In the 17th Sep 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have discovered that bacteria can interfere with chemotherapy.
·
The World
Health Organization has appointed an Israeli to its Executive committee.
·
The first
visit by a sitting Israeli Prime Minister to Latin America.
·
Israeli
technology is purifying water at the Hoover Dam.
·
Israeli driver
assistance systems are being installed in Chinese electric buses.
·
An Israeli
won gold at the Czech Open table tennis championships.
·
Click here
to see the 10th Sept newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours and United With
Israel with additional feature on Technology.
Also (TY Sandra) in German.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Please click
here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should send a
request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Making chemotherapy more effective. Scientists at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute have discovered why chemotherapy sometimes doesn’t work. Bacteria
inside pancreatic tumors metabolize gemcitabine - a common chemo treatment - to
make the tumor resistant. After applying antibiotics, the chemo begins to work
again.
Stem cell
treatments for Asia. Israeli biotech Pluristem has been awarded
two new patents in Hong Kong for two products - mesenchymal stem cells for the
treatment of skeletal muscle damage or injury, and adherent cells to treat Critical
Limb Ischemia and connective tissue regeneration.
Turning Sound
and Touch into Sight. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (in 2012) about Dr.
Amir Amedi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who is developing innovative
sensory substitution devices and technologies to help the blind and visually
impaired. Here is a video about his work.
Rehabilitating
soccer players. (TY Hazel) Spanish soccer club Real
Sociedad is using BalanceTutor from Israel’s MediTouch to help its teams
improve balance and dexterity, especially after an injury. The 4D treadmill uses
unexpected perambulation (jolting to the side etc.) to deliberately disrupt the
player’s balance.
Hear this. Udi Doron, CEO of Israel’s
Medton, came on ILTV News to describe his innovative hearing aids. The devices are
imported from Oticon Denmark and then adapted and fitted in Israel. They scan
the environment to reduce the level of noise. They also connect via smartphone
to the Internet of Things.
Free eye
surgery for Kenyans. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (three times) on
doctors from Israeli charity Eye From Zion performing free eye surgery around
the world. They have just returned from
Kenya where they treated 723 patients, from infants to senior citizens, removing
cataracts and correcting astigmatism.
Helping
families of cancer patients. Rivi Kossover of Israeli cancer charity Ezer
Mizion arranges transportation for patients, volunteers to make family meals,
respite for teenage carers and a tutor for a failing student. And still manages
to fit in her own domestic activities.
A virtual
safari for bed-ridden kids. Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari has placed cameras in
the monkey enclosures and live-streams video to bed-ridden children at Sheba
Medical Center in Tel HaShomer. The innovation helps kids deal with the stress
of their illness and is to be expanded to video more animals and include more
hospitals.
Medical
treatment for Russian Olympic skater. Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya was only
15-years-old when won a team gold medal at the 2014 Olympic games, skating to
the theme “Schindler’s List”. She developed chronic anorexia shortly afterwards
and retired from skating. In January, she came to Israel for treatment.
WHO board appoints an
Israeli. The
World Health Organization (WHO) has finally rewarded Israel for its vital
contributions to the WHO (see here) and
global medicine. For the first time in
21 years it has appointed to its Executive an Israeli - Professor Itamar
Grotto, the Israeli Health Ministry’s Associate Director-General.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/First-Israeli-named-to-WHO-executive-committee-in-21-years-505117
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
IDF develops software for kids. (TY UWI)
Cadets in the final stage of the IDF officers’ course participated in a 24-hour
Hackathon to develop systems for helping disadvantaged children. One of the
organizations to benefit was ALEH-Negev which supports children with severe
disabilities.
“We were told they are the enemy, but in
reality they are friends”. (TY Hazel and UCI) Plenty of praise
here for Israel from wounded and sick Syrians treated by Israel. Even the cynical Washington Post report admits
the changed perceptions about Israel from those Syrians who have been saved or
helped.
US mayors bond with Israel. The American Jewish
Committee (AJC) brought the mayors of Syracuse, Albuquerque and six other US
cities to see Sderot, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, the Syrian
border and the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.
Delegation chair was Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona.
More
Israeli aid to disaster victims. In a week of hurricanes and earthquakes, Israel has sent aid teams to
Florida, Texas, Mexico, Haiti, and the Caribbean to help recovery efforts. “We’ve
never seen anything like this,” said Mickey Noam-Alon, from IsraAID. “There are
so many massive events going on worldwide.”
8-year-old sees her mother’s work in
Uganda. (TY Avi) Emily Yaari, is the daughter of
Sivan Yaari, founder and CEO of Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa. Emily travelled
to Africa to see the “tikkun olam” work carried out by Innovation: Africa, all
in the name of Israel with Israeli technologies. An amazing 4-minute video.
http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/israeli-8-year-old-girl-travels-to-africa-and-is-shocked-to-see-what-her-mother-has-done/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cSXel5p5sY
The first Israeli PM
to visit Latin America. Benjamin Netanyahu’s four-day
trip to Argentina, Colombia and Mexico marks the first time a sitting Israeli
prime minister has visited South and Central America. He took with him a
delegation of businesspeople with the focus on deepening economic and
diplomatic alliances. In Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos thanked Israel
for its offer to help clear Colombia of land mines.
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Latin-American-allies-504738
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Colombias-president-praises-Israel-for-help-in-massive-landmine-clearing-efforts-505069
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
UK conference to share cybersecurity
solutions. (TY
Hazel) The UK Israel Tech Hub organized a three-day TeXchange conference in
London to share solutions to prevent cyber-attacks. UK firms attending included
Aviva Insurance, BT, Goldman Sachs, RBS and Visa. At least a dozen Israeli
security startups presented.
Technion and Cornell open New York
campus. (TY UWI)
Cornell Tech has officially dedicated its new campus on New York City’s
Roosevelt Island, home of a major academic partnership between Cornell
University and the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Over 500 people attended
the inauguration.
Cutting-edge tech to counter cyber
threats. US
giant Intel Corp. is teaming up with two Israeli cybersecurity firms – Team8
and Illusive Networks to design and develop solutions for repelling cyber-attacks.
Intel is also opening a new cybersecurity center that will operate in both Jerusalem
and Haifa.
Wave power for Mexico. I reported previously (several times) on
Israel’s Eco Wave-Power and its systems for generating energy from the
sea. Now, Eco Wave-Power is to build Mexico’s
first such facility - a 4.1 MW plant at the Manzanillo Port in the state of
Colima along the country’s southwestern Pacific Ocean shore.
A toxin against corn rootworm. Israeli biotech Evogene has announced
positive results in its Insect Control Seed Trait Program and that it had
developed the first toxin against Western corn rootworm.
Low sodium vegetarian food. Israel’s Salt of the Earth
recently completed a series of trials of plant-based, vegan and vegetarian meat
alternatives. They demonstrated the ability to create tasty meat substitutes
with less sodium. http://www.saltoftheearthltd.com/news-events/low-sodium-vegetarian-meat/
Purifying water at the
Hoover Dam. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (3 times) on the Hydro-Optic
Ultraviolet technology of Israel’s Atlantium that purifies contaminated water
systems. It has recently been installed
at the hydroelectric Hoover Dam to help prevent an invasive species of mussel
from choking pipes.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-tech-chosen-to-kill-off-invasive-mussel-species-at-hoover-dam/
Czechs see innovative Israeli city
bio-filter. (TY
Hazel) I reported previously (Jun
2016) on the JNF hybrid bio-filter for purifying and recycling rainwater
runoff at the Israeli city of Kfar Saba. Before attending Israel’s WATEC
conference, the Czech delegation were shown the bio-filter as a possible
solution to their polluted run-off water. http://www.kkl-jnf.org/about-kkl-jnf/green-israel-news/september-2017/czech-biofilter-mission/
Superior quality photos and video. More on the miniaturized hyperspectral technology developed at Israel’s
Ben-Gurion University (see 5th
Feb). It now can be made as an add-on for a standard camera. Using compression
sampling, it generates high quality images and video faster and far cheaper
than currently available commercial devices.
https://aabgu.org/new-hyperspectral-technology/
IAF training system now does soccer. (TY Hazel) I reported
previously (many times) on
Israel’s PlaySight and its SmartCourt training system that began life training
Israeli Air Force pilots. It was adapted for tennis training, basketball and
now soccer with SmartPitch’s launch at the Soccerex convention in Manchester,
UK.
Car sharing in Tel Aviv. I reported previously (22nd
Jan) that Israel’s Car2Go would be launching its Auto Tel car sharing
service in Tel Aviv this summer. Since
July, 170 Auto Tel vehicles have been in operation. Subscribers book a car 15
mins in advance via a smartphone app.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
20% increase in August tourism. 253,800 tourists visited Israel in Aug 2017 - 20% more than in Aug
2016. 57,200 were from the US – a 33% increase. Tourists from Poland soared
60%. 2.3 million tourists entered Israel Jan-Aug 2017 - 24% more than in the
same period of 2016.
Iowa delegation meets Jerusalem biomed
leaders. (TY
Sharon) The Iowa Economic Development
Authority mission, with over 26 members and led by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, were
given presentations from five of Jerusalem's bio-medical and tech community -
Pepticom, Valera Heath, Aeon, NIMD and Votis.
Chicago delegation to Israel. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
is heading a delegation of more than 40 businessmen, investors, health care
professionals, academics and water experts to Israel, to seek ways to work with
the Startup Nation on technology. 2016 trade between Israel and the state of
Illinois totaled $814 million.
Linking up Multinationals with Israeli
startups. Israel’s
global equity crowdfunder OurCrowd has launched OurNetwork, providing access
for Multinationals to Israel’s most exciting startups. 25 corporations signed up prior to the launch,
including Accenture, GE, Google, Honda, Kodak, Nokia, SAP, Shell, UBS and
YESBank.
China to import Israeli tech - for lab-grown
meat? China
and Israel have signed a $300 million trade deal whereby China will import
Israeli advanced agriculture technologies and smart and green energy
technologies. Not sure how the UK Independent and others made this into a vegan
story but at least it was positive news.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/global/china/israel-china-sign-300m-cleantech-deal/2017/09/11/
https://qz.com/1075989/china-wants-to-import-israels-vegan-meat-technology/
Winning contracts in
China for driverless tech. (TY SA)
Israel’s Mobileye is installing its Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS)
in every electric bus built by China’s Yutong, the biggest bus maker in the
world. It is also working with Chinese electric car-maker Nio and contracts
with more Chinese firms are pending.
Lower fees for international students. Israel’s Bar Ilan University
has dramatically reduced fees for its 2017/18 International BA program. Foreign
students will now pay standard Israeli citizen tuition fees, as set by the
Council for Higher Education - a two-thirds reduction from the current fees.
Helping women farmers in Latin America. Israel’s Frutarom has been
encouraging women in Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and other Latin American countries
to become independent farmers and grow annatto in their fields. Frutarom is
committed to buying at a fair price all the fresh annatto harvested for its
natural yellow ingredient.
Leading German insurer will cover claims
for Israeli exoskeleton. One of Germany’s leading insurers, Barmer,
has signed a confirmation regarding the provision of Israel’s ReWalk Robotics systems
for all qualifying beneficiaries. ReWalk’s exoskeleton allows paraplegics with
spinal cord injury to walk upright.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
London’s top restaurant is Israeli. The Barbary restaurant in
Covent Garden is number one in TimeOut’s list of London’s 100 best restaurants.
Lead chef is Tel Aviv-born Eyal Jagermann.
The anti-Israel Guardian says it’s “thrillingly alien”. The London
Standard says, “If you have to queue, queue”. (Not kosher)
Stunning photos of Jerusalem. Photographer Ezra Landau has
opened his outdoor “Jerusalem Moments” exhibition in the Jewish Quarter of the
Old City. In 50 prints (for Jerusalem’s 50th anniversary Landau finds contrasts
and connections between Jews and Arabs, secular and religious Jews, tourists
and residents.
And a brief tour of Northern Israel. (TY Avi)
A two-minute glimpse of the Galilee, Golan, Hula valley, mountains, waterfalls
and diverse wildlife. https://www.youtube.com/embed/E4JDbsOnbeU?rel=0
Jerusalem women’s night race. (TY Sharon) Several Jerusalem streets were closed
as some 2,000 women and girls raced over 5km or 10km courses in the Capital.
They included mothers and daughters, running groups from around Israel and even
some studying Torah on their smartphones while they ran.
Italian cycle race to begin in Israel. (TY Hazel) The Giro d'Italia
cycling race will open next year's event in Israel, marking the first time in
its 101-year history that the race will begin outside of Europe. More than 175 of the world's best cyclists
will arrive in Israel to compete in the first three stages of the race.
Israelis enter world sheepdog trials. For the first time, there
were Israeli entries in the triennial World Sheep Dog Trials, held in the
Netherlands. Among the 243 competitors from 30 countries were Adi Etrog with
her dog Daisy and Itai Yatzkan with his dog Munch. They enjoyed the experience
and will try again in three years.
Paralympic wins
table-tennis gold.
Israel’s Karmit Dor won a gold medal in the Czech Open Table Tennis Championship.
She beat Poland’s Karolina Peck in 5 sets to win the Women’s Singles - light
disability class. Dor also won a bronze in the doubles with Israel’s Anat Siara
Sagi.
THE JEWISH STATE
Tax
free commercial honey imports. (TY Steven S) Israel’s finance
minister Moshe Kachlon added a sweetener to the Jewish New Year for the
business community, signing an order this week authorizing a Customs tax
exemption for the import of 560 tons of honey to the Land of Milk and Honey.
New
Israeli stamps – Love songs. (TY Jacob Richman) The latest
postage stamps to be issued by the Israeli Postal Service include 12 love
songs. One of them, Zemer Nogeh, was played by NASA to wake up Israeli astronaut
Ilan Ramon (z”l) to start his day on the space shuttle circling the earth.
http://www.history-of-israel.co.il/stamps/jrst0821e.jpg http://www.jr.co.il/videos/hebrew-love-songs.htm
California
boy’s gift brings survivor to Israel. After
hearing his story, 17-year-old Californian teen, Drew Principe, raised $15,000 to
enable 89-year-old Shoah survivor Henry Oster to travel to Israel where he
would meet his last living relative and finally celebrate his bar mitzvah.
California
girl’s funds for agriculture school. 13-year-old Shira Futornick of Palo Alto,
California raised $50,000 for Israel’s Arava International Center for
Agriculture Training (AICAT). It was a part of her bat mitzvah tzedakah
project. Shira had seen AICAT during her older sister’s bat mitzva tzedakah
program in 2015.
Where
else in the world would you see this? This
photo taken at the back of a restaurant in central Jerusalem captures two young
men praying – one Muslim about to bow on his prayer mat, the other a Jew with
his Tefillin on. Religious tolerance and
freedom of religion being practiced in the holiest city in the world.
170910
In the 10th Sep 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
scientist’s algorithm cuts the time of discovering life-saving treatments.
·
Thousands
of foreign students have just completed Israeli agriculture training.
·
GM
launches its first Israeli driverless car prototype.
·
An environment-friendly
Israeli pesticide is protecting Indian fruit crops.
·
Israel is
investing $1 billion in renewable energy projects for Africa.
·
The first Israeli
to win a World Gymnastics medal.
·
New
technology has revealed Hebrew writing on 2600-year-old pottery.
·
Click here
to see the 3rd Sept newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo,
IsraPundit
and United With Israel with
features on Inclusive
and Global, and Trade.
Also (TY Sandra) in German.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Please click
here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should send a
request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Trials success for gastroenteritis
treatment. Israeli
biotech Redhill has announced that the Phase 3 trial of its BEKINDA treatment
for acute gastroenteritis and gastritis, on 321 patients in 21 US clinical
sites, met its targets for efficacy and safety. There are some 179 million
cases of gastroenteritis annually in the US.
Fighting
infections via DNA.
I reported previously (July
2015) on Tel Aviv University Professor Udi Qimron’s research into bacterial
viruses (phages) that can kill resistant bacteria. His DNA delivery method is
now much more sophisticated and he has just received a $700,000 grant from
TAU’s Momentum fund.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/dna-delivery-technology-joins-battle-against-drug-resistant-bacteria/2017/06/19/ http://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/abstract/S1097-2765(17)30310-6
Algorithm finds new treatments. Professor Amiram Goldblum at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem has won a 2017 Kaye Innovation award for his Iterative
Stochastic Elimination (ISE) algorithm, which helps discover new molecules to
treat diseases. It identifies candidate treatments in months rather than years.
Life-changing tech for the visually
impaired. I
reported previously (May
2016) on the text to speech MyEye device from Israeli startup Orcam. MyEye
now clips onto your spectacles and can read text in English, Hebrew, Chinese,
French, Italian and German. It can also store names and faces to help identify
the people you meet.
Making back to
school less lousy.
I reported previously (27th
Nov) on Israeli startup Parasonic and its ultrasonic comb for destroying
head lice and their eggs (nits). The device has now received FDA
approval and should be launched by mid-2018. Parasonic has just raised $1.6
million of funds.
Games therapy
for the brain.
More about Israeli startup Intendu that I reported on previously (2nd
July). Designed by neuroscientists, clinicians and games developers, the home
training console is designed to enhance and possibly rehabilitate, eight
cognitive functions. It is currently on trial at the UK’s Hull Royal
Infirmary. https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorclawson/2017/08/31/the-therapy-gap-startup-offers-hope-for-brain-impaired-patients/#134ac0944a5c
Israel’s new
school of medicine. (TY Atid-EDI) Ariel
University recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new medical
school. The $28 million facility will
vastly enhance Ariel’s current pre-med program and 30 research labs. Currently,
4000 students are studying medicine at Israel’s five medical schools.
Israeli
bio-techs in San Diego. 23 Israeli companies (listed
here) exhibited at the Bio International Convention in San Diego - the
world’s largest conference in the field of life sciences, with over 16,000 delegates
from some 76 countries. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israeli-firms-share-innovations-at-bio-international-convention-in-san-diego/2017/06/13/
What goes
around, comes around. 15 years ago, Batya donated a kidney to save
her daughter’s life. Shortly afterwards,
her daughter gave birth to a baby girl.
15 years later, Batya contracted Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and
needed a bone marrow transplant. Thanks to the Ezer Mizion database, a 100%
match was found.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Jerusalem municipality site in French. (TY Janglo)
The Jerusalem Municipality just launched a new website in French that includes
all municipal services, information on absorption in Jerusalem, information on
immigrant activities and additional services for French speakers. There is
already an English site.
https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/fr/Pages/default.aspx https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/Pages/default.aspx
Promoting workplace diversity. Nonprofit social startup
ITWorks promotes diversity in the workplace by helping adults living in
Israel’s social and geographic periphery to realize their professional
potential. ITWorks sets up courses, boot camps and hackathons for women, Arabs,
Druze, Circassians, Haredi and the disabled.
Haredi female pilot flies PM to Greece. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
was flown by an ultra-Orthodox female pilot to Thessaloniki, Greece for a
trilateral summit with Greek and Cypriot leaders. Nechama Spiegel Novak was the
first ultra-Orthodox female to co-pilot a trip for an Israeli prime minister.
An incubator for products for the
elderly. Matav,
Israel's nursing care non-profit, and Tech for Good, which supports social
impact investment, are setting up an incubator for startups developing products
and services for senior citizens. The incubator will focus on solutions that extend
the time that senior citizens can live at home.
Seeds of Peace. An optimistic article that describes
how local Palestinian Arab community leaders worked with Jerusalem mayor Barkat
to improve security. http://honestreporting.com/seeds-of-peace-israel-insights/
Israel donates $32 million to Syrians. Israelis have donated at
least $32 million on goods for Syrian civilians this year, including $26
million from donations and $6 million from the IDF’s Operation Good Neighbor.
It has paid for medical equipment, food, and medicine. Millions more have been
spent by Israeli hospitals treating some 3,500 Syrian wounded. https://unitedwithisrael.org/israelis-donate-over-32-m-in-aid-to-syrians-this-year/
An Iraqi Kurd reports on the Jewish
State. Diliman
Abdulkader came from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to see Israel. He praises
airport security, a friendly Israeli taxi driver and IDF soldier, Arabs and
Jews on beaches, at university, in cafes and Parliament. He concludes that
Israel is simply striving to survive in a hostile region.
Israel to fund rebuilding of Houston
Jewish buildings.
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs is to give $1 million in
emergency aid, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to rebuild Houston schools,
synagogues and Jewish community buildings which are not funded by the state. It
has also shipped several tons of aid to storm victims.
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/154662-170904-israel-gives-1-million-to-houston-jewish-community
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-embassy-in-dc-ships-several-tons-of-aid-to-harvey-victims-in-texas/
More Israelis fly in to help Houston
cleanup. A
team of eight volunteers from Israel’s ZAKA Search and Rescue organization is
in Houston to help with clean up in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Four more will join them shortly. The
volunteers are currently clearing debris and delivering food.
Jerusalem summit
for African Christian leaders. Some 70 delegates from Nigeria, Botswana,
South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Tanzania and Kenya attended a 4-day “Africa
Celebrates Jerusalem” summit. They held meetings with Israeli start-ups,
politicians and businesses, focusing on agriculture, finance and technology.
Kenyans praise Arava
agriculture center.
(TY Hazel) I reported previously (30th
Apr) about Israel’s Arava International Center for Agriculture Training
(AICAT) which has trained more than 16,000 students from Africa and Asia. Here
three Kenyan graduates of AICAT describe how the center has changed their
lives.
Israel AgroStudies
apprenticeship. 1,200 students from across
Africa and Asia have just completed the 13th running of Israel’s unique post-graduate
AgroStudies agriculture apprentice training program. (See previous articles here)
Its aim is to transfer theoretical knowledge to modern applied agriculture.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Innovate Israel 2017. (TY OurCrowd)
Innovate Israel returns to London on 12th Sept co-sponsored by OurCrowd in
partnership with The Institution of Engineering and Technology. Over 20 leaders
of Israeli companies will discuss the most exciting innovations coming from
scale-up nation.
Tel Aviv is an R&D hub for corporates. (TY Janglo)
There are 73 international R&D centers in Tel Aviv, nearly doubling in five
years, providing over 6,200 jobs. The latest, Visa, joins Amazon, AOL, Apple,
Barclays, Bosch, Citibank, Coca Cola, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, IBM,
Intel, MasterCard, Microsoft, Paypal, Renault, Samsung, Siemens, Yahoo and
more. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235060
Detecting light from a single bacteria
cell. Researchers
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a nanophotonic chip system
using lasers and bacteria to observe fluorescence emitted from a single
bacterial cell. The breakthrough technology will enhance efforts to build mobile
“lab on chip” devices.
IKEA selects insect
protein company.
IKEA has chosen Israel’s Flying SpArk to join the nine other startups in
its Swedish training course. Flying
SpArk produces a high-quality protein powder from fruit fly larvae for human
consumption as a healthier and sustainable alternative to animal protein.
GM unveils prototype
of driverless car.
General Motors’ (GM) R&D center in Herzliya has revealed the company's
first prototype of an autonomous vehicle. Based on the electric-only Chevrolet
Bolt, the car has an advanced array of Israeli-developed sensors and processors
to enable it to travel without a driver.
Hyundai teams with Technion on smart
cars. Car
maker Hyundai has signed an agreement with Israel’s Technion Institute and
KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) to conduct joint research
on future mobility technologies. Hyundai will fund a multi-million-dollar Technion-KAIST
R&D center.
Technology for digital bank guarantees. Israel’s Bank Hapoalim and
software giant Microsoft are working together to set up a platform to create
digital bank guarantees, based on the latest Blockchain technology. The
“pioneering project” will help make the process of signing up guarantors a
simple and quicker process.
Unearthing one of the first cities. Archaeologists at
prehistoric Tel Tsaf in Israel’s Jordan Valley have found a unique
7,200-year-old clay silo model, the earliest evidence of ritual food storage. They
also excavated well-preserved mudbrick architecture, the region’s earliest
metal item, and evidence of long-distance trade.
Israel’s biggest tech conference. (TY TIP
and Jacques) 10,000 high-tech professionals descended upon Tel Aviv for the
city’s 5th annual DLD (Digital Life Design) Conference. 100 events were planned
– including a new focus on food tech in which Israel has over 500 startups. DLD
ended with a closing party on the beach.
Protecting Indian
crops from fruit flies. (TY Merav) I reported previously (Apr
2016) about Israel’s BioFeed which developed a solution that killed the
Ziko virus-carrying mosquito without having to spray crops. Now BioFeed’s
no-spray fruit-fly solution is helping protect Indian mango farmers against the
devastating pest.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel’s exports rose 6% in first half
2017. (TY UWI)
Israel saw a 6% rise in exports in the first half of 2017, with exports
reaching $50 billion. Exports of goods rose 4% to $29 billion. Exports of services
(boosted by hi-tech and tourism) rose 8% to $21 billion. Hi-tech services rose by 12% and tourism by
16%.
Currency reserves up to $111 billion. August saw another record
level for Israel’s Foreign currency deposits.
The new level is just over $111 billion - up nearly a billion dollars
from the end of July’s level.
Financial cooperation with Switzerland. The two most innovative nations, (see
22nd Jan) Switzerland and Israel, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
to deepen cooperation in the financial services industry.
A $110 million VC
Fund. Israel’s
StageOne Ventures has announced the closure of its third venture capital fund,
with $110 million in committed capital to invest in 15-18 Israeli startups. StageOne
focuses on deep-technology endeavors in B2B software and next-generation IT
infrastructure.
Making overseas shopping simple. (TY WIN)
Israeli startup ZIPY simplifies the online shopping experience by consolidating
shipping prices, carriers, taxes, etc. It enables shipping purchases from eBay,
Amazon, Aliexpress and dealextreme to Israel, Romania and Russia. All
communications are in your local language.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech-Talk-Zipy-makes-buying-from-international-e-commerce-sites-easy-502916 https://www.youtube.com/embed/1X4sNzNZy68?rel=0
Merck launches Israel electronics
incubator.
(TY OurCrowd)
German life-science giant Merck is founding a technological innovation
laboratory in Yavne, called PMatX that will function as an incubator for Israeli
startups. Its investments will total €20 million and will focus on
next-generation electronics.
Bringing ride-sharing to Europe. Daimler’s Mercedes Benz Vans
has invested $50 million and enlisted Israeli-founded startup Via to enter Europe’s
ride-sharing market – initially in London. Passengers wanting to travel in the
same direction will use Via’s mobile app to share a single Daimler van.
Filming female
entrepreneurs.
Two Brazilian women are making a documentary about female entrepreneurs.
After visiting 20 countries, they arrived in Jerusalem. At a meeting at the Tower
of David Museum, local entrepreneurs expressed hope that the film would inspire
young Jerusalem women to enter the business world.
Seven in 2017. Israeli fruits and flavors
company Frutarom has made another acquisition – its seventh in the current
year. This time it’s an Israel company –
Turpaz, buying a controlling 51% for NIS 54 million. Turpaz develops, produces
and markets fragrance solutions. It recently opened a center in New Jersey, USA.
$1 billion on
renewables for Africa. Israel’s Energiya Global is to invest $1
billion over the next four years to advance green power projects across 15 West
African countries. It is part of a memorandum of understanding signed between
Israel and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). (An
inspiring video.)
Algae products for America. I reported previously (3 times) on Algatechnologies
which makes the anti-oxidant, AstaPure®, and other products from microalgae
grown in Israel’s Arava desert. AlgaTech has just opened a New York City-based
subsidiary to increase sales of its products to the North American market.
Direct from Montreal to Tel Aviv. (TY Atid-EDI) On June
22, Air Canada celebrated their first direct flight from Montreal-Trudeau
airport to Tel Aviv. The service operates twice weekly until mid-October. Just
four days earlier, on Jun 18, Air Transit celebrated their first direct
flight on the same route.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The Zionist art of Salvador Dali. (TY WIN) In
the 1960s, famous Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, produced Zionist-themed
paintings. They included a ship carrying Jewish refugees to Israel, an Israeli
menorah (candelabra) and a series entitled “Aliya”. Here is a new montage of Dali's
tribute to the Jewish people.
Mekudeshet
festival.
(TY Janglo) The 4-week Mekudeshet festival, which ends on 15th Sept,
features many inspirational artists and musicians. http://en.mekudeshet.com/
The Simon & Garfunkel Story. (TY Janglo) The Simon &
Garfunkel Story is coming from the UK’s West End to tour Israel. It’s probably the closest you can get to
seeing Simon & Garfunkel without actually seeing them. From 13th - 18th Sep
in Jerusalem, Kiryat Mozkin, Cinema City, Airport City and Rishon Letzion.
http://www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com/tour-dates/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/nInN49_QDPE?rel=0
Artists4Israel. Last year, Artists4Israel
visited 63 global campuses and universities to share their artistic talent for
Israel. Led by gifted street and
graffiti artists, they engaged with over 25,000 students, many of whom helped
paint pro-Israel murals with messages of support for Israel. Events were co-sponsored by StandWithUs.
Conan O’Brien’s six-day-tour. (TY Avi) US comedian Conan
O’Brien was interviewed by Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 2. He talked about his
first trip to Israel, meeting all types of people and said he was impressed by
the fit men, beautiful women and relaxed vibe. He also told her what he’d do if
he moved to Israel.
Tel Aviv comes to London. The four-day TLV in LDN gala
festival kicked off on 8th Sep. It included a beach party, music from Dana
International and food from to Israeli chef Shaul Ben Aderet.
Watch NFL games with Israeli tech. I reported previously (here) on Israeli-developed
FreeD from Replay Technologies – since taken over by Intel. Now TV viewers of American football will be
able to watch FreeD’s 360-degree replays and other features at 11 National
Football League (NFL) venues this season.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-tech-scores-starting-position-new-nfl-season/
Israel’s first-ever
World gymnastics medal. (TY Hazel) Linoy Ashram won a bronze medal in
the all-around competition (hoop, clubs, ball and ribbon) at the World Rhythmic
Gymnastics Championships, making her the first Israeli to ever win a medal in
the category.
THE JEWISH STATE
Exhibit of 1st Temple Jewish seals. Letter seals excavated in Jerusalem’s
City of David National Park dating back to 700 BCE are to be displayed at the
annual City of David archaeology conference. Biblical names like "Achiav
Ben Menachem" prove refugee Northern Kingdom Jews had senior Jerusalem
positions.
1st Temple inscription
revealed. Tel
Aviv University researchers have used multi-spectral imaging to reveal a Hebrew
inscription on a pottery shard (ostracon) from 600 BCE. The object was originally found at Tel Arad
and has been on display at the Israel Museum for the last 50 years. The
inscription is a request for supplies.
Holocaust survivor’s bar mitzvah in
Israel. (TY
Jacques) 93-year-old Shalom Shtamberg celebrated his bar mitzvah 80 years late. When he was 13 he was imprisoned by the Nazis
in the Warsaw Ghetto. After reading from the Torah in Haifa he danced with
family and friends.
More mega-bloggers visit Israel. As part of the UploadEuro
project of pro-Israel non-profit StandWithUs, students of the IDC Herzliya
brought 7 popular international bloggers (and their 9 million readers) to see Israel
as they’d never seen it before. E.g. they were amazed to see Arabs and Jews sit
together in a Jaffa restaurant. They
also visited Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. http://www.standwithus.com/news/article.asp?id=5419
“I am the first Bangladeshi to visit
Israel”. (TY
StandWithUs) Dr Shadman Zaman was taught at school to hate Israel. But his
grandfather taught Shadman the truth about the perseverance of the Jewish
people for self-determination in their homeland. Shadham now uses his inherited
affinity with Zionism to inspire others.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGEFL9MNaXw?rel=0
170903
In the 3rd Sep 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
doctors used a minimally-invasive Israeli implant to treat congestive heart
failure.
·
An innovative
Israeli laser can treat glaucoma in one second.
·
The
first-ever blind person to be accepted to serve in the IDF.
·
Israeli
aid teams arrive in Texas to help residents of Houston, Austin and Dallas.
·
Israel’s
first environmental satellite is now in orbit.
·
15,000
Indian farmers will have a harvest, thanks to Israeli drip-irrigation.
·
Israeli
unemployment drops to a record low of 4.1%.
·
An Israeli
is the new World Blind 10-pin-bowling Champion.
·
Click here
to see the 27th August newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo,
IsraPundit
and United
With Israel with feature on Inclusive and Global. Also (TY Sandra) in German.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Please click
here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should send a
request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Patient receives new implant to treat diastolic heart
failure. A 72-year-old Canadian at Israel’s Rambam
Medical Center is the first congestive heart failure patient to receive a new
CoRolla implant from Israeli biotech CorAssist. The device was implanted by
catheter and the patient has improved sufficiently to be discharged.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Health-and-Science/Israeli-doctors-are-first-to-implant-device-for-congestive-heart-failure-503648
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Iy0iL1cKG2s?rel=0
Rabies
treatment approved.
Israeli biotech Kamada has received FDA approval for its anti-rabies
vaccination in the US. US company Kedrion will be responsible for distributing
the new product. Kamada is already
marketing the anti-rabies vaccine in various countries.
Seeing the signs of Alzheimer’s. I reported recently (30th
July) about the research at Sheba Medical Center into the link between
Alzheimer’s disease and loss of retina function. Israel’s RetiSpec is already working towards
building an ocular scanner for the spectral signature of neuropathological
changes due to the disease.
https://www.israel21c.org/look-into-my-eyes-do-you-see-early-signs-of-alzheimers/
http://retispec.com/
Curing glaucoma in the blink of an eye. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Belkin Laser has developed an innovative laser ray system that can treat
glaucoma in just one second every year, instead of daily eye drops. There is no
need for direct contact of the equipment with the eye. Belkin recently raised
$5 million of funding.
An app to guide the visually impaired. Israel’s RightHear is an
iPhone app that enables the visually impaired to find their way through
shopping malls, hospitals, universities – any of the 200 locations (mostly in
Israel) where Apple iBeacon transmitters have been installed. It’s also
integrated with taxi apps Gett, Uber and Lyft.
The elderly can
benefit from baby movements. Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University
have found that older adults use the same exploration-exploitation mechanism
that babies use to successfully grasp objects.
And as with babies, making “mistakes” helps improve future task
performance.
Doctors save child after massive hemorrhage. There were dramatic scenes
at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center when a 7-year-old boy arrived with severe
stomach bleeding. They quickly removed a
large benign polyp in the boy’s colon – a rare occurrence in one so young. The boy recovered and has now been
discharged.
Gaza man cured
of Tree-man virus.
Doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center cured Mohammed Taluli
from Gaza of a rare genetic disorder. Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (tree-man
disease) is contagious and cancerous. It causes scaly lesions on the feet and
hands that resemble tree bark. (See the astonishing photo.)
Returning the smiles to African
children’s faces.
Israeli surgeons Omri Emodi and Zach Sharony from Haifa’s Rambam Medical
Center have been in Ghana correcting facial deformities (e.g. cleft lips and
palates) in local children. The mission was managed by US organization Operation
Smile.
After
treatment, PA official donates recovery room. A senior Palestinian Arab official has donated
tens of thousands of shekels to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center after he himself
underwent cancer treatment at the Israeli hospital. The money will fund a room for
children, pre-and-post chemo and radiotherapy treatment.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Health-and-Science/Palestinian-official-gives-back-to-Israeli-hospital-that-treated-him-496545
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4974484,00.html
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
30% subsidy for new Jerusalem employees. (TY Janglo)
Jerusalem’s Kivun Center helps the capital’s Haredim find employment. It is currently offering to pay 30% of the
salary for new employees for 30 months.
Backgammon finals – co-existence wins. I reported previously (10th
Oct) about a Backgammon tournament held in Jerusalem that brought together
Jews and Arabs. The games have become a city-wide Championship involving about 500
Jews, Christians, Muslims and others, supported by both private and
municipality funding.
Soccer camp unites Israeli Jews and Arab
children. 75
Jewish and Arab six-graders attended a 3-day Soccer for Peace summer camp at the
Center for a Shared Society in Givat Haviva,
More special IDF
soldiers. (TY
WIN)
I reported previously (three
times) on Israelis with cerebral palsy who applied to and were accepted
into the Israel Defense Forces. Here is a
4th “Special in Uniform” – Lotan Aroch, who has just completed her 18 months’ service
in the IDF. And Daniel Defur became the first blind Israeli to serve in the
IDF. http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/daniel-defur-blind-idf/
Israeli debating students compete in
Indonesia.
StandWithUs sponsored the 2017 Israeli High School Debate Team which
recently competed in the 29th annual World Schools Debating Championship in
Bali, in (Muslim) Indonesia. The team finished 13th in the world, winning 6 out
of 8 initial debates.
Wheelchairs for Vietnamese children. (TY Stuart) Israel’s Embassy
in Vietnam is donating 100 innovative wheelchairs especially designed for
children with disabilities. The Embassy used the budget for Israeli
Independence Day celebrations to buy the lightweight wheelchairs from Israel’s
“Wheelchairs of Hope.”
Help for Austin and
Dallas. Israeli
humanitarian aid organizations IsraAID and iAID have gone to Texas to help
residents of Austin and Dallas suffering from the devastation of Hurricane
Harvey. IsraAID will offer trauma
counseling and help clean up debris and salvage belongings from flooded homes,
whereas iAID will support the National Guard.
http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/hurricane-harvey-chabad-israid-flooding/
Trauma support for
Houston. The
Israel Rescue Coalition has just flown a team of the United Hatzalah
Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit to Houston, Texas. It is led by Jerusalem
therapist Miriam Ballin, a Haredi woman who founded the pioneering psychological
first aid unit.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/us-news/israel-sends-team-of-psychiatrists-to-underwater-houston/2017/08/31/ http://jewishjournal.com/news/nation/223813/charedi-medic-pioneered-psychological-first-aid-israel-now-shes-helping-houston/
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel’s first
environmental satellite circles the world. The first Israeli-developed environmental
satellite, VENµS, was successfully launched at the Guiana Space Center’s Kourou
site. The joint Israel Space Agency and
French space agency CNES project will allow study of global environment,
agriculture and water issues.
Fish farm scientist receives innovation award. I reported recently (2nd
July) about Hebrew University Professor Berta Levavi-Sivan’s technology
that promotes fish growth – as implemented in Uganda. She has co-founded the
startup AquiNovo to utilize the technology and was awarded a 2017 Kaye
Innovation award.
UN chief sees Israeli innovation. (TY Sharon) During his visit to Israel, UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres was shown Israeli technological innovation
in the fields of water, energy and malaria tests. These included Water-Gen,
Aqwise, Innovation: Africa, HomeBiogas and Sight Diagnostics.
National English Studies program
launched.
Israel’s Ministry of Education has launched a NIS 70 million initiative
to increase English proficiency around the country. Its 4-year goal is for 70%
of Israeli students to study high and advanced English (currently 61%). It
targets improving verbal skills using non-formal methods.
Also, more on the NIS 12 million ($3.4
million) nationwide training program for English teachers.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/on-campus/education-minister-bennett-launches-national-english-studies-program/2017/08/30/
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Education-Ministry-invests-in-nationwide-program-for-English-teachers-503288
Agriculture for Angola and Zambia. Tahal Group – a subsidiary
of Israel’s Kardan – is to construct three agricultural centers in Angola worth
$145 million. They include farms, irrigation, greenhouses, chicken coops and a
training center. Tahal is also to build a $176 million agricultural and water
project in Zambia.
Israeli drones deliver goods in Reykjavik. I reported previously (Sep
2015) about Israeli startup Flytrex’s claims to be the world’s first
delivery drone that operates over the cloud. Now Flytrex has launched in Iceland what it
says is the world’s first commercial food delivery route based entirely on
unmanned aerial vehicles.
Israeli drip
irrigation transformed SW India. (TY Hazel) Karnataka,
a state in southwestern India, has transformed 59,305 acres of drought-stricken
land in Hunagund into a fertile green pasture, thanks to Israeli drip
irrigation. As a result, by October, 15,000 farmers will harvest their first
monsoon season crop in years.
The best cybersecurity product for cars. (TY Atid-EDI)
I reported previously (20th
Nov) on Israel’s Karamba Security which protects cars against hacking
attempt to alter its factory settings. Karamba’s CarWall was unanimously awarded
2017 Best Auto Cybersecurity Product/Service by TU-Automotive.
To catch a (data)
thief. (TY WIN)
Israeli startup ITsMine has developed technology to protect companies against
internal and external data theft. CEO Kfir Kimhi explained his product on ILTV
News. Hackers trying to encrypt, copy, change or delete data are immediately
blocked.
Protecting things in the Internet of
Things. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israeli-managed Armis has launched its unique security platform that lets
enterprises eliminate their IoT (Internet of Things) security blind spots. Armis’s
team includes Technion graduates and former members of Israeli Cyber Intelligence
Unit 8200.
Science on tap. The Weizmann Institute held
its annual “Science on Tap” night where about 60 leading scientists and
outstanding PhD students gave informal science talks on the same day, same hour
- in bars and cafes around Tel Aviv. https://www.youtube.com/embed/rpGh0-7nnys?rel=0
Advertise in ice cubes. Israeli startup Icebow seeks
to revolutionize chunks of frozen water by branding them with company logos and
images. The technology provides a cool, new way for brands to engage with
customers, embossing ads and designs at the center of the ice cubes, using only
water, with no additives.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
July unemployment rate
at 4.1% - a new low. Israel's unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in
July, down from 4.3% in June. Participation in the labor force for the 25-64
age group rose from 79.8% in June to 80.1% in July.
OECD praises Israel’s growing economy
& low unemployment. (TY Atid-EDI) The
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued a new
laudatory report on the Israeli economy. Low unemployment and 2017/8 growth of
3.25% was good and would increase with Finance Ministry budget plans.
US-Israel energy
R&D budget triples. The Israeli and US governments are jointly to
invest an additional $8 million in energy research and development, in addition
to the $4 million already invested through the BIRD Energy Fund since 2009. New
research fields include fuels, smart grid, desalination and energy cybersecurity.
Digital Israel. Israel’s cabinet has approved the latest phase of the "Digital
Israel" program being promoted by the Ministry of Social Equality. It aims
to narrow social and geographical gaps, reduce the cost of living, promote
rights in healthcare and welfare, stimulate growth and improve access to
government services.
Israel is a cybersecurity powerhouse. Ambassador Yoram Ettinger writes that Israel has 300 cybersecurity
startups, exporting $6.5 billion in 2016. Three are among WSJ’s top 25 tech
companies to watch. 2017 Israeli cybersecurity investment and exits are
huge. Israel and the US have set up a
cybersecurity bilateral group.
Israeli-founded biotech exits for $11.9
billion. US giant Gilead has just bought Kite (a biotech
founded by Israel’s Arie Belldegrun) for $11.9 billion. Kite’s CAR-T technology was developed by Weizmann
Institute’s Professor Zelig Eshhar. A patient’s own immune system T-cells are
genetically engineered to attack tumors.
Mazor Robotics strengthens alliance with
Medtronic.
Israel’s Mazor Robotics entered into a strategic agreement with US giant
Medtronic in 2016. Medtronic is now assuming
exclusive worldwide distribution of the Mazor X surgical assurance platform for
spine surgery. It is also investing a further $40 million in Mazor.
Racing for cheaper sports goods. 6,000 Israelis attended the
opening of a huge Decathlon sporting goods chain branch in Rishon Lezion – its
first in Israel. Decathlon’s business model is to provide good value prices,
mainly through private brands and own-name sporting goods, rather than through
leading well-known brands.
Build your own mobile app in a snap. Israeli startup AppsVillage
is the Wix of smartphones, helping small businesses build an app quickly.
AppsVillage has already attracted some 1,000 customers in the past three months,
mainly in Israel, and is now launching its service in the US.
Diamond tech is priceless (almost). Israeli ecommerce and
diamond technology company R2Net has been bought by Signet - the world’s
largest diamond jewelry retailer – for $328 million. R2Net’s Segoma Imaging Technologies has
developed 360° diamond display, the virtual ring sizer and the ring try-on
mobile app.
Skoda opens Israeli tech office. Car maker Skoda is to open
an Israeli Digilab office, to search for advanced smart car technologies and
investment opportunities that can be included in the brand's technological
systems. Skoda said its Israeli presence will give it direct access to innovative
projects, high-tech startups, and IT talents.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The world’s largest Jewish soul
festival. The city of mysticism, Safed (Tzfat) is one
of Judaism’s four holy cities. It is also home to the world’s largest festival
of klezmer music. This year is the 30th that the city has hosted the festival. https://www.youtube.com/embed/tOXDUT1mi2A?rel=0
See the Dead Sea differently. (TY Avi) One benefit from
the lowering of the level of the Dead Sea is that it has exposed some amazing
salt crystal formations. https://www.youtube.com/embed/ra-hJJZREhU?rel=0
Cliff Richard to perform in Tel Aviv. British singer, musician,
performer, actor and philanthropist Sir Cliff Richard is scheduled to give a
concert on October 10 at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena. The day before, he will
visit the Freddie Krivine Foundation, which fosters young Arab and Jewish
tennis players.
Why did the chicken enter the monkey
cage? Niv –
a crested macaque monkey at Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari – has adopted a chicken
that wandered into his enclosure. Zoo
officials say that the unlikely pair are inseparable. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ss_Qsu_yC-g?rel=0
Israeli in FIBA Hall of Fame. Miki Berkovich is the first
Israeli player to be inducted into the International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
Hall of Fame. Berkovich, now aged 63, helped Maccabi Tel Aviv win its first
European Championship in 1977 and is widely considered to be the greatest
Israeli basketball player ever.
Israeli judoka wins bronze in World
Championships. Israeli judoka Tal Flicker earned a
bronze medal in the under-66 kilo class at the World Judo Championships in
Budapest. He beat Ukraine’s Georgii Zantaraia, who had previously won the gold
medal at April’s European Championships.
Israeli blind bowler
is World Champion.
Shlomi Lazmy, a blind Israeli veteran, won first place in the 2017
International Blind Sports Federation Tenpin Bowling World Championships for
the blind in Fukuoka, Japan. 60-year-old Shlomi was blinded in the Golan in 1986.
He has been playing the sport for eight years.
THE JEWISH STATE
3 days in Basel. 120 years ago, on 25th Aug 1897, the First Zionist Congress in
Basel, Switzerland began a Jewish transformation. The sheheheyanu blessing was
read, thanking God for bringing the Jews to this time. “We are coming home,”
Herzl declared in the Congress. and famously stated later: “At Basel, I founded
the Jewish state.” http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/120-years-later-3-days-in-Basel-that-changed-the-course-of-the-Jewish-nation-503768
120 Herzls celebrate in Herzliya. To mark the 120th
anniversary of the First Zionist Congress that Theodor Herzl organized, 120 men
and women named for him gathered in Herzliya, Israel, to celebrate his legacy. http://www.jta.org/2017/08/25/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/120-people-named-herzl-pose-for-photo-in-israel-to-honor-1st-zionist-congress-anniversary
50 seconds of Jerusalem. (TY Avi) Multicultural,
energetic, inspiring. So much is happening in Jerusalem you will be amazed to
see it packed in to 50 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jxt3-VIi-W4?rel=0
How King David conquered Jerusalem. (TY Avi) 3000 years ago, the
Israelite King David used Israeli “outside of the box” thinking to penetrate
the seemingly impossible defenses of the Jebusite city that would become
Jerusalem – the capital of the Jewish State.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XXHiXuPw7zM?rel=0
Inspiring documentary. “Operation Wedding” a film
by Israel’s Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov is currently showing in Israel and will
shortly tour the USA. The film portrays Anat’s parents and 14 others who were
jailed for planning to escape Soviet Russia by plane in 1970. World protests
led to the mass Aliya of Soviet Jewry.
170827
In the 27th Aug 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
researchers can detect early cancer using high-powered MRI.
·
Israeli
doctors performed the first transplant of lab-grown bone.
·
An Israeli
charity has bought land to grow crops for the poor.
·
Israel was
the first country to help flood victims in Sierra Leone.
·
Israel’s
Weizmann Institute is the top non-US research facility.
·
Fiat-Chrysler
has joined the Israeli-based driverless car project.
·
The
grand-daughter of a WW2 Nazi mayor now serves in the IDF.
·
Click here
to see the 30th July newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, and United With
Israel with extra features on Inclusiveness
and Health
(with 1,800 likes). Also (TY Sandra) in German
and (TY Karen) in Portuguese.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Please click
here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should send a
request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Detecting cancer early via hyper-MRI. Researchers at Jerusalem’s
Hadassah Medical Center have made a breakthrough in non-invasive scanning.
Using high-power MRI imaging they illuminate nuclei of Phosphorus atoms in body
tissues. It reveals tissue pH (acidity)
levels that can indicate the early formation of tumors.
Cause of rare
children’s disease discovered. Dr Orly Elpeleg of Jerusalem’s Hadassah
Medical Center has identified the genetic mutation responsible for a rare and
devastating pediatric neurological disease that has baffled doctors for years.
Discovery of the DNA flaw can help early diagnosis and treatment development.
A bracelet to
monitor vital signs. Israel’s BiPS Health is developing a medical bracelet
that constantly monitors blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2),
respiration rate and heart rate. The bracelet incorporates two short inflatable
finger cuffs with sensors. It will benefit both nurses and patients.
Preventing
kidney damage during surgery. Israel-founded biotech Quark has announced success
in a Phase II trial of its treatment for preventing kidney damage during
open-heart surgery. 300,000 such operations are performed annually in the US
alone. Quark is now in Phase III trials to use the treatment in kidney
transplants.
Brain center dedicated. I reported previously (Mar
2013) on the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hebrew University of
Jerusalem’s Brain Sciences Center.
Construction is now complete and the $58 million building, scheduled to
open in October. Another $92 million has been allocated for future research
projects.
Emergency medical training for Gap Year
students. Thanks
to United Hatzalah, Israel gap year students can now participate in Israel’s
first officially recognized NREMT (national registry for emergency medical
technicians) program - the most recognized accreditation for medical first
responders in the United States.
First transplant using
lab-grown bone.
Medical history was made at Emek Medical Center in Afula when
semi-liquid live human bone tissue grown in a lab from a 40-year-old patient’s
own fat cells was transplanted into the patient’s arm by injection. The
early-stage trial used technology by Israel’s Bonus Bio (see here)
More innovative Israeli bandages. (TY Hazel) Israeli border
police medics have been testing Israeli-made Woundclot bandages that clot the
blood fast (even on stomach and artery wounds) and then dissolve in a week.
Also, Dr Amir Bakar (co-founder of Israeli
startup Nurami) explained his post-brain-surgery patches on ILTV. https://www.youtube.com/embed/i6_hK0SUyBw?rel=0
(See
also 5th Feb newsletter)
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli charity buys
land to grow food for the needy. (TY Lorraine)
Charity Leket Israel has purchased a field near Binyamina for the sole purpose
of growing food for the poor. Leket plans to grow some 500 tons of produce per
year, to feed around 2,700 people daily.
Leket distributes 15,000 tons of unsold crops to the needy.
Summer camp for special needs kids. 130 children come every day
to Ezer Mizion’s day camp for special-needs children. They travel from the
entire Southern region (Netivot, Ofakim, Sderot, Beesheva, and all the
surrounding towns). 250 volunteers
entertain the kids with activities from chocolate-making to dog-training.
Special marriages. Ezer Mizion and several
other Israeli organizations have been instrumental in arranging matches between
people with medical issues, including Downs Syndrome. And you don’t have to
understand Hebrew to be moved by the associated video. http://www.ezermizion.org/blog/she-opened-up-my-heart/
Every guide dog has its day. A feature article on the Israel
Guide Dog Center for the Blind, located near Moshav Beit Oved in central Israel.
It is the country’s only accredited guide dog training school. Read why the
dogs have English names; why students adopt the dogs for a year, and why there
are cats at the center.
Druze IDF chief medic is sworn in. (TY Hazel) I reported previously
(Jul 2016) of the naming of Brig. Gen. Dr. Tarif Bader, a member of Israel's
Druze community, as the next IDF Chief Medical Officer. Dr Bader has just taken up his new
position. In the video he describes his
command of Israel’s rescue forces in Nepal.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/politics/druze-brig-gen-incoming-idf-medical-corps-chief/2017/08/20/
Treated in Israel – a Syrian’s story. You’ve probably heard that
Israel has treated thousands of Syrians wounded in their civil war. The video
focuses on just one of them, and literally brings the situation to life. And
more praise for Israel’s work with Syrians from US Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Michael Ratney.
Israeli innovation at European
Parliament. Israeli
“water from air” startup Water-Gen (see here) and cyber security
specialist Cymmetria (see
here) presented their innovative systems at the European Parliament’s 'Innovation
across borders' conference. Since 1996, 3000+ Israeli projects have been approved
by EU programs.
Sharing water tech in Montana. (TY Nevet) A delegation of Israeli water
experts met with Montana US State leaders to explain the leading Israeli technologies
developed to address the global water shortage. The Israelis observed Montana’s
varied water practices from irrigation to municipal consumption.
Helping African communities survive. (TY Hazel) Luba Mayekiso,
the National Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem in South
Africa, explains how Israeli innovation can revolutionize Africa. While other
countries have exploited South Africa, Israel has established itself as a
partner, rather than colonizer.
Food aid for South Sudan. Israel’s foreign aid agency and
several Israeli humanitarian NGOs have distributed six tons of food supplies to
villagers in a drought-stricken area of South Sudan.
Israel is first to help
Sierra Leone. Just 24 hours after hearing the call
for help, Israel sent supplies to provide nourishment for three days, after
heavy flooding and a mudslide that buried houses on the outskirts of Sierra
Leone’s capital, Freetown. IsraAID workers are now helping survivors They recovered
bodies and are giving survivors food, clean water, sanitation, and psychological
help. IsraAID has been in the country since the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak. https://www.israel21c.org/israel-rushes-aid-to-flood-victims-in-sierra-leone/
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Smart job-matching startup targets US
market. I
reported previously (Apr 2016) on Israeli startup Workey which uses Artificial
Intelligence to match workers to open job offers. Workey has just raised $8
million to help it launch in the US and open a new office in New York City.
Which bread is better – white or whole wheat? (TY Nevet) Scientists from Israel’s Weizmann
Institute, Sourasky hospital and Tel Aviv University have proved that everyone
can have entirely different blood-sugar reactions from eating white and whole
wheat bread. It is the bacteria in the gut that determines the reaction.
Research into drought resistance. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (Apr
2012) on olive trees planted at Ben Gurion University’s Wadi Mashash
experimental agricultural desert research farm. Students from 30 countries now study
how to grow crops in the minimal rainfall climate where planting can only occur
after a winter flood.
Quantum communications. I reported previously (Aug
2013) that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem had founded the Quantum
Information Science Center. The center has just won a NIS 7.5 million Israel
Government tender to lead the construction of a national demonstrator for
quantum communications technologies.
The top non-US
research institute. The Nature Index of Innovation 2017
ranked Israel’s Weizmann Institute sixth in its international ranking of the
world’s top 200 research institutions and the only non-US institution in the
top ten. Weizmann also ranks fifth in
applications for patents.
One of the world’s coolest design
museums. See
the latest exhibits at the Design Museum of Holon – 6th on the UK Telegraph’s
list of coolest museums. The video shows
a recent exhibit of cool eyewear, featuring intriguing optometry pieces from
the 19th century, curious contemporary glasses, and futuristic VR shades.
Squeezing out every drop of water. The Middle East is drying
up. But Israel’s Zuckerberg Institute is
developing solutions that can help its parched neighbors and in the process,
bring together old enemies in common cause. They see water as a bridge, through
joint ventures. And one of those ventures is desalination.
Cutting down the size of the genome. Now that the human genome
has been mapped, the problem is how to store each terabyte of an analyzed
genome. Israeli startup Geneformics has developed technology to reduce the size
of the data footprint by 90 per cent, helping those working on customized
medicines for patients.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
1000 Jewish businesswomen. (TY Sharon)
One thousand Jewish women attended the 8th annual Temech Conference at the
Jerusalem International Conference Center. Temech was founded to help educate Charedi-orthodox
women so they can get better paid jobs. The focus these days is to help grow
existing businesses.
New Jerusalem start-up incubator. An innovation technology incubator has been set-up to support
growth of early stage startups in Jerusalem. It is an initiative of Israel’s OurCrowd,
Motorola Solutions and Reliance Industries. A key participant is Yissum, the
commercialization arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Milk and Honey goes up for auction. The first 100 bottles of
Israel’s first single malt whisky, called Milk and Honey, is being auctioned on
the Scottish website whiskyauctioneer.com. Experts say that the Tel Aviv
distillery produced a mature and complex whisky for its young age, thanks to
aging in the warm Israeli climate.
More Israeli driverless
car news.
Car maker Fiat Chrysler is joining the self-driving car consortium led
by BMW, Intel and its Mobileye (Israeli) subsidiary that aims to develop fully
driverless vehicles by 2021. And
Renault-Nissan is opening a smart-car incubator in Tel Aviv. (See
also Jan 29 article)
Direct flights to Buenos Aires. The national airlines of Israel and Argentina, El Al and Aerolíneas
Argentinas are to begin scheduled flights between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires,
possibly as early as Sept 2017.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Watch the desert turn green. For about two weeks every
year, the Israel’s Judean Desert is transformed into a lush oasis with a green
carpet and an abundance of flora and fauna.
Israel’s craft beer boom. (TY Nevet) I wrote previously (Sep 2013)
about the Beer Bazaar in Tel Aviv that sells up to 93 different Israeli beers.
The Beer Bazaar has now opened in Jerusalem, which is featured in this article
about Jerusalem’s craft beer scene.
Golden State Warriors win, with Israeli
tech. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (29 Jan)
that Golden State Warriors were the first US NBA Basketball team to use the
Israeli SmartCourt training system. Their “smart” move may have been partly
responsible for them winning the NBA Championships in June.
THE JEWISH STATE
Unanimous US support for undivided
Israeli capital.
With a vote of 90-0, lawmakers of Capitol Hill’s Senate – the US upper
chamber - voted through a resolution that stated, ‘Jerusalem should remain the
undivided capital of Israel’. It was co-sponsored by 17 senators, including both
Republican and Democratic party leaders.
Iranian blogger is safe in Israel. Hours after she arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday, Neda
Amin, an Iranian-born journalist and dissident who feared being deported from
Turkey to Iran, thanked the Israeli government for granting her refuge, adding
that she has Jewish roots and would love to live in Israel.
180 new StandWithUs graduates. At a ceremony at the Tel
Aviv Stock Exchange, 180 students graduated the 2017 StandWithUs Israel Fellows.
They join over 1,600 Alumni of the program from the last eleven years. The
StandWithUs Fellowship has become the leading program in Israel for public
diplomacy at Israeli universities.
Grand-daughter of Nazi
mayor joins the IDF. Hans Beretele was so disgusted with his
father’s Nazi past, that he came to Israel and converted to Judaism. His daughter Gaya now serves in the Israel
Defense Forces.
170730
In the 30th July 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have found a molecule to fix a damaged heart.
·
An Israeli
nurse breastfed the baby of a critically ill Palestinian Arab.
·
Israel is
top in 4 categories of the UN Global Innovation Index.
·
The first
European city to “plant” an Israeli solar-powered tree.
·
A record
$1.1 billion takeover of an Israeli biotech.
·
Tel Aviv
broke the record for the largest yoga art installation.
·
There is
now an App to help make the Aliyah process easier.
·
Click here
to see the 23rd July newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours (July 9th), Janglo
and United
With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German
and (TY Karen) in Portuguese.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Click
here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should send a
request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A molecule that restores heart function. Scientists at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute have uncovered a molecule called Agrin, that appears to
control the cardiac repair process. It was discovered in the surrounding
supportive tissue of the heart known as the extracellular matrix, or ECM. In
lab tests, Agrin healed scar tissue in a month.
Good results
in acne dual-treatment trials. Israeli biotech Sol-Gel
has announced positive interim results in its Phase II clinical trial for its “Twin”
treatment for acne. “Twin” combines two known acne treatments with a unique
method of molecular wrapping that makes it easier to penetrate the skin.
Alzheimer’s
disease can be seen in the eyes. Researchers at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center
have discovered a connection between mild cognitive impairment and the response
of that person’s eye pupil to red and blue light. More tests will check if loss
of retina function is an early warning of Alzheimer’s disease.
Eye-Control:
life-changing technology. Latest video about Israel’s Eye-Control, a
compact and affordable invention that gives a voice to locked-in patients who were
unable to communicate, due to diseases such as ALS. With Eye-Control individuals use their eyes to
spell out words and statements, proving that the eyes really are the window
into the soul. https://www.youtube.com/embed/_VaPBIViS7o?rel=0
£7 million for
UK-Israel joint research. (TY Hazel) The Britain Israel Research
Academic Exchange (BIRAX) has funded over £7 million in 15 bilateral research
programs including stem cell treatments for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's
disease and therapies for Type 1 diabetes.
Surgery for
Fijian children.
(TY Hazel) More than 50 children will undergo free surgery and health
screening in Suva, capital of Fiji, by an Israeli team of three doctors and a
nurse. The team is part of Mashav, an arm of the Israeli Foreign Ministry,
which assists more than 60 countries to alleviate hunger, disease and poverty.
Nordic walking
and pain. I
reported previously (15
Jan) on the unique study led by Israel’s Dr. Donald Silverberg that showed
Nordic Pole Walking (NPW) can alleviate chronic low back, hip and/or knee pain. In this video, Dr. Silverberg describes his
study and its eye-opening (and back-straightening) results.
Israeli
surgeons save girl on Birthright tour. Kimberly
Winkler, from the Dominican Republic, suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm whilst
on a Taglit-Birthright tour of Israel.
She was rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem where
surgeons performed three delicate operations to save her life.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Help for child daycare. (TY Atid-EDI) As part of
the Finance Ministry’s family assistance program, Israel is subsidizing
afternoon daycare for all families. The Israeli Parliament also passed a law
capping prices for after-school care. http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-cabinet-approves-afternoon-daycare-subsidies-1001189402
New accessible beach for the disabled. (TY Janglo)
Thanks to "Refuah V'simcha," an organization which helps sick and
needy people, Israel will have its first separate handicapped-accessible beach
in Ashdod. It will have an access route
right up to the water line, allowing the physically handicapped to preserve
their dignity.
Integrating Israeli-Ethiopians. I reported previously (Oct
2016 – TY Sharon) on Israel’s Tech-Career which has helped over 400 young
Ethiopian-Israelis launch careers in the Israeli hi-tech industry. Here is a more recent article about the work
of this vital non-profit organization.
Israeli to swim
round Manhattan to fund research. Israel’s Guy Cohen will take part in the 20
Bridges Swim around Manhattan - one of the hardest swims in the world. He is
raising funds for research by Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center into Sudden Cardiac
Death, which took his six-year-old daughter Netta 15 years ago.
Israeli nurses baby of
injured Arab mother. Finally - a positive Israel article in the
NYT. A Palestinian Arab mother was so badly injured in a car crash that she was
unable to nurse her baby, who wouldn’t take a bottle. Whilst family members
watched helplessly, Israeli nurse Ola Ostrowski-Zak took the child and
breastfed him.
https://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2017/06/12/israeli-nurse-breastfed-the-baby-of-a-critically-injured-palestinian-woman/
But please click, as this positive story doesn’t end here. (Original article in Today.)
The father of
Israeli social work. Eliezer Jaffe passed away aged 83, a week
after receiving the Bonei Zion Prize for significant contribution to Israel.
Jaffe founded Israel’s first academic school of social work, the Paul Baerwald
School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also founded
the Israel Free Loan Association. http://www.jta.org/2017/05/30/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/eliezer-jaffe-a-father-of-israeli-social-work-dies-at-83
Israel-Asia Center graduates. 11 promising young leaders
from eight countries recently graduated from the Israel-Asia Center’s 2016-17
Leaders Fellowship program. Now in its sixth year, alumni are heading up Asia
operations of Israeli companies, establishing Asian accelerators in Israel and
setting up Israel-Asia ventures.
Child development program graduates. Haifa University’s
International Child Development Master’s Program aims to improve the lives of
children at risk worldwide, and is the world’s only fully funded
academic child development program. 2017 graduates are from Uganda, Myanmar,
Nepal, Nigeria, Liberia, Tanzania and Kenya. https://worldisraelnews.com/developing-countries-benefit-israeli-child-development-program/
Georgia – a 2,600-year link. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and visiting Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili highlighted
the 2,600-year history of Jewish relations with the Caucasus country. The
Georgian leader committed his Government and people to strengthen bilateral
ties.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/watch-netanyahu-kvirikashvili-launch-talks-with-2600-years-bridging-jewish-georgian-people/2017/07/24/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/zJQE0XuVQxM?rel=0
The rising star of
Global Innovation.
The Jewish state ranked 17th overall in the United Nations Global
Innovation Index report, improving its standing by four places from 2016. It
topped the list for percentage of researchers, expenditure on R&D, Venture
Capital investment and IT services export.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Testing fruit for
freshness. Israeli start-up AclarTech has developed the AclaroMeter
app that works with a smartphone’s camera and the Israeli SCIO molecular
scanner, to monitor the ripeness, freshness and quality of fruit and
vegetables. It could revolutionize the global food market by helping prevent
wasted products.
More Israeli
protection from the Dark Web. I reported previously (see here) on three Israeli
companies that provide services to prevent cyber-attacks from the hidden side
of the Internet. Israeli start-up White
Hat is another. Staffed by former members of IDF intelligence units, White Hat deals
in “civilian cyber intelligence”.
Israeli cows are
still cream of the crop. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported
previously (Jun
2011) that in 2009 Israeli cows produced more milk than those in any other
country – around 10,000 litres a year each. Eight years later, Israel’s cows
are still world champions, now producing on average 11,970 litres (3,162
gallons) of milk a year.
French
town “grows” Israeli solar tree. I reported previously (Nov
2014) about the solar-powered artificial tree designed by Israeli start-up
Sologic. Now, a Sologic eTree has been placed in the French Loire town of
Nevers (population 37,000), allowing passers-by to charge their phones, use
free Wi-Fi and have a cool drink.
Nano-ink for
printed circuits. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported
previously (see here) on at
least three Israeli companies that have developed ink for miniaturized electric
circuits. Here is another – Israel’s PV
Nano Cell has just received a Japanese patent for its silver nano particles
ink, which should enhance its Japanese business.
The first certified fully-automatic drone. (TY Atid-EDI)
The Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), has granted Israel’s Airobotics
the world’s first authorization to fly fully-automated commercial drones
without a pilot. The system uses
computer software and artificial intelligence instead of a human drone
operator.
http://www.airobotics.co.il/press-releases/airobotics-granted-worlds-first-approval-fly-fully-automated-commercial-drones-without-pilot/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6fjPRwPr3c?rel=0
The boot is on the other foot. I reported recently (25 Jun)
about Israel’s Invertex which scans your feet to help you choose the right size
of shoe on the Internet. Now another
Israeli startup WizeSize does something very similar. Let me know if you can
tell the difference. https://www.youtube.com/embed/v1HftsBWWJ8?rel=0
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
$3.1 billion exports to US in 3 months. Israel Export Institute reported
that Israeli exports to the U.S. amounted to $3.1 billion in the first quarter
of 2017 - an increase of 5% over the same period in 2016. Medical equipment
exports rose 23% to $650 million.
UK-Israel trade increases. (TY Hazel) The British
Embassy in Tel Aviv has reported that since the Brexit vote, from June 2016 to
May 2017, 32 new Israeli companies have entered the UK market, investing £152
million and creating 888 new jobs. http://www.bicom.org.uk/news/uk-israel-trade-increased-brexit-vote/
Top Israeli entrepreneurs give advice. Israeli organization AlmaLinks promotes Birthright-like ties
between the Jewish business community in the US and Israel. It brought 200 Diaspora
business executives to hear from Israelis who have led their companies to become
“Unicorns” - i.e. having valuations of a billion dollars or more.
Lower water rates. (TY Atid-EDI) The Israel
Water Authority Council has reduced the rate for the first 3.5 cubic meters of
water per person for household consumers by 14.5%. The cost to farmers has been cut by 20%.
Help for small and medium businesses. (TY Janglo)
Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry has set up Maof - The Agency for
Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises. Maof has 40 branches, providing subsidized
consulting, help to raise funds, organizing conferences, courses, training and
special projects.
The largest exit of an
Israeli healthcare company. I reported previously (four times) on Israel’s
Neuroderm and its innovative treatments for Parkinson’s sufferers. Neuroderm has just been bought by Japan’s
Mitsubishi Tanabe for $1.1 billion – a record for an Israeli life-science
company. It should bring products to market faster.
A $2.6 billion company. Israel’s Tower
Semiconductors, which specializes in analog chips, has seen its share price
double over the past year. It is now
valued at NIS 9.5 billion ($2.6 billion). First quarter profit rose nearly 60%
to $45.5 million. The demand for analog
chips has soared, even in the digital world.
Elbit’s cyber unit opens in Singapore. Cyberbit, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is opening new
offices in Singapore which it sees as an important center for cybersecurity
technologies in the Asia Pacific region.
Elbit acquired Cyberbit from Israel’s Nice Sysems in 2015 and it already
has offices in the US and Europe.
Acquisition to
help educate coders. I reported previously (three times) on Israeli
cyber-security startup Checkmarx which is preparing a NASDAQ listing. Checkmarx has just taken over the UK’s
Codebashing, whose software trains programmers to write secure code, by use of
Codebashing’s interactive game-like app.
Jaguar goes into Israeli car-tech. (TY Zvi) Through its
InMotion Ventures, Tata Motors (owner of Jaguar Land Rover) has invested in the
$40 million VC fund of Israel’s Maniv Mobility. This invests in autonomous
driving, connected cars and vehicle data and already has investments in Israeli
startups Otonomo and Cognata.
Cheaper shoes. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Finance Ministry has canceled the 12% customs duty imposed on shoes. Its aim is
to reduce the gap in prices between Israel and abroad without hurting domestic
industries.
Tel Aviv to Rome by Ryanair. Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost carrier, is to launch a daily
Tel Aviv-Rome route from October 29 with fares starting from €17 in each direction.
Ryanair CEO David O’Brien praised Israel’s transport and tourism ministers for
opening the skies and for promoting Israel as a tourist destination.
New Intel factory. (TY JNI
Media) Intel Israel has announced that it will open a new microprocessor
manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat that will employ 1,500 workers. Production at
the new plant is expected to begin by 2018.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/intel-to-open-new-chip-plant-in-israel-and-create-1500-jobs/2017/07/22/
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Israeli actress is the most popular. Gal Gadot, the Israeli star of the film “Wonder Woman,” rose to No.
1 on The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Actors list, which is a ranking of the most
popular actors on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Google Plus.
Record-breaking yoga
event. On
International Yoga Day, Tel Aviv organized the world’s largest yoga mat art
installation. Israel’s Amit Trainin, of
the Bezalel art institute, designed the 1,400-square-meter yoga mat painting,
which was assembled using 1500 yoga mats in Rabin Square, for use by hundreds
of Israelis.
Save on summer attractions. (TY Janglo)
If you're looking for a fun day out in Israel this summer, you can save BIG
with discount vouchers and savings, thanks to Janglo, Kosherfrugal.com and
Groupon deals. Indoor, outdoor activities and kosher restaurant / take-away
deals.
Jerusalem Beer Festival. (TY Janglo)
The Jerusalem Beer Festival is the largest and most unique festival of its kind
in Israel. At Independence Park from 6pm to midnight on Aug 23 & 24, you
will find 120 different beer types, from well-established brands to local
boutique breweries. It also features DJs & musicians.
The magic of The Pixies. Having just experienced
Britney, Guns N’ Roses and Radiohead, Israelis were excited to see post-Punk
legend The Pixies return to Israel for two concerts in Caesarea on July 25
& 26. In the first, the Boston quartet performed for 2 hours and included
30 songs.
Israel’s National Trail. The Israel National Trail is
one of the most beautiful trails in the world. It’s also a way to see places that
regular tourists don’t sees. One day
you’re by the water; next day, the woods and next day, the desert.
Feeding half-a-billion migrating birds. (TY WIN)
Watch this 360-degree video of a tractor driver in Israel’s Hula Valley, spreading
food to birds migrating between Europe and Africa to keep them from destroying
local agriculture. https://www.youtube.com/embed/RVy5IyOxAuI?rel=0
Soccer chances. I don’t want you to get too
excited, but there are currently still three Israeli soccer teams competing in the
finals of European Cup qualifying rounds. Bnei Yehuda have a difficult tie, but
Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beersheba both have good chances of reaching the group
stages.
Silver in the hoops. Israel’s Under-20 basketball
team reached the European final in Greece.
Although underdogs, they beat France 74-52 in the semi-final, losing to
their Greek hosts 65-56 in the final.
THE JEWISH STATE
After
70 years, Exodus passengers meet Israeli President. At
his Jerusalem residence, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met 12 of the 4,554
Holocaust refugees who traveled on the Exodus, seven decades after the ship’s
iconic voyage to the Land of Israel. All were deported in 1947 but many
returned to the new State.
From the swamp to oasis. I recently visited the
kibbutz (Sde Eliyahu) featured in this excellent video which charts the history
of Israeli agriculture from its malaria-infested beginnings to its current
model for alleviating world hunger. The kibbutz develops ecologically-friendly
methods to eradicate pests for global benefit.
Soon – no need to
convert your driving license. (TY Janglo)
Israel’s Transportation Ministry has announced that Olim and returning
residents with valid driving licenses for five years will now be able to get
Israeli licenses immediately. Currently, all drivers must have lessons and do a
practical test to get an Israeli license.
The prayer for
Israeli security forces. (TY Janglo)
The words “Israel Police officers” have been added to the traditional prayer for
the Israel’s Defense Forces, which is recited in synagogues around the world.
Make Aliyah easier –
download the app.
(TY Janglo)
Aliyah is a series of steps that leads to complete integration: papers,
diploma, language, work, going to Ikea, etc. Now MyAliyah - a new iOS app - helps
you follow the stages of relocation and absorption and receive your benefits, to
ensure a successful Aliyah.
More Aliyah from Venezuela. Jews are fleeing the rapidly
deteriorating conditions in Venezuela.
26 (from seven families) recently opted to use their eligibility for
citizenship in Israel. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
organized and paid for their flights and subsidized each family member.
1st Temple artifacts found in Jerusalem. Israeli archaeologists
excavating the Jerusalem’s City of David recently exposed evidence of the
destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. The excavations on
the eastern slope of the City of David, revealed charred wood, grape seeds,
pottery and rare artifacts.
170723
In the 23rd July 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
A diabetic
treatment from an Israeli plant could benefit millions.
·
An Israeli
charity 3D prints hands for amputees.
·
Israel has
sent planes to combat fires in Montenegro.
·
An Israeli
startup has developed eco-friendly fish farms.
·
An Israeli
all-electric plane was unveiled at the Paris Airshow.
·
Huge
international sales of Israeli explosives detectors.
·
Radiohead’s
Tel Aviv concert was a great success.
·
A 12-part
concise mini-series for the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War.
·
Click here
to see the 16th July newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Janglo
and United
With Israel. Also (TY Karen) in Portuguese
and (TY Sandra) in German (9th
July and 16th
July).
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Click
here, to donate a
small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israeli thorn bush treats diabetes. Dr. Tovit Rosenzweig of
Ariel University has discovered that the Israeli plant Sarcopoterium Spinosum
(sira kotzanit / thorny burnet) can balance blood sugar levels. Dr. Rosenzweig
is developing a treatment from the plant that could benefit more than 200
million diabetes sufferers worldwide.
New treatment
for Tourette Syndrome. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Therapix
Biosciences is conducting a proof-of-concept Phase II clinical study with the
Hannover Medical School, of its lead compound THX-TS01 for 20 patients
suffering from Tourette Syndrome. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/therapix-biosciences-and-the-hannover-medical-school-enter-into-an-investigator-initiated-clinical-trial-agreement-to-assess-the-effect-of-txh-ts01-in-patients-with-tourette-syndrome-300453033.html
Universal Flu
vaccine’s positive trial results confirmed. Final results of BiondVax’s Phase 2b trials
of its Universal Flu vaccine confirmed preliminary results reported here
previously. (5
Feb) Both endpoints were met. Immune response to the vaccine was
statistically significant. BiondVax can now proceed to Phase 3 final trials.
Hypoparathyroidism
biotech heads for NASDAQ. I reported previously
(Apr
2014) on Israel’s Entera Bio which is testing treatments for disorders in
the parathyroid gland, and osteoporosis. Entera Bio has now filed for floating
the biotech on NASDAQ to fund Phase II/III trials of its treatment for
hypoparathyroidism.
Looking good. A research team from
Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has developed “Prophecy” - a first-ever formula
that lets hyaluronic acid penetrate the deeper skin layers, to smooth out
wrinkles using a cream and without injection. Hyaluronic acid absorbs water to
smooth the skin and has antioxidant properties to slow the aging process. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-researchers-rub-it-in-with-new-anti-wrinkle-cream/
Enabling the mute to speak. Israeli charity Ezer Mizion
recently hosted a major conference on Alternative and Augmentative
Communication (AAC). The aim of the
conference was to share the cutting-edge knowledge that Ezer Mizion has been
advancing. Those on Facebook please
watch the video of the conference’s opening.
Enabling the
paralyzed to walk.
The ReWalk is an FDA approved exoskeleton that allows individuals with
spinal-cord injuries to stand, walk, and move freely. Israel’s Re-Walk has
already helped more than 100 paraplegics take their first steps towards
mobility – some can be seen in this new short video.
3D printing
transforms face surgery. Queen Elizabeth hospital
in Birmingham UK uses the Objet Eden 350V 3D printer from Israeli-founded
Stratasys to produce customized face models for pre-surgical preparations. It cuts
surgical planning time by up to 93%, saves 3-4 hours per surgery and cuts costs
by up to £20,000 per op.
Upgraded FDA approval for Insightec. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Insightec has been granted US FDA approval to use its Exablate Neuro system
with 1.5T MRI - the most common MRI system in use today. It should vastly expand the use of
Insightec’s successful non-invasive focused ultrasound treatment for essential
tremor.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Support for
survivors. Three times a week,
Israeli charity Ezer Mizion provides breakfast for 120 Holocaust survivors - elderly
members of its British Café Club. They have lectures, exercise sessions, field
trips and parties. In addition, Ezer Mizion’s Eshnav program gives one-on-one home
support to homebound survivors.
3D-printing prosthetic hands. (TY Karen & INO)
Israeli non-profit Haifa 3D prints prosthetic hands for children and adults at
no cost. Haifa 3D volunteers receive assistance from Israel’s Technion and
donations for computers, printers, plastics and all other parts. They even
designed a hand that can hold a guitar pick.
Female tekkies
should join the club. Real-life groups are key to encouraging
Israeli girls and women to enter high-tech careers and flourish at work.
Examples of such Israeli groups are LeadWith, QueenB and CyberGirlz.
https://www.facebook.com/LeadWith/ https://www.leadwith.org/
https://www.facebook.com/queenb.program/
Arab industrial park for Arabs and Jews. Israel’s Technion and the
Israeli Government are establishing a new industrial park in the Galilee Arab
settlement of Shfar’am. The aim of the park is to unify the Jewish and Arab
economies – managed by Arabs but bringing together Jews and Arabs, to get the
best out of both.
UK prince supports Sport for Peace. During a rain-break at
Wimbledon, Prince Michael of Kent helped launch the new Sport for Peace project
to complete a new state-of-the-art sports center in Israel. It’s aim: to bring
young Israeli Arabs and Jews together to compete alongside each other and
increase understanding.
Arab Muslim woman sings with Radiohead. Arab Muslim female singer Nasreen
Qadri shares the stage with Radiohead and supports the band’s decision to
perform in Israel. Nasreen was born in
Haifa and grew up in Lod, two cities with a mix of Arab and Jewish communities,
living side by side.
Improving security and comfort. Thanks to fingerprint
readers and workers’ buses, it now takes only 8 minutes for 50 Palestinian Arab
factory workers to cross the “Green Line” each day on their way to work. The
new system is being piloted prior to being rolled out across Israel, Judea and
Samaria.
IDF medical help to wounded Syrians. (TY TIP)
In the IDF’s “Operation Good Neighbor”, which began Aug 2016, there have been
over 110 individual aid events. The goal was to reach as many needy Syrians as
possible, without violating Israel’s carefully crafted policy of
non-intervention in the Syrian civil war.
Agreements with Ukraine. In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed
agreements with the (Jewish) Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman
covering disaster co-operation, medicine and health, trade statistics and
temporary workers. Ukraine recently
voted against UNESCO’s anti-Israel resolution.
First-ever visit by Quebec leader. A 100-strong delegation joined
Philippe Couillard’s first official visit to Israel by a Quebec premier. His priority
was to open a Quebec trade office in Israel and set-up an artificial
intelligence and metadata partnership. A $12 million program will support
bilateral industrial R&D projects.
Israeli sends firefighters
to aid Montenegro.
Following Montenegro’s appeal to NATO for international help, Israel
dispatched firefighters and 4 planes to assist the Balkan state in tackling devastating
forest fires that have spread across the country’s coast. A new heatwave in the
region is expected to cause further wildfires.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
New species of butterfly discovered. Israeli researchers have
identified a new species of butterfly, named Acentria’s fritillary (Melitaea
acentria) unique to northern Israel, Lebanon and Syria. The first new species
in 109 years is believed to have arisen through natural hybridization (inter-breeding)
between two other species.
Breeding fish in
artificial seawater. Israeli aquaculture startup Latimeria breeds
fish in water that has been desalinated and then has salt added. The innovative process avoids pumping seawater
in and out, saving electricity, minimizes water leakage and stops the
introduction of harmful bacteria.
Google translates
using AI for Hebrew. You may have noticed
an improvement in the accuracy of translating Hebrew into English using Google
Translate. Google has moved to neural
machine translations (Artificial Intelligence) for Hebrew and Arabic, resulting
in more natural suggestions.
Organic rosemary solutions. Israel’s Frutarom has
developed an extract from organic rosemary that reduces oxidation and thus
increases the shelf life of other foods. Frutarom worked with Israel’s Hishtil
Nurseries to produce the rosemary variety. Rosemary also has health benefits as
anti-oxidants absorb damaging free radicals.
The next generation of microscope. Israeli startup Scopio Labs develops
digital microscopes, based on computational imaging breakthroughs. These dramatically
improve research into cancer, hematology, cytology etc. while powering academic
studies and treatment development. Scopio has just raised $7 million of funds.
What’s wrong with
the system? (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli
startup Loom Systems uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and system logs to
discover and prevent problems in digital systems. It is an automated, machine-assisted log
analysis tool, capable of correlating cross-applications events and providing
the root cause in real time.
Medals at Chemistry Olympiad. Israeli secondary school
students won 3 medals at the 49th International Chemistry Olympiad in Thailand.
Ron Solan, Rina Sevostianov and Ofir Shmool won a silver and two bronze medals,
respectively, at the contest which attracted teams from 76 countries.
System to prevent jamming. Israel Aerospace Industries
(IAI), and Honeywell Aerospace have agreed to jointly develop an advanced GPS
Anti-Jam navigation system. The
operation of many navigation systems relies on uninterrupted availability of
satellite-based navigation and timing. (See here for other
Israeli systems.)
Best video ad distributor. For the 2nd year running, Israel’s
Woobi has won a Bully Award for Innovation. Earlier in the year, Woobi won the Best
Video Distribution Platform award at the Digiday Video Awards in New York. Woobi's
programmatic video ad-tech solutions targets ads to users’ individual
interaction patterns.
Improving corn yields. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Kaiima
Bio-Agritech is working with Beck's, the largest family-owned retail seed
company in the United States, to produce high-yielding varieties of corn
(maize). Kaiima’s proprietary non-GMO platform called EP™ boosts the efficiency
of essential food and feed crops.
Satellites on the
move. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Elbit Systems is to provide the Israeli Ministry of Defense with dozens of
satellite-on-the-move (SOTM) systems. The systems can be installed on a variety
of platforms and are unique in their small footprint and its advanced tracking
capabilities. http://ir.elbitsystems.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61849&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2270638&ind=0
An all-electric
airplane. Israel’s
EViation Aircraft unveiled its Alice Commuter electric plane at the Paris Air
Show. It can carry 9 passengers plus 2 crew up to 1000km using a Li-lon - 980
kWh energy pack. EViation saved hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of
time by 3D printing prototype parts and machine tools.
Using AI to train your sales team. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Gong.io
(a Gartner “Cool Vendor”) has launched its Real-Time Conversation Intelligence
platform for sales teams. Gong uses artificial intelligence and machine
learning to analyze sales conversations and help train sales and customer
service staff.
Food security conference. International celebrity chef
Assaf Granit and Israeli First Lady Nechama Rivlin were among the 350 delegates
to a conference in Rehovot on food and nutrition security.
Analyzing feed at US dairy farms. I reported previously (several times) on Israel’s Consumer
Physics and its SCiO handheld food analysis spectrometer. Now Cargill Animal Nutrition will be sending
the SCiO to US dairy farmers to help them check the nutrition of dry forage and
deliver a more consistent diet to their animals.
Retrofitting solar to old buildings. KKL-JNF, the Ministry of
Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Construction and Housing, have
launched “Easy to Breathe” - a national environmental program. Old public
housing buildings, commencing in Beit She’an and Safed, will be renovated and
retrofitted with solar power.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Airport taxi
monopoly ends.
Travelers are now able to order taxis using the Gett app after landing
at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, ending Hadar-Lod Taxi’s monopoly on airport
taxi services. Also, taxis bringing
passengers to the airport can now wait to pick up arriving passengers, even
those who haven’t pre-booked.
A better detector. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel’s IDenta has been inundated with orders for its detection kits for
explosives and banned substances. The UK (Manchester and London), the US,
France and Israel recently placed orders for thousands of kits. Earlier
customers include Thailand and Wizz Air.
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/international-drug-explosives-detection-company-identa-corp-has-sent-very-large-order-otc-pink-idta-2131603.htm https://www.youtube.com/embed/CvNDxS5-k1U?rel=0
Israelis find oil in California. Israel’s Modiin Energy has
found signs of oil during its preliminary drilling of the Mountain View project
in Kern County, California. It now proposes production tests, to estimate the
rate of production and the size of the reservoir in the prospect. Modiin is
also testing at the nearby GrapeVine project.
CyberArk acquires Conjur. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli
cybersecurity “giant” CyberArk has made yet another overseas acquisition by
purchasing Massachusetts-based Conjur. Conjur’s revolutionary technology secures
Development / Operations and increases CyberArk’s business prospects within the
DevOps arena.
SodaStream’s Homoschlepiens ad. Watch Mayim Bialik (star of
“The Big Bang Theory”) in her new commercial for Israel’s SodaStream. She humorously demonstrates how buying water
and fizzy drinks in plastic bottles “makes no sense”. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z-yfuSnUz6Q?rel=0
Study for a degree in Law or Business in
English. I
reported previously (Feb
2016) about the opportunities to save a fortune in fees by studying for a
Law or Business degree in Israel in English, and then finishing your qualifications
in the USA. Israel’s College of Law & Business is holding its 2017 Open
House on 2nd Aug.
Start-up Nation meets Wall Street. New York City’s NEXUS: Israel education and networking conference,
coordinated by American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, brought
together over 300 scientists, attorneys, venture capitalists and others to
discuss Israel’s latest high-tech advances. See the amazing agenda.
http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/start-up-nation-meets-wall-street/ https://www.nexusisrael.org/agenda/
SAP’s new Israeli HQ. I reported previously (July
2015) on software giant SAP’s Israeli R&D center and its attraction to
the Startup Nation. SAP has shown its faith in Israeli technology and economy
by building and moving into its new $67 million Ra’anana headquarters - the new
home for its 800 R&D employees.
$35 million exit for Camtek. I reported previously (Sep
2014) on some big orders that Israel’s Camtek had landed for its
semiconductor inspection modules. Now
Camtek has sold its whole Printed Circuit Board (PCB) business to China’s
Principle Capital fund. Camtek’s Israeli-based and global operations remain
intact.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Discover Africa in
Jerusalem. (TY
Janglo)
See the treasures of Africa during the months of July and August at the
“African Nights” experience in the Botanical Gardens of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Wine Festival. (TY Janglo)
At this year’s Jerusalem Wine Festival (Aug 7 – 10) you can learn about Israel's best and most interesting
wineries, and drink a lot of great wine in the Israel museum's beautiful
gardens. Tickets include unlimited tastings. On Tue and Wed, tickets include
entrance to the museum.
Ice Cream Day. For the first time, Israel
joined America’s celebration of Ice Cream Day on 16th July. Buza and Iceberg
chains promoted black coconut ice cream. Iceberg also sold flower-flavored ice
cream and Vaniglia offered malabi with rose water. The Anita chain even gave a
free ‘Doggy Cream’ sorbet to any visiting canines.
Ex-IAF medic is Miss Israel. Rotem Rabi, a native of
Jerusalem, has been crowned the new Miss Israel. Rabi served as a medic in the
Israel Air Force, and although currently working as a model, she hopes soon to
join the Israel Police investigative division. Rabi will represent Israel at
December’s Miss World in China.
The Galilee’s
secret pastoral hotspot. (TY Avi)
Known as the Princess of the Galilee, Rosh Pina is home to a mix of natural,
cultural, historic and entertainment hotspots. A beautifully restored, northern
village, Rosh Pina is just the place for a leisurely and relaxing
vacation. https://www.youtube.com/embed/_qKbHL5-qrQ?rel=0
Radiohead’s 27-song concert. Radiohead showed their
loyalty to 47,000 Israeli fans in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park with their longest
concert in 11 years. The band’s first
international success was in Tel Aviv in 1993.
Spectacular end to Maccabiah Games. International supermodel Bar
Refaeli was the MC for the closing ceremony of the 20th Maccabiah Games - entitled
“Higher. Better. Together.” When Natan Sharansky told the audience passionately,
“We all will build our home together,” the crowd began to chant “Am Yisrael
Chai!”
Maccabiah upgrade of Jerusalem sports
facilities. The
Jerusalem municipality has invested tens of millions of shekels to establish
and upgrade sports facilities across the capital for the Maccabiah Games and
afterwards to serve the wider public. New facilitates support ice hockey and track
and field competitions for the first time.
Race you up Mount Hermon. On July 28, athletes can
take part in the second annual Mount Hermon Run – the ascent of Israel’s tallest
mountain, in Northern Israel. There are three race categories: Nordic walking,
running and extreme mountain running. The race begins at an altitude of 1,600
meters and finishes at 2040 meters.
THE JEWISH STATE
More finds in the City of David. (TY Janglo)
This is part 2 of the two-part documentary in which Erick Stakelbeck tours the
City of David in Jerusalem with City of David Foundation Directory Ze’ev
Ornstgein to discover the top ten archaeological finds that prove the ancient
Jewish Biblical claim to Jerusalem.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tG1LCJhGsJM?rel=0
And here is the link to Part 1 in case you missed it.
And (TY IsraPundit)
recently the Temple Mount sifting project discovered remains from a mikveh
(ritual bath) that existed right underneath the current site of the Al Aqsa
Mosque.
What Jews ate in Jerusalem 2000 years
ago. Following 3 years excavating an ancient
landfill in the City of David, Tel Aviv University has published that 2nd
Temple Jerusalemites kept kosher. They dined primarily on sheep and goats, with
much fewer cows and chickens. They ate plenty of fruit and vegetables, but no
pork or shellfish. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jerusalem-excavation-reveals-diet-of-ancient-Israelites-during-Second-Temple-period-494148
Six-day-War
mini-series. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of
the Six Day War between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries, here are 12 very
short videos of the dramatic events in June 1967 that transformed the State of
Israel. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-DNOnmKkUaagpJX65dCjPHf2gzdZ9LqR
“Celebrate Israel”
parade. I
know it’s late, but I must include an article about the 40,000 US supporters of
Israel who marched, sang and danced along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on June 4th to
show their support for the Jewish State.
Earlier, the Empire State Building was lit up in blue and white – the
colors of the Israeli flag.
Israel Book Week. The 56th annual Israel Book
Week featured book fairs in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Rishon Lezion, while book
stores offered discounts all across the country. For the first time, Jerusalem
hosted both the Hebrew Book Week fair and the International Book Fair at the
same time. 7,600 books were published in 2016.
Students uncover reservoir in Kingdom of
Israel.
High-school students have exposed a huge 2,700-year-old water system
near Rosh Ha-Ayin. They also found remains of vessels used to draw water from
the reservoir. The reservoir would have been in the Kingdom of Israel, which
was conquered by the Assyrians in 720 BCE.
170716
In the 16th July 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have identified the trigger for Alzheimer’s disease.
·
Israeli
and PA emergency services held a major joint training exercise.
·
The first
State visit to Israel by the Central African Republic.
·
A major Israeli
project is initiated to discover Dark Matter.
·
Tourism to
Israel soared by 28% in June.
·
Guns N’
Roses rock Tel Aviv.
·
Jonah and
the Whale have been discovered in the Galilee.
·
Click here
to see the 9th July newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Janglo
and United
With Israel. Also (TY Karen) in Portuguese.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Click
here, to donate a
small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research. Scientists at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute genetically sequenced every cell in the brain’s immune
system (microglia). In Alzheimer’s disease, they found Disease-Associated
Microglia (DAM) trying to keep the brain healthy, but restrained due to
insufficient or mutated key regulatory proteins like TREM2. It may lead to new therapies. https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/over-dam-cells-rejuvenate-brain https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCA43LiwSg0?rel=0
Preventing
breast cancer in diabetic women. (TY Nevet) Diabetic women recovering from
the aggressive HER2-positive form of cancer double the risk of recurrence if
they take insulin. Now a Phase III trial led by scientists at Jerusalem’s Hadassah
Hospital has shown that the anti-diabetic treatment metformin can prevent
recurrence. http://www.hadassah.org/news-stories/new-study-led-by-hadassah.html
Shedding light
on cancer.
(TY Nevet) Israeli biotech Todos
Medical has developed the “Total Biochemical Infrared Analysis” (TBIA) method
for screening of solid tumors. The patient’s white blood cells are exposed to a
spectrum of light. Analysis of the results reveals where the immune system has
responded to tumor presence.
Six Israelis win Howard Hughes awards. The prestigious Howard
Hughes Medical Institute has awarded 5-year grants of $650,000 each to 41
international biomedical scientists. Six of them (14.6%) are Israelis – three
from the Weizmann Institute, two from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and
one from Israel’s Technion.
An autism database. (TY Nevet) Ben-Gurion
University scientists and Soroka University Medical Center doctors have
established the hospital-university-based (HUB) autism database to benefit scientists,
patients and their families. One goal is to help identify different autism
subtypes, likely generated by different causes.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Health-and-Science/New-Beersheba-autism-database-to-help-research-on-a-global-scale-498005
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-017-3207-0
Extending the
margins.
I’ve reported previously (several times) on MarginProbe
from Israel’s Dune Medical and how it detects whether all cancerous material
has been removed during breast cancer surgery.
Now MarginProbe is to be extended for similar testing during surgery for
prostate, colon, lung and pancreatic cancer.
UK diabetics love their Dario. Clinical Commissioning
Groups in three UK regions have named the Dario™ Blood Glucose Monitoring
System the first choice of all patients with type 1 diabetes, for “Smart meters
with carb counting.” It comes after Dario’s launch of a direct-to-consumer
channel in the UK.
http://mydario.investorroom.com/PressReleases?item=147
http://mydario.investorroom.com/2017-04-26-DarioHealth-Expands-Global-Presence-With-Direct-to-Consumer-Launch-in-the-U-K
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
NIS 3 million for special needs tech. The Israel Innovation
Authority is funding projects worth 3 million shekels to develop solutions for
those on the autistic spectrum, the visually impaired and wheelchair
users.
International women entrepreneurs see
the Startup Nation.
30 women entrepreneurs from 30 countries came to Israel to get
inspiration at Startup Tel Aviv. They
heard from Israeli women like Fiona Darmon, CEO of JVP Media Central. They pitched to top angel investors and
venture capitalists and received useful feedback.
Jewish-Arab tech center is 3 years old. I last reported (Mar
2015) on the Moona co-existence tech hub in the Galilee two years ago when
50 Jewish and 50 Muslim students attended the research center. Now some 750
students graduate from its activities every year and 30 schools participate in
the scheme.
The art of co-existence. In the Israeli-Arab Galilee village
of Sakhnin, the Sakhnin Biennale is an alternative art festival featuring
artists from Israel and from 65 other countries. The village has become a
meeting place for northern Israel's diverse population which includes Jewish,
Muslim and Christian communities.
Training to save lives
together. Israeli
Emergency Services and the Palestinian Authority Civil Defense Forces (PCD)
held a joint drill to enhance their skills and improve their response to real
events. Participants included Israel’s Magen David Adom, the PA’s Red Crescent and
fire-fighters from both sides.
The power to distribute electricity. For the first time, Israel
has handed over control of an electricity substation to the Palestinian
Authority. The Israel Electric Corporation also trained Palestinian Arabs to
maintain the site near Jenin. Substations will soon be handed over in Hebron,
Ramallah and Nablus (Shechem).
Rwandan president praises Israel. During his visit to Israel,
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame highlighted the blossoming cooperation between
the two countries in technology, agriculture, energy and security. “Israel has
continued to follow through on its commitments and objective of scaling up
engagement across Africa.”
First state visit from
Central African Republic. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra made the
first-ever visit to Israel by the head of state of the Central African Republic
(CAR). He said to Israeli President
Rivlin “we have come to Israel in order to learn – your country is a school for
us.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NYT discovers Israel-Arab research
project. I
reported previously (Dec
2012) that the BBC reported on the Middle East SESAME synchrotron project
without mentioning Israel’s involvement. Over 4 years later, the New York Times
reports on the project and amazingly (for the NYT) does mention Israel.
If dark matter exists,
Israelis will find it. (TY Nevet)
Dark matter is hypothesized to be far more abundant than ordinary matter but
no-one has detected any – until now. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is to
develop Israel’s first dark matter detector.
It utilizes atomic spectroscopy, magnetic sensors, lasers and optics,
atomic clocks, and advanced electronics.
https://aabgu.org/bgu-develop-israels-first-dark-matter-detector/
Double security award. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Dome9 Security (mentioned
here in Jan 2012) has won “Best Cloud Security Product” in the 2017
Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. It was
also Editor’s Choice for Cloud Security Solutions in the 2017 Cyber Defense
Magazine Awards. Dome9 just received $16.5 million of funds.
https://dome9.com/press-releases/dome9-scores-double-win-cybersecurity-excellence-cyber-defense-magazine-awards/ https://dome9.com/press-releases/softbank-leads-16-5-million-strategic-investment-dome9-security/
Keeping traffic moving in Nevada. (TY Karen) The Regional
Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada and Israeli startup WayCare,
are launching a pilot program to help predict and prevent crashes and
subsequent traffic jams. WayCare will use
real-time and historic data to alert the RTC to send out patrols.
Efficient delivery of your products. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Bringg is the leading on-demand delivery platform for enterprises. It has
clients in over 50 countries – the latest being the Panera Bread network of bakery-cafes.
The system dispatches and tracks orders and customers see the location of the
delivery driver.
https://www.bringg.com/in-the-news/bringg-announces-panera-bread-latest-customer-logistics-platform/
An Israeli startup walked into a bar. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported
previously (July
2013) on Israel’s Weissbeerger and its technology to monitor beer taps in a
bar. This new video shows how the data produced is used by the brewery to identify
consumption patterns and ensure a top quality drink is delivered to the customer.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
June tourism up 28%. 303,000 tourists entered Israel in June 2017, 28% more than in June
2016. Jan to June saw a 26% increase in visitors, to an all-time-record of 1.74
million. Estimated revenue from incoming tourism in this period was NIS 9.4
billion. Tourism from the USA (the largest in total) increased by 20%
Ben Gurion is world’s 8th best Airport. The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine voted Israel's Ben-Gurion
Airport as the 8th best airport in the world. Rankings were based on travelers'
experiences of access, check-in, security, food, shopping and design.
Naples or Venice? (TY Janglo)
EasyJet are launching regular flights from Tel Aviv to Venice and to Naples.
There are three flights a week to Venice, starting 31 Oct and two flights a
week to Naples, starting 4 Nov. These routes bring to eleven the number of easyJet’s
scheduled services to Europe from Tel Aviv.
Stiff race for top Israeli talent. In the Israeli tech
industry, workers are in greater demand than supply as the 112 recruiting
companies confirmed at the employment fair held at the private university IDC
Herzliya. Also, many youngsters want the challenge of starting their own
company rather than joining an existing one.
Delek strikes oil deal. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported
previously (Oct
2015) that Israeli oil company Delek had taken a 19.7% stake in Canadian-UK
oil exploration company Ithaca which is active in the UK’s North Sea waters. Delek has now taken-over control of Ithaca
for around 470 million Canadian dollars.
TaKaDu’s first US customer. Israeli water event
management company TaKaDu has won its first US customer – Knoxville Utilities
in the State of Tennessee. TaKaDu will allow Knoxville to detect, analyze and
manage network events and incidents such as leaks, bursts, faults, operational
failures and more.
Tubi 60 goes global. Tubi 60 is an Israeli-made
alcoholic drink with a secret mix of some 60 natural herbs and fruit essences.
Developed and distilled by Hilal and Yanai Tubi, the vegan herbal spirit is
available at most Jerusalem bars and clubs. It will soon also be found on
liquor shelves in Texas, Brooklyn, Oslo and Berlin.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-hipster-cocktail-tubi-60-heads-stateside/
https://www.tubi60.com/
That’s the ticket.
(TY Atid-EDI) New York based
ticketing platform company SeatGeek has bought Israeli ticketing software
company TopTix for $56 million. TopTix will power SeatGeek Open – a radically
new approach, in which artists sell tickets through popular ecommerce websites,
travel tools, and messaging sites.
Getting the flavor of Brazil. (TY Karen) I reported
previously (Oct
2014) that Israeli flavors and fine ingredients giant Frutarom was
expanding into Peru and Chile with its purchase of Montana Food. Frutarom has continued
its South American acquisitions, buying 80% of Brazilian ice-cream maker SDFLC
for $33 million.
How an Israel sells his car. Israeli Eugene Romanovsky
went to great lengths to sell his 1996 Suzuki Vitara by making an elaborate
video using visual effects that has generated millions of views. With dramatic
music, the car appears to out-run dinosaurs, races a cheetah, escapes an
avalanche and drives to a desert mountaintop.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
What to bring back from Israel. (TY Yuval) This video from AIPAC suggests some of the best
souvenirs for tourists to take home from a trip to Israel. But a warning - they
may take up quite a bit of space in your suitcase.
Israel’s trendiest beaches. (TY Janglo)
Here is the young-person’s guide to the best beaches along the 185 kilometers
(115 miles) of sandy Israeli Mediterranean coastline, as well as the Sea of
Galilee (Lake Kinneret). Covering Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Herzliya, Kinneret, Hadera,
Carmel, Tel Dor. Caesarea and Nahariya.
The magic of Jaffa. (TY Avi) The smells of the sea flavored with black coffee and
spices from the markets, Levantine culture combined with European, ancient
mixed with new – this is Jaffa. One of the oldest port cities in the world. Today's
Jaffa is a vibrant city that never ceases to surprise and innovates.
Guns N’ Roses rock for
3 hours. Rock
legends Guns N’ Roses performed to 60,000 fans in Tel Aviv. The tour was named the “Not in this lifetime” tour
because Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited, in spite of Axl’s 2014
prediction that they would never re-establish the band. The video features “Sweet
Child of Mine”.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Guns-N-Roses-packs-a-lifetime-of-rock-into-one-night-in-Tel-Aviv-499823
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeV9tetmZ_c
See the Pretenders in reality. American musician Chrissie
Hynde and her band The Pretenders will perform on 23 Sept at the Menora
Mivtachim Arena, Tel Aviv.
NBA champs sign top Israeli. (TY Janglo)
Omri Casspi’s phone rang at one-minute past midnight on the day that the
Israeli basketball star became a free agent. It was the owner of NBA champions
Golden State Warriors in California, offering Casspi a one-year contract. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Jerusalem streets closed for Maccabiah Night
Run. (TY Sharon)
Tens of thousands took part in the Jerusalem Maccabiah Night Run – not just
those participating in the Maccabiah Games.
Many of the streets in Jerusalem were closed whilst the runners completed
the 5 or 10 km routes or the half Marathon.
THE JEWISH STATE
One million reasons to love Israel. Here, some Israeli children
give perceptive views about their country.
200 new Olim arrive from France. (TY Janglo)
The largest Keren Hayesod-Jewish Agency flight of olim from France this summer
has landed at Ben-Gurion Airport. Israel’s Health Ministry now recognizes
French medical degrees, and a new bill automatically recognizes medical
credentials of immigrants from EU countries.
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/200-French-olim-arrive-aboard-summers-largest-aliya-flight-from-Europe-499299 https://www.youtube.com/embed/874Ujkzbn3Q?rel=0
900 on Montreal Mega Mission. More than 900 people, one of whom is 100 years old, came to Israel
on the Federation CJA’s Montreal Mega Mission. The trip attracted 100
first-time visitors to Israel and 116 return visitors from the last trip
organized by Federation CJA in 2014, which had (only) 600 participants.
From Cuban prison to freedom in Israel. Alan Gross was sent to
prison in Cuba for five years for setting up Internet access for Cubans. He was
released in Dec 2014 and made Aliya in May.
Haredi platoon’s first parachute drop. the Haredi Hetz platoon of
the IDF’s elite Paratroopers Brigade successfully conducted their first drops
after completing a rigorous parachuting course.
The top 10 finds proving Jerusalem
belongs to Israel. (TY Avi) Ze’ev Orenstein takes
us on a tour of the City of David in Jerusalem to completely dispel recent
ridiculous UNESCO resolutions.
Found in the Galilee - Jonah and the
Whale. (TY Janglo) Archaeologists excavating
a 1500-year-old synagogue at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee have unearthed mosaics
featuring the Biblical stories of Jonah and of the Tower of Babel. Previous
digs at the site have revealed mosaics of Noah’s Ark and the Splitting of the
Sea.
170709
In the 9th July 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israelis
have discovered an entirely new mechanism to defeat cancer.
·
An Israeli
device is the first to instantly measure dehydration levels.
·
Over twice
as many women than men work in the Israeli medical industry.
·
India’s
Prime Minister made an historic and successful visit to Israel.
·
Israel has
a new research center for the science of quantum mechanics.
·
Israel’s
Mazor Robots has just sold 16 robot surgery systems.
·
Britney
Spears’ first Israeli concert was the biggest by a female artist.
·
Listen to VeryGoodNewsIsrael
interview on the radio.
·
New Muslim
Tanzanian ambassador to Israel recited Jewish prayer of renewal.
·
Click here
to see the 2nd July newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Janglo
and United
With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German
and (TY Karen) in Portuguese.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Click
here, to donate a
small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The protein that kills cancer cells. Professor Varda
Shoshan-Barmatz of Israel’s Ben Gurion University has developed many new treatments
to kill cancer cells by targeting the protein VDAC1 that controls cell death. A
new Israeli biotech, Vidac, is trialing these treatments. VDA-1102 ointment for
pre-skin cancer is in Phase 2.
New treatment
for Huntington’s disease. Israeli biotech Mitoconix Bio is developing a
new treatment for Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. It
works by inhibiting mitochondrial splitting. Mitochondria contribute to important
brain functions, including regulation of cell growth.
Early
diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Suaad
Abd-Elhadi has won a Kaye Innovation Award for a new tool to diagnose Parkinson’s
disease. Her lipid ELISA detects the cellular secretion of the protein alpha-Synuclin,
present in the pathways that Parkinson’s disease travels along.
Preventing
epileptic attacks.
(TY Nevet) Scientists at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben Gurion University have discovered that
high levels of a micro-RNA called miR-211 reduces the brain’s susceptibility to
epileptic seizures. Therapeutics that increase miR-211 production can lead to
new treatments for epileptics.
Israel can
wipe out Hep C.
Israel’s Health Basket of treatments for Health funds includes protein
and polymerase inhibitors that are effective in curing patients from Hepatitis
C. The treatment costs $100,000 per patient, but that cost is reducing. Experts
say that the treatment will wipe out the disease within a decade.
The first medics course in sign language. I regularly include (see here) articles to show
how important Israel regards sign language for communicating with the deaf and
the hearing-impaired. Now United
Hatzalah has organized Israel’s first-ever course to teach sign language skills
to volunteer United Hatzalah medics.
“Respect” for
MDA. The
family of Sacha Baron Cohen (alias Ali G) has donated two medicycles, costing
£15,000 each, to Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom. Daniella Baron
Cohen dedicated them to her late husband Gerald (Sacha’s father). On the back
of one of the vehicles is Ali G’s famous slogan “Respect!”.
EMET prize for
cancer research.
Professor Zelig Eshhar of Israel’s Weizmann Institute and Professor
Alexander Levitzki of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University shared the EMET Life
Sciences award for their cancer research. Eshhar’s award was for his adaptive
immunotherapy treatment; Levitski for his protein kinases inhibitors. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Creating-a-better-generation-498393
Check you’re not dehydrated. Currently, dehydration can only be formally
identified in hospital using blood tests or urinalysis. Now a non-invasive device
from Israeli startup sZone can measure your hydrations levels at home or even
whilst running. sZone is vital for athletes, the elderly, children, and the
chronically ill.
Cured of
tremors during Israel visit. Parkinson’s sufferer Yocheved Mintz was part
of a group visit to Israel’s Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. One of Rambam’s
doctors mentioned the hospital’s cutting-edge work on curing Parkinson’s
patients of their tremors. Yocheved asked for the treatment, and now she is
cured.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Women lead in Israeli
Life Sciences.
(TY Jacques) The percentage of Israeli women (70%) working in the field
of Life Sciences (medical research, bio-techs, medical device companies) far
exceeds that of men (30%). Women are filling roles, not just as employees but
as entrepreneurs, investors, head researchers and CEOs.
Women top VC funds. Women have top positions in Israel’s
Venture Capital industry. Anat Naschitz is managing partner at Orbimed; Michal
Geva, founded Triventures; Anat Segal founded Xenia; Ronit Segev Gal founded
TLV Partners; Fiona Darmon is a JVP partner and Merav Rotem Naaman is MD of
Verizon Ventures.
Marathon world record for Israeli
amputee. (TY Nevet)
Israel’s Eitan Hermon set a world record of 2:56.53 hours in the marathon for
single-leg amputee runners in Vienna. Hermon is supported by Tikvot, a non-profit,
volunteer-based organization which rehabilitates Israeli victims of terror and
wounded soldiers through sports.
New ambassadors. Israeli President Reuven
Rivlin received new ambassadors from Nepal, Honduras, Brazil and (for the first
time) from Tanzania. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Pres-Rivlin-calls-for-UN-support-from-new-ambassadors-to-Israel-496983
London Mayor gets Israel’s help. London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said
he has sought advice from Israel about how to better combat urban terrorism such
as the Manchester and London Bridge attacks. He said police visit Israel and
are in regular touch with their contacts.
http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/exclusive-sadiq-khan-sought-counter-terrorism-advice-from-israel-after-spate-of-uk-attacks/
Indians experience Israel. Smita, Kandlarp and Roy are
from India and are currently studying and working in Israel. They share their
Israeli experiences, ahead of the visit of India's Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
Taking India-Israel relationship to a
new level. (TY IsraPundit)
Even before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel, he was
talking positively about India’s deep ties with Israel. He believes the two
nations are soulmates. They share the same a spirit of entrepreneurship and
innovation.
India’s PM arrives. Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi arrived in the first visit to Israel by a sitting Indian premier.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Modi at Ben-Gurion Airport, along with
the top tier of Israel's leadership - an honor afforded to only a few select
leaders, such as US presidents and popes.
USS George H.W. Bush arrives in Israel. Aircraft carrier USS George
H.W. Bush docked in Haifa for a visit intended to enhance US-Israel relations.
It is the first visit of a US aircraft carrier to an Israeli port since 2000. Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed by helicopter on the ship and hailed it as a
symbol of freedom.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Top positions in Arab rankings. (TY Nevet) UAE-based Center
for World University Rankings, judged Israel’s Technion first in the world in
the field of aerospace engineering. It also came 4th for Computer
Science – Theory and Methods and 8th for Information Systems. Tel Aviv
University also achieved two top 10 places.
A truly great scientist. Professor Jacob Ziv of Israel’s
Technion faculty of Electrical Engineering received the 2017 EMET Prize for
Exact Sciences. He previously won the 1993 Israel Prize and in the video he receives
the 2009 BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award. His data-compression work was vital
for data communications.
https://webee.technion.ac.il/news/Distinguished-Professor-Emeritus-Jacob-Ziv-awarded-EMET-Prize-for-2017-in-the-area-of-Exact-Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHZLL8TbB2k
A Quantum leap. Israel’s Bar-Ilan University
has opened its new center, the Quantum Entanglement in Science and Technology
(QUEST) for research and development of quantum technology. Its applications
include secure quantum networks, cryptography, quantum computation and
biomedical sensors.
Texas welcomes Israel water industry. The first Israel-Texas Water
Conference in Austin, Texas was attended by 200 key players from the Texas
water industry and government. It featured five innovative Israeli water
companies: Elbit Systems, Amiad Water Systems, BioPetroClean, Master Meter and
Netafim.
Gold award for innovative suitcase. (TY Nevet) I reported
previously (Nov
2015) about the Israeli-developed G-RO suitcase with its large wheels that
roll over any terrain. G-RO has just won
a gold medal for innovative luggage at the 2017 International Edison Awards.
G-RO has literally re-invented the wheel for world travelers.
Another smart suitcase. (TY Nevet) Israeli startup Samsara’s smart
case is made of aluminum and contains a power supply to charge your laptop and
smartphone. It also alerts you if it gets separated from you or someone opens
it without your permission. Samsara wanted to raise $15,000 on Kickstarter. It
raised over $248,000
Ashdod to be lab for smart transport
systems. Ashdod,
Israel’s sixth-largest city, is setting up a joint venture called “Living Lab” with
Mobileye, MIT and Microsoft. Its database will be available to startups,
government and academics working to build smart transport systems. Ashdod already
has “Reway” – its smart bus program.
EcoMotion 2017. (TY Hazel) The 2017 EcoMotion
Conference in Jaffa featured 200 companies, representing Israel's growing smart
vehicle community. Most interest was centered on autonomous cars, the Chinese
impact, electric power supply and startups of every kind.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Reserves now at $108.7 billion. Israel’s foreign currency reserves increased by $1.3 billion in
June to an all-time-record of $108.706 billion.
The natural gas reserve fund increased to $11.39 billion.
UK-Israel Tech Hub model vital to
Britain. (TY BICOM)
London’s City AM reports that strong digital growth in Tel Aviv is a benefit to
the UK, and praises the UK-Israel Tech Hub created in 2011. The article notes
that this model is “more important than ever as we leave the EU”.
Virtual
currencies to support local businesses. Israeli startup Colu’s digital wallet allows
customers to pay local businesses instantly in a virtual currency (e.g.
Liverpool local pound) from their smartphone. Starting with Tel Aviv, Haifa,
London, Liverpool and Barbados, Colu has instigated a true “peer-to-peer”
economy.
http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2016/06/23/israeli-blockchain-startup-colu-raises-9-6-million-to-promote-bitcoin-based-local-currencies/ https://www.colu.com/
https://www.fastcompany.com/company/colu
IAI is on the acquisition flight path. Israel Aerospace Industries
(IAI) has launched a buying program for cybersecurity companies. It has
invested millions of dollars in Holland’s Inpedio BV and Hungary’s Cytrox. Esti
Peshin, general manager of IAI’s Cyber Division, said IAI is planning further cybersecurity
acquisitions.
WSJ features six Israeli startups. (TY Janglo)
Of the 25 leading startups selected by "The Wall Street Journal," in
its article "Tech companies to watch," six - almost one quarter - are
Israeli. Furthermore, three of the four cybersecurity companies on the list are
Israeli.
Intel spends NIS 5.76 billion in Israel. In 2016 Intel Israel procured NIS 5.76 billion of goods and
services, 75% of it from small and medium-sized suppliers. Intel currently has
10,200 employees in Israel. It recycled 270,000 cubic meters of water in 2016
and reduced its production of greenhouse gases by 16,000 tons.
Commercial success for
Mazor robot surgeons. (TY Aviram) Israel’s Mazor
Robotics has received sixteen purchase orders for its Mazor X system from
customers in the U.S. It expects to report record revenues for the second
quarter of 2017. https://www.reuters.com/article/mazor-robotics-results-idUSL8N1JX1TH
$250 million exit for cybersecurity
startup. International cybersecurity giant Symantec
is acquiring Israeli cybersecurity company Fireglass for an estimated $250
million. Fireglass was founded only in
2014 and its 40 employees have a cyber solution that eliminates ransomware,
malware and phishing threats in real-time.
Israel’s first all-vegan supermarket. Israel’s first 100% vegan
supermarket HaGal HaYarok has opened in Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel. Besides
well-known vegan brands, it stocks baked goods of all kinds, plus hard-to-find
and exotic ingredients. It also sells its own HaGal HaYarok private label
products.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Weizmann’s House is “iconic”. Weizmann House in Rehovot,
home of the first president of the State of Israel, has re-opened after extensive
restoration and conservation. Due to its unique features, the international
organization “Iconic Houses” has added Weizmann House to its ranks – the first
Israeli building to be included.
Britney’s record-breaking
concert. US
pop star Britney Spears gave her first-ever concert in Israel, performing in
Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park in temperatures of around 28° Celsius (82.4°F). With
60,000 tickets sold, it was the largest concert ever for a female artist in the
history of Israel.
Jerusalem’s giant solar-powered radio. (TY Janglo)
To mark Jerusalem’s 50 years of reunification, a three-meter-high solar-powered
Panasonic digital radio has been installed on Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda pedestrian
mall. Broadcasting from 10am until 10pm, one of its five channels features
recordings from the 1967 six-day war. http://www.timesofisrael.com/nostalgia-plays-on-giant-jerusalem-radio/
Jerusalem Light Festival. (TY Sharon and Janglo)
‘Interactive’ was the theme of this year’s Jerusalem Light Festival. There were
39 installations, some with live musicians. Highlights included the Hurva
synagogue, Horizontal Interference, Impulse seesaws and Interactive Shadows
where images changed when visitors moved.
Radio Rabbi interviews
VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
This Newsletter’s editor was interviewed on the Radio Rabbi (Barbara
Aiello) program, broadcast in Florida USA on 9th July at 08:30 EST. Please check the link below for the July 9th
show later today, during the week or afterwards. https://rabbibarbara.com/radio-rabbi-shows/
Israeli 3-year-old trick shots. (TY Janglo)
Nice video of Israeli 3-year-old Matan Shaulov doing trick shots with a soccer
ball. He could be the next Ronaldo, Yossi Benayoun or Eyal Berkovic. https://www.youtube.com/embed/15khv-35aHs?rel=0
The Maccabiah Games. The Maccabiah is the world’s
largest Jewish athletic competition, taking place every four years in Israel. The 2017 Maccabiah is from July 4 - 18 and
features about 10,000 athletes from more than 80 countries, plus around 22,000
additional fans. http://www.maccabiah.com/2017/events
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/excitement-skyrockets-at-opening-night-of-20th-maccabiah-games-in-jerusalem/2017/07/06/
http://www.maccabiah.com/2017/maccabiah/about-us
US Football Hall of Famers in Israel. 18 Pro Football Hall of Famers came to Israel on a weeklong
goodwill visit sponsored by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. They attended
the dedication of Kraft‘s sports complex in Jerusalem, with a regulation-size
football field, and visited the Old City, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea.
THE JEWISH STATE
Revisiting the land of his captivity. Knesset Speaker Yuli
Edelstein, a former Prisoner of Zion, became the first Israeli to address the
Russian parliament. In Hebrew, he told of his imprisonment by the Soviets 33
years ago for teaching Hebrew. In Russian, he praised diplomatic and economic
ties between Israel and Russia.
201 Olim arrive on 4th July. (TY Jacob Richman and Janglo)
201 North Americans became citizens of Israel on July 4th when their El Al
Boeing 777, chartered by Nefesh B’Nefesh, landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion
airport. The 201 passengers on the first Aliya flight of the summer included 34
families and five sets of twins.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Over-200-North-Americans-become-Israelis-as-first-summer-aliya-flight-arrives-498799 http://www.history-of-israel.co.il/aliyah/2017/a12186.htm
Hallelujah – the return to Jerusalem. (TY Janglo)
The City of David has launched “Hallelujah” Nighttime Presentation - the story
of the Jewish return to rebuild ancient Jerusalem. The thrilling, outdoor
cinematic experience features cutting-edge video mapping technology that reveals
a story, 3,000 years in the making.
Tanzanian Muslim
ambassador says Hebrew prayer. Job Daudi Masima, Tanzania's first-ever
ambassador to Israel, is a Muslim. But he put on a kippah to greet Israeli
President Reuven Rivlin with the Shehecheyahu prayer (the blessing said on new
occasions) in Hebrew to mark the beginning of closer ties between the two
countries. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/231106
Indian PM meets little Moshe. India’s Prime Minister Modi met 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, whose
Chabad emissary parents were murdered by terrorists in Mumbai in 2009. Moshe
declared his wish to visit India and one day direct Chabad’s mission in India. PM Netanyahu said he would take Moshe on his
next visit to India.
170702
In the 2nd July 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Europe has
approved an Israeli implant to prevent strokes.
·
During
Ramadan, Moslems in the IDF proudly protect Israel while fasting.
·
Tennessee
Police cars will carry portable Israeli child booster seats.
·
Weizmann
Institute counters BDS with BDS (Build Dialog through Science).
·
Israeli
cybersecurity protected organizations from recent global virus attacks.
·
A Shanghai
company is to train Israeli startups to do business in China.
·
Israel
welcomes Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
·
Archeologists
found a 1500-year-old menorah etching in Caesarea.
·
Click here
to see the 25th June newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel, with a special feature on Health.
Also (TY Sandra) in German
and (TY Karen) in Portuguese.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of more
than 11,000 previous news articles.
·
Click
here, to donate a
small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Hypertension treatment is on the right pathway.
(TY UCI) I reported
previously (Mar
2012) about the invasively implantable MobiusHD device from Israel’s
Vascular Dynamics which reduces high blood pressure. MobiusHD is undergoing
trials, has CE approval and is on the FDA’s Expedited Access Pathway program.
It has also just received $10.4 million of funds. https://www.youtube.com/embed/I-WUGvm5z-8?rel=0
Europe
approves Israeli bladder cancer test. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (Jun
2014) on the non-invasive urine test of Israel’s Nucleix for monitoring bladder
cancer treatment. Following a multi-center, 400-patients clinical trial,
Nucleix has received the CE Mark allowing it to market Bladder EpiCheck in the
E.U.
Boosting the
immune system to beat melanoma. Dr. Michal Lotem is head of the Center for
Melanoma and Cancer Immunotherapy at Hadassah Medical Center. Instead of going
after the cancer, they target the immune system, boosting it to respond more
aggressively to the disease.
Diagnosing
heart attacks when it happens. Israel’s CorAlert is
developing a non-invasive monitor that can diagnose heart failure in real-time.
Sensors on the arm and chest, a pressure cuff and a proprietary algorithm estimate
Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure (LVEDP), an indicator of heart
failure. CorAlert’s CEO Amir Marmor explains
on ILTV. https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMYxyXJpKSo?rel=0
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-israel-develops-1st-blood-free-device-self-diagnose-heart-attacks/
Father’s brain
injury triggers brain rehab startup. (TY TIP)
After her father suffered a brain injury, Israeli neuroscientist Son Preminger
founded Intendu – which has developed motion-based adaptive video games for
brain training and rehabilitation. These adapt in real time to the cognitive
and physical abilities of the user.
Life is a
see-saw. When
Israeli charity Ezer Mizion told a young law student she was a 100% bone marrow
match for a 40-year-old female cancer patient, she jumped at the chance to save
a life. But the patient’s health
deteriorated and the operation was canceled. Then one day, during law exams,
another window opened to save the woman. http://www.ezermizion.org/blog/saving-a-life-the-see-saw-remains-on-up/
We never stop
innovating to save lives. Eli Beer explains how the United Hatzalah
model of life-saving has revolutionized the field of pre-ambulatory emergency
care in Israel and the impact that it is making around the world. The latest
180 new ambucycles was the largest dedication of emergency vehicles in Israel’s
history.
Massive
investment in Israeli Life Sciences. Israeli Life Sciences companies received $823
million in funds last year, representing 20% of all investments in Israeli
high-tech. There are currently around 1,350 active life-sciences companies in
Israel – of which 42% are in the medical devices sub-sector.
Syrian
refugees meet Israel’s Dream Doctors. This video
features two of Israel’s medical clowns - one Jewish and one Christian Arab -
who bring relief and break down social barriers, one giant puffy red nose at a
time. They may look silly, but they are revolutionizing the way Syrian refugees
see Israel.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
More Israeli Wonder Women. (TY Sharon) The Facebook group Israeli Women
Entrepreneurs' Network (IWEN) has 700 members and helps Anglo female
entrepreneurs in Israel. It recently organized a retreat for 43 members. They
announced an Israeli first – a women's cooperative in Jerusalem for tourists’
gift shopping.
Moslems in the IDF observe
Ramadan. (TY Janglo)
The IDF respects Muslim soldiers who protect Israel during the long hours of
the fasts during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. After sunset each night, the
army prepares for them the special celebratory iftar meal.
Tracks for Peace. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel
unveiled a plan to give Jordan, Saudi Arabia and even Iraq access to the
Mediterranean through Israel’s ports in Haifa and Ashdod, in a plan called “Tracks
for Peace.” The Haifa to Beit She’an railway would link to the PA at Jenin and
extend through Jordan, into Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
Tracks for bicycles. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel is to build 150km of interurban bicycle
lanes connecting the cities of Ra'anana, Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, Petah Tikva,
Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, Givat Shmuel, Yehud, Or Yehuda, Rishon LeZion, Yehud,
Holon and Bat Yam. The tracks will contain electric charging stations.
Fish farms in Uganda. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (in 2011) about Israel’s
work to clean up Lake Victoria. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has since been
working with Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, to develop fish farms that
have restored indigenous species of fish previously devastated by the lake’s
invasive Nile Perch. https://www.youtube.com/embed/cy8MFePPulo?rel=0
US Police use Israeli
portable booster seats. Bradley County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee, USA has teamed up with
Israel’s mifold to place 10 special car seats for youngsters in patrol cars.
Newsletter readers may remember mifold’s innovative portable car booster seat (see here) that brings the seat
belt to the child.
Jerusalem re-unification celebrated at
the UN.
Israel held a special event at the United Nations celebrating the 50th
anniversary of Jerusalem’s liberation and reunification during the 1967 Six-Day
War. Hundreds,of participants, including ambassadors and diplomats from around
the world enjoyed a special performance by Israeli diva Sarit Hadad. https://unitedwithisrael.org/jerusalems-reunification-celebrated-at-the-un/
Israel awaits Indian Prime Minister’s
visit. On 4th July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi will make the first ever visit to Israel by a sitting Indian prime
minister. The Israeli cabinet has already approved a series of measures aimed
at strengthening ties between the two countries. http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Netanyahu-hails-historic-visit-by-Indian-prime-minister-497844
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Building Dialog
through Science (BDS). Scientists at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute have launched a new website IsraelBDS.org that features the
many and varied scientific studies that rely on close collaboration between
Israeli researchers and those in different countries. No Boycott, Divestment or
Sanctions please.
Latest joint US-Israeli projects. The Israel-U.S. Binational
Industrial R&D (BIRD) Foundation is to invest
$7 million in joint US-Israeli projects including
for autonomous vehicles, biotech, homeland security, nanotech and digital
health. The Israeli companies are Atvio, C4 Systems, Check-Cap, Isorad,
Melodea, Nutrino Health, OpSys and Pill Tracker.
Jerusalem’s Tech & Gadget library. (TY Janglo)
The library at Q5 (the fifth quarter) in Jerusalem doesn’t lend out the usual
books. Instead it offers top tech & startup books, laptops, smartphones,
tablets, processors, kits for assembling robots and cool new gadgets. Its
customers include designers, developers and entrepreneurs.
Jerusalem’s special-needs innovation
center. (TY Janglo)
ALYN Hospital, Israel’s only pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation facility,
is creating an Innovation Space in Jerusalem for inventions to help special
needs kids. The one-stop shop provides a state-of-the-art prototyping lab, expert
support and in-house trialing.
More security for cars. Upstream Security is the
latest Israeli cybersecurity startup to focus on the automobile security arena (see here for others). Upstream
claims to be the first to offer a cloud-based platform that detects and
prevents large-scale attacks on connected and autonomous cars. Upstream just
raised $2 million of funds.
Managing a smart home. Israel’s Techsee is a global
leader in Visual Support Technologies for the Smart Home. Techsee is building a massive database of
every interaction and resolution to help customers resolve any recurring
technical problem via their smartphones. Techsee has just raised $7.5 million
of funds.
Faster Virtual Reality. (TY Atid-EDI) I
reported previously (Apr
30) that Israel’s Giraffic achieved high-speed streaming for Virtual
Reality (VR) systems. Now another
Israeli company, Inception, has developed multi-track real time streaming and
spatial audio for a seamless interactive VR experience.
The best of CyberTech
2017. CyberTech Tel Aviv featured the most
innovative and advanced cyber-security technologies. From applications that
prevent hacking, to rescue systems that save lives. CyberTech 2017 attracted over
12,000 participants from 65 countries. Israeli cyber products repulsed recent
global virus attacks.
Israeli cybersecurity companies team up. (TY Atid-EDI)
The power of Israeli cybersecurity systems has been amplified with a partnership
between Israeli companies Check Point and Safe-T. Check Point’s SandBlast for
scanning files integrates with Safe-T HDS to ensure all company data is
checked, wherever it comes from.
Chooze a name for your child. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli
startup Chooze has launched an iPhone app that helps expectant parents choose
the perfect baby name. Chooze uses the
latest in cognitive psychology to help parents decipher their subconscious
preferences for names. https://www.chooze.io/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel beats 2016 targets. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel’s 2016 revenue totaled 321.1 billion shekels ($88.02 billion), higher
than the Government’s 2016 target of 312.3 billion shekels ($85.61 billion). Also,
the Finance Ministry set itself a deficit goal for 2016 of 2.9%, whereas the
actual deficit was only 2.1%.
And economy keeps growing. The Bank of Israel's
Composite State of the Economy Index for May 2017 increased by 0.3
percent. There were significant
increases in Industrial Production, manufacturing inputs and revenues for trade
and services. Previous figures for
February, March and April were also revised upwards.
Training Israeli
startups for the Chinese market. Israel’s Zvi Shalgo, founder Shanghai’s PTL
Group, is offering a free boot camp to ten Israeli startups who want to learn
how to do business in China. It includes 5 days of intensive training,
presentations, networking with entrepreneurs and visits to leading companies.
Israeli-UK fund to invest in education
tech. MindCET, the technological arm of the Center
for Educational Technology (CET), has announced the founding of a fund for
investment in edu-tech in cooperation with the UK government. The fund, called
TaskForce, will initially invest $250,000 in each of 4-6 ventures annually.
US ag-tech fund expands in Israel. US Venture Capital fund
Finistere Ventures, which specializes in agricultural technology, is expanding
its activities in Israel. It “sees Israel as a center of excellence in ag-tech”
and has appointed two executives to invest in Israeli innovations for the
agricultural and food value market.
Promoting French investment. French Tech met the Start-up
Nation at Innovatech 2017 in Paris. The conference focused on food tech, life
sciences, auto tech and cybersecurity. It was attended by 250 leaders from the
French hi-tech industry, along with 15 Israeli companies and directors of
Israeli venture capital funds.
Tell me what you want. A new website Bekarov (in
English it means “coming soon”) is a unique Jerusalem-wide crowdsourced mapping
initiative. Residents tell the municipality what businesses are missing from
their neighborhood and entrepreneurs can decide if there is a new business
opportunity.
Then get a grant to open a new business. (TY Janglo)
New immigrants and returning residents may be eligible for grants up to NIS
43,000 and other benefits if they open up a new business in Jerusalem. The Israeli government aims to encourage new businesses
in Jerusalem and reinforce existing enterprises.
jFrog eats up CloudMunch. I reported previously (Jan
2016) about Israel’s jFrog, which develops products for managing and
distributing software. jFrog has just acquired CloudMunch in the US. CloudMunch’s
Insights software allows developers to see how their DevOps flow is working,
make adjustments or adopt new tools.
Israeli post measures up. (TY Atid-EDI)
I reported previously (see here)
about Israeli startup MySize whose SizeUp app measures your body for clothes
with the sensors of your smartphone. Now the Israeli Postal Service and Mysize
are to trial a pilot solution to measure all types of packages using only a
smartphone.
First sale of
Israeli 3D heart CT scanners. I reported previously
(Nov
2011) about the innovative 3D CT scanners from Israel’s Arineta. GE
Healthcare has just given Arineta its first commercial order – for 12 scanners,
to be sold to GE customers for $1 million each.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
New and expanded nature reserves. Israel is adding and
expanding five nature reserves. The new reserve is Katzir (in Wadi Ara).
Makhtesh Ramon (the Ramon Crater), will become a national park. Lahav Darom,
Har Giora, and Harei Yehuda are to be expanded.
All will be free to the public.
Virtually Israel. Virtual Reality (VR) is the way to experience Israel without flying
across the globe. Virtually Israel is a one-of-a-kind VR experience showcasing
Israel’s most prominent cities. Pause
the video and click on the compass on the top left of the screen, to rotate
your view of the Dead Sea and Jerusalem.
Jersey Boys come to
Israel. (TY Janglo)
The legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (a.k.a. the Jersey Boys) are
performing for the first time in Israel on 4th July at the Menora Mivtachim
Arena in Tel Aviv. Famous for “Sherry”
and Grease. “Oh what a night” – they’ll certainly help us “hang on to what
we’ve got”!
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Frankie-Valli-and-The-Four-Seasons-to-perform-in-Tel-Aviv-on-July-4-490052 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4961352,00.html
The most valuable player in Czech
Republic. Israeli
soccer star Tal Ben Haim has signed for four seasons with Sparta Prague. The
fee of 2.9 million euros ($3.2 million, NIS 11.5 million), makes his transfer the
most expensive in the history of the Czech league. Last season, Ben Haim scored
19 goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
First Israeli in US NASCAR race. Israel’s Alon Day won the
NASCAR Whelen Euro race at UK’s Brands Hatch and got a call to compete at the
Sonoma Raceway in California. Although he finished 32nd out of 40, he became
the first Israeli to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - the
sport’s top league. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-first-nascar-driver-completes-debut-race/
THE JEWISH STATE
UNESCO chief stresses Jewish links to
Jerusalem.
Although her committee denies Jewish links to Jerusalem, Director General
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Irina Bokova has emphasized the historical Jewish connection to the
city.
1500-year-old menorah
etching. Archaeologists excavating the ancient port
of Caesarea discovered a mother-of-pearl tablet inscribed with a menorah,
dating from the 4th or 5th century. It was likely part of a box housing a Torah
scroll and is the first artifact of its kind made of the precious material
bearing a Jewish iconograph.
Student leader gets married on Temple
Mount. The head of the Students for Temple Mount
Movement, Tom Nissani, betrothed his fiancée in a minimalist ceremony on Temple
Mount.
Israel’s outstanding Anglos. (TY Janglo)
Nefesh B’Nefesh 2017 Bonei Zion Prizes, for immigrants from English-speaking
countries who have made a major impact on Israel, were awarded to Prof Benjamin
Corn, Beth Steinberg, Rabbi Chaim Brovender, Gerald Steinberg, Yoram Raanan;
Capt Libby Weiss, and Scott Neiss.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-honors-israels-outstanding-anglos/ http://www.nbn.org.il/boneizion/
Meet the new arrivals. (TY Janglo)
Come and see the future outstanding Anglos as they arrive on the latest Nefesh
b’Nefesh flight to arrive in Israel on 4th July. Tel Aviv will be busy, with
the Indian Prime Minister arriving and the Frankie Valli concert in the
evening!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/july-4-2017-nefesh-bnefesh-aliyah-arrival-reception-tickets-34789367936
Ancient colored fabric found in
Solomon’s Mines. (TY
WIN) Israeli archeologists have discovered
striped clothing worn by skilled workers at copper mines in Timna, in southern
Israel, during the time of Kings David and Solomon, over 3000 years ago. Dry
desert conditions preserved the blue and red plant-dyed textiles.
