191229
In the 29th Dec
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israelis have
developed “miracle” molecules that could prevent Lupus, IBD, cancer and aging.
·
Israel is
one of the best countries in the world for women entrepreneurs.
·
Israeli
engineers are helping Albanian earthquake survivors return to their homes.
·
Awards for
Israeli vegan meat in London and Israeli wheat in Tokyo.
·
An Israeli
transportation app now has over half a billion users.
·
An Israeli
TV show is the NYT’s “International TV series of the decade”.
·
Read about
some of the Israelis who have performed “miracles” this past decade.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Breakthrough in the fight to cure Lupus. Researchers at Israel’s Ben Gurion University and the US NIH have identified
a trigger for the autoimmune disease Lupus. They have also developed what the
media is calling a “miracle” molecule, that blocks the trigger in Lupus and
other diseases, e.g. Alzheimer’s and IBD.
Reversing the aging of the brain.
Researchers from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University and the University of
California have discovered that a small molecule called IPW is able to heal a damaged
Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). It can also alleviate the inflammation that leads to
Alzheimer’s and other age-related diseases.
Stopping cancer in its tracks. Israel’s
Metabomed is developing treatments using small molecules that target and inhibit
metabolic enzymes vital for cancer cells’ survival. It currently has four pipeline programs. Metabomed
has just raised a further $12.5 million of funds to help it prepare for clinical
trials.
Developing AI
for spinal surgery. Israeli intelligent scan analysis
startup Zebra Medical (see
here) is partnering with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary DePuy Synthes to
jointly develop artificial intelligence technologies for spine and other
orthopedic surgeries.
Israel’s first
live multi-organ donor. Rabbi Elad Gadot recently
donated one of his kidneys to a total stranger for whom he was a rare match. Years
ago, Rabbi Gadot donated a liver lobe to his son Eliyahu (now in the IDF) who
needed a liver transplant. Coincidentally,
the kidney recipient’s name was also Eliyahu.
Prescription
checking software can save the US a fortune. As
reported previously (see here),
Israel’s MedAware prevents prescription errors and saves lives. Now a 5-year Harvard study shows it would
have cut $800 million a year from US Health costs. 70% of the errors detected
would not have been found otherwise.
Melting the
fat. As reported (here)
previously, the synthetic injectable molecule from Israeli startup Raziel
Therapeutics melts fat cells. RZL-12 converts white adipose tissue (WAT) into
brown adipose tissue (BAT) after a single injection into subcutaneous fat. Raziel
has just raised another $22 million of funds.
Predicting the
response to cancer treatment. Israel’s Oncohost is
developing cutting-edge technology to characterize, analyze and predict patient
response to cancer therapy. This enables personalized treatment strategies with
improved outcomes & reduced side effects.
http://oncohost.com/
Pain monitoring
for dementia patients. (TY Rachel) The NOL pain
monitoring technology from Israel’s Medasense (see here) helps clinicians
treat non-communicating patients. The Israel Innovation Authority has just
given Medasense a grant to test NOL at the Dorot Rehabilitation and Geriatric
Medical Center in Netanya.
Walmart.com
launches Israeli digital diabetes program. Walmart
consumers can now purchase online the MyDario complete digital solution from
Israel’s DarioHealth. It is designed for diabetics to manage their diabetes,
hypertension, nutrition and exercise.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
One of the best places for female entrepreneurs. In a recent Mastercard report,
Israel was ranked the 4th best country for women entrepreneurs. Israel was
narrowly behind the USA, New Zealand and Canada.
Southern
coexistence. (TY UWI)
Israel’s Southern district is often under fire from Gaza terrorists, but is also
flourishing, developing and refusing to abandon its natural coexistence and
hope for peace. Thousands of Gazans work there daily. Read this article to see how Bedouin-Arab-Israeli
citizens also live and study there.
Eleven US Secretaries of State visit Israel. A bipartisan delegation of 11 Secretaries of State from across the
U.S. has been visiting Israel with the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC)
Project Interchange. The program features cybersecurity policies and practices
they relate to business, elections and data management.
New ambassadors to Israel. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin received diplomatic credentials
from the new ambassadors to the State of Israel from Austria, Cambodia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Angola.
Prince Charles to visit Israel. Charles Prince of Wales will attend the World Holocaust Forum on 23
Jan 2020. He will participate in the Yad Vashem ceremony commemorating the 75th
Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It will be the first time
that he has undertaken a program of engagements in Israel.
60 years of International development. (TY Stuart) MASHAV – Israel’s International Development Agency –
has helped train 300,000 participants from 140 countries since 1958. It has set
up 50 training centers around the globe and has 35 ongoing partnerships with
international organizations.
Jewish and Israel Studies Institute in
China. Shandong University and Tel Aviv University have
inaugurated a Joint Institute for Jewish and Israeli Studies in Jinan, the capital
of China’s Shandong province. The institute will facilitate student exchange, joint
scientific research, conferences, and cultural and artistic activities.
Israeli orchestra performs in Morocco. (TY UWI)
The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod delivered a stunning performance at
the Andalussyat Festival of traditional Moroccan music in Casablanca. The
orchestra was also warmly welcomed in the Moroccan city and praised for its
performance.
Albania’s PM thanks
Israel. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama hailed the
work of Israeli engineers who are helping reconstruct and inspect buildings in
the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake. “They are from Israel and
they are No. 1,” Rama said to a resident who was told it was safe to enter his apartment
building.
How Israel foiled ISIS terror attack in Australia. The IDF’s Military Intelligence Unit 8200 helped thwart an attempt
by ISIS to blow up an Etihad Airways plane flying from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. Their
information helped the Australian authorities arrest the terrorists who have
just been given long jail sentences.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Breakthrough of the year. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem won Science Magazine’s People’s
Choice for 2019 Breakthrough of the Year. HUJ researchers captivated the
science world with their reconstruction from bone DNA of a Denisovan, a mysterious
human-like species that disappeared 100,000 years ago.
Seven new joint US-Israel cleantech
projects. The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial
R&D (BIRD) Foundation will invest $6.4 million in seven clean energy R&D
projects. The Israeli companies involved are Chakratec (energy storage), Exency
(energy from waste), Elbit Systems, EcoPlant, Eta-Bar, Netafim and Ramot.
Sixth desalination plant approved. Israel’s National Infrastructure Committee green-lighted
construction of a desalination plant in the Western Galilee - Israel’s sixth. It
will provide 200 million cubic meters of water annually and save the cost of
building infrastructure to move water from the South over the Carmel Ridge.
UK-Israel university partners for AI and
cybersecurity. Israel’s Ben-Gurion University and
the UK’s University of Bristol have signed an agreement to collaborate on cyber
security and Artificial Intelligence research. It formalizes their many ongoing
ad-hoc research projects and exchange opportunities.
Removing dust from solar panels. Ben Gurion University researchers have greatly reduced the amount
of dust on solar panels, significantly increasing their efficiency. Inspired by
the lotus leaf, which remains dust free due to its nanotextured surface, they
etched nanowires onto the panels and applied a hydrophobic coating.
Elbit launches nanosatellite. Israel’s Elbit Systems’ NANOVA nanosatellite was launched from the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Southern India. NANOVA was developed as part of
the BIRD foundation initiative and is planned to be a part of a nanosatellite
constellation for commercial purposes.
Augmented Reality for on-line courses. Israel’s Actiview.io develops augmented reality (AR) software for
human resources - mostly games and assignments to assess potential employees.
Now Actiview’s AR software has been integrated into the training courses and
classrooms of French graduate business school INSEAD.
Vegan meat wins award
in London. (TY Hazel) Three Israeli food-tech
initiatives were among 15 startups to pitch groundbreaking, sustainable
solutions for the food and agriculture industry at FoodBytes by Rabobank in
London. Redefine Meat won the People’s Choice Award, one of the three top
prizes.
Israeli wheat exhibit
wins award in Tokyo. (TY WIN)
An Israeli installation titled “Goren” won the “Big Emotions” award - as part
of the Jerusalem Design Week delegation at Design Art Tokyo 2019. A cloud of
wheat rises into the shape of a chandelier, symbolizing extinct varieties of
wheat that Israel is restoring.
Musical subtitle system reaches London. As reported previously (Aug
2018) the GalaPro app from Israel’s GalaPrompter delivers multilingual real-time
subtitles (and more) of Broadway shows to your smartphone in the theatre. This accessibility
service is now available at the School of Rock musical in Drury Lane, London.
Electric road for Germany. As reported (here)
previously, Israel’s ElectReon develops a real-time wireless electrification
system for roads, to reduce dependence on fuel and charging stations. It has
now partnered with German energy company EnBW which will implement the
technology initially on two roads in Germany.
9000-year-old sea wall to prevent rising
sea level. An international team of underwater
archaeologists has uncovered the oldest known manmade seawall off the coast of
Haifa. They have concluded that it was built at Tel Hreiz to keep out rising water
from melting glaciers. Eventually, Tel Hreiz was submerged and abandoned.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli
property prices stabilize. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli property prices rose
between January and August 2019 by an average of only 2% and new properties fell
by 4.8%. Prices also fell in 2018, following an 80% rise over the previous
decade. 2019 construction starts (52,000) was on target.
New Russian
airline lands in Tel Aviv. Russian airline Azimuth only began operations in 2017. Already it has
begun a direct service to Tel Aviv from the West Russian city of Rostov. It also
intends to inaugurate two new routes between Ben Gurion Airport and southwestern
Russian cities Krasnodar and Mineralnye Vody in 2020.
Five
more startups for Caesarea incubator. Israeli investment fund Nielsen Innovate launched
its incubator in 2012 and by 2015 has 10 startups in Caesarea (see
here). It now has 33 Israeli companies in its portfolio and is investing $5
million to bring another five into the incubator.
Swiss
investment on the way. Tel-Aviv based Crescendo Venture Partners is setting up a new VC fund of
$80 to $100 million to invest in early-stage hi-tech Israeli startups that can transform
traditional areas (education, agriculture, construction, healthcare etc.). Swiss-based
Crescendo Group manages over $3 billion globally.
US cybersecurity
firm to open in Israel. As reported (here) previously,
Israel’s Indegy protects the systems of vital infrastructure companies. Nasdaq-listed
cybersecurity giant Tenable Holdings has just acquired Indegy for $78 million
in cash and will set up a development center in Israel following the deal.
Half a billion users. Israeli-founded urban mobility company Moovit
(see here) now has over half a
billion users of its popular public transportation application in 3,000 cities,
94 countries and 45 languages. It helps transits and commutes thanks to partnerships
with major multinationals including Uber, Microsoft, and Waze.
Turning stale bread into beer. Elchanan Bread Bakery in Kibbutz Mishmarot turns leftover baked
goods into bread pudding and granola. It also donates stale bread to nearby
kibbutzim for animal feed. In its latest process it mixes excess sourdough
bread with malt and hot water to make a red ale with an alcohol content of 5%.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Tel
Aviv is one of the best cities to visit. Forbes
magazine lists Tel Aviv among its 20 best cities in the world to visit in 2020.
It highlights White City Center museum, opened for the 100th anniversary of the
Bauhaus architecture movement. Tel Aviv is home to more than 4,000
Bauhaus-style buildings – the most in the world.
IDF
amputee is World marathon champion. Eitan Hermon, 45, lost his leg while a
reservist in the Second Lebanon War. He was determined to not only walk again,
but also to run marathons. After over 35 marathons, Hermon set a world record
at the Vienna Marathon and was top in his category at the New York marathon.
Israel
to host E-Sports World Championships. (TY TPS)
The International Electronic-Sports Federation (IESF) has announced that Israel
will, for the first time, host the E-Sports World Championships in Nov 2020 in
Eilat. It is the world’s largest and most prestigious gaming event, with over
500 players from 60 countries.
THE JEWISH STATE
Ethiopian-Israeli MK lights candle in London’s
Trafalgar Square. Member of Knesset Pnina Tamano-Shata
lit a candle at a Chanukah ceremony in London’s Trafalgar Square. She said, “Hanukkah
symbolizes …. the ability to change our world for the better together.”
French immigrants bake the best donuts. (TY Janglo)
The recent wave of new Israeli citizens from France has made a huge difference
to the quality of Israel’s Chanukah donuts (sufganiyot).
Haredi IDF unit celebrates 20 years. Hundreds of ultra-religious IDF soldiers have just participated in the
20th anniversary of the establishment of Haredi combat units. They include
"Netzach Yehuda" (Kfir brigade) "Tomer" platoon (Givati ) "Chetz"
platoon (Paratroopers) plus "Defenders of the Negev" platoon (Air
Force).
Connecting
young Diaspora Jews to Israel. As reported previously (see
here) Israeli non-profit Ayalim builds student villages to increase the
Jewish presence in the Negev and Galilee, plus help those living in the social
periphery. It is now using “social impact investing”, to enlarge some of its 22
villages and build new ones.
Taxi driver finds and returns $60,000. An Israeli taxi driver was surprised to find a bag containing
$60,000 in the back seat of his cab. He located the owner - an elderly woman he
took to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, who needed the money for medical
treatments. “I am a man of faith,” the taxi driver said. “The money isn’t mine”.
Israelis are forever young. Yosef Eshed, a 102-year-old Israeli who fought alongside Orde
Wingate, can now register for kindergarten. Eshed was one of 20 Israelis over a
century old to receive a kindergarten enrollment letter recently. Apparently, a
computer glitch dropped the first digit of their age.
Never
give up hope. Some
real-life “miraculous” stories of cancer patients whose lives were saved by stem
cell transplants, thanks to the bone marrow database, managed by Israel’s Ezer
Mizion.
191222
In the 22nd Dec
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Trials of
an Israeli treatment for pancreatic cancer have already extended lives.
·
School
students brought their teacher back to life with CPR.
·
The UN
heard about Israeli equality from its Muslim Arab police chief.
·
Israel’s
top hospital has sent a team to help combat measles in Samoa.
·
A new Israeli
student-built satellite has been launched into space.
·
Relations continue
to improve between Israel and many Arab countries.
·
Intel has bought
its second multi-billion-dollar Israeli company.
·
Chanukah in
Israel is the Festival of Lights and much more.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Extending lives of pancreatic cancer patients. In the latest Phase 2a trial of the pancreatic cancer treatment from
Israel’s BioLineRx (see
here) three-quarters of the patients at disease stage 4
were able to get their disease under control. The trial combined BL-8040, KEYTRUDA (Pembrolizumab) and chemotherapy.
Molecular
checkups to avoid chemotherapy. A 10-year study of 1,365
Israelis indicates that chemotherapy can be avoided for most women who have early
diagnosis and biopsy of the most common types of breast cancer. In 97.4% of those
passing a Oncotype DX molecular checkup post-surgery, the cancer never
returned.
Early
diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Another molecular
diagnostic test has been developed by doctors at Hadassah University Medical
Center in Jerusalem. It can early-diagnose thyroid cancer accurately from
biopsies of small nodules that often develop on the thyroid. Previous
alternatives were inaccurate or expensive.
Phase 3 progress
for Universal Flu vaccine. Israel’s BiondVax has
12,400 participants from 83 hospitals in the Phase 3 double-blind
placebo-controlled trials of its Universal Flu vaccine. If successful, the new
vaccine could reach pharmacies in 2023. BiondVax’s new Jerusalem facility can produce
20-40 million doses per year.
European award
for stem cell investigator. Assistant Professor Yaron
Fuchs of Israel’s Technion Institute is one of 27 global scientists to receive
a “Young Investigators” award from the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Yaron harnesses stem cell apoptosis (cell death due to injury) for driving
tissue regeneration.
New technology
to help children breathe. (TY Hazel) Researchers
from Israel and the US have developed technology to allow children suffering
from bronchiolitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), to breathe freely. Air pressure and acoustic pulses remove
mucus from airways.
Exchanging kidneys
to save loved ones. There have been some amazing stories
(see here) of
Israelis donating a kidney to a total stranger while a relative of that
stranger donates a kidney to the Israeli’s relative. Thanks to an agreement
with the Czech Republic, this recently led to a six-kidney transplant exchange.
Laser brain
surgery saves Bethlehem Arab boy. 11-year-old Gamal
Allaham of Bethlehem suffered from a benign tumor in the hypothalamus that caused
him severe seizures. Surgeons at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov hospital used advanced laser
brain surgery and an optic fiber to cure him and Gamal is now back at school.
School students save
teacher with CPR. A pregnant teacher was “clinically dead” when
she suffered cardiac arrest at her school in Beit Shemesh. Two students performed
CPR and a medic arrived seconds later. Her brother had a similar event 4 years
ago. See link to article about Hadassah hospital’s Cardio-Genetic clinic.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli Muslim Arab
police chief speaks at UN. Newsletter readers can follow (see here) the career of Maj-Gen
Jamal Hakoush. The Israeli Muslim Arab
police commander recently highlighted the equality of Israel’s Arab citizens, at
the World Conference against Discrimination and Racism at the United Nations in
Geneva.
Producing dates together. An enlightening video of the Jordan Valley company producing the
best Majhoul dates in the world. It
features Palestinian Arabs working alongside Israeli Jews, cooperation with Jordanian
farmers, innovative tech and water recycling. Note - please turn on English subtitles
/ captions.
Free holiday trees again. (TY Janglo)
The Jerusalem Municipality announced the usual annual distribution of complimentary Christmas trees to Jerusalem
residents celebrating Christmas. Its website states that trees are being distributed
on Thursday morning, 19th Dec at the Jaffa Gate Plaza.
Protecting endangered species. (TY Stuart) This newsletter has preciously featured articles (see here) about Israeli efforts
to conserve the rare griffin vulture. This year a record 24 vulture eggs were
hatched and incubated as part of a special project called “Spreading Wings.”
Mossad helps Denmark prevent terror
attacks. Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has
been cited as being behind successful efforts with Denmark to bust a cell of 20
terrorists planning a series of attacks.
Promoting medical clowns in India. (TY Hazel) This article highlights the visit by Israel’s Nir Raz to
promote the introduction of medical clown therapy to children’s wards at hospitals
in India. Raz emphasized that in Israel, almost every hospital has a medical
clown. The therapy strengthens children’s ability to fight diseases.
Battling measles in
Samoa. (TY Hazel) A team of nurses, pediatricians and
physiotherapists from Israel’s Sheba hospital, led by Dr. Itai Pessach - all
with expertise in pediatrics and intensive care - have arrived in Samoa to help
fight a measles outbreak that has killed 65 (mostly children) and infected over
4,400.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
EU opens Tel Aviv tech innovation hub. Hundreds attended the inauguration of the European Institute of
Innovation and Technology (EIT) new Tel Aviv office. It will serve as the
European Union organization’s bridge between the two tech ecosystems and is only
its 3rd hub, after Silicon Valley and Beijing.
Student-built satellite
launched. (TY
UWI)
Israeli micro-satellite Duchifat-3 was successfully launched from India’s Space
Research Organization’s Sriharikota launch site. It was developed for ecological
research imaging by high-school students at the Space Lab of the Herzliya Science
Center and the Sha’ar HaNegev school.
NIS 22 million for alternate fuel
projects. Israel’s Energy and Water Resources
Ministry and the PM's Office’s program for fuel alternatives and smart
mobility, are investing NIS 22 million in new projects. They include City
Transformer’s folding vehicle, a hydrogen gas station and a portable vehicle
battery.
Israeli super-chips power new Cisco
router. Cisco Systems has unveiled its new Cisco
8000 Series of carrier-class routers, built using Cisco Silicon One chips, developed
at its Israel research and development center. Cisco forecast that the new
routers will reduce internet bottlenecks and power future broadband online
services.
New AI chips emulate the brain. As reported previously, (see here) (and here) Israel is the
global leader for developing super-fast and Artificially Intelligent microprocessors.
Now, researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute and Israeli chipmaker Towerjazz
have integrated memory plus computing ability, to emulate the brain.
An engine with only one moving part. (TY WIN)
Israel’s Aquarius Engines has signed a deal with Honda Motor Corporation affiliate
Musashi Seimitsu to co-develop its revolutionary linear engine (see here). The 10kg engine
has just 20 components and one moving part It is efficient and inexpensive with
low maintenance.
Save the bees and crops. (TY Hazel) Israel has developed many solutions to stop the decline
in the global bee population, (see
here) but are too late for some countries. So, Israel’s Edete Precision
Technologies’ unique pollen-harvesting and mechanical pollination system could be
just what the Californian almond industry needs.
Saving water to save the planet. This article on Israeli water-tech startups includes the WFI group comprising
four separate startups not featured previously in this newsletter. Toxsorb removes
toxic chemicals; Triplet purifies using bacteria and oxygen; Rotec performs
desalination and AST project manages solutions.
Israeli ethical food-tech. (TY David F) This CNN article
reports that there are 350 food and agriculture technology companies in the
Startup Nation. It features Aleph
Farms, eggXYt and DouxMatok (all previously
reported in this newsletter) and highlights that Israeli concerns for animal
welfare derive from Jewish values.
A revolution in the whiskey industry. It had to happen. The Israeli
startup Verstill has developed a unique molecular distillation process that
hyper-ages whiskey in a fraction of the usual time for maturing. Verstill won the Fresh Start Foodtech
Incubator Challenge in September.
A Swiss intern in hi-tech Israel. (TY Jacques) A personal account about one of the thousands of
international students who have come to Israel to experience Israel’s hi-tech
ecosystem. Benjamin applied through MASA’s Destination Israel program and joined
Israeli startup City Transformer, producer of foldable electric cars.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
East Med Gas Forum is
a game-changer. (TY Hazel) July saw the first
meeting, in Cairo, of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, comprising Egypt,
Cyprus, Greece, Italy, the Palestinian Authority and – yes – Israel. These two
articles suggest that the EMGF is already transforming the geopolitics of the
region.
Israeli
VC speaks at Abu Dhabi conference. Israeli Venture Capitalist Jon Medved spoke at the SALT (SkyBridge
ALTernatives) conference in Abu Dhabi. He is probably one of the first Israeli VCs
to speak openly in an investor conference in the Gulf. See also the positive message
from the Foreign Minister of the UAE.
Israel is financially stable. The latest Bank of Israel's Financial Stability Report has just
been published. Its summary: “The analysis of the environment in which the
domestic financial system operates, and the periodic assessments of its
resilience during the first half of the year, show that the system remained
stable.”
Non-stop
to Australia. Israeli airline El Al is to trial commercial
flights from Tel Aviv to Melbourne Australia from April 2020. It will initially
offer three flights each way, aimed to gauge interest in the potential of
launching such a route permanently. Flight times are around 17 hours.
Jerusalem
- the world’s fastest growing tourist destination. (TY Janglo)
UK business intelligence company Euromonitor International shows Jerusalem as
the world's fastest growing destination. Its 3.93 million overseas tourists in
2018 was up 12% from 2017 and the projected 4.8 million visitors in 2019 is another
huge increase.
More
Israeli internships. This newsletter has included several articles recently (see here) about opportunities
for young people from overseas to have an internship with an Israeli organization.
You can download information on many more from the 1st linked site below. The 2nd link is just one example from the
download.
Expanding
crop analytics to Central America. Israel’s CropX (reported here
previously) is partnering with FarmAgro of Costa Rica to bring CropX’s agri-tech
solutions and tools to farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean. CropX’s FarmAgro
helps analyze the impact of climatic variations and improve agriculture yields.
Israeli-founded
used-car company raises $0.25 billion. US-based Vroom was founded by Israeli-born
Elie Wurtman and Allon Bloch, Vroom develops an online direct-to-consumer
platform that offers low-mileage reconditioned vehicles, with possible finance and
insurance. Vroom has raised a total of $694
million in funds.
Israeli
fund raises $115 million for medical startups. Israeli venture capital firm Peregrine
Ventures Management Ltd. has raised a $115 million fourth fund. Peregrine has
45 med-tech, biotech, and life sciences companies in its portfolio and over
$200 million under management.
Intel buys Habana Labs for $2 billion. Intel has acquired Tel Aviv-based
artificial intelligence chip developer Habana Labs Ltd. for $2 billion. It is Intel’s
second-largest acquisition of an Israeli company. Habana Labs develops
processors optimized for artificial intelligence applications.
An
intelligent acquisition. Israel-based software testing company Qualitest has bought Israel-based
data analysis and machine learning company AlgoTrace. The companies have been
working together for over a year. Qualitest says the purchase will enable it to
rapidly increase the number of AI-based testing products it offers.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Re-using chickpea water in Tel Aviv. (TY Nevet) Aquafaba - the
viscous liquid produced from boiling chickpeas, is often used as a vegan egg
replacer. At award-winning
Tel Aviv vegan restaurant Meshek Barzilay they use it to make sauces. mayonnaise,
vinaigrette, lemon meringues, cakes, and as a thickener for stews.
Walk the new Old City ramparts. (TY Sharon) After years of work
on the Walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, the Northern Ramparts Walk (Wall
Promenade) is now open. The new section covers over half of the Old City to the
west, north, and east. It gives a bird's-eye view of the Christian and Muslim
Quarters and Mount of Olives.
London in Tel Aviv. In 2017 London hosted a Tel Aviv festival. Now Tel Aviv has reciprocated. The 4-day LND in
TLV fest (Nov 27-30) featured music from a Queen tribute band, literature based
on Shakespeare, classical music, dance, British beer and of course fish &
chips. Supporters included UK-based Virgin Atlantic.
Tel Aviv stew fest. (TY Janglo)
The Hamin Festival will be held over the course of three weekends in January at
Tel Aviv’s North Market. On Thursdays and Fridays, visitors can buy a wide
variety of Sephardi (Oriental and Spanish & Portuguese) “hamin” and “tbit” stews
and Ashkenazi (Eastern European) “cholent” stews.
No disposables on
Eilat beaches. (TY Janglo)
The city of Eilat is the first resort in Israel to ban disposable cups and bags
from its beaches to protect the Red Sea from the “threat of plastic”. Beachgoers
are forbidden from bringing disposable items onto the beach, whether made of
plastic, aluminum, cardboard or paper.
Israel
hosts its first chess world grand prix. The Jerusalem Grand Prix, part of the World Championship
for chess, is taking place in Jerusalem (Dec 10 – 23). It is the first time that
Israel has hosted the competition. The sixteen competitors include Israel’s
Boris Gelfand. https://en.chessbase.com/post/grand-prix-in-jerusalem
Israel
wins Admiral’s Cup sailing regatta. (TY Hazel) Israel lifted the cup in the 10th
edition of Admiral Cup Sailing Regatta at the Indian Naval Academy in Kannur,
India. Israel’s Itai Schroit won the individual men’s event with his countryman
Ido Mazor finishing third.
THE JEWISH STATE
Israel’s
allies. (TY Sharon)
A group of 25 global ministers and parliamentarians came to support Israel as
part of the annual Israel Allies Foundation Chairman's Conference. They visited
the Barkan Industrial Park where 8,000 Arabs and Jews work together, the Psagot
Winery, Shiloh, Hebron and of course Jerusalem.
The
Romans made fish sauce in Judea. The Israel Antiquities Authority has uncovered 2000-year-old vats in the
southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, used by the Romans to produce a fish
sauce. Historical sources refer to the production of special fish sauce, but few
vats have been discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean.
First
International Talmud competition. Strengthening Jewish identity one page at a time was the theme of the first-ever
International Talmud Israeli Competition on December 15 at the Jerusalem Theater.
Of the 1000 parent-child teams, 15 made the final including 3 from the US. An Israeli
team won with 150 out of 150 points.
Hard
cheese. An anti-Israel professor posted on Facebook a
call to boycott Trader Joe's for selling Israeli Feta cheese. Thanks to an
Israeli who publicized the post, pro-Israeli customers flocked to several of Trader
Joe's branches and bought up all the cheese and proceeded to purchase more
Israeli products.
Western
Wall Hanukiah is installed. The traditional bronze menorah (Hanukiah) has been set up in the Western
Wall (Kotel) Plaza in preparation for the upcoming Chanukah festival. The
2-meter, 1-ton candelabra will be lit at a public ceremony on each day of the
festival from the evening of Sun 22 Dec until Mon 30 Dec.
Happy Chanukah. Two new parody songs to celebrate
Chanukah - the Festival of Lights. Six13’s
“Star Wars” and the Maccabeats “Pan Fry”. And the third video of the JD (Jewish Donut)
is full of fun!
191208
In the 8th Dec
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli
researchers have discovered a new way to destroy pancreatic tumors.
·
A Tel Aviv
conference featured the latest life-saving Israeli medical technology.
·
Israeli technology
has been positively recognized at the United Nations.
·
An Israeli
system can land planes safely after total engine failure.
·
Derelict
parts of South Tel Aviv are to be redeveloped.
·
A new
English-speaking theater has opened in Ra’anana.
·
Israelis
save animals and animals save Israelis
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Another breakthrough
in pancreatic cancer research. Israeli scientists and
doctors have induced the self-destruction of pancreatic cancer cells in mice. A
small molecule, PJ34, normally used to treat stroke victims, reduced cancer
cells by up to 90 percent a month. There were no adverse effects. Normal cells
were unaffected.
US approvals for AI image analyses. Israel’s Zebra Medical has received several approvals from the US
FDA. They include detecting heart disease, (see
here) pneumothorax (lung trauma – see
here), intercranial hemorrhages (brain bleeds – see
here). It has just received another for detecting fluid on the lungs.
Green light for finger prick blood test. As predicted previously, (13th
May) the OLO finger prick blood test device from Israel’s Sight Diagnostics
flowed through the US FDA approval process. It enables use of the CBC (Complete Blood
Test) device in laboratories run by hospitals, diagnostic providers, and
outpatient clinics.
Israeli doctor
runs Canadian AIDS clinic. (TY Robert) To coincide
with World AIDS day, Robert Sarner wrote this article about Israeli-born Dr Neora
Pick. As medical director of Canada’s only multidisciplinary clinic for women
and children with HIV, she treats some of the 63,000 (and increasing) Canadians
with HIV.
Increasing US-Israeli
medical cooperation. (TY Janglo)
21 bipartisan US lawmakers have requested that the US establishes an FDA office
in Israel to facilitate collaboration in life-saving research. They wrote that Israel’s
world class medical research programs have positively impacted the global health
system.
Teva partners Israeli
universities for new cancer treatments. (TY Nocamels)
Israel’s Teva and Tel Aviv University have signed an R&D agreement in the
fields of cancer and brain studies. Teva has also partnered with Israel’s Weizmann
Institute to identify the next generation of innovative antibodies for cancer
treatment.
Showcasing Israeli digital health tech. Over a thousand participants gathered in Tel Aviv for the second
annual Digital.Health.Now conference. It focused on showcasing advanced Israeli
innovations in telemedicine, digital healthcare, and general wellness aided by
technology.
How blind
people use Smartphones. One Israeli startup at the Digital.Health.Now
conference was RightHear. (see
here). This video shows how the blind use its technology to access the functions
on a Smartphone. Also, (TY Jacques) RightHear is supporting the first official
blind-friendly street in Israel, and possibly the world.
Calm down. Another Israeli product showcased at Israel’s Digital.Health.Now conference
was Calmigo. Its advanced technology provides immediate, drug-free relief for
moments of distress, anxiousness, and stress by regulating your breathing patterns
and stimulating your senses.
Reducing injuries. Zone7, founded by IDF veterans, uses AI to foresee and prevent injuries
to sports people. It advertises an 80% reduction in injury days and provides
coaches, trainers and sports scientists with intervention strategies. Zone7 is
partnering its platform with global medical company Garmin Health.
A day in the
life. Last week 50 members of our synagogue were
privileged to be given a tour of Emergency Service United Hatzalah’s headquarters
in Jerusalem. United Hatzalah’s volunteer
EMTs arrive at the scene of an incident within three minutes, often saving lives
in Israel. Click the link to read a
recent typical example.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Accessibility
plans for Tomb of the Patriarchs. As reported previously (see
here) the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is to be made accessible for disabled
visitors. Here are more detailed plans and
artist impressions of the new elevator and bridge connecting the elevator to
the main entrance.
Haredi
teens train as emergency responders. There are many ultra-orthodox men and women
serving as emergency responders in Israel.
Here is one article about 15 yeshiva students who have completed the MDA
course in Yavniel, lower Galilee, to become Emergency Medical Responders in the
Yarden Region.
UN adopts Israeli
resolution. The United Nations General Assembly adopted
a resolution proposed by Israel on "Agricultural Technologies for Development"
to eradicate poverty and hunger worldwide. It targets agriculture, water
management and youth job creation. 147 countries voted in favor; the Arab
League abstained.
Making the UN more
accessible. On the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, the Israel mission to the UN donated to United Nations Other
Groups Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, three pediatric wheelchairs made by
the Israeli NGO ‘Wheelchairs of Hope’ (see here).
Transforming India’s water supplies. (TY Hazel) Excellent write-up of Israel’s role in helping India’s
goal of providing water to all citizens. It includes some 32 Israeli-led water
projects in 13 states; water management training in 28 Centers of Excellence; and
seven coastal desalination plants use Israeli desalination technology.
Ethiopians meet medics who saved their
lives. Over 100 Ethiopian young adults met 30 surgeons,
nurses and technicians from Israeli NGO Save A Child’s Heart in Addis Ababa. Decades earlier, SACH doctors performed heart
surgery on them as young children to save their lives. The medics saved another
31 children on this visit.
Israel’s rescue mission to Albania. This video has been released
to highlight the work of the Israeli Defense Forces team that responded to
Albania’s plea for help following its devastating earthquake (reported
last week). It also highlights Israel’s previous responses to requests for
help after global natural disasters.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
See Israel’s best inventions. Last week’s newsletter (link
here).included news of the nine Israeli innovations included in Time
Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2019 Here
is a short video compilation featuring all nine.
Olympiad medalists meet the President. (TY Sharon) Many Israelis won medals
at the 2019 International Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematical and
Informatics. They were congratulated by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and
Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz at a ceremony held at the President’s
Jerusalem home.
Safe landing. (TY Hazel) Engine shutdown is one of the major causes of flight
accidents. Students at Israel’s Technion Institute have built a safe landing
guidance system for aircraft with disabled engines. The system (algorithm, interfaces
with pilot display, sensors etc.) was successfully tested on an actual flight
in Israel.
Transforming pathology. Israeli startup Augmentiqs has developed software and hardware to
turn existing microscopes into smart connected instruments. The innovative
system enhancements use Augmented Reality (AR), digital overlays and computer connectivity
to generate a whole new hi-tech pathology environment.
One step at a
time. Israeli
startup Selfit has developed a robot and augmented reality-based system to facilitate
rehabilitation for many physical and neurological conditions. It also aids physical
therapy and slow down the deterioration in cognitive functions for a variety of
chronic conditions, including aging.
IBM partners Israeli imaging analysis
startup. As reported previously, (see here) Israel’s DiA is
marketing its AI ultrasound imaging analysis systems with US giants GE Medical and
Terason. Now, IBM Watson’s new Imaging AI Marketplace will offer DiA’s software
to help clinicians analyze cardiac images automatically.
Training bacteria to eat CO2. Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have genetically
engineered bacteria to live on carbon dioxide rather than sugar. Over a 10-year
period, the researchers induced evolutionary changes in E. coli bacteria so it
can survive on CO2. It could eventually be used to reduce CO2 levels in the
atmosphere.
Jerusalem is a smart transportation
city. Jerusalem was one of 28 finalists out of 450
entries for the smartest transportation city in the Smart City Expo competition
in Barcelona, Spain. It was also runner-up for the Mobility Award for integrating
the light rail train system with Axilion’s AI-based traffic light system.
Protecting NYC emergency security
networks. (TY UWI)
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the New York City Fire Department
(FDNY) will be using security software from Israel’s Indeni to protect their
computer networks. Indeni customers include Mastercard, Bloomberg, Boston
Scientific and soon NASA.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Upbeat
assessment from Moody’s. (TY Janglo)
International credit rating agency Moody's has reaffirmed Israel’s A1 sovereign
debt rating with a positive outlook. Its report went even further, stating, "Israel's
economic growth has outpaced most other advanced industrial countries over the
past decade.”
Currency
reserves at new record. The Bank of Israel increased its reserves of foreign currency by a
massive $1 billion last month. Their value
at the end of November was over $122 billion – a new record.
Urban renewal of South Tel Aviv. (TY Jacques) The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Local
Planning and Building Commission recently approved an urban development plan for
the derelict area of South Tel Aviv. It will add many apartments and offices, plus
large amounts of public and open space.
Hundreds
attend GoForIsrael conference. Over 700 participants from across the world, including 100 from China, attended
the 2019 GoforIsrael conference in Tel Aviv. The business summit brought together
global investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs for investment and
collaboration opportunities in Israel.
Olympus
Corp to open Israeli innovation office. Japanese life science company Olympus Corp
is to open an innovation office in Tel Aviv. Olympus is looking for Israeli technologies
and startups in the digital health and med-tech fields, particularly in prostate
stent technologies. Over 70 Japanese companies have offices in Israel.
Lumenis
exits for $1.2 billion. Israel’s medical-device pioneer Lumenis (reported here previously) is being acquired
by Baring Private Equity Asia for approximately $1.2 billion. Subject to the customary regulatory approval
process, it will be one of the 15 biggest acquisitions in Israeli history.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
New Israeli stamps show Torah scroll in
space. (TY Janglo)
A new limited set of Israeli stamps shows the first Torah that was flown in
space. They also feature Jeffrey Hoffman, the astronaut who first brought the
Torah into space in 1985. He was the first Jewish-American man to enter space.
Tel Aviv in BBC top 10 food destinations. The BBC’s Good Food magazine ranked Tel Aviv 7th in its top 10
destinations for foodies in 2020. It specially mentioned Tel Aviv’s “slick vegan
coffee shops” and street food such as hummus, falafel and shakshuka.
Curtain rises on
Center Stage. (TY Grant & Daniella) Grant and
Daniella Crankshaw’s new, professional theater in Ra'anana - Center Stage - is now
open and rolling out quality English theater productions. Against the odds, English
theater now has a permanent Israeli home. (Click links below for details of performances)
Maccabi Tel Aviv win again. (TY Nevet) Israeli hoops
champions Maccabi Tel-Aviv beat Baskonia (83-113) in Spain, to earn its sixth
straight win. It moved Maccabi Tel Aviv up to fourth place in the Euroleague
table.
Two Iranian
judokas to compete in Israel. Two Iranian judokas have deserted Iran after being bullied into boycotting
Israeli athletes. 2018 World Champion Saeid Mollaei and Mohammad Rashnonezhad have
signed to compete in January’s Tel Aviv Grand Prix as members of the Mongolian and
IJF refugee teams respectively.
THE JEWISH STATE
The ultimate Zionist festival. Thousands of Ethiopian-Israeli Jews traveled from across the country
to the Haas Promenade facing the Old City of Jerusalem to celebrate the Sigd
holiday. With its roots in the biblical Book of Nehemiah, Sigd rededicates the
community’s links to Torah, Jerusalem and Jewish unity.
Israeli
EMTs save a family with falafel. (TY Janglo)
After United Hatzalah volunteer paramedic Tal was badly injured in an accident,
EMT colleagues including CEO Eli Beer worked shifts at Tal’s falafel shop. Their
dedication kept Tal’s business going and supported his family while he recuperated.
Four
recent archaeological discoveries. This video highlights the excavation in Israel of a 7th century BCE (First
Temple) Biblical seal found in Jerusalem; a 5,000-year-old Canaanite city at
Ein Azur, Harish; a 6th century CE Byzantine church in Bet Shemesh and a 1,400-year-old
hammer and nails at Usha in Kiryat Atta.
Mosaics
uncovered in ancient Golan synagogue. Rare colorful mosaic fragments dating back
to the third century CE have been uncovered in an ancient synagogue at Majdulia
in the Golan Heights. They shed light on the transformation of synagogues, after
the Temple was destroyed, from places of study to prayer centers.
It’s
never too late to make Aliya. Michael Okunieff fought the Nazis
and rescued 75 Jewish children from Poland during WW2. At the age of 96 he has just
fulfilled his dream of making Aliya from Chicago, with a little help from the
Ministry of Aliya and Integration and the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization.
Egyptian
discovers the truth about Israel. Please read this article about Egyptian-born
Hussein Aboubakr who searched for information about Israel and discovered much
of what he had been told previously was a lie. He is now a pro-Israel advocate,
living in the United States. If only
there were a lot more people like him.
A sanctuary for donkeys. A previous newsletter article (7th
Apr) highlighted Israel’s animal sanctuary at Moshav Olesh, which was
caring for a 3-legged donkey. Here is website for an Israeli sanctuary that
looks after unwanted and abused donkeys. Its mobile clinic also treats hundreds
of working donkeys in the PA territories.
Israeli thanks rescue dog that saved his life. When Daniel was fired from his
job, in a lapse of sanity he tried to take his own life. After going missing for two days he was
found unconscious by Eishela from the Israel Dog Unit. Daniel made a miraculous recovery and was finally
able to thank Eishela and her handler.
IDF rescues unusual Syrian refugee. In a joint operation, the IDF and
Israel's Nature and Parks Authority, extracted a badger, one of Israel’s rarest
predators, from the metal border fence between Israel and Syria on the Golan
Heights. It had been trying to escape from Syria and was released near a water
source on the Israeli side.
191201
In the 1st Dec
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Two new Israeli
medical innovations directly target tumors and Alzheimer’s disease.
·
Israelis are
saving Albanian earthquake victims and Chad terrorist survivors.
·
Nine of
the best 100 inventions of 2019 are Israeli.
·
Israel’s
SpaceIL plans to send spacecraft to the Moon and to Mars.
·
Israel’s
unemployment is at a record low.
·
A second Israeli
gold medal and National Anthem in Abu Dhabi.
·
80 French
holocaust survivors celebrated late Bar/Bat Mitzvot in Jerusalem.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Targeting chemo at tumors only. Scientists
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a method that delivers
chemotherapy drugs directly to malignant cells and bypasses healthy ones.
Cancer cells emit the protein TRPV2 into which the scientists inserted a low
dose of doxorubicin to destroy the tumor.
Nano-chips help treat Alzheimer’s. Neural growth factor proteins can limit damage from Alzheimer’s disease
but are normally blocked by the Blood Brain Barrier. Scientists at Israel’s
Technion Institute and Bar-Ilan University have developed nanoscale silicon
chips that deliver these proteins directly to the target brain tissue.
Human radiation
therapy trial successful. Good results of the first
multi-center human trials of the Alpha Dart radiation therapy (see here) developed by Israel’s
Alpha Tau. Over 78% of the skin cancer tumors were completely cured. Most of the
patients had previously received other treatments that failed to kill the
tumors.
VR system
saves 2-year-old. As reported here previously, the
Virtual Reality technology from Israel’s Surgical Theater is saving thousands
of lives. Here is one example of two-year-old Ari whose deep brain tumor was
removed, thanks to surgeons having practiced the delicate operation using the
groundbreaking VR system.
Using AI to discover
treatments. Israeli startup Pepticom uses AI (Artificial
Intelligence) to discover new peptide-based candidates that could become the
basis of the next big medical treatment. Pepticom was launched as a company by
Yissum – the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Keeping the
blood flowing. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Perflow Medical has received the CE Mark (European approval) for its Cascade
Agile device that helps surgeons repair ruptured intercranial aneurysms. Its unique
net design enables continuous blood flow during cerebral aneurysm operations.
Detecting strokes
across the US. (TY Atid-EDI) Since US
giant Medtronic began marketing the AI brain scan analysis system from Israel’s
Viz.ai (see here), it has been
installed in 300 US hospitals. Viz.ai has just raised $50 million to help fund
its fast growth.
Diagnosing
narrowing of the arteries. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
MedHub is developing AutocathFFR - an automated system that detects stenoses
(narrowing) in the coronary arteries surrounding the heart. It has just
commenced a pivotal multi-center clinical trial to test the system’s effectiveness.
Fighting MRSA
resistance. (TY Atid-EDI) As
reported (here)
previously, Israel’s Biomica is developing microbiome therapies for antibiotic
resistant bacteria. It is now partnering with the Weizmann Institute to develop
a selective treatment against MRSA - antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus
aureus infection.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Female
entrepreneurs meet investors. A business networking event was held last week in Jerusalem at the Urban
Place for female entrepreneurs, in honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).
It was an opportunity for Israeli female business owners from across Israel to
network with both investors and other business owners.
Preserving
Jewish-Ethiopian culture. (TY WIN)
The Atachlit Beta Israel village in Kiryat Gat serves as a heritage center for
the preservation of Ethiopian Jewish culture and heritage. The village and farm
also give older Ethiopian Jews a new sense of purpose by continuing traditional
farming, building and cooking methods.
Relations with Kazakhstan improve further. The Central Asian, Muslim-majority country of Kazakhstan has a
history of strong connections with Israel. Under the new President,
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, these ties are expanding, especially in commerce, agro-tech,
clean water, cyber security, education and public diplomacy.
Aid to Chad. Volunteers from NGO Israeli Flying Aid (IFA) brought supplies to refugee
camps, hospitals and orphanages in the landlocked African country of Chad, suffering
under constant terror attacks. It included 14 dialysis machines and three anesthesia
machines donated by Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital.
Searching for Albanian
earthquake victims. (TY Hazel) An Israel Rescue and
Service team from Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council is searching for survivors
in the city of Durres, following a 6.4 on the Richter Scale earthquake that
shook Albania. It was the strongest earthquake to hit Albania in decades.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nine of the best 100
inventions for 2019. Nine Israeli startups are in TIME
magazine’s 100 Best Inventions for 2019. They are Or Cam, Theranica, WaterGen, Tyto
Care, Temi, ECOncrete, Eviation Aircraft, Intuition Robotics and Lemonade. All
have been reported previously in this newsletter – check www.IsraelActive.com
WiFi
innovation winner.
Israel’s Celeno won the Best Wi-Fi Innovation award at the 2019 Wi-Fi Now International
Expo and Conference in London. Celeno’s Wi-Fi Doppler imaging technology is expected
to spark a new ecosystem of sophisticated service for the home and enterprise.
Testing disaster recovery plans. Israel-based EnsureDR develops technology for identifying and
fixing disaster recovery plans. It uses an automatic process that operates and
tests secondary data sites on a weekly basis. EnsureDR has just raised $2.5 million.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKjhvBJBf1I
Intelligence by vision. Israel’s Viisights Solutions develops a video intelligence service
that analyzes and manages video content for specific advertising campaigns., It
also analyzes real-time footage from security cameras. Viisights has just raised
$10 million of funds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cazz4PFo4Y
More shrimps to feed a hungry world. (TY Atid-EDI)
This newsletter reported previously (see
here) on three Israeli startups that were farming disease-free shrimps.
Here is a fourth – Israel’s AquaMaof. Its RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture
Systems) use cutting-edge technology to breed shrimps and other fish on land.
Give us a summary. Researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said they
have developed MUSE (Multilingual Sentence Extractor) software that automatically
summarizes texts in many languages. It can help readers go through articles,
magazines, databases and academic research faster and more efficiently.
Read my lips. Israeli startup Hi Auto is developing speech recognition software
for vehicle drivers. It uses a microphone and camera so it can track the
driver’s lips to eliminate commands from other voices in the car.
Making hospital fabrics bacteria free. (TY Hazel) More on the method (see
here) that Israeli startup Sonovia has developed to bacteria-proof hospital
fabrics. They use ultrasound to form tiny vapor-filled cavities. Antibacterial
chemicals can then be propelled onto the molecular structure of the fabric.
Experience Virtual Reality in Tel Aviv. Israeli startup LVL3 Dizengoff offers a sensory experience to those
who want to see the future of Alternative / Virtual Reality. Situated in Tel Aviv’s
Dizengoff Center, LVL3 uses the Anvio VR platform to demonstrate some of the
most sophisticated team-based gaming technologies.
SpaceIL reveals new
challenges. SpaceIL – the Israeli NGO that sent the
world’s first private spacecraft to the moon – has announced plans to send spacecrafts
to the Moon and to Mars. The Moon mission is scheduled to take place in 2022
and is expected to cost even less than the £100 million Beresheet mission.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Top
of the world. (TY
Atid-EDI) In
the World Economic Forum’s 2019-2020 Global Competitiveness Report, Israel was
ranked first for entrepreneurship, (risk, embrace of disruptive ideas, growing innovative
companies), R&D expenditure, macroeconomic stability and multi-stakeholder
collaboration. Overall Israel was 20th of 141.
Good
all-round improvement. Israel’s Composite State of the Economy index for October increased by
0.3% - a slight acceleration in the last two months. All components improved, especially
consumer goods exports, services exports, industrial production, imports, retail
trade revenue, services revenue and job vacancies.
Importing hi-tech skills. NGO Masa Israel’s “FastTrack Pro” program serves as a pipeline for coding
and other key technical skills by matching North American Jews to jobs at
Israeli start-ups. Meanwhile, (TY Jacques)
The Council for Higher Education’s “Study in Israel” also attracts international
hi-tech talent.
Matching
immigrants to employers. Israel’s UWORK is an online recruitment agency targeted at new Olim - immigrants
to Israel. The website is said to be the first recruitment platform specifically
dedicated to immigrants and foreign language speakers, offering a variety of
jobs in companies across Israel.
Christian
Zionists invest in Israel. 650 Christian pro-Israel executives from 50 countries will attend the 2nd
annual conference on “Israeli Innovation for Humanity” in December. It is run by
the nonprofit ARISE, which matches Christian Israel-loving businesspeople from
abroad with entrepreneurs in Israel.
AstraZeneca
launches digital health program. AstraZeneca previously
(Sep
2013) teamed up with Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital to develop new treatments.
It has now started a NIS 10 million program for investing in Israel’s digital
health sector. It will provide Israeli startups with funds, mentorship and training.
Teaming
up to protect hospital systems. As reported previously, (Dec
2017) Israel’s Medigate protects medical devices from cyber-attack. It has
now partnered with Japan’s Sompo Risk Management and Israeli private hospital
chain Assuta Medical Centers to develop cybersecurity services for hospitals.
Vayyar
raises $109 million. As reported previously (see
here) the technology from Israel’s Vayyar can see through walls and other
materials. Its 4D radar can also detect a patient falling and alerts an
emergency contact. Vayyar has just raised $109 million and is opening new offices
in Jerusalem and Haifa.
Sodastream
plans $92 million expansion. PepsiCo is planning a $92 million expansion of its Sodastream plant in Rahat,
southern Israel. It will hire an additional 1,000 employees; approximately one
third of its current 1,500 strong workforce is comprised of Bedouin Arabs from
the surrounding area.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Smile please. (TY UWI)
The Arava International Photography Festival, part of the PlanetArava festival,
recently took place in southern Israel. It offered 150 International photographers
the chance to photograph the Holy Land’s unique wildlife and vibrant vistas. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/HJe33YMhB
Zero One to infinity. (TY Sharon) Your newsletter
editor was invited to attend the Zero One Digital Arts Festival in Jerusalem publicized
in last week’s edition. Regular contributor Sharon constructed a comprehensive
article on the event, combining visual art, music, sound, technology and much more
at the Tower of David.
Jamie Oliver features Israel on TV show. As reported previously (here),
UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was spotted in Tel Aviv earlier this year. Now
we know he was filming segments of Israeli vegan cooking and of Israeli spices for
his UK Channel 4 TV show, “Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals,” which aired earlier in
November.
Another gold medal in Abu
Dhabi. Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah, was
again played in Abu Dhabi on Sunday after Israel’s 21-year-old Nimrod Ryder won
the gold medal in the Under 77kg adult category at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships.
THE JEWISH STATE
Bar/Bat Mitzvah for 80 Holocaust survivors. (TY UWI)
A group of 80 French Holocaust survivors recently came to Israel for their
Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations, about 80 years late. The trip was organized by Israel
Experience - the Jewish Agency’s educational arm, and France’s United Jewish
Social Fund in Israel (FSJU).
Excavating
the Bible. (TY UWI)
Israeli archaeologists believe they have uncovered, in the North Israel village
of Ahwat, the fortress of Sisera, defeated by Barak and Deborah in the Book of
Judges. Finds include scarabs, seals and figurines from the 13th and 12th
centuries BCE. Also, a chariot lynchpin
and iron smelting works.
Speak
out for Israel.
The Genesis Prize Foundation is offering $1 million in grants to groups
fighting anti-Semitism and working to tell the true story of Israel. 2019 Genesis Prize Laureate Robert Kraft launched
“Speak Out for Israel”, to encourage non-profits to combat attempts to
de-legitimize the Jewish State.
191124
In the 24th Nov
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Doctors
can now repair knees using Israeli-developed artificial cartilage.
·
Israel received
a humanitarian award for its aid to Puerto Rica.
·
An
Israel-developed herbicide controls weeds by making them infertile.
·
Israel’s good
economic performance surprises all the analysts.
·
Israeli
fraud-detection software is popular with UK banks.
·
Fifty baby
gazelles have been born in Jerusalem’s urban nature park.
·
The winner
of Israel’s International Bible quiz is getting married to the runner-up.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israeli-developed artificial knee cartilage. Israeli doctors performed the first commercial replacement surgery of
the meniscus (knee cartilage) on two Israeli patients. Via a small incision, they
each received the NUsurface artificial meniscus implant developed at the Netanya,
Israel R&D center of US company Active Implants.
Positive
results for Brainstorm’s ALS trial. As reported (here) previously, the stem
cell treatment for ALS from Israel’s Brainstorm is doing well in trials. The latest Phase 2 trial of Brainstorm’s autologous
bone-marrow derived MSC-NTF cells (Nurown) in 48 patients at 3 US sites was effective
and well tolerated.
The first Hadassah
accelerator graduates. Hadassah Accelerator, run
jointly by Hadassah Medical Center IBM and the Jerusalem Development Authority,
has graduated its first six med-tech startups. They are MyMilk, TuneFork, Deep
Health, Neuroya, Ukappi and MDI Health Technologies.
New med-tech
TV series. A US TV production team has been filming
for a documentary series on Israel’s medical device industry. It will showcase
the people and technologies that are saving lives around the world. The show,
called “TrueFuture,” will feature Israel in eight to ten episodes in Series 3.
More Euro funding
for virus / bacteria test. (TY UWI)
The European Innovation Council has just added 2.5 million Euros to international
funds that Israel’s MeMed previously received (see here) to roll
out its test that distinguishes between a virus and a bacteria. Very timely for
World Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov 18-24).
Let’s get
loud. (TY Janglo)
On October 15th, 2019, Koolulam collaborated with Israeli NGO 'One in Nine' to
mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 2,000 people got together in Tel Aviv to sing
Jennifer Lopez’s hit “Let’s Get Loud” and celebrate life alongside breast
cancer survivors, families and friends.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Ten
years of empowering women. (TY Sharon) I’m always pleased to
publicize (see here) the
annual Jerusalem Temech Conference for its work promoting and supporting Jewish
businesswomen and entrepreneurs. This year’s conference entitled “Unlock the
Wealth” attracted a record one thousand participants.
Wheels
of Love. Sharon’s
recent blog on the Real Jerusalem Streets featured the Wheels of Love charity
bike ride. It raised $2.5 million for ALYN which treats patients ranging from
babies with illnesses needing constant special attention, to older persons
challenged and needing special therapies due to accidents or illnesses.
Growing
success for Arab-Jewish learning program. The Abraham Initiatives' Shared Learning program
has more than doubled its size, from 15 middle and high schools and 500
students last year to 40 schools and 1000 students today. It is Israel’s first nationwide
broad and systematic language study program.
Ethiopian Airlines plane is named Tel
Aviv. The name of one of the new Dreamliner planes
ordered by Ethiopian Airlines is “Tel Aviv”. An eagle-eyed plane spotter
noticed the name on the aircraft as it left the Boeing plant in Charleston, South
Carolina. It was meant to be revealed in a ceremony at Ben Gurion airport.
Rhode Island governors. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo recently led a delegation of governors
on an economic and policy mission to Israel. It met entrepreneurs, policy experts
and elected officials, to strengthen relationships with the State of Israel and
build new partnerships with its business community.
Latinos give humanitarian
award to Israel. SOMOS Inc is a charity working to
help many of the 4 million Hispanics in New York State. But they took time in
their annual conference to present Israel with the Humanitarian Leadership
Award for its aid to Puerto Rica after hurricane Maria devasted the Caribbean
island.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Engineering studies is the top choice. 18.4% of Israeli undergraduate students enrolled in engineering
courses this academic year, making it the top choice for the second consecutive
year. Engineering includes electrical and electronic, software, information
systems, civil and mechanical and chemicals and materials engineering.
Israel’s largest gas power station. Israel is to build its largest private natural gas power plant, costing
up to NIS 3 million. It will be constructed near the Sharon region city of Kfar
Saba and will supply up to 1,300 megawatts, around 10% of the current capability
of the Israel Electric Corporation.
Solar power from a parking lot. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israel has nearly completed building the largest solar array on a parking lot
in Israel and connecting it to the electric grid. Located in the Emek Hefer industrial
park, it has a capacity of 130 kilowatts. Charging stations for electric cars
have also been installed in the parking lot.
Water technology conference. WATEC Israel 2019 (Nov 18-21) is Israel’s premier water technology
and environment control conference. Its focus this year was “Water Stewardship and
Innovation – driving global leadership in the responsible planning management,
and protection of water”. https://watec-israel.com/
Monitoring and securing hydrants. One of the innovative Israeli companies exhibiting at WATEC Israel
2019 was Hydrantech. It has developed a smart device for fire hydrants that
alerts authorities to leaks, water theft or malicious attempts to penetrate a
water supply. It also supplies useful data on water usage.
More on the Dubai Robotics Olympiad-winning
Israelis. Last week’s newsletter broke the news of
the Israeli team winning silver at the FIRST Global Challenge in Dubai. The
team comprised students from Megiddo Regional High School in northern Israel. On
returning, they showed their robot to the Prime Minister.
Amos-17 reaches operational orbit. The launch of Israeli communications satellite Amos-17 was reported
here previously (20th
Aug). It has successfully completed systems testing and reached its
designated orbit point in space. Its owners Spacecom plan to begin commercial
operations to Africa in the coming days.
Communicating on all frequencies. As reported previously, (7th July) the first cubesat satellite
from Israel’s NSLComm was launched into orbit by a Soyuz rocket. CEO Raz Itzhaki
says that NSLSat-1 is communicating at all frequencies: UHV, VHF, S-band and
Ka-band. Improvements to the next two cubesats are in production.
Robots to inspect industrial machinery. Israel-based Kitov Systems develops artificial intelligence-based
solutions to train robots for visual inspection of manufactured products. It
has just signed an agreement with Japan’s Denso Corporation to install Kitov’s technology
in over 100 of Denso’s auto mobility systems.
Smart traffic light timing. Israeli startup Axilion develops smart traffic light timing
software capable of distinguishing between different kinds of vehicles and prioritizing
public transportation. The technology is currently being used in Jerusalem to
prioritize the city’s light rail. Axilion has just raised $6 million of funds.
Eco-friendly weed-killer
wins $250,000. Israel’s WeedOUT has developed a unique
formulation of weed pollen that makes weeds infertile. It eradicates weeds that
have developed resistance to chemical hernicides. WeedOUT won Agrivest 2018 and
now Radicle Challenge Israel with its $250,000 investment award.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Third quarter growth exceeds forecasts. Israel’s GDP grew at 4.1% in the
third quarter of 2019, far in excess of the market's 2.6-2.8% expectations,
according to an initial estimate published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The unexpected result indicates that economic growth is stronger than most
analysts believed.
Another
solution to hi-tech worker shortage. Most newsletter readers will know that Israel
has vacancies for many thousands of hi-tech workers. It has computer training
programs for Haredim, Israeli Arabs and even African migrants and Palestinian
Arabs. Now it is seeking retirees who want to get back into the workforce.
Promoting
tech innovation in Haifa. The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), has selected the ILAB group including
JVP and Mellanox to promote tech innovation in Haifa. ILAB will receive $25
million which it will match. ILAB will support 150 startups focusing on digital
health, energy, environment and smart mobility.
Michigan
State wants to buy Israeli tech. US State of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, visiting Israel, signed an
agreement with Israeli Nonprofit Start Up-Nation Central to pinpoint Israeli technology
that can boost the quality of life for Michigan’s citizens. Governor Whitmer
also attended Israel’s WATEC conference.
BA upgrades
Tel Aviv-London route. British Airways has crowned Tel Aviv as one of the most popular vacation
destinations for 2020. It has also inaugurated a new aircraft, the Airbus
a350-1000, on the Tel Aviv-London route. The Tel-Aviv London route is one of
the first to use the new plane on a daily basis.
Business
is an Adventure. Virgin
Atlantic and Calcalist organized the recent “Business Is an Adventure” conference
in Tel Aviv. Eco-friendly ECOncrete (see here) won the “Pitch to
Rich” event to Richard Branson and a trip to London plus the opportunity to
join Virgin’s startup accelerator.
More
orders for electric planes. (TY Hazel) Israel-based electric-plane startup Eviation Aircraft (reported
here recently) has
signed up two more US customers for its pioneering commuter aircraft, taking
the orders for “Alice” to more than 150 planes. Eviation’s CEO spoke at Israel’s
“Business is an Adventure” conference.
Helping banks prevent fraud. As reported previously, (see here) Israel’s
BioCatch is used to prevent fraud by top UK bank Nat West and seven tier-one
banks in Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Mexico. This WSJ article reveals that the Royal
Bank of Scotland also uses BioCatch’s behavior analysis to stop fraud.
A million
new potential crowdfunding customers. Israeli venture capital crowdfunding
platform OurCrowd is partnering with US investment bank Stifel Financial Corp. OurCrowd will offer crowdfunding opportunities
to Stifel’s one million clients. Stifel will provide investment services to OurCrowd
portfolio companies.
Frog
becomes a Prince.
Israel’s Netanya-based software startup JFrog has been reported (here) several times, but not when
it raised $165 million last year. That transaction valued the company at $1 billion
to award it the financial term “Unicorn”.
One
of Israel’s biggest cheerleaders. Excellent bio and interview of Jon Medved – Founder and CEO of Israeli crowdfunding
platform OurCrowd. He reveals that Israel is almost neck and neck with China in
terms of an absolute number of AI (Artificial Intelligent) startups.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Digitizing 120,000 books. The “People of the Book” are aptly named. The National Library of
Israel is working with Google to digitize 120,000 books from its extensive collection
of Jewish texts and upload them to the internet for public use. 20,000 rare and
fragile books will be scanned in-house, the rest in Germany.
New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) New Israeli stamps issued in November feature
Israeli-invented board games Rummikub and Taki, Ethiopian-Israeli Jews’ Sigd
festival and Weizmann Institute’s 70th anniversary https://jr.co.il/stamps/index-2019.html
Fifty baby fawns. (TY Janglo)
Jerusalem Valley Gazelle Park celebrated the birth of its 50th fawn. It was
only just over two years ago (see
here) when the herd tripled in size to twenty.
Things to do in Israel in December. December 2019 in Israel offers a great selection of events and festivals
for all tastes, ranging from major cultural festivals to folk music festivals,
and from comedy tours, to concerts.
“Hello” what happened to Lionel? I was wondering if reports
of Lionel Richie coming to Israel were “Truly” accurate (see
here), until I received notification from my local AACI organization that they
were selling tickets for his 2nd March concert.
Now, I’ll be crying “All Night Long”, because I’ll be in the UK that evening!
Soccer stars arrive. Terrorist rockets and threats didn’t deter the Polish soccer team from
playing their Euro 2020 qualification match in Israel last week. The were
rewarded with a victory. And then the
Argentinian national team (including Lionel Messi) played an international friendly
match against Uruguay in Tel Aviv.
Israeli wins ju-jitsu gold in Abu Dhabi. Israeli 17-year-old Israeli Alon Leviev won gold in the junior under
55kg category at the Ju-jitsu World Championship in Abu Dhabi, capital of the
United Arab Emirates. The Israeli national anthem Hatikvah was played and the Israeli
flag was displayed.
Israelis win 14 medals at Euro Thai boxing
championships. Israelis took home an astounding 14
medals, (4 of them gold) from the International Federation of Muaythai (Thai
boxing) Amateur (IFMA)-EMF European Championships, in Minsk, Belarus. It included
medals for the three Gordon brothers from Shiloh.
THE JEWISH STATE
US
and Israeli firefighters work side-by-side. The U.S. Emergency Volunteer Project (EVP)
trains U.S. firefighters and medical personnel, and then deploys them to Israel
in times of need. The firefighters came to Israel in anticipation of high winds
and dry conditions. When rockets from Gaza landed, they set to work.
IDF
soldier meets Canadian he saved. In 2016 in the middle of his IDF service, Eitan went to donate his stem
cells. Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion found he was a match for Jack in Toronto who was
dying from bone marrow cancer. His donated cells saved Jack’s life. 3 years
later Eitan flew to Toronto to meet Jack.
Better
access to Cave of Patriarchs. (TY Janglo)
The Cave of the Patriarchs (Machpelah), burial place to Abraham & Sarah, Isaac
& Rebecca and Jacob & Leah is to be made accessible to those who cannot
climb the steps to the religious site revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Also,
there was a free shuttle during Sukkot.
The
Dead Sea is coming to life. (TY Ron) An amazing effect of the contraction of the Dead Sea is that
freshwater sink holes have appeared. These have sprouted lush vegetation, attracted
birds and even fish. “Water flows east into the Dead Sea. Fishermen will spread
their nets to catch fish.”
A winning couple. (TY Janglo)
Azriel Shilat won the International Bible Quiz for Youth on Independence Day 2018
after a tie-breaking round with Oriah Cohen. The 17-year-old finalists remained
friends afterwards and last month Azriel “popped” the ultimate question to Oriah. They are now engaged to be married.
A
heart attack is no longer a lottery. (TY Janglo)
Mifal HaPais (the Israeli National Lottery) has invested NIS 5 million to
install defibrillators at 600 lottery booths across Israel. They will be wirelessly
connected to the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service in a bid to cut the
incidences of death due to cardiac arrest.
191117
In the 17th Nov
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
A new Israeli
treatment successfully protected six severely ill sepsis patients.
·
An Israeli
emergency paramedic delivered 3 babies in 48 hours.
·
Israeli heart
surgeons saved 80 children from Gaza, Iraq & Syria.
·
An Israel-designed
solar generator is going to the International Space Station.
·
Israeli
scientists have a solution for wastewater formaldehyde contamination.
·
You can
now book direct flights from Chicago to Tel Aviv.
·
Israel’s
beautiful Hula Valley now has a hi-tech visitor center.
·
Rockets don’t
stop Israeli weddings.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Good results in sepsis
treatment trial. As reported previously (see here) Israel’s Enlivex
Therapeutics has developed Allocetra which rebalances the immune system. Allocetra
was given to six patients suffering from severe sepsis at Hadassah hospital in
Jerusalem. All survived.
Amazing
medical innovations. Great video by Naftali Hananya about Israeli
medical innovations previously reported in this newsletter. It highlights nano
eye drops to restore vision (see
here); Savicell’s lung cancer test (see here); the multiple myeloma
treatment XPOVIO (see
here); and Relivion’s migraine headset (see
here);
Teva launches
anti-cancer treatment. Israel’s Teva is launching Truxima,
a biosimilar for Rituxan - Roche’s oncology treatment. It is initially targeted
at non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patients but also could treat rheumatoid arthritis
and other conditions.
Early
diagnosis of autism. Professor Ilan Dinstein of Israel’s
Ben Gurion University has developed a method of detecting children with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) from the early age of 18 months. He tracks eye-movements of
children watching films. ASD children have significantly more idiosyncratic gaze
patterns.
Another
discovery about memory. Researchers from Ben-Gurion
University working with Spanish scientists have discovered that single-cell
organisms such as amoebas are capable of developing memory capabilities. The
breakthrough could help treat patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases
such as Alzheimer’s.
Seven joint
UK-Israel medical projects. The British-Israel research
organization BIRAX is granting funds of £2.8 million to seven, new, three-year
bilateral scientific research projects in the field of ageing. These focus on
vascular, brain and eye diseases, plus diabetes and involve precision medicine
and Artificial Intelligence.
Sheba’s Innovation
Center. (TY Stuart) Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has
launched its ARC Innovation Center, with world-class medics plus top technology
experts developing new approaches for treatment and rehabilitation. It is the
first hospital in the world to provide a virtual reality rehab facility.
The robot will
see you now.
Israeli startup Diagnostic Robotics has developed an Artificial
Intelligent Emergency Room triage robot that assesses the urgency of each patient
to determine their priority in seeing a human doctor. The robot also provides
the doctor with a preliminary diagnosis and recommendations.
Volunteer paramedic delivers 3 babies in 48 hours. Israel’s Issachar Weiss is a volunteer paramedic for Magen David Adom
in the Tel Aviv area. He delivered one baby at 4:30am Sunday in Givatayim,
another at 5am Monday in Bnei Brak and a third at 5pm Monday in Hatikvah Tel
Aviv. It may be a new record.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Playschool
for 3,000 on Gaza periphery. Just before Islamic Jihad began firing rockets against Israel, the
Eshkol Regional Council bordering Gaza broke ground on a new safe playschool and
learning center. Thanks to JNF USA and philanthropist Pastor Jentezen Franklin,
it will serve more than 3,000 children from the region.
A Druze
Arab Sheikh speaks out. (TY Avi) Druze Sheikh
Salim Abu Salah tells of his hopes for the future.
Israeli
Arabs are flourishing. (TY Hazel) Incredible article in
Haaretz. Since 2007 Israeli-Arabs in high-tech increased 18-fold. Arab civil
servants doubled to 11.3%. 15% of Israeli doctors are Arab. Israeli-Arab schools
are receiving unprecedented levels of funding. And a third of new students at Israel’s
Technion are Arab.
Israel helps diabetics
everywhere. This video for World Diabetes Day on 14th
Nov, features 4 Israeli innovations for diabetics. It includes the online site Sehatuna
(Arabic for “our health”) where Israel’s Sheba Medical Center provides diabetes
advice to patients across the Middle East including Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.
Fixing children’s hearts despite no diplomatic relations. (TY Hazel) Doctors at the Edmond J. Safra International Congenital Heart
Center at Sheba hospital have repaired the hearts of some 80 children from
Gaza, Syria and Iraq during the past year. They were brought to Israel by
Christian organization Shevet Achim.
Israelis win
robotics medal and friends in Dubai. Israeli
students won a silver medal at the First Global Challenge Robotics Olympiad in
Dubai. Of the 191 countries competing, Israel finished the preliminary stages
with the highest points ranking. It also won a special prize for its
extraordinary assistance to other groups.
Israel
& USA conduct cyber defense exercise. The IDF and US Cyber Command recently held
their fourth Cyberdome exercise, preparing for attacks from hackers threatening
the national security of both countries. The event constitutes part of the strategic
partnership in cyber-security defense between Israel and the US.
Water from the air to Uzbekistan. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Watergen has signed a deal to provide thousands
of its Gen-M atmospheric water generators to towns and cities facing water
shortages in Uzbekistan. Each generator can make as much as 800 liters of water
per day from moisture in the air.
South African President praises Israel. South Africa’s new President, Cyril Ramaphosa, recently expressed
hope that his nation can emulate Israel’s approach to economics and technology.
He saw Israel as a shining beacon of progress, incentivizing its citizens to innovate
and create through special “challenge funds.”
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli solar power
for space station. (TY INN) NASA is
set to send a prototype of an Israeli-developed miniaturized solar-power
generator to the International Space Station. Designed by scientists at Ben
Gurion University, it has been hailed as a “major step forward for commercial
space missions”
Government tech investment. Israel’s Innovation Authority (III) is to pay up to NIS 2 million
per year over 3 years to multinationals and Israeli startups to develop and
implement specialized Artificial Intelligence (AI) training programs. It will also
pay up to NIS 15 million to local institutional investors to recruit tech
specialists.
Matching technology with art. TechnoArt is an Israeli Venture Capital fund and incubator. It set
up a $5 million micro-fund and startup accelerator in 2015 that has launched
Israeli startups Playit (event production) and Markers (connects advertisers
with artists). It now aims to raise a further $75 million.
Fifty years of Technion Computer
Science. Thousands of alumni celebrated the 50th anniversary
of Israel Technion’s Computer Science faculty. Its scientists have invented the
Zip compression algorithm, 3D camera technology, AI and computer learning
innovations, cyber security protection and much more.
Thousands attend Tel Aviv next-generation
drone event. (TY I24 News & UWI)
Israel recently hosted the annual International Conference on Unmanned Vehicles.
It attracted international leaders in the field to see Israel’s cutting-edge
drone technology. And Israel’s Skylock has
just sold an anti-drone system to Thailand.
Vegan honey.
Students at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed synthetic honey that has
never been near a bee. They manipulated the bacterium Bacillus subtilis in the
lab to produce the same enzymes that occur in the bee’s stomach. Their
innovation won gold at MIT’s international iGEM competition for synthetic biology.
Hydrogen is the fuel of the future. As reported previously (1st
Oct) Israeli startup H2PRO extracts Hydrogen from water to generate a
cheap, non-polluting fuel. A spin-off
from Israel’s Technion, one of H2PRO’s main investors is Hyundai Motors. Here
is H2PRO’s latest video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP66wj1zdpY
Jerusalem R&D center for auto brake
company. Rassini, a leading manufacturer of braking
systems for GM, Ford, Toyota etc. is opening a research center at the Jerusalem
College of Technology (JCT). Its aim is to help formulate future strategy. Rassini’s
CEO said, “Israel is known as an epicenter for research and development”.
Constant checks for cybersecurity weaknesses. Israeli startup Pcysys develops cybersecurity software that enables
enterprises to continuously test their network to detect security vulnerabilities.
Automatic and self-learning, Pcysys has just raised $10 million of funds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjK5HQV_IV0
Removing formaldehyde
pollution. Cancer-causing formaldehyde is released
in many industrial processes. Scientists from Israel’s Technion have developed a
new process to purify formaldehyde contamination in wastewater. It combines an
innovative absorbent clay with resistant bacteria discovered in the Negev desert.
Another award for deep learning chip. (TY OurCrowd) As reported previously
(see here) Israel’s Hailo manufactures
microprocessors designed to run AI applications. Having won a Red Herring award
in June, it has now been recognized as a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree.
Three promising “upstart” startups. There are 3 Israeli cybersecurity
companies in “Upstart 100”, an annual list of 100 promising startups to watch
by US business TV channel CNBC. Cheq uses AI to detect Ad fraud; Cylus protects
railways (see
here); and Silverfort develops agentless multifactor authentication.
Walking the dog – on a bike. (TY Ronnie) Israeli startup Malabi was founded by dog owners who
happen to be Engineers. Their quality dog exercise equipment includes the
innovative EasyRide – a dog biking leash that is safer for cyclists and more
enjoyable for their dogs. Note the
scenes from dog-friendly Tel Aviv.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
It’s
getting easier. Israel
leapt 14 places to number 35 in the annual World Bank survey of the ease of
doing business in 200 countries. Israel even beat Switzerland in the process.
State
of Arizona opens Israeli trade office. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has announced
the opening of a trade and investment office in Tel Aviv. Trade between Arizona
and Israel totaled more than $460 million in 2018 – double that in 2010. Governor
Ducey led the first ever Arizona trade mission to Israel in 2015.
Direct flights to/from Chicago. El Al has announced the launch of nonstop
flights between Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion and Chicago’s O’Hare Airports from 22nd March
2020. The service will operate three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Sundays) flying passengers on a 282-seat Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Amazon
launches in Hebrew. On-line giant sales company Amazon has launched a new Hebrew-language
interface. It comes with a limited time offer of free shipping to Israel for
some 50 million “eligible items”.
Keeping
more drivers alert. As reported previously (see here), Israel’s Eyesight
Technologies is helping SEAT, LG Electronics, Samsung and Exsun keep drivers’
eyes on the road. Eyesight has just won a $15 million order to integrate its DriverSense
software into two new car models of a “well known” US car manufacturer.
Crossix
exits for $430 million. Israel’s Crossix Solutions provides data analytical marketing tools for
the top 25 pharmaceutical companies. Its Safemine product helps healthcare companies
plan, target and measure their marketing campaigns. Crossix has just been acquired
by New York-based Veera Systems for $430 million.
Riskified
becomes a Unicorn.
Israeli fraud detection startup Riskified was reported here briefly previously (Feb 2016).
It has just raised $165 million, valuing the company at over $1 billion. Riskified’s
2018 revenue surpassed $100 million and it is preparing to open offices in
Shanghai to add to those in Tel Aviv and NYC.
Supporting
farmers in 20 countries. (TY Hazel) Since Israel’s Agritask was last reported here (Jan 2017) it was improving
farming efficiency in seven countries. That has now almost tripled to 20 and
Agritask has just raised $8.5 million of funds to continue its expansion.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
More from the Jerusalem Biennale. (TY Sharon) As reported previously
(16th
Oct) the Jerusalem Biennale (“For Heaven’s Sake”) continues until 28 Nov. Here
are some of the 17 murals painted by International street artists. Unlike other
exhibitions, the art will be permanently displayed, leaving a lasting impression
on the city.
UK newspaper recommends Tel Aviv. (TY Hazel) The UK Telegraph wrote a feature article recommending
Tel Aviv “Why this Mediterranean city should be your next destination for winter
sun”. It highlighted its marvelous coastline, a growing crop of culinary
hotspots and a dynamic and buzzing nightlife scene.
Why not the whole country? (TY Hazel) Condé Nast Traveler ranked Israel 15th in “Top 20
Countries in the World: Readers’ Choice Awards 2019,” Four Jerusalem hotels
appear in the “Top 15 Hotels in the Middle East”. Some 600,000 readers
submitted comments for the 2019 awards.
Hi-tech visitor center
opens in Hula Valley. Former Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper opened the Stephen J. Harper KKL-JNF Hula Valley
Visitor and Education Center in Northern Galilee. It features the latest
virtual reality, multimedia and interactive exhibits on bird migration and the restored
Hula Valley marshlands.
Zero One. (TY
Sharon) “Zero.One” (27-28 Nov) is a Digital
Art Festival in Jerusalem which explores the connection between human artistry
and technology. It centers on the connection between light and shadow, between
past and future, between actual and virtual. The Tower of David will be covered
in lights from 7pm.
Iron Maiden to perform in Israel. Heavy metal giants Iron Maiden have confirmed their first concert
in Israel in 25 years will be at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium on May 30th,
with Israeli heavy metal band Orphaned Land opening the show. Iron Maiden has
sold over 100 million albums and played over 2,000 concerts.
Jerusalem to host Euro U18 Athletics
Championships. The European Athletic Association
has chosen Jerusalem as the venue of the 2022 Under 18 European Championships
for light athletics. Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor said it was an expression of
confidence and support from European countries in the status of Jerusalem.
Record breaking marathon runner loves
Jerusalem. UK’s Nick Butter has just completed a
marathon in every country in the world. Due to concerns, he left Israel almost until
last. However, Israel’s Daniel Pearlman (originally from the UK) helped
organize Nick’s Jerusalem run and Nick was delighted with the experience.
THE JEWISH STATE
30
orphans celebrate Bat and Bar Mitzvot with Israeli President. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hosted
30 children celebrating their Bat / Bar Mitzvah. All 30 had lost a parent who
had been serving in the IDF. The President noted that they had grown up much
quicker and that their event was celebrated by the whole country.
Nurse saved by
stem cell donor. It’s personal stories that illustrate
the amazing impact of Israeli bone marrow database organization Ezer Mizion. In
this case, a medic finds herself on the receiving end of medical attention.
Don’t stop the weddings. Israel couples in Southern Israel continued
with their weddings, despite rocket fire from Gaza terrorists. One even took
place in a bomb shelter. And when Eurovision 2018 winner Netta Barzelai saw on
TV that Efrat and Eliran were downsizing their Beersheba wedding, she rushed over
to entertain them.
191110
In the 10th Nov
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli
scientists have identified the gene that causes deadly heart rhythm problems.
·
A blind
Israeli woman is serving in the Israeli Air Force.
·
5000 Tanzanians
have clean water thanks to an Israeli boy’s Bar Mitzva present.
·
An Israeli
radiation protection vest has begun NASA space trials.
·
Skoda, Jaguar
Land-Rover and Porsche announced new Israeli partnerships.
·
Israel has
a new world champion kickboxer.
·
15,000
Israelis have helped excavate an ancient Jewish village in the Galilee.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
US approval for H. pylori treatment. The US FDA has given approval for Israel’s Redhill Biopharma to
market its RHB-105 (Talicia) treatment for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori
(H. pylori). It follows successful Phase 3 trials, as reported (here)
previously. H. pylori affects some 2 million US patients.
Turning mosquitos against themselves. As reported previously (see here) there are several Israeli
innovations developed to help reduce numbers of disease infecting mosquitos. Now
Ben Gurion University scientists have discovered and activated bacteria in the
male mosquito that is poisonous only to mosquito larvae.
Genetic cause of
atrial fibrillation. Scientists at Ben Gurion University
have found that common (mostly night-time) atrial fibrillation (heart rhythm problems)
is caused by a mutation in a gene (KCND2). They are now developing an
anti-arrhythmia medication, based on their findings. It could save 200,000
lives each year.
Detecting and
treating prostate cancer. For Men’s Health
Awareness Month, here are 7 Israeli startups focused on detection and treatment
of prostate cancer. Two have not been reported here previously. They are Keren
Medical’s anastomosis device for bladder operations; and UC-Care’s ultrasound
tumor tracking tools.
Relieving pain
for pancreatic cancer patients. (TY WIN
& I24 News) Doctors at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center have managed to substantially
reduce the pain suffered by cancer patients. Radiation is targeted at a nerve
behind the pancreas. After 3 weeks, the patient is strong enough to embark on
further cancer treatment.
The first medical
school in Samaria is open. Seventy students were
accepted into the first class of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School
of Medicine at Ariel University. It is the sixth medical school in Israel and the
first in Samaria. US Ambassador David Friedman gave the traditional Hebrew
‘Shecheyanu’ blessing.
Sheba hospital
– the Cyprus connection. Several newsletter articles
(see here)
highlight the humanitarian work done at Israel’s Sheba medical center in Tel Hashomer
on behalf of citizens of Cyprus. Another example here is when a Cypriot police
officer was shot in the spine and airlifted to Sheba for successful treatment.
NATO recognizes
Israel as key medical assistance partner. NATO has
recognized the Israeli Navy as a key medical-assistance partner in the Mediterranean
following a drill held last month practicing emergency evacuations of personnel.
“Crystal Sea 2020” involved the United Kingdom, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Blindness not a barrier for IDF officer. Ori was born blind, but that didn’t
stop her from fulfilling her dream of serving in the Israel Defense Forces. She
overcame all odds and drafted into the Israeli Air Force. After 18 months’
service, Lt. Ori was awarded a medal of excellence.
Female
Chief Intelligence Officer. Major General “N” is the first female officer in IDF history to lead an
intelligence division at a command level. IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi
appointed her as Chief Intelligence Officer for the IDF regional command.
IDF
soldiers save Arab woman injured in car accident. (TY TPS)
An Arab woman was hit by a car driven by a Palestinian Arab in the Jordan Valley.
IDF soldiers rushed to the scene, gave her initial treatment and evacuated her
by helicopter to the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for further medical treatment.
Miss
Congeniality is an inspiration. Israel’s Noy Ben Artzi was chosen by her fellow 53 competitors to receive
the title Miss Congeniality at the Miss Asia Pacific pageant held in the
Philippines. She inspired five-year-old Filipino Angela Briana Alforque to
dress as Miss Israel at her Manila school’s United Nations Day.
Ukraine to open Jerusalem innovation
center. The Ukrainian government has announced that
it will open an innovation and investment center in Jerusalem. “The office will
be equivalent of a diplomatic office and be a part of the Ukrainian embassy in
Israel,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Israeli chief of UN business
intelligence. Natalia Nadal is the first Israeli to
be elected to serve as the Chief of the United Nations’ enabling and outreach
service. She will oversee the UN business intelligence operation, in charge of
improving relations between the UN and the various companies it engages for products
and services.
Water from the air for Colombia. Christian Pastor Andrés
Suárez is general manager of the Alliance Project with the State of Israel in
Colombia. He has arranged for the installation of a WaterGen GEN-M atmospheric
water generator in El Talento, Colombia to demonstrate its benefit to towns
with no access to clean water.
How a 13-year-old Israeli
brought water to 5000 people. Israeli NGO
Innovation: Africa has released this latest video of Lev Ari – a 13-year-old Israeli
boy with “attitude”. Lev relinquished his bar mitzva presents and instead raised
$50,000 to bring solar power-generated clean water to the Tanzanian village of
Sasajila.
Extending rescue operations worldwide. Israeli international mass disaster response agency ZAKA Search and
Rescue is establishing bases in strategic cities in North and South America and
the Caribbean. The UN-recognized organization’s missions include Haiti (2010),
Nepal (2015), Guatemala and Pittsburgh (2018).
Israeli EMS model for Jersey City. (TY WIN)
Israeli Emergency Medical Service United Hatzalah is working with Jersey City
USA municipality to implement a 90-second volunteer emergency response service.
Israeli volunteers are still helping victims
in Paradise. (TY UWI)
As reported (see
here) previously, Israeli NGO IsraAID helped victims of the fires that
destroyed the Californian town of Paradise in Nov 2018. One year later, IsraAID
volunteers are still there, providing trauma relief and other support to Israel’s
American friends.
F35s join international exercise. The air forces from the United States, Greece and Italy have been
training alongside Israeli pilots out of the Uvda airbase north of Eilat. It is
the first international ‘Fifth Generation’ exercise held in Israel involving
the latest F-35 advanced stealth aircraft.
Astronaut sees Israel from space and honors
Israeli father. Jewish NASA astronaut Jessica Meir tweeted
photos of Israel from the International Space Station. She then wrote about her
Israeli surgeon father who was an inspiration to many in her immediate and
extended family. See photos (TY Jacob Richman)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
New fund to pay for fast internet. Israel’s Communications Ministry is setting up a fund to finance
the deployment of fiber optic cables countrywide. Money will be given out via a
tender process to telecom firms to install fiber optic cable to improve
internet speeds in the Startup Nation.
Technology to help
Skoda make engines. As reported previously (Jan
2016) Israeli startup Seebo’s tools and technology helps companies develop
smart products. Now, Czech carmaker Skoda is to use Seebo’s AI-based software
to optimize manufacturing processes on its engine production lines.
Super wine. (TY
ILTV News) Scientists at Tel-Hai College in northern Israel have developed “super-wine,”
an alcoholic beverage infused with nutritious organic supplements. Among
super-wine’s ingredients is a substance called “resveratrol,” which is found in
plants and is being hailed as a new “superfood.”
A multi-purpose robotic arm. On automated production lines, manufacturers use a different
robotic arm for each stage of the process. Not anymore – scientists at Ben Gurion
University have developed and patented a sophisticated algorithm that enables the
design of one robotic arm that can grasp multiple objects.
Identifying which products can be 3D-printed. Israeli startup Castor develops 3D printing software that automatically
scans a company’s parts catalog to identify parts that could be manufactured
using a 3D printer. It results in fast-produced, lightweight parts that are
ideal for the automotive and aviation industries.
Radiation vest blasts
off. The innovative radiation protective vest made
by Israel’s StemRad has been reported here several times. (see here) It has just
been taken to the International Space Station (ISS) where it will start six months
of tests.
Israeli tech reduces motorcycle insurance
premiums. As reported previously (July
2018) the collision aversion technology from Israel’s Ride Vision protects
motorcyclists. Now, Italian insurance company Sara Assicurazioni will offer Ride
Vision’s visual alert system to motorcyclists it insures to reduce their premiums.
Making Chinese self-driving cars. Israeli-founded Mobileye (now part of Intel) is partnering with
China’s electric car maker NIO to develop automated and autonomous vehicles. NIO
will engineer and manufacture a “first of its kind” self-driving system
designed by Mobileye and based on Mobileye’s EyeQ chip.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
More
gas and oil. Estimates
of the recent natural gas discovery by Energean in the Karish North field, reported
(here)
previously, have been upgraded by another 25 billion cubic meters (0.9 trillion
cubic feet). The new estimate also includes 34 million barrels of light crude oil.
34
years of economic co-operation. More than 80 officials gathered at the US Department of State for the 34th
US-Israel Joint Economic Development Group. They discussed risk management for
foreign investments; women’s economic empowerment; quantum information science,
artificial-intelligence research and more.
Education
council grant inspires university entrepreneurs. The NIS 6 million from Israel’s Council of Higher
Education to establish the Yazamut 360° center for entrepreneurship at Ben-Gurion
University (see
here) has led to 60 proposed new student startups. Nine of these have now signed
formal business agreements.
Israel’s
special sauce. Jon
Medved, CEO of Israel’s OurCrowd, discusses the success of his crowdsourcing company
and explains why he believes Israeli food tech companies to be a big investment
opportunity. He also recommends Israeli startups that aim to transform
traditional industries.
Can I
help you? Israeli
startup Mmuze (pronounced “muse”) brings the advantages of a knowledgeable in-store
representative to online retailers. Its artificial intelligence and NLU (Natural
Language Understanding) generate a virtual shopping assistant, using text, voice,
or chat (or a combination) on smartphone or desktop.
Helping
“Americanize” Israeli products. (TY Nurit) Newsletter subscriber Nurit Greenger’s latest article describes
the work of Fusion LA - the first Los-Angeles based education accelerator for
Israeli startups. Its goal is to commercialize their products with investment,
office space, mentoring and networking opportunities.
Tech for Jaguar-Land Rover. Jaguar Land-Rover is partnering with Israeli
startup Fleetonomy to launch JLR’s new premium electric chauffeur service Havn.
Fleetonomy’s AI fleet management mobility technology is behind the new up-market
smartphone app ride request for a Jaguar I-PACE taxi. https://www.ridehavn.com/
Porsche feels its way into Israel auto technology. As reported previously (see
here) Israel’s Tactile Mobility develops software that allows cars to “feel”
the road. German car maker Porsche has
made several Israeli investments (see here) and has
now made another, leading a $9 million funding round into Tactile.
Isracard
chairman is also a drone entrepreneur. As reported previously (24th
Mar) Israel’s Tevel Aerobotics has developed an autonomous drone that can
pick fruit. Tevel’s chairman Eyel Desheh is also chairman of Isracard, the credit
card spinoff of Bank Hapoalim. This article explains both why and how he does both
jobs.
ObeserveIT
exits for $225 million. Israeli-founded cybersecurity company ObserveIT identifies insider
cybersecurity threats. Nearly half of its 150 employees work at its Tel Aviv
R&D center. It has just been taken over by US cybersecurity company Proofpoint
Inc for $224 million – Proofpoint’s third Israeli acquisition.
InMode
becomes a Unicorn.
By now readers will know that a Unicorn in financial terms is a company worth over
$1 billion. When Israel’s InMode Aesthetic Solutions was last reported here (10th
Jun) it was close to launching on NASDAQ. It launched in August and its
value has since soared to more than $1 billion.
Helping
Europe sell to the Chinese. The online payment processing technology from Israel’s Credorax is
licensed in all 32 European Union countries. Credorax has now partnered Chinese
mobile payment services WeChat Pay, Alipay, and UnionPay, allowing European
retailers to accept payments from Chinese customers.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Richard Branson haggles in the Jaffa flea
market. Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson continued
to enjoy his recent stopover in Israel. Having formally launched Virgin
Atlantic’s new London to Tel Aviv direct service, he embarked on a business “venture”
at Jaffa flea market to conduct some Middle Eastern negotiations.
Schug is global culinary trend of 2019. (TY UWI)
The spicy Israeli condiment schug (or zhoug) has been named by Forbes magazine as
the top global culinary trend of the year. The Yemeni hot sauce has experienced
a 129% increase in social mentions in the US from 2017 to 2018.
Tel Aviv night race attracts 25,000
runners. (TY UWI)
25,000 Israelis flocked to Tel Aviv to take part in the annual 10 km (six mile)
Tel Aviv Night Race – a road race that culminated in a dance party and pizza
feast!
Gold and three silvers
for Israeli kickboxers. Yulia Sachkov finished first
in the Under 52kg class for K-1 style kickboxing at the world championships in
Bosnia. Israelis Shir Cohen, Daniella Pashayev and Or Moshe won silver in their
classes at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations competition in
Sarajevo.
THE JEWISH STATE
Zubin
Mehta gave Israel his heart. Indian-born Zubin Mehta gave his final concert as musical director of
the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The blog article gives amazing examples of
the maestro’s love for Israel.
Maccabees
defend Israel on campus. The Maccabee Task Force launched in 2016 to counter anti-Israel attacks
at six universities in North America. Today it is active at 80 US universities
and is targeting at least 20 more US campuses plus 11 universities in six European
countries.
Rebirth
through Aliya. Aliya
Day on 5th Nov triggers a personal reflection by Anna Krycer on the blessings
of living in Israel. She highlights the independence of young children; 2400 active
centenarians hosted by President Reuven Rivlin; the passion and diversity of
its citizens, the amazing food and “only in Israel” events.
Thousands excavate ancient Jewish Galilee village. Over the past year, 15,000
Israelis have worked with the Israel Antiquities Authority to uncover the 1800-year-old
Jewish Galilee village of Usha. Among the finds are ritual baths (mikvaot), oil
and wine presses, plus evidence of the local manufacture of glass and iron tools.
“Footprints”
of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. (TY i24) Archaeologists have uncovered six “sandal-shaped” sites where
the ancient Jewish tabernacle rested during the Joshua-led conquest of Canaan
by the Children of Israel. Each contains a priestly “footprint” domain, a
tabernacle/altar area and an amphitheater for the Israelites.
191027
In the 27th Oct
19 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights
include:
·
Israeli-invented
leukemia treatment is being modified to treat other cancers.
·
Female students
far outnumber male students at Israeli universities.
·
Israel is the
place for wildlife on land, in the sea and in the air.
·
From Northern
to Southern Israel, innovation is producing superb wines.
·
Tourism to
Israel increased by a massive 44% in September.
·
Israel
puts the fizz into home-bottled Pepsi products.
·
A record
number of Israeli athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
·
Following
a “shake-up”, Maccabi Tel Aviv won their first Euroleague basketball match.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Leukemia treatment extends to solid tumors. (TY UWI)
Tel Aviv University scientists have engineered the successful Israel-invented CAR-T
cell therapy (see here)
to also treat other cancers. They discovered a subset of immune system T cells
(known as CD4+ T cells) will attract antibodies on solid tumors and destroy them.
Breakthrough
in search for a vaccine against Ebola. (TY UWI)
Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute working with researchers in Germany have
identified two antibodies that are effective in stopping one species of the Ebola
virus. Research is ongoing to developing a multi-species vaccine.
Another blood
test for lung cancer. A team of Israeli (Weizmann
Institute) and British scientists have devised a blood test that analyzes activity
of three enzymes (OGG1, MPG and APE1) connected to DNA damage. They say it can “significantly
improve current lung cancer risk prediction, assisting prevention and early
detection.”
Good trial
results for presbyopia treatment. (TY WIN)
As reported previously (Sep
2018) Israel’s Orasis has developed CSF-1 (eye drops) to treat presbyopia –
age-related far-sightedness. Results of Phase 2b trials of CSF-1 showed “significant
improvement”, together with “exceptional safety and tolerability”.
The signature
of cancer cells. Researchers at Israel’s Technion
Institute have used artificial intelligence and big data to decode the unique
signatures of certain cancer cells. The resulting technology – dubbed a
“computerized pathologist” –could significantly boost development of personalized
cancer treatments.
Israeli cancer
survival rates rise significantly. Five-year
survival rates for Israelis (Jews & Arabs) diagnosed with all types of
invasive cancers have increased significantly over the last decade. For example,
of Jewish women diagnosed in 1996 only 63% survived five years or more. From 2011
this rose to 71%.
New Israeli
record for blood donations. (TY UWI)
Israelis donated 1,567units of blood in one day at the Magen David Adom station
at the Samaria Regional Division. They broke the previous Israeli record of 740
units in a 2014 Tel Aviv session. Donors included residents and soldiers from
the IDF’s Samaria Division.
Closing openings
in Panama. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Gordian Surgical is to provide thousands of its TroClose1200 access-closure systems
to public hospitals in Panama. Gordian’s distributor PanaFarma won the tender
to supply the post-operation surgical closure system (see here) to Panama's social
security hospitals.
What the
microbiome has taught us. Dr Elan Elinav and Prof
Elan Segal of Israel’s Weizmann Institute have made many medical discoveries from
microbiome (gut bacteria) research. They include artificial sweeteners’ link to
obesity / diabetes and gut microbes’ impact on ALS. There are 40 scientists in
their research lab.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Women are the majority at uni. Of the 19,750 students studying at
Ben Gurion University, 53% of them are women (up from 39% in 2013). Overall, nearly
60% of students at Israeli universities are women. Amongst Israeli-Arabs nearly
69% of students are women. https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/majority_women.aspx
Peace
in the Sukkah. Members
of the Palestinian Arab delegation to the Bahrain Conference visited the sukkah
of Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan to discuss an alternative path to the
Oslo Accords.
Clean water for the Bahamas. Israel delivered portable drinking water stations to the Bahamas to
aid victims of Hurricane Dorian. It was a combined effort by Israel’s MASHAV agency,
the Israeli Embassy, the Prime Minister’s Office, the NGO IsraAID and Israel’s
Water Authority.
Israel joins the European Social Survey. The European Social Survey (ESS) voted to make Israel the first
non-European country to join the organization. The ESS is an academic cross-national
scientific body that measures the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior patterns of diverse
populations in more than 30 nations.
Israel attends Bahrain security
conference. Dana Benvenisti-Gabay, the head of Israel’s
Foreign Ministry’s regional security and counter-terrorism department,
represented Israel at the Working Group on Maritime and Aviation Security conference
in Manama, Bahrain.
From Startup Nation to Impact Nation. (TY Stuart)
Aharon Aharon, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority (IAA) spoke at the 2019 OurCrowd
investor summit on how the Israeli government supports technological innovation
addressing societal challenges, with the aim to turn the Startup Nation into the
“Impact Nation”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puj4zOUO3Sg Also see the https://socialimpactil.com/ website.
The remarkable return
of the ibex. The ibex are ancient wild goats that were
domesticated thousands of years ago and dominated the Negev (e.g. Psalm 104:18).
They were decimated by Bedouin hunters after WW1 - their resurgence due to the State
of Israel banning hunting and managing nature reserves and ecosystems.
10 dolphins visit Netanya
beach. A pod of some ten bottlenose dolphins was
observed in the in the clear blue water of the Mediterranean, near Poleg Beach,
south of the city of Netanya. Israel’s beaches have been designated as an important
habitat for the internationally vulnerable species.
Flight school for
injured birds. (TY Hazel) The Israeli Wildlife Hospital,
operated by the Nature and Parks Authority and the Ramat Gan Safari Park, is
building a new enclosure that will become a flight school for injured birds
before they return to the wild. The hospital opened in 2005 and now treats
6,000 patients a year.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Arava solar power on target. (TY IsraPundit)
The Arava region of Southern Israel (including Eilat) is on target by 2020 to
be 100% powered by solar energy during daylight hours. And at $0.06 per
kilowatt, the cost of solar energy is less than the cost of natural gas. The
challenge now is to extend this to the whole of Israel.
A cyber PhD in Tulsa. The private research University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and Israeli cybersecurity
foundry Team8 have partnered to a joint 4-year PhD program focusing on cyber
research and development. The course will accept 10 students a year, funded by
the University and Tulsa’s George Kaiser Family Foundation.
Brazil-Israel projects. Four projects involving companies from both Israel and Brazil will
receive a total investment of $7.5 million from the countries’ innovation
agencies. The projects involve crop substrates, thermal energy, power sensors and
vehicle analytics.
An electric jetski. Tired of hauling a heavy regular fuel & oil jetski to the
beach, Israeli Amir Shahar designed and produced an all-electric jetski. His Skivolt
prototype runs on a lithium battery, reaches speeds of 70km/hour and fits into
the boot of a standard car.
New vegan baby formula. Israeli startup Else Nutrition develops an almond and buckwheat-based
baby formula designed to serve as another alternative (see here) to the familiar
cow milk and soy-based formulas.
Reducing food waste. To commemorate World Food Day on Oct 16, Calcalistech issued a
summary of 10 Israeli companies working to tackle food waste. Most were reported
here previously except
Safe Foods (which uses hydrogen peroxide to extend the shelf-life of food) and Sufresca’s
edible coatings that extend shelf life.
An ecologically
friendly vineyard. The Galil Mountain Winery on Israel’s
border with Lebanon requires no irrigation as the roots of the vine are very
deep. Wastewater is treated and recycled. It uses solar energy for power,
sustainable packaging and microbiology to generate healthy soil. It even has a
green “living” roof.
The future of wine is
very dry. In the last 15 years, 20 new wineries
have been established in the Negev desert of Southern Israel. Techniques used
to grow grapes in this dry climate include netting for shade, trellises so the
vines are not exposed to the full sun, sensors for soil humidity, thermal
cameras and (of course) drip irrigation.
Israel’s “failed” Moonshot is a winner. Despite SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar module crashing on the moon, the
Israeli company was awarded a $1 million Google Lunar XPRIZE for its efforts. Beresheet
is to be the model for the Firefly lunar lander, chosen by NASA. And the crash
site is now on National Geographic’s Moon map.
Are you sitting comfortably? Israeli startup Seatback develops a device that helps users correct
their posture and avoid other sitting-related side effects. Its 70 sensors are embedded
in a chair and detects if the sitter slouches or sits asymmetrically. A gentle
vibration alerts them to stand up or to change their sitting posture.
Predicting machine failures. There are several Israeli startups that can detect faults in
machinery or predict when critical industrial equipment is likely to breakdown
(e.g. Augury and 3DSignals). Another was Presenso, whose algorithms anticipate
industrial machine failures. However, it has just been acquired by Sweden’s
SKF.
An empathic robot responds to your call. Israeli startup Voca.ai develops automatic voice assistants for
call centers using natural language and artificial intelligence. Robots handle most
mundane calls, freeing up humans for the more complex scenarios (see video). Voca.ai has just raised funds from American
Express Ventures.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel
at World Bank / IMF Conference. Israel’s Minister of Finance, Moshe Kahlon, and Bank of Israel Governor Prof.
Amir Yaron, led the Israeli delegation to the annual World Bank and International
Monetary Fund conference. There was much interest in Israeli cyber technology to
protect international financial systems.
Bank
of Israel governor wins US economics award. The governor of the Bank of Israel Amir
Yaron has won the $100,000 biennial Stephen A. Ross Prize from the US Foundation
for the Advancement of Research in Financial Economics. Mr Yaron co-authored an
influential research paper on long-term asset pricing.
September tourism skyrockets. (TY WIN)
Some 405,000 tourists visited Israel in September 2019, 44% more than in
September 2018. Between January and September 2019, nearly 3.3 million tourist
entries were recorded, compared to 2.9 million in the same period last year, an
increase of 13%.
Virgin’s
chairman arrives.
(TY WIN)
Richard Branson kissed the ground on arriving at Ben Gurion Airport to formally
launch Virgin Atlantic’s direct flights from London to Tel Aviv. In its first
month, 14,000 people have flown Virgin to Israel. Branson praised Israel and said
that more Virgin companies will launch in Israel.
ESPN
uses Israeli tech to broadcast US sports. US cable sports channel ESPN is partnering Israeli
automated video startup Pixellot to broadcast the America East Conference on
ESPN’s digital platforms. With Pixellot’s multi-camera system, ESPN will show soccer,
field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball games to new audiences.
Philippines
buys Israeli-built jet. The Philippines new $38.7 million Gulfstream G280 Presidential plane was
developed and manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. The Philippine government considers the plane “a
necessary component of its modernization program” and not solely for use by
President Duterte.
Israeli
insurer finds the best doctors. Israel’s Phoenix Insurance has partnered with Israel’s Air Doctor (see here) which locates
recommended doctors for travelers to Europe and the Americas. The joint service
has already helped Phoenix increase traveler's health insurance revenues and
reduce medical visit claim costs.
Next
Insurance becomes a Unicorn. Israeli founded Next Insurance employs 85 people in Israel and over 100 in
the U.S. It has just raised $250 million to push its valuation over the $1 billion
mark and give it the financial status of a “Unicorn”. The funds will be used to
grow its global team and the Israeli R&D center.
Sapiens
acquires Spanish consultants. (TY Atid-EDI)
Israeli insurance software company Sapiens (see here) employs over 2,500
people globally and is still growing. It has just taken over Madrid-based insurance
consultants Calculo. The acquisition will help Sapiens enter the Spanish market.
Turning
empty urban spaces into robotic delivery centers. Israeli-founded startup Fabric, incorporated
as CommonSense Robotics, turns underutilized urban retail spaces into 1-hour delivery
centers where robots store, sort, and process inventory. Fabric has just raised
$110 million to expand its team in both Israel and the U.S.
Eco-friendly Pepsi and 7 Up. The first fruits of PepsiCo’s $3.2 billion
purchase of Israel’s Sodastream are about to bubble through. Sodastream is to manufacture concentrates
for 10 of PepsiCo’s most popular soft drink brands. The savings are mainly environmental
- a reduction in the use of disposable plastic bottles.
Toyota
likes new Israeli wheels. As reported previously (14th
July) Israel’s REE enables a vehicle’s drive components to be fully
integrated into a wheel, known as a FlatFormer, improving stability, space and
energy efficiency. Toyota Group’s truck
subsidiary Hino Motors is now using REE’s technology for its electric trucks.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Violins of Hope. Israeli master violinmaker Amnon Weinstein has restored more than
70 string instruments whose Jewish owners survived the Holocaust. Now eight from
his collection “Violins of Hope” will be played by the Orchestre Métropolitain at
a concert on 2nd Nov at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal in Canada.
Dance under fire. Liat Dror, artistic director at the award-winning Sderot Adama Dance
Company, is staging a performance on the Gazan border to express Israel’s
humanity in the face of living under constant attack.
The diverse Yemenite quarter of Tel
Aviv. (TY UWI)
Tel Aviv’s Kerem Hateimanim (Yemenite Vineyard) was founded by Jewish refugees
fleeing Yemen over 100 years ago. It is now one of the coolest neighborhoods in
the world according to Forbes travel magazine, yet it is still home to 50
synagogues.
New TV series features Israeli tech. A new TV show on Amazon Prime called The Tech Talk Show features innovative
and emerging entrepreneurs from around the world. Series One focuses on 50 Israeli startups.
Record Israeli Olympic
team. Israel is sending its largest ever team to the
2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. 85 athletes far exceed the 47 athletes at the 2016
Olympics. They qualified for baseball, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, show
jumping, cycling, sailing, and surfing. Judokas, swimmers and runners should
join them.
Israel to compete in Tour de France. Israeli cyclists will be
competing in the 2020 Tour de France for the first time ever. It follows the
Israeli cycling team’s inaugural entry in the high-profile Giro d’Italia that
began in Jerusalem last year. Israel joined the Pro Continental ranks in 2017.
THE JEWISH STATE
They
will all come to Jerusalem. (TY Jacob Richman) The displays for
Sukkot / Tabernacles next to the walls of Jerusalem included the Taj Mahal, the
Eifel Tower, the Tower of Pisa, a Time Machine and much more. And (TY UWI)
5,000 Christians (including
Egyptians) showed support for Israel by marching through Jerusalem.
Shake the lulav before the big game. Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball players
waved the four species (palm branch, citron, myrtle and willow) during the
Sukkot festival in a practice session before their Euroleague game against Red
Star Belgrade. Maccabi then won 84-69 – their first victory in three matches.
Israeli
President opens his sukkah. (TY Sharon) The theme of this year’s
Open Sukkah at the Israeli President’s House was ‘Finding Treasures in the
President’s Sukkah.’ In cooperation with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and
Heritage, members of the public were able to enjoy a range of family-friendly
activities.
Minister’s
son finds 2000-year-old Jewish coin. Benjamin Elkin, 6-year-old son of the
Jerusalem Affairs Minister, found a 2,000-yr-old coin in soil from the City of
David's excavations. The coin inscribed "For the Liberty of Zion" was
minted in Jerusalem by the Jews during the 66 - 70 CE Great Revolt against the
Romans.
Great
advert for Aliya.
Please watch the Israeli Prime Minister’s unscripted speech, to the latest young
visitors on the Taglit-Birthright program. It certainly boosted their
enthusiasm for the Jewish State.
191013
·
First patient
trials show new Israeli ALS treatment slows disease significantly.
·
Surgeons have
used Israeli virtual reality system to treat thousands of patients.
·
Three typical
Israeli examples of “extraordinary” life-saving events.
·
Israeli
food tech innovations include meatless meat and egg-free eggs.
·
Israeli
startups raised a billion dollars of funds last month.
·
The first arrival
of a Virgin Atlantic plane in Tel Aviv.
·
Israeli conservation
center is releasing 200 rare baby green turtles into the sea.
·
How to
enjoy the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Positive
results in human trial of ALS treatment. As
reported (here) previously, the stem cell ALS therapy developed by Israel’s Kadimastem
showed promise in the lab. Now, early results from human trials at Hadassah hospital
in Jerusalem show that it has significantly slowed down disease progression
without major side effects.
Helping doctors focus on
treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s
Maverick Medical AI has developed software for reading patient notes to analyze
chronic conditions and risk factors. US Health Systems (USHS), in partnership
with Arizona Complete Health, is to deploy Maverick’s software within its
organization.
Predicting high-risk
cardiac patients. (TY Atid-EDI) As
reported (here) previously,
the algorithms of Israel’s Medial EarlySign detect disease early. Its latest
algorithm identifies cardiac patients with a high risk of complications after hospital
discharge following a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedure.
Blocking bone cancer in children. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have had promising results
in the lab with experimental treatments for Ewing sarcoma – a bone cancer common
in teenagers with a specific defective gene. Mifepristone - a glucocorticoid
receptor blocker - stopped the cancer spreading to other organs.
Another early warning of
Alzheimer’s. As reported (here) previously, there are at least two signs of the early advance of
Alzheimer’s disease. Now doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center have
developed Clara – an AI chatbot that questions the patient and compares the
answers to a baseline. It is 95% accurate.
New blood center takes
shape. Excellent article on the progress of the new
blood center being constructed in Ramle.
It also describes why it is being built. Existing facilities are unprotected.
And although they provide for Jews and all minorities, they were built for an
Israeli population of 5 million – not the current 9 million citizens.
Revolution
in the operating theater. (TY OurCrowd) As reported (here) previously, the Virtual Reality (VR) systems from Israel’s Surgical
Theater are changing the nature of surgery. Now installed at 15 US hospitals,
they have been used in thousands of life-saving operations. https://www.foxla.com/video/607973
Defending Israel’s health. The Rosh Hashana edition of the newsletter from the American
Friends of Soroka Medical Center describes how medical staff at the hospital have
saved many lives. It also describes opening the new Autism center, building new
departments, Friends events in NYC, 2020 mission to Israel and much more.
Renewing the cycle of life. Israel’s Bio-Technology General (BTG) develops
therapies for reproductive health, endocrinology (growth hormones), orthopedic
(knee lubricant), ophthalmology and arthritic pain relief. BTG has just inaugurated
a new production line to enable expansion at its Be’er Tuvia site.
NYC symposium - Breaking
the Barriers of Brain Science. Three of Israel’s
top brain scientists from Ben Gurion University of the Negev will be presenting
at a symposium in New York City on Sun 27th Oct. Their subjects - Processing
Face Recognition, Combating Autism and Treating Head Trauma. Tickets just $18.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND
GLOBAL
Medic saves a life while 9-months pregnant. Oshrat Mualem is vice president
of marketing at Radio Kol Baramaha and a volunteer paramedic with Israel’s
United Hatzalah. She is also 9 months pregnant, expecting her sixth child. But she
never hesitated when she had to save a young man electrocuted in a swimming pool.
Paramedic
chief saves life of Arab woman. (TY Janglo) Eli
Beer, President of United Hatzalah, was at Ben Gurion Airport on route to a
fundraising event in London. Suddenly an 80-year-old Arab woman collapsed. Eli began
CPR and called in other paramedics. The woman was taken to hospital and Eli comforted
her children.
Helping youth at risk. As reported previously (May 2017) Shanti
House in Jaffa provides temporary housing and long-term support for young people
living on the streets. This new ILTV video reports that Shanti House provides some
116,000 hot meals every year and has helped 54,000 at risk youths since it
started in 1984.
Acre Kibbutz promotes
co-existence. (TY Diana) Newsletter subscriber
Diana Bletter writes about the Educators’ Kibbutz in the Northern Israel city
of Acre. Its aim is to change Acre’s image from a “mixed city” to a “shared city”.
Acre / Akko has 50,000 inhabitants, mostly Jews, plus Moslems, Christians and
Druze.
Ancient city uncovered. The Israel Antiquities Authority have unearthed a vast city, around
5000 years old, the largest ever discovered in Israel. in the Ein Iron area of
northern Hasharon. Some 6,000 inhabitants would have lived in the 650 dunam
city, which was built on top of an earlier settlement of around 7,000 years
old.
Most promising startups. New York research firm CB Insights chose four Israeli companies in
its list of Most Promising Global firms in Digital Health. Aidoc, Zebra,
HealthIQ and MDClone were selected from a pool of 5,000 companies based on patents,
investors, market, partnerships, competitors, team strength and tech novelty.
Doctors
fly to Cyprus to save woman in labor. Doctors from
Israel’s Sheba hospital saved a woman from Nicosia who suffered a major heart
problem during childbirth. Within 7 hours, four heart specialists brought
specialist equipment to Cyprus, stabilized the patient and flew her back to
Israel where she is now recovering.
Armenia to open embassy
ASAP. (TY Atid-EDI) Reflecting
close bilateral diplomatic ties, Armenia has announced that it will open an
embassy in Israel “as quickly as possible” – probably by early 2020. It would
be the 90th foreign embassy in Israel. Some 11,000 Armenian Christians are full
Israeli citizens (see here).
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel’s tech miracle. (TY OurCrowd) On the Armstrong Williams show, Jon Medved of OurCrowd
mentions several Israeli innovations and gives reasons for Israel’s technical and
economic success. They include turning curses into blessings, education, skills
learned in the army, diverse immigrants and chutzpah.
How Israel can save our
planet. AgriVest 2019 on 24th Sep in Tel Aviv hosted
more than 750 participants, speakers, panelists, presenting companies, and sponsors.
Israeli startups demonstrated how to grow more crops and more food with less
land, less water, and less energy.
Global firms get a taste of
Israeli food tech. Delegates from multinationals
such as PepsiCo, Danone and Mondelez (Cadbury Oreo, Toblerone etc.) attended
Israel’s annual FoodTechIL in Tel Aviv. 50 Israeli startups exhibited latest
technologies in the food sector (including protein alternatives) to some 1500
participants.
Vegan substitute
for eggs. One of the Israeli startups exhibiting at
Tel Aviv’s FoodTechIL was Zero Egg, with its plant-based alternative for eggs. It
tastes, looks and functions like a real egg. It can be used to make omelets, “scrambled
egg”, cakes, pasta and sauces without using eggs.
Saving male chicks from
slaughter. Previous newsletters (see here) reported on Israel’s EggDetect and TeraEgg which developed technology
to prevent the hatching of 8 billion unwanted male chicks. Now there’s another –
eggXYt which uses ultrasound to detect a potential chick male immediately after
the egg is laid.
Replacing sugar with
protein. High sugar intake is a huge health issue. At
FoodTechIL Israeli scientist Ilan Samish of startup Amai Proteins (see here) demonstrated
his hyper-sweet synthesized thaumatin protein. He has now adapted the protein for
sweetening food and drinks in the high temperatures required by the food
industry.
Detecting allergens. Israeli startup Allerguard is developing a handheld device that scans
and analyzes vapors from prepared food to determine the presence of allergens
(e.g. peanuts). Electrochemical sensors detect non-safe molecular levels of allergens
using three technologies. Allerguard has just raised $1.5 million of funds.
Growing diamonds from methane. Israeli Benny Landa is the founder of Landa Digital Printing (see here). His latest venture is Lusix,
which makes quality diamonds of up to 3 carats from methane gas. His machines bond
carbon atoms to a diamond seed at 5000 degrees C. The product is chemically
identical to a mined gem.
Wind farm for Serbia. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Enlight Renewable Energy has inaugurated its new
104.5 MW wind farm in Kovačica, Serbia. It is Serbia’s largest wind farm and will
supply electricity to 68,000 households.
As reported here previously (see
here) Enlight
has built wind farms in Ireland and in Israel’s Golan.
Intel likes fast Israeli
connectivity. (TY Atid-EDI) The transceivers
and active optical cables from Israel’s DustPhotonics enable super fast
connections between servers in data centers. DustPhotonics has just received $25
million in a funding round led by Intel Capital. https://dustphotonics.com/
EU funds for ransomware
protection startup. Israeli cybersecurity startup
Odix (registered as Operations & Data Integrity) has been awarded a 2
million euro grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
program. Odix’s technology disarms different malware, including ransomware.
Getting accurate feedback. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli
startup Dooblo provides mobile survey software for the market research
industry. Its SurveyToGo product reduces the cost of paper-based surveys but vastly
increases quality. Dooblo is used in over 100 countries and has just received
an investment from California’s Anacapa.
Einstein in Shanghai. "Albert Einstein: Life
in Four Dimensions," by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is currently showing
at the World Expo Museum in Shanghai China. It includes handwritten documents,
original pictures, personal objects and scientific theorems. The exhibition will
move to Beijing at the end of October.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Over $1 billion raised in one month. (TY WIN & JNS) Israeli startups raised at least $1 billion of funds in Sep
2019 and are on track to beat last year’s record-breaking figure of $6.4
billion. The actual figure is even higher as some companies do not reveal investment
data. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afs2noENzTA
US support for Israeli startups. (TY Nurit, Jacob & Jason) 18 Israeli
bio-techs presented at an event in Beverly Hills, California. They have all benefited from the Merage
Institute Leadership Programs for Israeli Life Science executives and the Elite
Entrepreneur Organization - a global network of entrepreneurs.
Innovation week brings Israelis to Silicon Valley. Israeli NGO ICON organized its
sixth annual Innovation Week in Silicon Valley, California. It was attended by
some 450 delegates from around the globe. Non-profit ICON bridges the Israeli
and San Francisco tech startup communities.
Successful Israeli companies merge. Israeli content distributors Taboola
(see here) and Outbrain (see here) make billions of dollars by attracting Internet users to the websites of
large on-line companies. Now they realize that they can be even more successful
by working together – so they are merging. From startups to grown-ups.
Moving into more cities. As reported previously (Jun 2016) Israel’s Moovit has integrated its public transit app into Uber’s ride-sharing
app. The partnership has now been extended into 15 additional cities globally,
including Paris and San Francisco. Moovit operates in 3,000 cities and has over
500 million users.
Virgin begins London - Tel Aviv flights. (TY Janglo) Virgin Atlantic’s maiden flight from London Heathrow landed at Tel Aviv
on 25th Sep. It will provide competition on the popular London to Tel Aviv route
with El Al and British Airways as well as with low cost airlines easyJet and
Wizz which fly from London Luton.
Scientific dynamo. Fascinating bio of Israeli cancer expert and
entrepreneur Dr Aya Jakobovits. Founded Adicet Bio in 2014 and is still a Director.
Co-founded Kite in 2010, selling it for $12 billion (see here). Exec VP of Agensys ($0.5 billion
exit in 2007). Principle scientist at Abgenix (exited for $2.2 billion in 2005).
Eximo exits for $46 million. As reported (here) previously, Israel’s Eximo has
developed a laser-catheter for treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Eximo
has just been acquired by US medical device company AngioDynamics for a minimum
of $40 million. Development will continue in Israel.
Tesco to implement Israeli cashless checkout. After successful trials (as reported here), UK supermarket giant Tesco has decided to integrate the cashless checkout
system from Israel’s Trigo. Tesco has invested funds in the Israeli startup,
and will integrate Trigo’s technology into its app.
Unlocking trillions of debt. (TY Atid-EDI) As reported previously (Mar 2015) Israel’s FundBox lends money to small businesses who are struggling with
their cash flow. The idea has caught on so much that FundBox has raised $326
million to enable its goal of releasing much of the $3.1 trillion locked up in
accounts receivables.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem
biennale. At the Jerusalem Biennale for Contemporary
Jewish Art (10th Oct – 28th Nov) 200 artists from 15 countries will display
their works in 12 city center venues. https://jerusalembiennale.org/
Jewish wedding contract designer wins global award. Israel’s Naomi Shiek of Woodland
Papercuts designs beautiful, intricate paper ketubahs (Jewish wedding contracts).
She was one of several winners of the very first international design awards by
Etsy, the e-commerce site for handmade or vintage items and goods.
Hilarious
solutions for everyday problems. Israel’s Shaul
Cohen made around 50 unique “Israeli humor” objects as part of his degree
course at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. They include unusual snow
globes, a talking seashell and a candies slingshot for bar and bat mitzvah
ceremonies.
Celine
Dion heads for Israel. French-Canadian superstar
Celine Dion will be making her Israel debut in Tel Aviv next summer. She is
scheduled to perform on 4th August at Park Hayarkon as part of her Courage
World Tour (named after her new album). She posted “See you soon Tel Aviv,
Love, Celine” on her twitter page.
THE JEWISH STATE
Reception
for Ambassadors. (TY
Sharon) Just before Rosh Hashana, Israel’s President
Reuven Rivlin held a reception for the Ambassadors of all countries that have
diplomatic relations with the Jewish State. Between the Ambassadors of Jordan and
Egypt sat the President’s (Druze)
Military Secretary Brig General Alaa Abu-Rukan.
Saving the green turtle. (TY Hazel) The World Wildlife Fund has
designated green turtles as an endangered species. Israel began a breeding
program in 2002 and the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Center at Mikhmoret beach has
just released 60 of 200 hatchlings into the sea. In the coming years, this should
increase to 1,000 per year
Torah
and Technology. (TY
Janglo)
The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) has launched the first-of-its-kind
Torah and Technology Research Center. With a unique combination of rabbinic
scholars and engineering professors, it will provide the expertise needed to
respond to today’s complex ethical and Halachic issues.
Re-building
Jerusalem. (TY Janglo)
The Jerusalem Municipality has approved part of the Kidmat Gonen Pinui Binui
urban renewal plan in the Katamon neighborhood. It includes five high-rise apartment
buildings, 998 affordable housing units, commercial areas, new public areas and
upgraded public space.
The Feast
of Tabernacles (Sukkot). In Israel all you can hear is the sound of hammer against wood and metal
as thousands of tabernacles (booths) are being assembled (e.g. the Kotel)
for celebrating the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Here are some of the
events and activities taking place in Israel during the seven-day festival.
