm.  On the other hand, those suffering from the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (dry-AMD) may develop dark areas on the retina of the eye, causing progressive blindness.  OpRegen, developed by Israel’s CellCure NeuroSciences is hoping to become the first approved therapy for dry-AMD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNaIeH7ZE1c



Irrespective of whether the forces of darkness are biological, social or man-made, Israel will try to defeat them.  The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Mashav department is sending three Israeli-manufactured mobile emergency clinics to West Africa to help try to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading.  Meanwhile, at home, the Israeli Government has approved a budget increase of NIS 1.7 billion to fight poverty. And then Israeli surgeons toiled for hours in order to save the life of a Syrian boy who was shot in the neck during Syria’s civil war.  The doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center removed a bullet, just millimeters from the main blood vessels in the five-year-old’s neck.

Scientists believe that a mysterious Dark Matter comprises much of the known universe, but cannot prove it.  Dr Ran Budnik of Israel’s Weizmann Institute is lead scientist on the project to build the prototype of a device to detect the result of dark matter particles colliding with liquid xenon.  In a more practical context, Mekorot, Israel’s national water company doesn’t want its engineers to work in the dark.  It is the first firm in the world to equip its field workers with smart glasses – Epson’s Moverio BT-200 devices.  It’s also the first to be deploying a commercial app - by Israeli startup FieldBit - to receive specific guidance and instruction when they repair high-tension electricity installations at Mekorot’s facilities.




Israel leads the world in defending against criminal forces.  Two products of Israel’s Magal-Senstar won awards at the 2014 ASIS Accolades Competition: Security’s Best Award.  Its RoboGuard robot patrols security fences and its CyberSeal protects against cyber attacks.  Meanwhile, Russian software giant Kaspersky Lab, known for its popular anti-virus system, is to open a development center in Jerusalem next year - one of its few outside of Russia.  Then Israel’s CyberSpark initiative received a boost when Carole and Marcus Weinstein donated $5 million to sponsor the building of a new Cyber Security center at Ben Gurion University.  But it was a low-tech Israeli security solution that caught the eye when Israel’s Seatylock announced its neat way to turn a bicycle saddle into a bike lock.




The forces of darkness have nothing to match the force protecting the Jewish State from above.  Readers, however, may be amused to know that Israel even has a law for Angels.  The Government is amending the Angel Investors Law, granting tax incentives to those investing in start-ups at the seed stage of research and development.  Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said it “will ensure that the New Year will be one of entrepreneurship and encouragement of investment in high tech.”  That should demoralize the dim-witted Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions thugs even further.  The UK’s evil BDS losers are already distraught over the latest economic news that bilateral trade between Israel and the UK rose by 28% between January and August, reaching record levels.  Israeli exports to the UK were worth £1.6 billion, up 38%.

Finally, the light dawned on 19-year-old twins Fatima and Zukra Islambakov who were born in Uzbekistan and even attended Muslim schools.  Then they discovered their Jewish roots, immigrated to Israel and joined the IDF where they are currently helping to protect the Jewish State against the forces of darkness.

Israel – everyone's best hope for a bright future.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

A Good State for the Whole Body


A key feature of the upcoming festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is the Arba Minim (four species).  When put together they symbolize the human body – the focus of Israel’s medical, scientific and humanitarian work.

One of the four species is the Lulav (palm branch), which symbolizes the human spine.  For those with inoperable spine injuries, the phenomenal success of the NASDAQ launch of Israel’s ReWalk and its amazing exoskeleton, brings closer the day when they may be able to walk again.  However, where spine surgery is still an option, this new video from Israel’s Mazor Renaissance emphasizes the main advantage of Mazor’s unique robot system - 100% accuracy every time.




Israeli medical research and innovative therapies treat all areas of the body.  As antibiotics rapidly become ineffective, Israel’s Atox Bio has been awarded $24 million by the US Biomedical R&D Authority to help develop its AB103 treatment for severe infection. AB103 uniquely modulates the patient’s immune response, against which viruses and bacteria cannot develop any resistance. Next, approximately 12% of US citizens and many in Europe suffer from the liver disease Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis, or NASH, for which there is currently no treatment on the market. So the decision of the US Food and Drug Administration to award Fast Track Designation to Israeli biotech Galmed for its Aramchol treatment of NASH is extremely good news for everybody concerned.  Finally, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered how circular RNA is produced.  The mysterious molecule is associated with degenerative muscle and brain diseases. The finding can help lead to new treatments.

Israel strives hard to help those with a less than perfect body.  The charity Beit Issie Shapira won Microsoft Israel’s “Innovate for Good” competition for its “IssiePlay” imaginative computer game for children with disabilities.  Beit Issie benefits 30,000 Israeli disabled children and adults.  Time Magazine named Israel’s Adi Altschuler as one of its six “Next Generation Leaders.”  27-year-old Adi created “communities of kindness” by establishing Krembo Wings - a nationwide youth movement that runs after-school activities for children with disabilities. But I was particularly moved watching this beautiful video of Erez, one of 150 Israelis with severe “Williams syndrome” disorder, who is introduced to a horse on a farm in Israel. 




Parents of young, growing bodies will appreciate three Israeli developments.  Israeli scientists have discovered a link in the brain between remembering what you ate and where you ate it.  Children who say they “don’t like” a particular food could be persuaded to eat it if they re-tasted the food in a different place.  Meanwhile, two Israeli baby-food executives have developed a new vegetable-based product called INDI (Innovative Non Dairy Infant formula).  It provides a solution for babies who cannot tolerate cows milk.  It also doesn’t contain soy, which can affect a baby’s hormones. But for the millions in Vietnam who rely on milk products, this video by Israel’s afimilk, highlights its implementation of the largest dairy farm project in the world.




In the four species, the myrtle leaf symbolizes the eye.  Professor Richard Horton, editor of UK medical magazine “The Lancet” certainly had his eyes opened when he saw at first hand Jews and Arabs treating and being treated at Haifa’s Rambam hospital. What Prof Horton said with his mouth (symbolized by the willow leaf) was encouraging. We wait to see if it has changed his heart (symbolized by the citron).  He will no doubt be aware that Israeli doctors have saved at least 1200 Syrian lives (six more in the past week).

An old Jewish blessing states, “You should live for 120 years” and Israel does so much to ensure that our bodies last for as long as possible. So it is quite remarkable that Israel’s oldest hospital, Jerusalem’s Herzog Hospital, is celebrating its 120th birthday and is still expanding. After all, Herzog is Israel’s foremost center for geriatric health care, treatment and research.  In parallel, Israel’s Science Ministry is to give grants totaling up to 15 million shekels ($4.5 million) in 2015 for scientists working on practical solutions for the elderly. The above articles, plus many more, suggest why Israel’s life expectancy is the 4th highest in the world.  The following video gives some other reasons.



I conclude by wishing 90-year-old Aviel Hangshing a healthy future as he brings both body and soul to Israel, fulfilling a dream he has held for so many years. Aviel is the most senior of the lost tribe of Bnei Menashe to arrive from India so far.  He can take comfort from the continuing story of Yisrael Krysztal who arrived in Israel in 1950 at the age of 47 having survived Auschwitz.  Yisrael has just celebrated his 111th birthday, in which two Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer players presented him with a team shirt with the number 111 on it.  He might not be in the starting line-up for Maccabi’s next match, however!

Wishing every body a happy and healthy festival.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Israel begins a New Year


The Jewish New Year is a time of exciting new beginnings, and there is no better place to observe them than in the Jewish State itself.

Israeli medical discoveries and advances are announced every week, but the impact of the most recent innovations is simply staggering.  Technion scientists are the first in the world to manufacture cancer-killing chemicals inside the tumor itself.  These directly target the tumor, fooling the cancer’s defense mechanisms and avoiding the usual harsh side effects of chemotherapy.  Over at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Yotam Bar-On has developed new antibodies to attack the flu virus.  These antibodies disrupt virus’s ability to evade the immune system’s natural killer cells.

At Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a cutting-edge brain catheterization procedure was broadcast live to thousands of doctors attending the world’s largest cardiovascular conference in Washington DC.  And at the same hospital, doctors have begun using a robot to unblock arteries remotely.  The robot is more accurate than human hands and avoids any radiation risk to surgeons.  The robot is manufactured by Corindus – founded by two Israeli scientists.




Further new Israeli treatments include the bladder cancer product BC-819, developed by Israel’s Biocancell Therapeutics, which has just completed a successful clinical trial.  Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, sufferers of severe Glaucoma will now be able to receive treatment using the innovative CO2 laser IOPtiMate manufactured by Israel’s XLVision Sciences.  Finally, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new cocktail of genes that are extremely effective in turning adult cells back into stem cells. These stem cells, when transplanted, can renew previously damaged tissue or organs.

The New Year will see the culmination of hundreds of new Israeli technological ventures.  Israel will build its first bio-waste power plant at Neot Hovav in the Negev that will generate 5 megawatts of clean energy and process over one hundred thousand tons of organic waste per year.  A new National Photonics and Electro-Optics Research Center will allow professionals and students to delve into the exciting new science of light and optics. 

The Israeli government will establish a new hi-tech authority - the National Technical Innovation Authority - to enhance Israeli innovation and bolster economic growth. And Israel’s Algatechnologies is to build a new factory at Kibbutz Ketura that will grow new forms of beneficial micro-algae for use in foods, medicines and cosmetics. 



The New Year promises to enhance relationships between the Jewish State and other forward-thinking countries.  “The sky’s the limit” when it comes to new ties between Israel and India, as Israel’s Prime Minister stated at his meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi in New York.  Israel’s Economic Office in Delhi has already been busy matchmaking Israeli and Indian companies.  Even a well-established relationship was strengthened when the US Senate unanimously adopted the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act that will lay the foundation for expanded US-Israel cooperation in defense, energy, agriculture, and other key sectors. 

We can only wish that future Israeli-Arab relations mirrored the words of exiled Syrian opposition leader Dr. Kamal Al-Labwani, who visited wounded Syrians being treated at Israel’s Ziv Hospital. "This moving humanitarian gesture is an opening for rapprochement between the two peoples and hope for peace on quieter days," he said.  And if other Arab leaders visited Israeli hospitals, such as Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, they would see young Israeli patients start the school year.  Jews, Moslems, Christians, Druze, plus Arabs from Gaza - all study together in their year groups.  And whilst we are dreaming of new beginnings, listen to the “Dream it. Do it” New Year message from the students of Israel’s Technion – in 14 languages.



Finally, there is no better way to start a new year than by starting a new life.  24,800 new immigrants to Israel did precisely that in the last 12 months - a 28% increase on the previous year and the highest number in the past five years.  For the first time in history, more immigrants arrived from France (nearly 6,000) than from any other country, and many more are expected in 5775.  An even larger number of new arrivals had far less distance to travel. A record 176,230 Israeli babies were born in 5774 - the next generation of new beginnings.

Happy New Year.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

History of Israel's Good News - Jul to Sep 2014


History of Israel’s Good News Jul to Sep 2014
140928


In the 28th Sept 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli scientists have developed groundbreaking safe and effective chemotherapy.
·        New Israeli legislation promotes the employment of disabled workers.
·        The US Senate voted unanimously to make Israel a strategic partner.
·        Israeli scientists make a new chemical that turns plant waste into fuel.
·        Israel approves the largest-ever investment in Israel by a foreign company.
·        Immigration to Israel hits a 5-year record.

·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News and on IsraelSeen.com.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Manufacturing safe cancer treatments inside the body.  Technion scientists are the first in the world to build cancer-killing chemicals whilst inside the tumor.  Their system will allow chemotherapy treatments to be tailored for the patient and concentrated only where it is necessary, thus escaping the usual harsh side effects.

100% accurate spine surgery.  There is a 10% error rate in standard (unassisted) spinal surgery, resulting in about 4% cases of permanent nerve damage.  But the robots from Israel’s Mazor Renaissance ensure a perfect outcome every time.  A highlight in this new video is a pole-vaulter competing six months after robotic surgery.

Star Trek medical technology today.  A detailed IBA news report about the medical holograms that Israel’s RealView Imaging projects straight into the hands of surgeons in the operating room.

Unraveling the mystery of circRNA.  Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem together with the Max Dellbruck Institute in Berlin, has discovered how circular RNA is produced.  The findings increase knowledge of degenerative diseases both in muscle and the brain, and eventually can help their treatment.

Positive trials of bladder cancer treatment.  Israel’s Biocancell Therapeutics has reported a successful clinical trial on high-risk bladder cancer patients.  It will allow the company to proceed to a Phase III trial of its BC-819 product, which is administered together with BCG, the standard treatment.

Innovative treatment for Glaucoma.  Israel’s XLVision Sciences manufactures the IOPtiMate CO2 laser treatment for severe Glaucoma sufferers.  The treatment has just made its first sale in Hong Kong.  (Warning the video – although only an animation - may be unsettling to some readers)

Taste is location-sensitive.  Israeli scientists have discovered that a bad taste memory can be overcome by re-tasting the food in a different place.  There is a link in the brain between remembering what you ate and where you ate it.  It could help parents struggling to persuade children to eat food that they say they don’t like.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Large businesses to have 3% disabled employees.  A new Israeli law will require all businesses with 100 or more staff to ensure that their workforce includes at least 3 percent disabled employees.

Three more Syrians brought to Israeli hospital.  Three more wounded Syrians are being treated at Nahariya’s Western Galilee Medical Center.  The patients were suffering from injuries to the chest and limbs.  363 Syrians have been treated in Nahariya alone. Many more have been taken to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat.

Israel is the only safe place for Christians in Middle East.  Israeli-Arab Greek Orthodox Priest, Father Gabriel Nadaf, told the United Nations Human Rights Council, “Israel is the only place in the Middle East where Christians are safe.”  Israel’s Christian population has grown from 34,000 in 1948 to 158,000 in 2012.

US and Israel are strategic partners.  The US Senate unanimously adopted the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act.  81 of the 100 Senators co-sponsored the legislation, which will lay the foundation for expanded US-Israel cooperation in defense, energy, agriculture, and a number of other key sectors.

Saving the environment.  Israel recycled 52 percent of its large (no deposit) plastic beverage containers (1.5 liters and over) sold in Israel last year.  Including smaller (0.3 NIS deposit) plastic bottles, the rate increases to 59%.  Including glass bottles, the rate rises to 80%. All rates are higher than most other countries.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Researchers’ Night of Water.  Each year, the Israel Technion invites the public to participate in Researchers’ Night – a celebration of science and research for the whole family.  Participants tasted seawater before and after desalination; built boats, examined underwater robots, submarines work and water pollution.

USA raises levels of permitted tomato coloring.  The US has approved a five-fold increase in the level of tomato lycopene allowed as a colorant in ready-to-eat meat products. This allows tomato lycopene colorants from Israel’s LycoRed to replace artificial and insect-based colors in deli meats, sausage and hot dogs.

Removing nitrogen from water.  Israeli wastewater treatment company Emefcy has developed the revolutionary modular Spiral Aerobic Biofilm Reactor (SABRE).  The permeable membranes remove nitrogen using 80% less energy, providing a low cost solution for small wastewater plants.”

New center for researching light and optics.  The Israeli government has given Ben Gurion University and Israel’s Soreq Nuclear Research Center 174 million NIS ($47 million) to establish a National Photonics and Electro-Optics Research Center. It will provide professionals and students with state-of-the-art equipment.

New enzyme generates better bio-fuels.  Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have fused two enzymes from plant-munching bacteria.  The resulting hybrid is quick and efficient at turning difficult to break down cellulose into useful sugars that can make low-cost bio-fuel.  (A rare pro-Israel article in New Scientist.) 

Toyota event to produce new Israeli car technology.  Toyota is to host the first tech event put on by a large Japanese corporation in Israel. At the two-day “hackathon”, Israeli programmers and entrepreneurs will present ideas on improving car safety and performance.  Toyota is aiming to produce the ultimate “connected” car.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Jerusalem’s “Front Gate” to provide 50,000 jobs.  The $1 billion project to expand Jerusalem’s Western edge includes new malls, hotels and business parks. There will be 2,000 new hotel rooms, 230,000 square meters for industry and business, and 49,000 square meters for recreation and leisure.

S&P maintains Israel’s “A” rating.  Despite the economic effects of the Gaza “Protective Edge” operation, Standards and Poors has affirmed its 'A+/A-1' foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Israel.  S&P expects the government to maintain stable public finances and contain security risks.

The largest-ever overseas investment in Israel.  The Israeli finance and economy ministries have approved a plan by Intel to invest $6 billion in upgrading its chip-manufacturing plant in Israel, marking the largest-ever single international investment in the Jewish state.  Intel will hire 1000 more workers at its Kiryat Gat factory.

Israel = Silicon Valley: Part II.  The DLD Tel Aviv Conference included a panel of the Israeli heads of IBM, General Motors, Qualcomm, Deutsch Telekom and Google. All agreed that Israel’s superb engineering talent is due to strong academic institutions, entrepreneurial and creative spirit, hard working and a “can-do” attitude.

Pricense wins MasterCard Israel Technology Award.  Pricense won the MasterCard Israel Technology $25,000 first prize for its use of “big data analysis” to set prices for on-line retailers. Its system raises or lowers prices automatically to maximize revenue, based on traffic, historical data, consumer behavior and other factors.

$3 million order for Camtek.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Camtek has received $3 million worth of new orders from one of the world's largest OSATs (Outsourced Semi-conductor Assembly and Test organizations).  These orders are for 2D and 3D inspection and metrology for Advanced Packaging semiconductor applications.

Arab-Israeli incubator raises $4.5 million.  Takwin (Arabic for Genesis or start) is a unique incubator for start-ups in the Arab-Israeli community.  Takwin Labs raised $4.5 million from Israeli (Jewish and Arab) and US investors.  It will invest hundreds of thousands of dollars per venture in 4-6 start-up companies.

Wizz off to Budapest, Bucharest and Warsaw.  Low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced  that due to increased demand, it has added one weekly flight on each its services from Tel Aviv to Budapest and Bucharest. It has also reinstated its Tel Aviv-Warsaw service earlier than planned.

Israeli security for Scottish port.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI)  Aberdeen Harbor is the NW Europe’s center of activity for the offshore oil and gas industry's marine support operations.  It selected Israel’s Siklu to deliver a
next generation security network of traffic including streaming HD video images from the latest IP cameras.  Siklu also implemented free Wi-Fi to cover the start of the 21st stage of the Tour de France, in Leeds UK.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Lost city uncovered near Jerusalem.  The Israeli Antiquities Authority said it "uncovered a large and impressive compound dating to the Byzantine period in Ramat Bet Shemesh." It included near-perfectly preserved artifacts offering a rare glimpse into the daily lives of the inhabitants some 1000 years ago.

Stalactite cave discovered in Jerusalem hills.  A breathtaking stalactite cave has been discovered during construction work in the Jerusalem Hills.  Initial measurements indicated that the cavern is 200 meters (660 feet) long and its large rooms feature different types of stalactites.

Gold for Israeli judo junior.  Israel’s Baruch Shmailov won the gold medal in the under 66kg category at the under-21 European Judo Championship in Bucharest, Romania, beating Armenian Arsen Ghazaryan in the final. In the under 74 kg category, Israeli Tohar Butbul won the bronze medal.

Israeli windsurfer wins bronze.  Israel’s Ma’ayan Davidovich claimed her second straight bronze medal at the ISAF Sailing World Championships’ windsurfing RS:X competition in Santander, Spain.  She secured a place for either herself or her Israeli rival Lee Korzits at the Rio Olympics in Brazil in 2016.


THE JEWISH STATE

Israel’s population is now 8.9 million.  On the eve of the Jewish New Year, the population of Israel reached 8,904,373 - 173,811 more than the same time last year.  176,230 babies were born in 5774.  

Aliyah hits 5-year high.  24,800 new immigrants arrived in Israel in the Jewish year 5774, a 28% increase compared to the 19,350 immigrants who arrived in Israel in 5773 and the highest number of the past five years.  For the first time in history, more immigrants arrived from France (nearly 6,000) than from any other country.

Free bus service to Jerusalem Old City.  Car drivers visiting Israel’s capital can now avoid having to negotiate Jerusalem’s busy, narrow streets.  Park for 17 shekels all day at Jerusalem’s First Station and take the free shuttle bus to the Western Wall or alight at many other stops in and around the Old City.

111-year-old survivor gets birthday surprise.  Yisrael Krysztal survived Auschwitz and made Aliya in 1950. 
Two Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer players were guests at his 111th birthday party, bringing presents including a cake, balloons and a team shirt with the number 111 printed on it.


140921


In the 21st Sept 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Leading-edge surgery from an Israeli hospital was broadcast live to 12,000 US doctors.
·        An Israeli scientist has developed antibodies to help fight influenza.
·        Israel has the 4th largest number of people with college degrees.
·        Syrian opposition leader praises Israeli doctors treating Syrians.
·        Israeli 3D technology wins Intel’s European Business Challenge competition.
·        Four Israeli universities are in the top 50 best places to study for an MBA.
·        A book used 1200 years ago to pray for Jerusalem now arrives in Jerusalem.

·        Last week’s Israel Good News descriptive summary “Little Israel makes a Big Impression”.  Also on Jerusalem Post and United With Israel. 

·        See the newsletter also on Jewish Business News, IsraelSeen and IsraPundit.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

12,000 doctors watch live innovative Israeli brain surgery.  (Thanks to United With Israel) A cutting-edge brain catheterization procedure was performed at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem while being broadcast live to 12,000 US doctors attending the world’s largest cardiovascular conference.

Uncovering the secrets of rabies.  (Thanks to Israel21c) A research team led by Eran Perlson of Tel Aviv University has discovered that the rabies virus hi-jacks the body’s nerve cell transport system to move quickly from an infected bite to the brain.  The knowledge could lead to new therapies to deal with the deadly virus.

Winter babies crawl 5 weeks earlier.  Researchers led by Dr. Osnat Atun-Einy of the University of Haifa, have documented that babies born in winter or spring start crawling at 30 weeks on average.  Those born in summer or autumn/fall begin crawling at around 35 weeks.

A cocktail to make stem cells.  Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a cocktail of genes that is highly effective at reprogramming adult cells to become quality stem cells that can be used in transplant therapy.  These stem cells can then transform themselves into previously damaged tissue or organs.

New antibodies for fighting flu virus.  Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Yotam Bar-On has developed antibodies that enhance the body’s immune system to attack the flu virus.  These antibodies interfere with the protein neuraminidase (NA) - used by the flu virus to evade the immune system’s natural killer (NK) cells.

Why Israelis live longer.  (Thanks to Israel21c)  A new video reveals some (but not all) on the reasons why Israel’s life expectancy is the 4th highest in the world.

NFL to use Israeli brain scanner.  The US National Football League in the NCAA will use the brain scanner developed by Israel’s ElmindA to diagnose players who receive a concussion injury during the game.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel is the world’s 4th most educated country.  The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranks Israel 4th in the world with 46.4% having a tertiary (college) education.  Only Russia, Canada and Japan were higher.  The USA was 5th with 43.1%.

Yad Sarah lends out 320,000 medical items.  More than half a million Israeli residents benefited from services from Yad Sarah during the past year, with the voluntary organization saving the public coffers NIS 1.5 billion by lending out 320,000 items of medical equipment.

Kids of all religions learn together.  At Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, the start of the school year means that young patients also begin their lessons.  Jews, Moslems, Christians, Druze, Arabs from Gaza, all children study together with other kids their age.

Israeli Arab female IDF commander.  This video consists of an interview with Commander Mona Lisa Abado - an Arab-Israeli from Haifa, who serves in the Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli & Arab medics talk peace in Australia.  Uri Shacham is head of Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom.  Dr Mohammed Al Hadid is the president of the Jordanian Red Crescent.  The two medical and humanitarian leaders are sharing their experiences with Arabs and Jews living in Australia.

Syrian opposition leader visits Syrians in Israeli hospital.  Dr. Kamal Al-Labwani, exiled leader of Syria’s opposition, visited Israel’s Ziv Hospital and said, "I am grateful for the dedicated medical care given at the Ziv Medical Center to wounded Syrians, my people, who were hurt during the war. This moving humanitarian gesture is an opening for rapprochement between the two peoples and hope for peace on quieter days,"

Israeli doctors fight to save sight of Syrian boy.  More details of the 12-year-old Syrian boy brought by his brother to Israel on a donkey.  He lost one eye in the Syrian civil war and had primary surgery in Beirut on the other eye.  Israeli doctors performed retinal surgery but as yet are unsure if he will recover any vision.

1100 international students receive Israeli agriculture diplomas.  1100 students from 18 countries (including 500 from Africa) graduated with a diploma from Tel Aviv University in High Value Horticulture and Irrigation.  Reports from Uganda and Malawi news sites show the high value of this training in those countries.

Agriculture training in the Philippines.  The Israel Embassy in Manila hosted a forum on agricultural knowledge transfer, particularly in the field of integrated pest management and post harvest management of fruits and vegetables. Participants included various Philippine agricultural agencies and agriculture journalists.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Immense Heaven.  “Cosmic” is the only word to describe the work of a team of scientists including Professor Yehuda Hoffman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Warning, this video may make you feel rather small.

Producing algae in the desert.  Algatechnologies produces the antioxidant astaxanthin from algae grown in its factory at Kibbutz Ketura in the Negev desert.  Astaxanthin is used in foods, medicines and cosmetics.  The company is investing 60 million shekels to expand the factory to grow new forms of beneficial microalgae. 

Fitterli is a perfect fit in Europe.  Israel’s Fitterli has won the 2014 Intel Business Challenge Europe.  With Fitterli’s technology, on-line retailers can show customers how clothes would look on a 3D representation of your own body.  An Intel spokesperson said, “The 3D technology offered by Fitterli is the kind of innovation Intel has come to expect from Israel  ….  unimaginable just a few years ago.”

CyberSpark is launched.  Jerusalem Venture Partners and BGN Technologies (technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University) have set-up the CyberSpark Industry Initiative. The non-profit company will engage in the international promotion of the new cyber center, based in Beersheva's Advanced Technologies Park.

Israel to build its first bio-waste power plant.  Israel’s new bio-waste facility at Neot Hovav in the Negev will generate 5 megawatts of clean energy and process over one hundred thousand tons of organic waste per year.  It will significantly reduce the annual volume of landfill waste and the consequential soil contamination.

Go on, HopOn.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Riding a bus has never been easier.  Tel Aviv’s HopOn has inserted beacons in 2,000 buses and soon at bike stations and other transportation hubs. Some 10,000 users have installed the app, allowing them to hop on a bus or bike without worrying about how to pay.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Pango is on the move in America.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Pango mobile parking has recently launched in Curitiba, Brazil and expects to be live in other large Brazilian cities in the coming months.  In the United States, Pango is launching in Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas.  Pango has over a million users in 59 cities.

The best country to do your MBA.  Four Israeli universities are in the top 50 rankings of institutions for budding entrepreneurs to study for an MBA.  Tel Aviv University (at number 11) produced 50 graduates who went on to establish 56 start-ups.  Bar Ilan, Technion and Hebrew University of Jerusalem also featured highly.

ReWalk shares are up and running.  The share price of Israeli exoskeleton developers ReWalk Robotics more than doubled on the day of its Wall Street Initial Public Offering (IPO).  The 3 million shares, offered at $12 per share, reached $25.6 per share at close of business. By day 2, the price was $37.15.

Ericsson buys Fabrix.  Electronics giant Ericsson is buying Israel’s Fabrix for $95 million.  Fabrix specializes in cloud storage and computing and network-based video delivery.  Cablevision Systems uses Fabrix to help power its network-based Multi-Room DVR product that allows customers to simultaneously record 15 shows.

New national technical innovation authority.  Israel is establishing a new hi-tech authority, under the Office of the Chief Scientist, to enhance Israeli innovation and bolster economic growth. 

Matchmaking Israeli and Indian companies.  Israel’s Economic Office in Delhi held a seminar “Indo-Israel Cooperation in Water Security & Waste Water Management”.  India’s largest Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies met 15 Israeli water technology companies.  The event generated much interest.

Securing business in the USA.  Two Israeli cyber security companies (Sentrix and Secure Islands) have been successful in raising funds to expand into North America.

Bank of Israel’s governor gets an “A”.  "Global Finance" magazine has named Governor of the Bank of Israel, Karnit Flug, as one of the seven best central bank governors in the world.  The magazine gave Flug an "A" rating – higher than the heads of the central banks of some much larger economies.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

 “My heart and soul belong to Israel.”  Violinist and conductor Maxim Vengerov is starring in the Vengerov Festival at the Tel Aviv Opera House.  Vengerov studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and now lives in St Petersburg.  Israel, however, “is in my genes,” said Vengerov. “My heart and soul belong to Israel.”

Lady Gaga duets with Tony Bennett.  Another one of those “Only in Israel” events.  Lady Gaga put on a show at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park in front of 23,000 fans.  In between her most famous hits, she performed “I can’t give you anything but love” with Tony Bennett – who had his own concert in Tel Aviv the next day.


THE JEWISH STATE

1200-year-old prayer book comes to Jerusalem.  A 9th Century Babylonian siddur (Jewish prayer book) to go on display at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum’s “Book of Books” exhibit of the most important texts ever seen in the Jewish State.  The 50-page Hebrew book is described as “a treasure of the Jewish People”.

The oldest Bnei Menashe to arrive in Israel.  On May 29, 2014, Aviel Hangshing landed in Israel, fulfilling a dream he has held for so many years. Hangshing is the most senior of the lost tribe of Bnei Menashe to arrive from India so far. “The day after we came to Israel was my 90th birthday!” he says, proudly.

Where will you eat your apple and honey?  To celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, the people at Israel21c asked some of their friends, “Where do you eat your apples and honey?” The answers were surprising.

Dream it. Do it.  An inspiring New Year message from the students of Israel’s Technion.  In 14 languages.



140914


In the 14th Sept 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli brain surgeons cured a tremor patient whilst she played her violin.
·        Israeli doctors transplant kidney into Gaza boy who had only one blood vessel.
·        An Israeli company has developed the world’s smallest GPS chip.
·        The new Jerusalem Arena is the largest center of its kind in the Middle East.
·        A rare female baby white rhino was born in an Israeli safari park.
·        Israeli factories are being subsidized to convert them to natural gas.
·        Israeli security systems protect European nuclear reactors.
·        A $20 million donation boosts research at Tel Aviv University.

·        Last week’s Israel Good News descriptive summary.  Click here for “Supporting Israel is only Natural” (fast-loading version, no adverts).  Also on Jerusalem Post, United With Israel and Jewish Business News.
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News and on IsraelSeen.com.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Violinist plays during her brain surgery.  Former international violinist Naomi Elishuv gave up playing 20 years ago when she developed essential tremor.  Israeli doctors fitted a Deep Brain Stimulation electrode into her damaged brain under local anesthetic, and whilst Naomi played the violin, they guided it to the correct spot.

Preventing the spread of Ebola.  The experimental vaccine ZMapp isn’t an Israeli invention, but it has been having some success in treating Ebola victims.  The problem is that stocks have run out and Israeli biotech Protalix has offered to produce more vaccine.  Separately, Israeli doctors are giving Cameroon medics training on how to fight the virus.

Genetic screening can save women from cancer.  Researchers at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center have concluded that all Jewish women of Ashkenazi origin should be screened for BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations from age 30.  40% of ovarian cancer cases in Ashkenazi Jews are due to these mutations.

Government funds universal flu vaccine development.  Israel’s BiondVax has just received a 4.87 million shekels grant from Israel’s Chief Scientist, to allow them continue development of their universal influenza vaccine M-001.  The treatment is in advanced trials and the funds will prepare it for commercialization.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Innovations for the elderly.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Science Ministry is to give grants totaling up to 15 million shekels ($4.5 million) in 2015 for scientists working on practical solutions for the elderly. Projects can cover technological, medical and/or social science applications.

Israel is the safest place for an Arab in the Middle East.  On a recent visit to Northern Israel, Anat Berko stopped in an Arab village to get her car fixed.  The owner of the repair shop revealed that 10 Muslim village boys were serving in the IDF in Gaza.  The villagers would not live anywhere else in the Middle East.

Football friendly.  (Thanks to Hazel) Shimon Peres kicked off his Twinned Peace Soccer Schools initiative on Kibbutz Dorot near the Gaza border.  More than 600 children from Israel and the Palestinian territories will take part in these events throughout the year using soccer to build friendships between Jews and Arabs.

Surfers for Peace.  Four young Arabs from Jisr al Zarka came to Tel Aviv beach to learn how to teach surfing.

Hoops for Peace.  14 disabled Israelis and Palestinian Arabs (7 of each) are participating in a tournament in Germany as part of a joint wheelchair basketball team.  The team, sponsored by the Peres Center for Peace, includes athletes aged 15 to 25 from the PA town of Beit Jala and from Israel’s Ramat Gan.

Gaza boy has innovative kidney transplant in Israel.  Surgeons at Haifa’s Rambam hospital performed a unique kidney transplant on a 14-year-old boy from Gaza.  Due to a previous failed transplant in Egypt, and obstructed blood vessels, the Israeli doctors implanted a synthetic connector to allow his new kidney to work.

Syrian takes wounded 12-year-old brother to Israel on a donkey.  After a 12-year-old Syrian boy sustained serious wounds in his arms and legs and lost his vision during fighting near Damascus, his brother seated him on a donkey and led him to the Golan border.  The IDF transferred the boy to the Israeli hospital in Safed.

Syrian woman treated in Israel.  The IDF admitted a 47-year-old Syrian woman, seriously injured in the country's civil war, into Israel for treatment on Thursday.  The woman was admitted to Ziv Medical Center in Safed, which has treated 366 injured Syrians since the civil war began.

IDF saves Irish UN troops.  The Irish UN force that rescued 40 Filipino soldiers from Syrian rebels on Aug 30 would have been killed or captured had it not been for the IDF. The Israelis guided the Irish soldiers, helping them to avoid large concentrations of militant units.  There were reports that they also provided covering fire.

From Tel Aviv to New York City.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) According to Guy Franklin, creator of the interactive map “Mapped in NY”, in January 2013 there were about 60 Israeli startups in the Big Apple. In just over a year, this number grew to a whopping 200.

Israel gives satellite info to US re IS.  Israel has provided the US with intelligence and satellite images on Islamic State positions.  Israeli spy satellites were said to have greater access to the region, allowing the US to “fill out its information and get a better battle damage assessment” in the aftermath of its air strikes.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The world’s smallest GPS chip.  The Micro Hornet GPS developed by Israel’s OriginGPS is only 10x10x5.8mm and weighs merely 2.5 grams.  It has the capability to be incorporated in clothing, automobiles and any valuable item that requires its location to be tracked.

Now where did I put my specs?  Israeli start-up LOOK has launched a crowd-sourced funding campaign to help it develop a practical and effective device for finding misplaced glasses. A tiny attachment to the spectacles connects wirelessly via an app to any mobile device.  My wife would use the app several times a day.

Cutting out 90% of water evaporation.  Here is an Israeli innovation that I almost missed reporting.  In May, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Innovation Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation went to Israel’s “Top-It-Up”.  Their “Top-up” spheres cover reservoirs to prevent evaporation, protect fish and maintain water quality.

The largest center in the Middle East.  Jerusalem’s new indoor Payis Arena is the largest sports, cultural, and recreational center of its kind in the Middle East.  11,600 seats, wheelchair access, Olympic-sized swimming pool, ice skating rink bowling alley and more; it will also host huge concerts and international conferences.

Good insects keep crops pest-free.  Farmers at Ein Yahav have cut pesticide use by 80% thanks to the natural insect predators supplied by Israel’s “Beauty of Vegetables”.  Ein Yahav is one of the biggest vegetable exporters in Israel, producing a world record for the largest pepper and the Justin (Timberlake) melon.

Rent a bike by smartphone.  Israeli start-up HopOn, will allow cyclists in Tel Aviv to rent from bicycle rental service Tel-O-Fun and pay by smartphone. Users of the app will be able to unlock the bicycles at the touch of a smartphone button, with no need to physically appear at the machine or wait in line at the rental station. 

Clothes that stop bacteria and viruses.  (Thanks to Israe21c) Jerusalem-based Argaman Technologies has developed bio-inhibitive textiles and masks. High-powered ultrasound impregnates fibers with accelerated Copper Oxide that prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses.  It could even protect against the Ebola virus.

Israel Innovation Week.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Tel Aviv’s DLD Conference – part of Israel’s Innovation Week – is Israel’s largest hi-tech event with thousands of start-ups, experts, investors and delegations from 22 countries.  But that’s not all.  Check out all the other events here.

Female white rhino born in Israel.  For the first time in 20 years, Ramat Gan Safari has seen the birth of a female white rhino.  Once thought to be extinct, the baby rhino will now stay in Israel to hopefully become a mother to more baby rhinos.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NIS 4.8 million to convert to gas.  The Israeli government has issued grants of 4.8 million shekels to convert 16 factories to natural gas.  4 million shekels were given in 2013 to 16 other factories for the same purpose.  Using natural gas will save money in the long term and cut pollution from using coal and diesel fuels.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opens new building.  The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has opened for trading in its new building on Rehov Ahuzat Bayit in Tel Aviv.  It has 10 floors, with the computer center below ground.

Israeli trading platform is sold for $350 million.  Israel’s SuperDerivatives trading platform is used by banks and financial institutions around the world.  US clearing house network IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) has just acquired it, including its 250 Israeli employees, for a third of a billion dollars.

Apple co-founder loves Israel.  Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers, attended Israel’s 2014 EduAction conference. He then gave an interview to Hillel Fuld of ZuTa Labs (developer of the pocket printer) and praised Israel’s hi-tech computer industry.

An ideal water partnership.  Jerusalem’s water utility Hagihon, with 1 million customers, has signed a 3-year contract with Israeli water network management company TaKaDu.  TaKaDu monitors water quality, leakage and pressure for customers in Israel, the USA, Europe, Australasia, South America and Asia.

Protecting European nuclear reactors.  Israel’s DSIT Solutions reported its second deal within a week to guard nuclear reactors in Europe. DSIT’s AquaShield, is installed near the protected facility to detect divers, submarines, and explosive devices.  AquaShield detected Hamas divers during Operation Protective Edge.

MobilEye is now worth $11 billion.  Since Israel’s MobilEye launched on NASDAQ, its price has soared.  At the time of writing, the price is $54, valuing it at $11 billion, but Morgan Stanley has a target price of $100.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Tel Aviv – where science fiction almost meets science fact.  The Utopia International Science Fiction Festival is set to infuse Tel Aviv with a variety of science, imagination and future vision events, conferences, micro-talk sessions, exhibits and performances.  In Israel, though, it seems that the impossible is only just ahead of reality.

Coming Home.  (Thanks to 12TribeFilms) The Maccabeats latest catchy song (with over 120,000 hits) has an important theme.  The visuals switch continually between scenes of Manhattan and Jerusalem.

Beach Boys performance date.  Legendary American rock and pop band The Beach Boys will perform at Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena on November 29.  (Video below is from 1976.)

14-year-old girl combats BDS.  It just shows what can be achieved if you try.  14-year-old Shelly Dvir heard that her favorite heavy metal band Cruahan from Ireland was seriously considering canceling their Tel Aviv gig due to pressure from the Boycott Israel thugs.  So she wrote on the band’s facebook page – and it worked!


THE JEWISH STATE

Huge philanthropic donation for Israeli research.  Ukrainian-born US billionaire Len Blavatnik is donating $20 million to Tel Aviv University. The donation will fund three new centers and two new funds at Tel Aviv University that will focus on promoting applied research.

Jerusalem of Gold.  The City of David Foundation’s annual conference enabled the general public to experience some of the most important archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem in recent years.  A special portion of this year’s conference highlighted several never-before-seen golden artifacts.

Visiting the sick and supporting the fallen.  One of my readers is a member of SOS Netivot – Israel.  The organization helps injured children and needy families in the South of Israel. Please support their vital work.

Lebanese Muslim activist waves the Israeli flag.  The speakers at the Stockholm pro-Israel rally on Aug 31 included Mostafa Geha, a Muslim Lebanese activist and writer, who co-founded the Lebanon Israel Peace Project.  He says peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon, like those between the biblical Kings Solomon and Hiram, will create an amazing region.

Flags of joy.  (Thanks to Jacob Richman)  Israel has issued new postage stamps.  Three of them mark the upcoming festival of Simchat Torah (rejoicing of the Torah) by depicting flags waved during the celebrations.

An Aliya video with a difference.  (Thanks to Leonie) This could inspire many to come and study in Israel.


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In the 7th Sept 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli lasers are treating everything from cancer to athlete’s foot.
·        Israelis have helped with the clean-up following East Washington’s massive wildfire.
·        An Israeli micro-satellite is being built to keep the Earth free of space debris.
·        Jordan is to purchase $15 billion of Israeli natural gas.
·        Both Apple and Aston Martin have opened sales offices in Israel.
·        An ancient wine cellar has been unearthed from the time of the Israelites.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary.  Click here for “BDS means Boycott Everything” (fast-loading version, no adverts).  Also on IsraelSeen.com.
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News and IsraelSeen.com.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Proton beam destroys tumors.  Israel’s Hil Applied Medical has patented lasers that perform safer, focused radiation cancer therapy using positively charged ions (protons).  Hil’s revolutionary reduced-size, economical lasers can bring proton therapy to many of the 300,000 US cancer patients and others who can benefit from it.

Laser treatment for nail fungus.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Gentle Pro YAG lasers from Israel’s Syneron Medical can now treat onychomycosis (nail fungus) – affecting 10-12% of the population and especially dangerous for diabetics.  Laser heat is safer than oral alternatives and more effective than topical treatments (i.e. creams). Syneron has also developed a laser that can remove tattoos.

Acne treatment knocks spots off alternatives.  As Israel’s Foamix prepares to go public, enter Phase III trials and get FDA approval, the latest results of its acne treatment are impressive; 72% reduction in pimples for 150 patients with moderate to severe acne during the 12-week treatment period; and zero side effects.

Good trial results for new asthma treatment.  Israel’s Teva reported that Phase III trial results for its asthma treatment reslizumab reduced the frequency of attacks by 50 – 60% compared to placebo.

Asthmatics need to check Vitamin D levels.  A study of 21,000 Israeli asthmatics showed that those with a Vitamin D deficiency were 25 percent more likely to have an asthmatic attack than those with normal levels.  Vitamin D is known to play a role in regulating the immune system.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israeli agro-tech is a game-changer for Virginia.  Ralph Robbins, executive director of the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB) has developed the model “Ecosystem for Success” in order to promote Israeli companies that can bring benefits to the agriculture of the US State of Virginia.

Israel celebrates “International Bat Night”.  Israel hosts and protects 33 species of bat - they are important pollinators and prey on insects, especially mosquitoes.  Bat Night has taken place every year since 1997 in more than 30 countries.  Lectures and tours take place across Israel.

Israel’s sea turtles are hatching.  Some 50 days after mother turtles laid their eggs in Israeli beaches, newborn sea turtles are starting to make their way "home," to the sea.  The Israel Nature and Parks Authority tries to ensure that there are clear paths to the sea for the newly hatched sea turtles.

IsraAid helps clear up after Washington wildfire.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.broaderview.org) Despite the war back home, workers from the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid (IsraAid), spent two weeks helping clean up after the destruction from the single biggest wildfire in Washington State’s history.

The first globally-sustainable Israeli company.  Israeli company Salt of the Earth is one of only 36 companies worldwide - and the first Israeli company - to pass GRI materiality matters check.  The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) encourages organizations to contribute to sustainable development.​


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israel completes 11.6km tunnel.  Israel's longest tunnel has been completed after 22 months of work. The tunnel forms part of the 57km (28 minutes) Jerusalem Tel Aviv rail link via Ben Gurion airport. A new station is under construction at the western entrance to Jerusalem. The entire project costs NIS 7 billion.

Speech analysis can profile personality.  Ben Gurion University researchers have developed a new computer-based personality profiling methodology that can decipher the actual feelings of an individual.  When used to analyze speeches of Presidents Obama and Putin it produced some interesting assessments.

Samsung enhances HD TVs using Israeli technology.  Samsung has selected the Adaptive Video Accelerator (AVA) from Israel’s Giraffic to provide Internet video streaming for its smart High Definition TVs.  Giraffic’s AVA software virtually eliminates the need for re-buffering, to provide reliable, high quality, video download.

Backup your smartphone while it’s re-charging.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Don’t worry if you lose or break your smartphone.  With bleep-Smart from Israeli start-up Musers, your data is backed up every time you charge the phone’s battery.  Contacts, history, pictures, videos, WhatsApp – it’s all saved to a secure memory stick.

Is it safe to eat?  Students at Israel’s Technion are raising funds to support their project to develop the “Safie” – a biological system that detects very low concentrations of bacteria, unsafe chemicals, toxins, hormones and allergens in food and water.  Please help them to realize their aims.

Sell unwanted vouchers to those who want them.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli start-up Zeek has built a crowdsourcing mobile app to help customers sell their unused gift certificates or store credit (at a discount) to those who can use them. The app also warns about expiry and your proximity to the relevant stores.

Microsoft chooses Israeli digital pen.  Microsoft has chosen Israel’s N-Trig to provide the digital pen technology for its new Surface Pro 3 tablet computer.  N-trig provides high performance controllers and a variety of active pen types for touch-enabled smartphones, tablets and Ultrabook devices.

A tugboat for wayward satellites.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli start-up Effective Space Solutions (ESS) is 18 months away from launching its micro-satellite “tugboat” to maneuver communications satellites that fail to get into their correct orbit.  It will also be able to take satellites into a safe “graveyard” orbit at the end of their life.

As free as a “Bird”.   Tel Aviv Radio TLV1’s start-up of the week is Israel’s MUV Interactive, which is developing the “Bird” – a device that turns any surface (e.g. your sofa or wall) into an interactive touch screen simply by wearing a ring on your finger.  Listen to the 7-minute interview on TLV1.

Water treatment for the nuclear energy industry.  Israel’s RWL Water is supplying mobile water treatment systems to one of America’s response centers that deliver non-emergency equipment to America’s nuclear energy facilities.

The world prints with Israeli technology.  Indigo Digital Press was founded in 1977 in Israel, specializing in digital offset printing presses and was acquired by HP in 2001. HP Indigo has developed and grown to become a world leader in the digital printing industry. 


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Unemployment down again.  Israel's unemployment rate fell in July, to 6.2%, from 6.5% in June.  The number of people in full-time jobs (35 or more hours per week) rose by some 27,000, or 1% compared to June.

Israel's tech start-ups "thriving" despite Gaza conflict.  Embassy of Israel in London’s Nathan Tsror says, "Despite the fact that over 70 per cent of the country has been exposed to increased volumes of rocket attacks, the robust Israeli economy continues to operate as normal with very little impact from the conflict."

Jordan to buy $15 billion of Israeli gas.  The Leviathan partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Jordan for the export of $15 billion of gas over 15 years. The agreement will make Israel Jordan's principle supplier of natural gas in the coming decades.

Developing water in Kazakhstan.  Israel's Mekorot National Water Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Kazakhstan for a program to develop the country's water resources. Geographic constraints are causing a water shortage in Kazakhstan.

Israel secures European nuclear power station.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s DSIT Solutions has received an order for its Underwater Security System to protect am unnamed European Nuclear Power facility.

Tracking cargo in Africa. (PR Newswire) Israel’s Pointer Telocation has been awarded a $1.3 million supply contract to provide tracking solutions for an unnamed customer in Africa.  Pointer’s advanced cargo and monitoring devices will enable safe and efficient delivery of goods between various countries in Africa.

Israel launches first Asian start-up incubator.  StartupEast is the only accelerator in Israel having extensive business networks across Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Seoul. Its goal is to bridge between Israeli innovation and the immense market opportunities, which Asia presents.

Apple opens Israeli sales office.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.broaderview.org) Technology giant Apple will soon open an official office in Israel for marketing and sales.  Apple already employs 600 (mostly Research & Development) staff.  Apple is building new offices in Herzliya Petuach to house all its employees.

Aston Martin opens Israeli sales office.   I doubt if we will see Mossad agents driving around Israel in the Bond car, but I expect that at least one of Israel’s successful entrepreneurs will splash out $2 million on an Aston Martin Vanquish.  I just hope that he/she doesn’t try driving 300km / hour down my street.

Israel’s come a long way in 30 years.  Comparing Israel’s 1984 statistics with 2014 really puts its economic miracle in context: GDP rose from $30bn to $300bn; GDP per capita from $7k to $38k; Foreign currency deposits from $3bn to $89bn; exports from $10bn to $90bn; and its public debt ratio fell from 280% to 66%.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

The artist who cannot draw.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli artist Hanoch Piven’s inability to draw forced him use everyday objects, including food, to make his pictures.  He now illustrates top magazines; produces children’s books, mobile apps and tours Israel and the USA inspiring young students to be creative.

Manhattan Transfer – Israeli directed for 35 years.  Those who have enjoyed listening to vocal harmony group Manhattan Transfer over the years may be surprised to discover that its musical director and pianist since 1979 is Tel Aviv-born and bred Yaron Gershovsky.  Manhattan Transfer is performing at Tel Aviv port.

A spoonful of hope.  Not just entertainment, but a way to help children in Southern Israel.  Desert Rose Productions is doing a fund raising event in Ra’anana on the 17th of September to raise money for 'A Spoonful of Hope' who are making Rosh Hashana gift boxes for the children in the South.  Please support it if you can.

Israeli wins silver medal at World Judo championships.  Yarden Gerbi came up just short in her attempt to defend her title at the World Judo Championships, winning a silver medal in the under-63 kg competition.  The final against France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou was a repeat of last year’s final, which Gerbi had won.


THE JEWISH STATE

Archaeologists unearth Canaanite wine cellar.  Excavations at Tel Kabri, near Nahariya in Northern Israel have revealed a 3,600-year-old palace storeroom full of wine jars.  Two further storerooms will be excavated in 2015 and may provide a glimpse of the agriculture of the Land of Israel at the time that the Israelites entered it.

US medics help at Israeli hospitals.  Over the last seven weeks, the Emergency Volunteers Program (EVP) has brought volunteer emergency first responders from various locations in the United States to help out where they were most needed – southern Israel.


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In the 31st Aug 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israel’s ReWalk inventor is still wheelchair-bound, so he has invented the UPnRIDE.
·        Israeli surgeons have repaired the heart of a Yazidi infant from Northern Iraq.
·        An Israeli company says its technology produces virtually every electronic device.
·        An Israeli “search and rescue” device could be the answer to the terrorist tunnel threat.
·        Israel has a new multi-billion-dollar company – MobilEye.
·        Israel wins an “Emmy” for technological excellence.
·        The oldest metal object made by humans has been discovered – in Israel of course!

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

A foolproof method for diagnosing ADHD.  Scientists at Tel Aviv University, Sheba Medical Center and Haifa University have discovered the first objective system for diagnosing ADHD.  Involuntary eye movements accurately reflect the presence of ADHD.  The test is affordable and accessible.

International conference on pancreatic disease.  Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem has hosted an international conference focusing on inherited pancreatic diseases.  It included physicians from Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Spain, and the US specializing in identifying genes related to chronic diseases of the pancreas.

Soon, even quadriplegics will be able to stand up.  (Thanks to Hazel and Israel21c) Israel’s Amit Goffer invented ReWalk to help paraplegics to walk. But Amit is a quadriplegic and cannot use ReWalk. So he has  invented the UPnRIDE, which allows almost every wheelchair user to stand upright – even on sloping ground.

Whey to go!  A joint study by Israeli and Swedish researchers has found that a plain whey protein drink one half hour before breakfast could help diabetics, or pre-diabetics, prevent blood sugar spikes and better manage the disease. Blood glucose levels were reduced, insulin levels were higher and the response was earlier.

Successful transplants following cardiac death.  More lives can be saved now that Israel has adopted technology to allow transplants from donors whose hearts have stopped beating.  Previously, some religious authorities rejected brain-stem death, whilst cardiac death damaged vital organs making them unusable.

The only Middle-East member of ISOC.  The exclusive International Society of Orthopedic Centers (ISOC) has expanded its membership to include one center in the Middle East:  Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center.  ISOC members must perform a minimum of 5,000 orthopedic surgeries each year.

New pipeline for brain disease treatments.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Kadimastem is to work with giant Merck to conduct screening for new treatments into Multiple Sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases.  Kadimastem’s revolutionary technology uses stem cells to produce cells that protect or repair brain function.

Mother’s cancer drives daughter to research breakthrough.  Dr. Svetlana Bunimovich of Ariel University has developed mathematical models to improve the treatment of bladder cancer.  She was inspired to study the issue when her mother was diagnosed with bladder cancer.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Jerusalem’s Old City to become disabled-friendly.  (Thanks to Janglo.net) The Jerusalem Development Authority has announced a 20-million shekel project to open up the Old City for tourists with disabilities.  Sloping ramps will be built in the Jewish Quarter, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the City of David.

Israeli Arabs in the news.  (Thanks to Hazel) Professor Ahmed Eid is Hadassah’s head of surgery, while everyone at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon loves Dr. Rabia Darawasha.  Meanwhile, Technion graduate Johny Srouji was appointed as the vice president of hardware technologies at Apple, reporting to CEO Tim Cook.

Israel evacuates Gazans to Turkey.  Around 100 Gazans are transferred for treatment to Israeli hospitals every month.  However, some refuse to be (or are prevented by Hamas from being) treated in Israel.  So Magen David Adom helped evacuate 18 Gazans by plane to take them for treatment at a hospital in Ankara, Turkey. 

And here are some Gazans who are being treated in Israel. 

Israeli hospital delivers another Syrian baby.  (Thanks to Israel21c) A Syrian woman fleeing from Quneitra gave birth to her first child at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed (Tsfat). This is the seventh birth of a Syrian baby at the northern Israeli medical center.

Israel treats sick Yazidi child.  (Thanks to Hazel and Israel21c)  A Yazidi child from Northern Iraq was given life-saving heart surgery in Israel.

Israeli appointed as head of European medical group.  Dr Zev Goldik from Haifa's Carmel Hospital is the first Israeli to be elected President of the European Society of Anesthesiology (ESA).  The ESA has over 18,000 members in 40 EU countries.

Why are Israeli startups leading the tech world?  Interesting article in Popular Science magazine explains that cross-pollination between military and civilian technologies fuels Israel’s fast-moving hi-tech industry.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Institute for transport innovation.  Tel Aviv University is to open the country’s first National Research Institute for Transportation Innovation.  The institute will receive NIS 13.5 million in funding for the next five years.  Entrepreneurs will be invited to perform research in the Porter School and receive financial support.

NASA adopts Israeli space camera.  NASA has adopted Israeli technology for a robot to inspect equipment in deep space. The Visual Inspection Poseable Invertebrate Robot, or VIPIR, is an articulating borescope tool and a tiny camera from Israeli medical device company Medigus to provide a close-up look at space equipment.

“Today, virtually every electronic device is produced using Orbotech technology.”  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Now you have it – one Israeli company is responsible for the production of almost every single electronic device in the world.  Read this statement in Yavne-based Orbotech’s latest Press Release.

A complete pre-school learning program.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Herzliya’s Tiltan Games announced a new versatile educational program for preschool, pre-K and kindergarten kids. It includes over 30 topics and games.  Adaptive practice and test modules provide a personalized growth experience.

A “whole body” of knowledge.  Students taking the Interactive Objects course run by Israel’s Technion can certainly get totally immersed in some exciting projects.  They reflect today's world of design, which must consider the ability to create user interaction or to respond to changes in the environment.

Rescue device can also detect tunneling.  Israel’s Elpam Electronics originally developed the geophone to find people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings.  Now it is updating the device to locate the sound of someone crawling up to 10 meters below the surface of the ground.

Israel plans center for agriculture technology in Goa. Israel is setting up a “center of excellence” in Goa, providing technological solutions to agricultural issues.  Israel’s consul general in Mumbai, Davik Akov wants to add Goa (India’s smallest state by size) to the 20 other centers offering Israeli technology all over India.

How to design urban shade.  The Design Museum in Holon is running a unique international competition - to design and build a prototype of a shaded open space.  17 teams from Israel, USA, UK, six European countries, Chile and Turkey aim to advance the transformation of public spaces in countries with similar climates to Israel.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israeli red algae powers new Clinique serum.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Cosmetics giant Clinique has launched a new skin-care product formulated from a species of algae grown in Israel. Clinique’s new “Smart Custom-Repair Serum” has 37 patents and took 5 years of research and development.  Feedback appreciated.

More investment in startups.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) To encourage more seed stage investment, Israel’s finance and economy ministries have proposed simpler criteria for tax incentives, such as deducting the amount invested from taxes owed.  The plan will come into effect in 2015 if approved by the socio-economic cabinet.

MobilEye is Israel’s most valuable company.  In the most successful Initial Public Offering in Israeli history, driving assistance technology company Mobileye raised $1.023 billion on the New York Stock Exchange.  Then on the first day of trading, MobilEye’s share price rose 48%, valuing the Israeli company at $7.86 billion.

The world loves Israeli companies.  The BDS thugs will not like this.  Israel is the 4th most attractive country for foreign direct investment.  Recent $multi-million deals include Gamida Cell (by Novatis), Simbionix (by 3D Systems), ClarityRay (by Yahoo), Lamina (by China’s Catalyst CEL) and VidMind (by Russia’s Trellas).


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

International Klezmer festival in Jerusalem.  Klezmer musicians from around the world gathered for the first International Klezmer Festival in Jerusalem.  The festival synthesizes classical klezmer music with the more modern style, mixing traditional diaspora concept of klezmer with the latest Israeli-style music.

Red Sea Jazz festival in Eilat.  Running since 1987, this year’s Red Sea Jazz festival's program offers daily shows at 3 Eilat venues, featuring 20 international and local ensembles - altogether 40 shows over four days.  Every day at 7pm, a free show brings to stage the best up-and-coming Israeli Jazz bands.

Israeli company wins Emmy award.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Jinni has won the 66th annual Emmy for Technology & Engineering. The award is for the company’s contribution to Personalized Recommendation Engines for Video Discovery. Jinni has set the standard for technological excellence in the industry.

The first episode of “The Israel Story”.  Israel’s version of “This American Life” is now available in English.

What to do in the heat?  Having just returned from a cool UK to the Israeli summer, this site is very timely.

Israeli takes world wakeboard championship.  Israel’s Lior Sofer won the men's division at the 8th Cable Wakeboard World Championships held in Norway.  With around 200 competitors from 25 countries, Lior crashed on his first run but scored 94 points on his second attempt - nine ahead of his nearest rival.

The first-ever Israeli to win a European sprint medal.   Donald Sanford made history when he became the first Israeli to win a medal in a sprint event at the European Championships, finishing the 400-meter final in third place in Zurich, Switzerland.  Sanford broke the Israeli record with 45.27 seconds.

Israel secures Eurobasketball qualification.  Israel progressed to a 12th consecutive EuroBasket tournament in impressive style, crushing the Netherlands 83-60 in Nicosia, Cyprus to win qualifying Group B with a game to spare.  Israel finishes its qualifying campaign in first place for the first time since 2001.


THE JEWISH STATE

Oldest metal object found in Israel.  Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 7000-year-old copper awl in Northern Israel during excavations of Tel Tsaf.  It is the oldest known find of a metal object made by humans.

Israel’s Indian friends march in their thousands.  (Thanks to Hazel) In the biggest pro-Israel, anti-terrorist rally in recent years, an estimated 20,000 gathered in Kolkata, India in a show of solidarity with Israel.


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In the 17th Aug 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        A new life-saving Israeli wound treatment has been proven “in action”.
·        Israel’s revolutionary new hip-replacement device will never need replacing.
·        The first Arab Bedouin co-operative is launched – in Israel of course.
·        Israel wins the International Mathematics Competition for the first time.
·        Two Israeli medical companies are launching on NASDAQ.
·        Coins minted by the Jewish State 2000 years ago have been unearthed near Jerusalem.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Wound closure technology saves Israeli soldiers.  Soldiers wounded in Operation Protective Edge are benefiting from a brand-new Israeli technology to close open wounds quickly.  TopClosure acts like a medical zip to protect wounds immediately when they are inflicted, allowing them to be fully treated later.

Israel pioneers the future of medicine.  Electronic Medical Records transformed Israel’s health system and convinced the USA to implement them.  Sensing technology is the next big advance.  Jerusalem’s symposium “Connected Health and Vulnerable Populations” showed how Israel is a prototype for global better health. 

ALS sufferers live longer in Israel.  In global terms, between 5 and 10 percent of ALS sufferers survive more than 10 years after being diagnosed. But in Israel, 20 percent of ALS patients survive longer.  The high survival rate is thought to be due to family support systems, the Israeli health care system and early diagnosis.

Brainstorm completes stem cell bioreactor.  Israel’s BrainStorm, together with Canadian company Octane Biotech, has built a bioreactor for commercial production of the stem cells used as a basis for the company's treatment for ALCS. The ability to multiply stem cells is critical for the treatment's success.

Israeli scientist leads search for Ebola cure.  Virologist Dr. Leslie Lobel from Ben Gurion University is developing a vaccine to defeat the Ebola virus by studying the immune systems of the disease’s survivors.  He has spent 12 years studying the disease in Uganda.

New pancreatic cancer treatment is now Israeli.  Normally, foreign investors acquire Israeli biotechs that develop cancer treatments.  But here, Israel’s Redhill Biopharma has bought pancreatic cancer treatment RP101 from Germany’s RESprotect GmbH. RP101 has passed Phase II trials and has vital orphan status.

Revolutionary device for hip replacements.  Israel’s MMATech Ltd develops components for total hip implants, made of a revolutionary Polyimide material, MP1 developed originally for the aerospace industry. They are self-lubricating, durable, and have a long lifespan.  MMATech is raising funds for FDA approval.

GE selects heart-attack prevention watch.  Israeli start-up Oxitone literally keeps a “watch” on blood-oxygen levels affecting the heart. Two optical lasers are built into an oximeter that sits on the wrist. GE Healthcare chose Oxitone from 400 companies and is the only foreign company to join GE’s entrepreneur program.

Vaccine protects against all avian flu strains.  Israeli biotech BiondVax has announced that its M-001 vaccine has been validated against all H7 virus strains, thus protecting against all avian (bird) flu variations.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Up to 90 days sick leave for parents.  Israel’s Ministerial Law Committee has approved a bill that grants up to 90 days sick leave annually for the parents of an ill child. Just as there is a responsibility to care for ill children, the state also has a responsibility to see to it that the child’s parents can do what the situation demands.

The world’s first Arab Bedouin cooperative. Israel’s Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation has launched the Mara'i Sheep Breeders Cooperative.  Initially comprising 10 Bedouin shepherd families, the cooperative is expected to become a model for Arab livestock raisers and business owners.

Israel provides 10 generators to Gaza hospitals.  (Thanks to Rodger) On Aug 6th, in a unique (mostly unreported) deployment operation, the Israel Electric Company transferred 10 generators with a total capacity of 4.3 megawatts via the cargo terminal at Kerem Shalom for the benefit of hospitals in Gaza.

Study for a green MBA.  Israel is one of the world’s most advanced countries for the management of water and renewable energy resources, and a leader in developing innovative and sustainable technologies. Haifa University’s new MBA program focuses on the subject of Sustainable Business Management.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

How earthquakes form.  Da Vinci defined the mechanics that drive earthquakes over 500 years ago, but he wasn’t accurate.  New research by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has demonstrated that friction can only occur when the connections between the surfaces are first ruptured in an orderly process.

One-minute construction.  You would expect that engineers at Israel’s Technion could build quickly, but time-lapse photography reduces the construction time for the new D. Dan and Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering building down to just sixty seconds!

New energy cyber security center.  Israel’s energy cyber security firm Nation-E plans to launch its energy cyber security center in Hadera on September 15. Companies worldwide can evaluate microgrids, smart meters, and all grid-connected devices, and determine how and why attackers are able to infringe their networks.

Joint nano-research gets $675,000 grant.  Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yeshiva University of New York will together study colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals - tiny synthetic particles containing metal impurities with intriguing implications for the electronics, solar energy and biological fields.

The fastest switch in the world.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Mellanox has launched the world’s first 100Gb/s EDR InfiniBand switch.  Switch-IB is the world’s fastest computer switch with 36-ports of 100Gb/s to provide 7.2Tb/s of switching capacity - 250 percent higher than any alternative and ideal for data centers. 

The first scalable credit-card-size computer.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israeli-Arab start-up SolidRun has developed another tiny computer. The credit-card-size Hummingboard HB-i1 has 512MB RAM, two USB ports, a Fast Ethernet network port, Freescale's i.MX6 system on chip, 1GHz ARM A9 core and costs from $45.

Israeli team wins international math competition.  For the first time ever, an Israeli team won the International Mathematics Competition, held this year in Bulgaria. The four Tel Aviv University and two Technion students received 355 points -- 38 more than the second-place group.

No limit to where free wireless can be set-up.  Israel’s Communications Minister Gilad Erdan has signed an order that removes limitations on the public use of Wi-fi hotspots. From now on, anyone anywhere in Israel will be allowed to set up a hotspot - providing free Internet outdoors as well as indoors.

Converting electricity from buildings.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli start-up SolarOr has developed BIPV - building-integrated photovoltaic.  The BIPV panels convert Direct Current trapped in a building into AC energy that can be used locally or sold back to the electric company.

Scientists discover Israel’s deepest cave.  Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found the deepest cave so far discovered in Israel. Located near Israel’s border with Lebanon, the cave is 187 meters below ground - 30 meters deeper than the previous Israeli record-holder, which was mapped 30 years ago.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Undertone acquires Upfront.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.broaderview.org) Digital advertiser Undertone, has bought Israeli brand-focused programmatic platform, Upfront Digital Media. Following the acquisition, Undertone is to set up its first development center in Israel.

Supersonic to expand in Asia.  Israeli mobile advertising technology company Supersonic has raised $15 million to further its growth and expand its operations in Asia.  Formerly known as SupersonicAds, the company has developed an in-app monetization and user acquisition platform.

OurCrowd has raised $60 million for 46 startups.  OurCrowd, the leading equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors, announced that it has successfully raised a total of $60 million, in its 16 months of existence, for its 46 portfolio Israeli companies. 

50 years of commercializing innovations.  Founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University’s intellectual property, Yissum has registered over 8,500 patents covering 2,450 inventions; licensed out 750 technologies and spun-off 90 companies. Its products generate over $2 billion in annual sales.

Display panels for Chinese factory.  Israel’s Orbotech has received orders worth $55 million for inspection, testing and repair equipment at Nanjing CEC Panda LCD Technology Co., Ltd. - a China Electronics Corp. company. 

Israel attracts foreign investors while confronting terrorism.  An upbeat summary by Yoram Ettinger of recent Israeli economic news.

Israeli water delegation impresses U.S. Food & Beverage industry.  Israeli water technology companies recently met with large food & beverage companies in Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Delaware. They had much to offer the F&B market in the areas of safe water, water reuse, water ratio and better sustainability.

ReWalk to launch on NASDAQ.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s ReWalk Robotics (previously Argo Medical) has filed for an IPO on Nasdaq to raise $58 million.  ReWalk’s flagship product is a robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with Spinal Cord Injury to stand upright and walk.

Wound treatment biotech to launch on NASDAQ.  Israel’s Macrocure’s white blood cell injections treat hard-to-heal and chronic wounds. It wants to raise $75 million from an IPO on NASDAQ to finance its CureXcell a cell-based therapy that restores the natural balance required for the wound healing process.

Intelligent Israeli companies.  For years I have been using the Israeli artificial intelligence system Genieo to find relevant news items to feature in my newsletter.  Now, Genieo itself has become a news item.  It has been taken over by another Israeli software company – Somoto. 

Tax breaks to create 3,000 cyber jobs in Negev.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.broaderview.org) Israel is to give tax breaks and access to cooperative cyber programs to lure leading domestic and multinational firms to a new national cyber park in the Negev desert.  Israel aims to create 3,000 cyber-related jobs over the next 10 years. http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140708/DEFREG04/307080024/Israel-Pledges-Tax-Breaks-Prospective-Cyber-Partners


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Great Israeli music.  Kol Cambridge’s DJ Antithesis on Tel Aviv’s Radio TLV1 pays tribute to the soldiers who keep us safe and reflects on the emotions that have flooded our hearts with a selection of Israeli singers and songwriters.


THE JEWISH STATE

What matters is our family.  Lone soldiers leave their Diaspora homes to serve in the Israel Defense Forces.  Most men become combat soldiers. Some women also fight in combat, while most serve as instructors in army technology, or deal with the press and plan missions that hopefully will never need to be carried out.

Israeli youth step up to the challenge.  Israeli children are foregoing their summer vacation plans in favor of helping children in the bomb shelters in Ashdod, helping senior citizens, volunteering at hospitals, contributing to public diplomacy and collecting care packages for the soldiers on the front.

114 bronze Jewish revolt coins found near Jerusalem.  A hoard of coins from the fourth year of the Jewish Revolt against Rome - minted months before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE – was unearthed during the expansion of Route 1, the major highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Preparing for the Shmitta (7th) year.  Observant Israeli farmers may be making the desert bloom, but every 7 years they must let the land of Israel rest.  So in the months before the Jewish New Year it is a very busy time. Here is what Shoshana and Yoni Rappeport have been doing in their Argan tree plantation.

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In the 27th Jul 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        US and European medical authorities have approved a unique Israeli spine support implant.
·        Diabetics can use an Israeli mobile app to request local help.
·        IDF medics have set up a field hospital to treat wounded Gazans.
·        Israeli self-sustaining mini-farms can help feed millions of hungry people.
·        Israel’s rise in employment is the highest in the OECD.
·        Israel’s biggest natural gas field is even larger than previous estimates.
·        David Blatt has become the first ever Israeli to coach an NBA team.
·        An ancient mosaic featuring elephants was found in a 1600-year-old Israeli synagogue.

·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News and IsraelSeen.com.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Spine support cage gets US & EU approval.  Formal US and European clearances have been granted to FLXfit, the world's first 3D expandable interbody cage, developed by Israel’s Expanding Orthopedics.  The minimally invasive implant corrects spine deformities.

Safer cancer radiation therapy.  Israeli startup Convergent RNR has developed MercyBeam, to improve radiation therapy for patients.  A patented lens collects most of the X-rays from any standard X-ray generator and focuses them at the tumor. It increases the therapeutic dose where it’s needed and not at surrounding tissue.

New process to diagnose blood clots in pregnant women.  Researchers at Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University have developed a simple way to identify clotting problems early in pregnant women.  The team used a point system to determine a baseline to diagnose clotting disorders.

Eating whey protein before a meal helps control diabetes.  (Thanks to Michael H) Israeli researchers have discovered that consuming whey protein before a regular breakfast reduces blood sugar spikes after meals and also improves the body's insulin response. Thus whey protein could help diabetics control blood sugar.

An app for diabetics to get immediate help in a crowd.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli Shlomi Aflalo developed HelpAround, a crowdsourcing application for people with diabetes and other chronic diseases. It allows them to communicate and get immediate help from people in the vicinity.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

$1.75 million donation to Israeli disabled charities.  The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is giving $1 million to SHALVA, The Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel.  Also, $750,000 to Beit Halochem-Tel Aviv, which provides services for disabled IDF veterans.

Israeli re-elected to UN committee on women. (Thanks to Hazel) For the third year in a row, Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari of Bar Ilan University has been elected as a member of the United Nation's Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Israel named Tier 1 nation in combating human trafficking.  Israel has been awarded the highest ranking for its efforts to combat human trafficking in the U.S. State Department's 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report. It praises Israel's efforts to identify and rescue trafficking victims and take punitive steps against traffickers.

Muslim Zionist and an IDF officer.  Ala Wahib is the operations officer at a key IDF ground forces training base and the highest-ranked Muslim officer in the Israeli army.  He said, “I believe in the Muslim faith, and I will never abandon it, but I think that Zionism is more than a religion.”  Please read his amazing story.

IDF field hospital for injured Gazans.  The IDF has set up a field hospital at the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, mainly for women and children from Gaza.  It will include a delivery room.

Israel allows aid into Gaza.  Despite ongoing rocket fire at Israel from Gaza Strip, some trucks of goods including medicines, food and basic products entered Gaza from Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem 22nd best in the world.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has ranked 22nd among the world’s top universities according to the Saudi Arabia-based Center for World University Rankings. CWUR evaluates the top 1,000 universities using objective academic and research indicators.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Green fabric printing.  Israel’s Kornit Digital Printing has developed water-based inks that are entirely organic, 100% non-toxic, vegan friendly and compatible with all types of fabric.  The company’s high-speed DTG printers are “revolutionizing” the industry with single step fabric printing and no additional finishing.

Student villages built from recycled shipping containers.  The Ayalim Association has built a series of ‘student villages’ throughout Israel. The latest in the city of Lod, not far from Israel’s international airport, has been constructed out of recycled shipping containers.

Mini-farms can feed a hungry world.  (Thanks to Hazel) Israelis Moti Cohen and Mendi Pollak won the $20,000 top prize in the Pears Challenge. Their Livingbox “mini-farm” can grow vegetables anywhere, with a self-sustaining “closed loop” of energy and nutrition. The idea can help feed a billion needy people.

Saving water in agriculture.  Israel’s Netafim has completed a successful international pilot project of its uManage platform, which helps farmers to monitor irrigation/fertilizer performance and yields. The software analyzes wind direction, weather forecast, temperature, radiation, soil moisture and fertilizer.

The world’s first photonic router.  (Thanks to Nevet - www.broaderview.org) Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have demonstrated for the first time a photonic router – an atom-based device that enables routing of single photons. It is a step towards building quantum computers that can process huge amounts of data.

Graduating in the greenest building in the Middle East.  32 Tel Aviv University Environmental Masters graduates received their MAs and MSc’s at a ceremony in the brand new Porter School of Environmental Studies Building.

Israeli designs Singapore Airport’s bio-dome.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli architect Moshe Safdie is building a huge bio-dome at Singapore’s Changi Airport. It will contain lavish gardens and fluid waterfalls that will pour down from the dome’s roof. The dome will connect Changi Airport’s terminals 1, 2 and 3.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israel employment rate rise is highest in the OECD.  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has reported that between 2010 and 2014, Israeli employment rose 13% compared to the OECD average of 2%.  The employment rate for Israeli women was 6.5% higher than the OECD average.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange joins Europe.  The General Assembly of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) unanimously approved the application of Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) to become an Affiliate member.  FESE has 21 Full members, 20 Affiliates and two Observer members.

We’re at war, and the stock market is up? Go figure!  Jon Medved, CEO of Israel’s OurCrowd is extremely bullish about the financial resilience of Israel’s economy during the current fighting against Hamas terrorists.

China boosts Israel ties.  A Chinese delegation, headed by Ren Zhiwu - deputy director-general of the High-Tech Industry Department of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) - arrived in Israel, the first time the high-level government team has come to Israel.

Vietnam’s trade with Israel surges 53 per cent.  Trade between Vietnam and Israel increased significantly during the first half of this year, reaching US$426 million or increasing 53 per cent year-on-year.

Unlimited coffee is now available in New York.  Israeli start-up “Cups” is expanding its virtually unlimited coffee supply to New York. Using Cups app, individuals pay a fixed rate of $45 dollars a month to receive a coffee of their choice at participating shops every half hour. Or $27 dollars a month buys one coffee per day.

25 Israeli start-ups to watch.  Forbes magazine has listed 25 Israeli startups to keep your eye on in 2014.  It says that Kaltura is most likely to be “one of the next billion-dollar exits” thanks to its wide-ranging video solutions platform. It also likes Petbnb, which pairs traveling pet owners with caretakers for their pets.

Google’s $100m Europe fund to invest in Israeli startups.  Five years after launching its Google Ventures investment fund, the Internet giant announced yesterday that it was launching a similar fund in Europe. sources informed "Globes" that Google will also use the fund to make investments in suitable Israeli start-ups.

Mobileye is a $3-5 billion company.  Israeli collision avoidance solutions developer Mobileye is looking to raise $150 in funding from its US public listing.  Mobileye has developed a camera-based system mounted in vehicles that reads the road ahead and is designed to help drivers avoid accidents.

Leviathan gas field is larger than expected.  The estimated size of Israel’s largest natural gas reserve was raised by 16 percent. An updated analysis based on 3D seismic surveys has calculated the field to hold 21.93 trillion cubic feet (620 billion cubic meters.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Israeli caves named UNESCO World Heritage site.  UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added Israel’s 2,000-year-old Beit Guvrin-Maresha caves to its prestigious list, during its annual meeting in Qatar.  The bell caves consist of thousands of chambers and networks.  Israel now has a total of eight World Heritage sites. 

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys to perform in Israel. The Beach Boys are coming to Israel in 2015. “America’s Rock Band” has produced a record thirty-six US Top 40 hits, selling over 100 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone Magazine ranks the Beach Boys as the 12th greatest artist of all time.

Tony Bennett due in Israel in September.  After a 60-year musical career, Tony Bennett is finally coming to Israel. The 88-year-old American singer, known for his deep baritone voice, will perform at Tel Aviv's Charles Bronfman Auditorium on September 14.

David Blatt is the first Israeli to coach in the NBA.  David Blatt has accepted an offer to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers. Blatt, who steered Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Euroleague basketball championship this season, is the first Israeli head coach to make it to America’s NBA.


THE JEWISH STATE

Visit Nahal Teninim – Nature reserve and Roman aquaduct.  Nachal Teninim (Aligator stream) is a wonderful national nature reserve and is home to a Roman dam and aquaduct that brought fresh water to Caesarea.  Also features an ancient rock quarry, a byzantine flour mill and waterfalls.

New mosaic discovered in ancient synagogue.  A mosaic depicting a non-biblical battle scene has been uncovered in a 5th century CE synagogue in Northern Israel.  It features a group of soldiers and elephants clad in armor.  It might be a depiction of Alexander the Great meeting Jewish high priest Jaddua (Simon the Just).

IDF rescue team honored 20 years after AMIA bombing.  AMIA leaders came to Israel to mark AMIA’s 120th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the attack on AMIA’s center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and injured hundreds.  Ariel Cohen Sabban, AMIA treasurer, said, “We will never forget that Israel helped us.”

Six new bus lines in Judea and Samaria.  As residents of Judea and Samaria express concern over the frequency of public transportation and the resultant need to hitchhike, the Egged bus cooperative has launched six new routes and announced improvements to several others.

Christian NGO brings Sderot Holocaust survivors to Jerusalem.  Israel Always, a US-based Christian NGO, is caring for a group of 20 Holocaust survivors who have been bombarded by rockets in Sderot. It has taken them to Jerusalem, where it is providing free hotel accommodations, meals and activities.

1.75 million friends of Israel.  With nearly 1.75 million members, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) calls itself the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States.  At their annual summit in Washington, CUFI leader David Brog said, “we have to speak out and be a voice for Israel”.

Open Hearts, Open Homes.  (Thanks to Howard) As in previous years, the Jewish Community Center, Bergen County, Washington, New Jersey is running a program that provides respite and fun to Israeli teens that live along the Gaza border.  Please can other communities in the USA offer this kind of mitzvah (good deed).


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Israel beat Germany 15-1.  Israel’s national team defeated Germany, 15-1, at the World Lacrosse Championships in Colorado, USA, and advanced to the quarterfinals.  Israel won its three preliminary-round and two knockout-round games, eventually beating 4th seed Japan to secure world number 7 ranking.


THE JEWISH STATE

 Chabad “Mitzva Tank” joins IDF troops on the front line.  A group of Chabad activists traveled to the border with Gaza in their "Mitzvah Tank" - a truck loaded not with weapons or ammunition, but with holy items to provide spiritual and moral support to the soldiers who at any minute could be called into battle.

400 French Jews immigrate despite Gaza terrorists.  Some 400 French Jews have just made Aliyah, undeterred by the ongoing rocket fire and conflict with terrorist groups in Gaza.  Most of the immigrants are from the Paris area. They include 195 minors and 18 babies. 900 Jews made Aliyah in the past week.

Israeli children sing to counter fear of rocket attacks.  This song was composed by a local teacher and has been taught to hundreds of schoolchildren within firing range of Gaza's rockets to help them deal with the fear and trauma of having 15 seconds to run for cover when the Color Red siren sounds.

Summer camps and excursions for families from the south. Guides from the KKL-JNF quit their regular jobs to assist in activities for the children of Ashkelon in shelters and protected spaces. KKL-JNF also organized a fun day in the forests of Jerusalem for families from Gaza border communities.


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In the 6th Jul 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli researchers have discovered a protein that triggers Alzheimer’s.
·        The Israeli Embassy in Kenya has renovated a Nairobi hospital’s cancer ward.
·        It’s official – Israel is the world’s top country for clean technology.
·        An Israeli scientist has developed a packaging to keep fruit and vegetables fresh.
·        A turnaround? - Two Israeli hi-tech companies have taken over US firms.
·        A Jewish family living in war-torn Syria has been rescued and brought to Israel.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary.  Click here for “The Value of Life” (fast-loading version, no adverts).  Also in San Diego Jewish World,  Jewish Business News and IsraelSeen.
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News and IsraelSeen.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Non-invasive test for artery function.  Israel’s Itamar Medical manufactures the EndoPAT diagnostic device that measures how well your arteries are working.  Japan’s Nihon Kohden will market EndoPAT to 100,000 doctors in Japan as its flagship product for monitoring the heart and blood vessels.

Tiny propellers can steer to the cells.  Nano-sized propellers have been developed by researchers at Haifa’s Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and at the Max Planck Institute in Germany.  They have the potential to deliver cancer-killing chemicals directly to tumors without harming healthy cells.

Kidney cells can regenerate.  Until recently, scientists believed that the liver was the only internal organ that could regenerate.  Now researchers at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University and Stanford University have traced cell growth in the kidney.  By speeding up growth they may in the future cure Chronic Kidney Disease.

Molecules responsible for depression.  Weizmann scientists have identified a microRNA molecule miR135 that controls the levels of serotonin in the brain.  Patients suffering from depression have unusually low miR135 levels in their blood.  A treatment and diagnostic test are to be developed by miCure Therapeutics.

Positive results in Type 1 diabetes treatment study.  Israel’s Redhill Biopharma announced preliminary positive data from a pre-clinical study with RHB-104 for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes.  Trials of RHB-104 for treating Crohn’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis are on going and are planned for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Researchers find major clue toward Alzheimer’s cure.  Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered one of the reasons for the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. A molecular mechanism involving amyloid precursor protein (APP) elevates brain neuron function and “short-circuits” brain communications.

ReWalk gets US FDA approval.  US health regulators have approved the ReWalk exoskeleton system developed by Israel’s Argo Medical.  ReWalk’s leg braces, motion sensors and motorized joints respond to subtle changes in upper-body movement and shifts in balance, allowing paraplegics to stand and walk. 

Doctors remove 8 objects swallowed by infant.  Specialists at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikvah extracted 8 various foreign bodies from the esophagus of a 14-month-old infant. Gastroenterologists, nutritionists and otolaryngologists extracted pumpkin seeds, orange pits, humous balls and various pebbles.

A clinic to help diabetics age better.  The Center for Successful Aging with Diabetes at the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer is a model for how diabetes can be managed.  Patients get a five-hour physical and cognitive checkup plus a plan of how to manage diabetes and avoid complications such as dementia.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel is a gateway to the Arab world.  Due to the Syrian conflict, numbers of trucks crossing between Israel and Jordan has risen 300 percent since 2011, to 10,589 trucks a year. Exports from Turkey via Israel for passage on to other countries were 77,337 tonnes in 2013 (17,882 in 2010). There are major plans for further expansion.

Israel renovates cancer ward in Kenya.  (Thanks to Uri) Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman inaugurated a pediatric oncology ward at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, renovated by the Embassy of Israel in Kenya.  Israel’s MASHAV will facilitate specialized training for the medical personnel.

Israel finds Allies in the Balkans.  An Albanian delegation visited the Jewish State along with its Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati who pointed out that relations with Israel began before the creation of the Jewish State.  Now Israel’s entrepreneurs, natural gas and water management systems are cementing that friendship. 

North American students get business skills in Israeli companies.  In the Birthright Israel Excel Business Leadership Program program’s fourth year, 40 students from top universities in the US and Canada, are interning in Israel with companies including Citi, Amdocs, General Motors, Microsoft, Tnuva and Wix.

Israel is the number 1 CleanTech country.  Israel came top of the 2014 Global Cleantech Innovation Index of The Cleantech Group and World Wildlife Fund. It stated Israel “generates the culture, education and ‘chutzpah’ necessary to breed innovation, plus it has the survival instincts to manage a resource-constrained geography.”


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Perion protects Lenovo browsers.   Israel’s Perion has developed the Lenovo Browser Guard that will be pre-installed on Lenovo laptops, PCs and tablets.  It stops Internet sites from installing unwanted software on your computer.  It also prevents unauthorized changes to the computer’s default browser and settings.

Electronic nose can smell bombs.  Tel Aviv-based Tracense Systems has developed the world’s first nanotech-based “electronic nose” to sniff out security threats like bombs, biological warfare agents, and toxic liquids.  The ‘laboratory-on-a-chip’ sensors even outperform “sniffer” dogs.

Another top-quality Israeli mobile camera.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s LinX Imaging has developed miniature multi-aperture cameras for mobile devices. Twin sensors provide far better quality than standard single sensors.  Functionality includes 3D face recognition and ability to refocus even after capture.

Israel’s first thermo-solar power plant.  Israel is set to enter the thermo-solar arena by constructing the first thermo-solar field in Israel, at Ashelim in the Negev. The NIS 2.9 billion ($850 million) sun tower will generate 121MW of electric power (sufficient for a medium size Israeli city), which will be fed into the Israeli grid.

UK Guardian “discovers” Israeli chemical scanner.  I always like to highlight when anti-Israel media feature an Israeli innovation.  It took the UK Guardian newspaper 2 months to report on Consumer Physics’ SCIO sensor.  I wonder what the sensor indicates when Guardian reporters test it on their brains.

Nano-crystals to illuminate your display.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Qlight has won the Best Nanotech Company of the Year award at Nanotech Israel 2014. Its nano-crystals enhance the quality and colors of LCD TV screens and LED lights while reducing energy consumption. Qlight is 50% owned by Merck.

Molecule that disrupts bacteria in food packaging.  Graduate student Michael Brandwein from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has incorporated a new module TZD into cardboard packaging for agricultural produce.  TZD was synthesized at the HUJ, which is working with Kibbutz Beit Guvrin to commercialize the process.

Develop your website with Webydo.  Israel’s Webydo is one of the fastest growing designer communities in the world and has raised $7 million in investment for its website-creation cloud platform.  With it, designers can create, manage, and host innovative websites, without writing code or hiring developers.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

20 Israeli ICT companies showcase at Communicasia 2014.  Twenty innovative Israeli Information and Communications Technology companies exhibited under the Israel National Pavilion at Asia’s most established ICT, broadcast and digital multimedia trade event. 50,000 people attended the four-day event in Singapore.

Israel to fund applied engineering research. Israel’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Space plans to establish a new NIS 150 million a year fund (NIS 500,000-750,000 per project) to support applied research in engineering.  The initiative is designed to alleviate Israel’s current shortage of engineers.

New agro-tech factory for Georgia USA.  Israel’s Haifa Group, manufacturer of fertilizers for agriculture and chemicals for the food industry, is to build a new controlled-release fertilizer manufacturing facility in Savanah, Georgia. The company will invest a reported $12 million and create about twenty new jobs.

Perion grows by acquiring Grow Mobile.  Israel’s Perion is to buy US company Grow Mobile for its mobile advertising platform.  Perion’s advanced technology and solutions monetize the application or content of online publishers and app developers and expand their reach to larger audiences.

EZchip acquires Tilera.  Another Israeli takeover of a US company.  Israeli microchip maker EZchip Semiconductor is to buy USA’s Tilera Corporation for $130 million. Tilera develops high-performance multi-core processors and intelligent network interface cards.  The purchase will double EZchip’s market.

The best-designed handbag of 2014.  From over 1,500 applicants, the 2014 Bernina Best Handmade Handbag award went to Tel Aviv-based, two-woman design team, MeDusa.  The Independent Handbag Designer Awards were founded in 2007 to celebrate handbag design and creativity from around the world.

TowerJazz opens sales & support office in Japan.  Israeli integrated circuit manufacturer TowerJazz will open a new office in Kyoto, Japan to support its venture with Panasonic.  TowerJazz Panasonic Semiconductor Company already has 3 factories in Japan.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Do you pass the Israel test?  Non-Jew, George Gilder has produced a 5-minute video summary of his classic book “The Israel Test”.  How do you view success?  Do you envy it because it somehow diminishes you?  Or do you admire it and try to emulate it?  The book is an excellent educational and inspirational read.

Ester Rada chosen for World Music Expo.  Israeli ethio-soul singer Ester Rada has been chosen to feature at the highly prestigious WOMEX (World Music Expo) festival in Spain in October.  Organizers received over 850 showcase proposals and Rada was among the first 10 acts to be selected of the 60 to be spotlighted.

66 top things to do in Israel this summer for FREE.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Traveling around Israel doesn't have to be pricey. In fact you can experience, see, taste, tour and get a feel of Israel on a tight budget!

The world’s largest social soccer news website.  (Thanks to Nocamels.com) Founded in 2011 by four Israeli entrepreneurs, the world’s largest fan-generated soccer website FTBpro has over 2,000 passionate “fan writers”. They write thousands of articles each month in nine languages for an audience of more than 10 million readers.

THE JEWISH STATE

Someone must be looking out for him.  Yaron Shadadi was walking with his dog near a Sderot paint factory when it went up in flames after a rocket attack from Gaza.  Shadadi was lightly wounded and treated in Ashkelon hospital.  In Nov 2012, Shadadi’s home suffered a direct hit from a Gaza rocket but he was unhurt.

Syrian-Jewish family smuggled to Israel.  A family, which reportedly includes both Muslim and Jewish members has fled civil war-torn Syria and is now living in a government absorption center near Tel Aviv.  The NGO Israel Flying Aid and an Israeli-American businessman orchestrated their escape.


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In the 20th Jul 2014 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Two Israeli biotechs have developed solutions to eliminate diabetes.
·        An Israeli system can train your brain so that you can read without glasses.
·        Israeli hospitals are treating Gazan children, UN peacekeepers and the President of Zambia.
·        An Israeli alarm system reminds drivers not to leave their baby in a hot car.
·        Japan’s research & development agreement with Israel is its first with any foreign country.
·        Israel beat Germany and Japan at the Lacrosse World Cup to become world number 7.
·        Despite the rockets from Gaza, 900 Jews began new lives in Israel last week.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Transforming liver cells to cure type 1 diabetes.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Orgenesis is a pioneer in the field of “cellular trans-differentiation”, a process to transform a type 1 diabetic patient’s own liver cells into new insulin-producing cells.  Orgenesis is partnering with Belgium’s MaSTherCell to scale up development.

Minimally invasive implant to cure diabetes.  Globes “startup of the week” is Israel’s Endobetix with its implanted device that traps bile fluids and diverts them to another part of the intestine.  The result is lower blood sugar without drugs or major surgery; hence no more diabetes.

Hadassah professor wins Euro Cystic Fibrosis award.  Professor Eitan Kerem, MD, Chief of Pediatrics at Israel’s Hadassah University Medical Center, is the recipient of the prestigious 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) Award, for his research and contribution towards further understanding and treating the disease.

National Education award for experimental hospital school.  Hadassah’s Experimental School (HES) has been awarded Israel’s Ministry of Education “National Education Award”.  HES serves children of all ages and backgrounds in the Jerusalem area, providing a unique taste of "healthy life".

FDA approves EarlySense smart chair sensor.  EarlySense, developer and marketer of a hospital bed-monitoring device, has developed a chair to perform the same task. The chair monitors heart rate, respiration, and activity level. The product has now received US medical approval for marketing to hospitals in the USA.

Get rid of your reading glasses.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Scientists at Israel’s GlassesOff have developed a proprietary method for improving near vision sharpness, by improving the image processing function in the visual cortex of the brain.  A smartphone app can turn back the age clock of your eyes by over 8.5 years.

Another Alzheimer’s breakthrough.  Technion scientists have discovered that mutant gene UBB+1 is responsible for preventing the protein ubiquitin from marking other proteins for destruction.  The proteins then are more likely to form the deadly plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mapping autism in the brain.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.broaderview.org) Ilan Dinstein, from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, is using MRIs, DTIs and EEGs to transform the definition of autism from one that is behavioral to one that is biological.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Rescuing food virtually.  Leket Israel, one of the country’s largest food bank networks, is going high-tech with the introduction of Leket’s Virtual Food Rescue site, where donors can fill up a digital shopping bag with fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other necessities, sending them on their way to families in need.

Physical disability doesn’t have to be fate.  Staffers at Jerusalem’s Alyn Hospital believe that it is the right of every child – including those suffering from physical challenges – to have the best quality of life possible.  A child with one functional toe can get a drink by himself. Even babies can drive robotic cars.

Helping the disabled during rocket attacks.  Beit Issie Shapiro, Israel’s leading organization providing support for families with disabilities, has initiated a hotline to help people with disabilities and their families overcome emotional stress and to cope with Israel’s difficult security situation. 

Children are not our enemies.  (Thanks to Israel21c) While her hometown is under constant missile attack from Gaza, Irena Nosel from Ashdod cares for critically ill Gazan childrens in Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center.  Irena is pediatric ICU head nurse for Israeli charity Save A Child’s Heart. Plus another similar article.

Two UN peacekeepers from Syria treated in Israel.  Ziv Medical Center in Safed received on Sunday two Filipino UN peacekeepers that were injured in Syria after a mortar shell exploded next to their vehicle.  One of the peacekeepers sustained a shrapnel injury to his jaw.

Zambia president receives medical treatment in Israel.  (Thanks to Hazel) Zambian President Michael Sata, 76, was receiving medical treatment in Israel.  Sata suffered a heart attack in 2008.

NBA legend Mutombo helps Africa with Israeli charity.  Israel’s Innovation: Africa is teaming up with Dikembe Mutombo and eight other NBA All-Stars to bring solar power to Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in his hometown Kinshasa.  It will help tens of thousands who currently don’t have access to decent medical care.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israel signs Bio-med research agreement with California.  Companies from Israel and California will enjoy financial assistance for joint R&D projects. The agreement was signed at the Bio Conference in San Diego. An Israeli delegation consisting of 17 Israel bio-med companies took part in the Israeli pavilion at the conference.

Israeli helps California date farmers.  Israel’s Hadiklaim Date Growers’ Cooperative commissioned veteran Israeli date grower Moshe Kirat to bring his date growth expertise to the La Quinta Date Farm in California. In one year, Kirat has reduced water consumption by 43% and boosted productivity, saving over $2.4 million.

US Patent for “quantum search” app.  Israel’s NovoSpeech has received a patent for its quantum computing search algorithm for speech recognition. The algorithm will allow a mobile device to translate speech into text as fast as a desktop or server.

The talking car.  Those who remember the TV series Knight Rider will be pleased to hear that the Israeli-Californian Robin Labs has designed an intelligent voice recognition and communication system for the driver. It can provide updates on traffic, routes, parking locations, gas prices, weather, and more. It can even tell jokes.

Don’t leave baby in a hot car.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli start-up Bapeep is developing a car alarm that, when you switch off your car engine, will remind you to take your baby out of the car.  On average, 37 US children die every year after being forgotten in a hot car.  Bapeep’s Indiegogo Crowdfunding goal is $300,000.

Building a space elevator.  Israel Technion’s 2014 TechnoBrain challenge was to build a device that can climb 25 meters at an 80-degree angle without using combustion or open flame energy sources. It must slide down whilst lifting a space elevator carrying practical cargo.  This is how teams solved the problem.

Iron Dome saves lives.  Not a recent video, but a timely one, in view of the current situation in Israel.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israel’s best quarter for a decade.  Israeli high-tech firms raised $930 million from Apr to Jun 2014, the sector’s strongest three-month period in more than ten years. Israeli high-tech firms raised $1.6 billion in the first half of 2014, which is the strongest capital raising period on record for Israel’s high-tech industry.

Record trade with Turkey.  Israel's exports to Turkey are currently surpassing 2013’s record level.  In the first fiscal quarter of 2014 there was a surge of nearly 25% to $949.2 million, compared to the same period in 2013. 

Israel could become the largest gas exporter in the Middle East.  Another report about the Arab countries that are buying some of the 19 trillion cubic meters of gas from Israel’s Leviathan field.

And Egypt says Israeli gas is vital for their economy.  Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sherif Ismail does not mind allowing British BG Group to import gas from Israel.  “Whatever is in Egypt’s interest must be implemented immediately as we are dealing with an energy crisis,” the minister said.

Israel signs first-of-its-kind R&D agreement with Japan.  Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Toshimitsu Motegi has signed an industrial research and development collaboration agreement with Israel’s Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett. Israel is the first country with which Japan has signed such an agreement.

Yahoo buys Israeli streaming startup RayV. (Thanks to Israel21c) Yahoo has bought an Israel-based startup specializing in streaming high-quality video to computers and mobile devices.  RayV will become part of the Yahoo’s research and development team in Tel Aviv.

Wilocity exits for $300 million.  Multinational Qualcomm has bought Israeli startup chip designer Wilocity in order to bring a faster, short-distance wireless technology to mobile devices.  Wilocity pioneered Wireless Gigabit chips - known as WiGig, which transmit data at speeds that can remove the need for physical cables.

Gartner buys Senexx.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Gartner, a leading provider of research and analysis on the global information technology industry, has acquired Israel’s Senexx, a cloud-based questions and answers platform that identifies and manages expertise within organizations. Senexx will enhance Garner’s web search capability.

Another $9 million for joint US-Israeli projects.  Following its January investment, the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) foundation has invested a further $9 million in 11 more Israeli-American cooperative projects. They cover 3D printing, agro-technology, information security, and homeland security.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

A day will come.  (Thanks to Jacob Richman) The Ein Prat Fountainheads were top of the entertainment at the recent “Salute to Olim” Festival in Jerusalem.  The featured video is “Yom Yavo” (a day will come).

Illustrating Israeli culture.  (Thanks to Steve of www.IsraelSeen.com) The Migdal Gallery at the Land of the Israel Museum in Tel Aviv has an exhibit of illustrations in a wide spectrum of techniques created over the past five years by the best Israeli illustrators.

Fifteen amazing photos of Tel Aviv.  Beautiful - nothing further necessary to say.

NFL players love Israeli sports shoes.  Israel’s AposTherapy manufactures shoes that change the gait to relieve those suffering from knee and back pain.  Former New York Jets running back Bruce Harper and former New York Giants players Bart Oates and Karl Nelson, tried the shoes, and couldn't believe the results.

Israel beat Germany 15-1.  Israel’s national team defeated Germany, 15-1, at the World Lacrosse Championships in Colorado, USA, and advanced to the quarterfinals.  Israel won its three preliminary-round and two knockout-round games, eventually beating 4th seed Japan to secure world number 7 ranking.


THE JEWISH STATE

 Chabad “Mitzva Tank” joins IDF troops on the front line.  A group of Chabad activists traveled to the border with Gaza in their "Mitzvah Tank" - a truck loaded not with weapons or ammunition, but with holy items to provide spiritual and moral support to the soldiers who at any minute could be called into battle.

400 French Jews immigrate despite Gaza terrorists.  Some 400 French Jews have just made Aliyah, undeterred by the ongoing rocket fire and conflict with terrorist groups in Gaza.  Most of the immigrants are from the Paris area. They include 195 minors and 18 babies. 900 Jews made Aliyah in the past week.

Israeli children sing to counter fear of rocket attacks.  This song was composed by a local teacher and has been taught to hundreds of schoolchildren within firing range of Gaza's rockets to help them deal with the fear and trauma of having 15 seconds to run for cover when the Color Red siren sounds.

Summer camps and excursions for families from the south. Guides from the KKL-JNF quit their regular jobs to assist in activities for the children of Ashkelon in shelters and protected spaces. KKL-JNF also organized a fun day in the forests of Jerusalem for families from Gaza border communities.