In the 29th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
US approval has just been given to seven
Israeli medical devices and treatments.
·
The first Israeli
woman to command an IAF squadron.
·
Another 8
Rwandan children are flown to Israel for free heart surgery.
·
An Israeli
startup is now splitting water to produce hydrogen.
·
Amazon now
offers local delivery to Israel.
·
Israel won
the baseball playoffs to compete in the Olympics.
·
Happy New
Year from the Jewish State.
·
Click here
to see the 22nd September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
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here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Heart implant is a breakthrough (twice). (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the interatrial shunt developed by Israel’s V-Wave. The US FDA has
just granted two Breakthrough Device Designations to the device - the first is for
Heart Failure (HF), and the second, for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).
Spine device gets humanitarian status.
(Ty Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the twisted spine
treatment from Israel’s Apifix. The U.S. FDA has given Humanitarian Device
Exemption (HDE) to Apifix to market its MID-C system. Apifix addresses the
unmet clinical need for an alternative to spinal fusion.
US approval for upright wheelchair. I’ve reported previously (see here) about Israel’s UPnRIDE robotic
standing wheelchair that allows wheelchair users to travel upright. The US FDA
has just cleared the UPnRIDE for marketing and use in the US. Cofounder Dr Amit
Goffer is a quadriplegic who uses the UPnRIDE himself.
FDA approves diabetes management system.
I’ve reported previously (see here) on the diabetes monitors from Israel’s DreaMed. The US FDA has just
given approval to DreaMed’s Advisor Pro, to add to its EU approval. The software
tells Type 1 diabetics how much insulin to use, without having to contact a
physician.
Smartphone CKD diagnosis approved. (TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Healthy.io and its smartphone-based urinalysis for Chronic
Kidney Disease. It is now US and EU approved and some 100,000 kits have been
sold. Healthy.io has just raised $60 million of funds. https://healthy.io/about-us/
US approval for ultrasound skin tightening. (TY Atid-EDI) I recently reported (20th Aug) that Israel’s SofWave had received CE certification for its non-invasive
ultrasound technology for skin tightening. It has now also received FDA
approval. 86% of a recent trial demonstrated improvement in wrinkle appearance.
US approval for lung diagnosis catheter.
I reported previously (May 2017) on Israel’s Body Vision Medical when it was producing hi-res maps
of the lungs to aid tumor removal. Since then it has developed a disposable
lung navigation catheter which recently received US FDA approval. The company
has also raised $20 million.
EU funds heart protection device. Israeli
startup Filterlex Medical has received 2.1 million euros from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Filterlex develops an
embolic protection device to reduce the risk of stroke and other complications
during catheter-based heart procedures.
Treatments for eye diseases. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli biotech Wize Pharma markets Israeli-developed LO2A eye
drops for the treatment of ophthalmic disorders, including Dry Eye Syndrome. Wize
is now to develop and trial the WP-REP1 gene therapy from Cleveland’s Copernicus
for treating the rare eye disease Choroideremia.
http://wizepharma.investorroom.com/2019-09-09-Wize-Pharma-Enters-Exclusive-License-Agreement-for-Ophthalmic-Non-viral-Gene-Therapy-Technology https://www.wizepharma.com/lo2a-eye-drops
Innovative infusion systems. (TY Atid-EDI) The infusion systems of Israel’s Eitan Group (Q-core, Sorrel and Avoset), are installed worldwide.
E.g. there are 100,000 of Q-cores Sapphire devices in the market. Eitan has now
agreed that Canadian Hospital Specialties will supply and support Sapphire
across Canada.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israel’s
first female flight squadron commander. (TY WIN) I reported previously (see here) on the appointment of female deputy squadron commanders in the Israeli
Air Force. Now for the first time one
has been promoted to full squadron commander. Mother of two, Lt. Col. “Gimel”
joined the IAF 16 years ago.
Jewish and Arab medics
save Israeli boy.
(TY David F) 14-year-old Sinai Levy was electrocuted in a natural pool when an
electric pump malfunctioned. He was
saved by medics Ilan Gur-Ari and Issa Duwaiat.
Israeli Druze leader speaks at UNHRC. The
World Jewish Congress hosted Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze
community in Israel, in Geneva, where he highlighted the coexistence of minorities
in Israel as exemplary for the region. The Sheikh also addressed the United
Nations Human Rights Council.
Most Arab-Israelis are happy in Israel.
(TY Hazel) A survey of 716 Arab-Israelis conducted by Tel Aviv University reported
that 71.5% are satisfied with their life in Israel; 65.2% believe they are
generally treated equally, and 64.7% have an overall positive view of the
state. The survey has only a 3.6% margin of error.
More Palestinian Arabs work in Israel.
(TY Hazel) The number of Palestinian Arabs working in Israel has almost doubled
in the past five years. The number of permits
for employment in Israel had risen 160% since 2012. Waiting times at checkpoints between the territories
and Israel have been cut to just a few minutes.
The door to peace. I reported previously
(23rd Feb) on the IDF Door to Door project that helps Palestinian Arab
businesspeople who want to trade with Israel.
Here is a video by I24 News about the project’s success.
World champion sniffer dog. (TY Hazel) Israel
Tax Authority’s sniffer dog, Katcha, was crowned world champion at a recent
international competition in Russia, beating 16 other canine competitors.
Katcha patrols Ben Gurion airport searching for illegal drugs and cash. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvrkh-YnSt4
Ancient Cornish tin found in Israel. Scientists have determined that tin ingots
discovered off the coast of Haifa originated in Cornish tin mines over 7,000
years ago. Tin combines with copper to make a bronze alloy - hence the Bronze
Age. The tin ingots were carbon-dated and the only tin mines at the time were
in Cornwall.
Eilat coral reefs are robust. I’ve
reported several times (see here) over the last six years on the good health of Eilat’s coral
reef. Here is a recent Government report.
It states that since 2004, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage
of medium and large coral colonies, indicating improved coral survival over
time.
SACH heals more sick Rwandan children. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (Aug 2018) when Israeli NGO Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) examined 70 sick
Rwandan children for flying to Israel for heart surgery. The first 8 children
have been healed and are back with their families. The next 8 have now arrived
in Israel.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Countering IEDs. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (July 2012) on Israel’s Netline and its jamming device to stop Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs). Netline is now going to supply its C-Guard IED jamming system to
the IDF. https://www.netlinetech.com/netline-c-guard-ied-jamming-system-for-idf/
Weizmann offers courses to
South African students. (TY UWI) Despite South African universities’ boycott of Israeli academic
institutions, Israel’s world-class Weizmann Institute has offered University of
Cape Town students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in an
invaluable three-month research program.
Hyundai to test Hydrogen trucks in Israel. The Hyundai Motor Company is
next year reportedly to conduct an extensive pilot in Israel of hydrogen-fueled
trucks. Israel was chosen due to its varied climate, extreme road inclines in
the Galilee and the Golan Heights, and long roads in the South. Israel also has
a truck testing center.
Startup generates Hydrogen from water. I reported previously (see here) on projects by Israel Technion scientists to extract Hydrogen from
water to generate a cheap, non-polluting fuel. Now, their E-TAC
(electrochemical thermally activated chemical) technology has been spun off into
a new Israeli startup H2Pro.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Technion-researchers-develop-eco-friendly-hydrogen-production-technology-601783 https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-breakthrough-could-turn-hydrogen-into-the-fuel-of-future/
Prize for water from heat tech. Scientists
at Israel’s Technion Institute and in Africa have received the new Mauerberger
Foundation prize. Their Phase Exchange Thermoacoustics (PXT) technology creates
water from humid air using no added energy. Local heat is converted into an acoustic
wave to condense water from the air.
Chickpea-based milk. (TY Jacques) I’ve reported previously (see here) on the chickpea protein products
from Israel’s InnovoPro. Now InnovoPro and Netivot-based tofu manufacturer
Wyler Farm are launching a chickpea-based milk alternative. It will be a dairy-free
alternative to milk from soy, oats, almonds and coconut.
https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-Tech/More-than-hummus-Israeli-food-tech-start-up-launches-chickpea-based-milk-602301 http://israelbetweenthelines.com/2019/09/26/chickpea-milk-enters-plant-based-market/
Wide approval for natural crop supplement. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (July 2018) on Rootella mycorrhizal fungi from Israel’s Groundwork BioAg. It improves
soil nutrient uptake and boosts crop yield in 90% of all plant species. The
Rootella products are now approved in Canada, US, Brazil, Ukraine &
Belgium.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/rootella-mycorrhizal-inoculants-registered-for-commercial-use-in-canada-300913187.html http://groundworkbioag.com/
Optics & glass for giga speeds and the future. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2015) on Israel’s ColorChip and its optical chips for fast transmission
of data. 4 years later, its SystemOnGlass technology is moving even faster. ColorChip
has also developed a compact projector for smart AR/VR glasses.
As plain as the nose on your face. I
reported previously (7th Apr) on Weizmann Professor Noam Sobel’s study that found people who
inhaled when presented with a problem-solving task performed better than those
who exhaled. The discovery could help people with learning disorders to improve
their skills.
Another Israeli anti-drone startup. Israel’s
D-Fend has an autonomous counter-drone system that detects, locates and identifies
rogue drones. Once identified, D-Fend’s system can take control over the drones
and land them safely at a pre-defined zone. D-Fend has just raised $28 million
of funds.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Filtering water in America. Israel’s Yamit develops and
manufactures water purification systems for the industrial, municipal, and
agriculture markets. Already selling to the Chinese market, Yamit has just
agreed that The Toro Company of Bloomington MN will be its exclusive
distributor in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Amazon’s
Israeli website is live. Amazon has officially launched its Israeli website.
Available only in English, it offers prices in shekels and a “ships locally”
option. The Israeli retailers that already joined include cosmetics brand
GA-DE, fashion retailers Crazy Line and Adika, Nintendo Israel, and skincare
brand Sebocalm.
Convizit wins $1 million. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Convizit won Pitango Venture Capital’s TRIFECTA
early-stage startup competition in New York and its $1 million first prize. Convizit’s Artificial Intelligence
captures, names and categorizes every on-line interaction, to provide a company
with complete behavioral data.
Bio-degradable packaging
continues to grow.
(TY Atid-EDI) I’ve reported several times (see here) on Israeli compostable plastic packaging
developer TIPA. It has just raised another $25 million of funds to enable TIPA to
continue its growth into new territories, and to further develop its portfolio
of unique packaging solutions.
Foresight expands into
China. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Foresight and its QuadSight
vehicle camera-based vision systems. Wuhan
Guide Infrared (a $2.7 billion Chinese company) will promote Foresight’s systems
in China and incorporate Guide’s Infrared solutions into QuadSight.
Mars comes even closer to
Israel. I
reported previously (26th May) on Mars Inc’s partnership with Jerusalem Venture Partners. George
Graham, vice president of the Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI), just visited
Israel as part of Mars’ search to find the most crucial breakthrough solutions
for the global food system.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Rosh Hashana in Israel. The Jewish New
Year (Rosh Hashanah) begins sundown 29th Sep and ends sundown 1st Oct. Most
businesses will be shut, so here is brief guide (spot the flaws) to the
festival, its symbols and some local events. https://www.touristisrael.com/rosh-hashana-in-israel/2535/
What elections? (TY Sharon) Life in Jerusalem continues
with movies, new buildings, beekeepers meet the President, the Jerusalem
Theater festival, music on the plaza and at First Station, Selihot (penitence
prayers) services, café life, skateboarders, wedding parties, book launches and
the NbN Bonei Zion prize ceremony.
The balloon man. Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion cannot cure cancer,
but it can help make young cancer patients happy. It arranges for balloon artist Barak Dagan to
twist balloons into fantastic shapes, twisting the saddest face into one of
joyful laughter. He revitalizes the youngsters’ spirits, encouraging their bodies
to recover.
Israel’s
baseball team qualifies for Olympics. Team Israel Baseball is the first Israeli team
to reach the Olympics in four decades - one of only six baseball teams to play
in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Israel won the Europe / Africa playoffs, beating Spain,
Italy, South Africa and the European champions Netherlands.
http://www.baseball.org.il/en/english-news/539-team-israel-baseball-becomes-the-first-israeli-team-to-reach-the-olympics-in-four-decades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dl4Rgad_fU
Gymnast wins six world championship
medals. Israeli rhythmic
gymnast Linoy Ashram won 6 medals (4 silver and 2 bronze) at the F.I.G. 35th Rhythmic
Gymnastics World Championship in Pesaro, Italy. Her achievement qualified her
for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Israel’s Nicol Zelikman also qualified for Tokyo.
THE JEWISH STATE
The Zionist origins of Hava
Nagila. Where did
the song Hava Nagila originate? Manuscripts
from musician Abraham Zvi Idelsohn, written around 1920, have just been examined
in Cincinnati. It sheds light on its origins from Ukraine to Jerusalem and its connection
with Eliezer Ben Yehuda, father of Modern Hebrew.
Outstanding immigrants. Nefesh B’Nefesh awarded its Bonei
(Builders of) Zion prize to Hadassah’s Dr. Ora Paltiel (Epidemiology), Leah
Abramowitz of Melabev (aging), Michael Dickson (StandWithUs), Dr. Beverly
Gribetz (religious girls’ education) and Danny Hakim (Budo for Peace and Kids
Kicking Cancer).
Cousins reunited. Simon Phippen (8) fled Romania when
the Nazis invaded in WW2. He was smuggled to England. Meanwhile his cousin
Morris Sneh (10) escaped to Italy and immigrated to Israel. 75 years later, Simon’s
granddaughter found Morris’s daughter on Facebook and Simon and Morris were reunited
in Israel.
Explore the story of
Israel. Jerusalem U has released 42 of its 54 planned
videos about the History of Israel and had some half a million views. It has also launched its media lab “Unpacked
for Educators” of videos and resources to help teachers ask the big questions and
allow students to find their own unique answers.
The high
holidays in Israel. The festivals (“chagim”) in the Jewish month of Tishri in Israel differ to
the rest of the world. Everyone is on holiday; meals are celebrations; on Yom
Kippur roads only have bicycles; and on Sukkot the national parks are full to capacity.
And no-one makes a serious decision until “after the chagim”.
Happy
New Year from the US Embassy in Jerusalem. And the freshest honey in the land of milk
and honey.
High Holiday humor. (TY Jacob Richman) Includes the
largest gefilte fish caught in the wild.
190922
·
An Israeli
cancer treatment in development locates, tags and blocks tumors.
·
Europe is
funding Israeli development of a molecule to prevent blindness.
·
Israel has
been invited to showcase its innovations in Dubai.
·
Israeli
scientists have designed a totally new concept in microchips.
·
100
Israeli startups pitched to business leaders in London.
·
An Israeli
Paralympic swimmer set a new 400m freestyle world record.
·
A dozen Israelis donors gave new lives to
total strangers.
·
Click here
to see the 15th September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German and
(TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please
pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Double-whammy
cancer treatment. Israel’s Khar Medical plans to
begin human trials of its DSP-107 treatment on lung cancer patients. It will be
tested both standalone and in combination with Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab).
DSP-107 finds and marks cancer cells, then alerts the immune system and blocks
the cancer.
Blood test for lung
cancer. I reported previously (31st Dec) on Israel’s
Savicell and its ImmunoBiopsy blood test for detecting early stage lung cancer.
Savicell’s test checks for the metabolic reactions that the immune system
produces when it detects and attacks a tumor. Experts say the method is very promising.
Another discovery in treating
melanoma. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute
have found that treating melanoma with immunotherapy is only successful if the
cancer cells are homogeneous (simple / comprised of a small number of subtypes).
Other treatments should be used if they are heterogeneous (complex / diverse).
Hi-tech safety system at
Ashdod hospital. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (Jan 2017) on Israel’s
Medaware and its medication error protection system. The potentially life-saving
solution has just been implemented at Assuta hospital in Ashdod. It is already deployed
at Sheba medical center in Tel Hashomer.
Making Salmonella slip
up. Bacteria such as salmonella use a layer of
biofilm to attach themselves to surfaces such as skin, medical devices, tissues,
etc. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute used Alzheimer’s treatments to
disrupt the biofilms. The salmonella virus couldn’t stick to the surfaces and became
much less aggressive.
Genetic testing could
save lives. Israel’s
Igentify develops a digital genetic testing analyzer that can provide medical professionals
with the means to focus on, treat and counsel high risk patients. Already in
use in two major Israeli hospitals, Igentify has just raised $10.5 million including
from crowdfunding company OurCrowd.
EU
grant for Israeli treatment of eye diseases. The
European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program has awarded a 2.4
million euros grant to Israel’s Tarsius. Tarsius’s new molecule “re-engineers”
the immune system to treat autoimmune and inflammatory ocular diseases that can
eventually cause blindness.
Minimizing the trauma of
spine surgery. Surgeons have now used the Dreal system
from Israel’s Carevature in over 1600 spine decompression procedures. The
system helps remove the minimum amount of obstructing tissue, reducing patient trauma
and speeding recovery. Now available at Scripps Green hospital in California.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carevatures-cutting-edge-dreal-technology-now-available-to-spine-surgeons-at-scripps-health-300904272.html https://www.carevature.com/dreal/
AI in Israeli health care. The Wall St Journal reports that Israel is becoming a testing
ground for the power of artificial intelligence to improve health care. It
suggests that digitized records and big data could make medicine cheaper and
more effective.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND
GLOBAL
Celebrity chef raps to help feed hungry children. Top Israeli chef, Eyal Shani
rapped in a YouTube video to raise money for NEVET: Sandwich For Every Child. NEVET
provides sandwiches every day in schools for thousands of Israel children,
including Haredi, secular, Arab, Bedouin and Druze.
Tech training for religious women. I’ve reported previously (see here) some 50 articles relating to
religious women in hi-tech. This article is about the Rabbinically-approved Adva
program in which young Haredi women at a Jerusalem seminary are learning the skills
necessary for a career in Israel’s booming tech sector.
Chelsea FC joins coexistence girls’ soccer event. UK soccer club Chelsea took part
in a series of events organized by the club and the Israel Football Association.
They involved Muslim girls from the Palestinian Authority together with girls teams
from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Raanana, Pardesiya and Be'er Sheva.
Israeli heroes return
from Brazil. (TY UWI) The team
of firefighters dispatched by the Israeli government to help fight fires in Brazil
(see here), have come
home to a heroic welcome. Their skills, experience and assistance were vital in
helping the Brazilian authorities and its forces to extinguish the fires.
Protecting Brazil’s rainforests. (TY Dr Don) Israeli startup VeganNation has leased some 15,000
acres (23.4 square miles) in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest for a ten-year period.
It will open the land to preservation groups and activists to try and protect it
from deforestation and wildlife poaching.
Israeli water gets Monaco’s
royal assent. (TY UWI) I
reported previously (Apr 2015) Prince
Albert II of Monaco’s award to Israel’s Emefcy for its wastewater treatment
systems. The Prince has just installed in his palace a GEN-350 “water from air”
generator from Israel’s Watergen - a gift from Israeli Mikhael Mirilashvili.
Israeli system protects
Dutch army vehicles. The Royal Netherlands Army is to
implement infantry defense systems by Israel’s Elbit Systems in 150 vehicles. Elbit’s
active protection system uses independent optical sensors, tracking radars, launchers,
and munitions to detect, track, and neutralize incoming threats.
Israeli
innovation to showcase in Dubai. In another
indication of Israel’s rising status in the Arab world, the Jewish state has been
invited to showcase its water technology, health and hi-tech products at the
World Expo in Dubai from Oct 2020 to Apr 2021. Some 25 million visitors will see
Israeli innovations to benefit humanity.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The world’s smartest building. I reported previously (Oct 2016) that
Intel was building what it called “the World’s smartest building” in the
Israeli city of Petach Tikva. The 75,000 sqm building is now complete. Some
14,000 sensors control lights, temperature, smart elevators, low energy and
water usage, recycling and more.
Sound &
light microchips. Scientists from Israel’s Bar-Ilan
University have designed a new concept for microprocessors. They combine
photonics (light) with acoustics (sound) to enable silicon chips to process
signals. It could provide the basis for effective use of the power of future 5G
networks.
Tel Aviv Uni Quantum
Center. I reported previously (see here) on the Quantum physics centers being built by Israel’s Technion, the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University. Now Tel Aviv University is to set up a center
for quantum research, focusing on study programs and international
collaboration.
Disruptive Analytics. GlobalData has named Israeli data analytics startup Panorama one of its
Telecoms Market Disruptors. Necto, its telecom specific solution, integrates AI
and machine learning technologies to provide self-service analytics with
out-of-the-box reports, dashboards, predictive and prescriptive insights.
Milk on tap. Starbucks is installing the electric milk-dispensing system from Israeli
startup Milkit in at least 140 of its cafes. Milkit’s machines deliver
accurately measured doses of milk at the push of a button, saving money and
waste. Other customers include Tel Aviv’s Carlton Hotel and the Max Brenner chocolate
chain.
Diners eat 3D-printed meat. Israel’s Redefine Meat (formerly Jet-Eat) served its 3D-printed plant-based “meat” to diners
in an up-market Israeli restaurant. 85% ranked it as meat-like. Redefine Meat
has just raised $6 million of funds and plans to launch its larger “alpha” 3D-meat
printer next year.
Growing crops in salty water. (TY Nevet) Israeli-Indian startup Salicrop has developed
treatments to enable certain crops to grow in brackish water. Tests on peppers,
tomatoes, spinach, corn, wheat, and rice have boosted crop yields by up to
30%. https://digitone.news/?p=1162
https://www.salicrop.com/
What do your customers want? (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Revuze uses
Artificial Intelligence to give its clients insights into their customers’ experiences
and preferences. It generates a multidimensional snapshot of products, brands
and their competitive landscape - automatically. The SAP.io fund has just
invested in Revuze.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
An entrepreneurial ethos. (TY Nevet) A rare positive article on Israel in the
Economist magazine. It gives reasons for Israeli successful innovation and entrepreneurism,
including a “can do” attitude, risk taking, tolerating and overcoming failure, “disruption”
(revolutionary out of the box ideas), ambition and mentoring.
UK FT praises Israeli economy. Another rare positive article on Israel from
the UK’s Financial Times. It says the Israeli shekel ranks as the best performing
currency, thanks to Israel’s perceived status as an emerging markets’ safe-haven
and improved economic fundamentals.
No politics. I continually emphasize that I don’t include politics in this newsletter.
So, I was very pleased to see entrepreneur and OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved on CNN explaining
how the Israeli tech sector is unaffected by the country’s current political uncertainty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR4MowJ4LWU
Jerusalem trips become corporate incentives. (TY Janglo) Companies are now rewarding
successful employees with free trips to Jerusalem – Israel’s capital. They
include some 5,000 employees of California’s World System Builder and 3,300
employees of Mexico’s Omnilife.
NIS billion food-tech hub launched. I reported previously (see here) on the consortium of Israel’s
OurCrowd, Tnuva and Tempo, plus US Finistere Ventures building a food-tech hub
in Kiryat Shmona. The “Fresh Start” hub has now been launched. It plans
eventually to invest NIS 1 billion in over 40 advanced technology startups.
Mind the tech. 100 Israeli
startups met UK business leaders at Calcalist’s third Mind the Tech conference
in London. This article features Duality (data encryption, Supersmart (supermarket
scanning), Run:AI (computer optimization), Papaya (payroll management),
Vicarius (cyber defense), and Loop (youth tech movement).
Metabolism tracking system
success. I reported previously (Aug 2018) on
Israel’s Metaflow and its Lumen respiratory metabolism tracking device that helps
users reach fitness goals. Its runaway crowdfunding success achieved sales of
11,000 devices worth $2.3 million. Metaflow has just raised another $8.5 million.
Israeli hospital invests
in health tech. Healthcare-focused VC fund
Triventures has partnered Israel’s Sheba Medical Center to launch a $40 million
seed-stage fund that will focus on digital health and med-tech startups. Triventures
ARC’s first investment is Tel Aviv-based Lynx.MD, developer of a secure medical
data platform.
Available to buy now. (TY Israel21c) These potentially life-saving Israeli
products can be purchased right now. Lishtot TestDrop Pro Water Tester (click here); Safe Sea’s jellyfish repellant (click here); Sunway clothing to stop UV
radiation (click here) and Elepho’s eClip to prevent
baby being left in a hot car (click here).
Elbit systems to train US pilots. Israel’s Elbit has signed a $500 million
contract with the US Air Force. Elbit will supply products, including cockpit
displays, for Boeing's T-X advanced pilot training system, selected by the United
States Air Force to replace its old training system.
A music production marketplace. Israeli-founded SoundBetter offers an online
music production marketplace where musicians can purchase services such as
mastering and mixing pieces. It has a community of more than 180,000 registered
artists. SoundBetter has just been acquired by US music streaming company Spotify.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3770292,00.html https://soundbetter.com/s/israel
Directing French soccer fans. French soccer team Olympique de Marseille
has partnered with Israel-based public transit app developer Moovit. The app
will direct fans to the stadium via public transportation, bicycle, or on foot,
offering directions to specific gates at the team's home stadium and to the
club's official store.
Personalized sports videos are a huge hit. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (7th Jan) on Israel’s WSC Sports and its real
time, on-demand videos of TV sports broadcasts. Its customers include WarnerMedia,
NBA, US Open, PGA Tour and Bundeslig. It has just raised another $23 million to
fund its phenomenal growth.
https://theathletic.com/1140770/2019/08/21/watching-a-highlight-chances-are-this-israeli-tech-companys-software-chose-it/ https://wsc-sports.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrUkPxGj1bs
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT
& SPORT
Broken instruments make harmonious
whole. (TY Janglo) Over
100 musicians (Jews, Moslems and Christians) performed a concert of broken
instruments at “Shalem” (whole), in Jerusalem’s Gan Mitchell as part of the Mekudeshet
(Sacred Music) Festival.
The world’s 7th best slice of pizza. Bezzo Pizza in Tel Aviv ranked seventh on Big
7 Travel's list for "The 50 Best Slices of Pizza in The World". Big
Travel 7 said, “they are also melt-in-the-mouth good. Bezzo Pizza is up there
with the best pizza slices in the world." Bezzo’s original recipe stems
from Yemeni culture.
Good News on ILTV. Israeli news site
ILTV have begun a weekly video featuring good news stories from Israel. Here is a link to its first edition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zjWvwwTHis
Paralympic swimmer smashes world record. (TY Steven G) Israel’s Mark Malyar,
who has cerebral palsy, broke the world record in winning the 400m freestyle S7
at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships. The event took place in London after Malaysia was removed as host for refusing to let Israelis compete.
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israeli-paralympic-swimmer-breaks-world-record-in-competition-moved-due-1.488459 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0iryqE8XAg
THE JEWISH STATE
The Israeli town with the most kidney donors. (TY UWI) The religious community of
Yitzhar in Samaria has the highest proportion of kidney donors in Israel. The ten
Jewish donors didn’t know any of the recipients, who included secular left-wingers.
Their only regret was that they could only donate once. Incredible video.
Two generations of donors. Neria’s father had already
donated a kidney to a total stranger. So, it was natural for Neria to register
on the bone marrow database of Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion. He then got the call - he
was the only known genetic match who could save a cancer patient’s life. So, naturally, he donated his cells.
The class of Hillel. Over four years ago, after the passing of Rosh Yeshiva Rav Hillel Zaks, many
parents in Modi’in Illit named their sons “Hillel” in his memory. So now in the
new class at the kindergarten of Talmud Torah Medrash Meir in Kiryat Sefer, of
the 29 children, 21 have the first name Hillel. Could be confusing?
Christian Zionists help Jewish farmers harvest grapes. US evangelical group HaYovel
("The Harvest") brings Christian volunteers to Israel to help Jewish
farmers. They are currently harvesting grapes in the Samarian community of Shiloh
– where the Biblical Tabernacle stood, prior to the Temple in Jerusalem.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/09/16/christian-evangelicals-harvest-grapes-in-settlement-of-shilo/
Home in the Homeland. (TY Zev) Dina and Eli Kamionski, in
their mid-30s, with four children, left the US for a new life in Israel. They
documented their Aliya journey in a series of some 50 short videos entitled “The
Kami Klan” to help others intending to embark on a similar path. (Some on Youtube; most on Facebook).
JR’s 35 years since Aliya. Regular readers will know that Jacob Richman
is a prolific blogger and provider of vital information and photos on Israel
and Jewish holidays. He made this video to celebrate the 35th anniversary of
his Aliya from Brooklyn. He introduces
it, “It was the best decision of my life. I highly recommend it!” https://jr.co.il/aliyah/aliyah-anniversary.htm
AI search of David Ben Gurion diaries. Ben-Gurion University and Microsoft Israel have
teamed up to bring David Ben-Gurion's archive to life. They are developing an
advanced Artificially Intelligence-based system that will be able to search the
entire archive, printed and handwritten materials alike.
What’s that falling from the sky? (TY Janglo & Jacques) Some parts of Israel
experienced their first Autumn rains last week. It arrived early this year and made
a pleasant change to the long, hot, dry summer weather. It is so important, that
it has a special Hebrew name - “Yoreh” and is included in the Shema prayer.
190915
In the 15th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Two Israelis
can walk again thanks to 3D printed implants.
·
Critically
ill patients can receive new Israeli liver cancer treatment.
·
Jerusalem lights
up skies to mark 18th anniversary of 9/11.
·
An Israeli-Arab
molecular scientist’s amazing inventions.
·
A record
number of passengers flew into Tel Aviv in August.
·
A 2600-year-old
seal of a Jewish government official has been found in Jerusalem.
·
Click here
to see the 1st September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel with extra feature on Finance (with 1,900 shares) and Medical (with 1,100 shares). Also
(TY Sandra) in German. Please pass on the following links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
3D printed implants to help two women
walk. In an Israeli first, two women have each been
given a 3D printed titanium alloy implant to replace a broken talus (the main connector
between the foot and leg). Doctors at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva are
confident that both women will soon be walking normally again.
Skin cancer treatment discovery. Researchers
at Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center have linked metastatic melanoma
progression to a patient’s lipid (fatty acid) metabolism. Skin cancer is more sensitive
to immune T-cells if the lipid metabolism is high. The scientists say the
discovery can lead to new therapies.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/study-finds-a-key-to-why-only-some-melanoma-patients-respond-to-immunotherapy/ https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(19)30900-6.pdf
Patients with Parkinson’s and Fibromyalgia. This is an example of how Israeli medical data helps research into diseases.
Ben Gurion University’s Dr Yair Zlotnik has used the database of Israeli Health
company Clalit to analyze patients with both Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia. The
findings could lead to new treatment options.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2019/08/05/parkinsons-patients-with-fibromyalgia-are-mostly-women-with-depression-anxiety/ https://aabgu.org/parkinsons-and-fibromyalgia/
Liver cancer treatment available. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the Namodenoson (CF102)
liver cancer treatment from Israel’s Can-Fite. After Phase 2 testing, a supply of
CF102 has been manufactured for “compassionate use” on critically ill patients at
Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva.
Intelligent ultrasound. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2017) when GE Medical integrated the imaging analysis software from
Israel’s DiA into its ultrasound devices. Now, DiA is to provide its artificially
intelligent cardiac solutions for the point-of-care devices made by US ultrasound
imaging company Terason.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/terason-partners-with-dia-imaging-analysis-to-bring-superior-ai-cardiac-solutions-to-point-of-care-ultrasound-300904250.html https://www.dia-analysis.com/
Two-way texting to combat TB. Tuberculosis
(TB) kills 1.6 million people a year. Israeli startup Keheala has developed a
“low-tech” system whereby Keheala sends SMS reminders to patients in Kenya to
take their meds. The patient must respond with an SMS otherwise a Keheala
mentor gets involved. Trials were 96% successful.
More funds for cancer research. Every
year (see here) the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) awards grants to Israeli
researchers working to find cures and treatments for cancer. This year its 69
grants of $4.3 million focus on cancer genetics, targeted cancer therapies and
immunotherapy. Read about some of the amazing work.
Unlocking medical data for research. (TY
Atid-EDI) Israel’s MDClone system generates anonymous medical research data from
real medical records. Customers include Israeli health companies Maccabi and
Clalit and (in the US) Washington University hospital and Intermountain.
MDClone has just raised $26 million of funds.
Terror victim becomes MDA paramedic. Dvir
Schnerb was released from hospital two weeks after being critically wounded by
a terrorist bomb that killed his sister. A few hours later he received his
certification as a volunteer EMT for Magen David Adom. He said he will honor
his sister’s memory by working to save lives.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Ethiopian tech team goes to
Addis Ababa. I
reported previously (4th Aug) on the recent Tech-Career event for members of the Israeli-Ethiopian community.
The winners of the event’s hackathon travelled to Ethiopia’s capital Addis
Ababa to showcase their initiatives at Ethiopia’s SolveIT Innovation
Competition.
http://nocamels.com/2019/08/ethiopian-israeli-solveit-innovation-hackathon/ https://icog-solveit.com/
Putting female photographers
in the picture. Dr
Noam Gal is curator of “A Modern Love” - photography between 1900 and 1945 at
the Israel Museum. He saw the exhibit lacked examples by a prolific group - female
photographers. He then through searched the many gifts to the museum to create
a much more balanced exhibit.
Saving the Galapagos iguanas. The diet
of the iguanas of the Galapagos islands is dependent on unique algae, native to
the islands. But during El-Nino events, the algae die, as do 90% of the iguanas.
Scientists from Israel, the US, Germany and Ecuador have found microbes in the
gut of surviving iguanas that could save the species.
Training for Nigerians practicing Judaism. (TY Algemeiner) NGO Shavei Israel organized a leadership and Jewish learning week in
Onithsa, Nigeria for more than 250 local youth and 20 adults. These Nigerians
are members of the Igbo ethnic group of which some 4,000 practice Judaism,
professing descent from a lost tribe.
Meet the CEO of IsraAID. If you can get
to Hollywood California on 19th Sep, I strongly registering for a lecture by Navonel
“Voni” Glick, co- Chief Executive Officer at IsraAID. He will describe how his Israeli
humanitarian aid organization responds when disasters strike around the world.
Click for details.
Israeli honors memory of 9/11 victims. Israel marked the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks with
its annual memorial ceremony to honor those who perished. For the first time, it
included the "Tribute in Light" - 2 beams of light, shining up to 300
meters tall over Jerusalem, similar to the "Ground Zero" tribute in
New York.
US Police Unity Tour in Israel. Nearly 50
high-ranking American police officers came to Israel as part of their annual Police
Unity Tour. During their 9-day visit, they
marked the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and embarked on a 2-day
motorbike ride across Israel to honor officers killed in the line of duty.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-police-delegation-visits-Israel-ahead-of-911-anniversary-601188
IAF commander awarded Legion of Merit. The
Legion of Merit is the United States’ sixth highest honor. It was recently awarded
to Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin for his “exceptionally
meritorious service” having “enhanced the cooperation and partnership between
the United States and Israel.”
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
More investment into plastic recycling. (TY
Atid-EDI) The Israel Innovation Authority has approved the establishment of the
CIRCLE consortium, and investment of NIS 30 million, to promote the development
of recycling technologies, and the use of recycled materials in Israel’s plastics
industry.
Recycling wastewater naturally. I
reported previously (Dec 2017) about Ben Gurion University Professor Amit Gross’s natural
biofiltration treatment of wastewater. At the Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm and
Restaurant in the Negev desert, Anat and Daniel Kornmehl use these techniques to
help make their desert oasis bloom.
Recycling in the Negev. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Dec 2012) when Israel’s Negev Ecology opened the Harov waste treatment plant
in the Negev. It also operates the Negev’s Dudaim Recycling plant and is now building
a new NIS 70 million facility there to significantly increase the recycling of waste
in Southern Israel.
From the molecular to the macro. Ben-Gurion University Professor Muhammad Bashouti (an Israeli Arab)
has used his research into molecular properties to invent some amazing devices.
An optical biosensor to diagnose disease; lens filters for diabetics; and molecular
solar cells. These are now being commercialized.
New cybersecurity incubator in Be’er Sheva. Israel’s OurCrowd has launched its Labs/08 incubator in Be’er Sheva.
Like Jerusalem’s Labs/02, it supports software startups focusing on massive
data emanating from 5G. Labs/08 is partnering with Soroka University Medical Center
and the Israel National Cyber Directorate.
STEM preschool in Jerusalem. I reported
previously (see here) on Israeli initiatives to introduce tech and business skills to
children in kindergarten. Now Lockheed Martin, Rashi Foundation, Jerusalem’s municipality
and Ministry have launched a new “Madakids” preschool in Jerusalem focused on
technology and science.
Using DNA to store data. Researchers at Israel’s
Technion Institute and the IDC in Herzliya have significantly optimized the
process needed to store digital information. They demonstrated storing ten
million gigabytes, in a single gram of synthetic DNA. Further developments
could reduce the size of computer server farms.
Electric train test successful. (TY Janglo) Israel Railways has just completed the first full trial run of its
new electric train service from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The line is scheduled to be operational by the
end of the year and provide a 28-minute service between Tel Aviv’s Haganah and
Jerusalem’s Yitzhak Navon stations.
Israel prioritizes 32 ag-tech startups. 32
of Israel’s best agriculture technology companies are to get more access to Government
funds. They will also be showcased to investors looking for innovation in
agriculture, especially biotechnology, robotics, sensors, plant protection, aquaculture,
animals and IT systems.
Food system intelligence. One of the 32 Israeli
Ag-tech startups above is Trellis. It uses Artificial Intelligence to help food
and beverage companies optimize their supply chains. Its AI systems neutralize seasonal
instability and risk of crop harvests with real time harvest predictions. https://trellis.ag/
Find a parking space. I’ve reported
previously (see here) on Israeli apps to help find car parking spaces in busy cities.
This article describes two more – ParKam and Parknav. ParKam uses CCTV infrastructure
and predictions. Parknav uses cell-towers, mobile-payments, car-sharing data, car
sensors and satellite images.
Hunting for code vulnerabilities. Israeli
cybersecurity startup Snyk helps app developers detect and fix security vulnerabilities
in computer code. Snyk has offices in Tel Aviv, London, Boston and Ontario and
its customers include Google, Microsoft and Salesforce. Google has just led a $70 million funding round
in Snyk.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel’s global economic
success. (TY Stuart) Some positive statistics about Israel’s economy. Israeli exports rose
3% to NIS 55 billion in the first half of 2019, despite the shekel’s continuing
appreciation in value. Exports to Europe increased by 12% and 30% of all exports
were hi-tech.
Ben
Gurion airport’s busiest month ever.
Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport in August saw a record 2.8 million
passengers - over 2% higher than August 2018.
July’s 2.4 million passengers was 10% more than July 2018. Meanwhile, passenger
traffic between Israel and China is up over 23% this year compared to 2018.
Four of top 50 entrepreneurial
universities are Israeli. The Pitchbook Research Institute ranks the top 50 undergraduate programs
globally that produce the most VC-backed entrepreneurs. Its latest list has Tel
Aviv University (8), Technion Institute (14), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (34),
and Ben-Gurion University (49).
Helping small businesses
grow. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup vCita claims to have everything a small business needs.
Appointments, customer relationships, payments and marketing. And a very effective
customer-friendly web app interface. With around 100,000 clients, vCita has
raised $15 million of funds to grow itself.
Baxter catches Cheetah. I reported previously (Mar 2012) on Israel’s Cheetah Medical and its systems for monitoring patients in
hospital. Cheetah’s systems are now used in 400 hospitals in 30 countries. Cheetah’s fast growth has caught the eye of
Baxter International which has acquired Cheetah for at least $190 million.
McDonald’s eats Israeli
speech recognition startup. Israeli-founded Apprente develops AI and speech-based conversational
customer service automation technology for use in noisy environments such as
drive-throughs. It had just the ingredients that fast food giant McDonald’s
wanted to establish its new McD Tech Labs.
Fieldin looks to grow its
field. I reported
previously (Oct 2016) on Israel’s Fieldin and its technology that reduces use of pesticides on
crops. Fieldin now monitors over 1 million dunams of crops in California alone
and has just raised $12 million of funds for R&D and to expand its sales
and client management teams.
MyHeritage expands its
family. Israeli
genealogy company MyHeritage has acquired Utah-based River Road Bio (RRB). This
means MyHeritage inherits RRB’s SNPedia website and its Promethease DNA report
analyser. SNPedia explains the effects of variations in DNA.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Oud festival celebrates 20
years. (TY Janglo) The annual Oud Festival marks its 20th year with ten days of 13 events,
from Nov 21 - 30, in a number of Jerusalem venues. Performers include musicians
from Turkey, Armenia, the USA, India and Israel, many of whom have roots in Arab
countries.
Clogs & Camels. (TY Robert) VeryGoodNewsIsrael
subscriber Robert Barzelay is the editor of Klompen & Kamelen (Clogs and
Camels). 48 short stories by 30 Dutch and Flemish authors about life and
survival in Israel. Proceeds go to two Israeli charities - IsraAID and Aleh. Please
pass on these details to Dutch readers.
Potentially shattering, but
not speed records.
Israeli artist Boris Shpeizman’s childhood dream was to own a motorcycle. Now
he has built one - entirely out of glass. Shpeizman works with “hot glass,” a
technique where glass is heated to a liquid so it can be blown into shapes like
the wheels and handlebars of a motorcycle.
New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli
stamps issued for September 2019 include Honey flowers (for Rosh Hashana), the
Sehrane (Khurdistan Jews) festival, Fighting breast cancer, Autumn flowers,
25-years of Israel-Vatican relations and Israeli Air Force jets. https://jr.co.il/stamps/index-2019.html
THE JEWISH STATE
First
Temple bulla found in Jerusalem. (TY Zev) A 2,600-year-old bulla (imprint of the seal) of a Judean King’s
senior officer has been uncovered in dirt excavated near the Western Wall. The bulla
is inscribed with the name of "Adenyahu Asher Al HaBayit," meaning
"Adenyahu by Appointment of the House".
Where was the Temple scroll
written? (TY UWI & ILTV) A new study of the 2000-year-old Dead Sea Temple Scroll
shows that it was additionally protected by a layer of inorganic material that
was used by the Babylonians and Greeks. The minerals comprising it were not available
in the Dead Sea region.
Underprivileged boys
celebrate at Kotel. (TY UWI) 15 boys from underprivileged families celebrated their Bar Mitzvot at
the Kotel (Western Wall). The families were financed by the municipality of
Rishon Letzion and the regional religious council.
Dutch Christians donate
huge menorah to Sderot. Dutch Christian Zionists have donated Europe’s largest Hanukkah menorah
to the Israeli city of Sderot. They wanted to show solidarity with Sderot’s residents’
in their plight over rocket attacks from Gaza. The 36-foot menorah is shaped
like a Star of David and has a 6-ton base.
The largest Birthright
event outside Israel. 2,500 Birthright alumni attended a mega-event in Odessa, Ukraine, designed
to encourage potential candidates to sign up for a trip to Israel. The festivities
included a performance by Ukrainian band Boombox and was attended by Odessa’s
deputy mayor.
Our common destiny. 30 global Jewish scholars met Israeli
President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem before preparing a “Declaration of Our
Common Destiny” on the shared values and principles by which world Jewry will abide
by. It includes being a “light unto the nations,” and to help develop and
improve the world.
190908
In the 8th Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
A new Israeli
treatment for resistant myeloma has been approved in the US.
·
Israeli
NGO IsraAID is helping hurricane victims in the Bahamas.
·
Israeli sensors
can “feel” when machinery is about to break down.
·
Israeli
water treatment has eliminated toxic algae from a lake in Ohio.
·
New York
City school buses use Israeli ride-sharing technology.
·
An Israeli
broke the European record for the women’s 10km by 17 seconds.
·
The life
of another Israeli terror attack victim has been saved, twice.
·
Click here
to see the 1st September newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (with a great intro), Janglo and United With Israel with extra feature on Medical. Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
“Last resort” myeloma treatment approved. The US FDA has granted accelerated approval to XPOVIO for the treatment
of resistant or relapsed multiple myeloma. XPOVIO (Selinexor) was developed by Karyopharm
Therapeutics, established by Israel’s Dr. Sharon Shacham,.and based in Newton
MA.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-made-innovative-cancer-treatment-gets-FDA-stamp-of-approval-600505 https://investors.karyopharm.com/news-releases/news-release-details/karyopharm-announces-fda-approval-xpoviotm-selinexor-treatment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1NW1Tq57YU
Tech to rehabilitate at home. Israel’s WizeCare
offers physiotherapists and clinicians an app that enables them to guide their
patients during their at-home rehabilitation exercises. It has partnered with
the Cleveland Clinic for their staff to provide personalized videos for patients
and monitor compliance.
Super prawn controls disease afflicting 220 million. I reported previously (Aug 2016) that Ben Gurion University scientists were cultivating all-male prawns
to eradicate schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Now, with Israeli startup
Enzoomic, they have produced all-female prawns - much better at controlling the
disease.
Donated ambulances attended 75,000 calls. As reported previously (see here), retired UK surgeon Norman
Rosenbaum, 84, has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Magen David Adom.
His 12 MDA ambulances have attended some 75,064 calls over the years. Its crews
have helped 997 women to give birth.
IDF soldiers have saved 2,000 lives. The
Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Registry has just reached an amazing milestone: 2,000
IDF soldiers have donated their stem cells to save 2,000 patients around the
world. They not only protect citizens of the State of Israel, but also globally,
those whose lives depend on a stem cell transplant.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Music for autistic children. (TY UWI) 18-year-old Israeli Yuval Sinay founded Special Sound – a project in
which young musicians help children and young adults on the autism spectrum to express
themselves through music. Yuval received the President’s Award for Volunteerism
in July.
Tech accelerator for startups
with female founders. Tel Aviv’s latest accelerator - Women of Startup Nation Accelerator
(WOSNA) - launched last week, comprising 11 startups with at least one female
founder. Its aim is to change today’s male-orientated domination of top Israeli
companies, one female-founded startup at a time.
Ethiopian PM meets Ethiopian-Israeli
mother. Ethiopian
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali began a two-day visit to Israel by speaking to the
mother of Avera Mengistu held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
invited Agamesh Mengistu to meet Abiy. 150,000 Jews of Ethiopian descent live in
Israel.
IDF disability mission to
the Himalayas. The
Friends Association of the IDF Disabled (and in collaboration with El Al) has
organized a "Liberation Trip" to the Himalayas for 21 wounded Israeli
veterans. They are currently climbing up to the Canadian-La crossing of the Himalayas
- about 5,000 meters above sea level.
RAF and IAF in joint UK
exercise. I
reported previously (26th Jan) that the Israeli Air Force would be conducting a joint exercise in September
with UK’s Royal Air Force. Exercise Cobra Warrior is now underway and includes German,
Italian and US planes. It is the first time Israeli military aircraft have flown
in Britain.
Honduras opens Jerusalem office. Honduras
has opened a trade mission with diplomatic status in Jerusalem. Honduran President
Juan Orlando Hernandez declared the inauguration to be a “first step” toward
moving the embassy to Israel’s capital. President Hernández was presented with the
Friends of Zion award.
Environment support to Argentina. KKL-JNF
World President Daniel Atar signed a cooperation
agreement
with Sergio Casas, governor of La Rioja, Argentina. It covers fighting desertification,
supporting education about the environment and the efficient use of resources
in two Argentinian provinces.
Emergency aid to the Bahamas. Israel-based humanitarian group IsraAID is among the Jewish groups
providing help the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian’s devastation. This
includes distributing relief supplies, deploying filters to provide drinking water,
trauma support and assessing further needs.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Foundation brings good
ideas to market. Non-profit
Zimin Foundation has set up, in Tel Aviv University, the Zimin Institute for
Engineering Solutions Advancing Better Lives. It aims to help ease the path of
good ideas to market. More institutes will be set up in Israel and overseas,
each receiving up to $5 million in funding.
Bloomberg foundation launches Innovation Hubs. Bloomberg Philanthropies has launched a new network of innovation
hubs, called Hazira. Bloomberg’s existing innovation teams in Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva, will expand to 12 additional cities in Israel. Each
will work on a project selected by that city’s mayor.
EU funds four promising
Israeli researchers. The European Union has awarded European Research Council Starting Grants
to four young scientists from Ben-Gurion University. They are Dr. Deborah
Toiber (Life Sciences) and three chemists – Prof Manny Shalom, Dr Benjamin
Palmer and Dr Joshua Baraban.
The first Chinese center
of excellence outside China. (TY Hazel) The Chinese Academy of Sciences is to establish its first
center of excellence outside China. The lab, based at Israel's Bar-Ilan
University, will specialize in nanotechnology research – particularly nano-medicine
and printing two-dimensional materials.
Tech Transfer conference. The AUTM ASIA
2019 Conference (4 – 7 Nov) brings hundreds of global academics, government and
industry experts to Jerusalem to discuss critical issues regarding technology
transfer. Universities, hospitals, HMOs and research institutes launched 74 new
companies in 2018.
An app to help recycling. Israel’s Environmental
Protection Ministry is urging the Israeli public to wise-up on how to recycle
products and materials. One of the key resources is the orange recycling bin
located outside all residencies in most cities.
The downloadable recycling game Catomolo helps identify what to put in
it.
The value of feeling. NaNose
inventor Professor Hossam Haick (see here) has co-founded Israeli
startup Feelit. Its printable sensors monitor and alert if a material suffers (e.g.)
structural integrity, warping, overheating, wear & tear and pressure buildup.
Feelit has just won Calcalist & KPMG Israel’s Industry 4.0 startup
competition.
A global ecosystem for vegans. Israeli
startup Vegan Nation is building the world’s first global marketplace for
vegans. Its e-commerce platform includes its own digital currency, the
VeganCoin (VCN) for businesses, service providers and consumers. It has a vast
social network for messaging, sharing content and much more.
http://nocamels.com/2019/08/vegan-nation-1st-global-ecosystem-digital-currency/ https://vegannation.io/
Safe, low-energy autonomous driving. The
technology of Israel’s Cartica AI predicts road behavior (drivers and pedestrians).
It uses low power to recognize thousands of object types in all weathers and lighting
conditions. It has just received funds to launch its Autonomous AI platform and
expand global operations.
Using AI to remove landmines. Landmine
clearance cost $770 million globally in 2017, yet mines killed some 2,800 people
with thousands more injured. Now, Israeli startup 4M Analytics provides a
“minefields location intelligence solution” that slashes costs and timescales.
It has even detected mines in previously “cleared” areas.
Electric buses on Jerusalem streets.
Egged bus number 15 from the Central Bus Station to Talpiot is the first
electric bus to run in Jerusalem. Part of a government initiative to reduce air
pollution in Israel's capital, they feature zero pollution, quiet operation, and
five hours or 200 km between charges.
Success for algae treatment. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (19th Jan) on Israel’s BlueGreen Water Technologies and its environment
friendly Lake Guard treatment for toxic algae. Lake Guard was just used to treat Chippewa Lake
in Ohio. Blue Green says it killed all the toxic algae in the lake within just
one day.
Microsoft Israel chief is now a teacher.
Avi Nathan retired as general manager of Microsoft Israel in 2007. Now he is teaching
math at Kiryat Tivon middle school in Northern Israel, using his technical
skills to benefit the next generation. After retiring from Microsoft, he took a
degree in education at Israel’s Technion Institute.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy still strong. (TY Janglo) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Israel's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Rating (IDR)
at 'A+' with a Stable Outlook. It cited strong external finances (with high financing
flexibility), robust macroeconomic performance and solid institutional strength.
S&P affirmed its AA- rating early in August.
Freezing tumors in Japan
& Singapore. Israel’s
IceCure Medical (see here) has signed an agreement with Japan’s Terumo for the rights to sell the
Israeli cryoablation cancer treatment in Japan and Singapore. IceCure’s ultrasound-guided
probe injects liquid nitrogen into a tumor, to freeze and destroy the cancer cells.
Mobileye builds in
Jerusalem. (TY Janglo) I reported previously (May 2017) on Mobileye’s plans for its massive global development center in
Jerusalem. The cornerstone for the new campus
has just been laid by Israel’s PM, together with the Economy Minister, the Jerusalem
Mayor and Mobileye’s president and CEO.
Ride-sharing
tech for NYC school buses. I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli-founded Via and its
ride-sharing technology. Now, Via is
licensing its technology to the New York City Department of Education for its
school bus system. Routes can be adapted to kids’ needs and GPS tracking
benefits parents and students.
Big Vegan success. (TY Janglo) Just two months ago (see here) McDonald’s launched its new Big Vegan burger in 18 Israeli outlets. It has
now expanded this to 40 of its 186 branches in Israel. The Big Vegan is produced
by Osem-Nestle subsidiary Tivoll. McDonald's is also marketing a double-size
vegan burger.
Natural gas by-product is
worth $1 billion.
The consortium operating Israel's largest gas field Leviathan is in advanced talks
to sell its natural-gas condensate – worth some $1 billion over the 35-year
life of the field. The gas production by-product can be used as a raw material
in the production of greener fuel or as a diluent for oil.
Amazon’s 12th Sep Israel launch
date. Amazon has given
Israeli retailers a 12th Sep date for the launch of its service in Israel. It has
urged registered retailers to ready their stock and product list, advising them
to prioritize products that could be popular ahead of the Jewish New Year commencing
29th September.
BMW, Toyota and OurCrowd seek
AI vision. I
reported previously (see here) on Israeli computer vision startup Cortica. Now, BMW and Toyota’s investment
arms, together with Israel’s OurCrowd are partnering with Cortica to launch Cartica
- a subsidiary that will develop Artificial Intelligence for autonomous
vehicles.
Visa partners 3 Israeli startups. Payments giant Visa has partnered
with three Israeli fintech companies through its startup collaboration lab,
Innovation Studios. They are ChargeAfter (instant credit), Mesh Payments (online
cross-border transaction service) and Zooz (payment platform).
Cybersecurity “Black Unicorns”. Cyber Defense Magazine’s 10
winners of its 2019 Black Unicorn Awards, include three Israeli companies.
Checkmarx, XM Cyber and ObservIT. According to Cyber Defense, they all have the
potential to reach $1 billion market valuation and be termed a “Unicorn”.
Janglo takeover. Anglo Media has acquired English-language
Israeli media platform Janglo.net and entered into a partnership with Torah
Tidbits. Janglo is Israel’s largest online community for English speakers,
receiving some 150,000 visits per month. It also posts the VeryGoodNewsIsrael
newsletter.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Rare photos at National Library. The Pritzker
Family National Photography Collection of over two million images, will be stored
and digitized at The National Library of Israel. The largest repository of
photographs of Israel in the world includes never-before-seen images of Golda
Meir and rare snapshots of Theodor Herzl.
ER nurse wins six European
swimming medals. (TY
Janglo) Ruthy Weiner, an Emergency Room staff nurse at Galilee Medical Center,
won aix medals (including four gold) at the European Masters Games for athletes
over 25 in Torino, Italy. Ruthy also broke the Israeli 100m butterfly record in
the 40-44 age group,
New 10km
European record. Israeli
runner Lonah Chemtai-Salpeter clocked a time of 30:04 in the Tilburg Ten Miles
race in the Dutch city of Tilburg, cutting a huge 17 seconds off the European women's
record for 10km, set by legendary runner Paula Radcliffe in 2003.
THE JEWISH STATE
Onward Israel. Onward Israel is a subsidized program
for students and recent graduates interested in exploring areas of work in the
Jewish State. Largely supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh,
participants experience unique, practical internships with Israeli companies
and educational institutions.
High marks for Birthright
Excel. I reported
previously (see here) on the Birthright Israel Excel program that brings Jewish students from
top universities in the US and Canada to internships in Israeli companies. Since
2010, nearly 800 students have been mentored to become business leaders with strong
ties to the Jewish State.
One of the earliest color
films of Jerusalem. (TY Jacques) Jerusalem Cinematheque is digitizing a rare film of Jerusalem in the 1930s.
The Margulis family home movie features the Hebrew University; giving charity
to beggars at the Western Wall; Haredi Jews from the Old Yishuv and Ashkenazi
Jews wearing Sephardi clothes.
Nauru recognizes Jerusalem
as Israel’s capital. The Republic of Nauru, a Pacific island country, has recognized
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Saving the Jewish State at
birth. Please
watch this seven-minute documentary “Israel Survived an Early Challenge”. Produced
by Pen State Professor Boaz Dvir, together with Retro Report, it focuses on a
secret, operation to save newborn Israel in 1948. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr-CEta1H8g
Unlikely
benefit from terror attack. I reported previously (Nov 2015) of a terror attack victim whose life was saved twice when a tumor was discovered
during hospital treatment. In a similar story Shira Sabag, critically injured
in a Dec 2018 terror attack, was also found to have a tumor - in the brain. It was
successfully removed.
190901
In the 1st Sep 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have been able to prevent secondary cancer in the brain.
·
A new Israeli
anti-malaria vaccine requires no refrigeration.
·
Israel’s MDA
gave six-months’ first-response training to Arab-Israelis.
·
Israel is helping
extinguish fires in Brazil’s rainforest.
·
Intel
Israel’s new microchip can help computers reason for themselves.
·
Europe is helping
fund Israeli antibacterial coating to prevent infections.
·
Sagi Muki
is Israel’s first World champion judoka.
·
Click here
to see the 18th August newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo and United With Israel with extra feature on Jewish State. Also (TY Sandra) in German. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Preventing secondary brain tumors. (TY UWI) Up to 40% of cancer patients develop secondary brain tumors shortly
after surgery to remove a primary tumor elsewhere in the body. Researchers at Tel
Aviv University have shown that an intravenous injection of CpG-C (synthetic DNA
material) can prevent these metastases forming.
New research into age-related immune failure. In lab tests on aging and the immune system, biologists at Israel’s
Ben Gurion University have profiled over 24,000 T-Cells. They identified that 30%
deteriorate during the aging process and could establish new areas of medical intervention
to prevent age-related illnesses.
Software to monitor cancer patients at home. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli startup Telesofia when it developed personalized medical
videos. Now Israel’s Sheba Medical Center is to pilot Telesofia’s tele-medicine
software for cancer patients at home to communicate with doctors about chemotherapy
side effects.
Alzheimer’s treatment also benefits autistic children. Israeli researchers at Sheba Medical Center have found that a medication
used to treat Alzheimer’s patients also has strong therapeutic effects on
autistic children. 60 such children were given Donepezil and Cholin for six
months and their language skills improved significantly.
US approval for blood pressure wristband monitor. Israel’s Biobeat develops wireless products (wristwatch and patch) to
measure blood pressure, oxygenation, pulse, stroke volume and more. Both items
sync data to the cloud, enabling remote monitoring. The US FDA has just given clearance
to the combined products.
A stable vaccine for malaria. Malaria kills half-a-million people annually. In this “Weizmann in
Focus” video, Dave Doneson explains that current anti-malaria vaccines break
down in hot climates. However, scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute redesigned
the protein RH5 to enable the vaccine to be stored at room temperature.
Hope for multiple myeloma patients. Thanks
to Israeli discoveries and research, patients with the bone marrow cancer multiple
myeloma are leading longer, better lives.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israel’s first social-impact
bank. I reported
previously (Jan 2012) on the Israel Free Loan Association, now called Ogen (Hebrew for
Anchor). It has provided over $300 million in interest-free loans to some
60,000 low- and middle-income families and small businesses. It will soon provide
low-interest loans to even more Israelis.
Accessible tourism. Israel-based startup Travaxy offers
tourism services for people with disabilities or special needs. Online you can book
flights, hotels, wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids that will wait
for you at your destination, which currently includes Tel Aviv, New York,
Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona and London.
Tech integration program
for Haredim. Israel’s
Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services is setting up a new
program to help ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish students find jobs in
international tech companies. It will offer scholarships of NIS 12,000 a year,
help students seek potential employers, and provide guidance on acquiring essential
workforce skills.
Jerusalem united in Shalom
(Peace). (TY Sharon)
Sharon recently took many photos of diversity in Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall: Muslim
women eating at the adjacent table and Arab families shopping in the Jerusalem
mall. But her favorite photograph was of medical volunteers, published by United
Hatzalah.
MDA trains
Israeli Arabs. (TY
UWI) Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, concluded its first-ever first
responder course for some 20 civilian volunteers in the Arab town of Taibe. The
six-month-long course taught the necessary skills to be ambulance drivers and
medical emergency responders.
Still saving Syrian lives. In 2013, Salman Zarka was head of
the IDF medical corps, bringing Syrians wounded in their civil war back to Ziv
Medical Center in Safed. Now, he is in charge of Ziv and continues to treat
Syrians who come to the Israeli border in need of lifesaving medical interventions.
Israeli kids donate soccer
jerseys to Kenyan kids. (TY UWI) Children from Israeli schools have donated 80 soccer shirts to children
at four schools in Kenya. The Kenyans have just adopted The Equalizer program -
an Israeli model of academic tutoring and soccer coaching for at-risk schoolchildren.
Training New Jersey first responders
to cope with trauma. Israeli NGO Natal was formed in 1998 to help Israelis cope with trauma. But
for the last 2 years, it has been training New Jersey first responders in the
US to identify, prevent, and respond to work-related trauma - and how to train
their colleagues in these skills.
Agreements with Ukraine. The visit of Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu to the Ukraine led to the signing of agreements on trade, hi-tech, agriculture,
patents, education, culture, language study, sports and youth. Each country will
open hi-tech centers in the other’s country.
Israeli delegation visits
Chad. Israel resumed
diplomatic relations with the Muslim-majority Republic of Chad in January (see here). An Israeli government delegation then visited Chad during the first
week of August to develop business relations and cooperation on agriculture
management and education.
Helping
fight fires in Brazil. Israel has sent a fire-fighting plane and flame-retardant materials to assist
the Brazilian Government battle fires raging in the Amazon rainforest. In
April, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro became the first head of state to
tour the Western Wall accompanied by an Israeli prime minister.
UN recognizes ELEM. Israeli non-profit ELEM helps at-risk
youth reclaim their lives and become productive members of society through therapy,
mentoring and assistance. ECOSOC (U.N. Economic and Social Council) has granted
ELEM special consultative status on the matter of vulnerable young people.
https://www.jns.org/un-agency-recognizes-israeli-organization-for-the-first-time/
https://www.elem.org/
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tel Aviv’s tech hub ranks 6th in the world. (TY Atid-EDI) Tel Aviv has more startups per capita than any other country. It
ranked sixth in Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER).
It was 2nd overall for cybersecurity and 3rd for Artificial Intelligence. Jerusalem also received an honorable mention.
Sustainable tech in the Israeli desert. Dry
lands cover over 40% of the world and are home to 2.2 billion people. This video
shows how Israeli technology is making such land suitable for growing crops.
A better bus service. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Optibus is used in over 300 cities worldwide to manage
some of the most complex and large-scale transportation operations. It helps streamline
operations while reducing congestion, emissions and costs. Optibus has just released
a major multi-route planning enhancement.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/public-transit-gets-help-improving-ridership-with-optibuss-release-of-multi-route-planning-capabilities-300890825.html https://www.optibus.com/
Stopping killer trucks. Overweight
trucks are a major cause of lethal road accidents, due to problems braking. Highway
6, Israel’s longest road, will be installed with a system that weighs trucks as
they drive, without interrupting traffic. Trucks exceeding legal limits will be
signaled to pull over and their drivers fined.
Intel’s reasoning chip. Intel’s Haifa lab has developed a microprocessor for computers to
gain knowledge by inference – i.e. to reach conclusions that are drawn from
evidence and reasoning. The Nervana NNP-I or Spring Hill chip is designed for
large computer processing centers.
More efficient construction. Israel’s Versatile
Natures develops an internet-of-things (IoT) system that provides an overview
of construction sites and offers actionable insights to increase efficiency and
avoid wasteful or non-optimal use of resources and tools. The Bosch Group has
just led a $5.5 million investment
Printing electronics around the clock. (TY
Atid-EDI) I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Nano Dimension and its 3D printing of electronic
circuits. Nano Dimension’s new DragonFly Lights Out technology allows 24-hour
continuous digital manufacturing (LDM) with minimal human involvement.
Packaging to cut food waste. I’ve reported
previously (see here) on many Israeli food packaging innovations to reduce some of the
40% food wasted in shops and at home. Now Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture is
to award a NIS 9.5 million grant, as part of a pilot program to promote pre-packaging
of produce by retailers.
Waste not, want not. Another innovation
to reduce food waste is the Israeli SpareEat app. Consumers buy discounted fresh
leftover dishes or produce from restaurants, hotels, cafes, and supermarkets.
Meanwhile, businesses make extra cash on food they could not otherwise sell.
Who has uploaded my video? (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup Videocites is an AI-based video tracking and analytics
company. It uses proprietary video fingerprinting technology to track the use
of a video either to protect it from piracy or to help analyze and boost its
exposure.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Businesses spent $19 billion
on R&D. 2017 data just published by Israel’s Central
Bureau of Statistics shows that expenditure by businesses in Israel on research
and development totaled NIS 66.5 billion ($19 billion). Over 100,000 people
were employed full-time in R&D.
Securing systems for the
US Navy. I’ve reported
preciously (see here) on Israel-based cybersecurity company Checkmarx. It has just won a
contract with the U.S. Navy to help it improve its software security and
accelerate the development of secure software applications.
El Al to fly to Dublin
& Dusseldorf.
Israel’s national carrier El Al Israel Airlines is launching new routes from Tel
Aviv to Dublin and Dusseldorf. The thrice-weekly services commence in May and
June 2020.
Three more routes for Arkia. Arkia Israeli Airlines is launching
new direct routes connecting Tel Aviv with Rome, Athens, and Prague. The twice-weekly
services commence in September.
EU grant
for anti-bacterial coating. I reported previously (see here) on the anti-bacterial coating for
fabrics of Israel’s Sonovia when the startup was called Nano Textile. Sonovia
has just been awarded a 2.4 million euros grant from the European Union’s Horizon
2020 research and innovation program.
Porsche invests more funds. I’ve reported previously (26th Jan) on Israel’s road visibility chipmaker TriEye, and on previous investments
by German car maker Porsche into Israeli auto-tech startups (see here). Now, Porsche has led an investment
of £19 million into the Israeli startup.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-road-visibility-chipmaker-trieye-nabs-investment-from-porsche/
Samsung expands R&D in
Israel. Samsung
has signed a 25-year lease on 9,000-square-meters of office space in Tel Aviv’s
Azrieli Town building. The six floors will accommodate 500 employees for the
planned expansion of its research and development division in Israel. See here for Samsung’s many activities in
Israel.
Instrument tutor has a 10
million audience.
I reported previously (see here) on Israeli music education
startup JoyTunes. Its main app Simply Piano has been downloaded 10 million times.
JoyTunes now has more than 200,000 paying subscribers and has just raised $25
million to expand its product range.
Analyzing connections in Avis
cars. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the partnerships that Israeli connected
car data startup Otonomo has made with Daimler/Mercedes, Skoda and Jaguar/Land
Rover. Now Otonomo is to help the Avis Budget Group streamline its connected
car fleet.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Huge Israeli sculpture in China desert. The
7.2-meter high sculpture “Walking” by Israel’s Dina Merhav has been selected for
the Minqin International Desert Sculpture Symposium 2019 to be installed in the
Suwu Desert in Minqin, China. Her vast iron work was one of 46 chosen from 2,327
by 538 artists from 63 countries.
Jerusalem film school in top 15 again. Prestigious
US magazine, Hollywood Reporter, has named the Sam Spiegel Film &
Television School in Jerusalem in its annual list of top 15 best international film
schools. It is the third consecutive year the magazine has included the Sam
Spiegel.
Whiskey bar and museum. I have visited Sarona Tel Aviv’s
Whiskey bar and museum and admired the more than 1,000 whiskey / whisky bottles
on display. ILTV recently brought their cameras to show viewers the impressive
collection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Smg_FfY8UY
Tel Aviv is the most dog-friendly
city. Tel Aviv
has one of the highest dog-to-person ratios in the world. This new video, made
to coincide with International Dog Day, will hopefully inspire dog-lovers to
come to Israel.
Judo World
Champion. Israeli
judoka Sagi Muki won the gold medal in the men’s under-81 kg class at the World
Judo Championship finals in Tokyo, Japan. He is the first male Israeli athlete
to receive the top prize.
Clean sweep at World Windsurfing
championship. Israeli
teenage boys won all the top medals at the RS:X Youth Windsurfing World Championship
in St. Petersburg, Russia. Eyal Yohay Zror won Gold, Daniel Basik Tashtash,
silver and Reuven (Roy) Hillel, bronze. Naama Greenberg won bronze in the
women’s division.
THE JEWISH STATE
Finding Jewish history
under Jerusalem.
(TY Sharon) Newsletter supporter and blogger Sharon visited the Sifting Project
in Jerusalem’s Zurim Valley and experienced the excitement of discovering artifacts
and remains from over 3,000 years of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem. She also
photographed many of the city’s excavations.
Another huge Indian rally to support Israel. Following on from a similar event in Feb 2018 (see here), over 10,000 Hindus united
in a major rally in Kolkata, India to denounce terrorism and show support for
Israel. Flooded roads and bumper-to-bumper traffic prevented many more from attending
the rally.
Aliya up by 29%. Immigration to Israel by Jews and
their relatives rose to just over 16,000 in the first half of 2019 – an increase
of nearly 30% compared to the corresponding period last year. Some three-quarters
came from countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.
The last Jews of South
Sudan make Aliya.
(TY UWI) Happy ending to an amazing and traumatic 30-year journey for Suzi
Makoriel and her 3 children. They finally arrived in Israel after being
kidnapped in Sudan on the way from Ethiopia to Israel. After a 10-year separation,
Suzy was re-united with her own mother.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Modern-day-Operation-Moses-How-a-settler-saved-an-entire-Ethiopian-family-599718
https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/21/last-3-jews-in-south-sudan-make-aliyah/
Dates where once only desert. Moshav
Naama is one of 21 communities in the Jordan Valley that produces Medjoul dates.
35 years ago, the whole area was desert. Then Jewish farmers used drip irrigation
and purified wastewater to turn the valley into an oasis of date orchards,
reviving a crop that thrived there in biblical times.
190818
In the 18th Aug 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have developed a new treatment for melanoma.
·
Israel gave
free sports footware to Kenyan lacrosse players.
·
Israeli space
technology is out of this world.
·
New Israeli
plastics are eco-friendly and extend food shelf-life.
·
Over 1,000
invest in new Israeli treatment for ALS.
·
Lionel
Richie is coming to Israel.
·
Following
the recent Jewish day of romance, two cancer survivors are to wed.
·
Click here
to see the 4th August newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo and United With Israel with extra features on Medical (with over 1,000 shares) and Jewish State. Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A nano-vaccine for melanoma. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a novel nano-vaccine
for melanoma (skin cancer) that has proved effective in laboratory tests. Tiny
particles made of bio-degradable polymer were packed with two “safe” cancer-expressed
peptides for the body to develop immunity against.
New test for Alzheimer’s. The SRY
subsidiary of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center has developed Vizamyl, a
radioactive agent that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Used in a Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) scan, it estimates amyloid neuritic plaque density in
the brain - the main indication of Alzheimer’s.
Good results for anti-radiation vaccine.
I reported previously (see here) on the PLX-R18 stem cell treatment for radiation sickness from Israel’s
Pluristem. Animal trials by the US Department of Defense demonstrated that
PLX-R18, administered before and after radiation exposure increased survival
rates by 46-70%.
US approval for antibacterial dental fillings. I reported previously (Aug 2018) about Israel’s Nobio and its nano-polymer that causes bacteria to
die immediately on contact. Nobio has just received FDA approval to market its
antibacterial material for dental fillings.
Agreement for psoriasis treatment. I
reported previously (see here) on the small molecule treatments from Israel’s Can-Fite for psoriasis,
liver and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Can-Fite AND South Korea-based
Kyongbo have just signed a distribution agreement for Can-Fite’s psoriasis
treatment Piclidenoson (CF101).
Innovation hub for hi-tech medicine. Israel’s
Innovation Authority and the National Digital Israel Initiative are setting up
an innovation hub dedicated to computational biology, digital health,
pharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence. They are asking for bids worth up
to NIS 32 million to build the hub.
Ultrasound skin therapy. Israeli startup
SofWave Medical is developing non-invasive ultrasound technology for skin
tightening. It targets specific layers of skin to reduce wrinkles and has
received CE (European) approval. SofWave has just raised $8.4 million of funding. https://alon-medtech.com/portfolio/
Facial recognition of genetic diseases. Israeli-founded
FDNA has developed artificial intelligence to detect physiological patterns (phenotypes)
that reveal disease-causing genetic variations. With one of the fastest growing
and most comprehensive genomic databases, FDNA is changing the game for
precision medicine.
First response training for medics in Chile. (TY Hazel) Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom is helping to
train municipal security personnel as first responders to medical emergencies in
the Chilean capital Santiago. It is in preparation for Chile hosting two major international
conferences at the end of the year.
Israeli-Druze officer saves Jordanian boy. (TY Hazel) Kalai Housam Tarif, an Israeli Prison Officer of the
Druze community, donated half of his liver to an unrelated eight-year-old boy
from Jordan. Surgeons at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah transplanted
around half of Tarif’s liver to save the boy.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Hi-tech co-existence. (TY UWI & TPS) Nazareth- based NGT (Next Generation Technology) serves as an
incubator for 19 innovative life science and medical technology companies. It
also has a social agenda – to bring Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs together to
work in the same environment and achieve startup success.
UK ambassador’s strong links to Israel. Britain’s
new ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, presented his credentials to President
Reuven Rivlin. He revealed that he first met his wife Yael in Israel on a previous
posting in 2002. Also, his grandfather was the commander of British forces that
liberated Bergen-Belsen.
Best foot forward. When
Israel played Kenya in the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championships, they saw
that the Kenyans were wearing sneakers instead of lacrosse cleats (shoes with special
studs). The next day, the Israelis
presented each Kenyan with her own pair of cleats.
https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/sports/this-kenyan-team-played-a-major-tournament-without-proper-kit-their-opponents-rescued-them https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/12/israeli-womens-lacrosse-team-gifts-kenyan-opponents-brand-new-cleats/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smA5NOtWklQ
Marine science exchange program. Israel is
to host 27 graduate students from 24 US institutions as part of the Limnology and
Oceanography Research Exchange (LOREX) program. Students will study at the
University of Haifa’s marine sciences school and the Interuniversity Institute for
Marine Sciences in Eilat.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-host-27-us-students-in-new-marine-sciences-exchange-program/
Huge delegation of House Reps visits Israel. 72 members of the US Congress (over 15% of the entire House of
Representatives) came to Israel on concurrent Republican and Democrat trips to
get a firsthand view of the challenges Israel faces and to express unconditional,
bipartisan support for the Jewish state.
Improving air safety in the US. Israel’s giant IT company NICE has just won a $137 million order from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it improve the safety of air transportation in over 770 sites. NICE’s tools will enable faster incident response and greater visibility into incident data.
Israel leads international tsunami drill. Israel's navy has been leading a major training exercise involving
11 countries in preparation for an expected earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Greece,
France and the US were in the main participants based at Haifa port, supported
by Germany, Italy, Canada, Chile, Cyprus and others.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Amos 17 satellite launched. Israel’s Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite (see here) was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Great youtube videos.
A satellite to help understand the universe. Israel’s Weizmann Institute and the Israel Space Agency are to
build ULTRASAT - a next-generation satellite with a telescope that will observe
the universe in UV light. It will investigate black holes, neutron stars, stars
with possible habitable planets and much more.
Data from the Sun. I
reported previously (see here) on the CMOS image sensor from Israel’s TowerJazz aboard the NASA Parker
Solar Probe. The high-resolution images of the Sun’s corona taken during the
first two fly-pasts have exceeded all expectations. A third encounter with the
Sun will take place imminently.
The Bible is a jewel. I reported previously
(see here) when scientists from Israel’s Technion Institute produced a Hebrew
Bible the size of a sugar grain. Now Hebrew
University of Jerusalem scientists and Tanaor Jewelry have embedded a nano-sized
Bible into a jewel that can be worn around the neck.
The origin of Israel’s desert water. Researchers
from Israel’s Ben Gurion University have used radio-krypton dating to map the
history of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer system, which lies beneath Israel’s Negev
desert. It has also identified the climate
conditions that produced it thousands of years ago.
Construction technology saves lives. (TY
Itai) There have been many preventable deaths and injuries at construction
sites. SafetyFirst, Safeguard, SiteAware,
SiteWatch and INTSITE are just five Israeli startups helping to prevent
work-related accidents. It’s the first appearance in my newsletter for all of
these.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/construction-technologies-save-lives/ https://margad.wixsite.com/safetyfirst
A better future for plastic. Rotem Shemesh is Head of Research at Israel’s Carmel Olefins. She
is developing plastic that are easier to recycle. Another product is antimicrobial
plastic packaging to prolong the shelf life of food. And she is determined to
remove the plastic particles responsible for that “new car smell”.
Duckweed is a superfood. BGU researchers
have determined that Mankai, a high-protein aquatic plant strain of duckweed,
has significant potential as a superfood. It provides glycemic control needed
after carbohydrate consumption. After two weeks, participants had much better glucose
levels and felt more full.
Unique drone technology. This video
features six innovative Israeli drone technology startups. I’ve featured five of them previously, except
for Civdorne, which develops a device that turns drones into land surveying,
measuring, and marking machines for construction sites.
Eco-friendly vines. Israeli agronomist
and viticulturalist, Michal Akerman, has worked with the Society for the Preservation
of Nature in Israel to make the vines at her Tabor vinyards friendlier to
biodiversity. Her efforts have encouraged storks, otters, lizards, rabbits,
chameleons and wild boar to return to the area.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Direct flights from
Dallas. (TY Janglo) American Airlines is launching a non-stop service from Dallas/Fort Worth,
Texas to Tel Aviv. The 3-flights-a-week operation will commence in Sep 2020 and
will be American Airlines’ first direct service to Israel since 2015.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/08/09/american-airlines-to-fly-nonstop-from-dallas-to-israel-starting-in-2020/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/267139
Summer jobs lead to hi-tech
careers. During the
summer months, many Israeli hi-tech companies offer 10-week paid internship
programs to the children of their employees. The students receive practical
experience, while the company gets highly motivated temporary workers for
little recruitment cost.
Emigration from Israel at
record low. The number
of Israelis moving abroad fell to the lowest level in more than three decades. Since
2002, emigration has fallen by half, from 27,300 emigrants in 2002 to 14,300 in
2017. Returning Israelis and new immigrants results in a net increase in Israel
of over 22,000 citizens in 2017.
Billion-dollar exit for Clicksoftware. (TY WIN) US software giant Salesforce.com has already acquired several Israeli
startups and some 500 of their employees.
But its latest $1.35 billion takeover of Israel’s workforce management software
startup Clicksoftware, and its 700 employees, dwarfs all of them.
Corindus exits for $1.1
billion. I reported
previously (Oct 2014) on Israeli-founded Corindus Vascular Robotics and its robotic-assisted
medical devices for groundbreaking catheterizations. Now, German medtech company Siemens Healthineers is acquiring Corindus,
and its 100 employees, for approximately $1.1 billion.
Another $200 million for
Cybereason. I
reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Cybereason, which
uses AI and big data analytics to protect a company’s endpoints. In two years, Cybereason
has tripled its customer base and now protects 6 million endpoints. Japan’s Softbank
has just led a $200 million investment in Cybereason.
Over one
thousand backers for ALS therapy developer. I reported previously (Mar 2017) on Israel’s NeuroSense, which is developing a treatment for amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS). NeuroSense has just raised NIS 4 million from over
1,100 backers in a crowdfunding campaign.
FAA approves food deliveries
by drone. I reported
previously (Sep 2017) when Israel’s Flytrex began commercial food deliveries by drone to
customers in Iceland. Now, the US Federal
Aviation Administration has given approval to Flytrex for a trial delivery of
food by drone to residents in Holly Springs, North Carolina.
Defense manufacturer buys
drone company. Israeli
defense contractor Rafael (makers of Iron Dome) has bought Israeli drone manufacturer
Aeronautics for an estimated NIS 850 million.
Amazon buys Israeli
storage startup. (TY
Janglo) US retail tech giant Amazon is acquiring Israeli storage technology
startup E8 Storage for an estimated $50-60 million. E8 Storage develops flash
storage installations based on software, which E8 Storage say are cheaper than current
hardware solutions, but ten times faster.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Arts, crafts and music on
Jerusalem streets. (TY Janglo) Jerusaem’s Hutzot HaYotzer festival (until 24th Aug) features
150 artists from Israel and 30 countries. Artisans showcase their creations and
sell their crafts, from watches to hammocks to paintings. Events include live
concerts, dance performances and workshops.
Shakespeare in the Rough. (TY Janglo) “Measure for Measure: In Motion” by the Theater in the Rough group
is being performed until 27th Aug in the Bloomfield Gardens Jerusalem. Entrance
is free of charge.
37,000 Phantom fans. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
famous musical, Phantom of the Opera, currently at the Israeli Opera in Tel
Aviv, is a smash hit with Israeli audiences. Already, 37,000 tickets have been sold
for its 32 performances, running until the first week in September.
Lionel Richie to say “Hello”. Pop legend Lionel Richie is coming to Israel for a performance on
Sep 12th in Live Park Rishon Lezion. He has rejected BDS boycott calls, indicating
that he is “Stuck On You” Israelis. With such an “Endless Love”, he could be singing
“All Night Long”!
Award-winning Israeli restaurants. (TY Jacques) Six Israeli restaurants
won awards at the World Luxury Restaurants Awards in St. Petersburg, Russia, voted
by 100,000 guests, travelers and industry professionals. Aria won 3 awards. The
other winners were Milgo Milbar, Herbert
Samuel, Chloelys, Hola, and Nomi.
Going underground. Israel's unique and breathtaking
subterranean scenery is attracting a growing number of cavers. Around three
years ago, Yoav Negev founded the Israel Cave Explorers Club and, more recently,
a rescue unit that is now part of the European Cave Rescue Association.
NBA’s loss is Israel’s
gain. Omri Caspi was
the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association league. He has
now returned to Israel, having signed a 3-year contract to play for Maccabi Tel
Aviv. He said he was “proud and excited to be wearing the Maccabi jersey with
the star of David on the back”.
THE JEWISH STATE
Cleaning up the holy city. (TY Janglo) The Jerusalem municipality has instigated several sanitation reforms in
order to improve the environment and quality of life in the capital. These
include garbage disposal on Saturday night, additional cleaning companies,
removing abandoned vehicles and cleaning historic buildings.
Photographic history of
Temple Mount. A
new exhibit “The Mount” at the Tower of David Museum offers the public a unique
glimpse at 180 years of photographs of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. They document
the history of the most holy Jewish site from 1839 to recent times.
Holocaust survivor celebrates with 400 descendants. Holocaust survivor Shoshana Ovitz celebrated her celebrated her 104th
birthday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem together with 90% of her descendants
- over 400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/08/07/104-year-old-holocaust-survivor-celebrates-birthday-at-western-wall-with-400-descendants/
Cancer survivors to wed. University students Eliav Marland and Etti Davidov will marry this
coming week. They met thanks to cancer charity Zichron Menachem having both
recovered from cancer treatment. A lovely story to celebrate Tu b’Av (15th of
Av) - the Jewish traditional day of romance.
Hundreds start new lives in Israel. (TY UWI) 242 new immigrants (Olim) from the US and Canada have just arrived
in Israel. They came on the 60th charter flight organized by NGO Nefesh b’Nefesh
and the Jewish Agency. They included the 60,000th Oleh to be funded by NbN since
the NGO began work in 2002.
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/With-music-and-shofar-blasts-Israel-welcomes-olim-from-North-America-598578 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqUrkv-ajoM
190804
In the 4th Aug 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli
scientists have transformed MRI scans to detect brain diseases.
·
Israel’s upgrade
of neonatal units in Ghana has saved hundreds of babies.
·
Israelis take
hundreds of sick Palestinian Arabs to hospital every day.
·
Four new Israeli
innovations are of big benefit to the environment.
·
Two new billion-dollar
Israeli companies.
·
57,000 Israeli
fans enjoyed Jennifer Lopez’s Party in the Park.
·
Roman Abramovich
is helping make the Negev desert bloom.
·
Click here
to see the 28th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Re-igniting cells to kill cancer. Ben
Gurion University scientists have discovered a protein in the membrane of
cancer cells that helps the cancer to grow by disabling the immune system’s white
blood cells. They have also identified a potential antibody antidote and have
secured a startup and funding to develop and commercialize it.
MRIs detect molecular changes in the brain. Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have transformed magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to detect microscopic changes in the biological makeup
of brain tissue. Doctors can now get an early warning if a patient is developing
a disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-imaging-technique-could-help-doctors-predict-Alzheimers-cancer-597134 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266682
Analyzing brain cells for Alzheimer’s. Israel’s Quantified Biology uses AI (Artificial
Intelligence) to analyze images of those cells in the brain responsible for electrical
communication between neurons. The startup helps researchers into Alzheimer’s treatments
by identifying their effect on these key cells.
A gene to protect against the Zika virus. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli work to eradicate
the deadly Zika virus. Now Tel Aviv University scientists have identified the
gene IFI6, which combats the Zika virus by protecting cells from infection and preventing
cell death. It can lead to a new anti-viral therapy.
Detecting undiagnosed head injuries. More
than 50 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) ever
year. CT and MRI scans often fail to detect mild concussions. Israeli neurobiologist
Dr. Adrian Harel has founded Medicortex Finland which detects TBI cell damage
in a biomarker in saliva and urine.
Hello Heart. Israeli-founded Hello Heart is a Smartphone
app that helps users lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular
death, strokes and coronary heart disease. It provides tools to self-manage
hypertension by encouraging behavior change in companies’ employees. FDA approved
and HIPAA compliant.
Novel diet for children with Crohn’s disease. Israeli and Canadian researchers have developed a diet that in a
12-week put 75% of children with Crohn’s disease into remission. The diet comprised eggs, chicken, potatoes,
apples, and mashed bananas and initially excluded wheat, dairy, fish, rice, and
other fruits and vegetables.
Live long and prosper. (TY Roc) Israel’s
National Plan on Aging includes increased budgets for R&D for healthy longevity;
health education and increased awareness about aging-related diseases; better public
systems for early detection and prevention of aging-related diseases. See also
report “Longevity in Israel”.
http://longevityalliance.org/?q=enhancing-research-development-and-education-healthy-longevity-included-israel-national-masterplan https://www.israel21c.org/israel-fast-becoming-world-hub-of-aging-industry/
Saving babies in Ghana. (TY Arlene) Israel has upgraded neo-natal facilities in the Kumasi
South and Suntreso hospitals in Ashanti, Ghana. Israeli medical personnel from Beersheva’s
Soroka Medical Center also trained staff at those hospitals. Doctors there estimate
that some 700 babies have been saved as a direct result.
https://yen.com.gh/131224-israel-upgrades-neonatal-units-kumasi-south-suntreso-hospitals-photos.html
Enhancing emergency services in Mexico. Many
Mexicans lose their lives each year because emergency calls from mobile phones
do not accurately pinpoint the caller’s location. Israel’s Carbyne, is to provide
Google’s ELS (Emergency Location Service) in real time. For previous newsletter
articles on Carbyne,.see here.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Underprivileged teens startups. Israel’s
Unistream operates after-school programs for teens and young adults to learn to
be leaders and entrepreneurs. 80 startups from this program competed for business
and social impact prizes. Winners were Genie (diapers), Homeet (cooking), Smart
Shoes, and Segev Shalom (Bedouin education).
The power behind empowering Access Israel. NGO Access Israel creates awareness of the needs of people with disabilities.
Its founder IAF pilot Yuval Wagner was invalided after a 1987 helicopter crash.
Accessibility problems drove him to setup Access Israel with support from ex-IAF
pilot, then President Ezer Weizman.
Ethiopian-Israelis are a hi-tech bridge.
I reported previously (see here) on Israeli NGO Tech-Career
that has helped 550 Ethiopian-Israelis get jobs at Israel’s top hi-tech
companies. Tech-Career held a recent event to show that the Ethiopian-Israeli community
can be a bridge between Israel and the African tech market.
Excavating an ancient church. A couple
of weeks ago I reported that Israeli archaeologists had unearthed an ancient
mosque, showing that Israel respected the history of all religions. Now, excavations
in Israel’s Galilee have uncovered remains of an ancient church said to mark
the home of the apostles Peter and Andrew.
Taking sick Palestinian Arabs to hospital. 900 volunteers in Israeli NGO Road to Recovery take Palestinian
Arabs (around 150 every day) to get lifesaving treatments in Israeli hospitals.
The NGO recently won the IIE Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle
East. It also arranges beach days and has saved Israeli lives.
British army adopts Israeli electric motorbikes. British Special Forces have reportedly adopted an electric
motorcycle developed in Israel. In a recent exercise, the British Army
parachuted the motorcycles from a helicopter together with soldiers, who then
traveled 10 miles on the silent vehicles.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/06/01/this-silent-all-electric-dirt-bike-could-soon-drive-special-operators-into-battle/ http://www.zeromotorcycles.co.il/zero/zero-s/index.html
Connecting teachers to Israel. Hundreds
of Jewish and non-Jewish educators visited Israel for a World Education
Conference organized by KKL-JNF. The aim of the trip was to strengthen the teachers'
connection to and understanding of Israel, in order to teach about Israel in a
more informed way.
Birthright for academics. I reported
previously (see here) on Ido Aharoni when he was publicizing Israel’s achievements in his
work at the Israeli embassy in New York. Now at New York University, Professor
Aharoni is still “changing the conversation” with his “Birthright for academics”
program to positively rebrand Israel.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Africa’s most advanced satellite. Israel’s
SpaceCom is shortly to launch its Amos 17 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
from the Kennedy Space Center. Its main aim is to improve TV, cellular and
Internet services to Africa. SpaceCom already has $53 million of orders for
services. The satellite will operate for up to 20 years.
Jerusalem to revolutionize waste recycling. (TY Janglo) Jerusalem Municipality has begun to replace its current recycling facilities
whereby residents were required to sort waste into paper, bottles, glass, plastic
etc. In future, sorting will be done centrally, by GreenNet situated in the Atarot
Industrial Area, north of Jerusalem.
Smarter garbage trucks. Israeli startup GreenQ uses sensors on garbage trucks and big-data
analytics to optimize schedules and routes for trash collection. It helps avoid
collecting empty bins or missing overflowing ones. GreenQ says it can save 30-50%
of a city’s costs for refuge collection and reduce traffic congestion.
Recycling waste into recycling bins. I reported previously (Apr 2018) on Israel’s UBQ which is turning garbage into reusable thermoplastic
building material. It is shipping 2,000 recycling bins made from UBQ’s material
to the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, for delivery to Virginia
residents.
Sustainable villages. Israeli
entrepreneurs Jonathan Haran and Victor Hajaj are founders of the Sustainable
Group. They plan to build the first carbon-negative village in a kibbutz near
Mizpe Ramon. They are also developing AI software for cities to manage food, water,
energy and waste for humans and the environment.
An all-seeing eye. Israeli-founded Mobileye
demonstrated its new EyeQ4 camera in London. It can track and analyze masses of
data including traffic lights, bus stops and even manhole covers. It can calculate
rush hour traffic volumes, detect muggings and accidents. Data is uploaded to the
cloud in real time.
Waze’s new Israeli carpool feature. Israeli-developed
Waze has released a new carpooling feature in Israel. Drivers will now be able
to invite multiple passengers to join their carpool, and if the car has at
least three passengers, their route will be adjusted to include High Occupancy
Vehicles (HOV) lanes.
Making light work of broadband. Israel’s
Juganu has developed "Digital World" that combines smart street lighting
and advanced connectivity for municipalities. It enables intelligent traffic
control, security and accident monitoring, rescue coordination, support for
smart cars and of course lighting and more – all without cabling.
Putting Israel in the shade. (TY Janglo) Israel’s National Planning and Building Commission is eliminating bureaucracy
preventing artificial shade in public spaces. It estimates the cost of shading
a street at around NIS 1000 per square meter – trivial, compared to the NIS
800,000 cost of one person’s treatment for skin cancer.
Leading the way in computer vision. Rare
positive (video) article on Israeli imaging technology from the UK Financial Times.
Extracts from the video – “This technology's impact is being felt in fields from
medicine to self-driving cars and even shopping.” “There's one small nation at
this industry's forefront, Israel.”
Tomato-picking robot. Israeli startup MetoMotion
is developing a robotic system for labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses. The
company’s robot can pick tomatoes, using 3D vision and machine vision
algorithms to identify and locate ripe tomatoes. MetoMotion states that the
robot can also prune and de-leaf.
Defending against the unknown. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (see here) on Israeli cybersecurity startup
ThetaRay. It has just launched Version 4.0 of its advanced analytics platform to
help global banks detect and prevent "unknown unknown" cybercrimes that
are hard to spot with older cybersecurity products.
Toddlers need to know who is boss. A
study of 120 toddlers aged 17 months by researchers at Bar-Ilan and Illinois
universities shows that they have a well-developed understanding of social
hierarchies and power dynamics. They reacted differently to situations where misbehavior
was dealt with compared to when it wasn’t.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Massive demand for shares
in TASE. Shares
in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange company have been floated on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange (TASE). Demand for the 31.7% stake on offer has outstripped supply by a
factor of five to one. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767242,00.html
Brazilian & EU support
for low sugar Israeli juice. I reported previously (7th Jan) on the reduced sugar juice technology of Israel’s Better Juice. Better
Juice has since won a 50,000 Euro grant from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program and
is setting up a pilot plant thanks to Brazil’s Citrosuco, the world’s largest orange
juice producer.
Stay on
top of your work. Israel’s Monday.com is used by 350,000 people
in 80,000 organizations, from 76 countries to manage and track projects, manufacturing
lines, and schedules. It has just raised $150 million, valuing the company at
nearly $2 billion. So how is it that I’ve never reported on it? I need Monday.com!
Lightricks
is now a Unicorn.
I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Lightricks –
developer of Facetune, Enlight and Swish. The startup has just raised $135
million of funds to value the company at $1 billion and give it the financial title
of a “Unicorn”. Lightricks revenue in 2018 was $150 million – 3 times that of 2017.
Boosting business at
McDonald’s. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (31st Mar) that McDonald’s had bought Israel’s Dynamic Yield for $300 million. The
purchase is already making a big return on investment as the burger chain has
seen large increases in sales thanks to the Israeli-developed AI personalized digital
menus.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Window wonderland. (TY Janglo) Jerusalem’s “Window Stories,” is a towering palace made of 550
windows salvaged from across the city, in a variety of shapes and styles from
different eras. It is free to the public until 21st Sep in Gan HaSus (Horse
Garden) on King George Street. At night it becomes a glittering lighthouse.
J.Lo knocks it out of the park. Jennifer Lopez’s “It’s My Party” concert to celebrate her 50th birthday
in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park was acclaimed as one of the best ever. The singer/dancer
brought a 100-person crew, including dancers, musicians and 45 tons of
equipment for the 90-minute show in front of 57,000 fans.
Film debut for Oscar-winning film. (TY
Benyamin) I reported previously (2nd Mar) when Israeli director Guy Nattiv won an Academy Award (Oscar) for
his Live Action Short film “Skin”. Skin has
just opened at US theatres and will be shown at October’s Haifa International
Film Festival. (See 1st link to interview with Guy.)
World premier of flamenco romance. Spanish
flamenco star María Juncal is to premiere her latest work, Life is Romance (La
Vida es un Romance), on 9th Aug at the Suzanne Dellal Center as part of the Tel
Aviv International Dance Festival. Juncal performs annually in Israel. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Tel-Aviv-dance-festival-to-host-world-premiere-of-flamenco-romance-597189
Summer night of two hugs. (TY Sharon) Two recent emotional
encounters in Jerusalem included ex-Chief
Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and the son of the chaplain of the US Army unit that
liberated him from Buchenwald. Also, President Rivlin greeting Dr Ruth Westheimer
at the Jerusalem Film Festival’s documentary of her life.
Whale shark returns to Israeli coast. For the fourth time this year, the largest
species of fish – a whale shark – has been tracked swimming up the Gulf of Eilat.
Israel is a haven for this endangered species, due to warm waters and the absence
of shark fishing. (N.B. the only reported shark attack in Israeli waters was in
1974.)
THE JEWISH STATE
Herzl inspires forever. I briefly mentioned previously (Nov 2015) the Israel Forever Foundation. It has just launched the “My Herzl International
Youth Essay Competition,” to mark the anniversary of Theodor Herzl’s passing. Teens
worldwide, aged 13 to 17, are invited to write about their vision for
continuing Herzl’s dream.
https://www.jns.org/opinion/israel-forever-honors-herzls-yahrtzeit-by-inspiring-the-next-generation/
Awards for three inspiring
women Zionists. The
World Zionist Organization honored Ilana Metzger, Joy Wolfe (StandWithUs UK
President and VeryGoodNewsIsrael supporter) and Ruth Jacobs for their Zionist
activism by awarding them Golden Golda Awards - named after former Israeli
premier Golda Meir.
Abramovich helps turn back the desert. Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich has made a large
donation to KKL-JNF to help afforestation, forest rehabilitation and fight desertification
in the Negev. The gift will also fund a new forest dedicated to Lithuanian Jews
who were murdered in the Holocaust.
https://www.jpost.com/J-Spot/Roman-Abramovich-gifts-significant-donation-to-KKL-JNF-projects-597121 https://www.jns.org/roman-abramovich-donates-to-combat-climate-change-effects-in-negev-desert/
Israel welcomes 121 Ukrainian Olim. A
special flight, organized by the International Fellowship of Christians and
Jews, brought 121 new immigrants to Israel from the Ukraine. They were welcomed
at a special ceremony attended by Israel’s Prime Minister, the Absorption
Minister and the president of the IFCJ Yael Eckstein.
190728
In the 28th July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Israeli scientists
discover how to prevent melanoma becoming lethal.
·
Arabs,
Christians and Jews open a kosher restaurant in Akko (Acre).
·
Israel is in
the top 10 of the world’s most innovative countries.
·
Israeli
students won two gold medals at the first Physics Olympiad in Israel.
·
An Israeli
solution to disposable tableware – Eat it!
·
Two
Israeli startups have just become billion-dollar companies.
·
Novak Djokovic
and an Israeli startup are a winning combination.
·
An Israeli
stem-cell donor for a cancer patient was found – in the Himalayas.
·
Click here
to see the 21st July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (plus nice intro) and Janglo. Also (TY Sandra) in German. Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the Hebrew /
English Facebook page www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL and pass these links onto German and Hebrew-reading contacts.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
How to
stop melanoma turning lethal. Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that fat cells close to
melanoma cells cause them to become aggressive and form secondary cancers.
Removing the fat cells, calms down the melanoma cells and they stop migrating
to the organs. The study also suggests new cancer treatments.
The microbiome impact on ALS. (TY UWI) A study by researchers at Israel’s
Weizmann Institute shows intestinal microbes can have a direct effect on the
course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS / Lou Gehrig’s disease). Certain strains of gut microbes (or their
secretions) slowed ALS-like diseases in the lab.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/treatment-with-gut-microbes-may-slow-progression-of-als-israeli-study/
Early warning of TB danger. Some 2 million people die of
Tuberculosis (TB) every year. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed
an algorithm that can predict those whose immune system response to TB infection
would put them at risk. These people can then be treated while the level of TB
bacteria is low.
AI to detect sleep apnea. An international
research team led by the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology has developed innovative,
Artificial Intelligence-based software to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),
in which people stop breathing during their sleep. The software can be implanted
on a smart watch or bracelet.
VR for the elderly. Many elderly Israelis wear Virtual
Reality (VR) goggles, not only to have fun, but also to maintain health. Israeli
startup VRHealth’s VR therapy platform provides real-time data analytics and warn
of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia. It can also jog memory, reduce
stress and counter loneliness.
Medtronic partners Israeli
stroke detection startup. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Viz.ai and its AI
brain scan analysis technology. Viz.ai’s new partner is medical device giant Medtronic,
who will distribute Viz.ai’s technology in the U.S.
Improving treatment results. Israel’s Well-Beat has developed
an Artificial Intelligent system that improves the effectiveness of chronic treatment.
It provides healthcare professionals with the tools to change their patients’ lifestyles
plus communication and motivation techniques to help patients comply with the treatment.
Therapeutic farm for teens. The Nachliel
farm in Samaria has rehabilitated hundreds of at-risk boys for over 20 years.
They cultivate the land, ride horses, swim and catch fish. They learn to navigate,
take care of themselves in difficult conditions and most importantly how to
look after one another.
The first seven minutes. Israeli emergency
organization Magen David Adom has used its “First 7 Minutes” program to train over
3,000 people in 15 countries to respond to mass casualty events. These include
Canada, Australia, South America, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Greece
and now in the United States.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Cybersecurity training for
autistic students.
Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry
have opened a cybersecurity training course for students with disabilities. The
first to benefit are 16 students on the autism spectrum. The two-month course
includes mentoring and will lead to internships.
Investing in Torah and technology. I reported previously (Nov 2016) on Israel’s RavTech which employs yeshiva students who combine computer programming
with Torah studies. RavTech provides QA automation services to Check Point and
Elbit. It earned NIS 8 million in 2018 and has now raised an additional $4 million.
Arab-Israeli journalist
promotes Israeli innovation. Last week I included a video featuring Lucy Aharish praising Israeli
efforts to support the UN’s sustainable development goals. I failed to mention, however, that Lucy is a Muslim
Arab-Israeli reporter and Israeli TV host. She is currently the news anchor on Reshet
13.
Akko’s
co-existence kosher restaurant. A Jew, a Christian and a Muslim have opened the first kosher restaurant
in the diverse, northern Israeli port city of Acre (Akko). Called “Roots,” it
combines dishes from all three traditions, “bringing peace to this place.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbcXeuDZyV0
Arab media delegation visits Israel. A group
of Arab journalists and bloggers have come to Israel - including from UAE,
Egypt and (the first time) Saudi Arabia and Iraq. They are expected to tour
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Water from the air to Michigan. A state
of emergency was declared for Flint, Michigan since 2016, when toxic lead
leaked into its water supply. A water-from-air system from Israel’s WaterGen has
now been donated to Greater Flint Holy Temple church, which has been providing free
bottled water to thirsty residents.
US-Israel energy cooperation agreement. (TY
WIN) US Energy Secretary Rick Perry signed an energy cooperation agreement
between the US and Israel covering cybersecurity in energy, gas projects and
the US-Israel Energy Center. He also toured energy facilities in Ashdod with
Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz.
The first symposium on Hispanic culture.
For the first time in Israel, scholars, journalists and lovers of the Spanish
language from 40 countries gathered at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for a
five-day academic conference hosted by the International Association of Hispanists.
Israel is 10th most innovative nation. Israel ranked number 10 of the 129 countries listed on the annual
Global Innovation Index compiled by World Intellectual Property Organization,
Cornell University and INSEAD. Israel has moved up every year since 2015, when
it was ranked 22nd.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Friendly packaging to transport vegetables. I reported previously (2nd Sep) on Israel-based StePac and its innovative food packaging. StePac has
now launched low-cost, low-carbon, recyclable Modified Atmosphere / Modified
Humidity packaging to transport vegetables without packing them in wax cartons
filled with ice.
The first Israel-hosted Physics Olympiad. (TY Algemeiner) At the International Physics Olympiad, held in Israel for the
first time, Israelis won five medals - two gold, two silver, and a bronze. The
event attracted 360 students from 78 countries, including Indonesia. Israel’s Eyal
Walach won a gold for the 2nd year in a row.
Six medals in Math Olympiad. A team of
Israeli high school students won six medals at the International Mathematical
Olympiad held in the city of Bath, England. Ido Karshon won gold and other team
members won 3 silver medals and two bronze.
New hi-tech hub in Binyamin. A new hi-tech
center, the first of its kind in Judea and Samaria, has been inaugurated. “BinyaminTech,”
will host entrepreneurs and a variety of hi-tech startups. At the event the
first 10 graduates of the ‘BinyaminTech Accelerator 1’ program presented their
projects.
What’s it like on the beach? The Tel
Aviv municipality has launched a new app Tel Aviv-Jaffa Beaches. It provides details
on all 13 Tel Aviv blue flag beaches, including wave height, water and air temperature.
You can also use the app to rent sun beds, chairs, beach umbrellas and other
items at 66% less than the cash price.
Wave energy farm. I reported previously (Apr 2015) on Israel-founded Eco Wave Power (EWP). EWP has just listed on
Nasdaq First North (Stockholm). The proceeds will be used to build its first
commercial wave energy farm. EWP also plans to expand its existing wave plants
in Jaffa Port and Gibraltar.
Edible tableware. This
has got to be the most environmentally friendly disposable tableware. When you finish your salad, you eat the bowl! Israel’s Incredibowl offers three main
products - savory salad bowls, sweet cereal / desert bowls and edible shot
glasses. All are vegan, kosher, and free from lactose, eggs, and gluten.
https://incredibowl.traffic365.co.il/ https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3766743,00.html
Building homes with empty bottles. (TY Calcalistech) Here is a novel solution to the problem of non-degradable plastic bottles. Israel’s Clicko-Brick makes interlocking,
modular plastic containers. Initially used for liquids, when empty they can be
recycled to build anything from children’s toys to earthquake-proof houses.
Security for smart homes and cities. Following
reports of a data breach of a smart home device platform in that exposed more
than two billion records, Israel’s IXDen has launched “IXDen Smart Homes”. It
is designed to protect billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices against cyberattacks,
tampering, and data manipulation.
Connect with your mentors. Israel’s Haredi
startup Emerj develops a machine learning-based search engine that helps
international corporations connect their employees with various mentors that
already work for the company. Emerj has just raised $800,000 to expand its team
and operations in the U.S.
3D design to save coral reefs. Biologists
and designers from Israel’s Technion and Ben Gurion University have 3D-printed bioplastic
and ceramic reefs that Red Sea fish have used to make their homes. Although
Israeli corals are healthy, the new man-made reefs could support the collapsing
ecosystems of reefs elsewhere.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
A picture of the nation. (TY Nevet) Positive highlights in the latest
Taub Center report include rising standard of living, falling prices, more participation
in labor force, low tax rates, high birth rate, improved education results,
growth in hi-tech education, low cost of healthcare, reduction in poverty and more
daycare provision.
Israel’s economic surge. Ambassador Ettinger’s latest
report compares Israel today to its economic position 30 years ago. It has certainly come forward a long way. Note
the massive increase in GDP, Exports, currency reserves, energy resources, desalinated
water, employment of women and number of students.
Amazon to launch in September. Amazon anticipate a September launch
in Israel, as by then at least 100 Israeli retailers will have opened an Amazon
store. A sales campaign is to begin in
August. Delivery to local customers will be provided through an Orian / Gett partnership.
Volvo invests in two Israeli
startups. Volvo
Cars Tech Fund has made investments in two promising Israeli technology
start-ups - UVeye and MDGo – Volvo’s first investments outside of the USA and
Europe. Both startups have benefited from Israel’s “Drive” accelerator program,
which Volvo has supported.
Self-driving finance. (TY Calcalistech) Israel-based fintech startup Personetics Technologies provides AI tools
to the customers of 30 global banks – around 60 million customers. It is opening
a research and development center in northern Israeli town Nazareth to support
its recent growth in the US, Europe and Asia.
http://personetics.com/personetics-opens-new-research-development-center-nazareth-support-continued-growth/
http://personetics.com/resource_center/road-to-self-driving-finance/
Hippo becomes
a Unicorn. I reported
previously (2nd Dec) on the smart home insurance technology of Israeli-founded Hippo. It has
just raised another $100 million of funds, bringing it up to the finance-language
status of a “Unicorn” – i.e. a company with a market value at least $1 billion.
Trax is
also a Unicorn. I
reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Trax and its image recognition and computer vision analytics
tools that allows retailers to keep track of their stock and inventory. Trax
has just received another $100 million investment to fund further R&D in
Israel, valuing the company at $1.1 billion.
Cloud-tech startup wins
$250,000. Israeli
on-demand cloud technology startup env0 won Israel’s must lucrative start-up
prize, taking home $250,000 at TMTI Summit’s “The Challenge” competition. Env0
uses AI to generate code continuously and help deploy and manage multiple cloud
native environments.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Cloud-technology-company-wins-Israels-most-lucrative-start-up-contest-596694 https://www.env0.com/
Israeli payments service
has no diplomatic barriers. Malaysia-listed GHL Systems is partnering with Splitit Payments. As part
of the deal, Splitit’s Israeli-developed installment payment service will be
offered by more than 2,000 online merchants in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia,
and the Philippines.
Mind the Tech. Calcalist's annual innovation and
technology conference Mind the Tech will take place in London on September
11-13. Participants include investors, entrepreneurs, and executives active in
the mobility, artificial intelligence, big data, and e-commerce sectors.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem festival of contemporary design. Jerusalem’s overall character was the idea behind “Overall,” a
festival celebrating the culture of contemporary fashion at Jerusalem’s Tower
of David Museum. The free, three-day event included a fashion show by graduates
of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.
Lego. The renowned international Lego
Art Exhibition, “The Art of the Brick,” returns to Holon Israel (Jul 25 to Aug 31).
It will feature large scale, 3D Lego sculptures by US award-winning “Brickartist”
Nathan Sawaya,. Simultaneously, Tel Aviv’s Lego Space park includes a life-size
replica of SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar lander.
International clown festival. For the
sixth consecutive year, Netanya hosts the International Clown Festival from Aug
14 – 16. Free events take place in Netanya’s streets and Independence Square.
There are also plays at Netanya’s Culture Center. https://gonetanya.com/?p=42986&lang=en
Jerusalem – the second-best city in Africa. Jerusalem has been ranked
second in the category of “Best Cities in Africa and the Middle East” by US-based
Travel + Leisure magazine. Cape Town came top for the 18th consecutive year.
Tel Aviv was sixth.
Bon Jovi rocks Tel Aviv. Rock superstars
Bon Jovi rocked 45,000 fans for 3 hours at Park Hayarkon Tel Aviv. Before “We Don’t Run", dedicated to
Israel in 2015, Jon Bon Jovi said, “This one is for the incredible people of
Israel - for their strength, for their love.” Jon Bon Jovi is now touring Israel with his family
and the band.
Israeli
startup helps Wimbledon winner. Novak Djokovic’s victory in the Wimbledon
tennis men’s final may have had something to do with his investment in the AI sports
analytics system from Israel’s PlaySight. It provides performance data to aid
training. Djokovic has been funding and promoting the system since 2014.
Israel hosts Euro Lacrosse
championships. The
2019 European Lacrosse Federation Women’s European Lacrosse Championship was held
this year in Israel. It featured 300 women from 16 European countries at the Kraft
Family Sports Campus’ Jerusalem stadium. Israel reached the final, narrowly losing
to favorites England.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/07/20/international-lacrosse-competition-cradles-its-way-to-israel/
Baseball success. Israel’s youth baseball team won the
European U18 Baseball Championship qualifiers in Stockholm and a place in next
summer’s championships. Earlier in July, Israel’s men’s national team won their
tier “B” pool in Bulgaria to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2020
Tokyo Olympic Games.
Hoops victory. Israel’s U20 Basketball team won
the FIBA Under-20 European Championship, beating Spain 92-84 in Tel Aviv to take
the trophy for the second year in a row. Deni Avdija, with 23 points and seven
assists, picked up the Most Valuable Player award. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266372
THE JEWISH STATE
An unusual passenger. (TY WIN) A very strange passenger entered Terminal 3 at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion
Airport to the delight of surprised passengers and staff. He stretched his legs
in the departures area, before eventually being taken into custody. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266422
The Canaanite city
conquered by Joshua. Archaeologists working at Tel Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee, have excavated
seven huge basalt stairs. They indicate the size of the city conquered by the
Israelites 3500 years ago (see Joshua 11:10)
The birthplace of Goliath. Archaeologists have unearthed 3000-year-old
fortifications while excavating underneath what they previously thought was the
ancient city of Gath. The latest discoveries include pottery shards with the
name of Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, whom David defeated in their
famous battle.
To the
ends of the earth.
Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion found a match on their bone marrow database for a young
cancer patient. They then discovered the potential donor was trekking somewhere
in the Far East. They finally located her at Kasol Chabad in the Himalayas, and
she happily agreed to be a donor. That was just the start!
190721
In the 21st July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
Europe has approved an Israeli headset for
treating migraine.
·
The first Arab woman in charge of an Israeli
ER room.
·
Israeli
archaeologists excavate an ancient mosque.
·
Israel
presents its sustainable developments to the UN.
·
The European
Commission is buying shares in Israeli startups.
·
Netflix has made a movie about Israel’s rescue
of Ethiopian Jews.
·
An Arab
Muslim paramedic saves the life of a Jewish bride.
·
Click here
to see the 14th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, IsraPundit and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German. Zachy (my Hebrew translator) is sitting his final exams. Please pass
on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY Esty)
please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Phase 3 trials for pancreatic cancer treatment. (TY Stuart). I reported previously (10th Jun) results of trials of one pancreatic treatment at Israel’s Sheba hospital.
Sheba are now starting Phase 3 trials of another, CPI-613 (devimistat) from
Israeli biotech Rafael, which can also treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia and other
cancers.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Breakthrough-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-phase-III-trial-opens-in-Israel-596059 https://rafaelpharma.com/research-and-development/cpi-613-drug/
Israeli project reduces UK child obesity. (TY UWI) Between 2009 and 2017 child obesity increased across the UK but fell
6.4% in Leeds – England’s 3rd largest city. This was due to the HENRY [Health Exercise
Nutrition for the Really Young] initiative, developed by Professor Mary Rudolf
of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/UK-city-sees-decrease-in-child-obesity-thanks-to-program-from-Bar-Ilan-prof-595088 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijpo.12529
Custom-tailored antibiotics. (TY WIN & UWI) I reported previously (23rd Feb) on the AI system devised at Israel’s Technion for identifying the
right antibiotic and dose for curing an individual’s infection. Now, thanks to the
KSM Institute of Israel’s Maccabi Health company, the system is getting much nearer
to fruition.
Hope for multi-disease treatment. I reported
previously (Feb 2018) about the 5-mer peptide, developed by Professor David Naor of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Its potential to treat inflammatory and brain
diseases has now been recognized by donors and an Israeli biotech which has
signed contracts for clinical trials.
Moses wins excellence award. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (23rd Oct) on the Moses laser from Israel’s Lumenis that urologists were using
to smash bladder stones. Its technology was the Silver Winner in the Operating
Room Medical Device category of the 21st Annual Medical Design Excellence
Awards.
https://lumenis.com/medical/news/mosestm-laser-technology-wins-2019-medical-design-excellence-award/
Europe approves migraine headset. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on the Relivion headset device
from Israel’s Neurolief that treats migraines using adaptive multi-channel
brain neuromodulation technology. Relivion has just received the CE mark to
allow it to be sold over the counter in the EU.
Europe funds Israeli prostate implant.
(TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (Nov 2014) on Israel’s ProArc Medical and its ClearRing implant to treat benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). ProArc has just received a $2.2 million grant from
the Horizon 2020 program to commercialize the minimally invasive reshaping implant.
US approval for pelvic prolapse treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on two innovative Israeli medical
procedures for pelvic prolapse. However, two devices from Israel’s ConTipi
Medical are much simpler. Impressa was acquired by Kimberly Clark in 2013. ProVate
has CE and now FDA approval.
Arab woman heads Israeli emergency room. (TY Hazel) I reported previously (Apr 2013) when Muslim doctor Aziz Darawshe became director of the emergency
department at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. Now, Hadassah’s Dr. Shaden
Salameh has become the first Arab woman to head-up an Israeli emergency
room.
Weizmann scientists aim to stop skin cancer. This latest “Weizmann in Focus” video summarizes the work of Professor
Yardena Samuels, tuning treatment to an individual’s unique genomic profile.
She also discovered the signposts to guide immunotherapy treatments and destroy
90% of the targeted melanoma cells.
Bio-meds go for funds. (TY Sharon) Six Israeli bio-techs pitched
their therapies to investors at the Azrieli College of Engineering. Concenter (type-2
diabetes treatment), Omnysense (hi-tech thermometer), Omnix (antibiotic),
Neurogenesis (neuron injections), Vaxil (anti-cancer vaccine) and Virucure (anti-cancer
virus).
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Promoting unity. (TY Sharon) The many events in Jerusalem
last week included the Jerusalem Unity Prize awards. They were given to three Israeli projects that
promote unity and the Moishe House for the diaspora.
Samaria town has highest
matriculation rate. The Jewish Samaria town of Elkana has the highest percentage of students
receiving their high school diplomas – over 98%. In equal third place was the Arab
town of Kaukab Abu al-Hija in the Lower Galilee with 96%.
Funds for Bedouin Arab education. "Momentum," a program developed
by non-profit Social Finance Israel, aims to boost the number of high school
graduates from the Arab Bedouin city of Rahat. NIS 14.8 million worth of Impact
Bonds have been sold, to help benefit 50% more students than the 1,200 in the
current scheme.
Excavating
an ancient mosque.
Israeli archaeologists don’t just focus on Jewish Biblical sites. They also have
discovered (and are now excavating) a 7th to 8th century rural mosque, one of
the earliest known in the world, in the town of Rahat in the Negev.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/1200-year-old-mosque-uncovered-in-Bedouin-city-in-southern-Israel-596063
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266147
Inspired by Bahrain. Israeli and Palestinian Arab entrepreneurs
toured the Dead Sea region to build upon Bahrain’s “Peace to Prosperity”
economic workshop. They explored trade, agriculture, tourism and culture opportunities,
visiting the Beit HaArava plant, the Kalia beach, an art Gallery and a Moroccan
restaurant.
Haifa Uni verifies Puerto Rican artifacts. The University of Haifa has validated 800 stone statuettes from Puerto
Rico as being carved in the 16th century and not modern forgeries. It helps researchers on the Caribbean island with
their investigations into pre-Colombian history.
University debate winners. A Tel Aviv
University debating team won the European Round Robin (ERR), an exclusive
university-level debate competition in Warsaw, Poland. The winning pair, Tom
Manor and Noam Dahan beat 15 other teams – most of them previously European or
World champions.
Top combater of human trafficking again.
(TY Atid-EDI) For the eighth consecutive year, Israel has won the US State
Department's highest rating in the battle against human trafficking. The 2019
Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Israel as a Tier 1 state. Israel focuses
on prevention, enforcement and protecting the victims.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Implementing the UN’s sustainable development
goals. The only good in the United Nations is its
social and scientific agenda. This video
was made to show to the UN Israel’s work to improve humanity in the areas of the
environment, health, food, agriculture, access to water and electricity, medical
training, and science skills.
Even in Cuba. (TY Hazel) Dr. Doron
Markel, KKL-JNF Chief Scientist, led a presentation in Cuba on sustainable
developments in forestation and large-scale water projects tools to adapt to the
effects of climate change in Israel and the Middle East. 1,400 delegates from over
thirty countries attended Cubambiente 2019.
Irish Times praises Israeli desalination. Rare (and mostly positive) tribute to Israel’s water technology in
the Irish press. It reports that up to
80% of Israel’s water flows from desalination plants at one-third of the cost
during 1990s. It also suggests that solving water scarcity can reduce tensions
across the Middle East.
From the Moon to Mars. As NASA (and the world) celebrates the 50th
anniversary of the first human to walk on the Moon, this video highlights the cosmic
radiation protection vest from Israel’s StemRad that will eventually enable the
first human to walk on Mars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag9310R3ffQ
Making light work of forensic testing. BGN
Technologies, the technology transfer company of Israel’s Ben-Gurion University,
has developed an ultra-sensitive device for detecting minute traces of blood
and other particles. It uses luminol, a chemical that exhibits
chemiluminescence to expose much smaller blood samples.
Artificially intelligent traffic lights.
Drivers heading for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport will soon encounter Israel’s
first AI (Artificially Intelligent) traffic light. Israeli startup Intelligent
Traffic Control Ltd. (ITC) uses cameras to transmit traffic data to ITC’s
control center where signal changes are determined automatically.
Speaking up for Israeli trains. (TY Atid-EDI) Motorola Solutions is to supply Israel Railways with a new
push-to-talk over cellular (POC) communication system to improve efficiency and
safety of operations. WAVE (Motorola’s work
group communication service), will allow staff to communicate across the
railway’s lines,
The sweet smell of success. Israeli startup
Moodify aims to solve odor issues in vehicles with fragrances that do not cover
up awful smells but instead change your perception of them. Just as “white
noise” can eliminate unwanted sounds, Moodify’s “white scent” counters bad odors
such as rotten bananas or cigarettes.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
93% tourists enjoyed
visiting Israel. In
the Tourism Ministry’s annual Inbound Tourism Survey just published, 93% of tourists
ranked their 2018 Israel visit in the "good to excellent" category. Over
50% said that their views on Israel had changed for the better with only 1.5%
changing for the worse.
BDS Fails. Great blog by newsletter supporter Nevet Basker. Since the 2005 start of the BDS (Boycott,
Divestment and Sanction) campaign, Israel’s economy has improved by 100% with GDP
per capital up 27%. Exports are up by 43% and tourism by 70%. Foreign investment
is up 277%. Tiny Israel is an economic power.
New NY-Israel partnerships. Following his recent trip to Israel,
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a wide-ranging series of economic development
partnerships between New York State and 17 Israeli entities. They involve UAV /
drones, transportation, energy, cybersecurity, financial technology and health
care industries.
Euro Commission
to buy shares in Israeli startups. (TY Hazel) The European Commission will invest up to €15 million in
Israeli companies (up to €2 million in each) for the purposes of commercializing
products. It will be the first time that the Commission has taken equity stakes
in startup companies.
Funds for student
entrepreneurs. Israel’s
Council for Higher Education has assigned $27.7 million over five years for universities
and colleges to set up or boost entrepreneurship and innovation programs. The goal
of the New Campus Vision is to promote vibrant, inspirational, entrepreneurial
centers.
Israel’s hot market for hi-tech
skills. This
article provides a feel for the huge amount of effort and expense that Israeli hi-tech
companies put into recruiting and retaining their employees.
Vehicle security startup
goes global. More
news about Israeli startup Karamba (see previous here) and its systems for preventing cyber-attacks
on a vehicle’s engine control unit. Karamba’s technology is now to be integrated
into the car infotainment systems of Japan’s Alpine Electronics – Karamba’s 17th
partnership.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Paul Anka wows Tel Aviv. Aged 77, Paul
Anka’s 4th Israel concert was an amazing success. He had no warm-up act and
took no break during a 2-hour performance. He sang, played piano, guitar and
conducted hits like Puppy Love,” “Diana,” and of course “My Way” - the lyrics
he wrote for Sinatra. The crowd loved him.
“Slash” is back. I reported previously (see here) when ex-lead guitarist of “Guns & Roses” played in Israel. Slash
returned to perform to an enthusiastic crowd at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center
with his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. He played many rousing
guitar riffs and solos.
An extraordinary musician. US “experiential”
pianist Murray Hidary’s 3 Israeli performances this week should be exciting. He
feeds off the different natural ambience of each location and his Beit Guvrin show
will be in a huge beautiful cave. He also performs at HaYarkon Park and Apollonia
National Park.
Netflix movie of the rescue of Ethiopian Jews. Netflix has made a new film, telling the story of the Mossad
operation to rescue Ethiopian Jews from Sudan in the early 1980s and bring them
to the Jewish State. The spy thriller,
“The Red Sea Diving Resort,” is inspired by real events and will be released on
July 31.
How to keep your cool. (TY Janglo) Here are some tips to help enjoy Israel’s summer like a local. They
include sunshades, water fountains, white shirt over your head, sunscreen and
sunglasses, loose clothing, free water parks, fruit shakes and ice pops, avoid
peak sun, avoid oven cooking and finally – conserve water.
Improve your tennis with your
smartphone. Budding tennis professionals (and even top
stars) can now examine their progress and improve their game using the results data
analysis app from Israel’s LVision. Its AI system converts videos of matches into
statistics, including speed and distance covered of balls and players.
Israeli sporting
successes. This
week there was gold for Judoka Ori Sasson in Budapest; two golds and a silver in
the World Rowing Cup; Israel’s under-18 baseball squad qualified for Europe; and
Selamawit Dagnachew (5km) and Marhu Teferi (marathon) will be the first married
couple to represent Israel at the Olympics.
THE JEWISH STATE
Jerusalem the eternal
city. Archaeologists have unearthed a massive Neolithic
city during construction of the access roads from the Motza junction to the future
Jerusalem Gateway business park. They discovered ancient alleys, buildings for up
to 3,000 residents, burial sites, arrowheads, jewelry, plaster, seeds and seashells.
Hundreds of new Olim arrive. Over 200 new Jewish immigrants have
just arrived in Israel from France, Argentina, Brazil and Eastern Europe. There
were tears of joy from many of the 100 French Olim. One said. “I know life in
Israel will be better - I will be more free to be Jewish, and that’s what I’m
looking so forward to.”
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/200-people-from-France-Argentina-Brazil-Russia-make-aliyah-watch-live-595947
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266110
Nearly killed by Hamas rocket,
now he joins elite IDF unit. (TY WIN) In 2002, before Iron Dome, an Israeli toddler was badly wounded when Hamas
fired a huge barrage of rockets at the town of Sederot. His little body
absorbed 147 shrapnel wounds. Now age 18, he is joining an elite Naval commando
unit.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/After-injury-by-Gaza-rocket-as-kid-recruit-joins-top-Israeli-army-commando-unit-595908 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxafUQn9rL8
Israeli Arab
Muslim saved the bride’s life. At a recent Jewish wedding
chuppah, United Hatzalah paramedic Muawiya Kabha told the other guests that 10
years earlier the bride should have been declared dead in a road accident. "But
something from above told me that I need to fight for her." After 40
minutes of CPR, her heart began to beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQI_sDb43ZU
(uplifting video)
Where Biblical dyes were
made. Scientists
have studied finds previously uncovered at Tel Shikmona, south of Haifa. They
have concluded that Shikmona was the first biblical-era facility for producing
prestigious purple and blue-dyed textiles (argaman and techelet).
190714
In the 14th July 19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
·
An Israeli
scientist has developed a new way to lure and destroy cancer cells.
·
An Arab Muslim
represents Israel in women’s Euro high-jump championships.
·
Israel is
designing an innovative water system for India’s Maharashtra state.
·
An Israeli
startup has truly “re-invented the wheel” for electric cars.
·
Israeli
businesses benefit Philippine hospitals and US visually handicapped.
·
Israel’s premier dance and theatre center is
celebrating its 30th anniversary.
·
Click here
to see the 7th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (with excellent introduction) and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German and Zachy (30th June) in Hebrew. Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow” the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
“Ghost” decoy cells kill cancer. Israel Technion Professor Marcelle Machluf has developed tumor-shrinking
technology using normally “good” mesenchymal stem cells that tumors hi-jack to
help them grow. Machluf’s team removed the cells’ contents and filled the
membranes with chemotherapy. They lure and
destroy tumors.
Colon capsule has further positive trial results. I’ve reported previously (see here) on the C-Scan colon diagnostic
capsule from Israel’s Check-Cap. In its latest (post CE approval) study, C-Scan
detected 76% of small (potentially cancerous) polyps as opposed to only 28% using
currently approved non-invasive techniques.
Surgical navigator approved. (TY OurCrowd) The Israeli Ministry of
Health approved marketing of the Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform (SNAP)
and SuRgical Planner (SRP) systems from Israel’s Surgical Theater. The VR systems
help surgeons plan and perform complex operations including brain, heart and
spinal.
Pain relief without pills. Israel’s Solio
has developed Alpha Plus - the world’s first US FDA and European CE approved radio
frequency (RF) topical pain relief device. It combines bipolar RF to increase
blood circulation, infrared to heat and ease pain and stiffness, and low-level laser
to relieve the skin. All in a simple external unit.
Anti-bacterial tooth fillings. Tel Aviv
scientists have developed dental fillings made of resin-based composites
enhanced by antibacterial nano-assemblies. It can hinder bacterial growth on
dental restorations, the main cause of secondary tooth decay that can lead to
root-canal treatment and tooth extractions.
Paramedics cross the seas. Israel’s
Magen David Adom has inaugurated its new ‘Sea-Bulance’ service to assist people
in need of critical medical treatment and rescue while at sea. It currently
operates in the Sea of Galilee equipped with advanced medical tools and can
carry up to six people at speeds of up to 35 knots.
Paramedics scale the heights. Israel’s
Magen David Adom paramedics treated a Haifa crane operator who lost consciousness,
50 meters above ground. Using advanced medical equipment, they provided treatment
before harnessed firefighters and security guards extracted and evacuated him
to hospital in stable and good condition.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Power women. Forbes Israel has released its
annual list of 50 Israeli women who are
making an impact in business, government, tech, journalism, culture, sports,
and entertainment. They “control huge companies, manage thousands of employees,
invent breakthrough technologies and shape Israeli culture and society.”
Happy hour is cholent and
challah. I
reported previously (Apr 2018) on the shared workspace “Ampersand” for Haredi entrepreneurs in Bnei
Brak near Tel Aviv. Its success means it is now looking for larger premises. This article, however, focuses on the end of the
working week, when no-one lets their hair down!
Female Muslim athlete competes for Israel. (TY TPS) Arab-Israeli high-jump champion Hanin Nasser, 22, intends to represent
Israel in the current 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships in Gävle,
Sweden. Hanin won the recent Maccabi championship with a personal best of 1.79m
- the ninth highest score in Israel's history.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/arab-israeli-high-jump-champion-ignores-pressure-will-represent-israel/
Giving a hoot. (TY Diana) I’ve reported previously (see here) on the use of barn owls to
control rodent pests in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority areas. Newsletter
subscriber Diana Bletter has published this article about Israel’s National
Barn Owl Project that has reduced the amount of toxic rodent poison used in agriculture.
Popstar promotes Jaffa co-existence nursery. (TY UWI) Chris Martin, front-man of British rock band Coldplay, visited Bustan
Yafa, Jaffa’s bilingual kindergarten network for Jewish and Arab children. Martin
contributes to “The Orchard of Abraham’s children” Foundation, which promotes
coexistence in the network.
Indonesian visit is worth diamonds. A seven-member
delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce visited the Israeli Diamond
Exchange in Ramat Gan. Yoram Dvash, president of the Israeli Diamond Exchange, stressed
the importance of strengthening the ties of Muslim companies and businessmen
with the State of Israel.
Empowering Yazidis. Dr. Yaakov Hoffman
and Prof. Ari Zivotofsky, from Bar-Ilan University have brought 15 women (mostly
Yazidi Kurds persecuted by ISIS) to Israel to share Israeli knowledge of how to
help victims recover from the trauma. https://unitedwithisrael.org/yazidi-survivors-empowered-by-the-israeli-experience/
US delegation tours Israeli anti-terrorism startup. A bipartisan high-level delegation of US House members visited Israeli
cybersecurity company Cobwebs Technologies during their visit to Israel. They
saw how, with one click, authorities can identify connections between criminals
or terrorists on social media and the dark web.
Israel to showcase its innovations to the UN. At the week-long United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) the
Israeli Mission to the UN will hold an event recognizing Israeli innovation. It
will showcase Israel's revolutionary patents in the areas of water technologies,
agriculture, social issues and more.
Rescuing Maharashtra from drought. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s work to help the
Indian state of Maharashtra with agriculture and smart city tech. Now Israel’s national
water company Mekorot is helping Maharashtra implement a looped water grid, linking
11 dams to ensure that its reservoirs never run dry.
Israel’s talented ambassador. Israeli
Ambassador to Macedonia Dan Oryan impressed the crowd at a capoeira belt (hand-standing)
ceremony. He has previously performed in Tel Aviv and Moscow to support special
needs projects. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265831
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tackling plastic pollution. Good video on Israeli technology designed to
reduce the impact of plastic garbage. It features TIPA, UBQ, Ben Gurion
University research, Sodastream, Hiriya’s Refuse Derived Fuel plant and Haifa
University’s Jellyfish project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcYtoXg8ZvY
Free fast WiFi for Jerusalem. The municipality
of Jerusalem has introduced free wireless internet in Israel’s Capital city
center for residents, business users and visitors. It boasts speeds of 16Mb,
much faster than that of Tel Aviv’s free service.
Endor wins innovation program. I
reported previously (May 2017) on Israel’s Endor Software and its predictive question and answer
system. Endor has just won MetLife Korea’s innovation program, Collab 5.0, and a
$100,000 contract to pilot their technology with multinational financial
services company MetLife Inc.
Smart homes become personal. Israeli
startup RoomMe has developed a smart-home super controller that operates a home’s
intelligent devices according to an individual’s personal preferences. E.g. when
entering a room, you may want the TV to show the news, while your spouse wants your
Sonos speakers to play music.
AI chips are now even faster. I reported
previously (18th Nov) on the Artificial Intelligent microprocessors developed by Israel’s
Habana Labs. Habana has launched its Gaudi AI Training Processor. Training systems
using the new processor will be up to four times faster than those built with competitors’
graphics chips.
Reinventing the wheel for electric cars. Israeli startup REE has designed a new flat and modular chassis for
electric cars of the future. The motor, steering, suspension, drivetrain,
sensors, brakes, thermal systems and electronics are now in the wheels,
lowering the center of gravity, increasing stability, agility and performance.
Solar-powered wireless smartphone charger. Israel’s Benny Mengesha is developing the Multi-Functional Case (MFC),
It will fit snuggly round your iPhone or Android but on the back are solar
panels which charge your phone without USB or leads. The MFC debuts on 24th
July at TheMarker Tau Innovation Summit.
Communicate with your dog through its vest. Researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University have developed dog
vest that allows canine owners to transmit communications and commands to their
pets via haptic (vibrations) technology. It has immense potential for search &
rescue operations and assisting disabled owners.
Giving voice to the silent majority. (TY
WIN) Israeli startup ZenCity helps municipalities identify the true opinion
of its residents rather than the more vociferous views of a noisy minority. It analyses
virtually any publicly shared information generated by residents and can save a
city huge costs of erroneous investment.
Security device gets even better. I
reported previously (Sep 2016) on Israel’s SayVU when it was deployed at the Rio Olympics. When it
is unsafe to speak, shaking the device alerts emergency services. There are now
new versions for smartwatches and for areas where there are no cellular networks
or GPS. It has saved many lives.
Google’s graduates. The five graduates
from Google’s first Israeli Startup Residency incubator are Saillog (AI
agritech), Gaviti Akyl (payments software), Agamon (medical data analysis), Mona
Labs (QA for AI) and Dattor/Pairser (data compliance). They were given workspace,
mentoring and access to Google facilities.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Record
currency reserves.
Israel’s reserves of foreign currency hit another record level at the end of
June of over $ 120 billion. https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/7-7-19.aspx
BIRD
invests $8.2 million. The US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD)
foundation is to invest another $8.2 million in 9 new joint R&D projects (see previous). Israeli
startups (seven new to this newsletter) include 3PLW, Igentify, IAI, MyndYou,
Netafim, Novelsat, Shamaym, Snappers and WizeCare.
Direct
flights to the Seychelles. For the first time in 20 years, Israelis will be able to fly non-stop to
the 115 islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Thanks
to the fuel- and cost-efficient engines (with Israeli parts) on
its new Airbus A320neo planes, Air Seychelles will begin the six-hour, 20-minute
service on 27th Nov.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Air-Seychelles-to-link-Israel-with-Indian-Ocean-islands-by-November-595085
https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a320-family/a320neo.html
EasyJet
to fly to Toulouse. Budget airline EasyJet is starting a new route connecting Tel Aviv and
Toulouse from 29th Oct. The twice-weekly service is easyJet’s sixth destination
from Tel Aviv to France and its 18th to Europe.
WiFi to schools & hospitals in Philippines. Globe Telecom, the leading
telecom company in the Philippines, has chosen Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks
for a three-year multi-million US dollar contract, to enable WIFI service over
satellite to schools and hospitals, in addition to cellular backhaul throughout
the Philippines.
More help for US vision-impaired. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) has
partnered with Israel’s OrCam. Under the agreement, ACB members can buy Orcam’s
visual aids, such as MyEye2 and MyMe (see here) at a special
discount. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3765903,00.html
A
culinary platform for chefs. Non-profit organization Start-up Nation Central has opened L28 (in Tel
Aviv’s Lilienblum Street) where chefs can conceive and develop Israeli foods,
ingredients and menus. It will also help chefs learn how to run a restaurant, without
the worries of raising enough money to survive.
New
VIP terminal at Ben Gurion. If you can afford the steep price, you can avoid crowds by using the new
Fattal Terminal at TLV Ben Gurion Airport. You get a nice place to chill, eat and
drink as much as you want while the staff take care of your bags and passport
control. Plus, a luxury car takes you direct to your aircraft.
How
a bad haircut started a beauty empire. Israeli entrepreneur Sharon Rabi studied electrical
engineering at Tel Aviv University. But a too-short haircut and lack of styling
tools prompted her to invent the DAFNI. Her range of products now sells in 15
countries.
https://www.independent.ie/style/beauty/meet-sharon-rabi-the-physicist-who-turned-a-bad-haircut-into-a-multimillion-euro-beauty-empire-38092374.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey5eAZXSGlA
Google
buys Israeli cloud storage company. Google is to acquire Israel-based cloud
storage company Elastifile for approximately $200 million. Elastifile had already
been partnering Google Cloud, plus Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265755
Tesco
tests Israeli cashier-less checkout. I reported previously (10th
Jun) that Israeli supermarket Shufersal was running a pilot of the
automatic checkout system from Israel’s Trigo. Now the giant UK chain supermarket
Tesco is testing the Trigo Vision system as one of a range of technologies for future
implementation.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Dance center celebrates
30 years. Israel’s leading dance venue, the Suzanne
Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. From
July to November, Israeli-born international artists and choreographers will return
to Tel Aviv to give Israeli audiences a glimpse of their creations.
New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli stamps issued in July include
features on the Ketubah (marriage contract), cycling in Israel, tourism, the Hiriya
(Ariel Sharon) recycling park and IAF planes.
Chocolate connects nature, history &
passion. De Karina Chocolate Boutique was
established in the Golan Heights by Karina, who brought her passion and talent for
chocolate from Argentina to Israel. The chocolatier offers breathtaking views
of northern Israel, chocolate making workshops, and of course delicious chocolates.
https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/VideoLibrary/Pages/When-chocolate-connects-nature-history-and-passion-11-September-2017.aspx
https://youtu.be/EkXEeAsMuwE
https://www.de-karina.co.il/
Living statues in Rehovot. The 10th International Live Statues Festival in the central Israeli
city of Rehovot saw daily circus shows and more than 100 live statues. Performance
artists from Britain, the Netherlands, Poland and other countries joined Israeli
artists for the festival. Over 100,000 visitors were expected to attend.
Not
only J.Lo but also her fiancé. I reported previously (28th
Apr) that Jennifer Lopez would be performing in Hayarkon Park Tel Aviv on 1st
Aug. Not only has that been confirmed, but her fiancé, former NY Yankees baseball
star Alex Rodriguez, will accompany her on the tour and is so excited ahead of his
first time in Israel.
Judoka
gold in Montreal.
Israeli judoka Gefen Primo, 19, won a gold medal in the under-52kg category of
the International Judo Federation’s Montreal Grand Prix, becoming the youngest
Israeli judoka ever to place first in her weight category. Teammates Shira Rishoni and Timna Nelson-Levy
both won bronze medals.
THE JEWISH STATE
Where
David fled from King Saul. Israeli researchers believe they have discovered the town of Ziklag in the
Judean hills, mentioned in the Bible (Samuel books 1 & 2). Achish, King of
Gat, allowed David to find refuge in Ziklag while fleeing King Saul. David also
departed from Ziklag to become King in Hebron.
Secret
Jews make Aliya. Many
Holocaust survivors have revealed their Jewish origins as they approached their
last days. It often prompts their children to seek out their Jewish roots, culminating
with their emigration to Israel. Michael Freund, founder of Shavei Israel, sees
it as his job to help them on their Jewish journey.
We
are all One Family. (TY Sharon) For the 16th year,
OneFamily, Israel’s leading organization supporting victims of terror and their
families, brought together more than 300 hundred youth (age 8 to 18) to the
Hermon Field School in Kibbutz Snir, for a week-long camp. Highlights included
Shabbat and the final night’s concert.
190707
In the 7th July
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli
surgeons perform unique operation to save a baby.
·
An
Israeli-Arab has become the chairman of Israel’s largest bank.
·
Israeli
cybersecurity has prevented dozens of global terror attacks.
·
BP use Israeli
Augmented Reality glasses to prevent oil-rig accidents.
·
Israeli
startups provide over $33 billion of benefit to New York.
·
An Israeli
cheese won first prize - in France.
·
After 2000
years, Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road is open again.
·
Click here
to see the 30th June newsletter on IsraelSeen,
Ruthfully
Yours, Janglo
and United
With Israel with extra feature on Medical. Also (TY Sandra) in German
and Zachy in Hebrew.
Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit and “like” / “follow”
the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL
Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a
small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
·
Click here,
to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of over
14,500 previous news articles.
·
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wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their
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ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Hadassah surgeons realign
baby’s organs. In a first-of-its-kind operation, a
team of doctors at Hadassah Medical Center repaired the hernia (muscle between
chest and abdomen) of a new-born baby. Then
using low-invasive thoracoscopic surgery, they pushed the baby’s small
intestine and spleen back into the abdomen.
Positive autism treatment results. (TY Stuart) Professor Lidia Gabis of Sheba Medical Center has published
two important research articles on the treatment of autistic children. One showed
that combined Donepezil and Choline improved their language skills. The other highlighted
the benefits of medical clowning.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-019-03415-7
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31230222
The protein that weakens the immune
system. Researchers from Israel’s Bar-Ilan
University, working in an international team, have identified that the protein
known as TOX represses T-cells within the immune system. By neutralizing TOX,
scientists could restore the immune system to fight cancer and chronic or viral
diseases.
Device for treating ADHD. I mentioned previously (Feb
2017) about Israeli-Arab startup InnoSphere, which was developing a
wearable device for treating ADHD. This article describes in detail InnoSphere’s
electrode-embedded cap that stimulates neurons in the brains of ADHD sufferers to
make new connections.
New way to unblock arteries. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Transseptal
Solutions announced the first TSP Crosser transseptal puncture procedure in the
US. Transseptal’s innovative device helps surgeons to insert diagnostic and
therapeutic devices into the left atrium with control, speed and precision. It
is FDA and CE approved.
Generic treatment for hypertension. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel’s Teva has launched a generic version of Tracleer tablets in the US. The
treatment allows sufferers of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) to exercise
better and slows progression of the disease.
PAH is high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs.
Europe approves diabetes support system. (TY Atid-EDI)
I’ve reported previously (see
here) on Israel’s GlucoMe diabetes monitors. GlucoMe’s new Decision Support
System (“DSS”) has just received the CE Mark. The DSS’s algorithm-based,
clinical decision support software helps doctors monitor type 2 diabetes
patients.
Anyone can save
a life. Ezer Mizion’s data processor found she was
a DNA match on the Israeli NGO’s bone marrow registry for a woman suffering
from Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She flew halfway around the world to donate some
of her stem cells. She tells both her story, and of those still needing
a transplant.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Specials
get their wings.
(TY Frieda) When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented an Israeli
Druze his pilot wings (see
last week), he awarded honorary wings to several special volunteers. They
included Tarc Tuba with Down’s syndrome, a cousin of the Druze pilot, who comes
from the same Druze village. Other new pilots included identical twins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqGmMjRRO8E
President’s
awards for volunteering. (TY Sharon) Israel’s President
Reuven Rivlin presented his awards for volunteerism to volunteers and
organizations working to make art and culture accessible to children, Holocaust
survivors, ultra-orthodox women, IDF soldiers, Israeli-Arabs, the deaf, at-risk
youth and low-income families.
First
graduates from Jewish Agency school for Bedouin. Twenty-two students celebrated their
graduation as part of the inaugural class of Neve Midbar - Nitzana, a Jewish
Agency youth village and boarding school catering to Bedouin high schoolers
from the Negev desert region. They now have skills to enter Israeli society.
The first Arab chairman of an Israeli bank. Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank
by market capitalization, has appointed Samer Haj Yehia as its Chairman of the Board
of Directors. He becomes the first Arab chairman at an Israeli lender and is
also on the board of both Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital and Israel’s Strauss
Group.
Israel is “there to stay”. The US-led economic workshop
in Bahrain had many positive moments. The warm welcome to Israeli journalists
and their “delegate” badges; Bahrain’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist
and that it was “there to stay”. Also, the service in the Bahrain synagogue, attended
by US envoy Jason Greenblatt.
Israeli FM visits UAE. (TY WIN)
Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab
Emirates to speak at the United Nations Environment Conference. He presented
his “Tracks to Peace initiative, outlining an economic and strategic link from
Haifa to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, via Jordan.
Jerusalem returns to Paris. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion inaugurated
the new Jerusalem Square in Paris, 150 years after fire destroyed Paris’s Rue de
Jerusalem. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote that the naming was “in order to
remember the friendship and the unity between the city of Paris and the State
of Israel”.
Cyber support for developing countries. Israel has just signed an agreement with the World Bank to support
developing countries improve their cyber defense capabilities. It will contribute
to the World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership and provide technical
assistance to Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Israeli intelligence
foils dozens of global attacks. Israeli PM Netanyahu
revealed that Israeli intel thwarted a recent attempt to blow up a Sydney-Abu
Dhabi flight. It has also used cyber-intelligence to help foil “major” terror attacks
in “dozens” of countries. Israel shares info on cyberthreats with 85 countries.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Dead Sea snow. (TY Sandra & WIN)
Scientists have explained how Israel’s Dead Sea deposits salt from warm upper
levels to lower, colder water layers. Waves or other disturbances trigger “salt
fingering”, whereby salt crystals are precipitated out of the top layer of
water, as if they are “snowing” down through the water.
Revolutionary products for the food
industry. Some 100 Israeli companies demonstrated
their cutting-edge agriculture and food technology at AgriIsrael4.0 in Tel
Aviv. Delegates from over 40 countries saw how Israeli tools such as Artificial
Intelligence, robots, drones, satellites and sensors overcome today’s farming
challenges.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-shows-off-hi-tech-solutions-at-agritech-conference/
https://agriisrael.com/
IDF opens new BGU tech campus. Israel’s Ben-Gurion University opened the first building on the new
IDF Technology Campus in Beer-Sheva. The IDF campus adjacent to BGU and the Advanced
Technologies Park is the third element in the cyber-technology “ecosystem”
being realized in Beer-Sheva.
Launch of expanding nano-satellite. I reported previously (9th
June) on the nano-satellites from Israel’s NSLComm designed to process
high-volumes of data. Its first satellite, the NSLSat-1, has just been launched
as part of the payload of a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Far
Eastern Russia.
WEF Pioneers for 2019. The World Economic Forum (WEF) choose Israeli startups Airobotics,
MeMed Diagnostics, QED-it and TIPA for its list of tech pioneers using
innovation to address serious issues. I’ve reported previously on three of
them. QED-IT allows confidential transfer of blockchain assets.
https://www.israel21c.org/4-israeli-firms-named-wec-technology-pioneers-for-2019/
https://qed-it.com/
Smart glasses for BP
engineers. (TY WIN & I24 News) I reported
previously (see here) on
Israel’s Fieldbit and its Augmented Reality glasses that help technicians resolve
critical or complex problems on the spot.
Following an oil spill, BP implemented Fieldbit’s technology across 13,000
of its oil and gas wells.
Lifesaving pedestrian detector. (TY OurCrowd) Israeli
startup Viziblezone has now proved that its pedestrian detector technology can
detect pedestrians in any weather, even hidden behind objects at distances of up
to 150 meters. Mobile phones turn pedestrians into smart beacons that cars can
see and then avoid.
App helps you put on makeup. Israel’s Mirrori, founded by Israeli-Arab Mira Awwad-Khreish,, is developing
an artificial intelligence-based beauty assistant that provides advice via smartphone.
Mirrori uses computer vision, facial recognition algorithms and your facial
features to help you apply your own beauty products..
Israel perfects the dragon fruit. I reported previously (Mar 2012)
on the different varieties of the Vietnamese dragon fruit (pitaya) that Israelis
have developed. Seven years later and
the Israeli pitaya is more available year-round, produces more fruit, requires less
water, is hardier, pest-free, healthier, sweeter and delicious.
Environmentally friendlier cows. Ben Gurion University biologist Itzik Mizrahi and other international
scientists have discovered that the microbiome of cows can be manipulated to reduce
methane emissions and improve milk yield and quality. Giving certain microbes
to calves could reduce greenhouse gas levels.
US award for contract analysis system. I reported previously (see
here) on Israeli AI contract review system LawGeex that is faster and more
accurate than experienced lawyers. Now LawGeex has won the very first Burton
award for Technology Advancement from the American Bar Association and Library
of Congress.
Chips for AI systems. Israel’s NeuroBlade develops processors for artificial intelligence
applications such as autonomous vehicles, video analysis, and image
recognition. They are smaller and cheaper to manufacture than the current industry
standard. NeuroBlade has just raised $23 million of funds, backed by Intel.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli boost to New York economy. (TY Israel21c)
The New York-Israel Business Alliance has reported that the economic benefit to
New York of its 500 Israeli companies is over $33 billion. They employ almost
25,000 New Yorkers. In addition, Israel’s SOSA and JVP are at the forefront of NYC’s
cybersecurity initiative.
Easier
trade process with Hong Kong. Israel has signed a new agreement with Hong Kong, intended to ease
customs clearance regulations for export and import between the two. It is Israel’s 7th
bilateral agreement under the authorized economic operators program after the
US, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, China, and Mexico.
Record
exits. (TY IVC) Despite
more Israeli startups turning into mega companies, many sell for increasing large
valuations. In the first half of 2019, there were 66 exits totaling $14.48
billion, the highest in 5 years. Even without the $6.9 billion Mellanox exit,
it was a billion dollars more than the same period in 2018.
Israeli
tourism breaks more records. (TY UWI)
Approximately 365,000 tourists visited Israel in June - over 17% higher than in
June 2018. Since Jan 2019, two and a quarter million tourists entered Israel –
nearly 10% more than the same period in 2018. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265455
Israeli
tech at Paris Air Show. Eviation’s electric plane (reported
last week) wasn’t the only Israeli technology on display at the recent International
Paris Air Show. Eight Israeli firms showcased systems, in response to a growing
European willingness to spend on defense and homeland security.
Cybersecurity
for Dutch police.
Cyber Intelligence, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is to provide the
Dutch National Police with a cyber intelligence system. It is part of Elbit’s Intelligence
360 suite, scalable and fits other custom requirements of the Dutch National
Police.
Moody’s
teams up for cybersecurity risk. Ratings agency Moody’s and Israel cybersecurity experts Team8 are
setting up a joint venture that aims to become a global standard for evaluating
how vulnerable companies are to cyberattacks. It will help companies assess
takeover targets and price cybersecurity insurance.
Nintendo
opens in Tel Aviv.
Multinational consumer electronics and software company Nintendo has chosen the
Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv for its second retail store. Its first retail store
opened in Rockefeller Center in New York City in 2005. Headquartered in Japan, Nintendo
generated about $10 billion in net sales in 2018.
Travel
service is worth $4 billion. Israeli-founded TripActions has developed a business travel management
service aimed at saving companies, money on their employees’ work-related trips.
It has just raised $250 million of funds, valuing the company at a massive $4
billion and putting it in the world’s top 60.
McDonald’s
“Big Vegan”. McDonald’s
Israel is launching a pilot of its “Big Vegan” burger at several branches in
Tel Aviv – “the vegan capital of the world”. The hamburger is made of wheat and
soybeans.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Maestro
retires. Legendary
conductor Zubin Mehta is retiring from his post as music director of the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra. He will be honored at Tel Aviv’s “Philharmonic in the
Park” concert on July 13, which he will conduct. A non-Jewish native of India,
Mehta was named Honorary Citizen of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in 1986
Israeli cheesemaker wins gold. (TY Nevet)
Israel’s Hanoked Dairy won gold at the 2019 Mondial du Fromage in France for
its Leshem sheep milk cheese. Hanoked also won silver for its Beit Hakerem goat
milk cheese and helped set a Guinness World Record for the largest cheese
platter/board exhibit.
Milton
Nascimento plays Tel Aviv. Brazilian music superstar Milton
Nascimento performed at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv on 30th June. Nascimento
is noted for his synthesis of Brazilian and international music styles, including
samba, jazz, pop, and even heavy metal. https://www.secrettelaviv.com/tickets/milton-nascimento-clube-da-esquina
https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/06/30/legendary-brazilian-musician-milton-nascimento-issues-stunning-rebuke-to-bds-movement-before-tel-aviv-concert/
Dudi
gets back to winning ways. (TY Nevet) Israeli tennis star
Dudi Sena won the Little Rock Open in Arkansas - his first tournament win in two
years after recovering from a long-term injury. It moves him from 208 up to 160
in the world tennis professional rankings.
Israeli
show jumpers qualify for Olympics. Israeli equestrian show jumpers took a huge leap for the country by
qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics - the first time that Israel has earned a
place in the games in that sport. Four Israeli riders took first place at the
Olympic Jumping Qualifier at Maxima Park in Moscow.
THE JEWISH STATE
Jerusalem
rebuilt. (TY Sharon) Israel’s capital is seeing huge
numbers of building projects. They include the Jerusalem Gateway business park,
a new wing of Shaare Tzedek hospital, the new National Library, the Jerusalem cable
car and new court buildings in Jaffa Road.
Things are definitely “looking up”.
Jerusalem breakthrough. U.S. envoys Jason Greenblatt and David
Friedman inaugurated the Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem’s City of David. Ambassador
Friedman broke through a wall, to open the tunnel, saying “this is where the
ancient prophets of Israel gave voice to revolutionary ideals of freedom,
liberty and human dignity.".
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-pilgrims-road-opens-in-jerusalem-cementing-israels-hold-over-city/
Biblical
mosaics in ancient Galilee synagogue. Biblical mosaics recently uncovered at a
1,600-year-old synagogue in the Galilean town of Huqoq include the earliest
known artistic rendering of the little-known Exodus story of Elim, and a
partially preserved depiction of the Book of Daniel’s grotesque four beasts.
UK
minister visits Western Wall. UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, a Muslim, visited the Western Wall (Kotel)
during his latest visit to Israel. It comes 19 years after the last British
government minister visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall. (N.B. Boris Johnson
visited the Kotel in 2016 when Mayor of London.)
Reunited
in hospital. Two veterans
of the War of Independence Battle of Gush Etzion, were simultaneously but separately
referred for heart surgery at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital 71 years later.
Doctors noticed similar scar tissue from shrapnel wounds incurred during the battle.
They then reunited the two comrades in arms.
