History of Israel's Good News - Jul to Sep 2019


In the 29th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         US approval has just been given to seven Israeli medical devices and treatments.
·         The first Israeli woman to command an IAF squadron.
·         Another 8 Rwandan children are flown to Israel for free heart surgery.
·         An Israeli startup is now splitting water to produce hydrogen.
·         Amazon now offers local delivery to Israel.
·         Israel won the baseball playoffs to compete in the Olympics.
·         Happy New Year from the Jewish State.

·         Click here to see the 22nd September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, and United With Israel.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 15,000 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Heart implant is a breakthrough (twice). (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the interatrial shunt developed by Israel’s V-Wave. The US FDA has just granted two Breakthrough Device Designations to the device - the first is for Heart Failure (HF), and the second, for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).

Spine device gets humanitarian status. (Ty Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the twisted spine treatment from Israel’s Apifix. The U.S. FDA has given Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) to Apifix to market its MID-C system. Apifix addresses the unmet clinical need for an alternative to spinal fusion.

US approval for upright wheelchair.  I’ve reported previously (see here) about Israel’s UPnRIDE robotic standing wheelchair that allows wheelchair users to travel upright. The US FDA has just cleared the UPnRIDE for marketing and use in the US. Cofounder Dr Amit Goffer is a quadriplegic who uses the UPnRIDE himself.

FDA approves diabetes management system. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the diabetes monitors from Israel’s DreaMed. The US FDA has just given approval to DreaMed’s Advisor Pro, to add to its EU approval. The software tells Type 1 diabetics how much insulin to use, without having to contact a physician.

Smartphone CKD diagnosis approved. (TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Healthy.io and its smartphone-based urinalysis for Chronic Kidney Disease. It is now US and EU approved and some 100,000 kits have been sold. Healthy.io has just raised $60 million of funds. https://healthy.io/about-us/

US approval for ultrasound skin tightening. (TY Atid-EDI) I recently reported (20th Aug) that Israel’s SofWave had received CE certification for its non-invasive ultrasound technology for skin tightening. It has now also received FDA approval. 86% of a recent trial demonstrated improvement in wrinkle appearance.

US approval for lung diagnosis catheter. I reported previously (May 2017) on Israel’s Body Vision Medical when it was producing hi-res maps of the lungs to aid tumor removal. Since then it has developed a disposable lung navigation catheter which recently received US FDA approval. The company has also raised $20 million.

EU funds heart protection device. Israeli startup Filterlex Medical has received 2.1 million euros from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Filterlex develops an embolic protection device to reduce the risk of stroke and other complications during catheter-based heart procedures.

Treatments for eye diseases. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli biotech Wize Pharma markets Israeli-developed LO2A eye drops for the treatment of ophthalmic disorders, including Dry Eye Syndrome. Wize is now to develop and trial the WP-REP1 gene therapy from Cleveland’s Copernicus for treating the rare eye disease Choroideremia.

Innovative infusion systems. (TY Atid-EDI) The infusion systems of Israel’s Eitan Group (Q-core, Sorrel and Avoset), are installed worldwide. E.g. there are 100,000 of Q-cores Sapphire devices in the market. Eitan has now agreed that Canadian Hospital Specialties will supply and support Sapphire across Canada.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel’s first female flight squadron commander. (TY WIN) I reported previously (see here) on the appointment of female deputy squadron commanders in the Israeli Air Force.  Now for the first time one has been promoted to full squadron commander. Mother of two, Lt. Col. “Gimel” joined the IAF 16 years ago.

Jewish and Arab medics save Israeli boy. (TY David F) 14-year-old Sinai Levy was electrocuted in a natural pool when an electric pump malfunctioned.  He was saved by medics Ilan Gur-Ari and Issa Duwaiat.

Israeli Druze leader speaks at UNHRC. The World Jewish Congress hosted Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, in Geneva, where he highlighted the coexistence of minorities in Israel as exemplary for the region. The Sheikh also addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Most Arab-Israelis are happy in Israel. (TY Hazel) A survey of 716 Arab-Israelis conducted by Tel Aviv University reported that 71.5% are satisfied with their life in Israel; 65.2% believe they are generally treated equally, and 64.7% have an overall positive view of the state. The survey has only a 3.6% margin of error.

More Palestinian Arabs work in Israel. (TY Hazel) The number of Palestinian Arabs working in Israel has almost doubled in the past five years.  The number of permits for employment in Israel had risen 160% since 2012.  Waiting times at checkpoints between the territories and Israel have been cut to just a few minutes.

The door to peace. I reported previously (23rd Feb) on the IDF Door to Door project that helps Palestinian Arab businesspeople who want to trade with Israel.  Here is a video by I24 News about the project’s success.

World champion sniffer dog. (TY Hazel) Israel Tax Authority’s sniffer dog, Katcha, was crowned world champion at a recent international competition in Russia, beating 16 other canine competitors. Katcha patrols Ben Gurion airport searching for illegal drugs and cash.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvrkh-YnSt4

Ancient Cornish tin found in Israel.  Scientists have determined that tin ingots discovered off the coast of Haifa originated in Cornish tin mines over 7,000 years ago. Tin combines with copper to make a bronze alloy - hence the Bronze Age. The tin ingots were carbon-dated and the only tin mines at the time were in Cornwall.

Eilat coral reefs are robust. I’ve reported several times (see here) over the last six years on the good health of Eilat’s coral reef.  Here is a recent Government report. It states that since 2004, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of medium and large coral colonies, indicating improved coral survival over time.

SACH heals more sick Rwandan children. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (Aug 2018) when Israeli NGO Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) examined 70 sick Rwandan children for flying to Israel for heart surgery. The first 8 children have been healed and are back with their families. The next 8 have now arrived in Israel.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Countering IEDs. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (July 2012) on Israel’s Netline and its jamming device to stop Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Netline is now going to supply its C-Guard IED jamming system to the IDF. https://www.netlinetech.com/netline-c-guard-ied-jamming-system-for-idf/

Weizmann offers courses to South African students. (TY UWI) Despite South African universities’ boycott of Israeli academic institutions, Israel’s world-class Weizmann Institute has offered University of Cape Town students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in an invaluable three-month research program.

Hyundai to test Hydrogen trucks in Israel.  The Hyundai Motor Company is next year reportedly to conduct an extensive pilot in Israel of hydrogen-fueled trucks. Israel was chosen due to its varied climate, extreme road inclines in the Galilee and the Golan Heights, and long roads in the South. Israel also has a truck testing center.

Startup generates Hydrogen from water. I reported previously (see here) on projects by Israel Technion scientists to extract Hydrogen from water to generate a cheap, non-polluting fuel. Now, their E-TAC (electrochemical thermally activated chemical) technology has been spun off into a new Israeli startup H2Pro.

Prize for water from heat tech. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute and in Africa have received the new Mauerberger Foundation prize. Their Phase Exchange Thermoacoustics (PXT) technology creates water from humid air using no added energy. Local heat is converted into an acoustic wave to condense water from the air.

Chickpea-based milk. (TY Jacques) I’ve reported previously (see here) on the chickpea protein products from Israel’s InnovoPro. Now InnovoPro and Netivot-based tofu manufacturer Wyler Farm are launching a chickpea-based milk alternative. It will be a dairy-free alternative to milk from soy, oats, almonds and coconut.

Wide approval for natural crop supplement. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (July 2018) on Rootella mycorrhizal fungi from Israel’s Groundwork BioAg. It improves soil nutrient uptake and boosts crop yield in 90% of all plant species. The Rootella products are now approved in Canada, US, Brazil, Ukraine & Belgium.

Optics & glass for giga speeds and the future. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2015) on Israel’s ColorChip and its optical chips for fast transmission of data. 4 years later, its SystemOnGlass technology is moving even faster. ColorChip has also developed a compact projector for smart AR/VR glasses.

As plain as the nose on your face. I reported previously (7th Apr) on Weizmann Professor Noam Sobel’s study that found people who inhaled when presented with a problem-solving task performed better than those who exhaled. The discovery could help people with learning disorders to improve their skills.

Another Israeli anti-drone startup. Israel’s D-Fend has an autonomous counter-drone system that detects, locates and identifies rogue drones. Once identified, D-Fend’s system can take control over the drones and land them safely at a pre-defined zone. D-Fend has just raised $28 million of funds.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Filtering water in America. Israel’s Yamit develops and manufactures water purification systems for the industrial, municipal, and agriculture markets. Already selling to the Chinese market, Yamit has just agreed that The Toro Company of Bloomington MN will be its exclusive distributor in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Amazon’s Israeli website is live. Amazon has officially launched its Israeli website. Available only in English, it offers prices in shekels and a “ships locally” option. The Israeli retailers that already joined include cosmetics brand GA-DE, fashion retailers Crazy Line and Adika, Nintendo Israel, and skincare brand Sebocalm.

Convizit wins $1 million. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Convizit won Pitango Venture Capital’s TRIFECTA early-stage startup competition in New York and its $1 million first prize. Convizit’s Artificial Intelligence captures, names and categorizes every on-line interaction, to provide a company with complete behavioral data.

Bio-degradable packaging continues to grow. (TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported several times (see here) on Israeli compostable plastic packaging developer TIPA. It has just raised another $25 million of funds to enable TIPA to continue its growth into new territories, and to further develop its portfolio of unique packaging solutions.

Foresight expands into China. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Foresight and its QuadSight vehicle camera-based vision systems.  Wuhan Guide Infrared (a $2.7 billion Chinese company) will promote Foresight’s systems in China and incorporate Guide’s Infrared solutions into QuadSight.

Mars comes even closer to Israel. I reported previously (26th May) on Mars Inc’s partnership with Jerusalem Venture Partners. George Graham, vice president of the Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI), just visited Israel as part of Mars’ search to find the most crucial breakthrough solutions for the global food system.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Rosh Hashana in Israel. The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) begins sundown 29th Sep and ends sundown 1st Oct. Most businesses will be shut, so here is brief guide (spot the flaws) to the festival, its symbols and some local events. https://www.touristisrael.com/rosh-hashana-in-israel/2535/

What elections? (TY Sharon) Life in Jerusalem continues with movies, new buildings, beekeepers meet the President, the Jerusalem Theater festival, music on the plaza and at First Station, Selihot (penitence prayers) services, café life, skateboarders, wedding parties, book launches and the NbN Bonei Zion prize ceremony.

The balloon man.  Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion cannot cure cancer, but it can help make young cancer patients happy.  It arranges for balloon artist Barak Dagan to twist balloons into fantastic shapes, twisting the saddest face into one of joyful laughter. He revitalizes the youngsters’ spirits, encouraging their bodies to recover.

Israel’s baseball team qualifies for Olympics. Team Israel Baseball is the first Israeli team to reach the Olympics in four decades - one of only six baseball teams to play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Israel won the Europe / Africa playoffs, beating Spain, Italy, South Africa and the European champions Netherlands.

Gymnast wins six world championship medals. Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram won 6 medals (4 silver and 2 bronze) at the F.I.G. 35th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championship in Pesaro, Italy. Her achievement qualified her for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Israel’s Nicol Zelikman also qualified for Tokyo.


THE JEWISH STATE

The Zionist origins of Hava Nagila. Where did the song Hava Nagila originate?  Manuscripts from musician Abraham Zvi Idelsohn, written around 1920, have just been examined in Cincinnati. It sheds light on its origins from Ukraine to Jerusalem and its connection with Eliezer Ben Yehuda, father of Modern Hebrew.

Outstanding immigrants. Nefesh B’Nefesh awarded its Bonei (Builders of) Zion prize to Hadassah’s Dr. Ora Paltiel (Epidemiology), Leah Abramowitz of Melabev (aging), Michael Dickson (StandWithUs), Dr. Beverly Gribetz (religious girls’ education) and Danny Hakim (Budo for Peace and Kids Kicking Cancer).

Cousins reunited. Simon Phippen (8) fled Romania when the Nazis invaded in WW2. He was smuggled to England. Meanwhile his cousin Morris Sneh (10) escaped to Italy and immigrated to Israel. 75 years later, Simon’s granddaughter found Morris’s daughter on Facebook and Simon and Morris were reunited in Israel.

Explore the story of Israel.  Jerusalem U has released 42 of its 54 planned videos about the History of Israel and had some half a million views.  It has also launched its media lab “Unpacked for Educators” of videos and resources to help teachers ask the big questions and allow students to find their own unique answers.

The high holidays in Israel. The festivals (“chagim”) in the Jewish month of Tishri in Israel differ to the rest of the world. Everyone is on holiday; meals are celebrations; on Yom Kippur roads only have bicycles; and on Sukkot the national parks are full to capacity. And no-one makes a serious decision until “after the chagim”.

Happy New Year from the US Embassy in Jerusalem. And the freshest honey in the land of milk and honey.

High Holiday humor. (TY Jacob Richman) Includes the largest gefilte fish caught in the wild.


190922

·         An Israeli cancer treatment in development locates, tags and blocks tumors.
·         Europe is funding Israeli development of a molecule to prevent blindness.
·         Israel has been invited to showcase its innovations in Dubai.
·         Israeli scientists have designed a totally new concept in microchips.
·         100 Israeli startups pitched to business leaders in London.
·         An Israeli Paralympic swimmer set a new 400m freestyle world record.
·         A dozen Israelis donors gave new lives to total strangers.

·         Click here to see the 15th September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, and United With Israel.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 15,000 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Double-whammy cancer treatment. Israel’s Khar Medical plans to begin human trials of its DSP-107 treatment on lung cancer patients. It will be tested both standalone and in combination with Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab). DSP-107 finds and marks cancer cells, then alerts the immune system and blocks the cancer.

Blood test for lung cancer. I reported previously (31st Dec) on Israel’s Savicell and its ImmunoBiopsy blood test for detecting early stage lung cancer. Savicell’s test checks for the metabolic reactions that the immune system produces when it detects and attacks a tumor. Experts say the method is very promising.

Another discovery in treating melanoma. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have found that treating melanoma with immunotherapy is only successful if the cancer cells are homogeneous (simple / comprised of a small number of subtypes). Other treatments should be used if they are heterogeneous (complex / diverse).

Hi-tech safety system at Ashdod hospital. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (Jan 2017) on Israel’s Medaware and its medication error protection system. The potentially life-saving solution has just been implemented at Assuta hospital in Ashdod. It is already deployed at Sheba medical center in Tel Hashomer.

Making Salmonella slip up. Bacteria such as salmonella use a layer of biofilm to attach themselves to surfaces such as skin, medical devices, tissues, etc. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute used Alzheimer’s treatments to disrupt the biofilms. The salmonella virus couldn’t stick to the surfaces and became much less aggressive.

Genetic testing could save lives.  Israel’s Igentify develops a digital genetic testing analyzer that can provide medical professionals with the means to focus on, treat and counsel high risk patients. Already in use in two major Israeli hospitals, Igentify has just raised $10.5 million including from crowdfunding company OurCrowd.

EU grant for Israeli treatment of eye diseases. The European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program has awarded a 2.4 million euros grant to Israel’s Tarsius. Tarsius’s new molecule “re-engineers” the immune system to treat autoimmune and inflammatory ocular diseases that can eventually cause blindness.

Minimizing the trauma of spine surgery. Surgeons have now used the Dreal system from Israel’s Carevature in over 1600 spine decompression procedures. The system helps remove the minimum amount of obstructing tissue, reducing patient trauma and speeding recovery. Now available at Scripps Green hospital in California.

AI in Israeli health care. The Wall St Journal reports that Israel is becoming a testing ground for the power of artificial intelligence to improve health care. It suggests that digitized records and big data could make medicine cheaper and more effective.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Celebrity chef raps to help feed hungry children. Top Israeli chef, Eyal Shani rapped in a YouTube video to raise money for NEVET: Sandwich For Every Child. NEVET provides sandwiches every day in schools for thousands of Israel children, including Haredi, secular, Arab, Bedouin and Druze.

Tech training for religious women. I’ve reported previously (see here) some 50 articles relating to religious women in hi-tech. This article is about the Rabbinically-approved Adva program in which young Haredi women at a Jerusalem seminary are learning the skills necessary for a career in Israel’s booming tech sector.

Chelsea FC joins coexistence girls’ soccer event. UK soccer club Chelsea took part in a series of events organized by the club and the Israel Football Association. They involved Muslim girls from the Palestinian Authority together with girls teams from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Raanana, Pardesiya and Be'er Sheva.

Israeli heroes return from Brazil. (TY UWI) The team of firefighters dispatched by the Israeli government to help fight fires in Brazil (see here), have come home to a heroic welcome. Their skills, experience and assistance were vital in helping the Brazilian authorities and its forces to extinguish the fires.

Protecting Brazil’s rainforests. (TY Dr Don) Israeli startup VeganNation has leased some 15,000 acres (23.4 square miles) in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest for a ten-year period. It will open the land to preservation groups and activists to try and protect it from deforestation and wildlife poaching.

Israeli water gets Monaco’s royal assent. (TY UWI) I reported previously (Apr 2015) Prince Albert II of Monaco’s award to Israel’s Emefcy for its wastewater treatment systems. The Prince has just installed in his palace a GEN-350 “water from air” generator from Israel’s Watergen - a gift from Israeli Mikhael Mirilashvili.

Israeli system protects Dutch army vehicles. The Royal Netherlands Army is to implement infantry defense systems by Israel’s Elbit Systems in 150 vehicles. Elbit’s active protection system uses independent optical sensors, tracking radars, launchers, and munitions to detect, track, and neutralize incoming threats.

Israeli innovation to showcase in Dubai. In another indication of Israel’s rising status in the Arab world, the Jewish state has been invited to showcase its water technology, health and hi-tech products at the World Expo in Dubai from Oct 2020 to Apr 2021. Some 25 million visitors will see Israeli innovations to benefit humanity.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The world’s smartest building. I reported previously (Oct 2016) that Intel was building what it called “the World’s smartest building” in the Israeli city of Petach Tikva. The 75,000 sqm building is now complete. Some 14,000 sensors control lights, temperature, smart elevators, low energy and water usage, recycling and more.

Sound & light microchips. Scientists from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have designed a new concept for microprocessors. They combine photonics (light) with acoustics (sound) to enable silicon chips to process signals. It could provide the basis for effective use of the power of future 5G networks.

Tel Aviv Uni Quantum Center. I reported previously (see here) on the Quantum physics centers being built by Israel’s Technion, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University.  Now Tel Aviv University is to set up a center for quantum research, focusing on study programs and international collaboration.

Disruptive Analytics. GlobalData has named Israeli data analytics startup Panorama one of its Telecoms Market Disruptors. Necto, its telecom specific solution, integrates AI and machine learning technologies to provide self-service analytics with out-of-the-box reports, dashboards, predictive and prescriptive insights.

Milk on tap. Starbucks is installing the electric milk-dispensing system from Israeli startup Milkit in at least 140 of its cafes. Milkit’s machines deliver accurately measured doses of milk at the push of a button, saving money and waste. Other customers include Tel Aviv’s Carlton Hotel and the Max Brenner chocolate chain.

Diners eat 3D-printed meat. Israel’s Redefine Meat (formerly Jet-Eat) served its 3D-printed plant-based “meat” to diners in an up-market Israeli restaurant. 85% ranked it as meat-like. Redefine Meat has just raised $6 million of funds and plans to launch its larger “alpha” 3D-meat printer next year.

Growing crops in salty water. (TY Nevet) Israeli-Indian startup Salicrop has developed treatments to enable certain crops to grow in brackish water. Tests on peppers, tomatoes, spinach, corn, wheat, and rice have boosted crop yields by up to 30%.  https://digitone.news/?p=1162  https://www.salicrop.com/

What do your customers want? (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Revuze uses Artificial Intelligence to give its clients insights into their customers’ experiences and preferences. It generates a multidimensional snapshot of products, brands and their competitive landscape - automatically. The SAP.io fund has just invested in Revuze.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

An entrepreneurial ethos. (TY Nevet) A rare positive article on Israel in the Economist magazine. It gives reasons for Israeli successful innovation and entrepreneurism, including a “can do” attitude, risk taking, tolerating and overcoming failure, “disruption” (revolutionary out of the box ideas), ambition and mentoring.

UK FT praises Israeli economy. Another rare positive article on Israel from the UK’s Financial Times. It says the Israeli shekel ranks as the best performing currency, thanks to Israel’s perceived status as an emerging markets’ safe-haven and improved economic fundamentals.

No politics. I continually emphasize that I don’t include politics in this newsletter. So, I was very pleased to see entrepreneur and OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved on CNN explaining how the Israeli tech sector is unaffected by the country’s current political uncertainty.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR4MowJ4LWU

Jerusalem trips become corporate incentives. (TY Janglo) Companies are now rewarding successful employees with free trips to Jerusalem – Israel’s capital. They include some 5,000 employees of California’s World System Builder and 3,300 employees of Mexico’s Omnilife.

NIS billion food-tech hub launched. I reported previously (see here) on the consortium of Israel’s OurCrowd, Tnuva and Tempo, plus US Finistere Ventures building a food-tech hub in Kiryat Shmona. The “Fresh Start” hub has now been launched. It plans eventually to invest NIS 1 billion in over 40 advanced technology startups.

Mind the tech.  100 Israeli startups met UK business leaders at Calcalist’s third Mind the Tech conference in London. This article features Duality (data encryption, Supersmart (supermarket scanning), Run:AI (computer optimization), Papaya (payroll management), Vicarius (cyber defense), and Loop (youth tech movement).

Metabolism tracking system success. I reported previously (Aug 2018) on Israel’s Metaflow and its Lumen respiratory metabolism tracking device that helps users reach fitness goals. Its runaway crowdfunding success achieved sales of 11,000 devices worth $2.3 million. Metaflow has just raised another $8.5 million.

Israeli hospital invests in health tech. Healthcare-focused VC fund Triventures has partnered Israel’s Sheba Medical Center to launch a $40 million seed-stage fund that will focus on digital health and med-tech startups. Triventures ARC’s first investment is Tel Aviv-based Lynx.MD, developer of a secure medical data platform.

Available to buy now. (TY Israel21c) These potentially life-saving Israeli products can be purchased right now. Lishtot TestDrop Pro Water Tester (click here); Safe Sea’s jellyfish repellant (click here); Sunway clothing to stop UV radiation (click here) and Elepho’s eClip to prevent baby being left in a hot car (click here).

Elbit systems to train US pilots. Israel’s Elbit has signed a $500 million contract with the US Air Force. Elbit will supply products, including cockpit displays, for Boeing's T-X advanced pilot training system, selected by the United States Air Force to replace its old training system.

A music production marketplace. Israeli-founded SoundBetter offers an online music production marketplace where musicians can purchase services such as mastering and mixing pieces. It has a community of more than 180,000 registered artists. SoundBetter has just been acquired by US music streaming company Spotify.

Directing French soccer fans. French soccer team Olympique de Marseille has partnered with Israel-based public transit app developer Moovit. The app will direct fans to the stadium via public transportation, bicycle, or on foot, offering directions to specific gates at the team's home stadium and to the club's official store.

Personalized sports videos are a huge hit. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (7th Jan) on Israel’s WSC Sports and its real time, on-demand videos of TV sports broadcasts. Its customers include WarnerMedia, NBA, US Open, PGA Tour and Bundeslig. It has just raised another $23 million to fund its phenomenal growth.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Broken instruments make harmonious whole. (TY Janglo) Over 100 musicians (Jews, Moslems and Christians) performed a concert of broken instruments at “Shalem” (whole), in Jerusalem’s Gan Mitchell as part of the Mekudeshet (Sacred Music) Festival.

The world’s 7th best slice of pizza. Bezzo Pizza in Tel Aviv ranked seventh on Big 7 Travel's list for "The 50 Best Slices of Pizza in The World". Big Travel 7 said, “they are also melt-in-the-mouth good. Bezzo Pizza is up there with the best pizza slices in the world." Bezzo’s original recipe stems from Yemeni culture.

Good News on ILTV. Israeli news site ILTV have begun a weekly video featuring good news stories from Israel.  Here is a link to its first edition.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zjWvwwTHis  

Paralympic swimmer smashes world record. (TY Steven G) Israel’s Mark Malyar, who has cerebral palsy, broke the world record in winning the 400m freestyle S7 at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.  The event took place in London after Malaysia was removed as host for refusing to let Israelis compete.


THE JEWISH STATE

The Israeli town with the most kidney donors. (TY UWI) The religious community of Yitzhar in Samaria has the highest proportion of kidney donors in Israel. The ten Jewish donors didn’t know any of the recipients, who included secular left-wingers. Their only regret was that they could only donate once. Incredible video.

Two generations of donors. Neria’s father had already donated a kidney to a total stranger. So, it was natural for Neria to register on the bone marrow database of Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion. He then got the call - he was the only known genetic match who could save a cancer patient’s life.  So, naturally, he donated his cells.

The class of Hillel. Over four years ago, after the passing of Rosh Yeshiva Rav Hillel Zaks, many parents in Modi’in Illit named their sons “Hillel” in his memory. So now in the new class at the kindergarten of Talmud Torah Medrash Meir in Kiryat Sefer, of the 29 children, 21 have the first name Hillel. Could be confusing?

Christian Zionists help Jewish farmers harvest grapes. US evangelical group HaYovel ("The Harvest") brings Christian volunteers to Israel to help Jewish farmers. They are currently harvesting grapes in the Samarian community of Shiloh – where the Biblical Tabernacle stood, prior to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Home in the Homeland.  (TY Zev) Dina and Eli Kamionski, in their mid-30s, with four children, left the US for a new life in Israel. They documented their Aliya journey in a series of some 50 short videos entitled “The Kami Klan” to help others intending to embark on a similar path.  (Some on Youtube; most on Facebook).

JR’s 35 years since Aliya. Regular readers will know that Jacob Richman is a prolific blogger and provider of vital information and photos on Israel and Jewish holidays. He made this video to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his Aliya from Brooklyn.  He introduces it, “It was the best decision of my life. I highly recommend it!”  https://jr.co.il/aliyah/aliyah-anniversary.htm

AI search of David Ben Gurion diaries. Ben-Gurion University and Microsoft Israel have teamed up to bring David Ben-Gurion's archive to life. They are developing an advanced Artificially Intelligence-based system that will be able to search the entire archive, printed and handwritten materials alike.

What’s that falling from the sky?  (TY Janglo & Jacques) Some parts of Israel experienced their first Autumn rains last week. It arrived early this year and made a pleasant change to the long, hot, dry summer weather. It is so important, that it has a special Hebrew name - “Yoreh” and is included in the Shema prayer.


190915
In the 15th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Two Israelis can walk again thanks to 3D printed implants.
·         Critically ill patients can receive new Israeli liver cancer treatment.
·         Jerusalem lights up skies to mark 18th anniversary of 9/11.
·         An Israeli-Arab molecular scientist’s amazing inventions.
·         A record number of passengers flew into Tel Aviv in August.
·         A 2600-year-old seal of a Jewish government official has been found in Jerusalem.

·         Click here to see the 1st September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel with extra feature on Finance (with 1,900 shares) and Medical (with 1,100 shares).  Also (TY Sandra) in German. Please pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 15,000 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

3D printed implants to help two women walk. In an Israeli first, two women have each been given a 3D printed titanium alloy implant to replace a broken talus (the main connector between the foot and leg). Doctors at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva are confident that both women will soon be walking normally again.

Skin cancer treatment discovery. Researchers at Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center have linked metastatic melanoma progression to a patient’s lipid (fatty acid) metabolism. Skin cancer is more sensitive to immune T-cells if the lipid metabolism is high. The scientists say the discovery can lead to new therapies.

Patients with Parkinson’s and Fibromyalgia. This is an example of how Israeli medical data helps research into diseases. Ben Gurion University’s Dr Yair Zlotnik has used the database of Israeli Health company Clalit to analyze patients with both Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia. The findings could lead to new treatment options.

Liver cancer treatment available. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the Namodenoson (CF102) liver cancer treatment from Israel’s Can-Fite. After Phase 2 testing, a supply of CF102 has been manufactured for “compassionate use” on critically ill patients at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva.

Intelligent ultrasound. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2017) when GE Medical integrated the imaging analysis software from Israel’s DiA into its ultrasound devices. Now, DiA is to provide its artificially intelligent cardiac solutions for the point-of-care devices made by US ultrasound imaging company Terason.

Two-way texting to combat TB. Tuberculosis (TB) kills 1.6 million people a year. Israeli startup Keheala has developed a “low-tech” system whereby Keheala sends SMS reminders to patients in Kenya to take their meds. The patient must respond with an SMS otherwise a Keheala mentor gets involved. Trials were 96% successful.

More funds for cancer research. Every year (see here) the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) awards grants to Israeli researchers working to find cures and treatments for cancer. This year its 69 grants of $4.3 million focus on cancer genetics, targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapy. Read about some of the amazing work.

Unlocking medical data for research. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s MDClone system generates anonymous medical research data from real medical records. Customers include Israeli health companies Maccabi and Clalit and (in the US) Washington University hospital and Intermountain. MDClone has just raised $26 million of funds.

Terror victim becomes MDA paramedic. Dvir Schnerb was released from hospital two weeks after being critically wounded by a terrorist bomb that killed his sister. A few hours later he received his certification as a volunteer EMT for Magen David Adom. He said he will honor his sister’s memory by working to save lives.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Ethiopian tech team goes to Addis Ababa. I reported previously (4th Aug) on the recent Tech-Career event for members of the Israeli-Ethiopian community. The winners of the event’s hackathon travelled to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa to showcase their initiatives at Ethiopia’s SolveIT Innovation Competition.

Putting female photographers in the picture. Dr Noam Gal is curator of “A Modern Love” - photography between 1900 and 1945 at the Israel Museum. He saw the exhibit lacked examples by a prolific group - female photographers. He then through searched the many gifts to the museum to create a much more balanced exhibit.

Saving the Galapagos iguanas. The diet of the iguanas of the Galapagos islands is dependent on unique algae, native to the islands. But during El-Nino events, the algae die, as do 90% of the iguanas. Scientists from Israel, the US, Germany and Ecuador have found microbes in the gut of surviving iguanas that could save the species.

Training for Nigerians practicing Judaism. (TY Algemeiner) NGO Shavei Israel organized a leadership and Jewish learning week in Onithsa, Nigeria for more than 250 local youth and 20 adults. These Nigerians are members of the Igbo ethnic group of which some 4,000 practice Judaism, professing descent from a lost tribe.

Meet the CEO of IsraAID. If you can get to Hollywood California on 19th Sep, I strongly registering for a lecture by Navonel “Voni” Glick, co- Chief Executive Officer at IsraAID. He will describe how his Israeli humanitarian aid organization responds when disasters strike around the world. Click for details.

Israeli honors memory of 9/11 victims. Israel marked the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks with its annual memorial ceremony to honor those who perished. For the first time, it included the "Tribute in Light" - 2 beams of light, shining up to 300 meters tall over Jerusalem, similar to the "Ground Zero" tribute in New York.

US Police Unity Tour in Israel. Nearly 50 high-ranking American police officers came to Israel as part of their annual Police Unity Tour.  During their 9-day visit, they marked the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and embarked on a 2-day motorbike ride across Israel to honor officers killed in the line of duty.

IAF commander awarded Legion of Merit. The Legion of Merit is the United States’ sixth highest honor. It was recently awarded to Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin for his “exceptionally meritorious service” having “enhanced the cooperation and partnership between the United States and Israel.”


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

More investment into plastic recycling. (TY Atid-EDI) The Israel Innovation Authority has approved the establishment of the CIRCLE consortium, and investment of NIS 30 million, to promote the development of recycling technologies, and the use of recycled materials in Israel’s plastics industry.

Recycling wastewater naturally. I reported previously (Dec 2017) about Ben Gurion University Professor Amit Gross’s natural biofiltration treatment of wastewater. At the Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm and Restaurant in the Negev desert, Anat and Daniel Kornmehl use these techniques to help make their desert oasis bloom.

Recycling in the Negev. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2012) when Israel’s Negev Ecology opened the Harov waste treatment plant in the Negev. It also operates the Negev’s Dudaim Recycling plant and is now building a new NIS 70 million facility there to significantly increase the recycling of waste in Southern Israel.

From the molecular to the macro. Ben-Gurion University Professor Muhammad Bashouti (an Israeli Arab) has used his research into molecular properties to invent some amazing devices. An optical biosensor to diagnose disease; lens filters for diabetics; and molecular solar cells. These are now being commercialized.

New cybersecurity incubator in Be’er Sheva. Israel’s OurCrowd has launched its Labs/08 incubator in Be’er Sheva. Like Jerusalem’s Labs/02, it supports software startups focusing on massive data emanating from 5G. Labs/08 is partnering with Soroka University Medical Center and the Israel National Cyber Directorate.

STEM preschool in Jerusalem. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli initiatives to introduce tech and business skills to children in kindergarten. Now Lockheed Martin, Rashi Foundation, Jerusalem’s municipality and Ministry have launched a new “Madakids” preschool in Jerusalem focused on technology and science.

Using DNA to store data. Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute and the IDC in Herzliya have significantly optimized the process needed to store digital information. They demonstrated storing ten million gigabytes, in a single gram of synthetic DNA. Further developments could reduce the size of computer server farms.

Electric train test successful. (TY Janglo) Israel Railways has just completed the first full trial run of its new electric train service from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  The line is scheduled to be operational by the end of the year and provide a 28-minute service between Tel Aviv’s Haganah and Jerusalem’s Yitzhak Navon stations.

Israel prioritizes 32 ag-tech startups. 32 of Israel’s best agriculture technology companies are to get more access to Government funds. They will also be showcased to investors looking for innovation in agriculture, especially biotechnology, robotics, sensors, plant protection, aquaculture, animals and IT systems.

Food system intelligence. One of the 32 Israeli Ag-tech startups above is Trellis. It uses Artificial Intelligence to help food and beverage companies optimize their supply chains. Its AI systems neutralize seasonal instability and risk of crop harvests with real time harvest predictions. https://trellis.ag/ 

Find a parking space. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli apps to help find car parking spaces in busy cities. This article describes two more – ParKam and Parknav. ParKam uses CCTV infrastructure and predictions. Parknav uses cell-towers, mobile-payments, car-sharing data, car sensors and satellite images.

Hunting for code vulnerabilities. Israeli cybersecurity startup Snyk helps app developers detect and fix security vulnerabilities in computer code. Snyk has offices in Tel Aviv, London, Boston and Ontario and its customers include Google, Microsoft and Salesforce.  Google has just led a $70 million funding round in Snyk.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israel’s global economic success. (TY Stuart) Some positive statistics about Israel’s economy. Israeli exports rose 3% to NIS 55 billion in the first half of 2019, despite the shekel’s continuing appreciation in value. Exports to Europe increased by 12% and 30% of all exports were hi-tech.

Ben Gurion airport’s busiest month ever.  Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport in August saw a record 2.8 million passengers - over 2% higher than August 2018.  July’s 2.4 million passengers was 10% more than July 2018. Meanwhile, passenger traffic between Israel and China is up over 23% this year compared to 2018.

Four of top 50 entrepreneurial universities are Israeli. The Pitchbook Research Institute ranks the top 50 undergraduate programs globally that produce the most VC-backed entrepreneurs. Its latest list has Tel Aviv University (8), Technion Institute (14), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (34), and Ben-Gurion University (49).

Helping small businesses grow. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup vCita claims to have everything a small business needs. Appointments, customer relationships, payments and marketing. And a very effective customer-friendly web app interface. With around 100,000 clients, vCita has raised $15 million of funds to grow itself.

Baxter catches Cheetah. I reported previously (Mar 2012) on Israel’s Cheetah Medical and its systems for monitoring patients in hospital. Cheetah’s systems are now used in 400 hospitals in 30 countries.  Cheetah’s fast growth has caught the eye of Baxter International which has acquired Cheetah for at least $190 million.

McDonald’s eats Israeli speech recognition startup. Israeli-founded Apprente develops AI and speech-based conversational customer service automation technology for use in noisy environments such as drive-throughs. It had just the ingredients that fast food giant McDonald’s wanted to establish its new McD Tech Labs.

Fieldin looks to grow its field. I reported previously (Oct 2016) on Israel’s Fieldin and its technology that reduces use of pesticides on crops. Fieldin now monitors over 1 million dunams of crops in California alone and has just raised $12 million of funds for R&D and to expand its sales and client management teams.

MyHeritage expands its family. Israeli genealogy company MyHeritage has acquired Utah-based River Road Bio (RRB). This means MyHeritage inherits RRB’s SNPedia website and its Promethease DNA report analyser. SNPedia explains the effects of variations in DNA.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Oud festival celebrates 20 years.  (TY Janglo) The annual Oud Festival marks its 20th year with ten days of 13 events, from Nov 21 - 30, in a number of Jerusalem venues. Performers include musicians from Turkey, Armenia, the USA, India and Israel, many of whom have roots in Arab countries.

Clogs & Camels. (TY Robert) VeryGoodNewsIsrael subscriber Robert Barzelay is the editor of Klompen & Kamelen (Clogs and Camels). 48 short stories by 30 Dutch and Flemish authors about life and survival in Israel. Proceeds go to two Israeli charities - IsraAID and Aleh. Please pass on these details to Dutch readers.

Potentially shattering, but not speed records. Israeli artist Boris Shpeizman’s childhood dream was to own a motorcycle. Now he has built one - entirely out of glass. Shpeizman works with “hot glass,” a technique where glass is heated to a liquid so it can be blown into shapes like the wheels and handlebars of a motorcycle.

New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli stamps issued for September 2019 include Honey flowers (for Rosh Hashana), the Sehrane (Khurdistan Jews) festival, Fighting breast cancer, Autumn flowers, 25-years of Israel-Vatican relations and Israeli Air Force jets. https://jr.co.il/stamps/index-2019.html


THE JEWISH STATE

First Temple bulla found in Jerusalem. (TY Zev) A 2,600-year-old bulla (imprint of the seal) of a Judean King’s senior officer has been uncovered in dirt excavated near the Western Wall. The bulla is inscribed with the name of "Adenyahu Asher Al HaBayit," meaning "Adenyahu by Appointment of the House".

Where was the Temple scroll written? (TY UWI & ILTV) A new study of the 2000-year-old Dead Sea Temple Scroll shows that it was additionally protected by a layer of inorganic material that was used by the Babylonians and Greeks. The minerals comprising it were not available in the Dead Sea region.

Underprivileged boys celebrate at Kotel. (TY UWI) 15 boys from underprivileged families celebrated their Bar Mitzvot at the Kotel (Western Wall). The families were financed by the municipality of Rishon Letzion and the regional religious council.

Dutch Christians donate huge menorah to Sderot. Dutch Christian Zionists have donated Europe’s largest Hanukkah menorah to the Israeli city of Sderot. They wanted to show solidarity with Sderot’s residents’ in their plight over rocket attacks from Gaza. The 36-foot menorah is shaped like a Star of David and has a 6-ton base.

The largest Birthright event outside Israel. 2,500 Birthright alumni attended a mega-event in Odessa, Ukraine, designed to encourage potential candidates to sign up for a trip to Israel. The festivities included a performance by Ukrainian band Boombox and was attended by Odessa’s deputy mayor.

Our common destiny. 30 global Jewish scholars met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem before preparing a “Declaration of Our Common Destiny” on the shared values and principles by which world Jewry will abide by. It includes being a “light unto the nations,” and to help develop and improve the world.


190908
In the 8th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         A new Israeli treatment for resistant myeloma has been approved in the US.
·         Israeli NGO IsraAID is helping hurricane victims in the Bahamas.
·         Israeli sensors can “feel” when machinery is about to break down.
·         Israeli water treatment has eliminated toxic algae from a lake in Ohio.
·         New York City school buses use Israeli ride-sharing technology.
·         An Israeli broke the European record for the women’s 10km by 17 seconds.
·         The life of another Israeli terror attack victim has been saved, twice.

·         Click here to see the 1st September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (with a great intro), Janglo and United With Israel with extra feature on Medical.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of nearly 15,000 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

“Last resort” myeloma treatment approved. The US FDA has granted accelerated approval to XPOVIO for the treatment of resistant or relapsed multiple myeloma. XPOVIO (Selinexor) was developed by Karyopharm Therapeutics, established by Israel’s Dr. Sharon Shacham,.and based in Newton MA.  

Tech to rehabilitate at home. Israel’s WizeCare offers physiotherapists and clinicians an app that enables them to guide their patients during their at-home rehabilitation exercises. It has partnered with the Cleveland Clinic for their staff to provide personalized videos for patients and monitor compliance.

Super prawn controls disease afflicting 220 million. I reported previously (Aug 2016) that Ben Gurion University scientists were cultivating all-male prawns to eradicate schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Now, with Israeli startup Enzoomic, they have produced all-female prawns - much better at controlling the disease.

Donated ambulances attended 75,000 calls. As reported previously (see here), retired UK surgeon Norman Rosenbaum, 84, has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Magen David Adom. His 12 MDA ambulances have attended some 75,064 calls over the years. Its crews have helped 997 women to give birth.

IDF soldiers have saved 2,000 lives. The Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Registry has just reached an amazing milestone: 2,000 IDF soldiers have donated their stem cells to save 2,000 patients around the world. They not only protect citizens of the State of Israel, but also globally, those whose lives depend on a stem cell transplant.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Music for autistic children. (TY UWI) 18-year-old Israeli Yuval Sinay founded Special Sound – a project in which young musicians help children and young adults on the autism spectrum to express themselves through music. Yuval received the President’s Award for Volunteerism in July.

Tech accelerator for startups with female founders. Tel Aviv’s latest accelerator - Women of Startup Nation Accelerator (WOSNA) - launched last week, comprising 11 startups with at least one female founder. Its aim is to change today’s male-orientated domination of top Israeli companies, one female-founded startup at a time.

Ethiopian PM meets Ethiopian-Israeli mother. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali began a two-day visit to Israel by speaking to the mother of Avera Mengistu held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu invited Agamesh Mengistu to meet Abiy. 150,000 Jews of Ethiopian descent live in Israel.

IDF disability mission to the Himalayas. The Friends Association of the IDF Disabled (and in collaboration with El Al) has organized a "Liberation Trip" to the Himalayas for 21 wounded Israeli veterans. They are currently climbing up to the Canadian-La crossing of the Himalayas - about 5,000 meters above sea level.

RAF and IAF in joint UK exercise. I reported previously (26th Jan) that the Israeli Air Force would be conducting a joint exercise in September with UK’s Royal Air Force. Exercise Cobra Warrior is now underway and includes German, Italian and US planes. It is the first time Israeli military aircraft have flown in Britain.

Honduras opens Jerusalem office. Honduras has opened a trade mission with diplomatic status in Jerusalem. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez declared the inauguration to be a “first step” toward moving the embassy to Israel’s capital. President Hernández was presented with the Friends of Zion award.

Environment support to Argentina. KKL-JNF World President Daniel Atar signed a cooperation
agreement with Sergio Casas, governor of La Rioja, Argentina. It covers fighting desertification, supporting education about the environment and the efficient use of resources in two Argentinian provinces.

Emergency aid to the Bahamas. Israel-based humanitarian group IsraAID is among the Jewish groups providing help the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian’s devastation. This includes distributing relief supplies, deploying filters to provide drinking water, trauma support and assessing further needs.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Foundation brings good ideas to market. Non-profit Zimin Foundation has set up, in Tel Aviv University, the Zimin Institute for Engineering Solutions Advancing Better Lives. It aims to help ease the path of good ideas to market. More institutes will be set up in Israel and overseas, each receiving up to $5 million in funding.

Bloomberg foundation launches Innovation Hubs. Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched a new network of innovation hubs, called Hazira. Bloomberg’s existing innovation teams in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva, will expand to 12 additional cities in Israel. Each will work on a project selected by that city’s mayor.

EU funds four promising Israeli researchers. The European Union has awarded European Research Council Starting Grants to four young scientists from Ben-Gurion University. They are Dr. Deborah Toiber (Life Sciences) and three chemists – Prof Manny Shalom, Dr Benjamin Palmer and Dr Joshua Baraban.

The first Chinese center of excellence outside China. (TY Hazel) The Chinese Academy of Sciences is to establish its first center of excellence outside China. The lab, based at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, will specialize in nanotechnology research – particularly nano-medicine and printing two-dimensional materials.

Tech Transfer conference. The AUTM ASIA 2019 Conference (4 – 7 Nov) brings hundreds of global academics, government and industry experts to Jerusalem to discuss critical issues regarding technology transfer. Universities, hospitals, HMOs and research institutes launched 74 new companies in 2018.

An app to help recycling. Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry is urging the Israeli public to wise-up on how to recycle products and materials. One of the key resources is the orange recycling bin located outside all residencies in most cities.  The downloadable recycling game Catomolo helps identify what to put in it.

The value of feeling. NaNose inventor Professor Hossam Haick (see here) has co-founded Israeli startup Feelit. Its printable sensors monitor and alert if a material suffers (e.g.) structural integrity, warping, overheating, wear & tear and pressure buildup. Feelit has just won Calcalist & KPMG Israel’s Industry 4.0 startup competition.

A global ecosystem for vegans. Israeli startup Vegan Nation is building the world’s first global marketplace for vegans. Its e-commerce platform includes its own digital currency, the VeganCoin (VCN) for businesses, service providers and consumers. It has a vast social network for messaging, sharing content and much more.

Safe, low-energy autonomous driving. The technology of Israel’s Cartica AI predicts road behavior (drivers and pedestrians). It uses low power to recognize thousands of object types in all weathers and lighting conditions. It has just received funds to launch its Autonomous AI platform and expand global operations.

Using AI to remove landmines. Landmine clearance cost $770 million globally in 2017, yet mines killed some 2,800 people with thousands more injured. Now, Israeli startup 4M Analytics provides a “minefields location intelligence solution” that slashes costs and timescales. It has even detected mines in previously “cleared” areas.

Electric buses on Jerusalem streets. Egged bus number 15 from the Central Bus Station to Talpiot is the first electric bus to run in Jerusalem. Part of a government initiative to reduce air pollution in Israel's capital, they feature zero pollution, quiet operation, and five hours or 200 km between charges.

Success for algae treatment. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (19th Jan) on Israel’s BlueGreen Water Technologies and its environment friendly Lake Guard treatment for toxic algae.  Lake Guard was just used to treat Chippewa Lake in Ohio. Blue Green says it killed all the toxic algae in the lake within just one day.

Microsoft Israel chief is now a teacher. Avi Nathan retired as general manager of Microsoft Israel in 2007. Now he is teaching math at Kiryat Tivon middle school in Northern Israel, using his technical skills to benefit the next generation. After retiring from Microsoft, he took a degree in education at Israel’s Technion Institute.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Economy still strong. (TY Janglo) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Israel's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Rating (IDR) at 'A+' with a Stable Outlook. It cited strong external finances (with high financing flexibility), robust macroeconomic performance and solid institutional strength. S&P affirmed its AA- rating early in August.

Freezing tumors in Japan & Singapore. Israel’s IceCure Medical (see here) has signed an agreement with Japan’s Terumo for the rights to sell the Israeli cryoablation cancer treatment in Japan and Singapore. IceCure’s ultrasound-guided probe injects liquid nitrogen into a tumor, to freeze and destroy the cancer cells.

Mobileye builds in Jerusalem.  (TY Janglo) I reported previously (May 2017) on Mobileye’s plans for its massive global development center in Jerusalem.  The cornerstone for the new campus has just been laid by Israel’s PM, together with the Economy Minister, the Jerusalem Mayor and Mobileye’s president and CEO.

Ride-sharing tech for NYC school buses. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli-founded Via and its ride-sharing technology.  Now, Via is licensing its technology to the New York City Department of Education for its school bus system. Routes can be adapted to kids’ needs and GPS tracking benefits parents and students.

Big Vegan success. (TY Janglo) Just two months ago (see here) McDonald’s launched its new Big Vegan burger in 18 Israeli outlets. It has now expanded this to 40 of its 186 branches in Israel. The Big Vegan is produced by Osem-Nestle subsidiary Tivoll. McDonald's is also marketing a double-size vegan burger.

Natural gas by-product is worth $1 billion. The consortium operating Israel's largest gas field Leviathan is in advanced talks to sell its natural-gas condensate – worth some $1 billion over the 35-year life of the field. The gas production by-product can be used as a raw material in the production of greener fuel or as a diluent for oil.

Amazon’s 12th Sep Israel launch date. Amazon has given Israeli retailers a 12th Sep date for the launch of its service in Israel. It has urged registered retailers to ready their stock and product list, advising them to prioritize products that could be popular ahead of the Jewish New Year commencing 29th September.

BMW, Toyota and OurCrowd seek AI vision. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli computer vision startup Cortica. Now, BMW and Toyota’s investment arms, together with Israel’s OurCrowd are partnering with Cortica to launch Cartica - a subsidiary that will develop Artificial Intelligence for autonomous vehicles.

Visa partners 3 Israeli startups. Payments giant Visa has partnered with three Israeli fintech companies through its startup collaboration lab, Innovation Studios. They are ChargeAfter (instant credit), Mesh Payments (online cross-border transaction service) and Zooz (payment platform).

Cybersecurity “Black Unicorns”. Cyber Defense Magazine’s 10 winners of its 2019 Black Unicorn Awards, include three Israeli companies. Checkmarx, XM Cyber and ObservIT. According to Cyber Defense, they all have the potential to reach $1 billion market valuation and be termed a “Unicorn”.

Janglo takeover. Anglo Media has acquired English-language Israeli media platform Janglo.net and entered into a partnership with Torah Tidbits. Janglo is Israel’s largest online community for English speakers, receiving some 150,000 visits per month. It also posts the VeryGoodNewsIsrael newsletter.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Rare photos at National Library. The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection of over two million images, will be stored and digitized at The National Library of Israel. The largest repository of photographs of Israel in the world includes never-before-seen images of Golda Meir and rare snapshots of Theodor Herzl.

ER nurse wins six European swimming medals. (TY Janglo) Ruthy Weiner, an Emergency Room staff nurse at Galilee Medical Center, won aix medals (including four gold) at the European Masters Games for athletes over 25 in Torino, Italy. Ruthy also broke the Israeli 100m butterfly record in the 40-44 age group,

New 10km European record. Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai-Salpeter clocked a time of 30:04 in the Tilburg Ten Miles race in the Dutch city of Tilburg, cutting a huge 17 seconds off the European women's record for 10km, set by legendary runner Paula Radcliffe in 2003.


THE JEWISH STATE

Onward Israel. Onward Israel is a subsidized program for students and recent graduates interested in exploring areas of work in the Jewish State. Largely supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, participants experience unique, practical internships with Israeli companies and educational institutions.

High marks for Birthright Excel. I reported previously (see here) on the Birthright Israel Excel program that brings Jewish students from top universities in the US and Canada to internships in Israeli companies. Since 2010, nearly 800 students have been mentored to become business leaders with strong ties to the Jewish State.

One of the earliest color films of Jerusalem. (TY Jacques) Jerusalem Cinematheque is digitizing a rare film of Jerusalem in the 1930s. The Margulis family home movie features the Hebrew University; giving charity to beggars at the Western Wall; Haredi Jews from the Old Yishuv and Ashkenazi Jews wearing Sephardi clothes.

Nauru recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Republic of Nauru, a Pacific island country, has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Saving the Jewish State at birth. Please watch this seven-minute documentary “Israel Survived an Early Challenge”. Produced by Pen State Professor Boaz Dvir, together with Retro Report, it focuses on a secret, operation to save newborn Israel in 1948.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr-CEta1H8g

Unlikely benefit from terror attack. I reported previously (Nov 2015) of a terror attack victim whose life was saved twice when a tumor was discovered during hospital treatment. In a similar story Shira Sabag, critically injured in a Dec 2018 terror attack, was also found to have a tumor - in the brain. It was successfully removed.


190901
In the 1st Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Israeli scientists have been able to prevent secondary cancer in the brain.
·         A new Israeli anti-malaria vaccine requires no refrigeration.
·         Israel’s MDA gave six-months’ first-response training to Arab-Israelis.
·         Israel is helping extinguish fires in Brazil’s rainforest.
·         Intel Israel’s new microchip can help computers reason for themselves.
·         Europe is helping fund Israeli antibacterial coating to prevent infections.
·         Sagi Muki is Israel’s first World champion judoka.

·         Click here to see the 18th August newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo and United With Israel with extra feature on Jewish State.  Also (TY Sandra) in German. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of nearly 15,000 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Preventing secondary brain tumors. (TY UWI) Up to 40% of cancer patients develop secondary brain tumors shortly after surgery to remove a primary tumor elsewhere in the body. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have shown that an intravenous injection of CpG-C (synthetic DNA material) can prevent these metastases forming.

New research into age-related immune failure. In lab tests on aging and the immune system, biologists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have profiled over 24,000 T-Cells. They identified that 30% deteriorate during the aging process and could establish new areas of medical intervention to prevent age-related illnesses.

Software to monitor cancer patients at home. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli startup Telesofia when it developed personalized medical videos. Now Israel’s Sheba Medical Center is to pilot Telesofia’s tele-medicine software for cancer patients at home to communicate with doctors about chemotherapy side effects.

Alzheimer’s treatment also benefits autistic children. Israeli researchers at Sheba Medical Center have found that a medication used to treat Alzheimer’s patients also has strong therapeutic effects on autistic children. 60 such children were given Donepezil and Cholin for six months and their language skills improved significantly.

US approval for blood pressure wristband monitor. Israel’s Biobeat develops wireless products (wristwatch and patch) to measure blood pressure, oxygenation, pulse, stroke volume and more. Both items sync data to the cloud, enabling remote monitoring. The US FDA has just given clearance to the combined products.

A stable vaccine for malaria. Malaria kills half-a-million people annually. In this “Weizmann in Focus” video, Dave Doneson explains that current anti-malaria vaccines break down in hot climates. However, scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute redesigned the protein RH5 to enable the vaccine to be stored at room temperature.

Hope for multiple myeloma patients. Thanks to Israeli discoveries and research, patients with the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma are leading longer, better lives.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel’s first social-impact bank. I reported previously (Jan 2012) on the Israel Free Loan Association, now called Ogen (Hebrew for Anchor). It has provided over $300 million in interest-free loans to some 60,000 low- and middle-income families and small businesses. It will soon provide low-interest loans to even more Israelis.

Accessible tourism. Israel-based startup Travaxy offers tourism services for people with disabilities or special needs. Online you can book flights, hotels, wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids that will wait for you at your destination, which currently includes Tel Aviv, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona and London.

Tech integration program for Haredim. Israel’s Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services is setting up a new program to help ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish students find jobs in international tech companies. It will offer scholarships of NIS 12,000 a year, help students seek potential employers, and provide guidance on acquiring essential workforce skills.

Jerusalem united in Shalom (Peace). (TY Sharon) Sharon recently took many photos of diversity in Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall: Muslim women eating at the adjacent table and Arab families shopping in the Jerusalem mall. But her favorite photograph was of medical volunteers, published by United Hatzalah.

MDA trains Israeli Arabs. (TY UWI) Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, concluded its first-ever first responder course for some 20 civilian volunteers in the Arab town of Taibe. The six-month-long course taught the necessary skills to be ambulance drivers and medical emergency responders.

Still saving Syrian lives. In 2013, Salman Zarka was head of the IDF medical corps, bringing Syrians wounded in their civil war back to Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Now, he is in charge of Ziv and continues to treat Syrians who come to the Israeli border in need of lifesaving medical interventions.

Israeli kids donate soccer jerseys to Kenyan kids. (TY UWI) Children from Israeli schools have donated 80 soccer shirts to children at four schools in Kenya. The Kenyans have just adopted The Equalizer program - an Israeli model of academic tutoring and soccer coaching for at-risk schoolchildren.

Training New Jersey first responders to cope with trauma. Israeli NGO Natal was formed in 1998 to help Israelis cope with trauma. But for the last 2 years, it has been training New Jersey first responders in the US to identify, prevent, and respond to work-related trauma - and how to train their colleagues in these skills.

Agreements with Ukraine. The visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to the Ukraine led to the signing of agreements on trade, hi-tech, agriculture, patents, education, culture, language study, sports and youth. Each country will open hi-tech centers in the other’s country.

Israeli delegation visits Chad. Israel resumed diplomatic relations with the Muslim-majority Republic of Chad in January (see here). An Israeli government delegation then visited Chad during the first week of August to develop business relations and cooperation on agriculture management and education.

Helping fight fires in Brazil. Israel has sent a fire-fighting plane and flame-retardant materials to assist the Brazilian Government battle fires raging in the Amazon rainforest. In April, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro became the first head of state to tour the Western Wall accompanied by an Israeli prime minister.

UN recognizes ELEM. Israeli non-profit ELEM helps at-risk youth reclaim their lives and become productive members of society through therapy, mentoring and assistance. ECOSOC (U.N. Economic and Social Council) has granted ELEM special consultative status on the matter of vulnerable young people.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Tel Aviv’s tech hub ranks 6th in the world. (TY Atid-EDI) Tel Aviv has more startups per capita than any other country. It ranked sixth in Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER). It was 2nd overall for cybersecurity and 3rd for Artificial Intelligence.  Jerusalem also received an honorable mention.

Sustainable tech in the Israeli desert. Dry lands cover over 40% of the world and are home to 2.2 billion people. This video shows how Israeli technology is making such land suitable for growing crops.  

A better bus service. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Optibus is used in over 300 cities worldwide to manage some of the most complex and large-scale transportation operations. It helps streamline operations while reducing congestion, emissions and costs. Optibus has just released a major multi-route planning enhancement.

Stopping killer trucks. Overweight trucks are a major cause of lethal road accidents, due to problems braking. Highway 6, Israel’s longest road, will be installed with a system that weighs trucks as they drive, without interrupting traffic. Trucks exceeding legal limits will be signaled to pull over and their drivers fined.

Intel’s reasoning chip. Intel’s Haifa lab has developed a microprocessor for computers to gain knowledge by inference – i.e. to reach conclusions that are drawn from evidence and reasoning. The Nervana NNP-I or Spring Hill chip is designed for large computer processing centers.

More efficient construction. Israel’s Versatile Natures develops an internet-of-things (IoT) system that provides an overview of construction sites and offers actionable insights to increase efficiency and avoid wasteful or non-optimal use of resources and tools. The Bosch Group has just led a $5.5 million investment

Printing electronics around the clock. (TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Nano Dimension and its 3D printing of electronic circuits. Nano Dimension’s new DragonFly Lights Out technology allows 24-hour continuous digital manufacturing (LDM) with minimal human involvement.

Packaging to cut food waste. I’ve reported previously (see here) on many Israeli food packaging innovations to reduce some of the 40% food wasted in shops and at home. Now Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture is to award a NIS 9.5 million grant, as part of a pilot program to promote pre-packaging of produce by retailers.

Waste not, want not. Another innovation to reduce food waste is the Israeli SpareEat app. Consumers buy discounted fresh leftover dishes or produce from restaurants, hotels, cafes, and supermarkets. Meanwhile, businesses make extra cash on food they could not otherwise sell. 

Who has uploaded my video? (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Videocites is an AI-based video tracking and analytics company. It uses proprietary video fingerprinting technology to track the use of a video either to protect it from piracy or to help analyze and boost its exposure.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Businesses spent $19 billion on R&D.  2017 data just published by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics shows that expenditure by businesses in Israel on research and development totaled NIS 66.5 billion ($19 billion). Over 100,000 people were employed full-time in R&D.

Securing systems for the US Navy. I’ve reported preciously (see here) on Israel-based cybersecurity company Checkmarx. It has just won a contract with the U.S. Navy to help it improve its software security and accelerate the development of secure software applications.

El Al to fly to Dublin & Dusseldorf. Israel’s national carrier El Al Israel Airlines is launching new routes from Tel Aviv to Dublin and Dusseldorf. The thrice-weekly services commence in May and June 2020.

Three more routes for Arkia. Arkia Israeli Airlines is launching new direct routes connecting Tel Aviv with Rome, Athens, and Prague. The twice-weekly services commence in September.

EU grant for anti-bacterial coating. I reported previously (see here) on the anti-bacterial coating for fabrics of Israel’s Sonovia when the startup was called Nano Textile. Sonovia has just been awarded a 2.4 million euros grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Porsche invests more funds. I’ve reported previously (26th Jan) on Israel’s road visibility chipmaker TriEye, and on previous investments by German car maker Porsche into Israeli auto-tech startups (see here). Now, Porsche has led an investment of £19 million into the Israeli startup.

Samsung expands R&D in Israel. Samsung has signed a 25-year lease on 9,000-square-meters of office space in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Town building. The six floors will accommodate 500 employees for the planned expansion of its research and development division in Israel. See here for Samsung’s many activities in Israel.

Instrument tutor has a 10 million audience. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli music education startup JoyTunes. Its main app Simply Piano has been downloaded 10 million times. JoyTunes now has more than 200,000 paying subscribers and has just raised $25 million to expand its product range.

Analyzing connections in Avis cars. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the partnerships that Israeli connected car data startup Otonomo has made with Daimler/Mercedes, Skoda and Jaguar/Land Rover. Now Otonomo is to help the Avis Budget Group streamline its connected car fleet.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Huge Israeli sculpture in China desert. The 7.2-meter high sculpture “Walking” by Israel’s Dina Merhav has been selected for the Minqin International Desert Sculpture Symposium 2019 to be installed in the Suwu Desert in Minqin, China. Her vast iron work was one of 46 chosen from 2,327 by 538 artists from 63 countries.

Jerusalem film school in top 15 again. Prestigious US magazine, Hollywood Reporter, has named the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem in its annual list of top 15 best international film schools. It is the third consecutive year the magazine has included the Sam Spiegel.

Whiskey bar and museum. I have visited Sarona Tel Aviv’s Whiskey bar and museum and admired the more than 1,000 whiskey / whisky bottles on display. ILTV recently brought their cameras to show viewers the impressive collection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Smg_FfY8UY

Tel Aviv is the most dog-friendly city. Tel Aviv has one of the highest dog-to-person ratios in the world. This new video, made to coincide with International Dog Day, will hopefully inspire dog-lovers to come to Israel.

Judo World Champion. Israeli judoka Sagi Muki won the gold medal in the men’s under-81 kg class at the World Judo Championship finals in Tokyo, Japan. He is the first male Israeli athlete to receive the top prize.  

Clean sweep at World Windsurfing championship. Israeli teenage boys won all the top medals at the RS:X Youth Windsurfing World Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia. Eyal Yohay Zror won Gold, Daniel Basik Tashtash, silver and Reuven (Roy) Hillel, bronze. Naama Greenberg won bronze in the women’s division.


THE JEWISH STATE

Finding Jewish history under Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) Newsletter supporter and blogger Sharon visited the Sifting Project in Jerusalem’s Zurim Valley and experienced the excitement of discovering artifacts and remains from over 3,000 years of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem. She also photographed many of the city’s excavations.

Another huge Indian rally to support Israel. Following on from a similar event in Feb 2018 (see here), over 10,000 Hindus united in a major rally in Kolkata, India to denounce terrorism and show support for Israel. Flooded roads and bumper-to-bumper traffic prevented many more from attending the rally.

Aliya up by 29%. Immigration to Israel by Jews and their relatives rose to just over 16,000 in the first half of 2019 – an increase of nearly 30% compared to the corresponding period last year. Some three-quarters came from countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.

The last Jews of South Sudan make Aliya. (TY UWI) Happy ending to an amazing and traumatic 30-year journey for Suzi Makoriel and her 3 children. They finally arrived in Israel after being kidnapped in Sudan on the way from Ethiopia to Israel. After a 10-year separation, Suzy was re-united with her own mother.

Dates where once only desert. Moshav Naama is one of 21 communities in the Jordan Valley that produces Medjoul dates. 35 years ago, the whole area was desert. Then Jewish farmers used drip irrigation and purified wastewater to turn the valley into an oasis of date orchards, reviving a crop that thrived there in biblical times.


190818
In the 18th Aug 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Israeli scientists have developed a new treatment for melanoma.
·         Israel gave free sports footware to Kenyan lacrosse players.
·         Israeli space technology is out of this world.
·         New Israeli plastics are eco-friendly and extend food shelf-life.
·         Over 1,000 invest in new Israeli treatment for ALS.
·         Lionel Richie is coming to Israel.
·         Following the recent Jewish day of romance, two cancer survivors are to wed.

·         Click here to see the 4th August newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo and United With Israel with extra features on Medical (with over 1,000 shares) and Jewish State.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,800 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

A nano-vaccine for melanoma. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a novel nano-vaccine for melanoma (skin cancer) that has proved effective in laboratory tests. Tiny particles made of bio-degradable polymer were packed with two “safe” cancer-expressed peptides for the body to develop immunity against.

New test for Alzheimer’s. The SRY subsidiary of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center has developed Vizamyl, a radioactive agent that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Used in a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan, it estimates amyloid neuritic plaque density in the brain - the main indication of Alzheimer’s.

Good results for anti-radiation vaccine. I reported previously (see here) on the PLX-R18 stem cell treatment for radiation sickness from Israel’s Pluristem. Animal trials by the US Department of Defense demonstrated that PLX-R18, administered before and after radiation exposure increased survival rates by 46-70%.

US approval for antibacterial dental fillings. I reported previously (Aug 2018) about Israel’s Nobio and its nano-polymer that causes bacteria to die immediately on contact. Nobio has just received FDA approval to market its antibacterial material for dental fillings.

Agreement for psoriasis treatment. I reported previously (see here) on the small molecule treatments from Israel’s Can-Fite for psoriasis, liver and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Can-Fite AND South Korea-based Kyongbo have just signed a distribution agreement for Can-Fite’s psoriasis treatment Piclidenoson (CF101).

Innovation hub for hi-tech medicine. Israel’s Innovation Authority and the National Digital Israel Initiative are setting up an innovation hub dedicated to computational biology, digital health, pharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence. They are asking for bids worth up to NIS 32 million to build the hub.

Ultrasound skin therapy. Israeli startup SofWave Medical is developing non-invasive ultrasound technology for skin tightening. It targets specific layers of skin to reduce wrinkles and has received CE (European) approval. SofWave has just raised $8.4 million of funding.  https://alon-medtech.com/portfolio/

Facial recognition of genetic diseases. Israeli-founded FDNA has developed artificial intelligence to detect physiological patterns (phenotypes) that reveal disease-causing genetic variations. With one of the fastest growing and most comprehensive genomic databases, FDNA is changing the game for precision medicine.

First response training for medics in Chile. (TY Hazel) Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom is helping to train municipal security personnel as first responders to medical emergencies in the Chilean capital Santiago. It is in preparation for Chile hosting two major international conferences at the end of the year.

Israeli-Druze officer saves Jordanian boy. (TY Hazel) Kalai Housam Tarif, an Israeli Prison Officer of the Druze community, donated half of his liver to an unrelated eight-year-old boy from Jordan. Surgeons at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah transplanted around half of Tarif’s liver to save the boy.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Hi-tech co-existence. (TY UWI & TPS) Nazareth- based NGT (Next Generation Technology) serves as an incubator for 19 innovative life science and medical technology companies. It also has a social agenda – to bring Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs together to work in the same environment and achieve startup success.

UK ambassador’s strong links to Israel. Britain’s new ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, presented his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin. He revealed that he first met his wife Yael in Israel on a previous posting in 2002. Also, his grandfather was the commander of British forces that liberated Bergen-Belsen.

Best foot forward. When Israel played Kenya in the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championships, they saw that the Kenyans were wearing sneakers instead of lacrosse cleats (shoes with special studs).  The next day, the Israelis presented each Kenyan with her own pair of cleats.

Marine science exchange program. Israel is to host 27 graduate students from 24 US institutions as part of the Limnology and Oceanography Research Exchange (LOREX) program. Students will study at the University of Haifa’s marine sciences school and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat.

Huge delegation of House Reps visits Israel. 72 members of the US Congress (over 15% of the entire House of Representatives) came to Israel on concurrent Republican and Democrat trips to get a firsthand view of the challenges Israel faces and to express unconditional, bipartisan support for the Jewish state.

Improving air safety in the US. Israel’s giant IT company NICE has just won a $137 million order from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it improve the safety of air transportation in over 770 sites. NICE’s tools will enable faster incident response and greater visibility into incident data.

Israel leads international tsunami drill. Israel's navy has been leading a major training exercise involving 11 countries in preparation for an expected earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Greece, France and the US were in the main participants based at Haifa port, supported by Germany, Italy, Canada, Chile, Cyprus and others.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Amos 17 satellite launched. Israel’s Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite (see here) was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Great youtube videos.

A satellite to help understand the universe. Israel’s Weizmann Institute and the Israel Space Agency are to build ULTRASAT - a next-generation satellite with a telescope that will observe the universe in UV light. It will investigate black holes, neutron stars, stars with possible habitable planets and much more.

Data from the Sun. I reported previously (see here) on the CMOS image sensor from Israel’s TowerJazz aboard the NASA Parker Solar Probe. The high-resolution images of the Sun’s corona taken during the first two fly-pasts have exceeded all expectations. A third encounter with the Sun will take place imminently.

The Bible is a jewel. I reported previously (see here) when scientists from Israel’s Technion Institute produced a Hebrew Bible the size of a sugar grain.  Now Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists and Tanaor Jewelry have embedded a nano-sized Bible into a jewel that can be worn around the neck.

The origin of Israel’s desert water. Researchers from Israel’s Ben Gurion University have used radio-krypton dating to map the history of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer system, which lies beneath Israel’s Negev desert.  It has also identified the climate conditions that produced it thousands of years ago.

Construction technology saves lives. (TY Itai) There have been many preventable deaths and injuries at construction sites.  SafetyFirst, Safeguard, SiteAware, SiteWatch and INTSITE are just five Israeli startups helping to prevent work-related accidents. It’s the first appearance in my newsletter for all of these.

A better future for plastic. Rotem Shemesh is Head of Research at Israel’s Carmel Olefins. She is developing plastic that are easier to recycle. Another product is antimicrobial plastic packaging to prolong the shelf life of food. And she is determined to remove the plastic particles responsible for that “new car smell”.

Duckweed is a superfood. BGU researchers have determined that Mankai, a high-protein aquatic plant strain of duckweed, has significant potential as a superfood. It provides glycemic control needed after carbohydrate consumption. After two weeks, participants had much better glucose levels and felt more full.

Unique drone technology. This video features six innovative Israeli drone technology startups.  I’ve featured five of them previously, except for Civdorne, which develops a device that turns drones into land surveying, measuring, and marking machines for construction sites.

Eco-friendly vines. Israeli agronomist and viticulturalist, Michal Akerman, has worked with the Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel to make the vines at her Tabor vinyards friendlier to biodiversity. Her efforts have encouraged storks, otters, lizards, rabbits, chameleons and wild boar to return to the area.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Direct flights from Dallas. (TY Janglo) American Airlines is launching a non-stop service from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to Tel Aviv. The 3-flights-a-week operation will commence in Sep 2020 and will be American Airlines’ first direct service to Israel since 2015.

Summer jobs lead to hi-tech careers. During the summer months, many Israeli hi-tech companies offer 10-week paid internship programs to the children of their employees. The students receive practical experience, while the company gets highly motivated temporary workers for little recruitment cost.

Emigration from Israel at record low. The number of Israelis moving abroad fell to the lowest level in more than three decades. Since 2002, emigration has fallen by half, from 27,300 emigrants in 2002 to 14,300 in 2017. Returning Israelis and new immigrants results in a net increase in Israel of over 22,000 citizens in 2017.

Billion-dollar exit for Clicksoftware. (TY WIN) US software giant Salesforce.com has already acquired several Israeli startups and some 500 of their employees.  But its latest $1.35 billion takeover of Israel’s workforce management software startup Clicksoftware, and its 700 employees, dwarfs all of them.

Corindus exits for $1.1 billion. I reported previously (Oct 2014) on Israeli-founded Corindus Vascular Robotics and its robotic-assisted medical devices for groundbreaking catheterizations. Now, German medtech company Siemens Healthineers is acquiring Corindus, and its 100 employees, for approximately $1.1 billion.

Another $200 million for Cybereason. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Cybereason, which uses AI and big data analytics to protect a company’s endpoints. In two years, Cybereason has tripled its customer base and now protects 6 million endpoints. Japan’s Softbank has just led a $200 million investment in Cybereason.

Over one thousand backers for ALS therapy developer. I reported previously (Mar 2017) on Israel’s NeuroSense, which is developing a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). NeuroSense has just raised NIS 4 million from over 1,100 backers in a crowdfunding campaign.

FAA approves food deliveries by drone. I reported previously (Sep 2017) when Israel’s Flytrex began commercial food deliveries by drone to customers in Iceland.  Now, the US Federal Aviation Administration has given approval to Flytrex for a trial delivery of food by drone to residents in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

Defense manufacturer buys drone company. Israeli defense contractor Rafael (makers of Iron Dome) has bought Israeli drone manufacturer Aeronautics for an estimated NIS 850 million.

Amazon buys Israeli storage startup. (TY Janglo) US retail tech giant Amazon is acquiring Israeli storage technology startup E8 Storage for an estimated $50-60 million. E8 Storage develops flash storage installations based on software, which E8 Storage say are cheaper than current hardware solutions, but ten times faster.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Arts, crafts and music on Jerusalem streets. (TY Janglo) Jerusaem’s Hutzot HaYotzer festival (until 24th Aug) features 150 artists from Israel and 30 countries. Artisans showcase their creations and sell their crafts, from watches to hammocks to paintings. Events include live concerts, dance performances and workshops.

Shakespeare in the Rough. (TY Janglo) “Measure for Measure: In Motion” by the Theater in the Rough group is being performed until 27th Aug in the Bloomfield Gardens Jerusalem. Entrance is free of charge.

37,000 Phantom fans. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical, Phantom of the Opera, currently at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, is a smash hit with Israeli audiences. Already, 37,000 tickets have been sold for its 32 performances, running until the first week in September.

Lionel Richie to say “Hello”. Pop legend Lionel Richie is coming to Israel for a performance on Sep 12th in Live Park Rishon Lezion. He has rejected BDS boycott calls, indicating that he is “Stuck On You” Israelis. With such an “Endless Love”, he could be singing “All Night Long”!

Award-winning Israeli restaurants. (TY Jacques) Six Israeli restaurants won awards at the World Luxury Restaurants Awards in St. Petersburg, Russia, voted by 100,000 guests, travelers and industry professionals. Aria won 3 awards. The other winners were Milgo   Milbar, Herbert Samuel, Chloelys, Hola, and Nomi.

Going underground. Israel's unique and breathtaking subterranean scenery is attracting a growing number of cavers. Around three years ago, Yoav Negev founded the Israel Cave Explorers Club and, more recently, a rescue unit that is now part of the European Cave Rescue Association.

NBA’s loss is Israel’s gain. Omri Caspi was the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association league. He has now returned to Israel, having signed a 3-year contract to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He said he was “proud and excited to be wearing the Maccabi jersey with the star of David on the back”.


THE JEWISH STATE

Cleaning up the holy city. (TY Janglo) The Jerusalem municipality has instigated several sanitation reforms in order to improve the environment and quality of life in the capital. These include garbage disposal on Saturday night, additional cleaning companies, removing abandoned vehicles and cleaning historic buildings.

Photographic history of Temple Mount. A new exhibit “The Mount” at the Tower of David Museum offers the public a unique glimpse at 180 years of photographs of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. They document the history of the most holy Jewish site from 1839 to recent times.

Holocaust survivor celebrates with 400 descendants. Holocaust survivor Shoshana Ovitz celebrated her celebrated her 104th birthday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem together with 90% of her descendants - over 400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/08/07/104-year-old-holocaust-survivor-celebrates-birthday-at-western-wall-with-400-descendants/

Cancer survivors to wed. University students Eliav Marland and Etti Davidov will marry this coming week. They met thanks to cancer charity Zichron Menachem having both recovered from cancer treatment. A lovely story to celebrate Tu b’Av (15th of Av) - the Jewish traditional day of romance.

Hundreds start new lives in Israel. (TY UWI) 242 new immigrants (Olim) from the US and Canada have just arrived in Israel. They came on the 60th charter flight organized by NGO Nefesh b’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency. They included the 60,000th Oleh to be funded by NbN since the NGO began work in 2002.


190804
In the 4th Aug 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Israeli scientists have transformed MRI scans to detect brain diseases.
·         Israel’s upgrade of neonatal units in Ghana has saved hundreds of babies.
·         Israelis take hundreds of sick Palestinian Arabs to hospital every day.
·         Four new Israeli innovations are of big benefit to the environment.
·         Two new billion-dollar Israeli companies.
·         57,000 Israeli fans enjoyed Jennifer Lopez’s Party in the Park.
·         Roman Abramovich is helping make the Negev desert bloom.

·         Click here to see the 28th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,800 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Re-igniting cells to kill cancer. Ben Gurion University scientists have discovered a protein in the membrane of cancer cells that helps the cancer to grow by disabling the immune system’s white blood cells. They have also identified a potential antibody antidote and have secured a startup and funding to develop and commercialize it.

MRIs detect molecular changes in the brain. Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have transformed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect microscopic changes in the biological makeup of brain tissue. Doctors can now get an early warning if a patient is developing a disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

Analyzing brain cells for Alzheimer’s.  Israel’s Quantified Biology uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to analyze images of those cells in the brain responsible for electrical communication between neurons. The startup helps researchers into Alzheimer’s treatments by identifying their effect on these key cells.

A gene to protect against the Zika virus. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli work to eradicate the deadly Zika virus. Now Tel Aviv University scientists have identified the gene IFI6, which combats the Zika virus by protecting cells from infection and preventing cell death. It can lead to a new anti-viral therapy.

Detecting undiagnosed head injuries. More than 50 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) ever year. CT and MRI scans often fail to detect mild concussions. Israeli neurobiologist Dr. Adrian Harel has founded Medicortex Finland which detects TBI cell damage in a biomarker in saliva and urine.

Hello Heart.  Israeli-founded Hello Heart is a Smartphone app that helps users lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, strokes and coronary heart disease. It provides tools to self-manage hypertension by encouraging behavior change in companies’ employees. FDA approved and HIPAA compliant.

Novel diet for children with Crohn’s disease. Israeli and Canadian researchers have developed a diet that in a 12-week put 75% of children with Crohn’s disease into remission.  The diet comprised eggs, chicken, potatoes, apples, and mashed bananas and initially excluded wheat, dairy, fish, rice, and other fruits and vegetables.

Live long and prosper. (TY Roc) Israel’s National Plan on Aging includes increased budgets for R&D for healthy longevity; health education and increased awareness about aging-related diseases; better public systems for early detection and prevention of aging-related diseases. See also report “Longevity in Israel”.

Saving babies in Ghana. (TY Arlene) Israel has upgraded neo-natal facilities in the Kumasi South and Suntreso hospitals in Ashanti, Ghana. Israeli medical personnel from Beersheva’s Soroka Medical Center also trained staff at those hospitals. Doctors there estimate that some 700 babies have been saved as a direct result.

Enhancing emergency services in Mexico. Many Mexicans lose their lives each year because emergency calls from mobile phones do not accurately pinpoint the caller’s location. Israel’s Carbyne, is to provide Google’s ELS (Emergency Location Service) in real time. For previous newsletter articles on Carbyne,.see here.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Underprivileged teens startups. Israel’s Unistream operates after-school programs for teens and young adults to learn to be leaders and entrepreneurs. 80 startups from this program competed for business and social impact prizes. Winners were Genie (diapers), Homeet (cooking), Smart Shoes, and Segev Shalom (Bedouin education).

The power behind empowering Access Israel. NGO Access Israel creates awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. Its founder IAF pilot Yuval Wagner was invalided after a 1987 helicopter crash. Accessibility problems drove him to setup Access Israel with support from ex-IAF pilot, then President Ezer Weizman.

Ethiopian-Israelis are a hi-tech bridge. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli NGO Tech-Career that has helped 550 Ethiopian-Israelis get jobs at Israel’s top hi-tech companies. Tech-Career held a recent event to show that the Ethiopian-Israeli community can be a bridge between Israel and the African tech market.

Excavating an ancient church. A couple of weeks ago I reported that Israeli archaeologists had unearthed an ancient mosque, showing that Israel respected the history of all religions. Now, excavations in Israel’s Galilee have uncovered remains of an ancient church said to mark the home of the apostles Peter and Andrew.

Taking sick Palestinian Arabs to hospital. 900 volunteers in Israeli NGO Road to Recovery take Palestinian Arabs (around 150 every day) to get lifesaving treatments in Israeli hospitals. The NGO recently won the IIE Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East. It also arranges beach days and has saved Israeli lives.

British army adopts Israeli electric motorbikes. British Special Forces have reportedly adopted an electric motorcycle developed in Israel. In a recent exercise, the British Army parachuted the motorcycles from a helicopter together with soldiers, who then traveled 10 miles on the silent vehicles.

Connecting teachers to Israel. Hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish educators visited Israel for a World Education Conference organized by KKL-JNF. The aim of the trip was to strengthen the teachers' connection to and understanding of Israel, in order to teach about Israel in a more informed way.
Birthright for academics. I reported previously (see here) on Ido Aharoni when he was publicizing Israel’s achievements in his work at the Israeli embassy in New York. Now at New York University, Professor Aharoni is still “changing the conversation” with his “Birthright for academics” program to positively rebrand Israel.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Africa’s most advanced satellite. Israel’s SpaceCom is shortly to launch its Amos 17 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. Its main aim is to improve TV, cellular and Internet services to Africa. SpaceCom already has $53 million of orders for services. The satellite will operate for up to 20 years.

Jerusalem to revolutionize waste recycling.  (TY Janglo) Jerusalem Municipality has begun to replace its current recycling facilities whereby residents were required to sort waste into paper, bottles, glass, plastic etc. In future, sorting will be done centrally, by GreenNet situated in the Atarot Industrial Area, north of Jerusalem.

Smarter garbage trucks. Israeli startup GreenQ uses sensors on garbage trucks and big-data analytics to optimize schedules and routes for trash collection. It helps avoid collecting empty bins or missing overflowing ones. GreenQ says it can save 30-50% of a city’s costs for refuge collection and reduce traffic congestion.

Recycling waste into recycling bins. I reported previously (Apr 2018) on Israel’s UBQ which is turning garbage into reusable thermoplastic building material. It is shipping 2,000 recycling bins made from UBQ’s material to the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, for delivery to Virginia residents.

Sustainable villages. Israeli entrepreneurs Jonathan Haran and Victor Hajaj are founders of the Sustainable Group. They plan to build the first carbon-negative village in a kibbutz near Mizpe Ramon. They are also developing AI software for cities to manage food, water, energy and waste for humans and the environment.

An all-seeing eye. Israeli-founded Mobileye demonstrated its new EyeQ4 camera in London. It can track and analyze masses of data including traffic lights, bus stops and even manhole covers. It can calculate rush hour traffic volumes, detect muggings and accidents. Data is uploaded to the cloud in real time.

Waze’s new Israeli carpool feature. Israeli-developed Waze has released a new carpooling feature in Israel. Drivers will now be able to invite multiple passengers to join their carpool, and if the car has at least three passengers, their route will be adjusted to include High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes.

Making light work of broadband. Israel’s Juganu has developed "Digital World" that combines smart street lighting and advanced connectivity for municipalities. It enables intelligent traffic control, security and accident monitoring, rescue coordination, support for smart cars and of course lighting and more – all without cabling.

Putting Israel in the shade. (TY Janglo) Israel’s National Planning and Building Commission is eliminating bureaucracy preventing artificial shade in public spaces. It estimates the cost of shading a street at around NIS 1000 per square meter – trivial, compared to the NIS 800,000 cost of one person’s treatment for skin cancer.

Leading the way in computer vision. Rare positive (video) article on Israeli imaging technology from the UK Financial Times. Extracts from the video – “This technology's impact is being felt in fields from medicine to self-driving cars and even shopping.” “There's one small nation at this industry's forefront, Israel.”

Tomato-picking robot. Israeli startup MetoMotion is developing a robotic system for labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses. The company’s robot can pick tomatoes, using 3D vision and machine vision algorithms to identify and locate ripe tomatoes. MetoMotion states that the robot can also prune and de-leaf.

Defending against the unknown. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (see here) on Israeli cybersecurity startup ThetaRay. It has just launched Version 4.0 of its advanced analytics platform to help global banks detect and prevent "unknown unknown" cybercrimes that are hard to spot with older cybersecurity products.

Toddlers need to know who is boss. A study of 120 toddlers aged 17 months by researchers at Bar-Ilan and Illinois universities shows that they have a well-developed understanding of social hierarchies and power dynamics. They reacted differently to situations where misbehavior was dealt with compared to when it wasn’t.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Massive demand for shares in TASE. Shares in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange company have been floated on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE). Demand for the 31.7% stake on offer has outstripped supply by a factor of five to one.  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767242,00.html

Brazilian & EU support for low sugar Israeli juice. I reported previously (7th Jan) on the reduced sugar juice technology of Israel’s Better Juice. Better Juice has since won a 50,000 Euro grant from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program and is setting up a pilot plant thanks to Brazil’s Citrosuco, the world’s largest orange juice producer.

Stay on top of your work.  Israel’s Monday.com is used by 350,000 people in 80,000 organizations, from 76 countries to manage and track projects, manufacturing lines, and schedules. It has just raised $150 million, valuing the company at nearly $2 billion. So how is it that I’ve never reported on it?  I need Monday.com!

Lightricks is now a Unicorn. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Lightricks – developer of Facetune, Enlight and Swish. The startup has just raised $135 million of funds to value the company at $1 billion and give it the financial title of a “Unicorn”. Lightricks revenue in 2018 was $150 million – 3 times that of 2017.

Boosting business at McDonald’s. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (31st Mar) that McDonald’s had bought Israel’s Dynamic Yield for $300 million. The purchase is already making a big return on investment as the burger chain has seen large increases in sales thanks to the Israeli-developed AI personalized digital menus.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Window wonderland. (TY Janglo) Jerusalem’s “Window Stories,” is a towering palace made of 550 windows salvaged from across the city, in a variety of shapes and styles from different eras. It is free to the public until 21st Sep in Gan HaSus (Horse Garden) on King George Street. At night it becomes a glittering lighthouse.

J.Lo knocks it out of the park. Jennifer Lopez’s “It’s My Party” concert to celebrate her 50th birthday in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park was acclaimed as one of the best ever. The singer/dancer brought a 100-person crew, including dancers, musicians and 45 tons of equipment for the 90-minute show in front of 57,000 fans.

Film debut for Oscar-winning film. (TY Benyamin) I reported previously (2nd Mar) when Israeli director Guy Nattiv won an Academy Award (Oscar) for his Live Action Short film “Skin”.  Skin has just opened at US theatres and will be shown at October’s Haifa International Film Festival. (See 1st link to interview with Guy.)

World premier of flamenco romance. Spanish flamenco star María Juncal is to premiere her latest work, Life is Romance (La Vida es un Romance), on 9th Aug at the Suzanne Dellal Center as part of the Tel Aviv International Dance Festival. Juncal performs annually in Israel. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Tel-Aviv-dance-festival-to-host-world-premiere-of-flamenco-romance-597189

Summer night of two hugs. (TY Sharon) Two recent emotional encounters in Jerusalem included  ex-Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and the son of the chaplain of the US Army unit that liberated him from Buchenwald. Also, President Rivlin greeting Dr Ruth Westheimer at the Jerusalem Film Festival’s documentary of her life.

Whale shark returns to Israeli coast.  For the fourth time this year, the largest species of fish – a whale shark – has been tracked swimming up the Gulf of Eilat. Israel is a haven for this endangered species, due to warm waters and the absence of shark fishing. (N.B. the only reported shark attack in Israeli waters was in 1974.)


THE JEWISH STATE

Herzl inspires forever. I briefly mentioned previously (Nov 2015) the Israel Forever Foundation. It has just launched the “My Herzl International Youth Essay Competition,” to mark the anniversary of Theodor Herzl’s passing. Teens worldwide, aged 13 to 17, are invited to write about their vision for continuing Herzl’s dream.

Awards for three inspiring women Zionists. The World Zionist Organization honored Ilana Metzger, Joy Wolfe (StandWithUs UK President and VeryGoodNewsIsrael supporter) and Ruth Jacobs for their Zionist activism by awarding them Golden Golda Awards - named after former Israeli premier Golda Meir.

Abramovich helps turn back the desert. Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich has made a large donation to KKL-JNF to help afforestation, forest rehabilitation and fight desertification in the Negev. The gift will also fund a new forest dedicated to Lithuanian Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Israel welcomes 121 Ukrainian Olim. A special flight, organized by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, brought 121 new immigrants to Israel from the Ukraine. They were welcomed at a special ceremony attended by Israel’s Prime Minister, the Absorption Minister and the president of the IFCJ Yael Eckstein.


190728
In the 28th July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Israeli scientists discover how to prevent melanoma becoming lethal.
·         Arabs, Christians and Jews open a kosher restaurant in Akko (Acre).
·         Israel is in the top 10 of the world’s most innovative countries.
·         Israeli students won two gold medals at the first Physics Olympiad in Israel.
·         An Israeli solution to disposable tableware – Eat it!
·         Two Israeli startups have just become billion-dollar companies.
·         Novak Djokovic and an Israeli startup are a winning combination.
·         An Israeli stem-cell donor for a cancer patient was found – in the Himalayas.

·         Click here to see the 21st July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (plus nice intro) and Janglo.  Also (TY Sandra) in German. Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the Hebrew / English Facebook page www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL and pass these links onto German and Hebrew-reading contacts.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,500 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

How to stop melanoma turning lethal. Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that fat cells close to melanoma cells cause them to become aggressive and form secondary cancers. Removing the fat cells, calms down the melanoma cells and they stop migrating to the organs. The study also suggests new cancer treatments.

The microbiome impact on ALS. (TY UWI)  A study by researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute shows intestinal microbes can have a direct effect on the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS / Lou Gehrig’s disease).  Certain strains of gut microbes (or their secretions) slowed ALS-like diseases in the lab.

Early warning of TB danger. Some 2 million people die of Tuberculosis (TB) every year. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed an algorithm that can predict those whose immune system response to TB infection would put them at risk. These people can then be treated while the level of TB bacteria is low.

AI to detect sleep apnea. An international research team led by the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology has developed innovative, Artificial Intelligence-based software to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which people stop breathing during their sleep. The software can be implanted on a smart watch or bracelet.

VR for the elderly. Many elderly Israelis wear Virtual Reality (VR) goggles, not only to have fun, but also to maintain health. Israeli startup VRHealth’s VR therapy platform provides real-time data analytics and warn of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia. It can also jog memory, reduce stress and counter loneliness.

Medtronic partners Israeli stroke detection startup. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Viz.ai and its AI brain scan analysis technology. Viz.ai’s new partner is medical device giant Medtronic, who will distribute Viz.ai’s technology in the U.S.

Improving treatment results. Israel’s Well-Beat has developed an Artificial Intelligent system that improves the effectiveness of chronic treatment. It provides healthcare professionals with the tools to change their patients’ lifestyles plus communication and motivation techniques to help patients comply with the treatment.

Therapeutic farm for teens. The Nachliel farm in Samaria has rehabilitated hundreds of at-risk boys for over 20 years. They cultivate the land, ride horses, swim and catch fish. They learn to navigate, take care of themselves in difficult conditions and most importantly how to look after one another.

The first seven minutes. Israeli emergency organization Magen David Adom has used its “First 7 Minutes” program to train over 3,000 people in 15 countries to respond to mass casualty events. These include Canada, Australia, South America, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Greece and now in the United States.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Cybersecurity training for autistic students. Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry have opened a cybersecurity training course for students with disabilities. The first to benefit are 16 students on the autism spectrum. The two-month course includes mentoring and will lead to internships.

Investing in Torah and technology. I reported previously (Nov 2016) on Israel’s RavTech which employs yeshiva students who combine computer programming with Torah studies. RavTech provides QA automation services to Check Point and Elbit. It earned NIS 8 million in 2018 and has now raised an additional $4 million.

Arab-Israeli journalist promotes Israeli innovation. Last week I included a video featuring Lucy Aharish praising Israeli efforts to support the UN’s sustainable development goals.  I failed to mention, however, that Lucy is a Muslim Arab-Israeli reporter and Israeli TV host. She is currently the news anchor on Reshet 13.

Akko’s co-existence kosher restaurant. A Jew, a Christian and a Muslim have opened the first kosher restaurant in the diverse, northern Israeli port city of Acre (Akko). Called “Roots,” it combines dishes from all three traditions, “bringing peace to this place.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbcXeuDZyV0

Arab media delegation visits Israel. A group of Arab journalists and bloggers have come to Israel - including from UAE, Egypt and (the first time) Saudi Arabia and Iraq. They are expected to tour Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Water from the air to Michigan. A state of emergency was declared for Flint, Michigan since 2016, when toxic lead leaked into its water supply. A water-from-air system from Israel’s WaterGen has now been donated to Greater Flint Holy Temple church, which has been providing free bottled water to thirsty residents.

US-Israel energy cooperation agreement. (TY WIN) US Energy Secretary Rick Perry signed an energy cooperation agreement between the US and Israel covering cybersecurity in energy, gas projects and the US-Israel Energy Center. He also toured energy facilities in Ashdod with Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz.

The first symposium on Hispanic culture. For the first time in Israel, scholars, journalists and lovers of the Spanish language from 40 countries gathered at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for a five-day academic conference hosted by the International Association of Hispanists.

Israel is 10th most innovative nation. Israel ranked number 10 of the 129 countries listed on the annual Global Innovation Index compiled by World Intellectual Property Organization, Cornell University and INSEAD. Israel has moved up every year since 2015, when it was ranked 22nd.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Friendly packaging to transport vegetables. I reported previously (2nd Sep) on Israel-based StePac and its innovative food packaging. StePac has now launched low-cost, low-carbon, recyclable Modified Atmosphere / Modified Humidity packaging to transport vegetables without packing them in wax cartons filled with ice.

The first Israel-hosted Physics Olympiad. (TY Algemeiner) At the International Physics Olympiad, held in Israel for the first time, Israelis won five medals - two gold, two silver, and a bronze. The event attracted 360 students from 78 countries, including Indonesia. Israel’s Eyal Walach won a gold for the 2nd year in a row.

Six medals in Math Olympiad. A team of Israeli high school students won six medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad held in the city of Bath, England. Ido Karshon won gold and other team members won 3 silver medals and two bronze.

New hi-tech hub in Binyamin. A new hi-tech center, the first of its kind in Judea and Samaria, has been inaugurated. “BinyaminTech,” will host entrepreneurs and a variety of hi-tech startups. At the event the first 10 graduates of the ‘BinyaminTech Accelerator 1’ program presented their projects.

What’s it like on the beach? The Tel Aviv municipality has launched a new app Tel Aviv-Jaffa Beaches. It provides details on all 13 Tel Aviv blue flag beaches, including wave height, water and air temperature. You can also use the app to rent sun beds, chairs, beach umbrellas and other items at 66% less than the cash price.

Wave energy farm. I reported previously (Apr 2015) on Israel-founded Eco Wave Power (EWP). EWP has just listed on Nasdaq First North (Stockholm). The proceeds will be used to build its first commercial wave energy farm. EWP also plans to expand its existing wave plants in Jaffa Port and Gibraltar.

Edible tableware. This has got to be the most environmentally friendly disposable tableware.  When you finish your salad, you eat the bowl!  Israel’s Incredibowl offers three main products - savory salad bowls, sweet cereal / desert bowls and edible shot glasses. All are vegan, kosher, and free from lactose, eggs, and gluten.

Building homes with empty bottles. (TY Calcalistech) Here is a novel solution to the problem of non-degradable plastic bottles.  Israel’s Clicko-Brick makes interlocking, modular plastic containers. Initially used for liquids, when empty they can be recycled to build anything from children’s toys to earthquake-proof houses.

Security for smart homes and cities. Following reports of a data breach of a smart home device platform in that exposed more than two billion records, Israel’s IXDen has launched “IXDen Smart Homes”. It is designed to protect billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices against cyberattacks, tampering, and data manipulation.

Connect with your mentors. Israel’s Haredi startup Emerj develops a machine learning-based search engine that helps international corporations connect their employees with various mentors that already work for the company. Emerj has just raised $800,000 to expand its team and operations in the U.S.  

3D design to save coral reefs. Biologists and designers from Israel’s Technion and Ben Gurion University have 3D-printed bioplastic and ceramic reefs that Red Sea fish have used to make their homes. Although Israeli corals are healthy, the new man-made reefs could support the collapsing ecosystems of reefs elsewhere.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

A picture of the nation. (TY Nevet) Positive highlights in the latest Taub Center report include rising standard of living, falling prices, more participation in labor force, low tax rates, high birth rate, improved education results, growth in hi-tech education, low cost of healthcare, reduction in poverty and more daycare provision.

Israel’s economic surge. Ambassador Ettinger’s latest report compares Israel today to its economic position 30 years ago.  It has certainly come forward a long way. Note the massive increase in GDP, Exports, currency reserves, energy resources, desalinated water, employment of women and number of students.

Amazon to launch in September. Amazon anticipate a September launch in Israel, as by then at least 100 Israeli retailers will have opened an Amazon store.  A sales campaign is to begin in August. Delivery to local customers will be provided through an Orian / Gett partnership.

Volvo invests in two Israeli startups. Volvo Cars Tech Fund has made investments in two promising Israeli technology start-ups - UVeye and MDGo – Volvo’s first investments outside of the USA and Europe. Both startups have benefited from Israel’s “Drive” accelerator program, which Volvo has supported.

Self-driving finance. (TY Calcalistech) Israel-based fintech startup Personetics Technologies provides AI tools to the customers of 30 global banks – around 60 million customers. It is opening a research and development center in northern Israeli town Nazareth to support its recent growth in the US, Europe and Asia.

Hippo becomes a Unicorn. I reported previously (2nd Dec) on the smart home insurance technology of Israeli-founded Hippo. It has just raised another $100 million of funds, bringing it up to the finance-language status of a “Unicorn” – i.e. a company with a market value at least $1 billion.

Trax is also a Unicorn. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Trax and its image recognition and computer vision analytics tools that allows retailers to keep track of their stock and inventory. Trax has just received another $100 million investment to fund further R&D in Israel, valuing the company at $1.1 billion.

Cloud-tech startup wins $250,000. Israeli on-demand cloud technology startup env0 won Israel’s must lucrative start-up prize, taking home $250,000 at TMTI Summit’s “The Challenge” competition. Env0 uses AI to generate code continuously and help deploy and manage multiple cloud native environments.

Israeli payments service has no diplomatic barriers. Malaysia-listed GHL Systems is partnering with Splitit Payments. As part of the deal, Splitit’s Israeli-developed installment payment service will be offered by more than 2,000 online merchants in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Mind the Tech. Calcalist's annual innovation and technology conference Mind the Tech will take place in London on September 11-13. Participants include investors, entrepreneurs, and executives active in the mobility, artificial intelligence, big data, and e-commerce sectors.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Jerusalem festival of contemporary design. Jerusalem’s overall character was the idea behind “Overall,” a festival celebrating the culture of contemporary fashion at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum. The free, three-day event included a fashion show by graduates of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

Lego. The renowned international Lego Art Exhibition, “The Art of the Brick,” returns to Holon Israel (Jul 25 to Aug 31). It will feature large scale, 3D Lego sculptures by US award-winning “Brickartist” Nathan Sawaya,. Simultaneously, Tel Aviv’s Lego Space park includes a life-size replica of SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar lander.

International clown festival. For the sixth consecutive year, Netanya hosts the International Clown Festival from Aug 14 – 16. Free events take place in Netanya’s streets and Independence Square. There are also plays at Netanya’s Culture Center.  https://gonetanya.com/?p=42986&lang=en

Jerusalem – the second-best city in Africa.  Jerusalem has been ranked second in the category of “Best Cities in Africa and the Middle East” by US-based Travel + Leisure magazine. Cape Town came top for the 18th consecutive year. Tel Aviv was sixth.

Bon Jovi rocks Tel Aviv. Rock superstars Bon Jovi rocked 45,000 fans for 3 hours at Park Hayarkon Tel Aviv.  Before “We Don’t Run", dedicated to Israel in 2015, Jon Bon Jovi said, “This one is for the incredible people of Israel - for their strength, for their love.”  Jon Bon Jovi is now touring Israel with his family and the band.

Israeli startup helps Wimbledon winner.  Novak Djokovic’s victory in the Wimbledon tennis men’s final may have had something to do with his investment in the AI sports analytics system from Israel’s PlaySight. It provides performance data to aid training. Djokovic has been funding and promoting the system since 2014.

Israel hosts Euro Lacrosse championships. The 2019 European Lacrosse Federation Women’s European Lacrosse Championship was held this year in Israel. It featured 300 women from 16 European countries at the Kraft Family Sports Campus’ Jerusalem stadium. Israel reached the final, narrowly losing to favorites England.

Baseball success. Israel’s youth baseball team won the European U18 Baseball Championship qualifiers in Stockholm and a place in next summer’s championships. Earlier in July, Israel’s men’s national team won their tier “B” pool in Bulgaria to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Hoops victory. Israel’s U20 Basketball team won the FIBA Under-20 European Championship, beating Spain 92-84 in Tel Aviv to take the trophy for the second year in a row. Deni Avdija, with 23 points and seven assists, picked up the Most Valuable Player award.  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266372


THE JEWISH STATE

An unusual passenger. (TY WIN) A very strange passenger entered Terminal 3 at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to the delight of surprised passengers and staff. He stretched his legs in the departures area, before eventually being taken into custody. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266422  

The Canaanite city conquered by Joshua. Archaeologists working at Tel Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee, have excavated seven huge basalt stairs. They indicate the size of the city conquered by the Israelites 3500 years ago (see Joshua 11:10)

The birthplace of Goliath. Archaeologists have unearthed 3000-year-old fortifications while excavating underneath what they previously thought was the ancient city of Gath. The latest discoveries include pottery shards with the name of Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, whom David defeated in their famous battle.

To the ends of the earth. Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion found a match on their bone marrow database for a young cancer patient. They then discovered the potential donor was trekking somewhere in the Far East. They finally located her at Kasol Chabad in the Himalayas, and she happily agreed to be a donor. That was just the start!


190721
In the 21st July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Europe has approved an Israeli headset for treating migraine.
·         The first Arab woman in charge of an Israeli ER room.
·         Israeli archaeologists excavate an ancient mosque.
·         Israel presents its sustainable developments to the UN.
·         The European Commission is buying shares in Israeli startups.
·          Netflix has made a movie about Israel’s rescue of Ethiopian Jews.
·         An Arab Muslim paramedic saves the life of a Jewish bride.

·         Click here to see the 14th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel.  Also (TY Sandra) in German. Zachy (my Hebrew translator) is sitting his final exams. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,500 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Phase 3 trials for pancreatic cancer treatment. (TY Stuart). I reported previously (10th Jun) results of trials of one pancreatic treatment at Israel’s Sheba hospital. Sheba are now starting Phase 3 trials of another, CPI-613 (devimistat) from Israeli biotech Rafael, which can also treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia and other cancers.

Israeli project reduces UK child obesity. (TY UWI) Between 2009 and 2017 child obesity increased across the UK but fell 6.4% in Leeds – England’s 3rd largest city. This was due to the HENRY [Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young] initiative, developed by Professor Mary Rudolf of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.

Custom-tailored antibiotics. (TY WIN & UWI) I reported previously (23rd Feb) on the AI system devised at Israel’s Technion for identifying the right antibiotic and dose for curing an individual’s infection. Now, thanks to the KSM Institute of Israel’s Maccabi Health company, the system is getting much nearer to fruition.

Hope for multi-disease treatment. I reported previously (Feb 2018) about the 5-mer peptide, developed by Professor David Naor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Its potential to treat inflammatory and brain diseases has now been recognized by donors and an Israeli biotech which has signed contracts for clinical trials.

Moses wins excellence award. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (23rd Oct) on the Moses laser from Israel’s Lumenis that urologists were using to smash bladder stones. Its technology was the Silver Winner in the Operating Room Medical Device category of the 21st Annual Medical Design Excellence Awards.

Europe approves migraine headset. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the Relivion headset device from Israel’s Neurolief that treats migraines using adaptive multi-channel brain neuromodulation technology. Relivion has just received the CE mark to allow it to be sold over the counter in the EU.

Europe funds Israeli prostate implant. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Nov 2014) on Israel’s ProArc Medical and its ClearRing implant to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). ProArc has just received a $2.2 million grant from the Horizon 2020 program to commercialize the minimally invasive reshaping implant.

US approval for pelvic prolapse treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on two innovative Israeli medical procedures for pelvic prolapse. However, two devices from Israel’s ConTipi Medical are much simpler. Impressa was acquired by Kimberly Clark in 2013. ProVate has CE and now FDA approval.

Arab woman heads Israeli emergency room. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (Apr 2013) when Muslim doctor Aziz Darawshe became director of the emergency department at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. Now, Hadassah’s Dr. Shaden Salameh has become the first Arab woman to head-up an Israeli emergency room.

Weizmann scientists aim to stop skin cancer. This latest “Weizmann in Focus” video summarizes the work of Professor Yardena Samuels, tuning treatment to an individual’s unique genomic profile. She also discovered the signposts to guide immunotherapy treatments and destroy 90% of the targeted melanoma cells.

Bio-meds go for funds. (TY Sharon) Six Israeli bio-techs pitched their therapies to investors at the Azrieli College of Engineering. Concenter (type-2 diabetes treatment), Omnysense (hi-tech thermometer), Omnix (antibiotic), Neurogenesis (neuron injections), Vaxil (anti-cancer vaccine) and Virucure (anti-cancer virus).


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Promoting unity. (TY Sharon) The many events in Jerusalem last week included the Jerusalem Unity Prize awards.  They were given to three Israeli projects that promote unity and the Moishe House for the diaspora.

Samaria town has highest matriculation rate. The Jewish Samaria town of Elkana has the highest percentage of students receiving their high school diplomas – over 98%. In equal third place was the Arab town of Kaukab Abu al-Hija in the Lower Galilee with 96%.

Funds for Bedouin Arab education. "Momentum," a program developed by non-profit Social Finance Israel, aims to boost the number of high school graduates from the Arab Bedouin city of Rahat. NIS 14.8 million worth of Impact Bonds have been sold, to help benefit 50% more students than the 1,200 in the current scheme.

Excavating an ancient mosque. Israeli archaeologists don’t just focus on Jewish Biblical sites. They also have discovered (and are now excavating) a 7th to 8th century rural mosque, one of the earliest known in the world, in the town of Rahat in the Negev.

Inspired by Bahrain. Israeli and Palestinian Arab entrepreneurs toured the Dead Sea region to build upon Bahrain’s “Peace to Prosperity” economic workshop. They explored trade, agriculture, tourism and culture opportunities, visiting the Beit HaArava plant, the Kalia beach, an art Gallery and a Moroccan restaurant.

Haifa Uni verifies Puerto Rican artifacts. The University of Haifa has validated 800 stone statuettes from Puerto Rico as being carved in the 16th century and not modern forgeries.  It helps researchers on the Caribbean island with their investigations into pre-Colombian history.

University debate winners. A Tel Aviv University debating team won the European Round Robin (ERR), an exclusive university-level debate competition in Warsaw, Poland. The winning pair, Tom Manor and Noam Dahan beat 15 other teams – most of them previously European or World champions.

Top combater of human trafficking again. (TY Atid-EDI) For the eighth consecutive year, Israel has won the US State Department's highest rating in the battle against human trafficking. The 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Israel as a Tier 1 state. Israel focuses on prevention, enforcement and protecting the victims.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Implementing the UN’s sustainable development goals. The only good in the United Nations is its social and scientific agenda.  This video was made to show to the UN Israel’s work to improve humanity in the areas of the environment, health, food, agriculture, access to water and electricity, medical training, and science skills.

Even in Cuba. (TY Hazel) Dr. Doron Markel, KKL-JNF Chief Scientist, led a presentation in Cuba on sustainable developments in forestation and large-scale water projects tools to adapt to the effects of climate change in Israel and the Middle East. 1,400 delegates from over thirty countries attended Cubambiente 2019.

Irish Times praises Israeli desalination. Rare (and mostly positive) tribute to Israel’s water technology in the Irish press.  It reports that up to 80% of Israel’s water flows from desalination plants at one-third of the cost during 1990s. It also suggests that solving water scarcity can reduce tensions across the Middle East.

From the Moon to Mars.  As NASA (and the world) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first human to walk on the Moon, this video highlights the cosmic radiation protection vest from Israel’s StemRad that will eventually enable the first human to walk on Mars.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag9310R3ffQ

Making light work of forensic testing. BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, has developed an ultra-sensitive device for detecting minute traces of blood and other particles. It uses luminol, a chemical that exhibits chemiluminescence to expose much smaller blood samples.

Artificially intelligent traffic lights. Drivers heading for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport will soon encounter Israel’s first AI (Artificially Intelligent) traffic light. Israeli startup Intelligent Traffic Control Ltd. (ITC) uses cameras to transmit traffic data to ITC’s control center where signal changes are determined automatically.

Speaking up for Israeli trains. (TY Atid-EDI) Motorola Solutions is to supply Israel Railways with a new push-to-talk over cellular (POC) communication system to improve efficiency and safety of operations.  WAVE (Motorola’s work group communication service), will allow staff to communicate across the railway’s lines,

The sweet smell of success. Israeli startup Moodify aims to solve odor issues in vehicles with fragrances that do not cover up awful smells but instead change your perception of them. Just as “white noise” can eliminate unwanted sounds, Moodify’s “white scent” counters bad odors such as rotten bananas or cigarettes.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

93% tourists enjoyed visiting Israel. In the Tourism Ministry’s annual Inbound Tourism Survey just published, 93% of tourists ranked their 2018 Israel visit in the "good to excellent" category. Over 50% said that their views on Israel had changed for the better with only 1.5% changing for the worse.

BDS Fails.  Great blog by newsletter supporter Nevet Basker. Since the 2005 start of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanction) campaign, Israel’s economy has improved by 100% with GDP per capital up 27%. Exports are up by 43% and tourism by 70%. Foreign investment is up 277%. Tiny Israel is an economic power.

New NY-Israel partnerships. Following his recent trip to Israel, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a wide-ranging series of economic development partnerships between New York State and 17 Israeli entities. They involve UAV / drones, transportation, energy, cybersecurity, financial technology and health care industries.

Euro Commission to buy shares in Israeli startups. (TY Hazel) The European Commission will invest up to €15 million in Israeli companies (up to €2 million in each) for the purposes of commercializing products. It will be the first time that the Commission has taken equity stakes in startup companies.

Funds for student entrepreneurs. Israel’s Council for Higher Education has assigned $27.7 million over five years for universities and colleges to set up or boost entrepreneurship and innovation programs. The goal of the New Campus Vision is to promote vibrant, inspirational, entrepreneurial centers.

Israel’s hot market for hi-tech skills. This article provides a feel for the huge amount of effort and expense that Israeli hi-tech companies put into recruiting and retaining their employees.

Vehicle security startup goes global. More news about Israeli startup Karamba (see previous here) and its systems for preventing cyber-attacks on a vehicle’s engine control unit. Karamba’s technology is now to be integrated into the car infotainment systems of Japan’s Alpine Electronics – Karamba’s 17th partnership.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Paul Anka wows Tel Aviv. Aged 77, Paul Anka’s 4th Israel concert was an amazing success. He had no warm-up act and took no break during a 2-hour performance. He sang, played piano, guitar and conducted hits like Puppy Love,” “Diana,” and of course “My Way” - the lyrics he wrote for Sinatra. The crowd loved him.

“Slash” is back. I reported previously (see here) when ex-lead guitarist of “Guns & Roses” played in Israel. Slash returned to perform to an enthusiastic crowd at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center with his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. He played many rousing guitar riffs and solos.

An extraordinary musician. US “experiential” pianist Murray Hidary’s 3 Israeli performances this week should be exciting. He feeds off the different natural ambience of each location and his Beit Guvrin show will be in a huge beautiful cave. He also performs at HaYarkon Park and Apollonia National Park.

Netflix movie of the rescue of Ethiopian Jews. Netflix has made a new film, telling the story of the Mossad operation to rescue Ethiopian Jews from Sudan in the early 1980s and bring them to the Jewish State.  The spy thriller, “The Red Sea Diving Resort,” is inspired by real events and will be released on July 31.

How to keep your cool. (TY Janglo) Here are some tips to help enjoy Israel’s summer like a local. They include sunshades, water fountains, white shirt over your head, sunscreen and sunglasses, loose clothing, free water parks, fruit shakes and ice pops, avoid peak sun, avoid oven cooking and finally – conserve water.

Improve your tennis with your smartphone.  Budding tennis professionals (and even top stars) can now examine their progress and improve their game using the results data analysis app from Israel’s LVision.   Its AI system converts videos of matches into statistics, including speed and distance covered of balls and players.

Israeli sporting successes. This week there was gold for Judoka Ori Sasson in Budapest; two golds and a silver in the World Rowing Cup; Israel’s under-18 baseball squad qualified for Europe; and Selamawit Dagnachew (5km) and Marhu Teferi (marathon) will be the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics.


THE JEWISH STATE

Jerusalem the eternal city.  Archaeologists have unearthed a massive Neolithic city during construction of the access roads from the Motza junction to the future Jerusalem Gateway business park. They discovered ancient alleys, buildings for up to 3,000 residents, burial sites, arrowheads, jewelry, plaster, seeds and seashells.

Hundreds of new Olim arrive. Over 200 new Jewish immigrants have just arrived in Israel from France, Argentina, Brazil and Eastern Europe. There were tears of joy from many of the 100 French Olim. One said. “I know life in Israel will be better - I will be more free to be Jewish, and that’s what I’m looking so forward to.”

Nearly killed by Hamas rocket, now he joins elite IDF unit. (TY WIN) In 2002, before Iron Dome, an Israeli toddler was badly wounded when Hamas fired a huge barrage of rockets at the town of Sederot. His little body absorbed 147 shrapnel wounds. Now age 18, he is joining an elite Naval commando unit.       

Israeli Arab Muslim saved the bride’s life.  At a recent Jewish wedding chuppah, United Hatzalah paramedic Muawiya Kabha told the other guests that 10 years earlier the bride should have been declared dead in a road accident. "But something from above told me that I need to fight for her." After 40 minutes of CPR, her heart began to beat.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQI_sDb43ZU  (uplifting video)

Where Biblical dyes were made. Scientists have studied finds previously uncovered at Tel Shikmona, south of Haifa. They have concluded that Shikmona was the first biblical-era facility for producing prestigious purple and blue-dyed textiles (argaman and techelet).


190714
In the 14th July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         An Israeli scientist has developed a new way to lure and destroy cancer cells.
·         An Arab Muslim represents Israel in women’s Euro high-jump championships.
·         Israel is designing an innovative water system for India’s Maharashtra state.
·         An Israeli startup has truly “re-invented the wheel” for electric cars.
·         Israeli businesses benefit Philippine hospitals and US visually handicapped.
·         Israel’s premier dance and theatre center is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

·         Click here to see the 7th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (with excellent introduction) and  United With Israel.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and Zachy (30th June) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,500 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

“Ghost” decoy cells kill cancer. Israel Technion Professor Marcelle Machluf has developed tumor-shrinking technology using normally “good” mesenchymal stem cells that tumors hi-jack to help them grow. Machluf’s team removed the cells’ contents and filled the membranes with chemotherapy.  They lure and destroy tumors.

Colon capsule has further positive trial results. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the C-Scan colon diagnostic capsule from Israel’s Check-Cap. In its latest (post CE approval) study, C-Scan detected 76% of small (potentially cancerous) polyps as opposed to only 28% using currently approved non-invasive techniques.

Surgical navigator approved. (TY OurCrowd) The Israeli Ministry of Health approved marketing of the Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform (SNAP) and SuRgical Planner (SRP) systems from Israel’s Surgical Theater. The VR systems help surgeons plan and perform complex operations including brain, heart and spinal.

Pain relief without pills. Israel’s Solio has developed Alpha Plus - the world’s first US FDA and European CE approved radio frequency (RF) topical pain relief device. It combines bipolar RF to increase blood circulation, infrared to heat and ease pain and stiffness, and low-level laser to relieve the skin. All in a simple external unit.

Anti-bacterial tooth fillings. Tel Aviv scientists have developed dental fillings made of resin-based composites enhanced by antibacterial nano-assemblies. It can hinder bacterial growth on dental restorations, the main cause of secondary tooth decay that can lead to root-canal treatment and tooth extractions.

Paramedics cross the seas. Israel’s Magen David Adom has inaugurated its new ‘Sea-Bulance’ service to assist people in need of critical medical treatment and rescue while at sea. It currently operates in the Sea of Galilee equipped with advanced medical tools and can carry up to six people at speeds of up to 35 knots.

Paramedics scale the heights. Israel’s Magen David Adom paramedics treated a Haifa crane operator who lost consciousness, 50 meters above ground. Using advanced medical equipment, they provided treatment before harnessed firefighters and security guards extracted and evacuated him to hospital in stable and good condition.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Power women. Forbes Israel has released its annual list  of 50 Israeli women who are making an impact in business, government, tech, journalism, culture, sports, and entertainment. They “control huge companies, manage thousands of employees, invent breakthrough technologies and shape Israeli culture and society.”

Happy hour is cholent and challah. I reported previously (Apr 2018) on the shared workspace “Ampersand” for Haredi entrepreneurs in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv. Its success means it is now looking for larger premises.  This article, however, focuses on the end of the working week, when no-one lets their hair down!

Female Muslim athlete competes for Israel. (TY TPS) Arab-Israeli high-jump champion Hanin Nasser, 22, intends to represent Israel in the current 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships in Gävle, Sweden. Hanin won the recent Maccabi championship with a personal best of 1.79m - the ninth highest score in Israel's history.

Giving a hoot. (TY Diana) I’ve reported previously (see here) on the use of barn owls to control rodent pests in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority areas. Newsletter subscriber Diana Bletter has published this article about Israel’s National Barn Owl Project that has reduced the amount of toxic rodent poison used in agriculture.

Popstar promotes Jaffa co-existence nursery. (TY UWI) Chris Martin, front-man of British rock band Coldplay, visited Bustan Yafa, Jaffa’s bilingual kindergarten network for Jewish and Arab children. Martin contributes to “The Orchard of Abraham’s children” Foundation, which promotes coexistence in the network.

Indonesian visit is worth diamonds. A seven-member delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce visited the Israeli Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan. Yoram Dvash, president of the Israeli Diamond Exchange, stressed the importance of strengthening the ties of Muslim companies and businessmen with the State of Israel.

Empowering Yazidis. Dr. Yaakov Hoffman and Prof. Ari Zivotofsky, from Bar-Ilan University have brought 15 women (mostly Yazidi Kurds persecuted by ISIS) to Israel to share Israeli knowledge of how to help victims recover from the trauma. https://unitedwithisrael.org/yazidi-survivors-empowered-by-the-israeli-experience/

US delegation tours Israeli anti-terrorism startup. A bipartisan high-level delegation of US House members visited Israeli cybersecurity company Cobwebs Technologies during their visit to Israel. They saw how, with one click, authorities can identify connections between criminals or terrorists on social media and the dark web.

Israel to showcase its innovations to the UN. At the week-long United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) the Israeli Mission to the UN will hold an event recognizing Israeli innovation. It will showcase Israel's revolutionary patents in the areas of water technologies, agriculture, social issues and more.

Rescuing Maharashtra from drought. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s work to help the Indian state of Maharashtra with agriculture and smart city tech. Now Israel’s national water company Mekorot is helping Maharashtra implement a looped water grid, linking 11 dams to ensure that its reservoirs never run dry.

Israel’s talented ambassador. Israeli Ambassador to Macedonia Dan Oryan impressed the crowd at a capoeira belt (hand-standing) ceremony. He has previously performed in Tel Aviv and Moscow to support special needs projects.  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265831


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Tackling plastic pollution.  Good video on Israeli technology designed to reduce the impact of plastic garbage. It features TIPA, UBQ, Ben Gurion University research, Sodastream, Hiriya’s Refuse Derived Fuel plant and Haifa University’s Jellyfish project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcYtoXg8ZvY
Use www.IsraelActive.com to search for them in previous newsletters.

Free fast WiFi for Jerusalem. The municipality of Jerusalem has introduced free wireless internet in Israel’s Capital city center for residents, business users and visitors. It boasts speeds of 16Mb, much faster than that of Tel Aviv’s free service.

Endor wins innovation program. I reported previously (May 2017) on Israel’s Endor Software and its predictive question and answer system. Endor has just won MetLife Korea’s innovation program, Collab 5.0, and a $100,000 contract to pilot their technology with multinational financial services company MetLife Inc.

Smart homes become personal. Israeli startup RoomMe has developed a smart-home super controller that operates a home’s intelligent devices according to an individual’s personal preferences. E.g. when entering a room, you may want the TV to show the news, while your spouse wants your Sonos speakers to play music.

AI chips are now even faster. I reported previously (18th Nov) on the Artificial Intelligent microprocessors developed by Israel’s Habana Labs. Habana has launched its Gaudi AI Training Processor. Training systems using the new processor will be up to four times faster than those built with competitors’ graphics chips.

Reinventing the wheel for electric cars. Israeli startup REE has designed a new flat and modular chassis for electric cars of the future. The motor, steering, suspension, drivetrain, sensors, brakes, thermal systems and electronics are now in the wheels, lowering the center of gravity, increasing stability, agility and performance.

Solar-powered wireless smartphone charger. Israel’s Benny Mengesha is developing the Multi-Functional Case (MFC), It will fit snuggly round your iPhone or Android but on the back are solar panels which charge your phone without USB or leads. The MFC debuts on 24th July at TheMarker Tau Innovation Summit.

Communicate with your dog through its vest. Researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University have developed dog vest that allows canine owners to transmit communications and commands to their pets via haptic (vibrations) technology. It has immense potential for search & rescue operations and assisting disabled owners.

Giving voice to the silent majority. (TY WIN) Israeli startup ZenCity helps municipalities identify the true opinion of its residents rather than the more vociferous views of a noisy minority. It analyses virtually any publicly shared information generated by residents and can save a city huge costs of erroneous investment.

Security device gets even better. I reported previously (Sep 2016) on Israel’s SayVU when it was deployed at the Rio Olympics. When it is unsafe to speak, shaking the device alerts emergency services. There are now new versions for smartwatches and for areas where there are no cellular networks or GPS. It has saved many lives.

Google’s graduates. The five graduates from Google’s first Israeli Startup Residency incubator are Saillog (AI agritech), Gaviti Akyl (payments software), Agamon (medical data analysis), Mona Labs (QA for AI) and Dattor/Pairser (data compliance). They were given workspace, mentoring and access to Google facilities.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Record currency reserves. Israel’s reserves of foreign currency hit another record level at the end of June of over $ 120 billion.  https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/7-7-19.aspx

BIRD invests $8.2 million. The US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) foundation is to invest another $8.2 million in 9 new joint R&D projects (see previous). Israeli startups (seven new to this newsletter) include 3PLW, Igentify, IAI, MyndYou, Netafim, Novelsat, Shamaym, Snappers and WizeCare.

Direct flights to the Seychelles. For the first time in 20 years, Israelis will be able to fly non-stop to the 115 islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Thanks to the fuel- and cost-efficient engines (with Israeli parts) on its new Airbus A320neo planes, Air Seychelles will begin the six-hour, 20-minute service on 27th Nov.

EasyJet to fly to Toulouse. Budget airline EasyJet is starting a new route connecting Tel Aviv and Toulouse from 29th Oct. The twice-weekly service is easyJet’s sixth destination from Tel Aviv to France and its 18th to Europe.

WiFi to schools & hospitals in Philippines. Globe Telecom, the leading telecom company in the Philippines, has chosen Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks for a three-year multi-million US dollar contract, to enable WIFI service over satellite to schools and hospitals, in addition to cellular backhaul throughout the Philippines.

More help for US vision-impaired. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) has partnered with Israel’s OrCam. Under the agreement, ACB members can buy Orcam’s visual aids, such as MyEye2 and MyMe (see here) at a special discount. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3765903,00.html

A culinary platform for chefs. Non-profit organization Start-up Nation Central has opened L28 (in Tel Aviv’s Lilienblum Street) where chefs can conceive and develop Israeli foods, ingredients and menus. It will also help chefs learn how to run a restaurant, without the worries of raising enough money to survive.

New VIP terminal at Ben Gurion. If you can afford the steep price, you can avoid crowds by using the new Fattal Terminal at TLV Ben Gurion Airport. You get a nice place to chill, eat and drink as much as you want while the staff take care of your bags and passport control. Plus, a luxury car takes you direct to your aircraft.

How a bad haircut started a beauty empire. Israeli entrepreneur Sharon Rabi studied electrical engineering at Tel Aviv University. But a too-short haircut and lack of styling tools prompted her to invent the DAFNI. Her range of products now sells in 15 countries. 

Google buys Israeli cloud storage company. Google is to acquire Israel-based cloud storage company Elastifile for approximately $200 million. Elastifile had already been partnering Google Cloud, plus Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265755

Tesco tests Israeli cashier-less checkout. I reported previously (10th Jun) that Israeli supermarket Shufersal was running a pilot of the automatic checkout system from Israel’s Trigo. Now the giant UK chain supermarket Tesco is testing the Trigo Vision system as one of a range of technologies for future implementation.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Dance center celebrates 30 years. Israel’s leading dance venue, the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. From July to November, Israeli-born international artists and choreographers will return to Tel Aviv to give Israeli audiences a glimpse of their creations.

New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli stamps issued in July include features on the Ketubah (marriage contract), cycling in Israel, tourism, the Hiriya (Ariel Sharon) recycling park and IAF planes.

Chocolate connects nature, history & passion. De Karina Chocolate Boutique was established in the Golan Heights by Karina, who brought her passion and talent for chocolate from Argentina to Israel. The chocolatier offers breathtaking views of northern Israel, chocolate making workshops, and of course delicious chocolates.

Living statues in Rehovot. The 10th International Live Statues Festival in the central Israeli city of Rehovot saw daily circus shows and more than 100 live statues. Performance artists from Britain, the Netherlands, Poland and other countries joined Israeli artists for the festival. Over 100,000 visitors were expected to attend.

Not only J.Lo but also her fiancé.  I reported previously (28th Apr) that Jennifer Lopez would be performing in Hayarkon Park Tel Aviv on 1st Aug. Not only has that been confirmed, but her fiancé, former NY Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez, will accompany her on the tour and is so excited ahead of his first time in Israel.

Judoka gold in Montreal. Israeli judoka Gefen Primo, 19, won a gold medal in the under-52kg category of the International Judo Federation’s Montreal Grand Prix, becoming the youngest Israeli judoka ever to place first in her weight category.  Teammates Shira Rishoni and Timna Nelson-Levy both won bronze medals.


THE JEWISH STATE

Where David fled from King Saul. Israeli researchers believe they have discovered the town of Ziklag in the Judean hills, mentioned in the Bible (Samuel books 1 & 2). Achish, King of Gat, allowed David to find refuge in Ziklag while fleeing King Saul. David also departed from Ziklag to become King in Hebron.

Secret Jews make Aliya. Many Holocaust survivors have revealed their Jewish origins as they approached their last days. It often prompts their children to seek out their Jewish roots, culminating with their emigration to Israel. Michael Freund, founder of Shavei Israel, sees it as his job to help them on their Jewish journey.

We are all One Family. (TY Sharon) For the 16th year, OneFamily, Israel’s leading organization supporting victims of terror and their families, brought together more than 300 hundred youth (age 8 to 18) to the Hermon Field School in Kibbutz Snir, for a week-long camp. Highlights included Shabbat and the final night’s concert.


190707
In the 7th July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·         Israeli surgeons perform unique operation to save a baby.
·         An Israeli-Arab has become the chairman of Israel’s largest bank.
·         Israeli cybersecurity has prevented dozens of global terror attacks.
·         BP use Israeli Augmented Reality glasses to prevent oil-rig accidents.
·         Israeli startups provide over $33 billion of benefit to New York.
·         An Israeli cheese won first prize - in France.
·         After 2000 years, Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road is open again.

·         Click here to see the 30th June newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo and United With Israel with extra feature on Medical.  Also (TY Sandra) in German and Zachy in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts.  Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.

·         Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

·         Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over 14,500 previous news articles.

·         If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Hadassah surgeons realign baby’s organs. In a first-of-its-kind operation, a team of doctors at Hadassah Medical Center repaired the hernia (muscle between chest and abdomen) of a new-born baby.  Then using low-invasive thoracoscopic surgery, they pushed the baby’s small intestine and spleen back into the abdomen.

Positive autism treatment results. (TY Stuart) Professor Lidia Gabis of Sheba Medical Center has published two important research articles on the treatment of autistic children. One showed that combined Donepezil and Choline improved their language skills. The other highlighted the benefits of medical clowning.

The protein that weakens the immune system. Researchers from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, working in an international team, have identified that the protein known as TOX represses T-cells within the immune system. By neutralizing TOX, scientists could restore the immune system to fight cancer and chronic or viral diseases.

Device for treating ADHD. I mentioned previously (Feb 2017) about Israeli-Arab startup InnoSphere, which was developing a wearable device for treating ADHD. This article describes in detail InnoSphere’s electrode-embedded cap that stimulates neurons in the brains of ADHD sufferers to make new connections.

New way to unblock arteries.  (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Transseptal Solutions announced the first TSP Crosser transseptal puncture procedure in the US. Transseptal’s innovative device helps surgeons to insert diagnostic and therapeutic devices into the left atrium with control, speed and precision. It is FDA and CE approved.

Generic treatment for hypertension. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Teva has launched a generic version of Tracleer tablets in the US. The treatment allows sufferers of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) to exercise better and slows progression of the disease.  PAH is high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs.

Europe approves diabetes support system. (TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israel’s GlucoMe diabetes monitors. GlucoMe’s new Decision Support System (“DSS”) has just received the CE Mark. The DSS’s algorithm-based, clinical decision support software helps doctors monitor type 2 diabetes patients.

Anyone can save a life. Ezer Mizion’s data processor found she was a DNA match on the Israeli NGO’s bone marrow registry for a woman suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She flew halfway around the world to donate some of her stem cells. She tells both her story, and of those still needing a transplant.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Specials get their wings. (TY Frieda) When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented an Israeli Druze his pilot wings (see last week), he awarded honorary wings to several special volunteers. They included Tarc Tuba with Down’s syndrome, a cousin of the Druze pilot, who comes from the same Druze village. Other new pilots included identical twins.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqGmMjRRO8E

President’s awards for volunteering. (TY Sharon) Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin presented his awards for volunteerism to volunteers and organizations working to make art and  culture accessible to children, Holocaust survivors, ultra-orthodox women, IDF soldiers, Israeli-Arabs, the deaf, at-risk youth and low-income families.

First graduates from Jewish Agency school for Bedouin. Twenty-two students celebrated their graduation as part of the inaugural class of Neve Midbar - Nitzana, a Jewish Agency youth village and boarding school catering to Bedouin high schoolers from the Negev desert region. They now have skills to enter Israeli society.

The first Arab chairman of an Israeli bank. Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank by market capitalization, has appointed Samer Haj Yehia as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. He becomes the first Arab chairman at an Israeli lender and is also on the board of both Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital and Israel’s Strauss Group.

Israel is “there to stay”.  The US-led economic workshop in Bahrain had many positive moments. The warm welcome to Israeli journalists and their “delegate” badges; Bahrain’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist and that it was “there to stay”. Also, the service in the Bahrain synagogue, attended by US envoy Jason Greenblatt.

Israeli FM visits UAE.  (TY WIN) Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to speak at the United Nations Environment Conference. He presented his “Tracks to Peace initiative, outlining an economic and strategic link from Haifa to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, via Jordan.

Jerusalem returns to Paris.  Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion inaugurated the new Jerusalem Square in Paris, 150 years after fire destroyed Paris’s Rue de Jerusalem. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote that the naming was “in order to remember the friendship and the unity between the city of Paris and the State of Israel”.

Cyber support for developing countries. Israel has just signed an agreement with the World Bank to support developing countries improve their cyber defense capabilities. It will contribute to the World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership and provide technical assistance to Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Israeli intelligence foils dozens of global attacks. Israeli PM Netanyahu revealed that Israeli intel thwarted a recent attempt to blow up a Sydney-Abu Dhabi flight. It has also used cyber-intelligence to help foil “major” terror attacks in “dozens” of countries. Israel shares info on cyberthreats with 85 countries.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Dead Sea snow. (TY Sandra & WIN) Scientists have explained how Israel’s Dead Sea deposits salt from warm upper levels to lower, colder water layers. Waves or other disturbances trigger “salt fingering”, whereby salt crystals are precipitated out of the top layer of water, as if they are “snowing” down through the water.

Revolutionary products for the food industry. Some 100 Israeli companies demonstrated their cutting-edge agriculture and food technology at AgriIsrael4.0 in Tel Aviv. Delegates from over 40 countries saw how Israeli tools such as Artificial Intelligence, robots, drones, satellites and sensors overcome today’s farming challenges.

IDF opens new BGU tech campus. Israel’s Ben-Gurion University opened the first building on the new IDF Technology Campus in Beer-Sheva. The IDF campus adjacent to BGU and the Advanced Technologies Park is the third element in the cyber-technology “ecosystem” being realized in Beer-Sheva.

Launch of expanding nano-satellite. I reported previously (9th June) on the nano-satellites from Israel’s NSLComm designed to process high-volumes of data. Its first satellite, the NSLSat-1, has just been launched as part of the payload of a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Far Eastern Russia.

WEF Pioneers for 2019. The World Economic Forum (WEF) choose Israeli startups Airobotics, MeMed Diagnostics, QED-it and TIPA for its list of tech pioneers using innovation to address serious issues. I’ve reported previously on three of them. QED-IT allows confidential transfer of blockchain assets.

Smart glasses for BP engineers. (TY WIN & I24 News) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Fieldbit and its Augmented Reality glasses that help technicians resolve critical or complex problems on the spot.  Following an oil spill, BP implemented Fieldbit’s technology across 13,000 of its oil and gas wells.

Lifesaving pedestrian detector. (TY OurCrowd) Israeli startup Viziblezone has now proved that its pedestrian detector technology can detect pedestrians in any weather, even hidden behind objects at distances of up to 150 meters. Mobile phones turn pedestrians into smart beacons that cars can see and then avoid.

App helps you put on makeup. Israel’s Mirrori, founded by Israeli-Arab Mira Awwad-Khreish,, is developing an artificial intelligence-based beauty assistant that provides advice via smartphone. Mirrori uses computer vision, facial recognition algorithms and your facial features to help you apply your own beauty products..

Israel perfects the dragon fruit. I reported previously (Mar 2012) on the different varieties of the Vietnamese dragon fruit (pitaya) that Israelis have developed.  Seven years later and the Israeli pitaya is more available year-round, produces more fruit, requires less water, is hardier, pest-free, healthier, sweeter and delicious.

Environmentally friendlier cows. Ben Gurion University biologist Itzik Mizrahi and other international scientists have discovered that the microbiome of cows can be manipulated to reduce methane emissions and improve milk yield and quality. Giving certain microbes to calves could reduce greenhouse gas levels.

US award for contract analysis system. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli AI contract review system LawGeex that is faster and more accurate than experienced lawyers. Now LawGeex has won the very first Burton award for Technology Advancement from the American Bar Association and Library of Congress.

Chips for AI systems. Israel’s NeuroBlade develops processors for artificial intelligence applications such as autonomous vehicles, video analysis, and image recognition. They are smaller and cheaper to manufacture than the current industry standard. NeuroBlade has just raised $23 million of funds, backed by Intel.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israeli boost to New York economy.  (TY Israel21c) The New York-Israel Business Alliance has reported that the economic benefit to New York of its 500 Israeli companies is over $33 billion. They employ almost 25,000 New Yorkers. In addition, Israel’s SOSA and JVP are at the forefront of NYC’s cybersecurity initiative.

Easier trade process with Hong Kong. Israel has signed a new agreement with Hong Kong, intended to ease customs clearance regulations for export and import between the two. It is Israel’s 7th bilateral agreement under the authorized economic operators program after the US, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, China, and Mexico.

Record exits. (TY IVC) Despite more Israeli startups turning into mega companies, many sell for increasing large valuations. In the first half of 2019, there were 66 exits totaling $14.48 billion, the highest in 5 years. Even without the $6.9 billion Mellanox exit, it was a billion dollars more than the same period in 2018.

Israeli tourism breaks more records. (TY UWI) Approximately 365,000 tourists visited Israel in June - over 17% higher than in June 2018. Since Jan 2019, two and a quarter million tourists entered Israel – nearly 10% more than the same period in 2018. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265455

Israeli tech at Paris Air Show. Eviation’s electric plane (reported last week) wasn’t the only Israeli technology on display at the recent International Paris Air Show. Eight Israeli firms showcased systems, in response to a growing European willingness to spend on defense and homeland security.

Cybersecurity for Dutch police. Cyber Intelligence, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is to provide the Dutch National Police with a cyber intelligence system. It is part of Elbit’s Intelligence 360 suite, scalable and fits other custom requirements of the Dutch National Police.

Moody’s teams up for cybersecurity risk. Ratings agency Moody’s and Israel cybersecurity experts Team8 are setting up a joint venture that aims to become a global standard for evaluating how vulnerable companies are to cyberattacks. It will help companies assess takeover targets and price cybersecurity insurance.

Nintendo opens in Tel Aviv. Multinational consumer electronics and software company Nintendo has chosen the Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv for its second retail store. Its first retail store opened in Rockefeller Center in New York City in 2005. Headquartered in Japan, Nintendo generated about $10 billion in net sales in 2018.

Travel service is worth $4 billion. Israeli-founded TripActions has developed a business travel management service aimed at saving companies, money on their employees’ work-related trips. It has just raised $250 million of funds, valuing the company at a massive $4 billion and putting it in the world’s top 60.

McDonald’s “Big Vegan”. McDonald’s Israel is launching a pilot of its “Big Vegan” burger at several branches in Tel Aviv – “the vegan capital of the world”. The hamburger is made of wheat and soybeans.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Maestro retires. Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta is retiring from his post as music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He will be honored at Tel Aviv’s “Philharmonic in the Park” concert on July 13, which he will conduct. A non-Jewish native of India, Mehta was named Honorary Citizen of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in 1986

Israeli cheesemaker wins gold. (TY Nevet) Israel’s Hanoked Dairy won gold at the 2019 Mondial du Fromage in France for its Leshem sheep milk cheese. Hanoked also won silver for its Beit Hakerem goat milk cheese and helped set a Guinness World Record for the largest cheese platter/board exhibit.

Milton Nascimento plays Tel Aviv.  Brazilian music superstar Milton Nascimento performed at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv on 30th June. Nascimento is noted for his synthesis of Brazilian and international music styles, including samba, jazz, pop, and even heavy metal. https://www.secrettelaviv.com/tickets/milton-nascimento-clube-da-esquina  https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/06/30/legendary-brazilian-musician-milton-nascimento-issues-stunning-rebuke-to-bds-movement-before-tel-aviv-concert/

Dudi gets back to winning ways. (TY Nevet) Israeli tennis star Dudi Sena won the Little Rock Open in Arkansas - his first tournament win in two years after recovering from a long-term injury. It moves him from 208 up to 160 in the world tennis professional rankings.

Israeli show jumpers qualify for Olympics. Israeli equestrian show jumpers took a huge leap for the country by qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics - the first time that Israel has earned a place in the games in that sport. Four Israeli riders took first place at the Olympic Jumping Qualifier at Maxima Park in Moscow.


THE JEWISH STATE

Jerusalem rebuilt. (TY Sharon) Israel’s capital is seeing huge numbers of building projects. They include the Jerusalem Gateway business park, a new wing of Shaare Tzedek hospital, the new National Library, the Jerusalem cable car and new court buildings in Jaffa Road.  Things are definitely “looking up”.

Jerusalem breakthrough. U.S. envoys Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman inaugurated the Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem’s City of David. Ambassador Friedman broke through a wall, to open the tunnel, saying “this is where the ancient prophets of Israel gave voice to revolutionary ideals of freedom, liberty and human dignity.".

Biblical mosaics in ancient Galilee synagogue. Biblical mosaics recently uncovered at a 1,600-year-old synagogue in the Galilean town of Huqoq include the earliest known artistic rendering of the little-known Exodus story of Elim, and a partially preserved depiction of the Book of Daniel’s grotesque four beasts.

UK minister visits Western Wall. UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, a Muslim, visited the Western Wall (Kotel) during his latest visit to Israel. It comes 19 years after the last British government minister visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall. (N.B. Boris Johnson visited the Kotel in 2016 when Mayor of London.)

Reunited in hospital. Two veterans of the War of Independence Battle of Gush Etzion, were simultaneously but separately referred for heart surgery at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital 71 years later. Doctors noticed similar scar tissue from shrapnel wounds incurred during the battle. They then reunited the two comrades in arms.