190630
In the 30th June
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli-devised
cancer therapy is completely curing terminally ill UK patients.
·
The first Druze
to become an Israeli Air Force pilot.
·
South
Africa is to install Israeli “water from the air” technology.
·
Six
Israeli startups won transformational business awards.
·
World’s
largest beer maker to open Israeli cyber security center.
·
Israeli
gymnast, sharpshooter and fencer win European gold.
·
A
watchtower from Hezekiah’s kingdom has been discovered in Judea.
·
Click here
to see the 10th June newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel plus extra feature on Inclusive
& Global. 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
Immunologist
saves boy allergic to light. An Israeli boy suffering
from solar urticaria (an allergy to light) has been saved by doctors at Jerusalem’s
Hadassah Medical Center. They inject him every three weeks with omalizumab, previously
only prescribed to adults with severe asthma. He can now enjoy Israeli sunshine
again.
BBC report hails success of (Israeli) cancer treatment. According to the BBC, the CAR-T cancer therapy, (invented by Professor
Zelig Eshhar of Israel’s Weizmann Institute) is curing 40% of UK lymphoma patients
who were otherwise untreatable and terminal.
Amazing case stories - but doesn’t mention Israel of course!
Link between stress
and autoimmune disease. Researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University
have found that chronic stress causes bacteria in the gut to become more “violent”.
In response, the immune system kicks in and can increase the risk of autoimmune
disease in susceptible individuals.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sick-from-stress-592054
https://cfbiu.org/uncategorized/new-israeli-research-finds-link-between-stress-and-increased-risk-for-autoimmune-disease/
A model of the
brain. Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University
and in Los Angeles have used patient-specific stem cells to create a
personalized model of the human blood brain-barrier. This model can potentially
predict which brain disease treatments will work best for an individual patient.
Hot glue to
seal wounds. (TY UWI)
There are several innovative Israeli surgical sealants (see here) to help bond wounds after
operations. Now researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute together with Boston
Children’s Hospital have developed a hot-glue gun with non-toxic bio-degradable
glue to fuse torn human tissues together.
Improved
infant oxygen monitor. (TY Sharon) Over 100
religious women students from Jerusalem College of Technology / Machon Tal conducted
a 44-hour hackathon developing solutions to various challenges. The winning
team designed a wireless oxygen saturation monitor for infants. Click to see some
great photos.
More successful
fertility treatments. The number of successful fertility
treatments in Israel continues to rise. Details presented to the Israel Fertility
Association conference also showed that technology improvements had reduced the
incidence of IVF twins. Israeli women can receive public funds for IVF up to
age 45.
Microbiome
analysis startup gears up. I reported previously (see
here) on Israeli startup DayTwo which provides personalized nutrition suggestions
based on your microbiome (gut bacteria). DayTwo has just raised $31 million for
expansion in Europe and Asia, where it can help reduce diabetes and other
metabolic diseases.
Motorcycle
medic delivers her own baby. Magen David Adom paramedic
Lita Barzon was seven months pregnant when she went into early labor. Her
husband called the emergency services and, helped by the phone operator, Lita delivered
her baby a few minutes later. Medics then arrived and mother and baby are doing
well.
Kurdish
children arrive for heart surgery. Three children,
aged five, two and 11 months, from Kurdistan have arrived in Israel with their
mothers to receive life-saving medical treatment from Israeli NGO Save a
Child's Heart.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Save-a-Childs-Heart-treats-three-Kurdish-children-in-Israel-592253
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Hundreds
attend disability inclusion conference. Over 800 people from 22 countries
participated in Access Israel’s 7th International Conference. A key focus was accessible
technology and included sessions at Tel Aviv’s accessible beaches, the Wingate (sports)
Institute near Netanya and Jerusalem’s (accessible)
Old City.
More
funds to help Ethiopian Jews integrate. Israel’s Council for Higher Education has
approved a $40 million plan to encourage academic excellence and leadership
among Ethiopian-Israeli students. The initiative aims to increase the number of
Ethiopian-Israeli bachelor’s degree students by some 40 percent in five years.
The first Druze IAF pilot. (TY Hazel) Israel's Air Force will have its
first Druze pilot when “Cadet G” receives his helicopter pilot wings shortly. Three
other Druze airmen already serve as navigators – one serves as head of the
school for the operational headquarters of the IAF.
Olive
oil of co-existence. Israeli startup Sindyanna of Galilee produces fair trade olive oil. But
its aim as a non-profit is to communicate the messages of hope and peace from Arab
and Jewish women working together.
Palestinian
Arab workers share in Mellanox payout. Palestinian Arab engineers working for
Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies are poised to share in a $3.5
million payout when the company’s takeover by U.S. chip supplier Nvidia Corp is
completed. They will cash in stock options worth up to $40,000 per person.
Good
relations in the Jordan valley. (TY Hazel) There are excellent relations between Jewish and Arab communities
in the Jordan valley. Over 6,000 Palestinian Arabs work in Jewish communities, rising
to 12,000 in peak periods. Arab farmers receive
agricultural training and their quality of life has improved dramatically.
European
Muslim leaders tour Samaria. (TY Hazel) Israel’s President Rivlin met with a
delegation of 40 French imams and other French and Belgian Muslims in
Jerusalem. They then crossed over the Green Line to meet Samaria Regional
Council head Yossi Dagan.
South Africa enlists Israeli help. World Vision South Africa has
chosen Israel’s WaterGen to help launch a mobile water generation project for
communities in the Eastern Cape. WaterGen will provide safe-drinking water to
50 child development centers, up to 79 schools, four clinics and an estimated
3,400 households.
Israel
helps overseas students reap what they sow. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (see here) on
the many thousands of international students who have be helped by Israel’s Arava
International Center for Agricultural Training. This report focuses on 340 Kachin Baptist
Convention trainee farmers from Myanmar.
UN award for Israeli Trauma treatment
NGO. (TY UWI)
I reported previously (see here) on
the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) non-profit and its life-changing work in the
Caribbean, Florida, Boston and Paris. The United Nations’ Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) has now awarded the ITC Special Advisor status.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Joint US-Israeli oil & gas R&D center. Israel and the US are setting up a joint R&D center to focus on
technologies to make the oil and gas sector more efficient. The news was
announced to 150 Israeli technology companies.at the “Digitization and
Automation in the Gas and Oil Industries” conference in Tel Aviv.
Six transformational business
awards. Of the 270 global entries at London’s 2019
FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards, 10 of the 35 finalists were Israeli. Several
won awards, including MobileOCT, TIPA, TuneFork, N-Drip, Healthy.io and Anima.
The best in Israeli auto-technology. (TY Roger) At the 7th annual EcoMotion in Tel Aviv, 100 Israeli smart
startups exhibited to 4,000 attendees. This report highlights the unveiling of DFT’s
flying car, Silentium’s sound bubble, Aurora Lab’s self-healing automobile software
and UVEye’s drive-over security camera.
Construction tech startups are building
up. The global construction industry is worth
trillions, but uses some technologies that are hundreds of years old. Israel
has over 100 PropTech (property technology) startups working to update the
industry. Innovation and tech hubs such as Innogy and Contech are helping them
grow.
Cooling without water. Israeli startup ZutaCore has developed an evaporative liquid
cooling system on a chip. It solves the industry-wide problem of removing heat from
superfast computer devices without exposing them to dangerous water-cooling
devices. ZutaCore’s HyperCool just won the 2019 SilicoNegev startup
competition.
Tech innovation award for BriefCam. (TY OurCrowd) Israeli-founded
BriefCam has received the 2019 Frost & Sullivan North America Technology
Innovation Award in the surveillance analytics solutions industry. It
recognized BriefCam’s unique approach, extensive expertise, and proven track
record in video analytics.
Outsmart the weather. (TY OurCrowd)
I reported previously (26th
Jan) on the super-accurate weather-forecasting technology from Israel’s ClimaCell.
Now Apple iOS users (iPhone, iPAD etc.) can now download, trial, rate and provide
feedback on ClimaCell’s recently launched free app.
Eilat’s air-con bus shelters. (TY Janglo)
I reported previously (26th
Jan) on the plan to install “smart” air-conditioned bus stops in Eilat. A
pilot of the new shelters is to be launched end Aug. Stations are expected to
be set up opposite the Mall in front of the sea, on Temarim Boulevard and at
the underwater observatory.
Israeli startup sets up space tech
center in UK. Israeli satellite communications
startup hiSky has launched a UK R&D center - hiSkySay Ltd, in Harwell, thanks
to a £9 million UK Government agency grant. HiSky is working with the UK Space
Agency to become the world’s first low-cost satellite network operator.
BBC publicizes Israeli electric plane. (TY Joy G & Israel21c)
I reported previously (July
2017) on the Alice electric airplane built by Israel’s Eviation. The BBC did
a (very) short review of Alice at the Paris Air Show. Meanwhile Eviation announced that US airline
Cape Air had ordered several airplanes for delivery in 2022.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Arizona
to set up Israel trade office. (TY Hazel) Arizona Governor Doug
Ducey has approved a $275,000 budget for setting up a new trade office in
Israel. 2017 bi-lateral trade totaled $400 million (double that of 2010. Israel-based
companies with operations in Arizona include Mobileye, Elbit Systems and Keter
Group.
Israeli cyber security for world’s largest beer maker. (TY Hazel) Anheuser-Busch InBev is
to open a cybersecurity unit in Tel Aviv after suffering an upsurge in hacking
attacks. AB InBev provides 25 percent of the beer globally, making over 400
brands including Budweiser, Corona, Becks, and Stella Artois.
Intel’s
Israeli AI incubator. Intel has launched a new accelerator program in Israel for early-stage
startups focused on data-centric tech, including artificial intelligence (AI)
and autonomous systems. The program, called “Ignite” will host 10-15 startups
for five months, providing mentorship from Intel and industry experts.
Renault-Nissan
is innovating. I
reported previously (Jan
2017) that Renault-Nissan Alliance planned to establish a Technology
Innovation Center in Israel. Renault-Nissan’s 1,600-square-meter Alliance
Innovation Lab Tel Aviv is now open. It also incorporates its current partnership
with Mitsubishi.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi-alliance-launch-Tel-Aviv-innovation-lab-592033 https://www.israel21c.org/ford-renault-and-nissan-open-tel-aviv-innovation-labs/
More
contracts for Elbit. Israel’s Elbit Systems has won a $73 million contract to supply the
German Air Force with aircraft defense systems, Also, Elbit’s subsidiary Cyclone
Ltd. was awarded a $50 million contract to supply structural parts from composite
materials for an aircraft of a North American customer.
http://ir.elbitsystems.com/news-releases/news-release-details/elbit-systems-awarded-73-million-contract-supply-j-music-dircm http://ir.elbitsystems.com/news-releases/news-release-details/elbit-systems-awarded-50-million-contract-supply-structural
EU fund
to invest $100 million in Israeli startups. Luxembourg-based fund Maor has closed its first
Israel-focused fund at nearly $100 million. Maor aims to “facilitate access of
European investors and in particular European family offices to the Israeli technology
ecosystem and opportunities.”
Major
firms use Israeli-owned coworking spaces. Some 40% of the tenants of the 28 offices of
Israel’s Mindspace in Europe and the US are large enterprises, including
Microsoft, McDonald’s, Samsung and Barclays. They typically rent space for up to
two years, allowing them to grow and shrink, and save money too.
Order
on-line, delivery in 4 hours. Israeli startup Quik operates a digital store where Israeli customers
can order groceries and have them delivered to their homes in up to four hours.
The products are picked up from partner stores in the vicinity of the
customer’s residence.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Historical
records go on-line. (TY UWI)
Israel’s National Library has uploaded around 200 documents from the years 1500
to 1800. European Jewish communities used these “pinkasim” to keep track of
financial transactions, political happenings, relations with non-Jewish
government bodies, and even humorous events.
Big
surge in Israeli books published in 2018. Over 8.500 books were published in Israel in
2018 – over 10% more than in 2017 and 35% more than in 2008. More than 1,000 of
these were children’s books. The number of new books relating to children with
disabilities and special needs was double those published in 2008.
Israeli
products at NYC food festival. Several Israeli companies were among 2,600 global exhibitors at the 2019
Summer Fancy Foods Show in Manhattan. They included Wine Water (see here), The Mushroom Benefit
(see link below), Fruit of the Land and Sindyanna of Galilee (see co-existence article
above).
Jerusalem
Light festival.
(TY Sharon & Jacob Richman) This year’s Jerusalem Light Festival continues
until 4th July. http://rjstreets.com/2019/06/27/jerusalem-2019-light-festival-in-old-city/
Haifa
in a nutshell. This
video highlights Haifa - Israel’s largest Northern city. Its diversity; Baha’i gardens;
Carmelit cable car railway; Cave of Elijah; Maccabi Haifa soccer club and
stadium; Haifa’s film festival and the only Japanese art museum in the Middle
East. Recommended to include this city
on your next Israel visit.
Israeli medals at European Games. Rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram won two gold (balls
and clubs) and two silver medals (ribbon and multiple) at the 2019 European Games
in Minsk, Belarus. Sergey Richter won a gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle
shooting and Li Kochman won a silver medal in the men’s judo 90-kg class.
First ever Euro fencing gold medal. Israeli fencer Yuval Freilich won
the gold medal in the European Fencing Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany. Yuval
(24) has been fencing since age 5 and is the first Israeli fencer to win a
European championship. He is currently ranked at World number 40.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H11YChfFXNQ
(The celebrations start at 17 mins)
THE JEWISH STATE
Eighth century BCE watch tower uncovered. (TY Erez) 150 soldiers and
officers of the IDF Paratroopers brigade have excavated a 2,700-year-old
watchtower near Ashkelon, that was standing when the Jewish King Hezekiah ruled
Judea. Archaeologists believe the tower was used to transmit messages via beacons.
New /
old Hebrew words.
(TY Janglo)
The Academy of the Hebrew Language has published a list of 1,400 new words and
phrases it recently approved. One unusual example, requested by
environmentalists, is the waste product from extracting oil from olives. The
new word is “mohal” and has its origins in Talmudic texts.
At
the Kotel, water from the air. (TY Janglo)
I reported previously (see here)
on Israel’s WaterGen and its technology to produce water from the moisture in
the air. Visitors to Jerusalem’s Kotel (Western Wall) can now access a WaterGen
machine at the Kotel plaza to produce pure cold drinking water.
See
the Real Israel. Details of Honest Reporting’s 2019 Israel mission
(Dec 18 - 26) to give non-Israelis the opportunity to discover the Israel that
the media doesn’t report. https://mission.honestreporting.com/itinerary/
Genesis
Prize winner donates prize money (and more). At the Genesis Prize award ceremony in
Jerusalem, New England Patriots owner, businessman and philanthropist Robert
Kraft pledged $20 million, including his Genesis Prize money, towards combating
online anti-Semitism, specifically among 18-35-year-olds.
190610
In the 9th/10th
June 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Rare positive
news in the search for pancreatic cancer treatment.
·
Israeli experts
are helping seven Muslim countries save their coral reefs.
·
Intel
Israel has launched its 10th generation microprocessor.
·
Europe’s pursuit
of Israeli innovation increases.
·
Google Express
shopping is packaged using Israeli bio-degradable plastic.
·
A
15-year-old Israeli boy is European youth laser sailing champion.
·
Israeli
divers have discovered a Biblical fortress - underwater.
·
Click here
to see the 2nd June newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel. 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
Treatment for genetic
pancreatic cancer.
Researchers at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center have had positive results in
trials of Lynparza (olaparib) for treating pancreatic cancer in carriers of BRCA
mutations. An international trial of 154 patients showed improved response,
time to progression and quality of life.
New early test
for Parkinson’s. Tel Aviv University scientists
have discovered a new method for detecting the aggregation of the protein
alpha-synuclein, before Parkinson’s symptoms appear. Doctors can then monitor how
treatments affect this aggregation.
Transmitting neural
messages to the next generation. Researchers at Tel
Aviv University have identified a nervous system mechanism that can transmit
neural messages to future generations. They showed that data on environmental
factors are stored in brain cells (neurons) and expressed in germline genes to one’s
children.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-study-Nervous-system-can-transmit-messages-to-future-generations-591795
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-study-says-neurons-not-just-dna-can-affect-progenys-fate/
US approval
for soft Exo-suit. Last week (see
here) ReWalk’s soft exoskeleton received European (CE) approval. This week, the US FDA approved the Israeli
innovation. Things are “looking up” for stroke victims.
Tracking response
to cancer treatment. Israel-based Techsomed
develops an image analysis system that helps track tissue response to thermal
ablation - the process of destroying tumors using extreme heat or cold. It
works with ultrasound to simulate the effects over time and provide surgeons
with better control and accuracy.
Israeli diet
is good for the brain. I reported previously (14th
Apr) that Israel has the lowest rate of diet-related deaths in the
world. Now, the American Academy of
Neurology medical journal has found that the diet can also help preserve memory
and thinking abilities.
Foolproof Ambulance
inventory list. Three students from Jerusalem
College of Technology won first prize at the college’s third annual Great Minds
hackathon. They devised a system using sensors to eliminate human error when checking
crucial inventory on ambulances before they are dispatched from their stations.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
An
app to simplify volunteering. (TY Benyamin) Israeli ex-supermodel Michaela Bercu and her husband
Israeli tech entrepreneur Ron Zuckerman developed Tribu - an app which connects
volunteering needs with those who wish to help. It is in use all over Israel
and a pilot has recently been setup at a California university.
Faiths
co-operate to clean up Old City site. Israel, Jordan, the Gulf States and Christian
leaders have agreed for the Jerusalem Development Authority to clear a
long-standing Wakf-administered garbage dump just outside the Old City walls. A
new promenade is now being built on the site to improve access for tourists.
Pope
welcomes cross-border owl project. Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian Arab and Swiss bird experts recently
traveled to the Vatican to discuss their successful cross-border project using
barn owls (see here) for natural
pest control. https://www.israel21c.org/pope-welcomes-israeli-jordanian-palestinian-bird-experts/
Ramadan
in Israel. This
video shows how the month-long Muslim festival of Ramadan is observed and celebrated
in the towns of Ein Nakuba and Abu Ghosh – between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Residents and leaders highlight the importance
of improving ethical behavior and especially relationships with non-Muslims.
Middle East unites to save coral reefs. Professor Maoz Fine of Israel’s Bar-Ilan
University has set up the Red Sea Transnational Research Center to help try to save
global coral reefs. The center brings together experts from Israel and seven
Muslim countries - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, and
Djibouti.
Israel
hosts joint US-Russia summit. (TY WIN)
In the first meeting of its kind, the US national security adviser, and his
Russian and Israeli counterparts will meet in Jerusalem to discuss regional
security issues and Syria in particular. https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/06/02/52-years-later-israel-and-the-superpowers/
Rare
animals born in Jerusalem. Israel again demonstrated its
work to save rare species. Two rare
golden lion tamarin monkeys were born at Jerusalem’s Biblical zoo. Thanks to efforts
like that of Israel, the population of these monkeys has risen from 80 in 1980
to around 3,200 today. Also five Griffin
vultures were hatched.
World
Environment Day. This
video produced for World Environment Day on 5th Jun, highlights Israel’s
progress with renewable energy, wastewater recycling, desalination. Israel promotes
the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and works with many countries in their
efforts to achieve them.
Israeli
innovation at its very best. A great summary of the work of Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa which has
brought clean water and electricity to over a million villagers in rural
Africa.
How
one tiny aid NGO changed an island. After Hurricane Maria, IsraAID distributed
food and water filters to remote Puerto Rican communities. They operated mobile
health clinics, treated trauma victims and trained medical staff. But it is two
long-term projects (water and resiliency) that have transformed Puerto Rican
lives.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Seven Tel Aviv tech conferences this month. Thousands of investors, entrepreneurs, and tech experts will be flocking
to Tel Aviv in June to attend EdTech (4th-5th), EcoMotion
(10th-13th), Travel Tech (11th), Mobile Summit (12th), IBM Think (13th),
Cyber Week (23rd-27th) and Calcalist’s
FinTech (24th).
Top patents. The National Academy of Inventors and
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) listed Tel Aviv University as
the 66th top university worldwide, after registering 37 US utility patents through
its technology transfer arm Ramot. Israel’s Technion Institute was 75th with 32
utility patents.
Weizmann Institute in top 25 for
R&D. Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science has
been ranked among the top 25 research institutes/universities in the world. It received this high ranking in two main
categories: Top-cited Publications and Patents Awarded.
Intel’s new Israeli
processors have AI. I only recently reported (13h
May) that Intel Haifa had launched its 9th generation of
microprocessors. Intel is now shipping its 10th generation chips – code named
“Ice Lake” and again developed by their Israeli team. Intel says it will bring
broad-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the PC.
Award-winning deep-learning microprocessors. (TY OurCrowd) Just as Intel
are launching their new AI microprocessor, Israeli AI chip manufacturer Hailo (reported
here in Jun 2018) has been selected as a winner of Red Herring's Top 100
North America Award in the AI/Machine Learning Sector.
Radio Frequency Energy. I briefly mentioned about Israel’s InMode (Aug
2012) when it was called Invasix and selling its cosmetic treatments to
Lebanese women. InMode states that its products use Radio Frequency Energy to
tighten skin, remove fat, hair, spots, vascular lesions etc. A NASDAQ listing
is said to be close.
Catch that mosquito. Israeli startup Bzigo is developing a device that uses lasers to
track mosquitos within a room. It then marks the mosquito’s exact location with
a red laser once it lands and uses WiFi to send alerts to users. It is currently at the prototype stage.
Taking down drones and balloons. Finally, a solution to the Gaza firebombs and drones. The IDF have been trialing the Smash 2000
from Israel’s Smart Shooter. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/SMASH-2000-The-Israeli-technology-taking-down-Gazan-drones-and-balloons-591778 https://www.smart-shooter.com/
Paying royalties for music. Israeli startup Revelator is launching a music mobile payment app called
Artist Wallet. When an artist’s song is streamed or played on the radio, rights
holders are notified and royalties are distributed as per a blockchain digital
contract. The platform supports 90,000 rights holders in 25 countries.
Israeli Argan oil. (TY Stuart) I wrote previously (see here) about Israelis
growing Argan trees for their oil. Recently our friend Stuart Palmer visited Israel’s
Oren Farm. Their Argan trees were originally grown by Israel for Morocco but
rejected due to the Arab boycott. These trees produce 5 times more oil than Moroccan
trees.
Israeli technology becomes international
standard. Global standards organization MIPI
Alliance (including Intel, Texas Instruments, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung) has selected
the technology of Israel-based Valens Semiconductor as a standard for
high-speed links for cameras, displays and sensors for autonomous vehicles.
Grab & Go supermarket shopping. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the scan
and buy systems of Israeli startups SuperSmart and ShelfX. Now Israel’s Trigo
Vision is beginning an advanced pilot of its computer vision technology with
Israeli supermarket giant Shufersal.
Floating cities. (TY Benyamin) Viewers of the movie Waterworld can imagine a future with
cities that float on the oceans. Israeli naval architect Gil Wang and three colleagues
have devised a smart, economical way to build urban suburbs on water. Their Modular
Floating Structures (MFS) project is now a Technion Ph.D. program.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Millions
more tourists. 1.8
million tourists have visited Israel in the five months since the beginning of
2019. May 2019 saw an 11% increase on May 2018 with 400,000 tourists arriving.
And contrary to reports from biased media outlets, hundreds of thousands of
Christians, Muslims and Jews peacefully visited Jerusalem.
EU has funded over 1,000 Israeli projects. Horizon 2020, Europe’s flagship
innovation program, gave grants to 423 Israeli projects in 2018. Since Horizon
2020 was set up in 2014, it has funded 1,062 Israeli recipients to the tune of
742 million euros. Cooperation was celebrated at an awards ceremony in Jaffa on
4th June.
EU giants innovate in Israel. There are 41 top European firms with Israeli
innovation offices - nearly half established in the last 3 years. And unlike
Silicon Valley, most of the Israeli offices are fully-fledged R&D centers
with over 50 employees - not simply outposts. Most work in automotive, electronics
and Life sciences.
Renewing
Amazon’s planes. Retail
giant Amazon has its own airline called Prime Air, comprising 40 second-hand
Boeing 767s. Israel Aerospace Industries has converted 80% of the fleet from
passenger planes to cargo planes and the refurbished aircraft are now good for another
20 years of service.
PayPal
moves its customer service to Israel. Global payments giant PayPal is setting up a
new customer service center in Israel. It will replace its current operation,
run by an external company in Bulgaria. PayPal already has a Research &
Development center in Tel Aviv with 230 employees.
Another
Israeli Unicorn. I reported previously (Mar
2017) when Israeli-founded cybersecurity company SentinelOne raised $70
million of funds. It has just raised another $120 million, to join the ranks of
“Unicorn” companies – those worth around $1 billion.
Huge
new co-working site in Ramat Gan. Israel’s MindSpace is opening a new 4,125 square meters co-working location
at the Rogovin Tidhar Tower in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv. It will accommodate 640
people who want shared office facilities. It will be MindSpace’s 29th site,
which includes in the US, UK and Germany.
Google to use Israeli bio-degradable plastic. I reported previously (see here) on the environmentally-friendly
compostable packaging developed by Israeli startup TIPA. Now Google’s shopping
site, Google Express, is to package purchases in TIPA’s bio-degradable plastic.
UK supermarket Waitrose and others already use TIPA.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Hebrew Book Week. The people of the book celebrate Hebrew Book Week, June 12-22 in
Tel Aviv (Kikar Rabin), Jerusalem (the First Station), and Haifa (Hecht Garden)
plus specific days in other cities. It will include a tri-city public book
reading on June 12, at 6 p.m., in the three major locations.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tri-city-storytelling-hour-launches-hebrew-book-week/
http://sfarim.org.il/
Kosher
and tasty. Celebrity
Israeli chefs Meir Adoni, Yoram Nitzan, Eyal Shani and several others have
moved into the kosher sphere over the last few years, accommodating the growing
number of kosher diners in Tel Aviv seeking fine dining, and the ingredients
(and wine lists), that go with it.
Fresh
Paint fair. Billed
as Israel’s largest art event, the Fresh Paint art fair had exhibitions throughout
Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Expo Tel Aviv hosted the Independent Artists’ Greenhouse,
Fresh Design Complex, New Media and Video Area. Ten museums, hotels, boutiques
and restaurants hosted events in Tel Aviv & Jaffa.
Jerusalem’s
really cultured streets. (TY Sharon) This RJS article “Jerusalem Day, What
Next” incorporates recent and upcoming events, including a memorial to Ethiopian
Jews, the re-opening of the Sifting Project, Iftar, the Israel Festival,
Islamic Jewelry exhibition, Beat/Second, Nabucco (Jun 20), White Night and
more.
Heavy
metal support. Heavy
metal group 'Disturbed' prioritized their upcoming European tour around their 2nd
July Rishon LeZion concert. Front man, David Draiman sits on the advisory body
of Creative Community for Peace. Please see the video of his unexpectedly fascinating
interview and his wise words against BDS.
Four Euro golds for 15-year-old sailor. 15-year-old Yogev Alcalay of Caesarea
Israel won four gold medals at the EurILCA (International Laser Class
Association) 2019 Laser 4.7 Youth Europeans in Hyeres, France. Yogev made
history winning the top U-16 and U-18 medals ahead of competitors from 50
countries.
THE JEWISH STATE
Biblical fortress discovered. (TY WIN) Marine archaeologists have found a
2,200-year-old maritime fortress off the coast at Tel Dor, south of Haifa. The site,
mentioned in biblical texts, was built by a Hellenistic ruler during the period
of the Hasmoneans. The fortress in underwater due to the sea level rising over
the centuries.
The
Biblical town of Achziv. (TY I24 News) The city of Achziz in Northern Israel dates to the Israelite
tribe of Asher in the Bible. It is also mentioned in the Book of Judges. Its beach
has some breathtaking scenery.
Brazilian
diplomats find ancient coin in Shiloh. A delegation of governors and congress
members from Brazil were visiting the archaeological dig in Shiloh where the
Jewish tabernacle was sited over 3,000 years ago. During the visit, a coin was
discovered dating from the time of the Hasmoneans, some 2,000 years ago.
NYC celebrates
Israel. 40,000 participated in the annual Celebrate
Israel Parade in Manhattan. A delegation of diplomats from around the world took
part, including UN ambassadors from Australia, Germany, Ukraine, Norway, Nigeria
and several other countries. The theme of the event was “Rak B’Yisrael – Only in
Israel”
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/New-Yorks-Celebrate-Israel-Parade-turns-Manhattan-blue-and-white-watch-591389
https://unitedwithisrael.org/celebrate-israel-parade-un-ambassadors-from-around-the-world-march-in-new-york/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXa3qIQnSUA
Celebrating
Jerusalem Day. (TY
Jacob) Tens of thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem to
mark the unification of Jerusalem’s eastern and western sectors in the 1967 Six
Day War. See Jacob Richman’s photos – click on the first link and then on the
arrows. And worth watching the Six-Day-War video.
190602
In the 2nd June
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israelis
are testing a new treatment for incurable blood cancer.
·
Surgeons at
an Israeli NGO have saved their 5,000th non-Israeli child.
·
Jews in Hebron
hosted an Iftar feast for Hebron Arabs.
·
New HP laptop
computers use Israeli security software.
·
Mitsubishi
has launched an Israeli innovation center.
·
A new
experiential visitor center has opened in ancient Caesarea.
·
Today (2nd
Jun) is Yom Yerushalyim - Jerusalem Day.
·
Click here
to see the 26th May newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel (with extra feature on Inclusive
and Global). 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
Regenerating bones. (TY Hazel) Israeli startup Bone Sci Bio is developing a peptide product
PeptOss that promotes the formation and repair of bone tissue. It also delivers
treatments (antibiotics, chemotherapy, etc.) directly to the bone. PeptOss’s first application is to treat peri-implantitis
that affects 30% of dental implants.
Treatment for
resistant Myeloma. Israel’s Pi Therapeutics (PiTx) is
developing a treatment for PI-resistant Multiple Myeloma (MM) and solid tumors.
Its small molecule non-catalytic UPS inhibitors have worked in lab tests. MM is
an incurable blood cancer. PiTx has just raised $19.7 million for a formal clinical
proof of concept.
Monitor breathing at home. (TY Hazel) Israeli startup Resmetrix Medical has developed a device
that allows respiratory patients to monitor their condition at home. It could give
an early warning of problems and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations for millions
of asthmatics and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sufferers.
After the heart. Now that Tel Aviv University scientists can 3D-print a heart using human
tissue (see
here), they are working to engineer tissue
for marrow, brain, eyes and intestine. They are regenerating spinal cord tissue
and cells to fight Parkinson’s disease. And they are working to make a 3D-printed
heart grow and pump.
Health matters
most to Israelis. (TY Jacques) A survey conducted
by the Haredi Institute of Public Affairs identified the top priorities of Israelis
(Jews & Arabs) were health, personal well-being and family life.
EU approval
for soft Exo-suit. I reported previously (see here) about the ReStore
Exo-Suit from Israel’s ReWalk Robotics that helps stroke victim recover their
mobility. ReStore has just received the CE mark, allowing ReWalk to market the device
to rehabilitation clinics in the European Union.
To heal, to
teach, to discover. Israel’s Technion Institute is
partnering with Cleveland Ohio’s University Hospitals (UH) to advance medical
training, as part of UH’s mission, "To Heal. To Teach. To Discover". The
strategic affiliation includes joint R&D projects, plus 4th-year Technion
medical students can train at UH.
SACH’s 5,000th patient. (TY UWI)
1-year-old Fatima from Zanzibar is the 5,000th child (from 60 countries) to be
treated (for free) by Israeli charity Save A Child’s Heart. Ironically, 19
years ago, SACH surgeons gave Fatima’s 26-year-old mother, Balkis, life-saving
treatment at the same Israeli hospital for the same condition.
Doctors save
toddler choking on popcorn. Specialists at Schneider
Children’s Hospital managed to successfully extract popcorn from the airways of
2-year-old Ori Adler. Doctors and nurses extracted the small and sharp popcorn
pieces that were stuck in the child’s airways using delicate bronchoscopy.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
A hackathon to help Holocaust survivors. Some 200 Israeli entrepreneurs will take part in the annual Spark
Hackathon in Tel Aviv, producing workable solutions for challenges in
education, remembrance, and quality of life for Holocaust survivors. They will
be supported by mentors from Microsoft, EY and NICE Systems.
The most creative Israeli woman. I reported previously (2nd
Sep) when Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, CEO of Israeli startup ECOncrete, was nominated
for the UN “We Empower” competition for female entrepreneurs. She has since become
an EU “Outstanding Female Innovator” and a Fast Company “Most Creative Person
of 2019”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLB-Zqd-VCA (The EU Award)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfIGwXJqs4
(Amazing Nas daily video)
Social impact in the kitchen. The Kitchen is the first FoodTech incubator in Israel, established
by the Strauss-Group food company and backed by the Innovation Authority. Its
goal is help Israeli FoodTech startups flourish and make the global food market
more productive, affordable, sustainable, and healthier. (see Ourcrowd video)
SodaStream hosts huge Iftar feast. Israeli-based SodaStream hosted a Ramadan fast-ending Iftar meal at
its factory in the southern Israel town of Rahat. Nearly 3,000 Bedouins,
Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs attended, along with U.S. Ambassador to
Israel David Friedman.
Hebron Arabs and Jews hold
kosher Iftar feast. Israeli Jews and Palestinian
Arabs held a kosher celebration for Iftar in the city of Hebron. The event, for
Jewish, Palestinian Arab and Israeli-Arab businessmen was sponsored by the
Judea and Samaria Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also (TY Sharon)
the annual Iftar meal hosted by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Eying-Trump-Palestinians-settlers-hold-kosher-Hebron-Iftar-celebration-589679
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=118745
Record number of tourists from Arab
states. (TY Hazel) A record number of visitors from
Muslim countries (over 72,000) came to Israel in 2018, including nearly 55,000
from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Jerusalem. It represents
a 15% increase on last year’s numbers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/2018-saw-record-number-of-tourists-visit-israel-from-muslim-countries/
More than a bus driver. The International Academy of
Digital Arts & Sciences’ 23rd annual Webby Awards in New York recognized
two Israeli videos. One “Webby” was given to “Throw in a Kind Word,” a campaign
for Israel’s Metropoline bus company. It gives bus passengers an insight into
the lives of some of their drivers.
Millions
support Israel with hummus. Israeli entrepreneur Ben Lang and his friend Miriam Young launched
International Hummus Day on 13th May 2012. The idea was to increase global support
for Israel by uniting around the chickpea-based food. On 13th May 2019, five
million people celebrated by eating hummus.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The “go to” place for technology. (TY Hazel) Israel’s tech ecosystem comprises 539 multinationals from
35 countries. Its 6,600 startups is 14 times the number of startups per capita
in Europe. With 0.1% of the world’s population, Israel attracts 19% of global
investment in cybersecurity and is the top spender on R&D per GDP.
Solving some of humanity’s greatest
problems. Israel’s Technion Institute in Haifa is a
science powerhouse and a hub for coexistence as this video demonstrates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buJV8lm0TjU
Food-tech conference. The Conference "Food Innovation - Begins in Tel Hai" on
Jun 27 uniquely combines academia, industry, entrepreneurship and the scientific
and the applied world. Focus will be on establishing the National Food
Institute in Israel. Highlights include Tel Hai College students presenting their
innovations.
http://conferences.telhai.ac.il/en/content/foodtech-starts-tel-hai http://english.telhai.ac.il/foodtech/
HP computers have
Israeli security inside. Computer giant HP is installing
Sure Sense cybersecurity from Israel’s Deep Instinct on its latest EliteBook
and ZBook range. The deal is valued at $150 million over four years. HP says Sure
Sense enables zero-time threat prevention against the most advanced cyber threats.
https://www.deepinstinct.com/2019/05/22/hp-collaborates-with-deep-instinct-to-roll-out-ai-powered-malware-protection-for-next-generation-hp-elitebook-and-zbook-pcs/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eSHbaBgY8o
More healthcare cybersecurity. I’ve already reported on three Israeli cybersecurity startups protecting
hospital systems. Cynerio is another – especially
addressing the “Internet of Medical Things” such as infusion monitors, kidney-dialysis
units and ventilators that are often Internet-connected.
Smart electric motorbikes. Israel’s Blitz Motors develops fast electric motor scooters for the
corporate delivery market. The
low-maintenance, long-life vehicles can travel 100km on a 3-hour charge at up
to 120km per hour. Features include smartphone operation (no key) and remote
monitoring.
Best social impact app. I reported previously (31st
Mar) that Israeli self-care platform Wisdo had been selected as one of Fast
Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies”. It has now won a Google Play
award in the “Best Social Impact” category at a ceremony in Mountain View,
California.
Israeli
nano-satellites link to Amazon. Israeli startup NSLComm is developing nano-satellite technology for
high-volume communications. It is working with Cloud computing giant Amazon, which
provides the ground station to store and process the data produced and
transferred from the satellites.
Beam me up – quickly. Israel’s Equalum has developed a platform that employs “data
beaming” to teleport a company’s operational data from multiple sources in
real-time throughout different systems and applications within the organization.
It has just raised $18 million from investors including GE Ventures.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Arsène
Wenger backs Israeli sports tech. I reported previously (Apr 2016)
on Israel’s Playmaker and its AI systems and sensors to improve sporting
performance. Famous ex-coach of UK soccer team Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, has invested
in Playmaker (also known as Motionize) and taken on the role of operating partner.
Food-tech
hub gets $100 million boost. I reported previously (Apr
2018) that the Israeli government had allocated $27 million to build a food-tech
hub in Kiryat Shmona. A consortium of Israel’s OurCrowd, Tnuva and Tempo, plus
US Finistere Ventures have now committed up to $100 million to the venture.
Mitsubishi’s Israeli innovation center. (TY Nevet) Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan's
largest trading company, has opened an innovation center in Tel Aviv. The
center will help Mitsubishi scout for Israeli companies and technologies in its
core areas of interest, including automotive and smart mobility.
Non-stop
to Tokyo. I
reported nearly 4 years ago (July 2015)
that El Al planned to launch a direct service to Japan’s capital Tokyo. Not sure what the delay was, but a
thrice-weekly operation using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner will commence in March
2020 – just in time for the Tokyo Olympics.
Many
more contracts for SuperCom. My last report on Israel’s
Supercom (Nov
2017) was when it won a big contract to build an e-Passport system in
Iceland. Since then it has won contracts
in Kentucky, Idaho, North and South Carolina, Africa, Texas, Sweden, Minnesota,
Europe, Southern Georgia and Tennessee.
Elbit
earns $1 billion in Q1 2019. Israeli giant Elbit’s revenue for the first quarter of 2019 amounted to
just over $1 billion. The company completed the takeover of the Israeli
Government’s IMI Systems in November.
LiveU
exits for $200 million. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli live
broadcasting and streaming startup LiveU. The company has just been acquired for
$200 million in a joint takeover by US Francisco Partners and Tel Aviv’s Israel
Growth Partners (IGP). LiveU will continue its Israeli operation.
Israelis
make US cyber connections. US cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks (a $20 billion Israeli-founded
company) has bought Israeli-founded cloud security company Twistlock for “several
hundreds of millions of dollars”. Twistlock maintains an Israeli research and
development operation in Herzliya.
You decide
how much the meal was worth. (TY Jacques) Tel Aviv restaurant Joz Ve Loz is very unusual. You tell
the server your likes and dislikes and you are brought a stream of dishes to
eat or refuse. At the end of the meal, you assess its value and pay accordingly. No tipping.
Double
success for Gaza Border Beer. I reported previously (2nd Feb)
about Alexander’s Gaza Border Beer, made from wheat that had survived the Gaza
fires. The beer and its campaign were so
popular, that it sold more in one week than Alexander normally sells in six
months. The video also won an International
“Webby” award.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
International
architecture awards. Israel’s Kimmel Eshkolot Architects
has received awards in China and the UK for the Memorial Hall of Israel’s
Fallen on Mount Herzl. It also won Shenzhen China’s Global Nomination Award for
Tel Aviv’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.
Last
chance to see Maimonides manuscripts. Jerusalem’s Israel Museum ends its exhibition
of illuminated manuscripts of Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon) on 10th Jun. It
reflects the legacy of Maimonides (died 1204) who was uniquely a writer, halakhic
authority, philosopher, scientist, physician and Jewish leader.
Israel
Festival attracts 30,000. The 58th annual Israel Festival in Jerusalem (until 15th Jun) showcases
a rich, varied and multidisciplinary artistic program from Israel and around
the world. More than 30,000 visitors are enjoying dance, music, theater,
performance art, video art and instillations from leading international artists.
https://www.israel21c.org/israel-festival-brings-world-arts-to-jerusalem/
https://www.israel-festival.org/en/
Caesarea Visitor Center. (TY Sharon)
The Caesarea Development Corporation has launched an innovative NIS 150 million
visitor center in Caesarea harbor funded by the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation.
A dramatic video and archaeology introduce
visitors to Herod the King of Judea, and his founding of Caesarea.
Samarian
wine wins International award. The Gvaot winery, at Givat Harel in the Samaria hills, won a gold medal
at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London. Its Gofna Cabernet
Sauvignon was hailed as a “brilliant warm-climate Cabernet.” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263801
Eurovision
postcards from Israel. (TY Hazel) Many people have commented that the best parts of the
Eurovision Song Contest were the “Postcard” introductions broadcast before each
act. They showed the performers dancing and enjoying themselves all over Israel.
This video just contains the postcards.
THE JEWISH STATE
Israeli
midwives for injured turtle. An injured brown turtle was discovered in distress, during a survey of dolphins,
3 miles off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. It was brought to Israel’s national
Sea Turtle Rescue Center where an ultrasound scan revealed it urgently needed help
to lay its eggs. The Israeli rescuers duly obliged.
We
Believe in Israel has 20,000 activists. When pro-Israel NGO We Believe in Israel
launched in 2011 it dreamed of recruiting 20,000 activists to campaign for
Israel. Its dream has come true and you can join too.
Hotel
staff bring meals to hospital visitors. Staff at Dan Hotel’s King David Jerusalem help
pack and deliver food for Ezer Mizion’s Lottie’s Kitchen – the organization
that provides meals for families visiting seriously ill patients in Israeli
hospitals. The Dan hotel chain encourages
staff to volunteer for charities that help the needy.
Celebrating Jerusalem Day. (TY Jacob).
Here are links to several of Jacob Richman’s websites containing videos,
songs and useful information about Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) - the anniversary
of the unification of Israel’s capital city during the 1967 Six-Day War. This year, Jerusalem Day falls on 2nd June.
See the City of David on Jerusalem Day. (TY Yishai) Yishai Fleisher
(JewishPress.com) takes us on a fascinating adventure in the famous Ir Davide
(City of David) in Jerusalem. We see the connections between the Biblical history
of the Jewish people in Israel and the modern-day discoveries of archeological
evidence.
Sir
Frank Lowy makes Aliya. Sir Frank Lowy, a Holocaust survivor who fought in Israel’s War of
Independence and went on to become a billionaire shopping magnate in Australia,
has made Aliyah. Lowy was knighted in 2017 for his contribution to the UK
economy through his company Westfield.
Neo-Nazi
had a life-changing dream. (TY UWI
& I24 News) Yonatan Langer belonged to a neo-Nazi group but was questioning
its aims and looking for spirituality. Then he had a strange dream which inspired
him to learn about kabbalah. He has since converted to Judaism and made Aliya.
Those
Bar & Bat Mitzvot. (TY Sharon) I reported last week (see
here) on the Bar and Bat Mitzvot in Jerusalem for hearing impaired
children. Sharon has since written more about the event and includes many fabulous
photos including that of Jewish Agency chair Isaac Herzog.
190526
In the 26th May
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli scientists
can protect the blood-brain-barrier to prevent brain diseases.
·
Israelis are
generating water from the air for Uzbekistan orphans.
·
An Israeli
rescue robot can fly over or drive through the roughest terrains.
·
The Carmel
Forest fires inspired Google Israel to develop a Crisis Response system.
·
The EU has
tripled its financial backing for Israeli startups.
·
Eurovision
was a big technological and PR success for Israel.
·
80
hearing-impaired children celebrated their coming of age in Jerusalem.
·
Click here
to see the 12th May newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours (with special note), Janglo
and United
With Israel with extra features on Medical
and Global
(with 1,200 likes). 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
14,000 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
Dual therapy to treat
neurological disorders. BGN Technologies, the
technology-transfer company of Ben-Gurion University, has introduced a therapy
for neurological disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer’s. Memantine and
Losartan are combined to protect the blood-brain barrier from neurotoxic blood
products.
Combining medicine with positivity. Sanofi of France has partnered Israeli-founded Happify Health to
develop digital therapy solutions. Medicine nearly always works better when the
patient is in a positive frame of mind. The partnership aims to generate new
solutions combining treatments with mood improvement games.
Stroke
prevention system expands to China. I reported
previously (Oct
2016) on Israel’s Rapid Medical after the 500th aneurysm operation using its
innovative Comaneci mesh device. Its products will shortly be marketed in China
for the removal of blood clots from the brain. Rapid Medical has just raised
$20 million of funds.
Simulation
training for medical professionals. (TY UWI)
3D Systems acquired Israel’s Simbionix in 2014 but the Israeli R&D center
is still the vital heart of the new company. It has developed a virtual
environment where surgeons can get hands-on experience of new technology and
new medical procedures.
Investing in
precision medicine research. The Israel Science
Foundation has awarded grants totaling NIS 60 million to the first 14 Israeli research
teams in the Israel Precision Medicine Partnership. They are among the largest grants
ever awarded to Israeli researchers by an Israeli body. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-announces-NIS-60-million-investment-in-precision-medicine-research-590176
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-fund-chooses-14-research-teams-in-bid-to-boost-personalized-medicine/
Heal yourself
- hug a teddy. Research has proven the positive
psychological effects of hugging. Since 2002, Israeli non-profit Healing
Teddies has gifted about 37,000 teddy bears to cancer patients, trauma
survivors and others. The patient is instructed to hug the bear for 10 minutes,
three times a day to “activate” its abilities.
https://www.israel21c.org/healing-teddies-give-therapeutic-hugs-to-israeli-patients/
http://healingteddies.org.il/
The full
spectrum of healthcare. Israel’s Mixiii-Biomed 2019
conference in Tel Aviv focused on the “full spectrum of healthcare.” 6.000 delegates
from 45 countries discussed clinical care from cure to prevention, as well as
the importance of rehabilitation to quality of life. In addition, an exhibition
featured 150 exhibitors.
The future for
medicine is bright. Israeli VC fund aMoon Partners
organized a summit near Jerusalem for health-tech startup entrepreneurs and
investors pursuing futuristic technologies. Ideas presented included virtual
doctors, crowdfunding for shared ailments and personalized “Waze-like” health
maps. (See also JPost article.)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/patients-of-the-future-will-be-treated-by-virtual-doctors-health-waze/
Genetic health
screening. MyHeritage, the Israeli online genealogy
and DNA testing company, is to offer customers a genetic health report. It will
identify carriers of recessive genetic diseases, or the inherited BRCA gene or genetic
markers for risk of so-called “polygenic” diseases, like heart disease and
type-2 diabetes.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
The real stars of Eurovision. Israel’s very “special” Shalva band were unable to represent Israel
at Eurovision due to the competition’s requirement to rehearse on Shabbat. But
their performance of “A million dreams” during a break in the semi-finals was
inspirational. And two Israeli TV channels catered to visually impaired.
Social network for signing community. SignTalk Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit that promotes, fosters
and advances public awareness of the deaf community, launched its online social
network, SignTalkers, in Israel. New York-based deaf performer Douglas Ridloffv
presented workshops and performances around Israel.
Jews and Arabs perform together in Acre. The annual International Festival of Classical and Andalusian
Arabic Music is held in the Crusader fortress in Old Acre (Akko) and throughout
the city. The opening night of the Arabesque festival features the Firqat El
Nour orchestra of Arab and ultra-orthodox Jewish musicians.
The 6th best digital country for expats. (TY Janglo
and Nevet) Israel came in sixth in
the InterNations report of the best places in the world for Digital Life
Abroad. Based on the latest Expat Insider survey, Israel rated 3rd for unrestricted
access to online services (e.g. social media) and ease of getting a local
mobile phone number.
New terminal for pets at Ben Gurion airport. (TY Janglo)
A new 2,200 sqm terminal is set to open in 2020 at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport.
It will cater to the 80,000+ families traveling with pets annually.
Wounded UK soldiers in Israeli Veteran
Games. Injured former UK service personnel and
their families are shortly to participate in a 5-day Veteran Games event in Tel
Aviv, to celebrate the vital roles sports and family play in rehabilitation. The
initiative will include a conference on PTSD and mental health.
Makers for
Heroes. (TY Sharon)
200 volunteers plus 19 wounded soldiers spent three days at the ReStart/TOM
Make-a-thon in Tel Aviv. They developed non-patented
devices to alleviate injuries for specific individuals that can then be
mass-produced to help millions globally with similar injuries.
Water for Uzbekistan
orphans. Watergen, the Israeli startup that produces
clean water out of air, has donated a GEN-350 mobile generator to provide water
for over 120 children at an orphanage in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The city
experiences serious water shortages and was recently without drinking water for
almost two days.
More Israeli aid to Venezuelan refugees. I reported previously (16th
Feb) on the aid that Israel’s Ziv Medical Center was providing to
Venezuelan refugees in Brazil. Israeli NGO IsraAID is also distributing relief
materials and support to thousands of Venezuelans refugees in Cuculta on the Colombian
border with Venezuela.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
US government award for Israeli
cybersecurity. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
CyberArk has been named a US Government Security News (GSN) Homeland Security
Award winner for the third consecutive year. CyberArk is the platinum winner
for “Best Identity Management Platform.”
MIT partners seven Israeli academic
institutions. (TY algemeiner)
US MIT is working with Israel’s Technion, Weizmann, Hebrew U, Ben Gurion Uni,
Tel Aviv Uni, Bar Ilan Uni, and Haifa Uni and institutes to to provide up to $30,000
funding for hi-tech projects.
Rescue robot can now
fly. I reported previously (2nd
Sep) that Ben Gurion University engineers had built RSTAR - a highly maneuverable
search and rescue robot. Just months later, they have developed it into FSTAR –
a robot that can transform from driving on land to flying as a quadcopter.
Gold in Physics Olympiad. The Israeli team won gold, silver and bronze medals in the Asian
Physics Olympiad in Australia. Aviv Tillinger won the Gold medal and 4th
absolute place, the highest award given to an Israeli yet in this competition. Israel
hosts 80 countries for the International Physics Olympiad in July.
AI to assess vehicle damage. Israel’s Ravin uses computer vision and machine learning to detect
and analyze vehicle damage. It turns standard CCTV cameras or smartphone
cameras into smart inspection tools, detecting more damage than the human eye
can spot, thus reducing inspection costs. Shell Ventures has just invested.
AI to fix your washing machine remotely. Israeli startup Veego uses artificial intelligence algorithms to
develop products that when installed on gateway devices can automatically
detect, analyze, and fix problems in smart home systems. Veego has just received
financial backing from the venture arm of the Bosch Group.
Brewing the world’s oldest beer. Scientists at three Israeli universities (HUJ, TAU and Bar-Ilan) have
brewed a beer using yeast found in the nano-pores of 5000-year-old beer jugs. Microbiologists
sequenced the genome which a local brewer then used to make beer - the first time
that alcohol has been made from ancient yeast.
Growing trees in sidewalks. Israeli startup Frizweed has developed the Treetube - a technological
system for growing urban trees safely without damaging the sidewalks
(pavements). Lightweight steel and plastic tubes are installed in a tunnel that
keeps the tree roots in place and delivers all the nourishment the tree needs.
Google Israel made a
crisis into a product. During Haifa’s 2010 Carmel
forest fires, Google’s Haifa R&D center used police information to integrate
emergency guidelines into Google Search. In 2017, Google’s crisis response
product SOS Alerts was born. It has since helped alleviate 250 global natural
and man-made disasters.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli
startup values are accelerating. A report by two law firms (Shibolet and Fenwick & West) shows that 89%
of Israeli startups raising money in 2018 did so on higher valuations than in
2017. This compares to 81% in 2017. So not only are Israeli startups increasing
in value, they are doing so at an increasing rate!
NIS
3 billion airport expansion. Israel’s Transportation Ministry has approved a huge expansion plan for Tel
Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to handle an anticipated 30 million annual passengers.
The NIS 3 billion scheme will add 90 check-in counters and 80,000 square meters
of floor space, mainly at Terminal 3.
Europe increases backing for Israeli startups. I reported previously (Dec
2017) that the European Investment Fund (EIF), were guaranteeing loans by Israel’s
Bank Leumi to Israeli startups up to a total of $200 million. They have now increased their guarantees to a
total of $620 million as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program.
Next
10 startups for Barclays Techstars program. 10 Israeli fintech startups have been chosen
to take part in the 2019 Tel Aviv Barclays Accelerator. In association with
US-based Techstars, the intensive 13-week program will help the startups speed
up the development of their technologies and bring them to market.
Mars
wants Israeli food tech solutions. Mars Inc, manufacturer of M&M’s, Snickers, and Skittles, has partnered
Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) to pursue innovative food tech solutions in
Israel. Mars will back Israeli startups, plus work with Israeli academic
institutions, such as the Hebrew U, Weizmann and Technion.
Insurance
on the move. Israeli
startup Voom (previously SkyWatch) began life offering on-demand insurance to
the owners of drones. It has now expanded to include e-scooters, motorboats,
and small planes. In fact, anything you can ride, sail or fly. Its mobile app sends
real-time hazard warnings, feedback, and insights.
Israeli
innovation in New York City. New York’s Yeshiva University has
launched its new YU Innovation Lab in partnership with Yissum, the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem’s technology transfer company. It will serve as an
incubator for student entrepreneurs and a home for Israeli start-ups seeking to
explore US markets.
Tel
Aviv’s digital wallet pilot. (TY Janglo)
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has launched a pilot project to examine using a
“digital city currency”. Residents who spend at least NIS 20 five times at
local businesses using the Colu app get a reward of 25 digital coins. A youth
musical charity also benefits from each transaction.
SafeCharge
exits for $890 million. Israeli-founded SafeCharge has been acquired by multinational Nuvei
Corporation for $890 million. SafeCharge is listed on London’s AIM and specializes
in payment processing, smart payment, and risk management technologies. It has
a research and development center in Tel Aviv.
Ford
to open Israeli innovation center. American carmaker Ford Motor Company is launching a Tel Aviv innovation
center. In June, Executive Chairman Bill Ford (great-grandson of Henry) will
lead a delegation of Ford executives to Israel to seek out Israeli technology covering
AI, autonomous driving, and cybersecurity.
US
AI Institute opens Israeli branch. Seattle’s Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence is to open an
Israeli branch with an initial investment of NIS 30 million ($8.4 million). The
Israel branch will be the institute’s first outside of the U.S. and will focus
on natural language processing.
Florida’s
“bi-partisan” trade missions. (TY Hazel) Florida’s Republican
Governor Ron Desantis is leading 90 state leaders on a business development
mission to Israel. Simultaneously, Florida’s Democratic agriculture
commissioner, Nikki Fried is in Israel seeking technology for agriculture, water,
security and medicine.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem
Prize is her greatest achievement. (TY Sharon) Acclaimed US author
Joyce Carol Oates made her first-ever trip to Israel to receive the prestigious
Jerusalem Prize. The author of 60 novels, winner of the National Book Award and
five Pulitzer nominations, called the Jerusalem Prize “the high point” in her
career.
The
best site at the Buenos Aires Book Fair. Israel’s booth at the Buenos Aires Book Fair
was awarded the prize for Best Site in the “Countries,” category at what is
considered the most well-attended book fair in the Spanish-speaking world. At
the booth, Israel’s Orcam donated a device that helps blind people read.
The
World’s largest Vegan food festival. The Sarona complex in Tel Aviv is hosting Vegan
Fest - the “world’s largest vegan festival” from June 6-7. 50,000 attendees are
expected to sample vegan options from 100 food stalls. The free event features live
performances, workshops, lectures and children’s entertainment.
The real winner of Eurovision was Israel. Tiny Israel showed that it could host
the largest music competition in the world. It put on a slick, polished,
dynamic production on a fabulous stage. Tel Aviv’s Eurovision Village was a
hive of activity all week and the positivity of the event resounded throughout
Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Eurovision-week-kicks-off-with-glitz-and-glamor-in-Tel-Aviv-589504
Haredi
woman wins Riga half-marathon. Beatie Deutsch from Jerusalem finished in first place in the Riga half-marathon
in Latvia. Mother
of five children, Deutsch began running only 3 years ago and is the first haredi
person to win an international athletics competition. She is now training for the
2020 Tokyo Olympics.
THE JEWISH STATE
Israeli
students plant trees in rocket craters. Students of the “Mietarim” academy in Nahal
Oz, situated near the Gaza Strip, have initiated a new project in which they
are filling craters created by rocket explosions with trees. From something bad,
they are making something good.
Bar and Bat Mitvot for hearing impaired children. Eighty deaf and hard-of-hearing
Israeli children had a joint bar and bat mitzvah ceremony in Jerusalem. Sponsored
by the International Young Israel Movement and the Jewish Agency, they also
visited the Western Wall, with the tour presented in sign language.
Become
a digital ambassador. Applications are now open for the August 2019 - May 2020 paid internship
of Israel21c’s Digital Ambassador Program. Students aged 18-25 enrolled in a
North American university who want to do something for Israel can develop digital
communication, journalism, and social media skills.
The
Zionism of Herman Wouk. (TY IsraPundit)
Most of the international media (Washington Post, New York Times etc) ignored Zionism
in their summations of the life of writer Herman Wouk. Except that Zionism is
what guided his life. Moshe Phillips’
article provides the facts.
How
Israel became the Startup Nation. This is episode 1 of “Israel
Unpacked” from the Jerusalem U on-line University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8LQKBqBcpw
https://www.youtube.com/unpacked
Christian
supporters of Israel, we thank you. I’m sure
that this video is self-explanatory.
190512
In the 12th May
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
An Israeli
startup helps surgeons to avoid mistakes.
·
12% of
Israelis studying for hi-tech degrees are Arabs.
·
Israeli
and UAE pilots flew together over Greece.
·
Intel’s 9th
generation microchips were designed in Israel.
·
An Israeli
emergency beacon can save the lives of RAF pilots.
·
Israeli
radar is protecting oil rigs in the Caribbean and Mexico.
·
The best
restaurant in the US is Israeli.
·
Israelis
remembered their past and celebrated their present and future.
·
Click here
to see the 28th April newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel with extra features on Inclusiveness. Also (TY Sandra) in German
and Zachy in Hebrew,
plus Hebrew translation of 28th April articles
by students at Reali school in Haifa. 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
14,000 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
Treatment pathway
for fatal epilepsy. (TY Nevet) Dravet syndrome is an epileptic
condition with a 15 to 20 percent mortality rate and resistant to current medications.
Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that the DHODH gene is key to
triggering such adverse neural activity and that Terflunomide can inhibit it.
Treatment hope
for Williams Syndrome. (TY Josie) Tel Aviv
University scientists have linked gene Gtf2i to Williams Syndrome (WS) and the thinning
of the myelin layer that protects neurons in the brain. In lab tests they managed
to reverse some WS symptoms using the FDA-approved antihistamine clemastine
fumarate.
Micro pancreas
for diabetics. I reported previously (Dec
2015) on Israel’s Betalin Therapeutics, which has developed an insulin-producing
micro pancreas that can be implanted into the body of diabetics. Betalin has since
won startup awards in Tel Aviv and China and has just raised funds to help start
human trials this year.
US approval
for opioid overdose spray. The US FDA has approved the
generic naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray developed by Israel’s Teva. Commonly
known as Narcan, the medication can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid
overdose. The emergency treatment can be administered even by those without
medical training.
FDA prioritizes
Alzheimer’s therapy device. (TY Atid-EDI) I
reported previously (see here) on the NeuroAD cranial device from Israel’s
Neuronix. It already has European approval and is now being urgently reviewed
in the FDA’s Expedited Access Pathway program for breakthrough devices that
target vital unmet needs.
Successful
blood test trial. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s
Sight Diagnostics’ device that can perform full blood tests using just a few
drops of blood. Sight Diagnostics has
just completed a successful trial which should help it obtain US FDA approval. The
device is already marketed in Europe and Israel.
Pumpkin seed
extract treatment for BHP. A recent study of Go-Less® Men (EFLA®940 - an
extract from pumpkin seeds) to be effective in the treatment of symptoms of BHP
(Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). Go-Less is marketed by Israel-founded Frutarom.
A previous study showed Go-Less to relieve incontinence in women.
https://www.frutaromhealth.com/clinical-study-shows-high-effectiveness-of-go-less/
https://www.go-less.com/
MDA ambulance number
12. I reported previously (2nd
Sep) when retired surgeon Norman Rosenbaum was awarded by UK PM Theresa May
for helping to buy 11 ambulances for Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom.
Norman has just fundraised his 12th ambulance for MDA who awarded him Humanitarian
of the Year.
Weizmann
Institute battles to conquer cancer. At Israel’s
Weizmann Institute there are over 60 research groups focusing on beating cancer
and over 40% of the Institute’s life sciences research is cancer-related.
Helping surgeons prepare. US-Israeli
startup Theator uses computer vision and machine learning algorithms to help
surgeons prepare for procedures by reviewing previous cases. Its Minute system edits
videos of surgical procedures to highlight the key steps and “outcome-critical”
components to reduce medical errors.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3760803,00.html
https://www.theator.io/how-it-works
How ultrasound
treats tremor. (TY Nevet) This article gives an excellent
description of the process used by Israel’s Insightec to treat the symptoms of
Parkinson’s and Essential Tremor patients. The technology is being used in over
50 medical centers around the world and has treated over 2,000 neuro-patients.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Advice to female entrepreneurs. I reported previously (16th
Feb) on the wound care system from Israel’s Nanomedic Technologies.
Nanomedic CEO and mother of three, Chen Barak, advises female entrepreneurs to
get support from their family and not to give up or compromise on their career.
Number of Israeli-Arab
hi-tech students doubles. The number of Arab
Israelis studying high-tech subjects at Israeli universities and colleges has
doubled in six years. In 2018, 3,778 Arab students (12% of Israeli students) were
studying high-tech subjects for BA degrees.
Israeli-Druze doctor honored on
Independence Day. Ziv Medical Center’s Dr. Salman
Zarka was head of “Operation Good Neighbor” in which, for six years, Israel provided
critical care to thousands of Syrian victims of its civil war. Dr. Zarka was given
the honor of lighting a torch on Israel’s Independence Day (see below).
Finland is a hi-tech partner. (TY UWI)
The Israel-Finland Pilot Program has been launched by the Israel Innovation
Authority and the Helsinki Business Hub. It will help Israeli and Helsinki-area
companies to co-develop technologies, products and services including digital
health, smart mobility and communications.
500 multinationals in the Startup
Nation. “The State of Innovation,” published by
Start-Up Nation Central (SNC) and PwC Israel, reports that over 500 multinational
corporations from some 35 countries are active in Israel. It says they seek the
ideas and the entrepreneurial culture emanating from Israel’s 6,000 plus
startups.
London Uni students see Israeli tech up
close. 52 students from 30 countries (including Saudi
Arabia and Sudan) studying at Imperial College London, had an eye-opening tour
of tech sites in Israel. These included Mobileye, IBM, Barclays Techstar, OurCrowd
and the Technion and Weizmann Institutes.
Israeli and UAE jets exercise
together. The Israel Air Force, along with pilots
from the United Arab Emirates, United States, Greece, Italy and Cyprus took part
of Iniohos 2019 - Greece’s largest military exercise.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
New record for renewable energy
production. On 23rd April, the Israeli Electric
Company broke its 13th Feb all-time-record (reported
here) for energy produced from renewable resources. The production capacity
was 1,326 megawatts, accounting for 19.3% of IEC’s total energy production. https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Electric-company-produces-record-amount-of-green-energy-587695
Israel is 2nd most scientific. (TY Nevet & WIN)
Israel is the second most scientific / innovative nation in the world, in a
report compiled by engineering firm RS Components and published in the U.K.’s Daily
Mail. Israel is ranked after the U.S. and ahead of South Korea. R&D spending
and researchers per capita were key factors.
Celebrating Israel’s hi-tech
achievements. The IVC (Israel Venture Capital) Research
Center (founded in 1997) celebrated Israel’s 71st Independence Day by summarizing
Israel’s current high-tech industry’s status and its achievements since IVC’s
foundation in 1997.
Intel’s 9th generation
processors designed in Israel. Sired from its Haifa
team, Intel has launched the 9th Gen Intel Core - its “most powerful
generation” of mobile processors for laptops. It is for powering games and
heavy workloads like video editing and will be in new Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP,
Lenovo and MSI laptops.
A “pop-up”, foldable playground. Israel’s POPIN Playgrounds has developed a foldable in-home
playground that enables large play structures to pop-up for playtime and take
up minimal space when not in use. The car, kitchen, playhouse and pirate ship
table are made of strong, eco-friendly materials and are easily transported.
Security for a connected world. Our environment is increasingly reliant on embedded devices and the
Internet of Things (IoT). These are highly vulnerable and at risk of a future massive
attack. Israel’s VDOO Connected Trust has developed security automation for embedded
devices and has just raised $32 million of funds.
Making sense of the documentation. Israel’s Amenity Analytics uses natural language processing to
rapidly process complex text documents into actionable insights. Amenity’s
technology analyzes texts ranging from regulatory filings and earnings
transcripts to social media content. Amenity has just raised $18 million of
funds.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3760475,00.html
https://www.amenityanalytics.com/
Giving self-awareness to drones. Israel’s Sightec has developed an artificial intelligence and
computer vision-based spatial navigation system for fully or partially
autonomous aerial vehicles. The system allows the vehicle to analyze its
surroundings without depending on exterior communication, including cellular
networks or GPS.
RAF deploys Israeli
emergency beacon. The Emergency Personal Locator
Beacon (EPLB) from Israel’s Elbit has begun operations for the UK’s Royal Air
Force. The EPLB is attached to the pilot’s life jacket and emits two types of
alerts if the pilot ejects or crashes. The all-weather device operates even if
the pilot is unconscious.
Cultivating the desert truffle. Scientists from Israel’s Ben Gurion University have developed a
successful method for cultivating the sought-after desert truffle (Terfezia
Leonis fungus). They discovered the symbiotic relationship between the truffle and
its host plant and are now producing up to 150kg per hectare.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy
still improving.
The Bank of Israel's Composite State of the Economy Index for March increased
by nearly 0.3 percent. Highlights were Goods exports, Goods imports and
Industrial production.
Massive
hi-tech investment. Israeli startups raised a huge total of $1.55 billion during the first
quarter of 2019. It represents a 28% increase on the first quarter of 2018. The
strongest sectors were software and life sciences.
Europe
offers favorable credit to Israeli firms. The European Investment Bank, as part of
Horizon 2020, is offering credit enhancement services and financing under
favorable terms to Israel companies. The agreement was initiated by Israel’s
Peninsula Growth Fund to assist medium-sized Israeli companies.
New
record for currency deposits. Israel’s reserves of foreign currency increased by half a billion dollars
during April to another new record of $118.7 billion. https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/7-05-19.aspx
Promoting
startups in rural Israel. The Israel Innovation Authority has allocated $50 million for setting up
innovation incubators to encourage local entrepreneurship in Israel’s rural
areas. The incubators in Israel’s periphery will provide workspace, support
from academic institutes, mentors and links to investors and clients.
Trawling
for maritime startups. I reported previously (24th
July) on Israel-based maritime startup accelerator TheDock Innovation Hub which
offers startups funds, offices, mentors and networking with partner companies.
TheDock has added Singapore-based port operator PSA International to existing
partners that include Maersk.
New
York event promotes 80 Israeli startups. 120 entrepreneurs from 80 Israeli startups attended
Calcalist’s Mind the Tech conference at the New York center of Tel Aviv-headquartered
innovation hub SOSA. They presented to industry leaders including Amazon,
American Express, Comcast, Goldman Stanley, and TechStars.
Every
company can get “the Amazon effect”. I reported previously (Jul
2017) on Israel’s Bringg when it began dispatching and tracking orders for US
caterer Panera Bread. Bringg now helps Panera process over a million orders a
month. It has just raised $25 million of funds to “level the playing field in
the age of Amazon”.
Best
Buy stocks Israeli diagnostic kits. US retail electronics chain Best Buy has
partnered with Israel’s TycoCare. US customers on-line and at stores in 4
states can purchase TycoCare’s all-in-one digital diagnostics kit consisting of
thermometer, stethoscope, otoscope, tongue depressor and remote consultation
service.
Walmart
to sell Israeli-selected products for kids. Walmart has partnered with Israeli-founded Kidbox
to sell customers $48 boxes of leading children’s fashion brands at 50%
discount to their regular retail price. The Israeli-developed software assesses
the child’s preferences and taste, the time of year, and the latest fashions.
Protecting Central
American coasts. (TY Hazel) Israel’s ELTA Systems
has won several contracts in the Caribbean (for Trinidad
& Tobago and Barbados) to upgrade national coastal surveillance systems and
provide radar systems to offshore oil rigs. ELTA also is to supply radar
systems to Mexican offshore oil rigs.
Cash
to leave your car at home. The Israeli Transportation Ministry is piloting a scheme, initially with
500 drivers, to try to reduce traffic congestion. Each driver can earn up to
NIS 2,000 if he/she doesn’t drive during the rush hour. More money can be obtained
by giving lifts to carpoolers and by using public transport.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Louvre partners Jerusalem museum. (TY Nevet) In their first
joint venture, Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum has lent four rare artifacts to
the Paris Louvre. They will be included in the Louvre’s exhibit “Forgotten
Kingdoms: From the Hittite Empire to the Arameans,” from 2nd May until 12th August.
Turning art into a moving experience. If you visit a Marriott Aloft hotel in the US, chances are that you
will be attracted to a moving visual art display in the lobby. These videocasts
have been installed by Israeli startup Niio from the curated digital art collections
of 1,500 member artists, galleries, libraries and collectors.
The best restaurant in
the US. Philadelphia eatery Zahav has won the James
Beard Foundation award for outstanding US restaurant. Co-founded by Israeli-born
chef Michael Solomonov, Zahav’s website describes it as “a modern Israeli
restaurant that brings the authentic flavors of Israel’s cultural heritage to
Philadelphia.”
When camels fly – Eurovision’s venue. The Eurovision Song Contest, watched by 200 million TV viewers,
will be held at Expo Tel Aviv. Expo’s logo is a flying camel – connecting the
east (Levant) with innovation, entrepreneurship and advancement in the west.
The symbol was designed for Tel Aviv’s 1934 Levant Fair.
An Israeli gold medal for ice-hockey. Israel’s national team won the gold medal in the International Ice
Hockey Federation World Championship Division II Group B tournament held in
Mexico City. Israel beat Mexico, New Zealand, Georgia, Iceland and North Korea
and won promotion to Division 2A next year.
THE JEWISH STATE
All stop for Yom HaShoah. Almost every Israeli citizen paused to
reflect - even all traffic on the busy Tel Aviv Ayalon (freeway) came to a halt
- at 10am on 2nd May when the two-minute siren sounded across the country. It was
to mark Yom HaShoah, when Israelis remember those that perished in the
Holocaust.
Hundreds of Haredim attend Yom HaZikaron services. Some
800 members of the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community and soldiers attended the
first-of-its-kind Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem. They included both of Jerusalem’s
chief rabbis, other rabbis, and members of the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion.
Honoring Israelis who beat the odds. Including Dr Zarka (see above) this
year’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut ceremony honored 12 Israelis who had succeeded against
all odds. These included Dr. Hodaya Oliel, who has become the first medical doctor
in Israel with cerebral palsy and Menashe Zalka, an Ethiopian Israeli soccer
player.
New postage stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli postage stamps issued on 1st May featured
the Mimouna festival, the song Hava Nagila, Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) and
endangered mammals.
Over
60 million Friends of Zion. The Christian Zionist organization “Friends of Zion” is one of the
largest pro-Israel groups in the world and has just surpassed 60 million
members on social media. Its Jerusalem museum is well worth visiting. https://www.fozmuseum.com/
Another
220 Ukrainian Olim. Ahead of Israel’s Independence Day, 220 new immigrants have just arrived
from Ukraine. They came on three separate flights organized by the International
Fellowship of Christians and Jews. 42 have chosen to live in the “Gaza envelope”
(e.g. Sderot) in full knowledge of the current situation.
American
blood brothers. The
American Friends of Magen David Adom has begun building a new National Blood
Service Center in the central Israel city of Ramle. The 5.5-acre state-of-the-art
site will make it possible for MDA to continue to serve the blood needs of the
IDF and Israel's growing civilian population.
190428
In the 28th Apr
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli
scientists have 3D-printed a heart using human tissue.
·
Program to
detect early colon cancer has saved hundreds of Israeli lives.
·
The first
Druze-Arab woman to be elected to Israel’s parliament.
·
Israeli
experts helped to extinguish forest fires in Ethiopia.
·
Israeli
technology will power the world’s first electric road - in Sweden.
·
Another
Israeli natural gas discovery.
·
Israel’s top
rhythmic gymnast has won 2 more gold medals.
·
A 2,600-year-old
egg may have solved a Talmudic mystery.
·
Click here
to see the 14th April newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel with extra features on Business
and Jewish
State (with 1,200 likes).. 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
14,000 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
The first 3D printed heart. Researchers
at Tel Aviv University have unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed heart using human
tissue that contains cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers. Although
there are still many challenges ahead, fully working 3D printed hearts will one
day be available for transplant into patients.
First bone transplant
using 3D printed implant. Surgeons at Israel’s Hillel
Yaffe Medical Center performed the first reconstruction of a bone segment with
a custom titanium implant, printed on a 3D printer. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/455124
You’re full,
so don’t binge eat. Israel’s Epitomee Medical is developing
an orally administered “shape-shifting” capsule that works on the stomach
through mechanosensory stimulation. It is intended to prolong the gastric
emptying process of prediabetics and moderately obese patients, giving them the
sensation of being full.
Why Parkinson’s
patients are unstable. Tel Aviv University researchers
have discovered why Parkinson’s patients have difficulty transitioning from walking
through turning around to sitting. It has led to new advice for patients that
when turning to sit down, they should first turn, briefly stop, and then sit
down.
A partnership
to beat cancer. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Weizmann Institute is partnering Institut Curie in Paris to advance knowledge
and discovery in life sciences, physics and chemistry, focusing on cancer
research. The new partnership also extends to cellular biology, epigenetics,
genetics, immunology, single-cell sequencing.
Blocking cancer-spreading
proteins. Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists
have designed molecules that stop cancer-promoting proteins from accelerating tumor
growth. These molecules (called oligonucleotides) bind with the proteins, preventing
them from binding with RNA molecules in cancer cells. The tumors then die.
Certification
for cancer radiation treatment. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Alpha Tau
and its Alpha DaRT radiation therapy for cancer patients. It has just obtained UK
certification following an audit by the British Standards Institution – the UK's
independent compliance body.
Early detection of colon cancer. I
reported previously (see
here) on Israel’s Medial EarlySign’s and its use of AI to search the data
of Israeli health company Maccabi to detect patients with colon cancer. In the
last 18 months, Medial’s algorithms have flagged 67 patients with colon cancer
and 250 in a pre-colon cancer state.
The best antidepressant.
(TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Taliaz is partnering with Psychiatry UK to deliver artificial intelligence-driven
genetic testing to depression sufferers. Their Predictix service aims to reduce
patient suffering by helping psychiatrists better identify the right
antidepressant medication earlier.
A factory for
gene therapies. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Stem Cell Medicine (SCM) uses gene therapy to develop new treatments for
neurological indications and rare diseases. Israel’s Ministry of the Economy is
funding SCM’s new gene therapy facility in Jerusalem. SCM’s first product is to
treat neuropathic pain.
Bacteria can “sense”
pregnancy. Scientists at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University
have proved that the bacteria Bifidobacterium in a woman’s intestine can “sense”
her pregnancy. It then grows quickly, to assist babies in breaking down the sugar
in mother's milk. The bacteria’s growth is triggered by the hormone progesterone.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Tech solutions
to overcome disabilities. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli NGO ALYN.
At Alyn hospital’s annual make-a-thon, 120 participants created prototypes of products
to help children with disabilities. They included a musical organ for a paralyzed
boy and a wheelchair controlled by a switch and a joystick.
An orthodox Jewish teacher in an Israeli-Arab
city. (TY Hazel) Ital Levy is the sole Jewish
educator in the Israeli-Arab city of Umm al-Fahm. For the last three years, she
has been teaching Hebrew at three different schools in the city. She is
determined to build bridges and has won over her students and their parents.
Interreligious dialog. Israel’s Bar-Ilan University runs a Jewish-Arab interreligious
dialogue course, bringing together 30 students of all backgrounds to learn
about each other’s religion. Well over 1,000 of Bar-Ilan’s students are Arab - mostly
undergraduates studying fields such as economics, English and accounting.
The first Druze woman
member of Knesset. Gadeer Mreeh of the Blue and
White party is the first woman of Druze ethnicity to become a Member of Israel’s
Parliament. The 34-year-old mother of two from the Israeli Druze town of
Daliyat al-Karmel was a former news anchor. Likud’s Ayoob Kara was the 3rd Druze
male MK.
Israel helped Sri Lanka prepare for mass-casualty
event. I reported previously (14th
Jan) that Israeli emergency rescue organization United Hatzalah trained Sri
Lankan first responders in mass casualty incidents and disaster management. It was just in time.
Israeli conservation of endangered species. 22nd April 2019 was Earth
Day. This video illustrates Israel’s work to increase the numbers of some of
the world’s most endangered species. They include the griffin vulture and the
Persian (Iranian) fallow deer. The deer have grown into two of the very few herds
left in the wild.
The 8th
most influential country. In its 2019 list, US News & World Report has
ranked Israel as the world’s eighth-most influential country. The report describes
Israel as “the only Jewish nation in the world... a small country on the eastern
shore of the Mediterranean Sea” that has had a large influence on global affairs.
First overseas trip is to Israel. (TY Algemeiner)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had previously promised that the first international
trip in office would be to the State of Israel. He has just announced that will
lead his first delegation to Israel in May, bringing business, academic and
political leaders to strengthen Florida-Israel bonds.
Fighting fires in
Ethiopia. (TY UWI
& Hazel) On 14th Apr, 11 Israeli experts landed in Ethiopia to assist local
firefighters fighting a complex forest fire in Simien Mountains National Park
for the past two weeks. The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to several rare
animal species. By Apr 17 the fire was under control.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
US-Israel scientific alliance. Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the American National
Academy of Sciences and Humanities have signed a cooperation agreement. It
includes provision for two annual scientific conferences one in Israel and one
in the US for eminent scientists in various fields from both countries.
Changing the future, today. 21 April 2019 was World Creativity and Innovation Day but, as this
video highlights, here in Israel that's EVERY DAY! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RtNl0NYnEg
Driverless cars can “feel” the road. Israel’s Tactile Mobility uses artificially intelligent algorithms to
analyze big data from sensors on multiple vehicles. The results are downloaded
to autonomous cars, which contain software to help them to “sense” the road
grip level. The car then can feel the road like a human driver.
Three Israeli Edison awards. The annual International Edison Awards promote technological
innovation with over 3,000 judges. This year’s Israeli winners were Foresight (see here), Temi Global (see
here) and SolarEdge (see
here). https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3760001,00.html
An app to help breed protein-rich foods. I reported previously (see
here) on Israel’s Equinom which is developing non-GMO seeds that produce high-yielding,
protein-rich crops. Equinom has just launched its new Product Profiler app to
help food companies select plant protein sources from a bank of available
traits.
https://equi-nom.com/smarter-protein/
http://equinom-equinom.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/#/about
Energy from the depths to the heights. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli-founded
geothermal company Ormat Technologies. Ormat has just won a tender to build a
geothermal plant pilot in Potosi, Bolivia. At nearly 5000 meters above sea
level, it will be the highest geothermal plant in the world.
World’s tallest solar tower is
operational. (TY Arthur and Hazel) I’ve reported
previously (see here) on the 240
meter-high Megalim solar power plant at Ashalim in Israel’s Negev Desert. The world’s tallest solar tower is now up and
running, producing up to 300MW – enough to power up to 150,000 homes.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-renewables-megalim/israels-megalim-solar-thermal-power-plant-starts-operations-idUSKCN1RM1FW
https://megalimsolar.wixsite.com/megalim-solar-power/the-technology
An Israeli electric
road in Sweden. I reported previously (19th
Jan) on the wireless vehicle road charging technology developed by Israel-based
Electreon Wireless. Sweden has just selected Electreon’s technology for the
construction of the world’s first dynamic electric road system – a 1.6km section
near Visby, Gotland.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy still
gets an A+. (TY Atid-EDI) Fitch
Ratings has affirmed Israel’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating
(IDR) at ‘A+’ with a Stable Outlook. It highlights robust macroeconomic performance,
solid institutional strength, low external debt, high financing flexibility and
low government deficit.
More natural gas discovered. Greek energy producer Energean has discovered
a new significant natural gas reserve off Israel’s coast. Preliminary estimates
of the latest discovery in the Karish North exploration field is 28 to 42
billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas.
Israeli
company part-owns US oilfield. Israeli energy company Delek Group has signed an agreement to acquire
22.45% interest in the Caesar Tonga oil field, one of the ten largest deep-water
resources in the Gulf of Mexico. It gives Delek exploration, development, and
production rights for oil and gas.
An
even taller skyscraper. I reported previously (Apr
2017) that plans had been approved for Israel’s tallest building - a
100-storey skyscraper near Tel Aviv’s central railway station. It has already been
superseded by the 120-storey (520 meter) high-rise Tower 120, just approved for
construction in Tel Aviv’s Ramat Gan suburb.
Cisco
partners Carbyne.
I reported previously (see here)
on Israel’s Carbyne and its emergency services apps. Now, Cisco Systems is partnering
with Carbyne to deliver cloud-based technology for emergency dispatch centers.
Carbyne’s technology will be offered as an integrated part of Cisco’s IoT data
platform.
An all-Israeli
IT takeover. It’s
good to see two Israeli IT companies getting together. Nasdaq and TASE-listed
cybersecurity company Safe-T is to acquire Tel Aviv-based IP proxy network
startup NetNut. The aim of the takeover is to “introduce opportunities in new
markets and industries while increasing revenue and cash flow”.
https://www.safe-t.com/news/safe-t-to-acquire-netnut-ltd-a-business-proxy-network-solution-provider/
Israeli
companies have secure IT backup. Israel’s Global Data Center has just doubled the capacity of its Herzliya
facility. It is the computer backup site for many of Israel’s top companies,
which can relocate quickly to the Herzliya data center in the (unlikely) event
of a disaster affecting their own IT systems.
https://www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3823437/global-data-center-doubles-its-capacity-with-multimillion-dollar-investment http://globaldatacenter.co.il/why-us.html
Samanage
exits for $350 million. Israeli IT cloud services and software company Samanage has been
acquired by US IT management company SolarWinds Worldwide - service providers to
more than 300,000 companies and organization. It is SolarWinds first Israeli
acquisition. Samanage’s 2,000 customers include IKEA and 3M.
Blockchain
for sports technology. I reported previously (May
2016) when Israel’s Hype Sports Foundation encouraged new apps for the 2016
Olympics. With 40,000 members, HYPE Sports Innovation is the largest, global ecosystem
in sports innovation. HYPE has just launched an accelerator for Blockchain tech
startups.
Skoda
accelerates Israeli startup relations. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported
previously (see here) on Skoda’s
love affair with Israel including (in December) that it was working with five Israeli
startups. Now Skoda’s Digilab has teamed up with 13 Israeli startups focusing on
big data, AI, cybersecurity and vehicle sensors.
Share
a Tel Aviv van ride in a Bubble. Via, in partnership with Israeli public transportation company Dan, has launched
“Bubble”, its new on-demand 10-seater shuttle van service in Tel Aviv. Passengers
order rides through a designated app that automatically devises a route to best
suit the needs of all passengers.
Nissan
Chemical partners Israeli battery startup StoreDot. I’ve reported previously (many times) on Israel’s StoreDot
which develops fast-charging batteries for phones, computers and vehicles. It
is now partnering with Japan’s Nissan Chemical Industries to improve the
technology and bring it to mass production
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Tel Aviv candy festival. Tel Aviv’s Namal (port) farmers’ market hosted the first ever Candy
Festival. The exotic delicacies comprised mostly hand-crafted treats made with
local ingredients.
Talented
Israeli hands it to them. When an Israeli appeared on Britain’s got talent, his unique musical performance
impressed all four judges and got a big hand (or two) from the delighted audience.
J.Lo
to perform in Israel. There have been many rumors in the past, but it is now quite likely that
pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez will make her Israeli debut at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon
Park on August 1. J.Lo’s show is part of her “It’s My Party” world tour, a
25-show engagement beginning on June 7.
Celebrating
50 years after Woodstock. Israel’s annual “Almost Cut My Hair” festival commemorates the Woodstock
festival at Bethel New York in 1969, known as the greatest musical event
ever. Hundreds of Israelis pitched tents
in the Arava desert to hear original Woodstock tributes plus new Israeli talented
artists.
Israeli
star helps win vital soccer game. Israeli striker Tomer Hemed as he
scored twice to help his UK soccer team QPR thrash rivals Swansea City 4-0 and
move them up the Championship league table.
Linoy Ashram wins 2 gold and 2 bronze. (TY Hazel) At this year’s second Rhythmic
Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia, Israel’s Linoy Ashram won gold medals with the hoops
and the clubs. She also won bronze medals in the ball and the ribbon events. http://www.ueg.org/news/ashram-and-soldatova-shine-sofia
THE JEWISH STATE
Senior
UK Muslim leaders visit Israel. Seven senior British Muslim scholars have just visited Israel. They laid
wreaths at Yad Vashem, visited the Kotel, Al-Aqsa and villages on the Gaza
border. The clergymen met senior Jewish
and Christian religious leaders, as well as imams whose salaries are paid by
the Jewish State.
Australia
opens trade office in Jerusalem. Following Australia’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,
Australia has opened a Trade and Defense office in downtown Jerusalem. It will strengthen
Australia's business ties with Israel in defense, education, high-tech and
other areas.
Two
tons of matzah from Jerusalem to Poland. Israeli charity Shavei Israel has sponsored
the purchase and shipment of nearly 2,000 boxes of matzah for the 4,000 Jews living
openly in Poland. The matzah was used at communal Passover sederim across
Poland and given out for free to needy, elderly and home-bound Jews.
The answer to the big chicken-egg
question. Bar-Ilan University researchers have used
3D virtual modelling to piece back together the broken shell of an egg laid
2,600 years ago. It has resolved a Rabbinic dispute over the size of Temple-era
eggs, providing evidence that they were similar in size to those laid by hens today.
190414
·
Surgeons performed
the first operation using Israeli 3D holographic imaging.
·
An Israeli
test can find the right antibiotic in 4 hours.
·
Even the
partially-sighted participated fully in another Israeli democratic election.
·
Israel’s Moon
mission will continue – Beresheet 2 has just been announced.
·
Beijing
airport will use an Israeli system to keep runways clear of debris.
·
New air services
boost Israel’s record-number of tourists.
·
Madonna is
to perform (twice) at Eurovision in Tel Aviv.
·
Click here
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ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
First live op using holographic imaging. Surgeons at Toronto General Hospital performed the first live medical
procedure using real-time holographic imaging developed by Israel’s RealView
Imaging (see here). The 3D images allowed the surgeons to see inside the heart prior
to a mitral valve replacement procedure.
First ever vein transplant from living donor. Avi Yavetz from Modi’in
suffers from peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and a leg amputation was imminent.
However, his son, 27-year-old Snir donated a long vein, which was implanted into
his father in a first of its kind operation. Two weeks later and both are doing
fine.
http://hadassahinternational.org/first-ever-vein-transplant-from-living-donor-son-saves-fathers-leg/
Brain monitoring in real time. I
reported previously (Mar 2015) on the computer interface device from Israel’s Neurosteer used to monitor
brain activity. The three-strip wearable device is now in clinical trials in
Israel, Europe and the United States and proving far simpler and more useful
than EEG and fMRI alternatives.
US approval for surgical mesh. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Apr 2017) on the innovative FasTouch fixation system from Israel’s Via Surgical
for hernia repairs. The company has just announced that it has received US FDA
approval for the system. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/via-surgical-receives-fda-clearance-for-its-fastouch-absorbable-fixation-system-300813799.html http://viasurgical.com/science/
European approval for aortic arch repair system. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Apr 2018) when Israel’s Endospan received the CE mark for its Horizon stent graft
system to treat Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. It now also has received the CE mark
for its Nexus Stent Graft System to treat Aortic Arch Disease.
Fast test to identify the right antibiotic. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the many Israeli
innovations that are trying to prevent antibiotics from becoming ineffective.
Now Israeli startup Nanosynex offers a 4-hour test to determine which antibiotic
will be effective and what dose to use to prevent it developing resistance.
Smart migraine patches heading for US. (TY
Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Oct 2016) on the Nerivio Migra smart patch from Israel’s Theranica to provide
migraine relief. Since then, Theranica has successfully completed a 12-center pivotal
study of the patch and has raised $35 million for US FDA approval and beyond.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/theranica-announces-results-from-pivotal-study-of-device-for-treating-acute-migraine-832012898.html https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/theranica-raises-35m-to-bring-innovative-migraine-device-to-the-usa-300813846.html
Successful trials of pregnancy monitor.
(TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Jun 2015) on the PregSense wearable fetal monitor from Israel’s Nuvo. Renamed
Invu,,multi-center trials produced fetal and maternal heart rates comparable to
existing standalone cardiotocographs (CTGs). US FDA review is in progress.
Good trial results for NASH treatment. (TY
Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Oct 2014) that the Aramchol treatment from Israel’s Galmed for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
(NASH) had been fast-tracked by the US FDA. Latest trials show that twice-daily
dosages of Aramchol significantly increased blood plasma levels.
Hope for flu sufferers. The 3rd episode
of Israel’s Weizmann in Focus, highlights that, since October, 7.3 million
Americans have been sick with the flu virus with over 80,000 hospitalized. Weizmann
Professor Ruth Arnon’s work has led to the development of the Universal Flu Virus,
being trialed by Israel’s BiondVax.
Israelis have lowest diet-related deaths. An analysis of dietary data has shown that Israel has the lowest
rate of diet-related deaths in the world. The Global Burden of Disease study, published
in UK’s The Lancet, reported that in Israel, just 89 people out of every
100,000 die each year in deaths related to poor-quality diet.
Probiotic chew for women. Israel’s Anlit
has launched a probiotics chew targeting women's health. Feminine Probiotics
contains a blend of six different strains of live probiotic bacteria plus
cranberry extract to support genitourinary tract health. It comes as a vanilla-cranberry
flavored chew that melts in the mouth.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/feminine-probiotics-in-a-delicious-format-300823754.html
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Democratic and visionary. (TY WIN) Israel’s OrCam provided its MyEye2 device to enable many visually
impaired to vote in Israel’s general election. Escorts helped others to vote. 22,000
of Israel’s 6.3 million voters are legally blind plus another 100,000 have
visual impairments.
Hi-tech professionals give back to society. At the NGO Israel’s Society Labs, high-tech professionals volunteer
their knowledge and technology to support social change.
Global women entrepreneurs come to Tel Aviv. I reported last week on the inaugural Forbes 2019 Under 30 Global Women’s
Summit that took place in Tel Aviv. Here
is a video by ILTV of the event.
From Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Sigal
Kanotopsky, head of the charity Olim Beyahad, recalls her family’s extraordinary
exodus from Ethiopia to Israel in a secret operation called Shiur Moledet. Olim
Beyahad has integrated about 900 Ethiopian Israeli university graduates into
suitable jobs through its programs.
Israeli president’s military secretary is Druze. The IDF has promoted Colonel Ala Abu Rukan to Brigadier General. The
Druze officer will be the new Military Secretary to the Israeli President Reuben
Rivlin and take responsibility for liaison between the President and the IDF,
intelligence services, police and prison services.
World Health Day. On 7th April, Israel joined the world in
marking World Health Day. Israeli is
working to provide better universal health around the world by helping developing
countries, technologies (e.g. water), field hospitals after natural disasters, battling
epidemics and training health professionals.
International Sports and Peace Day. Israel
marked International Sports and Peace Day on 7th April. Hundreds of children
from all across Israeli society participated in a special event in the city of
Ramla. They took part in the martial arts karate, taekwondo and capoeira. They
also played soccer, table tennis and tennis.
US resolution lauds Israeli-Americans. A
resolution introduced by three Republican senators states that “the Israeli-American
community has contributed immensely to the society and culture of the United
States; and condemns all forms of discrimination that aim to marginalize or
disenfranchise members …..”.
More University courses for English speakers. (TY Jacques) The Israeli Council for Higher Education has approved
7 undergraduate courses and 19 master’s degrees in the English language. They aim
to double, by 2022, the current 12,000 international students studying in
English at Israeli Universities and Colleges.
How IsraAID helped children in Paradise.
This video highlights the work of the IsraAID NGO following the fires that
destroyed the California town of Paradise. The Israelis helped many of the
children of the community recover from the trauma of that tragic event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOCGSSNawfk
Kurdish delegation visits Israel. (TY Hazel)
A Kurdish delegation from Iraq and Syria visited Israel as guests of the Safadi
Center and the Kurdistan-Israel Friendship Association. They visited Jerusalem,
the Golan, Judea and Samaria and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, which is
treating over 15 children from Kurdistan.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
So close. SpaceIL’s spacecraft was just a few kilometers
from the Moon when engine failure caused Beresheet to crash land. However, Israel
is one of only 7 countries to put a spacecraft into Moon orbit - and the
Israeli flag is on the Moon! SpaceIL subsequently won a $1 million Google Lunar
XPRIZE in recognition of "a new era in space exploration." Finally, breaking
news - primary sponsor Morris Kahn has just announced Beresheet 2.
Moovit to the voting station. Israel public
transportation app Moovit operated a special service to encourage voting in
Tuesday’s National Election. It helped users navigate their way to their
polling station and reminded them to go out and vote. All interurban public transportation
was free from 8pm Monday until end Tuesday.
Smart transportation research center. Israel’s
Technion Institute and Bar-Ilan University have won the Israeli government’s
tender to jointly build a new National Center for the Promotion of Smart
Transportation Research. It will bring Israeli and overseas researchers together
to work on smart transportation ventures.
Super intelligent with less power. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Brodmann17 has developed technology that can process
artificial intelligent (AI) algorithms on low powered computer chips. Meanwhile
Israel’s Run:AI has also developed software that automatically optimizes computer
resources for deep learning processes.
The HR platform of the future workplace.
(TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Mar 2017) on Israel’s Hibob when it was developing a computer system for UK
insurance giant Aviva. Now it is focused on building the first HR platform for
the workplace of the future and has raised $20 million in funding. https://www.hibob.com/
Security for gas pipelines. (TY Atid-EDI) I briefly mentioned previously (2nd Mar) Israel’s Prisma Photonics and its fiber sensing system. Prisma has
just won the Israeli Government (GCA) Challenge for detecting unauthorized activities
along the 700 km of pipelines of the Israeli Natural Gas Lines.
Israeli radar system to protect Beijing airport. (TY Nevet) Beijing Capital International Airport has selected foreign object
detection (FOD) technology from Israel’s Xsight Systems (see here). The system will be installed
on the airport’s east runway, protecting take-offs and landings from debris,
birds, and other hazardous objects.
https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-Tech/Business-and-Innovation/Beijing-airport-selects-Israeli-radar-technology-to-protect-runway-585765 https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3759705,00.html
Predicting failures in electronic systems. Three co-founders of Israel’s Mellanox have founded ProteanTecs.
The new company develops technology that will allow devices to report their health
and warn of failures. Its markets include enterprise IT and autonomous
vehicles. (See also EcoPlant, Augury, 3DSignals and Opgal)
Robotraffic competition attracts 1,000 students. Many of the participants in the Nadav Shoham Robotraffic
Competition at Israel’s Technion Institute were too young to drive. Yet they were building autonomous cars. The 1,000
students came from Israel (Jews & Arabs), the US, Argentina, Russia,
Mexico, and Ukraine.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
New record
for currency reserves. Israel’s reserves of foreign
exchange at the end of March stood at a new all-time-record of just over $118 billion.
Indian
accelerator to invest in Israeli startups. India’s Anthill Ventures is to open a startup
accelerator in Tel Aviv. Anthill has recently raised $10 million to fund the accelerator
and is looking to invest up to $1 million per company in Israeli startups with
the potential of successfully entering Asian markets.
Japan
invests in Israel.
Involvement by Japanese companies in Israel have surged recently. In 2018 Japanese
firms’ investments and acquisitions relating to Israeli startups and tech firms
totaled some $791 million in 28 deals. https://www.timesofisrael.com/japanese-investment-in-israel-blossoms-as-firms-scout-for-tech/
Everyone
wants Israeli companies. (TY OurCrowd) Nvidia’a CEO Jensen Huang
celebrated his company’s takeover of Israel’s Mellanox with an event at Tel
Aviv port. He declared, "One of the things I've learned about Israeli
companies is that everyone wants them.”
Israel’s air tourists. This
article highlights the surge in visitors to Israel, from 2.9 million in 2016 to
4.1 million last year. New airline services are announced almost weekly. E.g. El
Al will soon add Las Vegas, San Francisco and Chicago to its direct routes from
New York, Miami, Boston, Los Angeles and Toronto.
TAP Portugal flies daily from Tel Aviv to Lisbon. TAP (Transportes Aéreos
Portugueses) Air Portugal has launched a direct daily flight service from Tel Aviv
to Lisbon.
Discounted
shopping at Dead Sea mall. A new mall at the Dead Sea offers both Israelis and tourists products at
prices less the Value Added Tax amount. The cost of the rebate will be footed
by the developer of the mall. Overseas tourists
will be able to claim a double discount as they can still get a VAT rebate on
many items.
OurCrowd
fund for medical innovation. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel’s OurCrowd has launched the OurCrowd Medtech Fund. The $50m fund will
focus exclusively on investing in disruptive medical technologies and therapeutics
with the potential to transform global healthcare delivery and patient
outcomes.
Elbit
has vision. Elbit,
one of Israel’s largest companies, is acquiring the night vision business of
American technology company Harris Corporation for $350 million. The night
vision unit generates annual sales of $150 million to $160 million. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3759889,00.html
Silicon
Shtetl. Seven
Haredi startups (Camdoc, YieldsApp, Ideeza, Emerj, Menivim, TakeOver and LiST).will
take part in Calcalist’s New York conference on April 10-12. They are all members
of an accelerator program run by non-profit KamaTech, working to integrate
Israel's ultra-Orthodox population into its tech industry.
Share
a ride to the airport. El Al has launched Taxipool - a free smartphone service that allows
passengers of any airline to share taxis when they reach their destination,
including in Israel. Passengers register and are matched with others on the
same flight and then directed by text or email to a secure anonymous chatroom.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Exhibit
to honor IDF reservists. Artist and sculptor Chen Winkler served for 30 years as a major-general
in the IDF reserves. He has prepared an exhibit in appreciation for the
exceptional service of all IDF reservists. It can be seen until 28th April at
the Amiad Gallery in the Jaffa Marketplace - free of charge.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/appreciating-israels-reservists-idf-and-art-meet-in-remarkable-exhibit/
Madonna to star at Eurovision. Madonna will perform live at the Eurovision
grand finale in Tel Aviv on May 18. She will arrive with a 65-person staff, including
dozens of backup dancers. The cost of bringing the international superstar to
Israel will be covered by Israeli-Canadian billionaire philanthropist Sylvan
Adams.
New
baby rhino. I reported previously (Feb
2017) when Rihanna the rhino had her first calf at Ramat Gan safari. Her second has just been born and has been named
Rainy-Rafiki. Rafiki means “friend” in Swahili. “Rainy”, because of Israel’s
good rains. She is the 32nd rhino to be born at Ramat Gan – a European record.
The
world’s oldest pro-soccer player. 73-year-old Israeli Isaak Hayik has just set a new world record as the
oldest person to play in a professional soccer match. Hayik was goalkeeper for Ironi
Or Yehuda and made some good saves despite his team’s 5-1 defeat to Maccabi
Ramat Gan. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-soccer-star-becomes-worlds-oldest-player-breaks-Guinness-record-585886
THE JEWISH STATE
Growing
avocado trees on the Gaza border. Now that the winter rains have subsided, Israeli farmers on the Gaza
border are starting their Spring Planting. Many are making the desert grow and
thrive by planting new avocado trees. Despite the missiles from Gaza recently,
they continue to develop the Negev.
Israeli
farm of blessings.
In Israel’s Gush Etzion region, Beit Bracha Mitzvot Farm offers Jews visiting
Israel the opportunity to fulfill Biblical commandments than can only be performed
within the boundaries of the Land of Israel. They include planting wheat and olive
trees, tending to vineyards, and taking the proper tithes.
A
model seder for foreign diplomats. The Israel branch of the World Jewish Congress held a model Passover
seder at the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv in honor of 30 foreign ambassadors and
journalists stationed in Israel. The Ambassador of Honduras found the afikoman and
was given a souvenir depicting Jerusalem as his prize.
Passover
in Israel. During
the Jewish festival of Passover, many museums and events will be free of
charge. Try Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley
Park or Botanical gardens or Pharaoh Mania at the Bible Lands Museum. 40 Israeli
museums have free entrance thanks to sponsorship from Bank Hapoalim.
Israeli democracy is the winner. Israeli
citizens went to the polls to vote for their 21st Knesset in the 71-year history
of the Modern State of Israel. It was an
exciting event without any hint of violence despite the closeness of the result.
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-netanyahu-celebrates-as-israel-hands-him-a-fifth-term/
190407
In the 7th Apr
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli
surgeons used all their transplanting skills to save a 13-year-old child.
·
An Israeli
college provides career training to religious Druze women.
·
Israel’s Beresheet
spaceship is now orbiting the Moon.
·
An Israeli
chemist has invented a bio-friendly alternative to plastic.
·
Israel has
given million-shekel grants to 9 projects with social benefits.
·
Qatar played
Israeli national anthem for Israeli gold medalist gymnast.
·
Groundbreaking
visit to Israel by the President of Brazil.
·
Archaeologists
discover remains in Judea from 1st and 2nd Temple periods.
·
Click here
to see the 31st March newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German
and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Also (TY Marlene) Hebrew
translation of articles from 31st March newsletter by Middle school students
at the Reali School in Haifa. 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
14,000 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 strokes without excessive
bleeding. Biotech eXithera is a portfolio company
of Israel’s Clal Biotechnology. It has developed an anti-coagulant which has
successfully completed Phase 1 trials. The treatment delays coagulation rather
than prevents it and its effects cease quickly when the treatment stops.
European funds for depression therapy. (TY Atid-EDI)
I reported previously (see here)
on the brain analysis system developed by Israel’s elminda. The EU has just
awarded elminda a 2-year grant through its Horizon 2020’s phase 2 program. It
will help elminda develop and trial its BNA-PREDICT product for depression.
Same microbe different effect. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed algorithms
that can identify structural variants in the genomes of human gut microbiomes.
People with a certain variant were much thinner than those who had the same
microbe but not the variant. The variants can also pinpoint disease factors.
Technion printer for human tissues. (TY Nevet) Israel’s
Technion Institute has set up a 3D center for the printing of cells, tissues
and organs. Its purpose is to enable Technion researchers to develop tissues
containing blood vessels or 3D scaffolds that quickly connect to the patient’s
own blood vessels.
Bio-inspired robots. (TY WIN
& i24 News) Researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University have created tiny
robots that could soon become part of medical procedures. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwNHSh_fo0o
Rare pediatric double organ transplant. 13-year-old Hila Amram received a new liver and pancreas at Petah
Tikva’s Schneider Children's Medical Center. The double transplant saved her
life and freed her from insulin dependence. The op was even more complex due to
the donor’s internal organs being reversed - a rare anomaly.
Israeli bio-techs
merge. I reported previously (see here) on Jerusalem-based
immunotherapy company Enlivex Therapeutics. Enlivex has merged with Tel
Aviv-headquartered Bioblast (see
here), which is developing treatments for rare genetic diseases.
Snow on Mt Hermon
– good news for cancer patients. During the winter,
Israeli charity Ezer Mizion often takes oncology clinic kids on a trip to Mt.
Hermon. And if their blood count results are anything to go by, the benefits to
the children last long after they return from the “sledging, tobogganing and
fun, fun, fun!”
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Free transportation so everyone can vote. (TY Janglo)
All buses and trains between Israeli cities will be free of charge on Election
Day (April 9th). The aim is to give everyone the opportunity to vote, even
those far away from their designated voting station. The cost for this gesture is NIS 3 million.
The world’s largest accessible
historical site. I reported previously (10th
Mar) that Jerusalem had spent millions of shekels on improving the Old
City, including access to the sites. The
work has paid off, making Jerusalem the largest accessible historical site in
the world. There is even a mobility app
in eight languages.
Empowering Druze women. The Beyahad (“together”) program at Ono Academic College provides
aspiring Druze women with the opportunity to advance their professional careers
while maintaining their traditional lifestyle. Israel has female Druze researchers,
engineers and doctors and the program aims to encourage more.
Flying high.
Representatives of the three main Abrahamic
faiths joined together for the Spring Migration Birding festival, the
Flight2hope flyover to welcome the swifts and the 3rd International Bird
Observatory Conference. Special guests included astronaut Ricky Arnold and
environmentalist Yossi Leshem (see
here).
What goes around, comes around. Four years ago, Palestinian Arabs Imad and Ayoub rescued Dr. Eitan and
his son when they accidentally drove into a PA village and were attacked by a
mob. Recently, Imad’s sister-in-law was severely injured in a vehicle accident.
Dr Eitan transferred her to Israel’s Sheba hospital for treatment.
Breath of life in Nepal. Israeli Bedouin Ishmael Khaldi is Israel’s Ambassador to Nepal. He has
teamed up with local Chabad Rabbi Hezkl Lifshitz, to provide trekkers with mini
oxygen tanks to rent, for protection against altitude sickness. Khalidi said
the project was “where Bedouin and Jewish values meet”.
Joint Israeli, Palestinian Arab
firefighting exercise. (TY Hazel) Israeli and
Palestinian Arab firefighters participated in a joint firefighting and rescue
exercise in Samaria. The firefighters extinguished simulated fires in four locations,
using six Israeli firefighting airplanes, six Israeli firetrucks and two
Palestinian firetrucks.
Israel opens embassy in Rwanda. (TY WIN)
After years of diplomatic ties, Israel has opened its first embassy in Rwanda. Israeli
Ambassador to Rwanda Ron Adam presented his credentials to Rwandan President
Paul Kagame in February. Rwanda’s national airline, RwandAir, is expected to start
direct flights to Israel soon.
Clean drinking water for Sierra Leone
children. Israel;s Watergen has supplied one of its
GEN-350 “water from the air” generators to the St. Joseph’s girls’ school in
Sierra Leone’s capital of Freetown. Its 900 liters per day of fresh drinking
water is saving the schoolchildren from the many endemic diseases in the country.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-technology-helps-sierra-leone-schoolchildren-drink-clean-water-from-air/
Wheelchairs for Montenegro children. (TY UWI)
I reported several times (see here) on Israel’s
lightweight Wheelchairs of Hope for disabled children. Montenegro President
Milo Đukanović has been in Israel meeting with the country’s leadership. His “going
home” present was a gift of dozens of the wheelchairs for his country.
https://www.jns.org/montenegro-president-visits-israel-returns-home-with-gift-for-disabled-children/
Rebranding Israel to the world. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Vibe Israel and
here on its former name Kinetis. Its mission is to re-brand Israel to
accentuate the positive. Joanna Landau, Vibe Israel’s founder and CEO, was
featured in the UK Jewish News, She has organized some 40 tours for people from
30 countries.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Beresheet achieves Lunar
Capture. Amazing scenes as SpaceIL broadcast live
the crucial maneuver that successfully placed Israel’s Beresheet spaceship into
Lunar orbit at around 17:25 Israel time on 4th April. At its closest, Beresheet
is just 460km (about the length of Israel) from the Moon, preparing to land on
11th April.
Upgrading calls to emergency services. (TY TIP)
I reported previously (18th
Nov) on Israel’s Carbyne and its C-Now app for contacting emergency
services. Carbyne is now partnering with one of its competitors, RapidOS, to
integrate its location tracking technology and other data with the Israeli
company’s platform.
Breathe in before answering. Weizmann scientists have discovered that people who inhaled when
presented with a visuospatial task were better at completing it than those who
exhaled in the same situation. They conducted tests based upon the hypothesis
that the brain prepares to process new information upon inhalation.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/breathe-answering-cognitive-function-tied-inhalation
Augmented Reality in the classroom. Researchers at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have developed a
prototype to bring augmented reality (AR) into mathematics and science
instruction. Students wearing special glasses can view objects overlaid with graphs,
symbols and tables describing their movement in real time.
Test site for future city tech. Tel Aviv’s CityZone project is
a mini-city-within-the-city at the 20-acre Atidim High-Tech Park. It is where advanced
technological solutions for smart city ventures are vetted and tested. The
project is run in partnership between Atidim, the Tel Aviv Municipality, and Tel
Aviv University.
http://nocamels.com/2019/03/cityzone-tel-aviv-advanced-tech-cities-future/
https://www.city-zone.co/
Environmentally friendly
plastic. Israeli chemical engineer Sharon Barak has
produced a product that looks and feels like plastic but dissolves in water
within minutes, and the water is drinkable. See Nas Daily’s video.
Supermarket scanning without mistakes or
theft. I reported previously (Aug
2016) on the supermarket shopping scanning system from Israel’s SuperSmart.
The system uses cameras, sensors and AI algorithms and is installed at Israeli
chain Osher Ad. Walmart abandoned its own system and is now looking at SuperSmart.
Post-workout vegan hot protein shake. Israel’s Matok V’Kal has launched Fit4style Protein Cup - a hot protein
beverage to enjoy after exercising in cold weather. The lactose-free, soy-free vegan
protein shake’s formulation prevents coagulation when heated - a problem with other
protein drinks currently on the market.
Zeroing in on refined sugar. Israel’s Gat foods has launched Fruitlift, a real-fruit-based
ingredient that can replace refined sugars in RTE (Ready to Eat) breakfast cereals.
Fruitlift offers a wide range of fruits and can either give a fruity flavor or
can be blended into a cereal brand’s signature flavor.
A better-connected tomorrow. I reported previously (see here) on the Artificially
Intelligent smartphone service called “Eve” from Israel’s TechSee that resolves
technical problems from a distance. Here
are two new entertaining videos from TechSee that demonstrate this exciting innovative
technology.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
18 of Europe’s
100 most promising startups are Israeli. Every year, the editorial team of Red Herring
magazine / news service selects the 100 most promising tech and life-sciences
companies for the United States, Europe and Asia. 18 Israeli companies made the Top 100 Europe
list for 2019.
China is Israel’s
second biggest export market. China has now bypassed the U.K. as Israel's second largest export market. $2.6
billion worth of electronic components were shipped from Israel to China over the
past year – 80% more than in 2017. Intel exports most of its Israel-manufactured
components to China.
Investing
in social innovation. Israel’s
Innovation Authority (IIA) has issued grants of up to NIS 1 million to the winners
of its “Grand Challenges Israel” program. Hargol, Senecio, OKO, Soapy Care, Jacob’s Well,
Amaizz, Farmster, ZZappMalaria and Sharp Mentoring have all taken on humanitarian
and health challenges.
Tech growth from South to North. (TY Sharon) Jerusalem’s Biohouse
hosted a delegation of business leaders from Global New York, visiting Israeli
technology advances in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheva. Meanwhile, JVP hosted
the Forbes Under 30 Global Women's Summit, highlighting technological growth in
Israel’s North.
Seen the launch, now buy the T-shirt. To commemorate the Moon mission of SpaceIL’s Beresheet spaceship,
you can now buy SpaceIL merchandise. T-shirts, baseball caps, and a baby
overall that says, “I love you to the Moon and back”. Meanwhile Beresheet has just
photographed the far side of the Moon, not visible from Earth.
An Israeli
MS competitor to Teva. I reported previously (22nd
Apr) on Israel’s Mapi and its long-lasting Glatiramer Acetate treatment for
Multiple Sclerosis patients. Mapi is now building a production plant in Jerusalem
for the product, called GA-Depot, which will compete with Copaxone from Israel’s
Teva.
Israeli
IT company acquires Belgium IT company. Israel’s Priority Software has acquired
Belgium-based Optimize Group as part of its European expansion. Priority develops
enterprise resource planning software for 75,000 companies in 40 countries. Optimize
provides IT services for the steel and beverage industries.
Tel
Aviv to Budapest and Nuremberg. Ryanair will launch a 4-flights per week service from Tel Aviv to Budapest
and 2-flights per week to Nuremberg – both starting in late October. Ryanair already
operates 17 routes between Tel Aviv and Europe plus 15 routes from Eilat to European
destinations including to Budapest.
Isrotel
is building 5 new hotels in Tel Aviv. Isrotel has announced that it will increase
the number of hotels it operates in Israel from 19 to 30 by 2025. Isrotel is
currently building 5 hotels in Tel Aviv – a city that it says “combines
business and tourism and is becoming a strong international brand.”
Alibaba
buys second Israeli startup. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s
Infinity Augmented Reality and that Internet giant Alibaba had invested in the startup. Alibaba has now gone further, acquiring InfinityAR
and merging it into its Israeli machine vision laboratory. Alibaba bought
Israel’s Visualead in November.
Smart
sensors for Deloitte. I reported previously (see
here) on the sensor technology of Israel’s PointGrab. Now, accounting giant
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu has selected Israel’s PointGrab.to install its smart sensor
systems to monitor activity at its U.K. and northwest Europe headquarters in London.
Helping
to sell more. Israeli-founded
retail analytics company CB4 uses pre-existing point of sale data to identify
demand for specific products in brick and mortar stores. When a product fails
to sell to predicted demand levels, CB4 sends an alert to the store manager,
highlighting the issue and suggesting ways to fix it.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The Mount. An
exhibit entitled “The Mount: A Photographic Journey to Temple Mount,” has opened
at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem. It incorporates images from the
beginning of photography in 1836 all the way through to the virtual reality (VR)
of today.
Watch skies and roads for the birds. There are huge numbers of pelicans migrating through Israel on the
way to their nesting grounds in Romania.
Meanwhile (TY Anne), strong winds blew Shulman the flamingo out of Ramat
Gan safari. He then ran along Israel’s busy
Route 4 before being rescued and returned to his enclosure.
Old Kibbutz Gesher. This video by Chana and Shmuel Veffer shows one of the many sites
to visit, when staying at Villa Romana zimmers in Yavne’el. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl5UmlLcR04
No crying as Tears for Fears returns. English pop band Tears for Fears
will return to Israel on 23rd July as part of their “Rule the World Tour,”
playing Tel Aviv’s Menorah Mivtachim Arena.
The band’s founding members, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, were last
here in 2017 (see video), when their show was a sell-out.
Hatikvah in Qatar. (TY Hazel) Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, was played in
Doha, Qatar after Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov won the gold medal for the
floor exercise during the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series. The Arab nation
has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Hapoel
Jerusalem reaches Euro hoops finals. Israel’s basketball champions Hapoel Jerusalem
beat Spain’s CEZ Nymburk 75-73 to finish second in their Euro Basketball Champions
League qualifying table. Their 12 wins are joint-best for BCL newcomers. They play
2017 champions Iberostar Tenerife in the quarter-finals.
THE JEWISH STATE
Historic visit by Brazilian President. Almost the first words that President
Jair Bolsonaro spoke on arriving in the Jewish State were “I love Israel” (in
Portuguese). He also made the first visit by a foreign leader to the Kotel
(Western Wall) accompanied by an Israeli PM. He then opened a new Brazil-Israel
trade mission in Jerusalem.
A New Zealand MP is a Zionist. (TY B.I.G.)
New Zealand MP, the Honorable Alfred Ngaro, is a Christian, descended from Polynesian,
Cook Islanders and a Jewish grandmother. He proclaims the right of Jews to
their ancestral homeland and has reestablished the NZ Israel Parliamentary
Friendship Group.
A
sanctuary for disabled animals. (TY Hazel) Israel’s animal rescue and educational sanctuary at Moshav
Olesh serves as a refuge for mostly disabled animals. It is popular with visitors,
especially children with special needs. Its residents include a three-legged donkey, a sheep with leg braces, and a blind goat.
First Temple seal discovered in Jerusalem. A bulla (seal impression) and a
2,600-year-old stamp dating back to the First Temple have been found during
archaeological excavations in the City of David. The bulla has the words “Nathan-Melech,
Servant of the King” - the name of an official of Judean King Josiah (Kings II 23:11)
2000-year-old Jewish settlement in Beer Sheva. Archaeologists have unearthed the
remains of a Jewish settlement from the Second Temple period at the north entrance
to Beer Sheva. They found part of an oil lamp decorated with a nine-branch
menorah, vessels used by Jews for ritual purity and tunnels to evade the Romans.
Israeli
space mission may have had help from above. Watch from 1hr 5 mins as the SpaceIL team
celebrates Lunar Capture. Then keep watching as Morris Kahn and the Arutz 7 article
below suggest some extra-terrestrial reasons for the good progress of the
mission. https://youtu.be/T-ullrNON-g?t=3907
