171231
In the 31st Dec 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
scientist has boosted the immune system 30-fold to fight cancer.
·
A Syrian
baby was airlifted from Cyprus to Israel for emergency heart surgery.
·
A Haifa woman
is Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar at Oxford University.
·
Israel has
set-up the world’s first innovation lab for senior citizen technology.
·
An Israeli
company is building a wave-energy power plant in Ghana.
·
A record
year for tourism triggers a billion-dollar upgrade to Ben Gurion airport.
·
Two
Israeli Paralympic table-tennis players strike gold.
·
4
embassies are moving to Jerusalem.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A better cancer immunotherapy
treatment. I
reported previously (many
times) of Israeli scientists who are boosting the body’s immune system to
fight cancer. Now Weizmann’s Dr Rony Dahan has developed a cancer immunotherapy
compound that is 30 times more effective than existing treatments.
AI software helps decide whether to operate. AI
(Artificial Intelligence) software developed by Israeli startup MEDecide is
being piloted in several Israeli hospitals, to help doctors decide whether to
operate on patients. The software analyzes test results, medical history,
medication data and discomfort levels.
AI warns of
medical emergencies. I reported previously (twice) on Israel’s Intensix and
its early-warning analysis of deteriorating Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.
Now renamed Clew Medical, it has just launched its AI (Artificial Intelligence)
platform to prevent life threatening complications in all care settings.
Leukemia
diagnosis – don’t delay treatment. Without proper
treatment, patients can reach a life-threatening condition within days of
diagnosis. Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center has instituted a new protocol to
fast-track the treatment, usually starting it the next day. Even health fund payment
referrals are arranged.
Knesset workers
learn CPR.
Israel’s Knesset (parliament) held the first ever event of its kind - a
basic life-saving skills course for the workers of the nation’s top
governmental building. The CPR and life-saving course was organized by the
Knesset Worker’s Committee in partnership with United Hatzalah EMS
organization.
Israeli-Arabs
have highest life expectancy. Arab Israelis have
the highest life expectancy in the Middle East when compared with the
populations of 21 Muslim and Arab countries, a new survey on the issue found.
Syrian baby flown to Israel for heart surgery. A baby boy born to Syrian
refugees in Cyprus has been flown to Israel. He is due to undergo emergency surgery
at Sheba Medical Center to correct a severe congenital heart defect. The flight
was arranged by Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus on request from the Cypriot
Health Ministry.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
A truly meaningful haircut. Israeli charity Zichron Menachem spares no effort to collect hair
offered by donors or salons and turns it into wigs, supporting children who
have lost their hair during cancer treatment.
Children’s peace exhibition comes home. For 15 years, New York art
educator Maureen Kushner led children at 50 Israeli schools to draw pictures of
peace. When completed in 2009, the resulting “Peace through Humor” exhibit went
on an 8-year world tour. It now resides at Yemin Orde Youth Village near Haifa.
Israel’s first Arab
Rhodes scholar.
23-year-old Lian Najami from Haifa is Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar.
She is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English, German and Spanish. Her message: Arab
Israelis, who make up some 20 percent of Israel’s citizenry, can succeed in the
Jewish state. She has held herself up as living proof.
United Hatzalah has 300 Muslim
volunteers. This article is about Sanaa Mahameed –
a religious Muslim woman who volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT) for Israel’s United Hatzalah. She is the only woman of the 300 Muslim
volunteers in the organization, but she calls on others to come and join her.
The melting pot of Israeli society. (TY Hazel) David Ben
Gurion's description of the IDF is particularly true of the Nahal Brigade. 100
of 450 recent recruits had a special status. Typical of the ethnic mix are Amir
Rav'e - a 19-year-old Muslim, Netanel Mengistu - an Ethiopian immigrant and Jesse
Amar from Melbourne Australia.
Coding skills course to go global. The UK Israel Tech Hub
set-up the Founders and Coders program in Nazareth to teach computer coding
skills in 16 weeks to young Arabs and Jews.
It is now exporting the model to Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa.
Protecting NATO planes. Israel’s Elbit Systems has won a contract to supply direct infrared
countermeasures (DIRCM) self-protection systems to NATO for its Airbus A330
tanker fleet. NATO’s Colonel Jan der Kinderen said Elbit’s systems will
“greatly add to the safety and operational flexibility of the total fleet”.
Protecting Indian
navy. I reported previously (Sep 2014) on the underwater security systems
developed by Israel’s DSIT that are protecting European nuclear reactors. Now
the Indian Navy has ordered 78 DSIT diver detection sonar devices to protect
coastal and offshore sites and vessels from underwater intrusion and sabotage.
A fund to help developing countries that
support Israel.
According to Hadashot TV news, Israel has established a fund, dubbed “50
on 50,” which will distribute $50 million in government funding among 50
countries that support Israel on the international stage.
Israel goes international on systems analysis. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel has become its newest member of the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis (IIASA). Israel joins 24 other countries. Representatives from
Israeli universities, government ministries, and the public will constitute the
Israel Committee for IIASA.
Israel isolated? Think again. (TY Avi) Israel
is the “Innovation Nation” and world leaders are recognizing it.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
An innovation lab for
senior citizens. (TY Atid-EDI) The
Center for Digital Innovation (CDI) is launching in Beersheva what it claims is
the world's first innovation laboratory designed to meet the challenges facing
today's senior citizens. These include prevention of falls, alleviating
loneliness and the treatment of pain.
Harnessing
nature to make a better world. (TY Myer) Professor
Oded Shoseyov of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) explains how HUJ
research on sequoia trees, cat fleas and tobacco has already led to stronger,
more elastic materials and better medical implants and treatments. With endless
possibilities.
Monitoring the health of the coral reef. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have “genetically
bar-coded”
80% of the 540 species of fish living on
Eilat’s coral reef. They can match pictures of the larvae to their DNA
sequence. This information will help monitor the health of the reef ecosystem.
Work together – wherever you are. (TY Calcalist)
Israel’s XTRMX develops software tools that allow multiple people to edit and
review the same video over the Internet simultaneously. It’s as if you are
sitting in the same room with the editor. XTRMX is to be offered by Avid
Technology, Inc. through their online store.
Voice-activated headphones. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel’s Rubidium has integrated its voice trigger into the 66 Audio® PRO Voice
wireless headphones, to produce the world’s first voice-triggered Bluetooth
headphones with built-in Amazon Alexa. Users say “Alexa” to start interacting
with Amazon’s cloud-based voice service.
Speeding up cybersecurity innovation. The Hessian Israeli Partnership Accelerator for Cybersecurity
(HIPA) brings together top talents in cybersecurity from Israel and Germany to
jointly work on cybersecurity projects. The partnership is a joint venture of
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute.
New Israeli manufacturing center for
Flex. I reported previously (30th
Apr) that Multi-national electronics manufacturer Flex had opened its new Haifa
design center. Flex has now begun building a new production facility at
Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut and will take on 200 more staff.
Hyundai to set up Israel smart R&D
center. I reported previously (10th
Sep) that car maker Hyundai was teaming up with Israel’s Technion to
research smart car technology. Now Hyundai is to open a development center in
Israel. It will focus on energy, smart cities, artificial intelligence, smart
transportation and robotics.
Mellanox to launch startup accelerator. Israeli IT giant Mellanox is setting up an accelerator and support
program for startups. It will include over 10 startups and focus on artificial
intelligence (AI), machine learning, storage, high-performance computing, and
cloud computing.
Improved recycling of wastewater. (TY Nevet) Researchers at Ben Gurion
University have discovered that treating recycled wastewater using
biofiltration is more efficient for irrigation in arid, sandy soils that are
found in deserts. It increases the rate of absorption into the sandy soil, thus
reducing surface evaporation.
Wave energy for Ghana. Israel’s Yam Pro is to build
a $180 million, 150-megawatt wave-energy power station along a 6-mile stretch
of coastline near Accra, the capital of Ghana. Yam Pro’s system captures the
energy from breaking waves by converting it into hydraulic pressure, which is
then turned into electricity.
Security for East African port. I reported previously (several times) on the
perimeter intrusion detection systems of Israel’s Magal Security. Magal has
just won a $13 million contract to provide intrusion and cybersecurity systems
for an unnamed major international seaport in East Africa.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
20% increase in Christmas pilgrims to Israel. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel has broken all previous records for incoming tourism, and are set to end
2017 with 3.6 million tourists - half a million more than the previous record.
It includes a 20% increase over the 120,000 Christian pilgrims who visited in
Dec 2016.
A $1.4 billion upgrade
for Ben Gurion airport. The Israel Airports
Authority has announced a $1.43 billion plan to upgrade Israel’s main Ben
Gurion airport to cope with an anticipated 50% increase in passenger turnover
within the next five years. The airport exceeded 20 million passengers in 2017
– 18% up on 2016.
Plan for 45 regional co-working hubs. The Israeli Ministry for the
Development of the Negev and Galilee is investing $25.5 million (NIS 90
million) in the establishment of 45 co-working tech hubs in Israel’s peripheral
regions. The ministry said they expect all 45 to be operational by the third
quarter of 2018.
Conference promotes profit and positive
social impact. I reported previously (here) on TechForGood, an
Israel-based startup accelerator, that organized the Scaling Social-Tech
conference – to promote the idea that companies can prioritize socially
conscious goals and still be profitable.
Israel’s largest investors’ conference. 10,000 people from 80 countries are expected in Jerusalem on 1st
Feb at the 4th annual OurCrowd Global Investor Summit. They include 300
startups, 200 Venture Capitalists and 250 multinationals plus entrepreneurs,
investors, government officials and the press.
Bibi opens the
LSE. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu launched the day's trading at the London Stock exchange at
11am on Nov 3rd, pushing the button to officially open London's financial
market. He recalled the first trade made by Abraham in purchasing the Cave of
the Patriarchs 4,000 years ago, in shekels.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Israeli drama is a
hit in Hebrew and Arabic.
When Netflix bought his show Fauda, co-creator Lior Raz was disappointed that
it was not being remade in English. He believed the dual-language Hebrew and
Arabic thriller would be too hard for international viewers to follow. But
Fauda has had high ratings and much critical acclaim.
Rainbow of Music concert. (TY Janglo)
The Keren Malki Foundation has unique and life-changing programs for children
with special needs. It is holding a benefit concert of Hassidic, Israeli, Jazz
and popular songs on 10th Jan in Ra'anana. https://www.rainbowofmusic.org/
Jerusalem soup festival. (TY Janglo)
The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel has launched its 3rd annual soup festival pop-up
concept restaurant. The all-you-can-eat soup kosher buffet at reasonable cost from
Nov - Apr at the Inbal’s Sophia Café.
The 5 top winter activities in Israel. (TY Janglo and ILTV) Skiing
on Mount Hermon, Jerusalem’s Winter festival, Christmas and Chanukah, Eilat’s
Red Sea Jazz festival and the Feeling Blues dance festival in Tel Aviv. https://www.youtube.com/embed/I6lHMaF1hrI?rel=0
Eilat is a fun
place. Israel's southernmost city, Eilat is known
for being a city full of fun and excitement. Eilat has something for everyone
to enjoy, from world class scuba diving to gorgeous desert hikes. It is also
planning a new ecological beach, thanks to the transfer of a section of beach from the Eilat-Ashkelon
Pipeline firm.
Gold medals for para table-tennis
Israelis.
Israelis Caroline Tabib and Alon Nigri won gold medals at the 2017 US
Para Open Table-Tennis Championship in Las Vegas. Caroline won gold in the singles
and also in the doubles, with a Swedish partner. Alon won gold in the doubles
with a Korean partner, and bronze in the singles.
THE JEWISH STATE
3 more countries to move embassies to Jerusalem. Just two days after the president
of Guatemala became the first Central American leader to decide to relocate his
nation’s embassy to Jerusalem, Honduras and Panama announced that they are
following suit. Guatemala’s Foreign Minister said it is “returning to
Jerusalem”.
Israel
is your home. "Wherever
you come from, whatever you look like, however you pray, Israel is your home.
Israel is your birthright," PM Netanyahu told thousands of young Jews at an
event celebrating 18th years of the Taglit-Birthright program. A record number
of participants, 48,000, took part in the program in 2017.
3,633
North Americans made Aliya in 2017. (TY Zev) At least 3,633 Jews from the USA
and Canada immigrated to Israel this year, according to Aliya organization Nefesh
B’Nefesh. 93 new immigrants arrived at Ben Gurion airport on 27 Dec, joining
103 who were already residing in Israel and made Aliya on the same day.
A
new synagogue under the Western Wall. (TY Janglo)
A new synagogue has been inaugurated in the Western Wall tunnels - the result
of 12 years of structural support, construction, and archeology work. The
synagogue is located opposite the 'Great Stone' in the Western Wall tunnels,
near the site of the Holy of Holies.
Strangers
no more. How can Liron - an Israeli - be a perfect DNA
match on Israeli charity Ezer Mitzion’s bone marrow donor database for Jonathan
- a South African with leukemia? Even
Jonathan’s siblings aren’t a match. When
they meet this Pesach they may discover that their Litvak grandparents were not
strangers at all.
Ice
cream for everyone. After buying ice cream in
Jerusalem, David and Tzipporah Speyer WhatsApp’d photos to their parents. Their
mum then decided to buy ice cream for Israeli soldiers – 40 of them. Videos and
photos were posted onto Facebook and went viral – and became a real “scoop”
when they hit the Israeli media.
171224
In the 24th Dec 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
surgeons are re-growing a patient’s leg from his own fat cells.
·
30
wheelchair-bound Israelis got to the top of Masada.
·
An Israeli
NGO saved starving villagers in drought-stricken Uganda.
·
Israel
plans to use desalinated water to refill the Sea of Galilee.
·
The
European Union is guaranteeing loans to Israeli tech companies.
·
Virtual
Reality brings history to life at three top Israeli tourist sites.
·
Three
archeological discoveries shed light on Jewish life in Biblical Israel.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Growing his leg from
his own fat cells.
I reported previously (27th
Aug) about tech from Israel’s Bonus Bio used to repair bone loss in the arm
of a patient at Emek hospital in Afula. Now another patient at Emek has had
groundbreaking surgery to regrow part of a shin bone using bone tissue grown
from his own fat cells.
Good results
for Acute Leukemia treatment. Israel’s BioSight has
announced positive results of the Phase 1/2 study of its lead product BST-236,
a novel cytarabine pro-drug, as a single agent for induction therapy in acute
leukemia patients. It was effective on many patients who had failed with
previous standard therapy.
Oxygen treatment for Alzheimer’s. I reported previously (twice) of Israeli use of hyperbaric
(high pressure) oxygen to treat many medical conditions from chronic pain to
strokes. Now Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that it can also ameliorate
symptoms experienced by people with Alzheimer’s disease.
New treatment
for NASH.
(TY Atid-EDI)
Israeli biotech ChemomAb has developed a monoclonal antibody designed to treat
fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. The antibody’s first target is nonalcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), known also as fatty liver disease. ChemomAb has just
raised $10 million of funds.
Fast-track for
migraine treatment.
Israel’s Teva has been granted fast-track status for fremanezumab, an
anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (anti-CGRP) monoclonal antibody developed
for the preventive treatment of migraine. It also applies to the prevention of
cluster headaches, which are similar to migraines in symptoms.
Infection
treatment now to target the kidneys. (TY Atid-EDI) I
reported previously (several
times) on Israel’s Atox Bio and its Reltecimod treatment for
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. Atox Bio has just raised $30 million to
fund trials of Reltecimod in Acute Kidney Injury patients, for which there is no
current cure.
Four new UK-Israel
stem cell projects.
The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) program is investing
£1.5 million in four stem cell projects to tackle diabetes, heart disease,
leukemia and Alzheimer’s disease. The Israeli organizations are Weizmann
Institute, Hebrew University and the Technion.
UK award for Israeli antibiotic
resistance research. Israel’s Team Prismatix - combining
scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute and Bnai Zion Medical Center - has won
a Discovery Award for its research into rapid diagnostics for antibiotic
resistance. The awards are part of the UK Nesta Foundation’s Longitude Prize
challenge program. https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-win-uk-award-for-antibiotic-resistance-research/
Space program polymer used for orthopedic
surgery. Orthopedic surgeons at Haifa’s Rambam
Medical Center have performed hip and knee replacements using MP1 - a material
developed in Israel for NASA’s space program. MP1 was originally developed by
Aliza Buchman for the Israel start-up M.M.A Tech.
New emergency
control center.
Israel’s Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, inaugurated the
national dispatch and command center for United Hatzalah at the organization’s
national headquarters in Jerusalem. The center will ensure that EMS volunteer
responders are sent to the emergencies that are closest to their location.
One paramedic,
one bike, 2,500 calls, 300 lives saved. In his four years as a United Hatzalah
volunteer EMT, Meir Farkash has responded to more than 2,500 emergency calls
(over 300 life-threatening) on his personal bicycle. In his honor, the
residents of Meir’s home town Ramat Hasharon donated an e-bicycle for him to
use.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
New Israeli law to
provide jobs for disabled. (TY UWI) It is already illegal in Israel to
discriminate against the disabled in the workplace. A new extension order
requires companies with over 100 workers to have 3% disabled employees. They
must also have a person responsible for the employment of people with
disabilities.
Free programming training for women. Israel’s Ministry of Labor has
launched a joint venture with She Codes, an Israeli organization promoting the
inclusion of women into the tech industry. The three-year plan will establish
40 centers to provide free computer programming training for 4,440 women to work
in the tech sector.
Three female IAF deputy commanders. Captain “Y”, an F-15 navigator, has been appointed the first female
deputy commander of an Israeli Air Force combat squadron. She will be promoted
to Major in the summer. Meanwhile, two other female IAF officers were appointed
as deputy commanders of a squadron of drones.
Praying side by side. (TY WIN)
EMT volunteers at United Hatzalah exemplify Israel’s inclusiveness.
Co-existence is flowing at SodaStream. Nice article on Israel’s
SodaStream, highlighting the excellent relations within company’s multi-ethnic
workforce. For example, the 22-year-old Bedouin female team leader who
supervises two Bedouin men, a Palestinian Arab, a Jewish woman and a Russian.
Multi-faith delegation from Bahrain. (TY Zev) A 25-member Bahraini delegation made a 5-day visit to
Jerusalem to talk about peace and coexistence. The group included Sunni and Shi’ite
Muslims, Christians, the leader of a Hindu temple and a Sikh. It was led by Betsy
Mathieson, a British ex-pat, now a Bahraini citizen.
Israeli NGO saves
Ugandan villagers.
Villagers in Akuyam, Uganda, hadn’t eaten in three days when Sivan
Ya’ari and her Innovation: Africa staff visited them in February. They
organized an emergency food relief mission and implemented a water-pumping
project to raise the long-term standard of living of the village.
Zambia to host first Africa-Israel
Summit. Zambia
is to host the first ever Africa-Israel Summit in 2018, according to Zambia’s President
Edgar Chagwa Lungu. President Lungu flew to Israel to meet Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, and accepted his request for Zambia to host the summit.
Disaster training for the Philippines. (TY TIP) A Magen David Adom (MDA)
delegation recently went to the Philippines to train instructors for emergency
medicine teams on dealing with mass casualty incidents. The Philippines has
suffered natural and man-made disasters, requiring highly skilled medical and
rescue forces.
Technion Institute opens campus in
China. I
reported previously (Jan
2016) that Israel’s Technion had laid the cornerstone for its new research
center in the southern Chinese city of Shantou. The Guangdong Technion Israel
Institute of Technology (GTIIT) is now open and ready to educate some 3,000
students.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli tech in AR headsets. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the Augmented
Reality (AR) optical engines developed by Israel’s Lumus. Now Taiwan’s Quanta
Computer is to manufacture AR headsets with the Lumus technology inside. The
product is expected to be on the market by mid-2019.
The carbon footprint of freight transport. I reported previously (several
times) on Israel’s Freightos, which is making international freight
transport easier and cheaper. Freightos also makes it eco-friendlier by
providing a CO2 footprint calculation on every quote. Customers can then choose
the route and mode (air, train, ship etc.).
A refund if prices drop after you
purchase. Most
people aren't aware that their credit cards or favorite retailers have price
protection policies when products get discounted after purchase. Israeli
startup and app Earny tracks the prices of products online and claims refunds
for its users when prices of past purchases drop.
The solar energy valley in the desert. The Ashalim thermo-solar power station in Israel’s Negev Desert
covers 988 acres with 28,000 tons of steel. With an adjacent thermos-solar
plant and 2 nearby photovoltaic plants, they will provide some 300MW of
electricity daily into the National Grid – 2.5% of the current total.
Kids use tech to solve real-life
problems. “PICO kids” is a program for two thousand
children at 31 Jerusalem schools. Mentored by 80-plus university students and
local entrepreneurs, they build useful devices, do lab experiments, program
computers and use 3D printing and robotics to help (e.g.) the disadvantaged.
A bottle designed for breastmilk. The award-winning, Israeli
designed and manufactured Nanobébé bottle is said to be the first baby bottle
designed to preserve essential breastmilk nutrients. The bottle works directly
with an expressing pump, allows for quick and even cooling and warming, and
provides easy and efficient storage.
Ultra-secure mobile takes on Messi. Israeli startup Sirin Labs is developing an ultra-secure mobile
phone using blockchain technology. It has also hired Argentine soccer star
Lionel Messi as its brand ambassador.
Turn your headphones into a biometric sensor. Israel-based startup
Bugatone develops software that enables ordinary headphones to act as sensors.
They can recognize you by your ears, take your temperature, start and stop
playing music when you put them on or remove them, and more. Bugatone just
raised $3 million of funds.
Bringing hi-tech
to the building industry. The Israeli Government and the Israel
Builders Association have teamed up with SOSA, a company that connects startups
with investors, to set up the Construction Innovation Zone. Its aim is to bring
new technologies to cranes, planning and building procedures, and
infrastructure.
Israel plans to refill
the Kinneret. To increase the level of the Kinneret
(Sea of Galilee) after a series of bad droughts, Mekorot (Israel’s national
water company) will pump desalinated water back into the Kinneret from the
Eshkol water filtration plant - the fourth largest facility of its kind in the
world.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
The largest cut in tariffs since the
1990s. Israel is to abolish customs and purchase
taxes on a wide range of products, including electronics, cosmetics and toys.
It will remove about a quarter of the total industrial tariffs in Israel –
costing around NIS 800 million a year.
87 foreign R&D centers since 2014. A total of 87 companies from 18 countries have opened offices in
Israel since 2014 to pursue research and development or innovation, according
to new report published by Start-Up Nation Central, a nonprofit organization
that connects international businesses with Israeli startups.
European finance backs
Israeli tech.
The European Investment Fund (EIF), with Israel’s Bank Leumi, have renewed
their program offering loans to small and medium Israeli tech companies. Leumi
can offer up to $200 million, with EIF guaranteeing the funds as part of
Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation program.
Microsoft’s new Israel campus. Microsoft has completed a
lease for its new campus in Herzliya Pituach. The company will rent the 10-story
44,000 square meter Sea Tower building currently under construction. On
completion, Microsoft Israel will relocate its staff from several Herzliya
Pituach locations to the new building.
WeWork goes large
in Shanghai. Co-working real
estate company WeWork, led by Israeli Adam Neumann, has leased an office
building in Shanghai, where in 2018 it intends to open its largest co-working
space to date. The ten-story building covers 27,000 square meters.
Technical support at home within the
hour. Israeli-founded startup Puls sends a
technician within 60 minutes in response to a request to install or repair your
electronic device. Accept the fixed price quote on Puls’ website and they
dispatch one of 1300 freelance technicians to your home. Available in 43 cities
in 22 USA states.
The fastest
growing startup. Mobile ad
startup YouAppi was the top company in the 2017 Deloitte Israel Technology Fast
50 list. YouAppi helps companies reach users through mobile ads and analytics,
and has grown by 16,230 percent in four years. YouAppi’s platform is used by
over 2 billion people.
Frutarom’s 11th & 12th acquisitions
in 2017.
Israel’s Frutarom has bought Poland’s Fabryka Substancji Zapachowych
Pollena-Aroma, one of Poland’s leading producers of ingredients for the
aromatherapy and natural cosmetics industries. It has also taken a 51% stake in
Brazil’s savory solutions maker Bremil Industria.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Festival of Light meets Light Festival. Although the Jerusalem Light
Festival took place at the end of June, this video of the event was released to
coincide with Hanukah – the Jewish Festival of Light.
More historical stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) Dec
2017’s new Israeli stamps include Israeli submarines from 1959 to 1976, ancient
Roman arenas in Israel and 20 years of Or Yarok (Association for safer driving
in Israel).
Virtual Reality
archaeology tours.
Israeli startup Vortex has developed a virtual reconstruction technology
that enables the public to “relive” momentous historical events in 360
multisensory (4D) fashion. Roman and Crusader period “ArchTour” simulations are
available at Caesarea, Acre and Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza.
Ringo Starr to come to Israel. Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr - the
one-time lovable mop-top drummer for the Fab Four is finally going to make his
debut in the Jewish state, on June 23 and 24 at the Menorah Mivtahim Arena in
Tel Aviv. He will become the second former Beatle to perform in Israel, after
Paul McCartney in 2008.
THE JEWISH STATE
Birthright
trips to Israel for 27 to 32-year-olds. (TY Janglo) For the first time since
its founding, a limited number of Birthright Israel trip options for 27 to
32-year-olds will be introduced this summer in addition to the standard
programming available for 18 to 26-year-olds. https://www.birthrightisrael.com/countries
Cycling from Metula to Eilat in 24
hours. On
Chanukah, 11 cyclists lit candles in Metula on the Israel-Lebanon border and
then cycled over 500km to Eilat to light candles the next evening. In doing so,
they hoped to raise NIS 500,000 for Israeli emergency rescue charity United
Hatzalah. Please help them if you can.
Police
commissioner lights first Hanukkah light at the Kotel. (TY Leonie) Israel’s Police Commissioner Roni
Alshich lit the flame for the first night of Hanukkah at the Kotel (Western
Wall). He said, “The lighting of one Hanukkah candle creates and symbolizes the
unity of the Jewish people. One nation with one heart."
Mother and daughter discover lamp from Maccabean period. While hiking in the Beit She’an
Valley, Ayelet Goldberg-Kedar and her 7-year-old daughter discovered a clay oil
lamp dating to the Hellenistic period 2,200 years ago – when Hanukah hero Judah
Maccabee fought against the ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Ancient menorah inscription recycled in Tiberias.
An ancient seven-branched menorah inscribed on a large slab of basalt
has been unearthed in Tiberias from a Crusader-era building built using the
remains of mosque. The slab was originally the door of a 2nd to 4th century CE
Jewish cemetery, used to build the ancient mosque.
Menorahs inscribed on early Islamic coins. Researchers in Israel have discovered
menorahs prominently adorned on Muslim coins and vessels from the early Islamic
period 1,300 years ago. Many 7th to 8th century CE Umayyad dynasty relics showing
the seven-branched Jewish symbol are now being exhibited to the public.
Free
trees for Jerusalem Christians. (TY Hazel) The Jerusalem
Municipality continued its annual tradition of distributing complimentary
Christmas trees to Jerusalem’s residents in celebration of the holiday. 150 trees
were distributed on Dec 21, at the Jaffa Gate Plaza upon presentation of a
valid ID card.
Publicizing
the miracle. (TY Janglo) Rain in Jerusalem
doesn’t prevent Jewish residents from displaying their beautiful Hanukiyot
outside their homes. Specially made
glass-fronted boxes help keep the flames burning in all weathers. And (TY Sharon)
eight days of Hanukah are just not enough for Jerusalem.
Allenby
enters Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) 100 years ago, General
Edmund Henry Allenby entered Jaffa Gate, to end centuries of Ottoman rule. The
historical event was marked by a re-enactment and the opening of a new Tower of
David Museum exhibition, "A General and a Gentleman: Allenby at the Gates
of Jerusalem".
171210
In the 10th Dec 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
device can detect if a newborn has autism.
·
Israel has
helped open a new maternity hospital in Syria.
·
Israeli-developed
paint keeps buildings cool.
·
Greece,
Cyprus, Italy and Israel ratify plan for piping Israeli gas to Europe.
·
Israeli
actress Gal Gadot is GQ Magazine’s Woman of the Year.
·
(If you
hadn’t heard) The US now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Diagnosing autism in
newborns. I
reported previously (16th
Apr) how Israel saves lives with early diagnosis of autism in toddlers. Now
an Israeli, Raffi Rembrand, father of an autistic son, has invented the SensPD
which detects a newborn suffering from sensory overload – a key factor in
autism.
US approval for medicated stent. The US FDA has approved the
EluNIR medicated stent developed by Israel’s Medinol for the treatment of blocked
or narrow coronary arteries. The stent system has a novel metallic spring tip
and the narrowest strut width of any stent on the US market, for use in complex
anatomy and disease.
GE to use Israeli tech in ultrasound
scanning. In
my last newsletter (26th
Nov) I reported that GE Medical are integrating the stroke diagnosis
systems of Israel’s MedyMatch into its CT-scanners. This week, GE announced
they will integrate the imaging analysis software from Israel’s DiA into its
ultrasound devices.
Heart-winning devices. Two Israeli startups were
among the three finalists in the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s Shark
Tank Innovation competition held at the 2017 TCT Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Enopace won, with its left ventricular neurostimulator (see here). Paragate’s fluid
removal device came third.
Success for no-needle glucose meter. I reported previously (Sep 2013) about the non-invasive
diabetes finger monitor TensorTip from Israel’s Cnoga. The device uses skin color via LEDs to
measure glucose levels and has received approval in Europe (CE certification),
China and Brazil. It anticipates US FDA approval in 2018.
Saving
patients with smart breathing tubes. Israeli-founded startup ART Medical has
developed sensor-based smart tubes to monitor ICU patients on intubation,
intravenous feeding and catheters. They
can detect and alert nurses and physicians of pneumonia or any abnormalities
with gastric reflux, saliva, urine output etc.
Personalized
cancer treatment.
I reported previously (many times) on Israeli
companies developing cancer treatments targeting individuals rather than
specific areas of the body. Now, Israeli biotech Ayala is partnering with
Bristol-Myers Squibb to develop treatments for cancer patients known to have a gene
mutation.
Newly trained EMT saves her own life. Sarah - a new Emergency
Medical Technician with United Hatzalah - saved her own life when she managed
to convince medics at her local hospital that she was suffering from a
pulmonary embolism. When cynical hospital staff finally agreed to do a CT-scan,
they found a clot in her lung.
Trainee EMT saves
life whilst playing tennis. Joel Atkin, a student of United Hatzalah’s
NREMT training program helped resuscitate an older man who had collapsed near where
Atkin was playing his daily tennis game. Noticing the commotion, he supervised
CPR, provided ventilation and used a defibrillator to get a pulse.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Empowering people with disabilities. Israel marked International
Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd Dec. There are 1.6 million in Israel
with disabilities. Israeli empowerment involves cochlear implants for the deaf,
a theater for blind/deaf actors, the ReWalk exoskeleton for paraplegics, OrCam,
EyeControl and more.
Technology to help disabled visit
Knesset. The
Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) has unveiled a variety of assistive devices to make
it easier for the disabled to find their way around the Knesset building. They
include a tactile map, smart glasses to identify faces and read text via an
earpiece, wheelchairs and magnifying glasses.
Blind, but determined to serve. (TY UWI)
Being born blind didn’t stop Ori from enlisting in the IDF. She visited her
base many times before beginning her service, to get to know her way around it.
Ethiopian-Israelis make socio-economic
gains. In
1999, 75% of Ethiopian-Israelis could not read or write Hebrew. In 2016, a
higher percentage of 12th graders in the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) SPACE
Program matriculated than average Israelis. The ENP program is now being rolled
out to non-Ethiopian Israelis.
Ultrasound training for PA doctors. I reported previously (26th
Nov) that Palestinian Arab eye doctors had been trained in Israel. Now, Palestinian Arab doctors have been
receiving training at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva to give ultrasound-guided
local anesthetic for patients who cannot risk having general anesthesia.
Palestinian Arab saved in Hebron. (TY Zev) Israel Border
Police saved the life of a Palestinian Arab in Hebron. The man in his 20s
stopped breathing and lost consciousness in a house near the Cave of the
Patriarchs. IDF soldiers and a medic revived him. The man's family members
thanked the officers for their actions.
Israel sets up new
maternity hospital in Syria. The IDF has helped establish a maternity
hospital on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Although staffed by Syrian
doctors, the incubators, beds and ultrasound equipment come from Israel. Since
its recent opening, 30 Syrian women have given birth at the hospital.
EU awards for joint environmental group. The Geneva Center for Security Policy chose EcoPeace Middle East’s
Program on Water Security for this year’s Prize for Innovation in Global
Security from among 114 entrees from 50 countries. EcoPeace consists of
Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian Arab environmentalists.
African heads of parliament attend
Knesset. Six heads of parliament, from Ghana,
Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda will attend a conference
at the Knesset – Israel’s Parliament. They will discuss gender equality,
combatting terrorism, accessibility for the disabled and sustainability.
The only Western head of government. (TY Israpundit)
At Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s inauguration, Israel’s Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu was only the only Western head of government present,
joining ten African presidents.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Paint uses sunlight to
cool buildings. Yaron Shenhav and Gadi Grottas,
co-founders of Israel’s SolCold, and Hebrew University Professor Guy Ron have
invented a high-tech coating that cools down structures when the sun shines.
Photons from the sun hit the material which then emits a higher-frequency
photon and loses energy.
Energy efficient buildings. I reported previously (Jun
2015) about Israel’s Market Tech Holdings rebuilding London’s Camden
Market. It also installed the energy analysis system developed by Israel’s
SmartGreen, which saves 25% of energy costs. SmartGreen’s systems are installed
in Israel, UK, Hong Kong, Poland and Africa.
Huge solar farm to be built in the
North. A new
solar power plant with nearly five times more capacity than Israel’s current
largest solar array will be built in the north of the country with construction
expected to begin as early as the first half of next year. The 250MW plant will
provide 2% of Israel’s total output of electricity.
No pollution by 2030. By the year 2013 Israel will
not be using polluting fuels such as coal, diesel or fuel oil in electricity
production, transportation, and industry, says Minister of National
Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources Dr. Yuval Steinitz.
Self-healing system for connected cars. Israel’s Aurora Labs has
developed a self-healing platform for connected cars. It detects anomalies in
sophisticated automobile software including airbags, steering, brakes etc.
Fixes can be applied remotely, avoiding expensive recalls. Aurora has just raised $2.7 million of
funding.
Protecting car passengers. Israeli startup Guardian
Optical Technologies develops sensors that monitor the safety devices inside
automobiles. Its new automatic sensor system combines video image recognition,
3D depth-mapping, and motion detection. It can also prevent small children and
pets being forgotten in vehicles.
A rescue robot that can walk or fly. The Rooster is a new robot from Israeli startup RoboTiCan that can
help reach injured victims of natural disasters where it’s not safe to send a
human rescue worker. Like its biological
namesake, the Rooster mostly walks, but when necessary it can hover and fly
over obstacles.
Chips for robots. Israeli startup Inuitive
specializes in vision processing and sensing technologies. It uses deep
learning algorithms to develop chips and processors that support 3D imaging for
uses in robots, drones, augmented reality and virtual reality. Japan’s Softbank
is to integrate Inuitive’s chips into its IoT products.
Israeli study – amputees use brain to
control avatars and robots. Israeli scientists have shown that despite
losing a hand over 18 months ago, amputees are able to use a brain-computer
interface to control the hand of an avatar (virtual representation of a human)
and also to direct the movements of a humanoid robot.
Any movie, any language, anytime,
anywhere.
Israeli startup Muvix says it is the first in the world to provide movies
on-demand in a public space. The Muvix “living lab” in South Tel Aviv had partitioned-off
spaces, each with a large TV screen. Viewers watched their chosen film in their
chosen language without disturbing others.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
New record for currency reserves. The value of Israel’s foreign currency deposits increased to a new
all-time record at the end of November of $112 billion – an increase of $770
million from its end October value.
European gas pipeline
project advances. (TY Hazel) Following previous
pledges, Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding
for constructing an underwater gas pipeline from the Eastern Mediterranean
region to Greece and Italy, to transport Cypriot and Israeli gas reserves to
mainland Europe.
Huge Florida delegation heads for
Israel. Florida
Governor Rick Scott is visiting Israel at the head of an almost 70-strong
delegation including businessmen and university heads. Scott is a supporter of
the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator which helps Israeli startups make
inroads in the US.
German car maker buys auto-security
company. I
reported previously (Aug
2015) on Israel’s Argus Cyber Security and its systems to prevent
electronic car hijacking. Argus has just been acquired by Gemany’s Continental
AG, an automotive manufacturer, for an estimated $400 million.
WeWork is working well. The office space rental company WeWork, founded by Israeli Adam
Neumann, is now worth $20 billion and has established itself in some 20
countries. WeWork has been buying up several companies recently, the latest
being social networking company Meetup.
Big demand for 3D sweetener. I reported previously (20th
Feb) on the new Liteez stevia sweetener, shaped like a meringue, from
Israel’s Lampados International. The sweetener is so popular that Lampados is
completing a new plant expansion in Caesarea to cope with the growing demand.
Huge Indian order for Ceragon. I reported previously (many times) on Israel’s Ceragon
Networks which provides broadband wireless connectivity for international
mobile service providers. Ceragon has just won a massive $66 million order to
provide wireless backhaul services to a major Indian mobile operator.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Gunzburg family collection to go online. The National Library of Israel has added the Günzburg Collection to
its new digitized platform. The originals will remain in Russia. Some 2,000 Jewish
manuscripts and 14,000 books will be added to the archives’ 45,000 manuscripts
– more than half of the world’s known Hebrew books.
African American hoopsters in the Holy
Land. David
A. Goldstein, in his new book “Alley-Oop to Aliyah: African-American Hoopsters
in the Holy Land,” states that since 1976, 800 African-Americans have competed
in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. And most professed a deep, genuine
love for Israel.
Boy George – “Israel is in my heart”. (TY Nevet) 80s music icon
Boy George and his band Culture Club kicked off their world tour in Tel Aviv.
He was joined by the three other original members of Culture Club. Roy Hay,
Mikey Craig and Jon Moss. “Israel is in my heart,” he wrote on twitter.
Hi Hi, Miss American Pie. With iconic hits like
“American Pie” and “Vincent,” Don McLean is one of America’s most beloved and
enduring artists. He will be performing at the Ra’anana Amphitheater on June
16.
McLean did many tours of Israel during the
Iran-Iraq War and is “a staunch supporter of Israel then and now”.
Stunning photo at the Hula Valley. Every year some 500 million
birds migrate across Israel in their twice a year pilgrimage to and from warmer
climes. Photographer Chanoch Seif caught some in flight over Lake Hula at
sunrise, with the backdrop of the “Super-moon”.
THE JEWISH STATE
Social Media
Experts Explore Israel. (TY Sharon) One of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance
Project (JWRP) (see
May 2016) groups is Media Magnets - Jewish women with millions of social
media followers. 30 Media Magnets recently visited Israel and will certainly be
letting their audiences know about the Jewish State.
Highway
patrol takes couple to their wedding. An
Israeli bride and groom were on the way to their wedding on Route 4 when their
car broke down. A patrolman for Netivei Israel - the government-owned company
in charge of Israel’s roads – chauffeured the couple to their wedding himself.
He even decorated his car for them.
150
German-speaking Jewish leaders visit Jerusalem. In
the largest gathering of its kind, some 150 young Jewish leaders from
German-speaking countries gathered in Jerusalem for an annual event hosted by
the Jewish Agency for Israel. Their tracks included hi-tech, archeological
discoveries; the social fabric; and education.
90-year-old
Holocaust survivor’s first visit to Kotel. Avraham
Takacz, a native of Donetsk and a Holocaust survivor, arrived in Israel as a
refugee in 2014 from the battle zones of the Ukraine. For his 90th birthday, he
fulfilled a dream and visited the Western Wall for the first time in his life.
Hanukah
in Jerusalem. Hanukkah
- the Jewish “Festival of lights”, begins on the evening of 12 Dec. This video
shows the traditional nightly Hannukiah (candelabra) lighting in Jerusalem’s
Old City.
US recognizes that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.
It was a historic moment, just past 8pm Israeli time on 6th Dec when US
President Donald Trump announced US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of
the Jewish State and began the process of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv
to Jerusalem. The Czech Republic also announced recognition. https://www.youtube.com/embed/OAKxZeFc8Jk?rel=0
171203
In the 3rd Dec 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have developed a protein switch to fight cancer.
·
An Israeli
charity is providing motorized wheelchairs for disabled toddlers.
·
Israel has
sent medical aid to fight plague in Madagascar.
·
A documentary
on the Space Station is being made using an Israeli super-camera.
·
Three of
the world’s most innovative universities are Israeli.
·
Israel’s
Sodastream is turning water into (sparkling) wine.
·
China’s
most valuable soccer player is an Israeli.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Protein switch helps
immune system fight cancer. Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology researchers have developed a protein “switch” that
activates the immune system to attack cancer cells. They were able to
distinguish cancer cells from healthy tissue by their DNA sequences.
Injection melts fat. Israeli startup Raziel
Therapeutics has developed an injectable molecule that apparently melts away
fat cells. The new synthetic small molecule was discovered by Professor Shmuel
Ben-Sasson of Hebrew University almost by accident. Raziel is conducting phase
2a clinical testing on 32 US patients.
GE imaging to use Israeli technology. I reported previously (twice)
on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform of Israel’s MedyMatch for
diagnosing head trauma and strokes from CT-scans. MedyMatch is now partnering
with GE Healthcare to integrate its products with the US giant’s imaging
solutions.
Prostate device gets European approval. Israeli biotech Butterfly
Medical has received the CE Mark for its novel medical device for non-surgical
treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate that
affects 105 million men globally. The device is inserted in a 10-minute
procedure under local anesthetic.
Autism and the smell of fear. Scientists at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute have discovered that people with Autism react differently to
certain odors produced by the human body. Experiments using sweat collected
from people taking skydiving classes and from those undertaking normal exercise
had remarkably different results.
Cancer patients win golf tournament. I reported previously (twice) on the annual
fund-raising “Hole in One” golf tournament of Israeli cancer charity Ezer
Mizion. For the first time, a team of cancer patients also competed. The team not only won one of the top awards,
but the patients benefited from a wonderful day out.
United Hatzalah founder saves a life. Eli Beer, founder and
President of United Hatzalah was flying El Al from New York to Israel when he
rushed to save the life of a passenger who was having a hypoglycemia attack.
Using a borrowed glucometer, honey and jam he stabilized the patient so the
flight could continue to Tel Aviv.
Video shows EMT
saving choking drummer. The security camera at a
wedding venue captured the dramatic events after the band’s drummer began
choking food that he’d swallowed. Luckily, one of the guests was United
Hatzalah EMT Mordechai Mammon who used the Heimlich maneuver to save the
drummer’s life.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
iPads for Jerusalem special needs
teachers. (TY Janglo)
Jerusalem Municipality and the Athena Fund is providing 463 special education
teachers with iPads, along with special programs and applications designed for
students with special needs and various handicaps. It will improve teacher-student
communication.
Mini-motorized
wheelchairs for disabled toddlers. Israeli charity ALEH is providing disabled
Jerusalem toddlers with specially designed motorized wheelchairs, allowing them
to take control of their own mobility from the age of one. The small but
powerful “Wizzybug” chairs support every part of the child’s growing body.
Diversity award for girls’ tech training
program.
I’ve reported previously (23rd
July) about the QueenB tech and confidence mentorship and training program
for girls of middle-school age. QueenB will be able to do more teaching with
$72,000 it recently won at the WeWork Creator Awards, which took place in Tel
Aviv.
Fighting epidemics together. The National Center for
Disease Control organized a six-day program on Applied Epidemiology. Thirty professionals in public health,
infectious diseases and Epidemiology took part - both Israeli medical and research personnel, plus
their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority.
Another Israeli resolution passes at the
UN. An
Israeli resolution promoting the utilizing of agricultural technology for
sustainable development passed the United Nations (UN) Second Committee by a
141 to 1 (Syrian) vote, with 34 (Arab block) abstentions. A record 117
countries co-sponsored the Israeli initiative.
Israel is a strategic asset of the West. Former commander of British forces
in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp gives historical and current day examples
of how vital Israel is to the security of Western nations. He even suggests a
new Balfour Declaration that recognizes the strategic value of the Jewish State
today.
How does the UN get aid to Syria? Via Israel. The only safe way that the United Nations can
send humanitarian aid to war-torn Syria is through Israel. See these UN trucks
entering Syria at the Israeli border.
Emergency aid to
Madagascar.
(TY Algemeiner)
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South African branch of Magen
David Adom have sent medical aid to Madagascar to help combat an outbreak of
bubonic / pneumonic plague. The World Health Organization described the
outbreak as the worst in 50 years.
Israel to open embassy in Rwanda. (TY Hazel) Israel is opening
a new embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. “This is part of the expansion of Israel’s
presence in Africa and of the deepening cooperation between Israel and African
countries,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting Rwandan President
Paul Kagame in Nairobi.
Israel and NATO to share classified
info. Israel and NATO have signed an agreement on
the protection of classified information. The agreement will help expand the
sharing of intelligence between Israel and NATO.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli VR camera
films life on space station. International Space Station astronaut Paolo
Nespoli is making a National Geographic documentary “One Strange Rock” using a
virtual reality (VR) camera developed by Israeli startup Human Eyes. The camera
will take 3D, 360-degree shots of life and work aboard the ISS.
A prolific inventor. Assaf Natanzon, Vice
President of advanced technology and investment evaluation for Europe, Middle
East and Africa at Dell EMC, is the top Israeli on Wikipedia’s list of Prolific
Inventors. He has 205 registered patents as at the time of writing (up from 202
in the Israel21c article).
The supermarket in your kitchen. Israel’s Freshub has already
developed a voice-activated smart kitchen device that allows you to order
groceries, search recipes, setup cooking timers and play music. Freshub has now
partnered with China’s TCL to integrate Freshub’s software into TCL’s Xess mini
tablet kitchen assistant.
Why didn’t they buy? I’ve previously reported on two Israeli companies
that try to reduce the numbers of customers who abandon on-line purchases at
the checkout. Now Israeli startup
Datacrushers uses algorithms, data and analytics to help Internet vendors
correct problems with their site and boost sales by up to 40%.
First marine station launched. Israel’s experimental Deep-Sea
Research Station (Deeplev) has now been made permanent. The station is moored
in the Mediterranean Sea, 50km west of Haifa.
Its team of scientists are from Bar Ilan University and the Israel Oceanographic
and Limnological Research Institute.
Navy Iron Dome is now operational. The Israeli Air Force and
Navy have announced that the missile defense system Iron Dome had been declared
operational for use at sea, following 18 months of testing. The ship-based
system will be used to protect marine targets, such as Israel’s natural gas
rigs in the Mediterranean.
Three innovative
Israeli universities. Israel was the only Middle
East country mentioned in Reuters’ annual list of the World’s 100 most
innovative universities. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was 82nd, up 12
spots from last year. Tel Aviv University was ranked at 88 and the Technion
Institute of Technology was at 89.
German-Israeli program to boost
cybersecurity.
The Hessian Israeli Partnership Accelerator for Cybersecurity program
will unite teams of cybersecurity experts from Israel and Germany in projects that
will “trigger the creation of innovation and businesses in cybersecurity” in
the two countries.
Protecting medical devices from
cyber-attack.
Israel’s Medigate develops a platform that protects medical devices such
as patient monitors, MRIs and CAT scanners from cyber-attacks once the devices
are connected to a healthcare provider network. Medigate has just raised $5.35
million of funding.
New US-Israel scientific exchange. The first Zuckerman
U.S.-Israel symposium was held at Tel Aviv University, promoting academic
exchange between the two countries. Zuckerman STEM Scholars presented their
research, including 3D color microscopes and echolocation used by bats to find
food in the dark.
Innoviz wins CES 2018 Innovation Award. Israel’s Innoviz Technologies has won the CES 2018 Innovation
Awards Honoree recognition in the Vehicle Intelligence and Self-Driving
Technology category for its groundbreaking InnovizPro™ High Definition Solid
State LiDAR (Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging).
Genome sequence of wild lentils. Israel’s NRGene, in
partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, has successfully sequenced two
wild lentil genomes - the largest legume genomes ever assembled. The research
is expected to empower future breeding efforts aimed at enhancing yield and
quality of this vital protein source.
Israel launches 1,600 MW rooftops solar
project. The
Israeli government has privatized electricity production, enabling home
consumers, local authorities, and businesses to produce solar electricity. The
project aims to produce 1,600 megawatts, helping Israel reach its 2020 target
of 10% of its electricity from renewables.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economic growth continues. Highlights of Ambassador
Yoram Ettinger’s latest report include 3rd quarter GDP at 4.1% (Q2 was 2.5%).
Record $1.7 billion worth of Israeli companies acquired by foreign investors. $1.4 billion raised by Israeli startups in Q3
(up 14% on Q2). http://bit.ly/2hXCfvx
Brexit is good for UK-Israel trade. Business contacts between
the UK and Israel are soaring, stimulated by Brexit issues and the current
relative low value of Sterling. Recent activity includes the Innovate Israel
2017 conference in London and the UK Israel Business chamber of commerce’s
largest delegation to Israel.
Israeli
universities help get better jobs. 3 Israeli universities have climbed up the
London Times’ Higher Education ranking of graduate employability. The Technion came top for digital skills and
third in corporate links. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
University both improved on their 2016 rankings.
Two Israeli startup accelerators in
Beijing. The Israeli Ministry of Economy is working
with Chinese venture capital firms DayDayUp and ShengJing360 to launch two
accelerators for Israeli startups in Beijing. The Ministry of Economy has
already announced the ten startups selected to participate in the program.
Sodastream launches
sparkling wine. Israel’s Sodastream has launched
'Sparkling Gold,' a fine alcoholic concentrate to be added to sparkling water.
The new alcoholic beverage contains 10% alcohol and resembles the taste of a
fruity Riesling wine. Sparkling Gold is being piloted in Germany and feedback
is very positive.
Amazon to deliver in Israel.? (TY Janglo & ILTV) Amazon.com is in talks to set up its first
shipping center in Israel. The world’s largest online retailer will hopefully
soon begin operations in Israel, in a move that would lower shipping prices,
waiting times, and import fees for Israeli consumers.
Dropbox expands in Israel. US cloud storage company
Dropbox is expanding its activity in Israel and moving to new offices at Tel
Aviv’s Azrieli Sarona tower. Dropbox
aims “to attract the leading talent in Israel and allow our teams to work
together seamlessly”. Amazon and Facebook have offices in the same building.
Lloyds Insurance offers Israeli service
to customers.
London-based insurance market Lloyd’s has signed a deal with Israeli maritime
data provider Windward. Windward will provide Lloyd’s member companies with
software that forecasts accidents and dangerous conditions like hostilities
breaking out in a specific area.
UK Stock Exchange uses Israeli
intelligence.
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has partnered with Israel-based
startup Zirra.com. Zirra will provide the LSEG’s fundraising program ELITE with
company research tools powered by automated signals, artificial intelligence
(AI), and big data.
Israeli video ad companies merge. Israeli video marketing
platform Innovid today announced it has agreed to acquire Israeli real-time
data intelligence company Taykey (see
here). Innovid will gain access to Taykey’s big data platform and 14
patents including natural language processing and AI-based machine learning.
Alibaba’s first Israeli acquisition. I reported previously (May
2015) that Israel’s Visualead was helping Chinese online retailing giant
Alibaba from trading counterfeit goods. Obviously, Alibaba must have been so
impressed, that they bought the company – its first Israeli acquisition.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Tel Aviv Jazz Festival. The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival
(Dec 6 – 8) features premiere productions, live shows, free performances and
tributes to the great Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk. The 20
performers from Israel and abroad include Ravi Coltrane, Daniel Jobim, Ester
Rada and Dee Alexander.
“Take
That” performs in Tel Aviv. (TY CUFI) The band, “Take That” rolled
back the years at Tel Aviv's Menora Mivtachim Arena with the group's first
ever, long-awaited visit to Israel. The 90-minute concert featured 1990’s hits
from the band's current line-up, including Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark
Owen.
Jerry Seinfeld returns on Dec 30. (TY Janglo)
Legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be returning to Israel on 30th Dec for
two shows in Tel Aviv. Seinfeld, who did 4 sold-out gigs in Israel in 2015,
will perform at Tel Aviv’s Menorah Mivtachim Arena. El Al Matmid club members can get a NIS 100
discount.
The most valuable
player in China.
(TY Algemeiner)
Israeli soccer star Eran Zahavi was named this year’s most valuable player in
the Chinese Super League (CSL). Zahavi has scored 27 goals for Guangzhou
R&F, just one short of the league record. His $7 million annual contract
ends in 2020.
THE JEWISH STATE
A message from a Muslim Arab. (TY Avi)
Mohammad Kabiya is a Bedouin, Muslim Arab. He loves his country. He is prepared
to die for it, which is why he served in its army - voluntarily, because his
country is free, diverse, vibrant. His country is Israel. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tu-5xxZJxmA?rel=0
From
UAE student to IDF soldier. Michael Bassin now works for
Israeli startup FirstImpression.io and has written a book “I Am Not a Spy”. It
tells of his time studying in Sharjah United Arab Emirates, also in Cairo,
Lebanon and finally in Israel.
Will Smith visits the Western Wall. Actor Will Smith, star of
Men In Black and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, was “chillin” by the Western Wall
in Jerusalem. He found it to be “a very spiritual, very powerful place” and was
“very honored to be here.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/uIDZGgQPOgQ?rel=0
Miss Israel’s kosher diet. (TY Janglo)
I wrote previously (23rd
July) about Rotem Rabi, Israel’s contestant in this month’s Miss World
competition in China. But it isn’t easy, as she keeps kosher. “I’m having
difficulty with the food,” she said, “almost nothing here is kosher. I’m living
on pineapple and cookies”.
Drones
discovers ancient Edomite temple. Drones flying over Israel’s
Lachish region have discovered the remains of a 2,200-year-old Idumean
(Edomite) palace or temple. Dating from the Hellenistic period, the structure
was partly dismantled, probably by the Jewish Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus I
around 112 BCE.
171126
In the 26th Nov 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have developed technology to repair severed spinal cords.
·
The UK is
to use an Israeli system to help protect the Falkland Islands.
·
The
International Space Station now has an Israeli remote-controlled lab.
·
The
record-breaking 3-millionth tourist to Israel gets a holiday upgrade.
·
An Israeli
company is desalinating water in South Africa.
·
An Israeli
designed the dresses for Serena Williams’ bridesmaids.
·
An Israeli
Bar Mitzva boy raised funds to power a Ugandan school.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Repairing severed spinal cord. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute and
Tel Aviv University have reconnected severed spinal cords of rats. Previously
paralyzed rodents were implanted with cells induced into a neural phenotype,
and regained motor control. It could lead to major advances in treating spinal
cord injury.
Predicting diabetes. (TY Atid-EDI)
I reported previously (twice)
on Israel’s Medial EarlySign and its blood test for early detection of colon
cancer. Now Medial has developed an algorithm with a 64% success rate for
identifying which of 645,000 prediabetics were at risk of becoming diabetics
within 12 months.
Hope for bone
marrow failure patients. Israeli biotech Pluristem has opened clinical
centers in Israel and extended the trial of its stem cell treatment for
insufficient hematopoietic recovery following hematopoietic cell
transplantation (HCT). HCT is performed
when bone marrow fails for reasons including cancer treatment.
Managing chronically ill patients. (TY Atid-EDI) I
reported previously (Nov 2012) on Israel’s Vaica and its system for reminding
individuals to take their meds. Vaica has now launched Capsuled - a personally customized
medication adherence solution.
Medical solutions for disasters. The Israeli pavilion at
MEDICA 2017 in Dusseldorf, showcased specialized emergency medical services
products for intensive care, respiratory, cardiac, central nervous system and
trauma. Israeli companies presenting included Inovytec, Medisim, CardiacX and
Guide in Medical.
Preparing Toronto hospital for
disasters. A team of experts from Israel’s Rambam
hospital shared their knowledge with Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children on
how to prepare for disasters, such as mass casualties. As the city gets larger,
the Canadian hospital needs to prepare for taking many casualties at one time.
Treating children in Georgia. Twice a year, for the past five years, doctors from Haifa’s Rambam
Medical Center have traveled to capital city of Tbilisi to perform operations
on local youngsters with serious congenital defects. The delegation consists of
pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists and intensive care specialists.
The most
teenage volunteer EMTs. (TY Hazel) 60 percent of
the volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) staff of Magen David Adom,
Israel’s national emergency-response network, are teenagers – the highest
percentage in the world. 11,000 Israeli teenagers work voluntary shifts on MDA
ambulances throughout Israel.
The highest fertility
in the OECD. (TY Atid-EDI) Women
in Israel have 3.1 children on average, the most in the OECD. Second is Mexico
with 2.2 children and the OECD average is below two. In 2016, the percentage of
miscarriages was less than the OECD average and C-sections averaged 17.8%
compared to the OECD 27%.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
New bank
notes to feature famous women. As predicted previously (5th
Feb), Israel’s new 20-shekel and 100-shekel bank notes are about to be
distributed. They feature Israel’s greatest poet, Rachel Bluwstein (1890-1931)
and Leah Goldberg (1911-1970) - poet, author, playwright, teacher, literary
translator and researcher.
Israeli-Arabs in hi-tech. (TY Hazel) In 2007, there were only some 300 Arab engineers in the
industry. Today, there are an estimated 5,000 Arab computer programmers and
software engineers employed across Israel.
Gaza eye doctors trained in Israel. (TY Phillip,
Hazel & UWI)
Two Israeli-trained Palestinian Arab doctors, travel from St John’s hospital in
Jerusalem to Gaza every two months to perform eye operations on local Gazans.
They have conducted 60 corneal transplants since the beginning of this year.
Opening border to sick Syrian children. In unprecedented footage,
the IDF allowed an Israeli TV crew to film it opening the border gates to
Syria, and allowing in a group of 21 mothers and their 23 children, who were
then transported to Israel’s Ziv hospital in Safed for medical treatment.
Syrian doctors had selected the patients.
Israel has treated
4000 wounded Syrians. (TY UWI)
This video summarizes Israeli help for wounded and sick Syrians since the day
in 2013 when seven injured Syrians requested help from the IDF.
No politics between beauty queens. Adar Gandelsman (Miss Israel) and Sarah Idan (Miss Iraq) publicized
their friendship ahead of November’s Miss Universe competition. Gandelsman
posted on Instagram, “Get to know, this is Miss Iraq and she’s amazing.” Idan posted “peace and love from Miss Iraq
and Miss Israel.”
Security for
Central African Republic. I reported previously (16th
Apr) that Israel was providing observation balloons and unmanned aerial
vehicles to protect UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The UN
Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, Atul Khare, has now agreed to expand
and upgrade the systems.
The largest ever aerial drill. 1,000 pilots and crews from
India, the US, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Israel took part in
the 11-day exercise “Blue Flag” launched from Israeli Air Force’s Ovda base. The
goal was to simulate extreme scenarios and fly in coalition as realistically as
possible.
Iron Dome to protect
Falklands.
(TY WIN)
Britain is buying Israel's Iron Dome short range missile defense system to
protect the Falkland Islands. A UK Defense Ministry spokesman said, "we
selected Rafael for a £78 million contract to provide the main computer system
and boost our defense of the Falkland Islands."
Science and tech center for South Sudan. Israeli humanitarian organization IsraAID has helped build a center
for the study of science and technology in South Sudan. 10,000 youth will train
at the center in the next 3 years to become engineers, technicians etc. and contribute
to the country’s economic and social development.
Electricity for Africa. (TY WIN)
The Israeli government is now partnering with the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) in order to continue providing Africa with electricity.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
World’s first
remote-controlled space lab. A miniaturized laboratory, developed by
Israel’s Space-Pharma, has docked at the International Space Station (ISS).
Research experiments can now be conducted remotely by scientists on Earth,
without involvement from the astronauts, thus vastly reducing costs and time.
Turning Kenyan deserts into forests. The Kenyan government and Keren Keyemet L’Yisrael / Jewish National
Fund signed a memorandum of understanding about planting forests in dry
climates. Israeli technology can conserve soil, capture rain runoff, monitor
precipitation and engage the public with forest conservation.
Secure real-time
video transmission.
Israel’s Elsight develops and markets secure video transmission systems
for security services and companies with high-value products. It recently
launched on the Australian stock exchange and seen its share price quadruple. https://www.youtube.com/embed/8QJOBfinuKg?rel=0
An invisibility cloak is possible. Scientists at Israel’s Ben
Gurion University have developed a material which deflects light away from a viewer’s
eyes. Their next step is to use the material to produce a cloak that makes the
wearer appear invisible – just like in the movie Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone.
Five new US-Israeli clean energy
projects. The US-Israel Binational Industrial
Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program has granted $4.8 million for
five newly selected clean energy projects. The Israeli companies involved are
Brenmiller, CelDezyner, QDM, SoftWheel and TerraGenic.
The best biopesticide. (TY Atid-EDI) I
reported previously (several
times) on Israel’s Stockton Group and its innovative pesticide Timorex
Gold® made from plant extracts. Now the environmentally-friendly bio-fungicide
has been recognized by AgroPages, receiving its 1st Place BEST-IN-CLASS:
Provider of Choice Award.
Hi-intensity laser conference. The Carlton Hotel Tel Aviv
is the venue for the Conference on High Intensity Lasers in Israel (CHILI) from
Dec 11 – 13. Leading international scientists will discuss the interaction of
high intensity lasers with matter, such as laser fusion, X-ray/neutron
radiation, and attoscience (pulsating photons).
Kim Kardashian
helps design fashion app. American reality superstar Kim Kardashian
West partnered with ScreenShop, an Israeli-founded, New York-based fashion app
and the first mobile platform to convert screenshots on a phone into a digital
fashion store. The system finds your
Haifa car-sharing is all-electric. (TY Atid-EDI) The
Haifa municipality and Israeli-founded Car2Go have
launched the first shared transportation
project of its kind in Israel, based on electric vehicles and charging
stations. 100 Renault Zoe cars will operate in the city, with 300 reserved
parking spaces.
The flying safety inspector. I reported previously (Apr
2015) about Percepto – an autonomous drone camera system with multiple
applications. Percepto’s new “Sparrow I” provides 24-hour aerial monitoring of
complex environments where security is imperative, such as oil and gas
refineries, power plants, ports and sea terminals.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
The world’s second strongest currency. (TY Atid-EDI)
Deutsche Bank has rated the Israeli shekel as the world's second-strongest
currency after the Chinese yuan. Over the past 12 months, the shekel has
appreciated 6.1% against the basket of currencies, which comprises the U.S.
dollar, the British pound, the euro and the yen.
Israel’s 3-millionth
tourist. (TY
Atid-EDI) Incoming
tourism broke records on 7th Nov, when Wizz Air Flight No. 3257 landed in
Israel, carrying Romanian tourist Ioana Isac, the 3 millionth tourist to arrive
in Israel this year. Ioana and her partner were treated to a dream vacation
courtesy of the Israeli Tourism Ministry.
Canadian bank taps
Israeli cybersecurity talent. (TY Walter) The Toronto-Dominion Bank is
opening a new office in Tel Aviv to tap Israel’s cybersecurity expertise – a
first for any Canadian bank. TD Bank Group, plans to invest up to $5 million
annually in its Tel Aviv office.
Business success
is plain sailing. 100 US and Israeli graduates of
some of the world’s top international universities took part in Israel’s 10th
annual Ivy League Yacht Race in the Mediterranean off Herzliya. This, plus
other similar events, gives vital business networking opportunities to top
American and Israeli alumni.
Israeli
acquisition for Frutarom. Israeli flavors and fine ingredients company
Frutarom has made its ninth takeover of 2017. It has bought Israel’s Enzymotec
– producer of InFat infant formula and other nutrition products. Enzymotec has
around 100 registered patents and adds to Frutarom’s 79 global R&D centers.
UK delegation seeks Israeli market. A delegation of over 35
British investors, led by the deputy chairman of the Bank of England, made a three-day
visit to Israel. It was the largest delegation to date organized by the chamber
of commerce UK Israel Business (UKIB), which aims to connect businesses in the
two nations.
Chinese roadshow. 15 Israeli companies from
the life sciences and information communications technology (ICT) sectors took
part in a roadshow to China. The delegation, organized by the Israel Innovation
Authority together with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, visited
Changzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
50% scholarships
to Law School.
(TY Janglo)
Israel’s prestigious College of Law and Business in Ramat Gan has launched a merit-based
scholarship program for the October 2018 class. It offers to waive from 20% -
50% of tuition fees for English-speaking high-school applicants, based on their
academic record.
Jerusalem’s hi-tech and residential hub. (TY Janglo)
Jerusalem Mayor Barkat is initiating the construction of a high-tech,
residential, academic and recreational hub above the Begin Road in central Jerusalem.
The high-tech and biotech village of 70,000 sqm will contain 1,830 residents
including 250 sheltered housing units.
Desalination for
Mayotte and South Africa. (TY Hazel) Fluence Corporation (merger of
Israel’s Emefcy and RWL Water) is to supply three NIROBOX reverse-osmosis
seawater desalination units for the French island of Mayotte, in the Indian
Ocean. It follows the company’s recent award of a NIROBOX plant in South
Africa.
Mercedes’ Tel Aviv tech hub opens. I reported previously (Nov 2016) that Daimler (owner of Mercedes
Benz) planned to launch an Israeli R&D center. It is now open and aims to unify
the four mega trends impacting the automobile industry: connectivity,
autonomous vehicles, ride sharing and electro-mobility.
Samsung opens Israel car cybersecurity
hub. Samsung Electronics has launched its
International Cyber Security Smart Mobility Analysis and Research Test (SMART)
Range in Israel. Its aim is to protect autonomous vehicles, devices and
roadways from dangerous intrusions.
E-passport system for Iceland. Israel’s SuperCom has won an
8-year contract to build and operate a new central personalization system for electronic
passports and national ID cards in Iceland.
Wizz to fly daily to London. (TY Janglo)
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced that, from March 25, 2018, it
will operate daily flights on the Tel Aviv to London Luton route, instead of
the four flights a week it currently offers. Wizz is adding four Airbus A320
aircraft to its fleet based at Luton Airport.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The hidden gems of Jerusalem. Noam Chen and Jacob Bildner
here reveal historical sites in Jerusalem that are inaccessible to the public
or literally hidden from sight. They include the Kishle prison, Siebenberg
House, the Italian Synagogue, Jason’s Tomb, Helena’s Well, the Mamluk Halls and
the Little Western Wall.
Nick Cave performs in Israel, because
of BDS. Australian
rock singer Nick Cave is in Israel for two concerts in Tel Aviv, and he says
that the anti-Israel BDS movement was his motivation. Cave is performing to
sellout audiences in the 11,000 seat Menorah Mivtachim Arena.
Ozzy’s final tour. (TY Janglo)
Heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne is coming to Israel next year for what he says
is his farewell tour. He will perform with members of Black Sabbath, the
English band he founded and previously fronted. Ozzy will perform on 8th July 2018
at Rishon Lezion’s Live Park.
Morrissey’s new pro-Israeli album track. (TY UWI)
A six-minute-long pro-Zionist ballad simply called “Israel” is the last track
on Morrissey’s new album “Low In High School”. Morrissey’s pro-Israel stance
spans over a period of more than a decade. He even appeared on stage in Tel
Aviv draped in an Israeli flag.
Israeli dresses for
Serena’s bridesmaids. At tennis superstar Serena Williams's wedding
to Alexis Ohanian, the bride wore white, but her bridal party wore Israeli!
Israel’s Galia Lahav designed all seven of the bridesmaids' dresses including
that of Venus Williams – Serena’s sister – who was Maid of Honor.
Israeli
Judoka wins gold medal in Abu Dhabi. The
Israeli team won five medals at the Judo Grand Slam tournament in Abu Dhabi. Tal
Flicker won gold in the men’s under-66kg. He mouthed the words of
"HaTikva," the Israeli anthem, during his medal ceremony, as the UAE
state had banned the Israeli flag and anthem.
THE JEWISH STATE
162
“lost” Indian Jews arrive in Israel. (TY Algemeiner) Two groups, totaling
162 members of the Bnei Menashe Jewish community from northeast India have just
arrived in Israel. The immigration of the so-called “lost” Jews was organized
by Shavei Israel, which has now brought 3,000 Bnei Menashe to the Jewish State.
The
gavel used in the UN partition vote.
Readers may have seen the video of the 29th Nov 1947 United Nations vote
that preceded Israel’s declaration of independence. The gavel, used by then-president
of the UN General Assembly, Oswaldo Aranha of Brazil, is now on display at the
Knesset.
A
Pakistani explains why he is a Muslim Zionist. (TY Avi) I featured Pakistani Muslim
Noor Dahri (twice) previously. Here he
explains why supports the Jewish State.
Celebrating
Torah and Technology. KamaTech, a startup accelerator
for ultra-Orthodox entrepreneurs, together with the website Sefaria, organized
the first-ever hackathon for Haredi engineers and programmers. Its aim was to
find ways to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in the study of
ancient Jewish texts.
35,000
celebrate Abraham’s land purchase. Jewish ancestor Abraham bought
the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron as a burial site for his wife Sarah some 3,700
years ago. Jews recently read the Torah portion containing the details of the
event and to mark the occasion, some 35,000 celebrated by dancing at the
historic location.
45
survivors celebrate their Bnei Mitzvot. 45 Holocaust survivors in Israel got the
chance to celebrate their bar and bat mitzvahs at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Due
to World War II, they were unable to mark their Jewish coming of age at the
appropriate time 70 years ago.
Bar Mitzva boy gives light to Ugandan school. (TY Zev) 13-year-old Eytan Kramer
from Ra’anana marked his coming of age by raising $18,000 to provide solar
power for the Bukalikha Primary School in Uganda. Eytan and his mother then traveled
to Uganda to see the lights turned on and give 959 children a brighter future.
102-year-old
survivor finds his nephew. Eliahu Pietruszka (102)
discovered his brother Volf’s son, Alexandre, thanks to Yad Vashem. In 2005,
Volf wrote a Yad Vashem page of testimony saying that Eliahu was dead. A cousin alerted Eliahu’s grandson which led
to Eliahu meeting with Alexandre in Israel.
Christian
support for Israel. At the 36th annual “A Night to
Honor Israel” event in San Antonio, Christian Zionists donated over $2.1
million to 16 Israeli and Jewish non-profits. One of the beneficiaries was Saad v’Marpe (Relief and Healing) whose 700 Hassidic volunteers help
patients and their families.
171029
In the 29th Oct 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
artificial cornea will soon help give sight to the blind.
·
An Israeli
has been elected President of the World Medical Association.
·
Dozens of
Arabs enjoyed hospitality in the Mayor of Efrat’s tabernacle.
·
A new
highway has been built to test Israeli driverless car technology.
·
An Israeli
autonomous vehicle operates underwater.
·
Amazon and
Alibaba are opening Israeli development centers.
·
Israel’s
Alon Day won the NASCAR Euro Championship.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
An artificial cornea. (TY Nevet) Israeli
startup CorNeat Vision has completed the design and development stage of its
artificial cornea implant. The CorNeat KPro is produced using nanoscale
chemical engineering that stimulates cellular growth. CorNeat is aiming for its
first implantation in humans by mid-2018.
50% less
deaths from heart disease. (TY Eli) Israel has seen a 50% decrease in
mortality rates from heart disease over the past 15 years and is one of the
leading Western countries in heart disease detection, prevention and treatment.
In 2000, 20% of patients died one month after their first heart attack. In 2016
it was just 7.5%.
Lonza to open Israeli R&D center. Swiss-based life sciences
company Lonza is establishing a Research and Development center in Haifa. The Lonza
Collaborative Innovation Center will leverage Israel's scientific strength in
areas such as engineering, software and cell and molecular biology.
5 days after
“dying”, infant dances on stage. Two-year-old Elchanan wandered off from his
family’s succah and fell into a nearby pond.
When United Hatzalah EMT volunteers arrived, Elchanan was clinically dead.
After on-site and hospital CPR, Elchanan made a full recovery and danced at his
Sukkot concert 5 days later.
Computer-generated
protein design.
Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have engineered new proteins,
e.g. antibodies or enzymes, that do not exist in nature. They are designed to have specific properties
and can usher in a new age of custom-designed medical treatments. http://www.pnas.org/content/114/41/10900.abstract
Israeli to head World Medical Association. Israel Medical Association Chairman Professor Leonid Eidelman has
been elected President of the World Medical Association (WMA), an umbrella body
representing national medical associations with more than nine million members
around the world.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
The first Druze IAF navigator. Major A joined the Israel
Air Force Flight Academy whilst studying at Israel’s Technion Institute. On
completion, he became the first Druze navigator in the IDF. Two other Druze men
are now following in his footsteps. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5017799,00.html
Dozens of Arabs come
to Judean mayor’s succah. Over 30 Palestinian Arabs joined dozens of
Israelis as guests at the sukkah of Efrat mayor Oded Revivi in Judea. The event
included music from a joint Muslim-Jewish group, and was attended by Efrat’s
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
Israel is important to NATO. Israel’s Liaison Officer, Lt.-Cmdr.
Ortal represents Israel’s naval forces at NATO ’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM)
in London, the central command of all NATO maritime forces. She describes
Israel’s role in NATO.
Pakistani and Afghani students attend
on-line course.
Students from Muslim-majority nations such as Pakistan and Afghanistan
are among those signed up for “The Bible in Light of the Ancient Near East” - an
innovative online program offered by Israel’s Bar Ilan University commencing
25th Oct.
Mexican President thanks Israel. (TY Zev) Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto thanked Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu for the Israeli search and rescue team sent to Mexico City following
the 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The Israeli team was the first foreign group on
the scene, arriving just two days later.
London police chief looks for Israeli
help. (TY Hazel) City of London Police Assistant
Commissioner Alistair Sutherland made his sixth trip to Israel to see how Israeli
techniques and products could be integrated into his police department. He also
spoke at the IDC Herzliya’s annual counterterrorism conference.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Robots to the rescue. (TY Eli) The BIRD (Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and
Development) Foundation has awarded a $900,000 grant to US-based Mantaro
Networks. and Beeper Communications Israel to develop unmanned search and
rescue technologies that can complement the work of human first responders.
4 new solar farms in the Negev. Israel’s Orad is to build four photovoltaic solar energy production
plants in the Negev with an aggregate capacity of 35.5 megawatts. Its subsidiary
Solarpower will operate and maintain them for 10 years. Completion is planned
by end 2018.
A highway for
driverless cars.
Israel has opened a new 1.5 km stretch of Road 531 north of Herzliya for
two months, exclusively for five companies to test their technology for autonomous
cars. The five are Nexar (dashboard camera), GM (autonomous car). Mobileye,
Innoviz (LIDAR sensors and Argus Cyber Security.
The fast lane to autonomous driving. Israel’s Cognata has
developed a deep learning simulation engine to enable autonomous car
manufacturers to test thousands of different scenarios based on various
geographic locations and driver behaviors, and sharing the road with other
users.
Double-helix bridge wins international
award. Beersheva's
High-Tech Park Bridge was the winner in the long span category of the triannual
Footbridge Awards at the Footbridge 2017 conference in Berlin. The 75-meter
bridge, in the shape of a double helix, is also known as the DNA or spectacles
bridge.
How is Israel’s moonshot going? (TY Eli) SpaceIL - Israeli representative in the Google Lunar
XPRIZE competition - is busy
constructing the spacecraft to be launched next year. They have completed the
skeleton and the eight engines. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5017213,00.html
Another Israeli satellite. When I reported previously (3rd
Sep) on the successful launch of Israel’s VENµS environmental satellite, I
missed the fact that the same rocket put another Israeli satellite into orbit.
The second one was IAI’s advanced observation Optsat 3000 satellite, for use by
the Italian Ministry of Defense.
Preventing pipeline breaks. Israel’s Precognize uses
artificial intelligence to detect glitches in pipelines and prevent leaks by sending
out clear alerts. The predictive maintenance technology translates the raw
information from sensors into timely warnings.
1989 prediction is proved in 2017. In 1989, Professor Tsvi
Piran of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem predicted (in the journal Nature)
that the merger of two Neutron stars would produce a burst of gamma rays. He
was either ignored or met with skepticism. Now 28 years later, his prediction
was proved correct.
Israeli food technologies. (TY Zvi) This new short video could have summarized my latest blog
“Harvest for the World”. It features three Israeli companies previously
featured in my newsletters – WaterGen (water from air), Genie (one-minute
kitchen) and Evogene (high-yield, resistant crops).
Underwater autonomous
vehicle.
While the motor industry is watching Israel developments in driverless
cars, Ben Gurion University scientists have developed HydroCamel II, Israel’s
first Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The 2.5-meter vehicle will assist
the security, oil & gas and marine research sectors.
Intel Israel’s artificial intelligence
center. Intel
Israel is hiring dozens of new employees to work in a new artificial
intelligence (AI) center being established by the company at its Ra’anana and
Haifa campuses. Intel Israel already has 10,000 employees in Kiryat Gat, Yakum,
Ra'anana, Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, and Haifa.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel gets more competitive. Israel has leapt eight
places to number sixteen in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness
Report 2017-2018. It is the top country in the Middle East and is ahead of
Australia, France, China, Spain and Russia. Israel was 3rd in the Innovation
category and 7th in Technological Readiness.
Government deficit falls below 2%. Thanks to Intel’s purchase
of Israel’s Mobileye, the Israeli government received $4.1 billion of CGT from
shareholders selling to Intel. It reduced government deficit to 1.9% of GDP.
The IMF also raised its growth forecast for Israel’s economy to 3.1% for 2017
and 3.4% for 2018.
Chinese tourists discover Israel. (TY WIN)
A growing number of Chinese visitors come to the Holy Land. Israel is
encouraging the influx, with direct flights from Beijing, Hong Kong and
Shanghai. The Tourism Ministry has even launched a Mandarin version of its
website.
An underrated travel destination. The UK’s Telegraph lists ten
reasons to visit the holy land, including the beaches, weather, nightlife, food,
architecture, museums, history and ticket prices.
Israeli wines have the critics in good
spirits. (TY
Zvi) Victor Schoenfeld of Yarden Wines explains why wine from the Golan Heights
taste so good. Reasons include the Mediterranean climate, different volcanic
soils, elevations from 1,200 to 4,000 feet and one of the world’s oldest
tradition for winemaking.
A sunny addition to the TASE. I featured previously (30th Apr) Israel’s SolarPaint has developed ultra-thin
wireframe and nanoparticle-infused coating to generate solar power. It has
merged with Or City Holdings, changed its name to Apollo Power, raised NIS 9.4
million and listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
SolarEdge becomes a Unicorn. Israel’s SolarEdge
Technologies, the world’s largest provider of solar power optimization units, has
celebrated a financial milestone. The company has tripled its stock value in
less than a year and at $1.2 billion it joins Israel’s growing number of
Unicorn companies (worth over one billion dollars).
Amazon to set-up two
Israeli R&D centers. Online shopping giant Amazon is to set up research
and development centers with 100 staff in Tel Aviv and Haifa. It wants to
further improve its Alexa Voice Shopping system, which allows shoppers to speak
their order into a machine rather than typing it into a computer.
Alibaba to open
Israeli R&D center. Chinese ecommerce giant
Alibaba is to open a Research & Development lab in Israel. Alibaba has
already invested in Israeli startups including Visualead, Infinity Augmented
Reality, Lumus and Twiggle. It is also a partner of Jerusalem Venture Partners
(JVP).
Wizz Air planes to be Israeli
maintained.
The Bedek Aviation subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries is to
perform maintenance and provide technical services to Wizz Air. The Hungarian
low-cost airline flies from Tel Aviv to 17 European destinations, including
London Luton.
Connecting British Telecom customers. Israel’s AudioCodes has been
selected by communications provider British Telecom to provide session border
controller (SBC) solutions (for connectivity between IP networks) to be
stationed at British Telecom's business customers.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Wonder Woman hosts Saturday Night Live. Israeli superstar actress Gal Gadot, who won acclaim in the title
role of the movie “Wonder Woman”, opened the second episode of Saturday Night
Live’s 43rd season with a Hebrew monologue.
Pretenders “stand by” Israel. (TY Hazel) Chrissie Hynde
opened The Pretenders’ Tel Aviv gig by waving a giant Israeli flag, and ended
it by declaring the crowd to be “the best audience in the world.” The
vegetarian singer also proclaimed Israel as one of the leaders in animal
rights. Video is of the classic “I’ll stand by you.”
Silver
medal for Israeli gymnast. Artem Dolgopyat became just the
second Israeli to claim a medal at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships,
taking a silver in the floor final in Montreal, Canada.
Three
Israelis win judoka gold medals. Three Israeli judokas won gold
medals at the Tashkent Grand Prix in Uzbekistan. Or Sasson won the men’s over-100 kg class, Sagi Muki won the men’s under
81kg class and Betina Temelkova won the women’s under-52 kg class. Israel topped the medals table of the 27
competing nations.
Israeli wins NASCAR Euro Championship.
Israel’s Alon Day made local motor sport history by clinching the NASCAR
Whelen Euro Series championship in Zolder, Belgium. Racing for CAAL Racing, Day
finished second in 2015 and third in 2016. He is now looking for sponsorship
for the US NASCAR Cup Series.
THE JEWISH STATE
60,000
marched through Jerusalem. (TY Sharon)
60,000 Christian Evangelicals and other Israel supporters from over 80
countries marched with Israelis at a parade in Jerusalem, marking the Jewish
festival of Sukkot, or the Feast of the Tabernacles.
Why
I’m a Christian Zionist. (TY BIG) Jonathan Farrell is a young
Christian Zionist who founded the Exeter University Friends of Israel society.
He knows that the Bible mentions the word “Israel” approximately 2500 times and
shares his personal story about why he believes Christians should feel duty
bound to be Zionists.
171008
In the 8th Oct 17 edition of Israel’s
good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
visor gives surgeons an X-ray view of the patient as they operate.
·
Israeli
rescue teams save lives in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
·
Israelis
have designed Intel’s fastest-ever microchips.
·
Indian and
Spanish investors will be able to crowd-fund Israeli startups.
·
Take That
are to perform in Israel.
·
Sukkot
(Tabernacles) is Israel’s most beautiful festival.
·
Please
click here, to donate
a small amount to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
AR headset for
surgeons.
Geordi La Forge’s visor in the Star Trek science fiction series may soon
be a reality. Israel’s Augmedics is developing the VIZOR - an Augmented Reality
(AR) headset that shows surgeons an X ray-like visualization of the patient.
Augmedics has just raised $8.3 million of funding.
Monitoring heart surgery wirelessly. Israel’s CathWorks has
developed innovative non-invasive systems and algorithms to construct 3D images
of the coronary tree to help surgeons perform heart catheterizations. The
systems use standard angiograms and no additional wires. CathWorks has just
raised $15.8 million of funding.
A device for weak hearts. Israel’s Magenta Medical has
developed a catheter for patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
(ADHF), where the heart is too weak to pump enough blood throughout the body.
Magenta has just raised $15 million of funds. http://www.pitango.com/portfolio/magenta-medical/
Ultrasound delivery of meds. I reported previously (Sep
2016) on Israel’s Vensica and its innovative method of using ultrasound to
increase the porosity of skin tissue and allow treatments to be given without
the use of needles. Vensica has just raised $2 million of funds to enable it to
begin human trials by end 2018.
Pull your (electric) socks up. Israel’s ElastiMed develops
a leg compression device for daily wear that mimics natural muscle contraction
and stimulates blood flow using electrical pulses. The device treats swelling,
blood clots, chronic wounds and sports injuries. ElastiMed has just raised $1
million to help fund clinical studies and regulatory filings. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3721868,00.html
A sleeve to prevent post-op leakage. After colon surgery, there
is a 22% risk of intestinal leakage. Israel’s Colospan has developed the CG-100
- a clinical sleeve to protect the inside of the colon. Colospan has received
CE approval and has just raised $7.7 million to launch in Europe and fund
trials to obtain US FDA approval.
Israeli study
featured on BBC radio. The BBC World Service’s “The Thought Show”
featured the study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists of declining
male fertility. The BBC praised the
study method and allowed lead study author Dr. Hagai Levine to advise listeners
on how to improve their lifestyles.
Europe approves Israeli prostate cancer
treatment. Readers will remember (8th
Jan) when the BBC finally recognized Israel’s Weizmann Institute Tookad
prostate cancer treatment. Israel’s Steba Biotech has now been given approval
to market Tookad in Europe. The
treatment is already approved for use in Israel and Mexico.
Efficient diabetes monitoring. I reported previously (Apr
16) on the “Digital Diabetes Clinic” developed by Israel’s GlucoMe. Yiftah
Ben Aharon, CEO and co-founder of GlucoMe explains in an interview how GlucoMe
helps the diabetic’s doctor make efficient use of the limited time available to
review the patient’s condition.
Just enough
antibiotics.
(TY WIN)
Hebrew University researchers are working on preventing the creation of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They are analyzing the concentrations of
antibiotics and their timescales for destroying bacteria, to optimize treatment
regimens and avoid the under / over-treatment of infections.
JNF & Hemsley Trust build new
medical center.
The Jewish National Trust, support from the Hemsley Trust, have constructed
a brand-new medical facility in Halutza, southwest Israel. Halutza was
established in 2005 by Israelis evacuated from their homes during Israel's
disengagement from Gaza.
Living safely at
Home. I
reported previously (twice)
about Israel’s Essence and its @Home smart systems for monitoring the elderly
in their own homes. Essence is one of
Israel's 50 largest exporters with global sales of 20 million systems. Two of
Essence’s senior executives explain their systems in a recent Globes interview.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Trains connect Arab towns to Tel Aviv. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli Arabs from the Galilee in northern
Israel will join their Jewish neighbors in enjoying a new fast train link from
Karmiel to Tel Aviv. New bus lines will link 15 Arab towns with the new
stations and residents will get 50% rail fare discounts for two years.
Ethiopian Jew is new Israel UN rep. Ethiopian immigrant Danielle
Daseta, will represent Israel at the United Nations for environmental,
developmental and economic issues. Daseta made Aliyah in 1984 during
Operation Moses. She has a BA in governance and diplomacy and attended the
"Israel@heart" leadership program.
Israel’s Druze Communications Minister. Ayoub Kara is the first
non-Jewish minister to have a portfolio in the Israeli Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed
the Druze MK to the position of Minister of Communications. He tells of his family background, the Druze,
his work and his love for the State of Israel.
Funding hearing loss treatment for
Syrians. (TY
Zev) Israel’s Moshe Kahn and the Genesis Prize Foundation have made a
six-figure grant to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed for treating hearing loss
among Syrian children. They will receive a diagnostic examination, clinical
treatments, surgery and rehabilitation.
Post-IDF volunteering in Mumbai. Prior to dispersing for
their post-IDF India trip, 23 Israelis renovated and taught at a school in Mumbai,
India. The mission was organized by the "Heroes for Life"
non-governmental organization. Although only two weeks, for many of the Indian
children it was a life-changing event.
Moslem states warm to Israel (TY Zev) At a meeting in Los Angeles with Simon Wiesenthal Center
Director Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa denounced
the Arab boycott of Israel and said that his subjects are free to visit the
Jewish state. More good news also, from Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
US army to use
Israeli defense system. (TY Ruth)
The US Army is to install the Trophy active-protection system developed by Israel’s
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on many of its M1A2 Abrams tanks. The system
detects and destroys incoming anti-tank guided missiles and rocket-propelled
grenades.
71-strong IDF team to
Mexico. An IDF rescue unit of 71 specialists has
been in Mexico City assisting in operations after the recent earthquake. The
team arrived just 36 hours after the earthquake struck and helped save lives.
They brought in radio-wave technology developed by Israel’s Camero-Tech that
can “see” through rubble for buried victims.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5019490,00.html
Israeli aid to Puerto
Rico. An
emergency response team from Israeli NGO IsraAID, including professionals from
its established team in Haiti, is in Puerto Rico. Its priority was to distribute
and set-up water filters in the most affected places. It has also been distributing
food and hygiene kits and offering post-trauma support.
Lights in a Dark Continent. My friend and fellow blogger
Ruth King has written an article summarizing Jewish and Israeli involvement in
Africa during the last 70 or so years.
If it weren’t for
Israel.
Elise Cooper in American Thinker writes a great piece about Israel’s
global role in defense, agriculture, water, cyber-security and medicine. She
concludes, “Jews should be proud of Israel – and so should others all over the
world.”
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Can Israeli water technology save the
world? (TY Nevet)
Another good Israeli water story by Jeevan Vipinachandran. He writes that Israeli
innovation in water conservation is benefiting water-stressed regions of the
world, from Kenya to India to California. It can prevent wars from being waged
over water scarcity.
More good technology news. (TY Dan E) One of my
subscribers has given me the URL of the site of a new source of Israeli
technology and business news. I will
include selected articles in future newsletters.
Israeli technology protects Pope again. I reported previously (Jan
2016) that the Israeli-made Skystar 180 surveillance balloon system monitored
Pope Francis on his visit to Uganda. The
balloon system, made by the Yavne-based RT Aerostats Systems, was back in
action for the Pope’s recent visit to Colombia.
Eilat’s coral reef is glowing. (TY Jacques) Researchers
from Israel and the UK have discovered Red Sea corals that absorb blue light to
make a protein to help them glow in the dark.
This only happens with healthy coral and only in the Red Sea. The study
may help save dying corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Intel’s fastest
microprocessors yet. Intel has unveiled a new family of desktop
computer processors, designed in Israel, that are at least 25% faster than
previous versions. The 8th Gen Intel Core processors include the “best gaming
processor ever” Intel Core i7-8700K and are built for those who need high
performing standards.
Saving the banana. I reported previously (Aug
2013) about Israeli companies Evogene and Rahan Meristem and their joint
non-GMO development of bananas resistant to Black Sigatoka fungus. Now second-year
field trials with specialized banana strains have shown effectiveness against
the hugely damaging fungus.
Digital employees. Israel’s Kryon Systems is
developing intelligent Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions. The aim is
to offload mundane processes to a more accurate, efficient and productive
digital virtual workforce, enabling enterprises to focus on their core business.
Kryon has just raised $12 million of funding.
Turning glass opaque at a touch of a
button. (TY WIN
& ILTV News) Israel’s Shviro Holon has
developed thin flexible polyester clear pockets, filled with a liquid that
turns opaque immediately after connection to an electric circuit. The pockets
can be stuck on glass partitions, to provide low-cost privacy at a touch of a
button.
Now an unmanned helicopter. Israel Aerospace Industries
(IAI) has demonstrated its new Air Hopper unmanned helicopter. It simulated the
evacuation of a seriously-wounded soldier, including airborne monitoring of
vital signs. It also simulated carrying supplies (up to 180kg) to an isolated
position in any weather or time.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy continues to grow. The Bank of Israel's
Composite State of the Economy Index for August 2017 increased by 0.3 percent,
slightly more than previous months. Highlights were the increase in goods
exports and in the job vacancy rate.
$600 million funding for startups. The $350 average monthly
influx of funds to Israel startups was boosted in September to $600 million
thanks to Via (ridesharing) which raised $250 million. Innoviz (automobile
sensors) raised $65 million and StoreDot (fast-charge car batteries) raised $60
million.
Doubling the proportion of hi-tech
workers. In
its annual report, the Israel Innovation Authority (formerly the Office of the
Chief Scientist) included an operational plan for increasing the proportion of
employees in the Israeli technology industry to 15%. More Israelis would get
higher salaries and Israel’s growth and competitive edge would be maintained. http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-innovation-authority-1001207022
New Spanish and Indian
crowdfunding ventures. Israel’s leading crowdfunding platform OurCrowd
has formed a strategic partnership with Cardumen Capital, a Spanish-Israeli
venture capital fund to help Spanish investors to invest in Israeli companies
and joint Israeli-Spanish technology. In June, OurCrowd formed a strategic
partnership with LetsVenture, India’s largest marketplace for startup funding.
Cancer treatment returns to Israel. Israeli biotech CureTech
developed pidilizumab cancer treatment which was sold to US biotech Medivation
which the giant Pfizer took over last year. Pidilizumab is an orphan treatment
(for rare brain stem cancer) and of no commercial interest to Pfizer. So
CureTech has bought it back.
SAP buys Gigya for around $350 million. SAP, the German multinational software corporation, has acquired
Israel-founded Gigya, one of the market leaders in customer identity and access
management, for an estimated $350 million. Gigya’s web identity software is
used by more than 700 of the world’s leading businesses.
Non-toxic pesticide to go global. (TY Dan E) I’ve reported
previously (several times)
on the non-toxic pesticide from Israel’s EdenShield which repels pests with its
aroma. Edenshield sells in Israel, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece and has just
raised $2 million to help fund its expansion into the USA, Mexico and the EU.
Israeli startups join Chinese incubator. Five Israeli startups have
been selected for the first class of a new startup accelerator in Beijing,
funded by Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry. China’s ShengJing Group
(one of the world's largest private equity fund of funds) will provide free professional
services to the startups.
Huge growth in digital farming startup. I reported previously (three times) on Israel’s Phytech
and its innovative crop sensors that boost agriculture productivity. Phytech
has seen phenomenal growth and has just raised $11 million to support its
worldwide deployment.
Flights to Hong
Kong now daily.
I reported (28th May) that
Cathay Pacific has begun its 4-days-a-week service between Tel Aviv and Hong
Kong. The route has obviously proved so
popular that the airline has increased the frequency to daily.
More sales for
Sleep Apnea device.
I reported previously (several
times) on Israel’s Itamar Medical and its WatchPat Sleep Apnea monitoring
device. Itamar has just received a purchase order for an undisclosed amount of
WatchPAT devices from the famous US Mayo Clinic for the next 3-years.
Funds for immunotherapy treatment. I reported previously (three times) on Israel’s Enlivex
and its Allocetra / Apocell treatment to prevent Graft vs Host Disease – a
common problem after bone marrow transplants.
Elivex has just received $8 million of funding which will help it
progress to Phase 3 trials.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
200 global artists for Jerusalem
Biennale. From Oct 1 - Nov 16, the third Jerusalem
Biennale features 17 group and 8 solo contemporary Jewish art exhibitions on the
theme “Watershed”. They include photography, video, installation and
performance art created by 200 artists from the US, Europe, Argentina, India,
Singapore and of course Israel. https://www.israel21c.org/jerusalem-biennale-displays-works-of-200-global-artists/
Take That to perform
in Israel.
Iconic British band Take That are to hold a revival concert on Nov 27 in
Tel Aviv. Three of the original members, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark
Owen, will perform the band’s hits from the years of success, 1990 to 1996,
when the band also included Robbie Williams.
Two hot
Israeli-owned hotels. Condé Nast Traveller (UK edition) just gave a
nod to the Israel-based Brown Hotels boutique hotel chain, naming The Poli
House in Tel Aviv and Brown Beach House Croatia as two of the year’s best new
hotels in its Hot List 2017. The Poli
house is one of Tel Aviv’s historic Bauhaus properties.
Yom
Kippur stops play. Israeli tennis star Dudi Sela pulled out of
his ATP tour match against Alexandr Dolgopolov in China because the holiday of
Yom Kippur was about to begin. His original request for an earlier match start
was refused. So, at one-set all, Dudi quit and forfeited the $30,000 prize
money he was guaranteed.
THE JEWISH STATE
233
people changed their lives forever. (TY
Avi and Meir) The excitement generated on this Nefesh b’Nefesh Aliya flight
from New York is quite infectious. Watch
as 233 people, young and old, religious and secular become Israeli. https://www.youtube.com/embed/i8E1p3wV00U?rel=0
Bikers
to mark Battle of Beersheva. In October a group of Australians
and New Zealanders bikers will ride 100 kilometers to mark the centennial of
the Battle of Beersheva. The great ANZAC cavalry charge of WW1 led to the
defeat of the Ottoman Turks and the formation of the British mandate that preceded
the Jewish State.
A
remarkable journey. As Ed Elhaderi traveled from
Jerusalem to Safed to Rehovot, Israel entered his bloodstream. Hard to imagine that he had been born a
Libyan Moslem, educated to hate Jews. He then went to the US University of
Wisconsin, met and married a Jewish woman and converted to Judaism.
When
Tom Petty toured Israel. Legendary U.S. rocker Tom Petty, who
passed away recently, performed in Israel in 1987 with the Heartbreakers band
on his “Temple in Flames” tour. He had a life-changing experience when he
visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem. https://www.youtube.com/embed/k-EWgmQu8o0?rel=0
US Embassy staff try New Year foods.
Watch how American diplomats at the Tel Aviv embassy handle Rosh Hashana
delicacies gefilte fish and regel krusha (calf’s foot jello). It may make them move to Jerusalem!
Scholarships
for students who do community service. (TY Janglo) For the 2017-2018
academic year, the Municipality of Jerusalem has launched its municipal
scholarship fund, which will handout scholarships of NIS 10,000, to 600 students
who contribute 140 hours to community service during the academic year.
Forgive Us. (TY Yaakov Kirschen) I
particularly enjoyed this timely cartoon from Dry Bones.
Views of Sukkot. 11 gorgeous pictures that capture
the beauty of the harvest festival in Israel.
And (TY Sharon) pictures of Jerusalem moving from the festival of
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) into Sukkot.
