In the 19th Sep 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· 3 million Israelis have had their Covid antibodies boosted tenfold.
· Israeli surgeons successfully separate twins conjoined by their heads.
· Israel’s first female Muslim IDF Major.
· An Israeli startup converts text into video read by an animated narrator.
· The value of Israel’s trade with Arab states in 2021 is triple that of 2020.
· Israeli pianist wins international record contract.
· The Land of Israel reveals more Jewish history.
· Click here to see the 5th Sep newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, San Diego Jewish World and United With Israel with extra feature on Medical achievements. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart Palmer) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (19,000+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Learning from Israel’s Covid boosters. The Chair of UK’s Health and Social Care Select Committee, MP Jeremy Hunt, stated in Parliament that Israel shows that a booster program reduces Covid hospitalizations in just two weeks. Israeli research also shows that the booster gives 10 times more antibodies than the second jab.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313170
Israeli vaccine gives longer protection. The Brilife vaccine, developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research, appears to give long-term defense against the coronavirus. The 230 trial volunteers who received the highest dosage of the vaccine were still fully protected six months after vaccination.
A “super cork” for Covid. (TY WIN) Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed a small molecule that stops the coronavirus spike protein from attaching to the lungs’ ACE2 receptor. But it doesn’t damage ACE2’s normal function. (See also here for similarities with opaganib from Israel’s Redhill).
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/putting-super-cork-coronavirus
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-021-00954-4
Unlocking cancer immunotherapy. (TY UWI) More details on the breakthrough technology of Israel’s Nectin (see here previously). Monoclonal antibodies, with toxins attached, are sent directly to the cancer cell to break its ability to immobilize the body’s immune system. Clinical trials are expected to start in early 2022.
https://www.israel21c.org/new-drug-candidate-could-boost-potential-of-immunotherapy/
Using white blood cells to fight cancer. (TY UWI) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered that a type of white blood cell (eosinophils) can be utilized to fight cancer. They have a double effect, producing destructive proteins, while at the same time summoning the immune system’s cancer-fighting T-cells.
Remove succinate to treat IBD. (TY UWI) Recent studies show that the metabolite succinate, secreted by gut bacteria, can cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University and in South Korea have developed therapeutic peptides to remove succinates from the body. Patents have been filed.
https://www.israel21c.org/novel-biological-treatment-for-inflammatory-bowel-diseases/
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(21)00952-9
Treatment for cystic fibrosis sufferers. Israel’s SpliSense (see here previously) uses mRNA to fix the root cause of cystic fibrosis - genetic mutations that create a non-functioning protein (CFTR). It not only treats patients with no current treatment but is also much cheaper than existing treatments.
https://www.israel21c.org/inhaled-drug-could-treat-rare-cystic-fibrosis-mutations/ https://splisense.com/
HBOT and Alzheimer’s. Tel Aviv University scientists have discovered more on the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT – see here). It significantly improved vascular function and blood flow to the brain, plus reduced and removed the build-up of amyloid plaque on the brain – a common symptom of Alzheimer’s.
Voice analysis to aid mental health. Israel’s Eleos Health has developed an AI-powered voice analysis system to help behavioral health clinicians and care teams provide better personalized, care to mental health patients and reduce staff burnout. It is deployed at Solvista Health, Achieve, Yeshiva University and ReachLink.
https://eleos.health/for-clinics/ https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3917801,00.html
Unbelievable joy as twins separated. (TY UWI) Very Good news. Surgeons at Israel’s Soroka hospital used Israeli technology to separate the heads and major blood vessels of two conjoined Israeli baby girls, assisted by a UK Muslim specialist. The babies were visibly delighted to be able to see each other for the first time.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-muslim-doctor-busts-boundaries-helps-separate-jewish-israeli-conjoined-twins/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313063
New York Life works with Empathy. The U.S.’s largest life insurer company New York Life has partnered Israel’s Empathy (see here previously) The Israeli app will help guide NYL customers navigate the complexities experienced with loss by offering logistics and emotional support.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915955,00.html
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
IDF female Muslim major. IDF Captain Ella Waweya (see here previously) has now been promoted to Major. She is the highest ranking female Muslim IDF officer. (See here for highest ranking male Muslim officer.)
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/ella-the-first-arab-muslim-female-major-in-the-idf-1.520274
Advancing the peace of the Abraham Accords. Former US ambassador David Friedman has established The Friedman Center for Peace through Strength. It aims to expand and scale up the Abraham Accords he helped broker in 2020 among Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Kosovo and Morocco.
Upsurge in UK students studying in Israel. 94 British students have chosen to study in Israel with the Turing Scheme, compared to the average of 18 who took advantage of the EU's previous Erasmus+ program. Half the participants of the scheme come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Successful US test of Iron Dome. (TY WIN) The US Army has successfully completed its first live test, on US soil, of the Iron Dome defense system supplied by Israel (see here previously).
https://www.jns.org/us-army-completes-first-live-test-of-iron-dome-battery/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORMTXfbarUI
Project TEN launches in Mexico City. The Jewish Agency for Israel has launched a new volunteer center for the Project TEN service-learning program in Chimalhuacán, Mexico City. Project TEN volunteers use Jewish values to promote social resilience for the disadvantaged in Israel, Africa, Greece, Cambodia & Mexico.
https://www.jns.org/jewish-agency-opens-new-project-ten-service-learning-center-in-mexico-city/
https://www.jewishagency.org/project-ten/
Changing lives in quake-torn Haiti. (TY UWI) Ben Katzir is IsraAID’s emergency coordinator in Haiti. He’d also been on IsraAID’s team in Haiti after the major 2010 earthquake. He speaks fluent Creole. IsraAID is distributing shelters, water treatment kits, hygiene kits, solar lights and training community leaders.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-israeli-changing-lives-in-quake-torn-haiti/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo3Sn0gABBo
Six new foreign Ambassadors to Israel. (TY Sharon) Israeli President Isaac Herzog received the credentials of the new ambassadors of Mexico, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Vatican City, and for the first time Bahrain, upon the assumption of their ambassadorial duties to Israel. The IDF Orchestra played all their national anthems.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=147983
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
UK government funds new Israeli wheel. Israel’s REE Automotive (see here previously) was awarded £14 million from the UK Government, via its Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). It will help REE mass-produce its breakthrough wheel centered REEcorner technology and electric vehicle platforms.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915759,00.html
Extending the EV range. Israel’s Silib is developing technology to increase the battery capacity of electric vehicles by 40%. It adds pure silicon to existing Li-ion batteries, while avoiding the common industry problem that causes them to swell and lose capacity. https://www.si-lib.com/
The return of the houbara. The UAE and Israel have been partnering to save the endangered Houbara species (see here previously). The good news is that national park rangers in Southern Israel this summer have sighted hundreds of the beautiful iconic desert birds - a key indicator of the well-being of Israel’s flora and fauna.
https://www.israel21c.org/uptick-in-number-of-houbaras-spotted-in-southern-israel/
Send an experiment on Israel’s moon mission. SpaceIL is requesting proposals for researchers worldwide to offer experiments to be used in the Israeli non-profit’s upcoming Beresheet 2 mission to the moon. Proposals must be submitted by Nov 15, 2021, with the mission scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024.
https://www.jpost.com/science/spaceil-accepting-proposals-678462
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3917196,00.html
Transform your text into video. Israel’s Hour One enables users to create a video without having any background in video production. The AI-based video production platform creates content from text, using computer-generated synthetic characters based on real people, for professional and commercial use.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916957,00.html https://www.hourone.ai/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RATTlHM3tac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNAAFYVfWw4
How to get a hi-tech job in Israel. Three new Olim (immigrants to Israel) describe how they obtained employment in Israel’s hi-tech industry. Read about Keren Starobinski, 24, from Newton, Massachusetts; Lilly Liebman, 22, from San Diego; and Gavin Coulson, 27, from Colorado.
https://www.jpost.com/jpost-tech/meet-the-hi-tech-olim-finding-job-success-677791
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Record currency reserves; deficit down again. During August, Israel’s foreign currency reserves rose by over $4 billion to almost $206 billion. Israel’s cumulative fiscal deficit fell from 9.2% at end July (see here previously), to 8% at the end of August.
https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/05-09-21.aspx
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israels-fiscal-deficit-narrows-to-8-1001384647
Startup job vacancies skyrocket. Job vacancies at the 240 portfolio companies of Israel’s OurCrowd soared by 300% in Q2 2021. Nearly two-thirds of the startups planned to recruit more staff in the remainder of 2021. 80% had implemented hybrid working models (home and office).
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916227,00.html
https://blog.ourcrowd.com/ourcrowd-job-index-q2-2021/
Gulf Port of Haifa opens. Israel has officially inaugurated the new port terminal in Haifa Bay (see here previously). It aims to fuel competition, decrease import costs, and remove handling delays that have been costing some NIS 700 million every month. It will hopefully be a major boon for the Israeli economy.
Trade with Arab states tripled. In the first seven months of 2021, trade between Israel and Arab states grew by 234 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Trade with the United Arab Emirates surged from $50.8 million between January and July 2020 to $613.9 million in the same period in 2021.
Direct flights from Bahrain and Cairo. Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national airline, is launching twice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv beginning 30 Sep. And EgyptAir the national airline of Egypt, is reportedly going to operate direct flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv from early Oct.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313238
https://www.timesofisrael.com/egyptair-to-launch-direct-tel-aviv-cairo-flights-next-month/
DHL orders 12 Israeli electric planes. DHL has ordered 12 fully electric “Alice” eCargo planes from Israel’s Seatle-based Eviation (see here previously). Delivery to DHL Express is planned for 2024.
https://nocamels.com/2021/08/electric-eviation-dhl-aircraft-electric/
Make-up take-over. Israeli startup Voyage81 has been acquired by US-based cosmetics company Il Makiage. Voyage81’s AI-based hyperspectral imaging technology for smartphones will be used by Il Makiage to enhance its own PowerMatch algorithm for matching a consumer’s skin tone to the company’s foundation.
https://nocamels.com/2021/09/il-makiage-ai-skin-tech-voyage-81/ https://voyage81.com/
General Motors expands in Israel. The General Motors Technical Center in Israel is expanding its activities in the electric and autonomous vehicle market. To house its 600 staff, it is paying NIS 300 million to rent office space in Herzliya for the next 10 years. GM expects to recruit 400 additional staff and rent even more space.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915931,00.html
Snyk is worth billions. Israeli cybersecurity Snyk (see here previously) has just raised $300 million of funds to give it a market value of $8.5 billion. The new funds will be used for product development and to improve its technology. https://nocamels.com/2021/09/open-sournce-security-snyk-valuation-funding/
Investment in Israeli startups: Cellebrite raised $370 million (IPO); Snyk raised $300 million; Melio raised $250 million ($110 million was in Jan); Papaya raised $250 million; Versatile Natures raised $80 million; Quantum Machines raised $50 million; Hunters cybersecurity raised $30 million; Rezilion raised $30 million; Yotpo raised $30 million; Sproutt raised $26 million; Satori raised $20 million; Neosec raised $15 million; DiA Imaging raised $14 million; EverAfter raised $13 million; Five Sigma raised $12 million; Veego raised $13 million; Elios Health raised $6 million; Toya raised $4 million; Silib raised $3 million; Eloops raised $2 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
New Year at the Israel Museum. (TY Margaret) New exhibitions at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum include “Hear, O Israel” (The Magic of the Shema); “How Long Is Now?” (New in Contemporary Art); “Satirist Supreme: Honoré Daumier and 19th-Century Paris”; a special display about 9/11; plus, many current exhibits.
https://www.imj.org.il/en/current-exhibitions
I am Israel – the soundtrack. Hear the rich and inspiring sounds of the rebirth of Israel with the “I am Israel” original motion picture soundtrack. Featuring the powerful orchestral score, along with excerpts of dialog from narrator John Rhys-Davies and the Israeli cast. Music by award-winning composer Bob Farnsworth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM4uI_SDnaw
Major contract for piano virtuoso. 17-year-old Israeli pianist Yoav Levanon has just signed an exclusive contract with Warner Classics. Yoav was featured here in 2013 when aged 8 he opened the International Summer Jewish Festival in Budapest. Prior to that, he won Israel’s National Piano Competition at age five.
https://stljewishlight.org/uncategorized/why-a-17-year-old-israeli-virtuoso-is-already-winning-comparisons-to-the-greatest-pianists-of-all-time/ https://www.warnerclassics.com/artist/yoav-levanon/news
https://www.warnerclassics.com/artist/yoav-levanon
New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) The latest issue of beautiful Israeli stamps include three Ecclesiastes verses, three Israeli astronomical observatories, Rabbi Yitzhak Nissin, SY Agnon, IDF Home Front Command Search & Rescue Brigade, and Israel Police Volunteer Rescue Team.
https://jr.co.il/stamps/index-2021.html
Israel’s Next Star. Tamir Greenberg won Israel’s “The Next Star” talent contest. The Jerusalem Post wrote he won NIS 1 million following his rendition of “Crazy in Love”. But according to his America-Israel Cultural Foundation sponsor, he performed his original song “Tell me where the light goes” (see video). Anyway, enjoy!
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/meet-tamir-greenberg-israels-next-star-678448
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho0tqMIh1og
New Israeli drama series. “The Collective” is a new Israeli drama series from “Fauda” producer Maria Feldman and writer / director Dror Shaul. It centers on an American who moves to a kibbutz and becomes its leader in defending Israel’s borders. Shaul was born and raised in Kibbutz Kissufim, near the Gaza Strip.
165,888 ways to shape a Star of David. Israel’s Aron Lazarus is the inventor of The Genius Star - named “Best Puzzle/ Brainteaser Game” by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association in 2020. Players roll dice to collect the 48 triangular pieces required to cover their personal six-pointed star-shaped board.
https://www.israel21c.org/award-winning-game-has-165888-ways-to-shape-star-of-david/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1qPRAhac3E
THE JEWISH STATE
From Gaza Muslim to Israeli Jew. Ayman Abu Suboh has been on a long journey. Aged seven, he decided he wanted to leave his life of hatred in Gaza and convert to Judaism. Beaten severely, he ran away from schools and eventually fled to Israel and was adopted by a religious Jew. At 28, he converted and is now Dor Shachar.
https://www.israelunwired.com/the-unexpected-convert-to-judaism-from-gaza/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbQXqmqGiBk
Wedding reunion. Michael, a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, received a surprise invitation – to the wedding of Dikla, who he had saved after she had been stabbed by a terrorist six years previously. Michael had used his own fingers as a makeshift tourniquet until help arrived, otherwise Dikla would have had only minutes to live.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-victim-of-terror-invites-rescuer-to-her-wedding-6-years-later/
Give it a rest. The year 5782 on the Jewish calendar, starting Sep 6, is a sabbatical year for the Land of Israel. This article describes how religious Israeli farmers follow the Biblical commandment not to farm their fields in the seventh year. There is even an Israeli Ministry of Agriculture Unit for Agriculture According to the Torah.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-farmers-who-are-giving-their-land-a-years-rest/
Digging up a Jewish settlement. Tel Rechov in Northern Israel is mentioned in Egyptian manuscripts. Archaeologists have unearthed artifacts related to honey production and beeswax that was used by the Egyptians. Byzantine-period inscriptions show that Jews lived there during the 3rd to 6th centuries CE.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-ancient-hebrew-inscription-reveals-if-jews-kept-sabbatical-year/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxmyJh26L4w
More historic Jewish discoveries. Archaeologists have discovered a vast 2,000-year-old quarry near Jerusalem that includes large stones like those King Herod used to extend the Jerusalem Temple. Meanwhile a Temple-like structure is being unearthed just outside of Jerusalem.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313046
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rQIuDjiNMI
Group travel to Israel restarts. (TY UWI) Israel will admit organized groups of 5 to 30 vaccinated and tested tourists from “green, yellow and orange” countries, including the US and UK, starting on Sep 19. Birthright is to resume its tours and Masa’s Israel Journey already has. Masa is also bringing 165 English teachers to Israel.
https://www.israel21c.org/group-travel-to-israel-to-resume-september-19/
https://www.jns.org/birthright-to-resume-trips-no-quarantine-in-israel-for-those-fully-vaccinated/
https://www.jns.org/masa-fellows-begin-long-term-work-study-and-volunteering-experiences-in-israel/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313450
18,000 National Service volunteers. Reuben Pinsky is director-general of Israel’s National Service. Some 18,000 Jews, Arabs, religious, secular, and Haredi citizens volunteer for one-year programs in medicine, education, government offices, and more. The video includes an example of the vital work they do.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/new-year-begins-for-18000-national-service-volunteers-678456
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU1ao_2keRo
JNF’s World Zionist Village. The winners have been announced for the competition to design the new JNF-USA World Zionist Village. (see here previously). The Israel Education and Technology Campus will be sited in the Be’er Sheva River Park. It comprises a technology center, tourist education center and an Israeli school.
https://zionistvillage.jnf.org/index.php/winners/
A fruitful New Year. Midwives at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center and its Bikur Cholim campus delivered 133 babies over the two-day Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) festival.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313181
210905
In the 5th Sep 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli oral treatment can protect against all Covid variants.
· An Israeli low-cost health company is coming to the USA.
· An Israeli hi-tech company only employs autistic individuals.
· Free hi-tech industry training for new English-speaking Israeli immigrants.
· With Israeli technology you can star in a movie trailer.
· Israeli swimmers won six gold medals at the Tokyo Paralympics.
· A tree grown from a 2,000-year-old seed produced a bumper crop of dates.
· Click here to see the 22nd Aug newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, San Diego Jewish World, St Louis Jewish Light and United With Israel with extra feature on Jewish State. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (19,000+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Coronavirus latest. Some 2.3 million Israelis have now had a coronavirus booster. It is 95% effective against infection and available to all Israelis vaccinated over 5 months ago. Serious case numbers have declined and are nearly negligible in those who have been triple-vaccinated. Some 2.5 million children have returned to school.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-30/covid-19-boosters-work-at-curbing-severe-cases-israel-data-show https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/312641
https://datadashboard.health.gov.il/COVID-19/general
Israeli vaccine Phase 2 trials commence. Israel’s Institute for Biological Research IIBR (see here previously) has stated that it has delivered 1,000 doses of its BriLife coronavirus vaccine to Georgia for starting Phase 2 trials. IIBR’s partner, NRx, will lead the trials, expand patient numbers and prepare for Phase 3.
https://nocamels.com/2021/08/israel-covid-19-vaccine-phase-ii-trial-georgia/
Protection against Delta variant. A pre-clinical trial of opaganib from Israel’s Redhill (see here previously) shows that its strong antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities can inhibit any variant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Opaganib targets SK2 - a key enzyme used by the virus to replicate, irrespective of spike protein mutations.
Covid trial of cholesterol treatment. (TY UWI & WIN) Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem successfully trialed TriCor (fenofibrate see here previously) on 15 severely ill Covid patients. 14 were weaned off their ventilators within a week. TriCor targets inflammation-producing lipids produced by the coronavirus.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/sjjmdjb11f
Better cancer detection. In a study of over 9,000 patients Tel Aviv University researchers used previously ignored “silent mutations” analysis techniques to increase chances of detecting cancer early. They proved that the huge volume of genomic and gene expression data available can help extend survival times and save lives.
https://tau.zimininstitutes.org/projects/automatically-deciphering-silent-cancerous-mutations/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41525-021-00229-1
Gastric cancer diagnostics in Israel. Israel’s Ibex Medical (see here previously) has launched its new Galen Gastric system, to detect gastrointestinal cancer, at Israel’s Maccabi HMO (Health Management organization). Maccabi is the world’s only health system to use AI for multi-tissue detection (breast, prostate and gastric).
https://nocamels.com/2021/08/ibex-ai-gastrointestinal-cancer-maccabi/
Algae to treat IBD. Israel’s Yemoja (see here previously) and Israel’s MIGAL Galilee Research Institute are leading a 4-year research initiative to find algae-sourced compounds to help Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) sufferers. The 21-member Algae4IBD consortium has received a €7.5 million EU Horizon 2020 award.
Saving women’s lives in the Gulf. Israel’s illumigyn (see here previously) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Dubai-based company DHI 2048 to deploy 2,500 units of its Gynescope cloud platform service. It will boost the availability of imaging and examination to improve women’s healthcare in the region.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916633,00.html
Brain rehab helps wounded IDF soldier. In 2018, 24-year-old Netanel was shot in the head by a terrorist. Minimally conscious for several months, he is now making slow but steady recovery progress, against all odds, at Sheba Medical Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit.
https://www.jns.org/wounded-idf-soldier-makes-strides-at-sheba-brain-rehab-unit/
An affordable US virtual health company. Israel’s Antidote Health is bringing a virtual Kupat Holim (health fund) to the US for the benefit of uninsured and under-insured Americans. Using a digital service and AI, Antidote Health says it can cut the costs of the service to about a tenth of what Americans pay now.
https://www.jpost.com/jpost-tech/israeli-startup-looks-to-disrupt-us-healthcare-with-kupat-holim-model-677574 https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916071,00.html https://www.antidotehealth.ai/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ka7pPE2B9E
The best birthday gift. United Hatzalah EMT Gal was just in time when he used his own son’s EpiPen to save the life of a 5-year-old boy who suffered an anaphylactic reaction in Netanya. It was the birthday of the boy’s mother and she said that the life of her son was the best birthday present she had ever received.
https://israelrescue.org/blog/the-best-birthday-gift-her-sons-life/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Startup for those on the spectrum. (TY UWI) Israel’s Point.AI hires only high-functioning individuals on the autism spectrum to perform critical data annotation for the fast-growing Israeli AI industry. They are ideally suited to the tasks, with heightened senses, determination and the ability to see patterns and details.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-tech-startup-where-most-employees-are-on-the-autism-spectrum/
Global Company of the Year. The prestigious research & consulting firm Frost & Sullivan has awarded Israel’s Percepto (see here previously) with the 2021 Global Company of the Year Award for dominating and advancing the market with its industry-best, remote autonomous drone-in-a-box for industrial sites.
Summer camp for rocket attack victims. The Jewish Agency for Israel has provided a fun-filled summer camp experience for 100 children living near to the Gaza border. All had suffered trauma or physical harm from rockets and arson balloons launched by Gaza-based terror groups. They enjoyed animal therapy and swimming.
Israeli women are more than equal. To mark International Women’s Equality Day, please watch this video featuring the Women’s Unit of Israel’s emergency NGO United Hatzalah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMCqujLbuWw
First Bahraini ambassador to Israel arrives. Bahrain’s first ambassador to Israel, Khaled Yousif al-Jalahma, arrived in Israel to take up his post. A statement carried by the state-run Bahrain News Agency touted al-Jalahma’s arrival as “an important step in developing relations between the two countries and their people.”
Israelis aiding the evacuation from Kabul. (WIN & I24News) Israelis from the NGO Shai Foundation are working to extricate persecuted minorities, women activists, and others, from war-torn Afghanistan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elN-QUebHak
500 villages. Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa (see here previously) has just reached the major milestone of bringing light and water to 500 villages. It has transformed the lives of nearly 3 million people across 7 African countries. Please help them to reach more. https://donate.innoafrica.org/
On 20th anniversary of 9/11, Israel honors victims. The Consul General of Israel in New York and members of the Consulate gathered at the Ground Zero memorial site to mark the Jewish calendar’s 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and its victims. They laid a wreath at the survivor tree and blew the shofar.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Intel’s new Israeli chips. Intel has previewed its 12th-generation Intel Core processors, based on a hybrid architecture for PC users, code-named Alder Lake, and designed chiefly in Israel. With Intel’s Thread Director technology, they enable the upcoming Windows 11 operating system to better manage PC tasks and workloads.
Israeli startup alerts Microsoft to critical flaw. Israel’s Wiz (see here previously), led by former Microsoft employees, discovered an “unprecedented critical vulnerability” in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. It notified Microsoft, who paid Wiz a bounty for the discovery and said it immediately fixed the problem.
Free tech training for new immigrants. Jewish Agency-founded nonprofit academy Israel Tech Challenge (ITC.tech) is partnering the Aliya Ministry to offer fully subsidized Front-end Web Development and Data Analytics training that will grant eligible Olim (new immigrants) entry into Israel’s lucrative high-tech industry.
Carob - a super crop from the Bible. Israel’s CarobWay is cultivating and marketing the carob fruit - mentioned in the Bible and Talmud. The super-nutritious, highly sustainable food crop is in high demand and short supply. It grows on non-arable land, in desert climates and requires little irrigation or human labor.
https://www.carobway.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5P-MVsTxLk
Aquatic drone helps to save lives. The Tiberias division of Israeli emergency organization United Hatzalah has taken delivery of its new aquatic drone. It will be used to drop life preservers into Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to help save victims who are drowning. It is water-resistant and includes a thermal imaging camera.
One million Israelis use Rumble to stay fit. (TY UWI) Nearly a million Israelis have downloaded the Rumble app from Israelis UVTAL Health (see here previously). Rumble converts your steps into virtual tokens that can buy fruit, shoes or even personal training sessions. Next is the US where 61% gained weight during lockdowns.
https://www.israel21c.org/get-real-world-rewards-for-walking-with-fitness-app-rumble/
Put yourself in the movie. Computer vision technology from Israel’s D-ID has been used to promote the new movie “Reminiscence”. Anyone can upload still photos of themselves, which are then animated and inserted into the movie trailer, for sharing with others.
https://www.israel21c.org/put-yourself-in-hugh-jackmans-new-film-reminiscence/ https://www.d-id.com/
https://www.bannisterandassociates.com/
Israel’s first medicine & science museum. (TY Hazel) Technoda in Hadera is the first of its kind medicine and science museum in Israel and one of the biggest in the world. Its theme “Diving into the Human Body” includes 120 exhibits on anatomy, physiology, diagnosis and pathology, treatment and advanced technologies.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israels-first-medicine-and-science-museum-opens-its-doors-678339
Foodtech center opens in the Galilee. The Margalit Startup City Galil (see here previously) has now opened in Kiryat Shmona. It will address the burning problems of the world, including hunger, drought, and a shortage of healthy food. It aims to create 30,000 tech jobs, plus 70,000 ancillary positions.
https://www.jpost.com/jpost-tech/margalit-foodtech-center-opens-in-the-galilee-678510
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Startups raised $1 billion in August. Israeli startups raised $1.05 billion in August, bringing the total to $15.3 billion in the first eight months of 2021 – more than the record $10 million raised in the whole of 2020.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israeli-startups-raised-over-1b-in-august-1001383636
Human capital fund for hi-tech training. The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) is to launch a Human Capital Fund program. It anticipates providing NIS 30 million to support companies with up to 70% of their models to help train and place reskilled Israeli employees (especially immigrants and the underprivileged) in hi-tech jobs.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916510,00.html
Cyber security for the Gulf. Israel’s XM Cyber (see here previously), cofounded by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, is to deploy its cybersecurity products to protect Gulf region gas, oil and financial infrastructures.
An Israeli cyber takeover. Israeli-founded cyber security giant Check Point is acquiring Israel’s Avanan, a provider of cloud email security for some $300 million. Avanan’s technology will integrate with Check Point’s threat prevention software capabilities “to deliver the world’s most secure email security offering”.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916650,00.html
3D printed vegan burgers for US colleges. (TY Hazel) Israel’s SavorEat (see here previously) has partnered US-French food company Sodexo, to launch its kosher, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free 3D-printed burger patties in the US. A pilot will commence at US universities where Sodexo already operates.
DSPG exits for $600 million. US electronics giant Synaptics announced it is acquiring Israel’s DSPG (see here previously) for about $600 million. DSPG is one of Israel’s oldest high-tech companies. Its voice recognition technology is embedded in Amazon's Alexa interfaces, Google earphones, smart TVs and more.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916647,00.html
CartiHeal exits for half a billion. US giant Bioventus is acquiring Israel’s CartiHeal (see here previously) for $500 million. The decision came after a pivotal clinical trial of CartiHeal’s Agili-C knee cartilage implant.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916642,00.html
Melio becomes a Unicorn. Israel’s Melio (see here previously) has just raised $110 million at a valuation of $1.3 billion, giving it the financial status of a Unicorn. The company is still raising funds and it expects to triple in value soon. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3916705,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: Melio raised $110 million; Upstream Security raised $62 million; Fortellix raised $32 million; Balance (GetBalance.com) raised $30 million; Fieldin raised $30 million; Jifiti raised $22.5 million; PayEm raised $20 million; Sayata Labs raised $17 million; Walnut raised $15 million; Antidote Health raised $12 million; Anima raised $10 million; CorNeat Vision raised $4 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Jerusalem goes to the movies. (TY Sharon) After many postponements, the 38th annual international Jerusalem Film Festival took place from Aug 24th to Sep 4th. Over 200 films were shown, starting with "Where is Anne Frank" and included a free film every night showing in various Jerusalem open-air locations.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=147381
Butterfly of peace. (TY Nevet) The western pigmy blue butterfly (a native of the USA) has been discovered thriving in Israel’s Dead Sea resort. One theory is that its larvae were in a pot plant brought to the UAE by a US State Department official at the time of the Abraham Accords in 2019. Tourists then brought it to Israel.
End of August events in Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) Those lucky to be able to walk the streets of Jerusalem would enjoy Docu.text, the annual documentary film festival, at the National Library; also, the International Puppet Festival, concerts at Kikar Safra, the Jerusalem Night Run, weddings, flowers & pomegranates.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/08/22/the-end-of-august-in-jerusalem/
http://rjstreets.com/2021/08/29/jerusalem-new-and-old/
Israeli success at the Paralympics. (TY WIN) Israeli swimmers won 6 golds at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Mark Malyar broke 2 world records, winning 2 golds and a bronze. Ami Dadaon won 2 golds and a silver. Iyad Shalabi is the first Arab Israeli medal winner (2 golds). And Moran Samuel won silver at rowing.
https://israelbetweenthelines.com/2021/09/02/paralympic-athletes-bring-home-nine-medals-six-gold/
https://www.israel21c.org/another-gold-and-two-silvers-for-israeli-paralympians/
THE JEWISH STATE
“And sons shall return to their borders”. Services have restarted at the ancient Yemenite synagogue in the Yemenite Village (Kfar HaShiloachin) in Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood. Members of Israel’s Yemenite community blew Yemenite shofars, as they did from the 1880s until the Jordanians expelled them in 1948.
https://www.jns.org/old-yemenite-synagogue-in-kfar-hashiloach-hosts-special-selichot-event/
Record-breaking month for Aliya. Nefesh b’Nefesh (NbN) brought 1,000 North American Olim (immigrants) to Israel during August - surpassing any other month in the organization's history. NbN has brought more than 3,000 olim to the country this summer - well on the way to its target of 4,500-5,000 Olim by the end of 2021.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-receives-record-breaking-1900-olim-in-august-678263
An Israeli synagogue in Washington. (TY WIN) The Israeli delegation (PM, journalists, security staff etc.) visiting the US President, had to spend Shabbat at a hotel near the White House. Due to Covid regulations, they could not attend a synagogue in the city, so they created a “pop-up” Israeli synagogue in one of the hotel rooms.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/312582
“Miraculous” rocket survivor goes home. (TY Hazel & UWI) Doctors gave Yulia just hours to live in May after she was hit by shrapnel from a Hamas rocket. Despite a 2-month coma, losing masses of blood, having one leg amputated, and 13 complex operations, she has now been discharged to the delight of her daughter.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sybhvre11k
Letters to the Almighty tripled. Israel’s postal service reports a 3-fold increase in the number of letters it has received in 2021 addressed to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem compared with last year. Rabbi of the Wall Shmuel Rabinovitch, placed hundreds of notes between the stones ahead of the Jewish New Year holiday.
Massive crop from Temple-era data palm. Hannah, one of the Judean date palms at Kibbutz Ketura that was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed (see here previously), has produced a huge crop of dates this year. It dwarfs the 111 dates produced last year and visitors to the kibbutz’s research center might even be able to buy some.
https://worldisraelnews.com/temple-era-palms-produce-miraculous-crop-of-dates/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj9rIoUHjY4 (video shows last year’s crop being harvested)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPU_RvJCCL4 (video explaining the history of the project)
Israel appreciates its Covid workers. Israel is distributing grants to every medical and health-system employee involved in treating COVID-19 patients. Each will receive a multi-use debit card containing NIS 1,000, distributed via hospitals and Israel’s four Health Management Organizations.
International diplomats hosted for Rosh Hashanah. (TY Sharon) President Isaac Herzog hosted their first annual New Year reception for some 100 foreign diplomats stationed in Israel. President Herzog thanked the foreign diplomats for their work strengthening the ties of peace and friendship between Israel and their nations.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=147607
Elderly receive food packages for Rosh Hashanah. Some 6,200 elderly Israelis at Amigour sheltered housing sites across the country will receive care packages for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Worth around 120 NIS, they include wine, honey, honey cake, jam and other goods like pasta, rice, tuna, couscous and oil.
https://www.jns.org/thousands-of-elderly-israelis-to-receive-care-packages-for-rosh-hashanah/
210822
In the 22nd Aug 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli scientists have printed an active tumor for testing cancer therapies.
· An Israeli charity is saving Arab children from dying in car crashes.
· Israelis again aid victims of another massive deadly earthquake in Haiti.
· Israelis are developing a flying sports car.
· The rate of Israel’s economic recovery is one of the fastest in the world.
· Israel’s “no-fear” children enjoy a thrilling adventure trail in Jerusalem.
· Click here to see the 15th Aug newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, IsraPundit, San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel with extra feature on Inclusive & Global. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (19,000+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Coronavirus booster progress. Some 1.2 million Israelis have now had a third coronavirus vaccination and wider rollout is imminent. Maccabi Healthcare Services reported 37 (all non-serious) infections in Israelis over 60 who have been triple-vaccinated, compared to 1,064 (many serious) for those who have had only two doses.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/312034
Covid treatment is too cheap? Professor Eli Schwartz of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center was unable to publish the results of his successful double-blind trial of ivermectin on 89 coronavirus patients. Interesting reading.
Trial approved for Alzheimer’s treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s SciSparc to commence a Phase 2a clinical trial of its SCI-110 (formerly THX-110) treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and agitation. The study will be conducted at the Israeli Medical Center for Alzheimer's.
New therapies for mental illness. Israel’s Nextage Therapeutics is developing technology to deliver to the brain tiny quantities of controversial chemicals, to treat depression and other neurological disorders.
How the brain maps 3D space. Scientists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have unveiled how 3-dimensional space is represented in the brain’s “GPS” system. They mapped out how “grid cells” work in bats and the findings have turned the previous theory “on its head”.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/when-brain%E2%80%99s-gps-goes-grid
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03783-x
First 3D printed active tumor. After Researchers at Tel Aviv University have printed an entire active and viable glioblastoma (brain cancer) tumor using a 3D printer. It includes simulated brain tissue and blood vessel-like tubes through which blood cells can flow and treatments can be (and have been) tested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUjuFyLF5nM
Rejuvenating the immune system. (TY UWI) The reason the elderly are vulnerable to Covid, is their immune systems fail to recognize a new virus. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute, Sourasky (“Ichilov) and Rambam hospitals have demonstrated that removing most of the memory B lymphocytes rejuvenates these immune cells.
https://www.israel21c.org/study-reveals-why-elderly-at-more-risk-from-covid-19/
https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2021012428
Take your blood pressure with your smartphone. Israel’s Binah.ai (see here previously) is in the final stage of validating its iPhone blood pressure functionality at Israel’s Sheba medical center. The technology records video at up to 120 frames per second, to analyze skin color changes for monitoring vital signs.
Google health subsidiary sets up Israeli R&D center. Verily Life Sciences, an independent subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, is establishing a Research and Development center in Israel. The company focuses on digital health, applying AI to medical problems. In Israel it will target colorectal (colon) cancer.
Online support. Israel’s Circles has developed a platform designed to help users overcome life’s challenges. It matches groups of 6-8 people who are facing similar difficulties such as divorce, grief, or medical diagnoses, and connects them together for one-hour video meetings. People don’t have to face their struggles alone.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915387,00.html
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Not even the sky is the limit. Major N. is the first Israeli woman to have been promoted to the position of Deputy Commander of a combat squadron. She currently serves as head of the Air Force Commander's Office and will take up her new position as Deputy Commander of the 119 Squadron (The 'Bat Squadron') next year.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311927
Wildflowers will go out from Jerusalem. The Nechama Rivlin Save the Wildflower Initiative (named after ex-President Rivlin’s late wife) is a community-based project at Jerusalem’s Botanical Gardens. It aims to save rare flowers and return 35 indigenous wildflowers to the region. Israelis can buy seeds from the online shop.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/wildflowers-will-go-forth-from-jerusalem/
https://www.jbgculture.com/homepage (Links to seeds shop - seeds packed by Israelis with special needs)
Charity car seats to save lives of Arab children. Half of the children killed or injured in road accidents in Israel are Arab. Israeli charity Yad Sarah has therefore loaned 200+ car seats to Arab and Bedouin citizens of Israel. Their volunteers also showed how to install the seats and keep children safe when riding in a vehicle.
https://www.jns.org/yad-sarah-develops-two-programs-hospitality-center-and-car-safety-initiative/
Arab social media stars come to Israel. (TY UWI) Two dozen social media influencers from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, visited Israel, thanks to non-profit Israel-is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF2u9yWaMp8 https://www.israel-is.org/en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuyOaLMX-Do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYIxPhwyeE&t=1s
The first Israeli baby born in the UAE. Ilan Sztulman, head of the Israeli mission in Dubai, and his wife Jacqueline celebrated the birth of their fifth child - Mia on 14th Aug at Dubai’s Mediclinic. Mia is the first Israeli citizen to be born in the UAE, just one year after the signing of the Abraham Accords.
https://www.jns.org/meet-the-first-israeli-baby-born-in-united-arab-emirates/
Three Israeli universities in global top 100. (TY UWI) The 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked three Israeli institutions in the top 100 (2,000 surveyed), for the first time since 2013. They are Hebrew University of Jerusalem (90), Weizmann Institute (92) and Technion Institute (94).
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/08/15/3-israeli-universities-rank-among-worlds-top-100/
Protecting Spanish troops. Israel’s Netline Communications Technologies (see here previously) is to deliver 87 C-Guard RJ vehicle-mounted improvised explosive device (IED) jamming systems to Spain’s Defense Ministry in November. They are part of a 5-year contract for 334 IED jammers. 51 were delivered in 2020.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-company-to-supply-ied-jammers-to-spanish-ministry-of-defense/
Israel goes back to Haiti. (TY WIN) Israeli NGO IsraAID was at the forefront of international rescue efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and for eight years afterwards. IsraAID has now returned after the recent quake and tropical storm. IsraAID’s CEO describes on ILTV how his team is working for Haiti’s long-term recovery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4jVAmmRH8
Help offered to Turkey. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz contacted Turkey’s defense attaché to Israel and the Turkish Defense Ministry and offered to send a search and rescue delegation to help Turkey cope with the aftermath of devastating floods. He also offered to send an IDF Home Front medical team and supplies.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-offers-turkey-emergency-aid-in-wake-of-devastating-floods/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Innovation center in Israeli-Arab city. Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has inaugurated an innovation center in the Israel-Arab city of Kfar Qasem. It is an extension of Sheba’s own ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) Innovation Center (see here previously), which develops lifesaving and life-improving medical solutions.
https://www.jns.org/sheba-medical-center-inaugurates-arc-innovation-center-in-city-of-kfar-qasem/
IDC gets university status. Israel’s Council for Higher Education has granted the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya recognition as an unbudgeted private university. The IDC has nearly 9,000 Israeli and international students in a variety of undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311936
Global cyber training. Israel Aerospace Industries and Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing service are teaming up to provide governments, academies and global enterprises with cyber security training. IAI’s Elta Systems has set up cyber academies in many countries, using IAI’s cyber-simulator training platform Tame Range.
https://www.jns.org/israel-aerospace-industries-and-microsoft-team-up-for-cyber-training/
https://www.iai.co.il/iai-and-microsoft-to-collaborate-on-cyber-training
AI training for citizens in Northern Israel. Israeli companies Rafael and RAD Bynet have launched an educational-employment project in Israel’s northern region. The one-year project will train young adults, that have recently completed IDF service, in AI and big data technologies.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915541,00.html
A smart 5G stadium. Petah Tikva’s soccer stadium aims to be Israel’s first smart 5G stadium. The NIS 3.5 million project partners Aluma Infrastructures and Cellcom Israel. It will allow unique sports features such as home viewing in 3D, plus player body cameras for seeing the action through the players’ eyes.
A sports car in the sky. Israeli startup Air is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. While other companies are building air taxis, Air’s self-driving “drive the sky” personal alternative offers a sporty but sustainable way to get to any destination. More details in the fall (autumn).
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/air-emerges-from-stealth-to-reimagine-personal-air-mobility-with-consumer-airevs-301336340.html https://www.airev.aero/
Mind that bike. Israel’s V2X (Vehicle to anything) developer Autotalks has successfully tested, with Ben-Gurion University, a “smart” signpost for preventing accidents between cars and electric bicycles / scooters. The signpost, installed at intersections, lights up if a bicycle or scooter with a V2X device is present.
Smart water management. (TY WIN & I24 News) Israel’s national water company Mekorot is piloting the AI water management system from Israel’s Evolution Water (part of Evolution Networks see here previously). It could save Mekorot some $24 million per year - 15% of Mekorot’s annual electricity costs.
http://www.diplomacy.co.il/products-services/4487-from-a-startup-nation-to-an-environment-nation-evolution-water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1dEeATf0TQ https://www.evolution-networks.com/
https://www.mekorot-int.com/innovation/
More efficient refineries. Because the world still needs fossil fuels, Israel’s Imubit has developed Closed Loop Neural Network AI technology to optimize hydrocarbon processing plants. Imubit is so certain it can unlock substantial value for its clients that if there is no measurable value from its system, then there is no fee.
https://imubit.com/ https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915329,00.html
Another no-cow milk company. This new Israel21c article mentions all three Israeli no-cow milk startups previously reported here. It also features a fourth - the aptly named Fantastic Farms, which is engineering plants to make milk proteins. Like the other three, it aims to produce dairy substitutes without animal farming.
https://www.israel21c.org/flexitarians-want-cow-free-dairy-and-israels-got-it/
https://www.fantasticfarms.com/
Smart system for perfect beer. Two Israeli engineering students have developed BeerZone - an AI-based system to serve beer at the perfect temperature and fizz level - without a bartender. Each BeerZone device can sit on the customer’s table, or next to the bartender. (See also here the system from Israel’s Weissbeerger)
A day in the life of an Israeli tech manager. Roni Aloni, a software team leader at Tel Aviv’s Citi Innovation Lab, is responsible for Citi’s “no-code” platform for Workflow Management. Read how she juggles her flexible hours, hybrid home / office locations, innovative work, family, and her favorite hobby – baking.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915284,00.html
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy grows by 15.4%. Israel’s economy grew by 15.4% in the second quarter of 2021 (Apr to Jun). This was more than most other OECD countries (e.g., Canada 13.8% and the United States 12.2%).
https://www.jns.org/israeli-economy-jumped-15-4-percent-as-corona-restrictions-eased/
Think Israel – Buy Israeli. (TY TPS) Israel’s government has partnered the American Communities Helping Israel (ACHI) organization to sell Israeli products in the US and Canada. Israeli businesses can join the scheme, under the slogan “Think Israel – Buy Israeli”, if they have a permit to mark products “Made in Israel”.
IAI’s best ever results. Sales at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) during the first half of 2021 rose by 22% to a record $2.2 billion. IAI employs around 15,000 people and is responsible for the Beresheet lunar lander, the Ofek 16 satellite and the Arrow 3 defense system. It has also won four Israel Security awards.
https://www.jns.org/israel-aerospace-industries-reports-most-profitable-stretch-in-companys-history/
Business class route to Paris & New York. Boutique airline La Compagnie is launching a business-class-only service to New York via Paris. All 76 seats on the plane are Business Class. The service will commence on 5th Sept – if the pandemic situation allows for it.
Kushner planning to open Israeli investment office. Jared Kushner is reported to be in the final stage of launching an investment firm, Affinity Partners, based in Miami. He is also looking to open an office in Israel to pursue regional investments connecting Israel's economy with those of India, North Africa and the Gulf.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310792
Global Data Center exits for NIS 1 billion. International data center solutions giant EdgeConneX has acquired Israel’s Global Data Center (GDC – see here previously) for an estimated $300 – $400 million (approximately NIS 1 million). GDC has only 20 employees and operates only in Israel. This may soon change.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915392,00.html
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915316,00.html
Cisco buys Epsagon for half a billion dollars. Israeli cloud server monitoring startup Epsagon (see here previously) has been taken over by US giant Cisco for $500,000. It is Cisco's second-largest acquisition of an Israeli company, following the purchase of NDS for $5 billion in 2012.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3915194,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: BrainQ raised $40 million; Browzwear raised $35 million; Imubit raised $30 million; Circles raised $8 million; retrain.ai raised $7 million; CASTOR raised $3.5 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Byzantine discoveries. (TY UWI) 1,500-year-old relics have been unearthed at a huge building site in Ramat Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv. They include a winepress with mosaic floor, chains, foundations of a warehouse, millstones, and jars. Also, a rare gold coin showing a cross, but inscribed with both Greek and Arabic writing.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10zTFtB2sPk
Hot sights on the streets of Jerusalem. (TY Sharon). Jerusalem Streets highlights last week include street decorations; street musicians; renovated Zion Square Plaza; tours for Israelis; Theater in the Rough, evening illuminations, a new massive Agam-designed mezuzah; flowers, and posters for the Jewish New Year.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/08/15/7-positive-things-in-jerusalem-this-week/
Watching the heavens. Thousands of Israelis converged at the Ramon crater (Mitzpe Ramon) in the Negev Desert to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower. The spectacular phenomenon is caused as the Earth passes through the debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The next good display will occur in 2024.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/annual-meteor-shower-dazzles-thousands-of-visitors-to-israels-south/
Climbing the walls. “Towers in the Air” at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum is a ropes adventure that typifies the Israeli attitude to risk. It includes a 50-meter zip line, 40 meters above the ground. Children from age 9 are fitted with harnesses, helmets, full climbing gear and under-12s must be accompanied by an adult!
https://www.timesofisrael.com/climbing-the-walls-at-jerusalems-tower-of-david/
Red carpet for Israeli athletes. (TY Sharon) Israel’s President and Prime Minister honored Israel’s 2020 Olympic athletes at Beit Hanasi, in Jerusalem. They hailed the records of Israel’s largest delegation (90), the most medals (4) and the playing of the Hatikvah national anthem (twice) to celebrate two Olympic gold medals.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=146950
Israelis compete in Morocco. (TY I24 News) For the first time, 12 Israelis were able to take part in Morocco’s ‘Dakhla Downwind Challenge’ – a challenging five-day kiteboarding journey from Dakhla to Lagouira in southern Morocco. The governor of Dakhla-Oued-Ed-Dahab was very happy to welcome the Israelis.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-israel-takes-part-in-kite-surfing-competition-in-morocco/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO4AuYu-EHI
THE JEWISH STATE
IDF soldiers donate hair for cancer charity. An entire IDF unit has donated its hair to Zichron Menachem – an Israeli charity that supports children with cancer. Children with cancer often lose their hair when being treated with chemotherapy. Hair donations are used for hairpieces to help children feel beautiful.
https://jr.co.il/only-in-israel/idf-soldiers-donate-their-hair-to-children-with-cancer.htm
https://zichron.org/uk/hair-donation-3/
Internship for protecting Israel. Israeli NGO Shurat Hadin of legal volunteers has had an overwhelmingly positive response to its Weissblum Internship Program to train Israel's next generation of leaders in the public-legal arena. Last year was only for Israelis, but this year anyone can apply – and applications are flooding in.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IFUqATNj7SoEo1I1SPGVoTgctjOYEzZQ/view
Sabbatical year agreement with Jordan. Israel has signed an agreement to boost imports of Jordanian agricultural products during this coming year following Rosh Hashana. Every seventh year is “Shmita”, the time that Torah states that land in Israel belonging to Jews must rest and lie fallow.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-and-jordan-sign-agricultural-agreement-ahead-of-sabbatical-year/
Ex-Kuwaiti Muslim is now an Israeli citizen. Mark Halawi (see here previously) has just received his Israeli citizenship. He was born and raised in Kuwait but moved to Jerusalem (via Jordan, Syria and Canada) when he discovered that his mother was Jewish and had married a Muslim during the British Mandate.
Bar Kochba will go to the stars. When Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe (see here previously) flies to the International Space Station next year, he will carry a 1,900-year-old coin from the Bar Kochba Jewish rebellion against the Roman occupation of Judea. Bar Kochba is Hebrew for “son of the Star”.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/312048
210815
In the 15th Aug 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Huge positive results from Israel’s mass anti-Covid vaccination boosters.
· An Israeli startup can predict and prevent allergies in babies.
· Israelis are helping Greece fight its devastating forest fires.
· A new Israeli low-cost drip-irrigation system is a game-changer.
· Two endangered species have found safe harbor in Israeli waters.
· Young Israeli emissaries embark on international missions.
· Click here to see the 8th Aug newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, San Diego Jewish World, St Louis Jewish Light and United With Israel with feature on Medical. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (19,000+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Hospital kills Covid with UV light. Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) is the first hospital to use ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect medical spaces. The J. Protect system, from Israel’s Juganu (see here) uses UV-A in occupied rooms and UV-C when the room is empty. Bacteria, fungi and viruses (e.g., Covid-19) are killed in one hour.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-hospital-first-ever-to-use-light-to-disinfect-spaces/
Covid treatment trial extended. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Health Ministry has approved a Phase 2 trial of Covid-19 treatment MesenCure (see here previously) from Israel’s Bonus BioGroup. The treatment helped 15 out of 17 severe Covid cases, to be released from hospital just one day after receiving their final dose.
Pfizer booster vaccine works. (TY Hazel) Researchers at Israel’s Beilinson Medical Center have found that twice as many organ transplant recipients developed antibodies after their 3rd anti-covid jab compared to their 2nd dose. There were also good results in the over-60s, of which over 750,000 have had their 3rd vaccination.
Freezing bladder cancer. In a global first, doctors at Israel’s Rambam Medical Center in Haifa performed cryotherapy to treat superficial bladder cancer in a 60-year-old patient. The technology was developed by Israel’s Vessi Medical (see here previously). Bladder cancer is the most common cancer in men over 50.
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/rambam_news/cryotheraphy_breakthrough.aspx https://www.vessimed.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00cr009GQ2g
Defibrillator on a string. Israel’s Newpace has developed. the Implantable Subcutaneous String-cardio Defibrillator (ISSD) - a low-invasive heart rhythm defibrillator that is implanted under the skin and is recharged and monitored wirelessly using Bluetooth. Newpace is now to use the battery system from Israel’s Powermat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1BNfklrA8s https://www.newpacemedical.com/products
European approval for spinal fusion system. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s ZygoFix (see here previously) has obtained the European CE mark for its minimally invasive screwless zLOCK Spinal Fusion system for the treatment of chronic back pain. The system has been in clinical use for over three years in Hungary and Israel.
Successful trials for knee cartilage replacement. Israel’s CartiHeal (see here previously) has just announced successful results in the two-year trial of its Agili-C implant for 251 patients with damaged knee cartilage. Over 77% of patients said their condition had improved, compared to 33% of those who had conventional treatment.
Israel’s medical robotic revolution. Join Technion UK’s webinar on 24th Aug at 2pm UK time. Professor Alon Wolf, Head of Robotics and Vice President of Israel’s Technion Institute, will talk about his work. His startup Medrobotics is now transforming his search & rescue robotic snake into an anatomical surgery tool.
https://technionuk.org/event/the-medical-robotics-revolution/
https://technionuk.org/video/snake-robots-technion-biorobotics-biomechanics-lab-alon-wolf/
Hi-tech stroke rehab. Ben Gurion University has established a new rehabilitation lab for stroke victims. It is based at ADI ALEH Negev Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village in southern Israel (see here previously). Patients spend 3 - 5 hours per day with cutting-edge equipment that utilizes the brain’s plasticity to repair itself.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/bgus-negev-lab-is-bringing-stroke-rehab-into-the-future-675273
Preventing allergies in babies. Israel’s MyOR uses AI models and predictive data from studies worldwide to forecast which newborns are at risk of developing food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). This, plus a sophisticated skin test, gives pediatricians a tool to guide parents on how to prevent allergies.
https://www.israel21c.org/this-startup-aims-to-predict-and-prevent-allergies-in-babies/
https://www.myorcare.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktJt2jT7E7A (Bamba story at 8:15 mins)
Diagnosing cancer in Midwest USA. Alverno Laboratories, one of the largest integrated laboratory networks in the United States, is to deploy the Galen AI platform from Israel’s Ibex Medical Analytics (see here previously) to help pathologists provide accurate cancer diagnosis for patients.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914741,00.html
Treating symptoms of Parkinson’s. Former Member of Knesset Michael (Miki) Eitan (aged 77) was once completely debilitated by Parkinson’s disease. In Feb 2021, he underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) at Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. Now, although the disease continues, most of his symptoms have gone.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/28-year-ex-likud-mk-staves-off-parkinsons-with-rare-brain-treatment/
Ethiopian’s 20-year heart guarantee. Israel’s Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) recently flew 33-year-old basketball coach Luleseged Kassa from Ethiopia to Israel, so that surgeons at could fix a faulty heart valve. The valve was one of two that SACH surgeons replaced (again for free) when Luleseged was just 13 years old.
The downs and ups of an EMT. Baruch, a United Hatzalah paramedic, lost vital minutes when the daughter of a heart attack victim gave the wrong address. He finally arrived to take over CPR from the patient’s exhausted wife and save her husband’s life. And a busy previous day meant that his medical kit was fully replenished.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311474
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
The only female CEO of a TASE hi-tech company. Tali Shem Tov of Israeli digital IT Services company Speedvalue is the only woman CEO of a hi-tech, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. She was previously CEO of Qualitest (see here) until it was acquired by Bridgepoint VC for $420 million.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914273,00.html http://www.speedvalue.com/
Record number of women join Border Police. (TY Hazel) A record 320 female recruits have begun their training for Israel’s Border Police, which for the first time will have a majority of female officers. Currently only one place is available for every 10 wishing to join the Border Police, so two new units are to be setup.
Empowering people with disabilities. Israeli companies Fiverr and Salesforce have partnered in a unique 6-week pilot program to train Israelis with disabilities as Salesforce administrators. It is a project of Fiverr Empower which finds freelance employment for special needs individuals through the Fiverr platform.
https://www.israel21c.org/fiverr-and-salesforce-to-empower-people-with-disabilities/
https://blog.fiverr.com/post/fiverr-teams-up-with-salesforce-to-empower-people-with-disabilities
A new leash of life for special needs. The developers of Israel’s dog-walking app Dogiz (see here previously) have launched a social-impact project called Walking Together. They work with several NGO's and the IDF to offer training and paid dog-walking work to adults (e.g., with severe autism) who cannot find employment.
https://www.israel21c.org/dog-walkers-on-the-autism-spectrum-get-new-leash-on-life/
https://www.dogiz.com/en-il/walking-together/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxilCY0mLc
Israel’s first Druze Air Force Colonel. In December, Awad Suleiman (see here previously) became the first member of Israel’s Druze minority to be promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. He has now taken command of his new unit. His commander said Awad would be an inspiration for many to follow him.
https://www.jns.org/first-druze-colonel-in-israeli-air-force-takes-command-of-maintenance-unit/
Agreements with Bahrain. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has signed an historic agreement with the Derasat Institute of Bahrain to set up a network of research institutes in the Gulf region and elsewhere. Also, Bahrain’s senior foreign ministry diplomat made a first visit to the IDF to discuss strengthening security ties.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311381
https://www.jns.org/bahraini-undersecretary-of-foreign-affairs-pays-historic-visit-to-idf/
Boosting ties with Morocco. Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid signed three accords during the first ministerial visit to Morocco since 2003. They covered air service, culture, sports and youth, plus a mechanism for political consultation. Lapid inaugurated a liaison mission and promised a future exchange of embassies.
https://www.jns.org/lapid-inaugurates-liaison-office-in-morocco-reveals-opening-of-mutual-embassies-within-months/ https://worldisraelnews.com/in-morocco-lapid-signs-three-accords-to-boost-ties/
Teaching Israeli entrepreneurship in Miami. Florida International University in Miami is to offer a course on Israeli entrepreneurship and innovation. “Innovation Nation: The Global Influence of Israeli Technology and Entrepreneurship,” aims to impart lessons from Israel’s startup ecosystem to aspiring business leaders.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/miamis-largest-university-launches-course-on-israeli-entrepreneurship/
Energy advisor for the US. Amos Hochstein, born and raised in Israel, has been appointed to serve as Senior Advisor for Energy Security at the US State Department. Hochstein served in the Israeli Defense Forces from 1992 to 1995. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources in 2015.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311524
Firefighting aid to Greece. (TY UWI) Israel has sent 16 firefighters and two planes to Greece to help battle its wildfires. https://www.israel21c.org/israel-dispatches-firefighters-to-battle-blazes-in-greece/
https://www.jns.org/israel-sending-two-firefighting-planes-to-battle-raging-fires-in-greece/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_fYMvlkEjQ
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Five medals at Physics Olympiad. 450 students from 90 different countries competed at the 54th International Physics Olympiad in Lithuania. After eight days of contests, lectures, games and projects, all five members of the Israeli high school team won either silver or bronze medals for their theoretical and experimental exams.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israeli-high-schoolers-rake-in-medals-in-physics-olympics-675494
Protecting Airbus from missiles. Israel’s BIRD Aerosystems has won a contract to install its SPREOS DIRCM anti-missile system on an Airbus 320-type aircraft. The system tracks and jams heat-seeking missiles and is part of a wider defense system that is being installed in partnership with Airbus France.
https://www.jns.org/israels-bird-aerosystems-wins-new-contract-for-missile-defense-system/
Cutting-edge water innovation. (TY UWI) Here is a new video that highlights (in under 2 minutes) some of the innovative ways Israel utilizes its limited water resources and makes the desert bloom. It features recycling, drip irrigation, desalination, river rehabilitation, and extracting water from the air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeI5SLAC5_k&t=8s
Drip irrigation for low value crops. Israel’s N-Drip (see here previously) has developed a unique zero-energy gravity-powered micro-irrigation system for crops that have a very low profit margin, like corn and potatoes. N-Drip’s Chief Sustainability Officer is Seth Siegel, author of “Let there be Water” (featured here previously).
https://www.israel21c.org/new-gravity-watering-system-saves-resources-and-raises-yields/ https://ndrip.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB-PsiNrvr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B7fJ6xGIBs
Desalination plant for Mumbai. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s IDE Technologies (see here previously) is to build and operate a seawater desalination plant to provide drinking water to Mumbai – India’s most populous city.
Developing sustainable food. Yeda, the commercial arm of Israel’s Weizmann Institute is to receive a $40 million investment over 3 years, from US-Israeli company Impact NRS. Yeda will establish Plantae Bioscience, to develop nutritious alternative food sources that have reduced environmental impact and low CO2 emissions.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914718,00.html
Build an app – no coding required. Israel’s Wix (see here previously) has launched “Branded App by Wix” - a new tool that gives small businesses the ability to build tailor-made mobile apps without any coding. Users can design the icon, layout and content for product pages, bookings, forums, groups, chats, blogs and more.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/wix-rolls-out-tool-for-building-apps-without-any-coding/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYYPmaFmCB4
Live video streaming for Microsoft. Microsoft has acquired Israel’s Peer5, which develops technology for low-bandwidth video streaming, called eCDN. It is understood that its technology will be used in Microsoft Teams, the company’s platform for communication. Peer5’s team will join Microsoft Israel R&D.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914649,00.html https://www.peer5.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMNY8e1XE_I
Electric President. Ex-Israeli President Reuven Rivlin seemingly likes the title of President. He is widely reported to be joining Israeli electric road developer Electreon (see here previously) - as its President!
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Revenue up, deficit down. Israel’s cumulative government deficit for the twelve months to end July 2021 was 9.3% of GDP, down from 11.7% at the end of 2020. The main reason is increased revenue, up nearly 30% in 2021 compared to 2020. The government is actually spending more in 2021, mostly due to pandemic assistance.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israels-fiscal-deficit-falls-below-10-1001380953
Black Unicorns. (TY UWI) Cyber Defense Magazine’s named Israel’s Noname Security in its 2021 Top 10 Black Unicorn list of cybersecurity startups likely worth $1 billion in 3 years. Israel’s NanoLock, Adaptive Shield, XM Cyber and Siemplify were in the Top 10 Baby Black Unicorn list of $1 billion value in 3-5 years.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914096,00.html
https://cyberdefenseawards.com/black-unicorn-awards-for-2021-the-winners/
Azerbaijan invests in Israel. In the same week that Azerbaijan opened its first Israel trade office, Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC) signed an agreement with Israel’s OurCrowd. In the first stage, AIC will invest in 10-15 startups from the OurCrowd portfolio, focusing on energy, health, agtech, foodtech, education and more.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-ourcrowd-signs-mou-with-azerbaijan-investment-co-1001380933
New shopping mall in Judean desert. The DCity shopping mall, which opened outside Ma’aleh Adumim near Jerusalem, is Israel’s largest mall and designed as a replica of the famous Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Its 150,000 square meters features some 200 storefronts, restaurants, a luxury hotel and an artificial indoor sky.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israels-fanciest-new-mall-opens-in-the-judean-desert-676234
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NifAU-1aBWo
CropX grows larger. Israel’s CropX (see here previously) has acquired Dutch-based Dacom Farm Intelligence to add its crop protection capabilities to CropX’s active irrigation technology, hardware-based soil data and fertilizer management features. Dacom has 3,000 agricultural clients managing 20,000+ farms in 40 countries.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914634,00.html https://cropx.com/whydacom/
Nanox swallows Zebra. Israel’s Nasdaq-quoted portable X-Ray devices company Nanox (see here previously) has just acquired Israeli AI imaging analysis company Zebra Medical (see here previously) for $200 million. Nanox has also (TY Atid-EDI) just won a contract to deploy 1,000 systems in Nigeria.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914640,00.html
Deloitte makes an awesome acquisition. Deloitte Digital has acquired Israeli brand and product design agency Awesome – the team responsible for Israel’s 2019 Eurovision campaign and the global brand presence of local companies like Playtika and Sodastream. Awesome can now access Deloitte’s many thousands of global clients.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914732,00.html https://www.awesometlv.co.il/
Even NICE-er. Israel’s NICE systems (see here previously) just reported improved second quarter earnings and became Israel’s highest value company at $17 billion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914419,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: Ownbackup raised $240 million; VGarden raised $55 million; 4M Analytics raised $11 million; Joonko raised $10 million; Buff raised $9.3 million (TASE IPO); SIGA raised $8.1 million; ByondXR raised $7 million; Vesttoo raised $6 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Jerusalem streets in August. (TY Sharon) Those lucky to be in Jerusalem now will be able to enjoy renovated streets, shopping, Segway tours, Teddy Park, Islamic Museum’s coffee exhibit, Bible Lands Museum’s BIRDS exhibit, ice skating at First Station, climbing at the Tower of David Museum, films, Shakespeare and more.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/08/08/11-ways-to-enjoy-august-in-jerusalem/
Halleluyah in Arabic. Two young Israeli singers, one Arab, one Jew, wowed the judges and audience on Israel’s Rising Star talent show with their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Halleluyah in English and Arabic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irEpp0NsgkI
New locations for turtles and sharks. (TY Hazel) Israeli researchers have discovered a huge concentration of deep-water sharks and shark eggs in deep sea brine pools near Tel Aviv. And for the first time ever, loggerhead turtles have hatched on an Eilat beach. Previously, the turtle had only been seen on the Mediterranean coast.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/baby-shark-deep-water-shark-nursery-found-near-tel-aviv-676497
https://www.timesofisrael.com/newly-hatched-loggerhead-sea-turtles-seen-in-eilat-for-first-time/
How Israel became a Judo powerhouse. In 1992, judokas Yael Arad (silver) and Oren Smadja (bronze) won Israel’s first Olympic medals. The subsequent immigration of judo masters from the Soviet Union spurred a national love affair with the sport. And now the medals keep coming – at European, World and Olympic events.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310102
THE JEWISH STATE
An ancient coin in an ancient Jewish town. (TY UWI) An Israeli girl found a 1,500-year-old coin at the Korazim archaeological park – the site of an ancient Jewish village near the Sea of Galilee. The coin dates to the Talmudic period between the 4th and 5th centuries CE - the peak period of the Jewish village at Korazim.
Emissaries to the world. A total of 145 ShinShinim (gap-year emissaries) depart this month for communities around the world on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel. They all volunteered to spend their time pre-IDF service, working with Jewish organizations to help strengthen world Jewry’s relationship with Israel.
https://www.jns.org/145-jewish-agency-young-emissaries-set-to-arrive-in-communities-around-world/
Lone soldiers arrive. The first 12 of this year’s anticipated new 300 lone soldiers were among new immigrants who have just arrived on a Nefesh b’Nefesh Group Aliyah Flight. They will become Israeli citizens and then enlist in the Israel Defense Forces, joining some 3,500 existing lone soldiers already serving in the IDF.
https://www.jns.org/future-lone-soldiers-arrive-with-nefesh-bnefesh-during-summer-aliyah-peak/
Inspiring generosity. Israel Prize winner and Israeli Presidential candidate Miriam Peretz has just donated NIS 50,000 to the “Special in Uniform” program, which helps Israelis with special needs serve in the IDF. Miriam lost two sons in IDF active service and her husband to cancer. She also has two autistic grandchildren.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311509
210808
In the 8th Aug 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli researchers discover early warning markers for secondary cancer.
· Israeli doctors save the sight of a toddler from Gaza.
· An Israeli startup is 3D-mapping 18 million Australian buildings.
· Israel’s economic rating is still A+ despite the pandemic.
· Two Israeli gymnasts have won Olympic gold medals.
· Israeli archeologists found evidence of an earthquake that was recorded in the Bible.
· Click here to see the 1st Aug newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, IsraPundit, San Diego Jewish World, United With Israel with feature on Medical and (NEW) St Louis Jewish Light. Also (TY Sandra) in German here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (19,000+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Successful Covid-19 treatment trial. A successful Israeli trial of Covid-19 treatment EXO-CD24 (see here previously) has now been reinforced by a trial on 88 patients in Greece. 90% of the moderate and serious patients (aged up to 85) were released within five days of treatment. None required to be put on ventilators.
Second most coronavirus innovations. (TY Hazel) The 2021 report by research center StartupBlink cited Israel as the source of 38 of some 1,300 pandemic-related innovations, ranking it world number 2 after the USA. The report praised Israel’s many innovations relative to its small size and also its vaccination program.
Breakthrough in detecting metastatic breast cancer. Researchers from four Israeli medical institutes have identified early signs in the body that indicate breast cancer is about to spread to other organs. The discovery could save millions of lives. They also discovered that the protein MYC speeds the growth of cancerous cells.
Eat up those cancer cells. A US clinical study involving Irving Weissman of Ben Gurion University is using the antibody Magrolimab to enhance “scavenger macrophages” - cancer cell-eating white blood cells. Magrolimab blocks the CD47 molecule that cancer cells produce to signal “don’t eat me” to the macrophages.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/bgu_stanford.aspx
Understanding Alzheimer’s. (TY WIN) It is known that a build-up of Amyloid plaques in the brain is common in Alzheimer’s patients, but what do they affect? Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have just found that they are a catalyst to the degradation of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adrenaline.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/Amyloid-Plaques-Alzheimer.aspx
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667109321001366?via%3Dihub
Removable heart implant. Israel’s Append Medical is developing the Appligator - an implantable device for closing the Left Atrial Appendix (LAA) to prevent blood clot leakage and strokes in those suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF). However, unlike other implants, the device is removed after surgery, leaving just stitches.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914175,00.html https://www.appendmedical.com/
President’s booster. Honest Reporting’s Daniel Pomerantz was interviewed on Turkish TV about Israel’s coronavirus activities. He revealed that President Isaac Herzog was one of the first to receive a third (booster) vaccination against SARS-Cov-2. It was administered at Sheba hospital by Muslim Arab nurse Lina Ahmad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y1ZFi16DAs
Heart monitoring smartwatch ready to launch. Israel’s CardiacSense (see here previously) is about to ship its first heart-monitoring smartwatches around the world. This article gives the history and technical details of the low-cost product that can save many lives, at a fraction of the cost of hospital sensors and implants.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913705,00.html
US approves 3D medical holographs. Israel-based RealView Imaging (see here previously) has received FDA clearance for its HOLOSCOPE-i holographic system. The system creates spatially accurate, 3D interactive medical holograms, based on data received from standard CT scans and 3D ultrasound systems.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914003,00.html
Ribbons of Hope. The Israel Cancer Research Fund is holding a virtual gala on 10th Aug to raise funds to help the most promising Israeli scientists advance ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. ICRF has already provided more than 2,500 grants that have been responsible for major cancer research breakthroughs.
His father’s son. Having watched his father save many lives as a volunteer EMT for Israel’s United Hatzalah, 16-year-old Shaked decided to learn how to administer CPR himself. So, when bystanders didn’t know what to do when a woman collapsed in Afula, Shaked stepped right up and saved her life.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311232
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
New children’s day-care center. The Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) has opened the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Day Care and Early Childhood Education Center, for 100 children in Tel Aviv. WIZO operates 183 day-care centers in Israel for 14,000 children aged from three months to three years.
https://www.jns.org/wizo-dedicates-new-day-care-center-in-tel-aviv-to-los-angeles-philanthropists/
Intel Israel’s first Arab Vice President. Reda Masarwa, from the Israeli city of Taybeh, has been promoted to Vice President at Intel Israel – the company’s first Arab VP. During his 24 years at Intel, Reda managed the construction of Intel’s chip plants, heading a team of 150 Intel engineers and over 2,000 external engineers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/intel-israel-appoints-arab-vice-president-for-the-first-time/
Gaza girl can see again. Israeli surgeons at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital restored the sight of a toddler from Gaza, suffering from a malignant tumor that covered half her eye. The treatment took several months and included chemotherapy plus an innovative procedure using a direct, precise injection into the eye.
https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/posts/10158472811032689
New York teens at Israeli summer camp. (TY WIN & I24 News) Non-Jewish US youths, including African Americans from Brooklyn and Harlem, joined Israeli Jews and Arabs on Givat Haviva’s “Horizon” program - an international summer camp with a difference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH4U1OpUTaM
How IDF located victims in Miami tragedy. The Israeli Defense Forces’ National Rescue Unit recovered 81 of the 97 victims from the Champlain Towers South condo collapse site in Surfside, Miami. The IDF team used experience and hi-tech to search the rubble and worked with families to identify where to find their relatives.
Home at last. (TY Hazel) After nine months of rehabilitation at Israel's Sea Turtle Rescue Center, Stitch the loggerhead sea turtle has been released back to the Mediterranean Sea. Fishermen found her off Israel's coast in December with a fishing hook lodged in her mouth that had caused her lungs to fill up with water.
https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/sybr3ukyt
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
New Fire & Rescue dispatch system. Israel’s National Fire and Rescue Authority has launched its new cutting-edge dispatch system. Features include cell phone locating, real-time vehicle tracking (rescue, EMS, police), all fire alerts (e.g. car accidents and terror attacks) and interlinking with Magen David Adom’s systems.
Integrating Arabs in hi-tech. Atidna in High-Tech is a unique program to integrate Israeli Arabs with tech degrees into the Israeli high-tech market. Working with Facebook, Google, Wix and Salesforce, the 3-month training course, improves soft skills and competencies and then helps with interviews to find a suitable job.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913520,00.html
https://en.atidna.org/core-programs/atidna-tech/
Google to connect Israel to Europe. Google plans to build and operate a submarine cable system to connect Israel with southern Europe. The Blue Submarine Cable System will link Israel to Italy, France and Greece. Its 16 fiber optic pairs aims to increase network capacity and decrease latency and be ready for use in 2024.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913725,00.html
Enabling the world to communicate. Israel’s Gilat (see here previously) is to supply advanced tactical communications equipment to the U.S. military. Gilat said it would be the largest deployment of frequency converters in the world. Gilat has also just won a major order from SES for its global mobility platform.
https://www.gilat.com/pressreleases/gilats-global-mobility-platform-selected-by-ses-in-multi-million-dollar-order/ https://www.jns.org/israeli-company-gilat-wins-tactical-communications-contract-with-us-military/
Revolutionizing reading for children. Israel’s Inception XR (see here previously) is bringing popular reading book characters to life with Augmented Reality (AR). Inception XR founder Dana Porter spoke at Gaming 2021 about how its product Bookful is helping children to read more and reduce time on Snapchat and Pokemon GO.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913870,00.html
Bridging the email generation gap. Nearly 200 million emails are sent globally every minute. But most young people prefer instant messaging. Israel’s Spike bridges the gap by converting an instant message into email format. Spike’s founders plan to transform the world of email and collaboration. Watch for more “messages”.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913727,00.html
Safer self-driving European shuttles. Israel’s Autotalks (see here previously) has been selected to provide its V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communications for ZF, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers. ZF will integrate the solution in its 2getthere autonomous shuttles, starting with a major European project.
https://www.auto-talks.com/autotalks-and-zf-team-up-to-empower-autonomous-shuttles-with-lifesaving-v2x-solutions/ https://www.2getthere.eu/news/zf-acquires-mobility-provider-2getthere/
Mapping Australia. Israel’s GeoX has won a contract to map 18 million buildings throughout Australia using satellite imagery, AI and other patented technologies. It is one of the world’s largest and most advanced geo-mapping projects and will save government surveyors from having to visit individual homes.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-startup-lands-huge-3d-mapping-deal-with-australia/ https://geox-group.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-UF0mz0IeQ
AI design for on-line shopping. Israel’s Renovai provides real-time visual AI solutions that help on-line retailers to create inspiring and personal interactions with shoppers. It is marketed as the first-ever virtual interior designer that provides visual artificial intelligence shopping assistance for lifestyle brands.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914156,00.html https://www.renovai.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ASqC4-Uq9w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvq0IsZPXYo
The secret’s out. (TY WIN) Former Head of Israel’s Mossad, Yossi Cohen, gave his first public speech since becoming head of SoftBank’s investment operations in Israel. He spoke candidly about Israel’s advanced intelligence technology and how the strength of Israeli high-tech was “21st-century Zionism at its best.”
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913989,00.html
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Fitch A+ rating. Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Israel’s A+ rating with a stable outlook, citing its “strong external finances and solid institutional strength.” Its report said Israel’s economy stood up to pandemic shock relatively well, due to Israel’s high-tech industries and successful vaccination campaign.
https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/fitch-affirms-israel-at-a-outlook-stable-29-07-2021
Another record for currency reserves. Israel’s reserves of foreign currency reached a new record of over $201 billion at the end of July – an increase of over $1.5 billion on its end of June level.
https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/5-08-21.aspx
Taiwanese incubator selects 21 Israeli startups. Taiwan’s largest software incubator, Innovation to Industry (see here previously), has selected 21 Israeli companies. It aims to integrate Israeli software with Taiwan’s hardware, including computers, LCDs, semiconductors and phones, as well as in Taiwan’s healthcare system.
New funds for medical incubator. British investment firm Consensus Business Group (CBG) is investing $20 million in Israeli-based medical device incubator MEDX Xelerator (see here previously). CBG said the global epidemic requires development of advanced medical technologies. CBG has $500+ million invested in Israel.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913689,00.html
Robotic warehouse wins huge US partnership. North American online grocery platform Instacart is partnering Israeli-founded automation logistics startup Fabric (see here previously). Fabric will use its robotic fulfilment warehouses and AI software to help Instacart deliver goods to its customers.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/instacart-israel-fabric-automated-fulfillment/
HopOn to Europe. Israel’s HopOn (see here previously) is expanding into Europe with its mobile payment solutions for public transportation. It has just acquired UK-based ECR, a payment solution for public transit and leisure venues, for $10 million. HopOn operates the payment system for Israel’s Rav-Kav service.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913877,00.html
Pioneers of flexible working. One of the reasons so many Israeli startups have succeeded despite the pandemic is because their employees can work remote from their main Israeli offices. This article highlights several examples of where startups have even allowed their staff to work overseas but retain their jobs in Israel.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913863,00.html
Israel’s most valuable startup. The $300 million just raised by Israel fintech Rapyd (see here previously) makes it Israel’s most valuable privately owned company, with a market value of $10 billion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3914072,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: Hippo raised $550 million (IPO); Rapyd raised $300 million; Buildots raised $30 million; Localize.city raised $25 million; RealView Imaging raised $15 million; HopOn raised $10 million; STOREE raised $8 million; AgroScout raised $7.5 million; Append Medical raised $7.4 million; Renovai raised $3.7 million; Yofix raised $3.5 million; Lendlord raised $2 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Digitizing the writings of Hannah Senesh. In celebrating 100 years since the birth of Jewish war hero and poet Hannah Senesh (Szenes), the National Library of Israel has digitized dozens of items from her recently acquired archive. They include her poems, manuscripts, correspondence, notebooks, photos and documents.
https://www.jns.org/national-library-of-israel-digitizes-personal-effects-poetry-of-hannah-senesh/
https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/history/figures/hannah-szenes
Karmiel Dance Festival. (TY I24 & WIN) Israel’s Karmiel Festival showed that life is returning to normal in Israel. It was the first big dance festival since Covid-19 forced closure of almost all Israeli cultural events. The 3-day event included public workshops and showed that performers were eager to make up lost time on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Be2OBTEkjE
http://www.karmielfestival.co.il/en/ https://zhkd.co.il/festival2021/1
Jerusalem is not just for the Birds. (TY Sharon) Diplomatic guests from Nigeria, Kosovo, Nepal, Russian Federation, and Serbia joined patrons at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum for the gala opening of its exhibit 'Early birds soaring with the Ancients'. It follows the myths and stories of the human desire to fly like the birds.
https://www.baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=146622
Cleveland semi-finalist. Israel’s Rafael Skorka reached the semi-finals (last eight from 26) of this year’s prestigious Cleveland International Piano Competition.
https://www.pianocleveland.org/competitions/cleveland-international-piano-competition-2021/competition-contestants/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310892
Judoka friendship in MGM documentary. Israel’s Tadmor Entertainment is to make a TV series for MGM about ex-Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei (see here previously and below) who rejected Iran’s demand to avoid a contest with his Israeli friend Sagi Muki. It is MGM’s second project with Tadmor.
Two Olympic Golds. (TY WIN) Israeli artistic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat made history when he won Israel’s first Tokyo Olympics gold medal, and first gymnastic medal, in the men’s floor exercise. Then Israel’s Linoy Ashram won the individual all-around gold medal in the women’s artistic gymnastics final.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/artistic-gymnast-artem-dolgopyat-wins-israels-2nd-ever-olympic-gold/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/rhythmic-gymnast-linoy-ashram-wins-israels-3rd-ever-olympic-gold/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGruGa4zEoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsB1AcQFQK0
More Olympic success. The Israeli judo team won the Olympic bronze medal in the mixed-team judo event. Meanwhile, Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei (now competing for Mongolia) dedicated his Olympic silver medal to the State of Israel. Plus, an Iranian judo champion and Israel’s judo coach issued a video of sporting friendship.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310930
https://worldisraelnews.com/sport-is-sport-not-politics-iranian-israeli-judokas-join-in-video-message-of-friendship-from-tokyo/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310662
Israel’s female Olympic surfer. (TY Nevet) Fascinating article describing Israeli surfer Anat Lelior’s journey from the beaches of Tel Aviv to the Tokyo Olympics.
French Champions in Tel Aviv. (TY Hazel) As previously reported here, the scheduled French Champions Trophy (Trophee des Champions) season curtain raiser took place at Bloomfield Stadium Tel Aviv in front of a sell-out crowd of 29,000 spectators. French champions Lille beat Cup winners Paris Saint-Germain 1-0.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/sport/1627888272-champions-trophy-in-tel-aviv-lille-beats-psg-1-0
THE JEWISH STATE
Azerbaijan opens Israel trade office. Muslim-majority Azerbaijan has opened a trade representation office in Tel Aviv. Israel's Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said the historic event “will doubtless serve as a focal point for Israeli entrepreneurs in fields including energy, medicine, water treatment, agriculture and investments.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310854 https://israelactive.com/?s=Azerbaijan
https://www.timesofisrael.com/azerbaijan-opens-first-trade-office-in-israel-to-boost-economic-ties/
Adidas promotes Haredi female athlete. Adidas, one of the biggest sportswear companies in the world, has featured Israeli Haredi orthodox marathon runner Beatie Deutsch (see here previously) in its “Impossible is Nothing” campaign, which aims to unite people through sports and expand the limits of human possibilities.
https://www.israel21c.org/nothing-is-impossible-for-israels-most-unlikely-marathon-champ/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310948
130 French new Olim. 130 new immigrants from France just arrived in Israel on a flight funded by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. A typical comment “We simply want to live openly as Jews. I dream of the moment when our son will be able to walk outside with his yarmulke on and be able to feel safe.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311184
Archaeological evidence of Biblical earthquake. (TY UWI & WIN) Excavations in Jerusalem’s City of David have revealed a layer of destruction that has been dated to the eighth century BCE, during the Kingdom of Judah. It corresponds to a massive earthquake as recorded in the books of the prophets Amos and Zechariah.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311137
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXPsaw-joJg
The Walls of Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) One of the sights on Jerusalem’s city walls is the Lomka Project - an exhibition of portraits of 360 survivors of the Shoah (Holocaust) together with a short biography on each. They include German survivor Sonia Kam whose daughter is now married to the Israeli Ambassador … to Germany!
https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/stumbling-stone-memorials-in-germany-remember-the-family-of-israeli-ambassadors-wife http://rjstreets.com/2021/08/01/jerusalem-streets-summer-scenes/
210801
In the 1st Aug 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· An Israeli device enables people without hands to operate electronic devices.
· Two Israeli families and one from the UAE exchange kidneys.
· Two Israeli airlines have begun scheduled services to Morocco.
· Israeli high-school students won 3 golds at Math Olympiad.
· At least two more new billion-dollar Israeli startups.
· A rare Sumatran orangutan went AWOL before giving birth at an Israeli safari park.
· Despite the pandemic, hundreds of new immigrants arrive in Israel.
· Click here to see the 25th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (18,900+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
No entry for coronavirus. Israel’s Redhill has completed its Phase 2 / 3 clinical trials of its opaganib treatment on 475 coronavirus patients in Israel, Europe and Brazil. In a few weeks it will declare the results. Opaganib works on the patient rather than the virus, preventing the body from allowing the virus to enter the host cells.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-research-a-simple-pill-to-treat-covid-19/
European approval for Covid severity test. Israel’s MeMed (see here previously) has received Europe’s CE mark for its Covid-19 Severity disease management solution. The 15-min test measures proteins from serum samples and applies machine learning to identify patients likely to suffer a severe form of coronavirus infection.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913362,00.html
Diagnosing cancer in 17 European countries. Unilabs, one of Europe’s largest diagnostics companies, is to implement the AI-based cancer diagnostic software from Israel’s Ibex Medical Analytics (see here previously). The initial rollout will begin in Sweden and then continue to 16 more European countries.
Helping amputees regain hands-on control. Israel’s 6degrees has developed MyMove - a personalized motion-based & touch-free wearable, enabling the disabled to gain intuitive control over any smart device. It also helps rehabilitate injured patients, studying movements similar to how a voice-activated device “learns”.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913292,00.html https://www.6degrees.tech/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZIVpv9Kp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig60PQdYroY
Mayo Clinic to bring Israeli AI to US surgical rooms. Mayo Clinic is partnering Israeli-founded Theator (see here previously) to bring its artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies to surgical rooms in the US. Theator will support Mayo’s urologists and gynecologists with pre-op preparation and post-op debriefing.
Medical cooperation with UAE. (TY WIN & I24 News) Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has signed two agreements with health authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They cover medical research and medical tourism. Sheba is currently treating 300 UAE diabetics high blood pressure patients both in Israel and with telemedicine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYLN3zE2RIA
Six-way kidney transplant includes UAE couple. For the first time an Israeli kidney exchange has included patients in the UAE. Shani at Sheba gave her kidney to a woman in Abu Dhabi whose daughter gave her kidney to a woman in Haifa whose husband donated his kidney to Shani’s mother. Wishing a speedy recovery to all.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/abraham-accords-uae-patient-to-get-a-kidney-from-israeli-woman
The gift of speech. Shambhavi “Sam” Jha’s cleft palate and lip her made it hard to breathe, hear and talk, despite operations in her native India. After her father moved to Israel as manager of an Indian Bank, Sam was given life-changing treatment at Israel’s Meir hospital and is now studying psychology at Tel Aviv University.
Israel’s global fight against Covid-19. In the past year, United with Israel (UWI) published over 2,000 articles and 60 videos in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese about Israel’s activities to combat Covid-19. UWI is a Genesis Foundation “Speak Out for Israel” campaign non-profit organization promoting the truth about Israel.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/report-israels-global-fight-against-covid-19/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LPbpk2jgrs&t=1s
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Another female General. (TY Hazel) Brigadier General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was named the IDF’s next military advocate general and will be the second female Major General in Israel’s history. Defense Minister Gantz hailed her as a “trailblazer,” who overhauled status and legal protection for women in the military.
Spend more time with your children. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has decided that the Ministry will no longer hold meetings after 3:00p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The decision is part of an attempt to allow parents to spend more time with their children during the week and develop a better work-life balance.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310657
Druze town dedicates MDA mobile unit. A new mobile intensive care unit (MICU) was dedicated at a ceremony at the Magen David Adom station in the Israeli Druze town of Julis. The donor, Mounhal Hamoud, is owner of Israel’s Merkaza shopping chain and a director at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310595
Islamic coffee. The Museum of Islamic Art in Jerusalem has opened a new exhibit “Coffee: East and West”. It includes items on Bedouin hospitality, Turkish coffee, coffee’s Ethiopian origins, and how the Muslim ban on alcohol made coffeehouses popular. The sophisticated cafe culture of Israel’s European Jews is also featured.
https://www.jns.org/east-meets-west-jerusalem-exhibit-displays-coffee-culture-through-the-ages/
First scheduled Israeli flights to Morocco. (TY WIN) Seven months after Israel and Morocco normalized relations, El Al and Israir launched their first direct Tel Aviv-Marrakech commercial flights. El Al decorated its flight lounge with Moroccan flags and carpets. The second video shows the welcome at Marrakech.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/direct-israel-morocco-flights-launched-months-after-ties-normalized/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067ESC-tTLA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHrOStYuY-I
No big shakes. The Iranian basketball coach and at least four of his team shook hands with Israel’s Ronen “Neno” Ginzburg, who has coached the Czech national basketball team since 2013. The small but friendly gestures took place before and after the Czech Republic’s 84-78 victory against Iran at the Tokyo Olympics.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-and-iranian-coaches-share-olympic-handshake/
Israel rejoins the African Union. For the first time since 2002, Israel has rejoined the African Union after Aleligne Admasu, Israeli Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia received observer status. The African Union, comprising all 55 African countries is the most important organization in the African continent.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/diplomatic-victory-israel-rejoins-african-union/
Rescuers in Germany and Belgium. The “Rescuers Without Borders Israel” delegation has just returned from flood-stricken Germany and Belgium where they helped locate missing people. In one incident in Germany an Arabic-speaking Israeli team member took an injured Syrian woman to hospital because she only spoke Arabic.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310646
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scaling up Quantum computer technology. Canadian-Israeli startup Entangled Networks is developing hardware and software to connect together multiple quantum computers. The aim is to boost the data storage capacity of the computer to practical levels. Quantum computers have huge processing power potential.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/israeli-startup-aims-to-be-the-mellanox-of-quantum/
https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/entangled-networks
The chips are up. Excellent article explaining why Israel is so important to the manufacturers of microchips. Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel and Nvidia are setting up or expanding their Israeli chip design operations, and the global surge in demand for microprocessors is fueling investment into chip-related Israeli startups.
Protecting water infrastructure. The SigaGuard system from Israel’s SIGA OT Solutions has been selected to strengthen the cyber defenses of Israel’s water system. A pilot project was conducted at four regional Israeli water utilities, involving SigaGuard and Israeli Security Operations Center service provider Cysol Networks.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913012,00.html
https://sigasec.com/ https://cysol-networks.com/
Defending trees with intelligence. Israel Talpaz, CEO of Israel’s SeeTree (see here previously) retired from Israel’s intelligence community and brought the expertise, technologies and capabilities that he learned in the defense world to the world of agriculture. Another example of Israelis beating swords into plowshares.
Put your retail business online. Israel’s Stor.ai allows retailers, such as grocers, to go digital. The coronavirus pandemic has convinced huge numbers of “bricks and mortar” stores that they need an e-commerce presence. Stor.ai has just partnered with Toshiba Global Commerce Solution help retailers transform their businesses.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913078,00.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRAeeeLS_Q https://stor.ai/
No-battery product monitoring tags. Israel’s Wiliot (see here previously) has developed low-cost, self-powered, stamp-sized, Bluetooth-enabled computerized-tags, that can be attached to any product or packaging, to get a sense of its physical and environmental conditions. It is “connecting the physical to the digital”.
Three golds at Math Olympiad. Israeli high school students won six medals, including three gold, at the 62nd International Math Olympiad in St. Petersburg, Russia. Israel’s national team finished in seventh place, its best ranking to date.
More no-meat products. Israel’s Redifine Meat (see here previously) has announced a menu of new 3D-printed items that are now available to order at select Israeli restaurants and hotels. They include a restaurant-style burger, an artisan sausage, a ‘meaty’ puff pastry, ground beef, and a lamb kebab.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913404,00.html
Smart greenhouses. Israel’s Fermata has developed a successful image analysis and artificial intelligence-based solution for greenhouses to identify and treat diseases and pests as early as possible. It boosts plant growth and saves human monitoring time and effort.
https://www.israel21c.org/ai-for-greenhouses-boosts-ability-to-farm-locally/ https://fermata.tech/
Watch out for breakdowns. Israel’s Atera has developed a platform for remote managing and monitoring computer systems. It enables IT support staff to proactively detect and prevent malfunctions that could lead to breakdowns of their systems, causing loss of service to customers. Atera has 7,000+ customers in 90 countries.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913534,00.html https://www.atera.com/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
New Israeli ports. Israel’s new Gulf Port of Haifa is to begin operations on Sep 1st. Built entirely offshore by Israeli companies Shapir Engineering and Ashtrom, it will handle ships 400 meters long and 62 meters wide that carry 18,000+ containers. Another new Israeli port at Ashdod is set to be completed by end 2021.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-set-to-open-massive-new-haifa-port-september-1-674606
Empowering employees for success. Israel’s YOOBIC is designed to improve productivity and motivation of a company’s front-line (deskless) workers. Its platform is available in 25 languages and used by 200+ companies in 80 countries including Boots, Lancôme, Lacoste, Logitech, Puma and Sanofi.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913088,00.html https://yoobic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SIhOVG_dM
Managing social media. Israel’s Oktopost is a fully integrated platform that helps companies use social media to generate leads, acquire customers, and boost revenue from marketing campaigns. Customers include Panasonic, ACI, NICE, Fujitsu and Sisense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtGFZnqRgvQ
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913081,00.html https://www.oktopost.com/
Managing PR. Israel’s Propel has developed PR software that helps improve the workflow and results of agency and in-house PR professionals. It allows monitoring and analysis of campaigns and is compatible with both Gmail and Outlook. Focusing on the US and UK, its 100+ customers include Google and The Daily Mail.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913310,00.html
https://www.propelmypr.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsiyjUwBW4Y
The ultimate guide to boycotting Israel. (TY I24 News & IsraelUnwired) This new video gives some home truths to the BDS movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDqHWktku9Y
A blockchain Unicorn. Israel’s Fireblocks (see here previously) has developed a platform based on blockchain technology for customers to manage their digital assets in a secure wallet. Fireblocks has just raised $310 million to give it a market value of $2 billion and the financial status of a “Unicorn”.
https://www.reuters.com/article/fintech-crypto-fireblocks/blockchain-firm-fireblocks-raises-310-million-valuation-at-2-bln-idUSL4N2OZ2PE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AqiL_dm3Q4
Cybersecurity insurance is worth a billion dollars. Israel’s At-Bay (see here previously) uses machine learning and other tech to assess the cybersecurity risk of firms seeking insurance against cyber-attacks. At-Bay has just raised $185 million of funds, giving it a $1.3 billion valuation and the financial status of a “Unicorn”.
Probably a Unicorn. Israel’s Wiliot (see above) didn’t reveal the value of the company following its latest $200 million funding, but it was estimated at around $1 billion, making it another Israeli “Unicorn”.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913431,00.html
Europe’s largest investment in Israel. Israel’s iAngels Ventures (see here previously) has raised $55.5 million for its first institutional fund for Israeli hi-tech investment. The fund is anchored by $25 million from the European Investment Fund under Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913470,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: Riskified raised $368 million (IPO) Fireblocks raised $310 million; Wiliot raised $200 million; At-Bay raised $185 million; Outbrain raised $160 million (IPO); ActiveFence raised $80 million; Atera raised $77 million; Coralogix raised $55 million; YOOBIC raised $50 million; Nym Health raised $25 million; Cyolo raised $21 million; Oktopost raised $20 million; Treeverse raised $15 million; Propel raised $1.1 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Museum sculptures become street art. Tel Aviv Museum of Art’s recent “Out of the Cube” exhibit was placed around the city. Some two-dozen artists displayed their “habitat inspired” artworks at sites including Levinsky Market, Bialik Square, Nachalat Binyamin and Park Hayarkon.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/out-of-the-cube-takes-sculptures-out-of-the-museum-and-into-tel-aviv/
Beer festival. Nearly 5,000 visitors attended the 6th annual Desert Beer Festival in Tekoa, a town in Israel’s Gush Etzion. They enjoyed beer from 15 Israeli breweries, food from local stalls and music from Israeli band “Teapacks”. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310437
I want to be alone. Ramat Gan Safari’s 12-year-old orangutan Tana decided she wanted a private delivery of her new baby. So, she used new foliage to climb out of her enclosure and up a tall tree nearby. Keepers brought her back and gave her space and time to deliver her rare Sumatran orangutan baby.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/escaped-orangutan-causes-stir-at-ramat-gan-zoo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSgYognnIP4
Follow Team Israel. Shari Wright-Pilo and David Wiseman have built English language sites on Facebook and Instagram where fans can follow Israel’s athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. They also have produced a workout video where the team shows some of the exercises they perform to prepare for their events.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/follow-team-israel-sports-olympics-tokyo/
Olympics and med school. Israeli swimmer Andi Murez has combined training for the Tokyo Games with her medical studies at Tel Aviv University. Andi became an Israeli citizen in 2014, broke two Israeli records and qualified for the Olympic Games in the 50m freestyle, the 100m freestyle and the 200m freestyle.
First Olympic medal. (TY UWI) Avishag Samberg won Israel’s first medal of the 2020 / 21 Olympic Games. She took the bronze in the under-49kg Taekwondo event. At 19 years old, she is Israel’s youngest Olympic medal winner. Israel has won nine medals at previous Olympics at Judo, windsurfing and kayaks sports events.
https://worldisraelnews.com/avishag-semberg-scores-israels-first-medal-of-tokyo-olympics/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OCdi4dGo_A
THE JEWISH STATE
What a night. Due to the pandemic, this year’s “A Night to Honor Israel” had only 700 physical attendees, although many more watched the live stream. It didn’t impede Pastor John Hagee, whose message was “Israel is not a political issue. Israel is a biblical issue. If you believe the Bible, you will support the Jewish people.”
https://www.jns.org/a-night-to-honor-israel-turns-out-hundreds-of-fervent-christian-supporters/
Caravan for Democracy. Jewish National Fund-USA’s Caravan for Democracy Student Leadership Mission to Israel has brought 40 young non-Jews to Israel to see the country with their own eyes. They explored the country through meetings with political, cultural and communal leaders from different backgrounds and faiths.
https://www.jns.org/caravan-for-democracy-students-share-stories-of-experiences-in-israel/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8fUphkAwg0
Arab rescuer rewarded. (TY JNS) A Palestinian Arab man saved the lives of three Jews who were shot by Arab terrorists on a road in Judea and Samaria in 2016. He has just been granted permanent residency in Israel. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said: "He who saves one life it's as if he saved the entire world.”
Comfort ye O Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) In the Jewish calendar, the recent three sad weeks are now followed by seven weeks of comfort. Jerusalem residents are taking the opportunity to enjoy the parks, malls, restaurants, food trucks, beer festival, free music, water fountains and Israeli ice cream.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/07/25/10-signs-the-jerusalem-streets-are-back/
90-year-old woman has a day at the beach. 90-year-old Miriam had not left her home for five years. EMTs from United Hatzalah were asked to help give her some fresh air. So, four UH volunteers took Miriam down her stairs in a special chair and drove her to Rishon LeZion beach. She had a lovely day with her granddaughter.
A Covid route to the chuppah. When police officer Elior’s grandfather Yehuda was taken to Hadassah hospital suffering from Covid-19, his family asked Leah - an X-ray technician and relative of a friend - to watch over him. Leah and Elior married in Dec with Grandpa Yehuda under the chuppah to bless the couple.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/23/first-comes-covid-then-comes-marriage/
Hundreds move to Israel. 172 Olim (new immigrants) from New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Ontario have just landed in Israel on four Nefesh B’Nefesh Group Aliyah Flights. And a record-breaking 87 Olim arrived on one flight from South Africa. (TY Geoff) Welcome home to all of them.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310815
https://www.sajr.co.za/young-and-old-on-record-breaking-aliyah-flight/
210725
In the 25th Jul 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Very Good news for 4 Israeli Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
· Israel signs major cybersecurity agreement with Morocco.
· An Israeli startup converts food waste into useful bioplastics.
· Netflix buys a new Israeli series and Iranians will be able to watch Fauda.
· Five more gold medals for top Israeli gymnast.
· Israeli parachutists mark centenary of the birth of Hanna Szenes.
· Click here to see the 18th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, IsraPundit, San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel (with extra features from 11th July with 1,200 shares and 18th July). Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (18,900+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israel’s oral Covid vaccine. (TY Mickey) Israel’s Oramed will shortly commence clinical trials of its Oravax vaccine - the world’s first oral Covid-19 vaccine (see here previously). Phase 1/2 trials will take place at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center with Phase 3 in countries desperate for a vaccine.
Israeli Covid vaccine can defeat variants. (TY I24 News & UWI) Israel’s IIBR-developed BriLife vaccine (see here previously - now in Phase 2 testing) has advantages over vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna. It recognizes the whole of the spike protein and can be easily adjusted to protect against mutations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJCGLJoqh5o
Existing treatments combat Covid. (TY WIN) Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have lab-tested 3 existing therapies successfully against SARS-CoV-2. Darapladib, Flumatinib and an HIV medicine target the virus’ other proteins, which mutate far less than the spike protein. The study is now to be peer-reviewed.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/7/604
Anti-viral nasal spray launched. Israel’s SaNOtize (see here previously) has now begun sales of its Enovid Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) at pharmacies in Israel and Bahrain. It is effective against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and variants Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Final tests for the Delta variant look good.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/sanotize-covid-nasal-spray-israeli-pharmacies/
Israeli doctor advises Canadians about Covid. Israeli-born bioethicist and public health advisor Vardit Ravitsky is Chair of the COVID-19 Impact Committee of the Montreal-based Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. A key influencer was her uncle and Israel Prize laureate philosopher Aviezer Ravitzky.
Home Covid tests. The latest tool to be adopted by Israel against the coronavirus pandemic, rapid home virus-testing kits, is being made available to purchase in Israeli pharmacies as part of a pilot program.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-rolls-out-pilot-for-pharmacies-to-sell-rapid-home-virus-tests/
Remote monitoring patients in Alabama. Alabama Regional Medical Services (ARMS) has selected the Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) system from Israel’s DarioHealth (see here previously) to improve the management of ARMS’s hypertension patients, including large numbers of underserved and uninsured patients.
Effective burns treatment for children. Israel’s MediWound (see here previously) successfully completed Phase 3 clinical trials of its NexoBrid treatment on children with severe thermal burns. The study evaluated 145 pediatric patients, from newborn to eighteen years of age, across 36 burn centers worldwide.
EU funds for Israeli alternative insulin therapy. Israel’s Betalin Therapeutics (see here previously) is to receive capital from the European Innovation Council (EIC) fund. The funding will advance human trials of its biological pancreas that can produce insulin in the body independently, thus making injections unnecessary.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912996,00.html
Reprogramming the immune system. This article describes the latest progress of Israel’s Immunai (see here previously) which is mapping the immune system to help develop new life-saving treatments. It acquired US-based Dropprint Genomics and has launched into development of cancer and autoimmune disease therapies.
https://www.israel21c.org/creating-a-google-maps-for-the-immune-system/
Support for the immune system. Solabia-Algatech Nutrition based at Kibbutz Ketura has launched BioGlena from whole Euglena gracilis algae grown on the Kibbutz. BioGlena contains over 55% β-glucan polysaccharides, touted as nature's immune-modulator, helping to prime and support natural immunity.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solabia-algatech-nutrition-launches-whole-algae-sourced--glucan-301338424.html https://www.algatech.com/algatech-facility-arava-desert/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkFa-Im2maA
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Upgrading animal refuge. Israeli non-profit For the Wildlife rescues, treats and rehabilitates injured wild animals – more than 70,000 in 2020. The clinic accepts all animals including porcupines, jackals, wild boar and bats. The organization recently launched a fundraising campaign to finance a state-of-the art animal hospital.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-refuge-that-works-wonders-for-wounded-wild-animals/
https://www.forthewildlife.co.il/home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNujJidYfB4 (Hebrew only)
IDF Intelligence unit’s first female deputy commander. Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) has appointed the first female deputy chief of Unit 8200, the directorate’s main information-gathering unit. Lt. Col. G. will be promoted to full colonel and lead the MID’s artificial intelligence revolution.
https://www.jns.org/idfs-top-intelligence-unit-gets-its-first-female-deputy-commander/
More Muslims join the IDF. There has been a sharp rise in Muslim recruitment to the IDF. Some 606 Muslim Arabs drafted to the IDF in 2020, compared to 489 in 2019 and 436 in 2018. More than half of the new recruits opted for combat roles. Dropout rates and unauthorized leave rates have also decreased.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/exclusive-idf-sees-sharp-increase-in-muslim-draft-674227
100,000 Muslims pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. (TY WIN) Arab media stated that some 100,000 worshipers prayed at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Israel’s President, Prime Minister and Defense Minister issued festival greetings to all of Israel’s Muslim and Druze populations.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/100000-muslims-pray-at-al-aqsa-mosque-on-eid-al-adha/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jD5aCiRQX8
A tale of two communities. The Israeli city of Yerucham and Bedouin village of Rachme show what true coexistence and peace looks like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swUMHvbSa68
Cybersecurity agreement with Morocco. The Israel National Cyber Directorate has signed a cybersecurity cooperation agreement with Morocco in Rabat - the first cyber-defense accord between the two countries since the start of relations last year. It covers operations, R&D and the sharing of information and knowledge.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-morocco-sign-accord-for-cybersecurity-cooperation/
Seeing Israel clearly. Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, gave 10 international ambassadors a better perspective of Israel’s situation by taking them to see key sites in Israel. Meanwhile non-profit ELNET brought 40 French Parliamentarians to see Israel’s challenges first-hand and discuss topics of mutual interest.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309947
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310225
https://www.jns.org/bonhomie-from-france-parliamentary-delegation-visits-israel-meets-top-leaders/
80 Latin Americans discover Israeli tech. Despite travel restrictions, 80 young Central and South American Jews arrived to spend five months getting to know Israel’s tech ecosystem. The Discover by Israel Innovation Experience program aims to provide participants with skills and tools to set up their own successful startups.
Israeli drones to protect World Expo. Israeli drone startup Airobotics will help Dubai police make the city a safer place for residents and visitors ahead of World Expo 2020 Dubai beginning in October and running for six months. Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum personally unveiled Airobotics’s Drone Box.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-drones-to-keep-dubai-safe-during-world-expo/
Aid for Germany. (TY UWI) Israeli humanitarian agency IsraAID is sending staff members to areas of Germany devastated by flooding, to provide much-needed clean-up and disaster-relief assistance.
https://www.jns.org/israaid-assistance-on-way-to-germany-after-country-recovers-from-deluge/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
More US-Israeli projects. The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) is investing $6 million into six joint US-Israeli projects including cybersecurity, depression therapy and satellite tracking. The Israeli startups are Cyberint, GrayMatters Health, Over-Sat, Sensifree, Skillreal, and YonaLink.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-israel-fund-to-invest-6-million-in-six-new-joint-projects/
https://cyberint.com/ https://www.graymatters.health/ https://over-sat.com/ https://www.skillreal.com/
Desert center for food security. Israel’s Ben-Gurion University has established the Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Food Security in the Desert. It will focus on water conservation, treatment and recycling. President and CEO of Watergen and Vertical Field Dr. Michael Mirilashvili is a key partner for the center, named after his father.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Pages/news/CenterforFoodSecurity.aspx
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309932
Turning food waste into plastic. Israel’s TripleW converts organic waste into bioplastics via a lactic acid that can be used in manufacturing many products. TripleW has received a €2.2 million grant from the European Union as part of a consortium of companies that are part of WASTE2FUNC, a Horizon 2020 program.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912891,00.html https://www.triplew.co/
Jupiter’s cyclones. Researchers from Israel’s Weizmann Institute have used data from NASA’s Juno space probe to reveal the mysteries of Jupiter’s massive polar cyclones. They explained why Jupiter’s storms, as opposed to the earthly variety, do not disperse and rarely change.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/space-physics/jupiters-super-polar-cyclones-are-here-stay
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00781-6
Moon mission for oxygen production. Japan’s ispace missions to the Moon in 2023 and 2024 plan to carry the Lunar Extractor payloads of Israel’s Helios (see here previously). Helios aims to demonstrate the production of oxygen and metals on the lunar surface. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912810,00.html
More than just space for Arab & Jewish teens. Moona – a Space for Change (see here previously) began as an extracurricular program for Jewish and Arab Israeli high school students to learn space technology, robotics, drones etc. It has now added advanced vision and IoT technologies, plus hi-tech job-specific training.
https://www.israel21c.org/where-arab-and-jewish-teens-learn-tech-skills-together/
DNA tests to keep streets clean. Tel Aviv’s municipality will require dog owners to provide a DNA sample from their pets to be kept in a city-run database. Inspectors will match these to samples from uncollected dog droppings left on the street and offending owners will be fined. Tel Aviv is world number 3 for dog ownership.
https://worldisraelnews.com/tel-aviv-announces-dog-poop-dna-tests-to-track-down-owners-who-dont-pick-up-after-their-pets/ https://www.israel21c.org/tel-aviv-ranked-3-most-dog-friendly-city-in-the-world/
A self-driving car in New York City. Israeli-founded Mobileye is proving “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” with an autonomous car pilot in Manhattan. A car with Mobileye’s technologies negotiates congested streets, pedestrians, cyclists, double-parked vehicles, construction, emergency vehicles and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50NPqEla0CQ
Preventing male chick slaughter. A fifth Israeli startup has a technical solution to the problem of preventing the hatching of unwanted male chicks (see here previously). NRS Poultry, a research group at Israel’s Volcani Institute, is developing a way to stop a hen’s male-producing Z chromosome being transferred to the egg.
High-speed fiber for the periphery. Israeli PM Naftali Bennett and Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel dedicated the first “fiber-optic connection” in Ma’alot-Tarshiha in the north of the country. Hendel said that fast Internet was vital for Zionism and that other countries would see no profit in connecting remote communities.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Big in Japan. At Tel Aviv’s “Big in Japan” conference Israeli and Japanese entrepreneurs and businesspeople looked beyond the coronavirus crisis and the potential for cooperation between Israel and Japan. Interestingly, shortly after, Japan’s Softbank appointed former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to head its Tel Aviv Office.
Managing ads for NBC. (TY JNS) NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, has selected Israeli ad provider Innovid (see here previously) to provide ad-management solutions for its presentation of the Tokyo Olympic Games. https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/15/nbc-chooses-israeli-ad-manager-innovid-for-production-of-tokyo-games/ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/07/13/2262043/0/en/NBC-Olympics-Selects-Ad-Management-Provider-For-Its-Production-of-Tokyo-Olympics.html
Book travel tickets around the world. Israel’s Bookaway is confident that travelers are ready to use its platform to search, compare and book bus, ferry and train tickets around the world. Investors must also be confident, as Bookaway has just raised $35 million in funding.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3913014,00.html https://www.bookaway.com/
Nas raises $11 million. Nas Academy, a Singapore-based platform founded and led by Israeli-Arab Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily (see here previously) has raised $11 million of funds to build tech tools. Nas Academy helps developers create their own academies. It offers courses on entrepreneurship, storytelling and editing.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/nuseir-yassin-nas-academy-11m-creators-tech-tools/
IntSights exits for $335 million. Israeli cybersecurity IntSights (see here previously) has just been acquired by Boston-based cybersecurity Rapid7 for $335 million. IntSights, founded by ex-IDF intelligence officers, alerts external cyber threats by monitoring the dark web, among other measures. Rapid7’s R&D will remain in Israel.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-cybersecurity-firm-intsights-to-be-acquired-for-335-million/
Investment in Israeli startups: Kaltura raised $150 million (IPO); UVeye raised $60 million; Tailor Brands raised $50 million; Bookaway raised $35 million; Sweetch raised $20 million; Lightico raised $14 million; Jones agency raised $12.5 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Israeli opera season. The New Israeli Opera has announced its 2021-2022 season, with eight new operas at the Tel Aviv Opera House. They include The Magic Flute (Nov), Eugene Onegin (Dec/Jan) and La Traviata (Jan/Feb). https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-opera-announces-its-2021-2022-season/
Israel to host Miss Universe 2021. (TY WIN) Israel is to host the 70 Miss Universe competition in December in Eilat. The 3-hour event will be broadcast live in the US and viewed in 180 countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aRFpq1Z858
Israeli TV series. Netflix has purchased nine episodes of the new Israeli suspense series “Hit and Run”. It is Netflix's first brand new Israeli series, having previously only hosted proven hits. Meanwhile Israel’s hit series Fauda has been dubbed into Farsi by London based Manoto TV, which reaches 30% of households in Iran.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310316
Record Skydive. Twelve Israelis accomplished an exhilarating feat, plummeting at some 270km per hour to soar past Israel’s previous skydiving record of ten linked people. An Israeli was also a member of the 164-person linked skydivers world record in 2015. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310231 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzTr2nejN7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CogIXrea6A4
Israel’s Tour de France. Israel Startup Nation finished in the top 10 on nine stages and the top five on three occasions in this year’s Tour de France cycle race. One team member, Canadian Michael Woods took the King of the Mountains jersey on stage 14. And team member, Andre Greipel came fifth in the final stage.
Euro softball medals. Israeli softball teams won medals at the European Championships held in the Czech Republic. The under-16 boys' team finished as the European runners-up with the silver medal and the under-18 youth team made the podium with the bronze medal.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310187
5 Golds for Linoy. Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram won five gold medals at the latest Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix in Tel Aviv. Ashram won the ball, hoop, clubs, ribbon and all-around contests at the international competition. The Israeli team also picked up two gold medals - in the ball and all-around contests
THE JEWISH STATE
Underneath the Temple. (TY JNS) Although the Jerusalem Temples have long been destroyed, some 49 underground cisterns and 42 channels beneath Temple Mount still exist. A new book by journalist and Temple Mount researcher Arnon Segal, “Habayit” (“The Home”), provides a near “virtual” visit to the cisterns.
Huge increase in Aliya from France. Israel has seen a 137% jump in the number of new immigrants from France so far during 2021 compared to the same period last year. 160 new French immigrants to Israel arrived on a special flight from Paris. They included doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and 42 under-18s.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310323
The IDF’s first Haredi Negev Commander. First Lieutenant Shmuel Kirsch has been promoted to Company Commander in the Negev Battalion at the Nevatim Air Force Base. Kirsch is a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement and the first Haredi commander of the Negev Company.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310312
Israelis mark centenary of Hannah Szenes. On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hannah Szenes, eight IDF paratroopers joined a multinational re-enactment of Hannah’s parachute jump into Slovenia during WW2. Ceremonies were also held on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl and the Hannah Szenes Museum in Kibbutz Sdot Yam.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310246
Wrong address – neighbors help out. United Hatzalah EMT Yaeir was desperately trying to locate a woman whose son had requested emergency help but had given an incomplete address. Thankfully, local residents spotted Yaeir running up and down stairs and within 10 minutes he was administering life-saving treatment.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310306
From sadness to love. (TY Sharon) Within the space of six days, the Jewish calendar moves from the saddest day (9th Av – Tisha B’Av) to the most romantic day (15th Av – Tu b’Av) which this year coincided with Shabbat and 15 years to the day that Sharon made Aliya to the “Real Jerusalem Streets”. http://rjstreets.com/
210718
In the 18th Jul 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli tech restores the sense of touch and helps the blind to “see”.
· Celebrating Israel’s first deaf MK and its first visually impaired doctor.
· Israel’s second moonshot project gets huge funding boost.
· Israeli scientists have made another breakthrough in nano-optics.
· Israeli technology to pollinate a million Australian tomato plants.
· Three archaeological discoveries cement the Jewish link to the Land of Israel.
· President Herzog is inaugurated.
· Click here to see the 11th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (18,850+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Restoring touch sense to damaged nerves. (TY UWI) Tel Aviv University researchers have developed the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) sensor that can be implanted in the body, e.g., under the tip of a severed finger. It connects to another nerve that functions properly and restores tactile sensation to the injured nerve.
https://en-engineering.tau.ac.il/Engineering-Faculty-Dr-Ben-Maoz-Restoring-Tactile-Sensation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoE-w6I7AE https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.0c10141
Blind man can see with sound. (TY UWI & JNS) Israeli neuroscientists have trained a 50-year-old man, blind from birth, to recognize objects using Israel’s EyeMusic (see here previously). The system uses sensory substitution that EyeMusic’s Professor Amir Amedi researched at the Hebrew University (see here previously).
https://www.israel21c.org/blind-mans-brain-learns-to-see-through-his-ears/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921003062?via%3Dihub
Keep your feet. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Votis Subdermal Imaging Technologies develops devices to diagnose Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) affecting 200+ million people globally. The condition affects mainly diabetics and can lead to Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) with the subsequent need to amputate the feet.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/votis-subdermal-imaging-technologies-raises-us2-5-million-301302733.html https://www.votis.net/
Portable ultrasound heads to space. Israel’s UltraSight (see here previously) is starting clinical trials of its portable ultrasound device in the US and Israel. It will also be tested by Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe as part of the Israel Space Agency’s upcoming Rakia mission on the International Space Station.
https://www.israel21c.org/putting-ultrasound-in-the-hands-of-all-doctors/
Repairing the heart. Israel’s Cardiac Success is developing a transcatheter ventricular repair device for heart failure patients. The “V-sling” system aims to transform invasive open-heart surgery on patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) into a safe and effective minimally invasive transcatheter procedure.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911698,00.html https://www.cardiacsuccess.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze_cQPAkIMo
Know your Health Plan member. Israel’s Medorion uses behavioral intelligence software to provide health insurers with an in-depth understanding of their plan members. It helps the companies retain customers by addressing members’ needs, improving medical conditions and helping members balance health against cost.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911926,00.html https://medorion.com/
Covid vaccine boosters. Israel’s Health Ministry has authorized Israel’s healthcare providers to give a third anti-Covid-19 vaccination to adults with impaired immune systems. Israel is the first country to provide boosters to patients who do not develop sufficient antibody response after two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-world-first-covid-boosters-rolled-out-for-some-at-risk-israelis/
Israel’s Covid vaccine. The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) (see here previously) has signed an agreement with Israeli-founded NRx Pharmaceuticals. NRx will complete Phase 2 / 3 trials and commercialize IIBR’s “BriLife” COVID vaccine. Clinical trials will be completed in the Ukraine, Georgia and Israel.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309717
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-nrx-to-commercialize-israels-covid-19-vaccine-1001377983
Solving healthcare challenges. The PlayBeyondBio initiative has selected nine Israeli startups for its program for companies developing solutions for future challenges to healthcare systems. C2i Genomics, Nucleai, Itamar medical, Medial Earlysign, iBex, Octopus.health, Imagene, iCardio.ai and Cordio Medical.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912456,00.html
Saving children during epidemic. (TY WIN) Israeli NGO ‘Save a Child’s Heart’ (SACH) has been saving hundreds of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRAxjlgZ8ZA
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Deaf MK’s unites Knesset. Shirly Pinto, Israel's first deaf Member of Knesset, delivered a speech entirely in sign language from the Knesset plenum. At the end of her address, the entire Knesset stood up and applauded, both by clapping and in sign-language. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “You are an inspiration to us all.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309729
The doctor will see you now. Keren Amiel has congenital nystagmus, which causes her eyes to “dance” uncontrollably. As one of this year’s 241 Technion medical graduates, she is Israel’s first visually impaired doctor and has started residency in child and adolescent psychiatry at Schneider Children’s Medical Center.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2021/07/keren-amiel-md-technion-visually-impaired/
Israeli Druze is coronavirus tzar. (TY Hazel) Druze epidemiologist Professor Salman Zarka is Israel’s new coronavirus commissioner. Previously Director-general of Ziv Medical Centre in Safed and IDF colonel, he established and commanded the IDF field hospital in the Golan to treat Syrians wounded in their civil war.
No disposables on Ashdod beach. Ashdod city council has banned disposable products and bags from being brought onto its beaches. It is a continuation of Ashdod’s “green” vision, which includes being the first Israeli city, four years ago, to replace disposables with reusable dishes at schools, afternoon programs and daycares.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309488
Above and beyond for the greater good. Israeli NGO Together&Beyond equips Jewish and Arab young adults with social entrepreneurial and professional tools. Its founder Ditsa Keren, also co-founded FoodChain with a Palestinian Arab partner, connecting businesses with surplus food to charities that are in need of food.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912352,00.html
Rehabilitating primates. (TY Stuart) The non-profit Israeli Primate Sanctuary Foundation (IPSF) is a refuge for 850 primates rescued or retired from biomedical research, petting zoos and the exotic pet trade. Thousands more have been rescued over the years and given a second chance to live as monkeys amongst monkeys.
https://www.ipsf.org.il/en/ https://haifadiarist.blogspot.com/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eaqiE18QH-GHYDcg43hVuGUC2g_nmhoQ/view
International drones. (TY JNS) The Israeli Air Force hosted an international drone exercise for the first time. Aviation teams from the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and France have joined the IAF for the drill, which will run for two weeks and see drones fly primarily over the Palmachim airbase in central Israel.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/14/in-first-iaf-hosts-international-drone-exercise/
First agriculture agreements with UAE. Israel has signed its first cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates in the field of agriculture. It covers research and innovation, including development of produce suitable for growing in desert conditions, as well as other advancements in water management and irrigation.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-signs-first-agricultural-agreements-with-the-uae/
UAE embassy in Israel. The United Arab Emirates physically opened its embassy in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building in June (see here previously). Now, at the official opening, UAE Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja said it would provide a model for new narrative and approach for conflict resolution in the Middle East.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/just-the-beginning-uae-opens-tel-aviv-embassy-as-sides-hail-ties/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309840
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-eCuQHUQxo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4KUBCPXpxk
Miami mayor thanks IDF team. (TY WIN) The IDF search-and-rescue team that traveled to Miami last month in the wake of the recent disaster was praised effusively before flying home over the weekend. Miami Dade County’s Mayor presented them with medals, saying they “would never ever forget what you have done”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odZgZmdSkq0
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Beresheet 2 gets funding. (TY WIN) Israel’s SpaceIL has raised $70 million from investors for Beresheet 2 - its second mission to the lunar surface, to launch in 2024. It is the first ever lunar mission attempting to land two small crafts detaching from a mothership. One aims to be only the second craft to land on the far side.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-spaceil-shoots-for-the-moon-for-second-time-raises-70-million/
Florida-Israel Space Prizes. (TY JNS) There were 4 winners of the 2021 Space Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Program. They include an antenna for satellites (MTI); nanoparticle materials to cool down objects using sunlight; recycling plastic into radiation protection vests; and thermal imaging for microsatellites.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912254,00.html https://www.mtiwe.com/
Sustainable development. Israel’s Doral Energy (see here previously) is partnering Israel’s Technion Institute in green projects. They include the areas of renewable energy, energy storage, integration of agriculture and solar energy, hydrogen production, carbon capture, waste treatment, water, and environmental infrastructure.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2021/06/technion-dorel-mou-energy/
Green walls to cool buildings. In the first study of its kind, researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have shown that covering the facades of buildings with plants can reduce temperatures indoors by several degrees in the summer and increase them in winter. The process is called evapotranspiration, which also purifies the air.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/plant-covered-walls-can-tame-summer-heat-israeli-study-finds/
Breakthrough water technology. Israel’s BlueGreen Water Technologies (see here previously) has been named the Global Water Awards “2021 Breakthrough Technology Company of the Year” by Global Water Intelligence (GWI). BlueGreen has transformed cyanobacteria (toxic blue-green algae blooms) treatment.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309758
An intelligent water filter. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Netafim, the world’s pioneer and leading drip irrigation specialist, has launched its AlphaDisc filter to protect irrigation systems against clogging caused by organic contaminants. Its remote sensing system and algorithms also provide farmers with online data and insights.
https://www.netafim.com/en/products-and-solutions/product-offering/filters/disc-filters-alphadisc/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKMrHtdKA3I
Better optics – just add water. Technion scientists have made a breakthrough discovery in the manufacture of nano-sized precise optical components (e.g., medical imaging). If the component is placed in liquid (water plus glycerol), light slows down, and the component needs to be much larger. It can even be printed on a 3D printer.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2021/06/advanced-optics-science-industry/
Smarter traffic lights. Israel’s ITC – Intelligent Traffic Control (see here previously) has now successfully tested its smart traffic light technology in Israel and overseas. In this article, the two Ben Gurion University graduate founders tell their story. The system saves time, fuel, emissions and accidents.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912225,00.html https://www.itc-israel.co.il/
Training ex-IDF into hi-tech workers. Israeli non-profit Scale-Up Velocity has launched its Cyber4s program for Israelis finishing IDF combat service. It trains them for a smooth and speedy transition into employment in the hi-tech sector. Its second group of 40 students will graduate mid-July.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911495,00.html
Hi-tech in the kindergarten. Israel’s next school year will include a new government program that will include computer science, robotics and other fields of study to equip students for future employment in hi-tech. It will launch in middle-schools and will be integrated into elementary schools and eventually in kindergartens.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-to-promote-hi-tech-studies-in-kindergartens/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Another record quarter. Investment in Israeli high-tech companies in the 3 months from Apr to Jun 2021 surged to a record $6.52 billion - triple the amount raised in the same quarter the previous year.
Land of the Unicorns. (TY UWI & I24) Israel has more billion-dollar private companies per capita than any other country. Great video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz_M201g3yg
Expo 2020. (TY WIN & I24 News) Due to Covid, Expo 2020 in Dubai is now to take place from Oct 2021 to Mar 2022 and Israel will be a key exhibitor. Ohad Cohen, head of Israel’s Foreign Trade Administration, discusses Israel’s Expo plans and exports success. Israeli 2021 exports are heading for a $120 billion+ record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii0Sh9G8G34&t=19s
Birds of a feather. Israeli startup Aerodrome, which develops unmanned aerial systems for the defense sector, is paying some NIS 15 million for Israel’s FlyTech, which develops drone solutions for the civilian market. The acquisition will help Aerodrome’s plans to expand into the US civilian UAV sector.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912144,00.html https://www.flytechil.com/
https://www.aerodrome-ops.com/home/ https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/company_page/flytech-il
No address, no credit card, no problem. Israeli-Arab startup Haat Delivery in Um Al Fahim delivers food to areas with infrastructure issues, like cities with no addresses, or people with no credit cards and who only pay cash. It delivers 70,000 orders a month to 30 Israeli cities and plans to expand to Africa and South America.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912161,00.html https://www.haat.delivery/
GoTo goes to Madrid. Israel’s GoTo Global (formerly Car2Go) has now deployed its shared cars, motorbikes, bicycles, e-bikes, and electric scooters to the Spanish city of Madrid. GoTo has the largest shared multimodal fleet in Madrid, with over 1,300 vehicles which can be rented by the minute. They include parking places.
Coca-Cola and no-cow milk. The Central Bottling Company, also known as Coca-Cola Israel, has signed a strategic agreement with Israeli startup Biomilk (see here previously) to invest and collaborate with the firm to develop products based on its cultured milk technology.
Pollinating Australian tomatoes. The Costa Group, Australia’s leading grower of hydroponic glasshouse tomatoes, is to deploy the pollination robots of Israel’s Arugga (see here previously). At peak production, Costa’s 300,000+ square meters of glasshouses in Guyra, New South Wales, contain over one million plants.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912229,00.html
Chorus.ai exits for $575 million. Business intelligence company ZoomInfo is acquiring Israel’s Chorus.ai (see here previously) for $575 million. Chorus.ai has developed an AI-based system to analyze sales calls. ZoomInfo has about 1,800 employees in the U.S., while its R&D center with 300 employees is located in Israel.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912362,00.html
Israeli investment for Mnuchin. Liberty Strategic Capital, headed by former US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (see here previously) has made its first investment. Its funding of Israel’s Cybereason (see here previously), plus funds from elsewhere, triples the value of Cybereason to $3 billion.
Investment in Israeli startups: Cybereason raised $275 million; Aidoc raised $66 million; NoTraffic raised $17.5 million; IVIX raised $13 million; Shopic raised $10 million; Venn raised $10 million; FeelIt raised $7 million; BioMilk raised $2 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Summer in Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) So many events - Design Week, President Herzog’s inauguration, Teddy Park fountain and lights, ice-skating, Beer festival, Wine festival, Street Ball festival, Outline festival, Food trucks, Summer in the neighborhood, concerts, camping in the parks, Silchot tours, Snow Kingdome and more!
http://rjstreets.com/2021/07/11/jerusalem-15-happenings-for-bright-summer/
https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/events-and-culture/events-in-jerusalem/?cat=summer#eventsSearchForm
Chelsea expands inclusive soccer program. The Chelsea Foundation has launched a new partnership with the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and the Israeli Football Association (IFA) to help expand the “Playing Fair, Leading Peace” sports program to reach more than 1,000 Jewish and Arab children in Israel.
Teaching basketball to Israeli kids. Every year former pro basketball player and the “Jewish Jordan” Tamir Goodman runs a basketball camp for Israeli children. This year, the camp was privileged to have NBA Hall of Famer and retired basketball legend Rick Barry come coach the kids. He also heralded Israel’s innovations.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-nba-hall-of-famer-teaches-israeli-kids-the-art-of-basketball/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1bdW0tiL84
Ironman comes to Israel. The famous grueling triathlon contest Ironman 70.3 will take place for the first time in Israel on 12th Nov. 1,000 athletes from 17 countries signed up for the event within an hour of registration going live. It involves a 1.2-mile swim of the Kinneret, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.
https://www.israel21c.org/in-first-ironman-contest-will-come-to-israel-in-november/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCZJ0rqRsM8
THE JEWISH STATE
3,000-year-old Biblical inscription. (TY UWI) A 1,100 BCE inscription has been recovered from excavations in Israel at Khirbat er-Ra‘i, near Qiryat Gat. It bears the name ‘Jerubbaal’ in alphabetic script, which is recorded in the Book of Judges as an alternative name for the judge Gideon ben Yoash who led the Israelites at that time.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309675
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAGwf5S0cnI (For English subtitles, turn on captions and auto-translate)
The Eastern wall of Jerusalem. Just in time for Tisha B’Av – the 9th Av mourning for the destruction of both Temples. 30 meters of the Jerusalem wall (1st Temple period 1000 BCE) has been exposed during excavations in the City of David National Park. The wall is on a slope too steep for the Babylonians to destroy in 586 BCE.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/14/found-missing-section-of-wall-that-defended-jerusalem-until-the-babylonian-conquest/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309836
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Wqhf_8itA
Jewish revolt coins found in Samaria. (TY UWI) A coin unearthed in the Binyamin region of Samaria shows that Jews continued to live in the area decades after the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple. The coin, minted around 134-135 CE, bears the inscription LeHerut Yerushalayim (for the freedom of Jerusalem).
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/13/ancient-coins-could-upend-theories-about-what-followed-the-roman-sack-of-jerusalem/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/2000-year-old-coins-hailing-freedom-of-zion-jerusalem-uncovered-in-west-bank/
The nation state of the Jewish People. In a landmark ruling, Isael’s Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the Knesset in passing the nation-state law. As one judge wrote, its recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish People, “does not hurt the individual rights of any Israeli citizen,” regardless of faith or ethnicity.
President Herzog the 2nd. Isaac Herzog is the 11th President of Israel, replacing Reuven Rivlin. The President was sworn in on the same Bible used to swear in his father Chaim, Israel’s 6th president. His grandfather (later Israel’s Chief Rabbi) Yitzhak Halevi Herzog took it to Europe after the Shoah to rescue hidden Jewish children.
https://video.i24news.tv/details/_6262740135001?lang=en
210711
In the 11th Jul 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli breakthroughs in transplantation and medical device technology.
· Israel provides running water to Tanzanians and Native Americans.
· Israel’s Technion is Europe’s top institute for Artificial Intelligence.
· Israel has begun producing pure water from the Jordan River.
· A face-recognition tech startup is Israel’s latest $1 billion company.
· Israelis won medals at informatics and acrobatics.
· Stunning discoveries revealed during excavations in Jerusalem.
· Click here to see the 4th July newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, IsraPundit, San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (18,800+ news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Transplant breakthrough. (TY UWI) Researchers at Israel’s Beilinson Hospital have discovered how animal organs can be used in human transplant surgery. The main reason for rejection is the foreign blood vessels that need to be connected to the human body. Coating them with human placenta cells makes a “friendly” interface.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8-8z-X3Ck
Electrifying the human body. A Tel Aviv University-led international team including Weizmann Institute researchers have developed a nano-film that can generate electricity from any body movement. The non-toxic material could power tiny pacemakers with no need for batteries. It could also power non-medical devices.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-nanotech-may-use-bodys-energy-to-generate-power-for-pacemakers-and-more/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22895-6
Safer keyhole hysterectomies. Laparoscopic (keyhole) removal of the uterus risks spreading possibly cancerous tissue, to other parts of the body. But the LapBox system from Israel’s Ark Surgical ensures secure organ retrieval.
https://ark-surgical.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxS5hzcA2GI
Not to be sniffed at. Israel’s NanoVation (see here previously) has been awarded a 5 million Euro grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) on top of the 2.5 million Euro grant it received last year from Europe’s Horizon 2020 program. It will accelerate the development of NanoVation’s high accuracy respiratory monitor.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911736,00.html
Affordable US healthcare. (TY UWI) Israel’s TailorMed (see here previously) helps financially at-risk patients access resources in the US such as co-pay assistance, replacement medicine programs, government subsidies, community funds, state or disease-specific foundations, and programs that help with living expenses.
https://www.israel21c.org/an-israeli-technology-helping-americans-afford-healthcare/ https://tailormed.co/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDrEsgpNynU
Israel exchanges vaccines with South Korea. South Korea welcomed from Israel 700,000 of the coronavirus vaccines that the Palestinian Authority rejected. Israel will now receive additional Pfizer vaccines later in the year, possibly to use as immunity boosters for vulnerable citizens. Meanwhile serious infections are still low.
https://worldisraelnews.com/pfizer-vaccine-stems-tide-on-hospitalization-as-delta-variant-surges/
https://www.jns.org/israel-and-south-korea-sign-vaccine-pact/
Program to address mental health. A poignant article about the founding of the Israeli branch of the organization Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). The first running of MHFA’s Israel Youth Course provided 17 participants with the skills to become certified mental-health first-responders and help teens in crisis.
https://www.jns.org/loss-becomes-life-saver-new-program-in-israel-addresses-mental-health-head-on/
Monitoring care for the vulnerable. A detailed review of Israel’s Sensi.ai (see here previously) – the AI monitor that aims to protect the elderly from inappropriate, negligent care or abuse.
https://www.israel21c.org/an-ai-monitor-that-aims-to-take-care-of-our-elderly-relatives/
Better connected care. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s BioT has developed a cloud-based platform for medical device manufacturers, that instantly connects patients with caregivers to ensure a seamless continuum of care. Secure, private, promotes patient adherence, compliant with international regulations and allows customization.
https://www.biot-med.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENx-FTa2ubc
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Magnificent seven. (TY JNS) A record seven women completed the latest Israeli Border Police’s officer-training course. Two were cited for outstanding performance, including Inspector Maayan Sadeh, who said: “I’m more than proud to be serving in a corps whose values are based on equality of opportunity.
A simple tip that could save your child. No need for hi-tech solutions. United Hatzalah’s Eli Beer gives summer safety advice for parents who drive an automatic, to remember not to leave their child in a hot car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf3AQihHci8
First Moroccan Air Force plane lands in Israel. (TY UWI) In preparation for an international drill set to take place in Israel, a Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130 arrived at the Israeli Air Force’s Hatzor base. This was the first time an air force plane belonging to the Northern African country landed in the Jewish state.
Water from the air to the Navaho Nation. Israel’s Watergen (see here previously) has installed a GEN-M water from the air generator in the Hard Rock community of the Navajo Nation. The pilot project, when extended, will help many of the 10,000 families across Navajo Nation who lack access to running water.
Turning on the tap in a Tanzanian village. Watch the celebrations as over 3,200 residents of Majengo Tanzania have clean running water for the first time, thanks to Israeli NGO Innovation: Africa.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-tanzanians-celebrate-clean-drinking-water-from-israeli-ngo/
Cows for Rwanda. The Israeli Embassy has donated 20 cows to vulnerable households in Rwanda’s Gisagara District. Gisagara’s Mayor thanked Israel, saying “90% of Gisagara’s population are farmers and cows are vital in the development of the sector.” Israel previously donated 22 cows in Rawanda’s Nyamasheke District.
https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/israel-donates-cows-gisagara-residents#
Fire-fighting aid to Cyprus. (TY UWI) A joint Israeli Air Force and Fire and Rescue Services delegation has been sent to fight the worst forest fire in Cyprus’ history. It includes several Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, as well as two firefighting Air Tractor aircrafts of the Elad Aerial rescue unit.
Supporting Philippines’ vaccination program. An Israeli Ministry of Health medical team flew to the Philippines to support the country’s Anti-Covid Response and Vaccination Program. They helped fine-tune the vaccination rollout based on Israel’s successful experience and shared Israel’s best practices fighting Covid-19.
https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-fly-to-philippines-to-aid-vaccination-campaign/
Coronavirus aid to Nepal. Israel has sent to Nepal respirators, oxygen generators and advanced protective equipment. Its donors included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IsraAid organization, the Sheba Medical Center and the Israel-Nepal Chamber of Commerce.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309467
Israel offers help to Lebanon. Amidst Lebanon’s economic crisis, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz declared that Israel is prepared to offer financial assistance to its northern neighbor. “As an Israeli, as a Jew and as a human being, my heart aches seeing the images of people going hungry on the streets of Lebanon”.
https://worldisraelnews.com/gantz-says-israel-prepared-to-aid-lebanon-amidst-economic-crisis/
Leaders of Tomorrow. As announced in March (see here previously) several young Emiratis, Bahrainis and Moroccans came to Israel on a weeklong “Leaders of Tomorrow mission to Israel”. They saw the hi-tech innovation ecosystem, diversity and integration, Israeli art, culture, history food, religious centers and more.
Israel’s aid work in Miami. Israel’s Defense Ministry extended by a week the IDF’s Home Front Command mission helping rescue efforts at the Champlain Towers South apartment complex in Surfside Miami. Their presence has been a major comfort to the families of the victims. The IDF’s 3D-models also helped rescuers.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/idf-miami-mission-extended-for-another-week-672994
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Europe’s Top AI Institute. CSRankings, the leading metrics-based ranking of top computer science institutions around the world, has ranked the Technion in first place in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Europe, and 15th worldwide. In the subfield of machine learning, the Technion is ranked 11th worldwide.
https://www.jns.org/technion-ranked-no-1-in-europe-in-field-of-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3912007,00.html
The seal of approval. (TY Nicky) Israel’s Plastopil based on Kibbutz Hazorea has been manufacturing 100% recyclable thin, flexible packaging for the chilled food industry since 1960. It now has a presence in more than 20 countries. https://www.plastopil.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvXlMjyGQ7w
Sealed and delivered. Another Israeli startup Yoran Imaging uses military thermal imaging technology and Artificial Intelligence to ensure products are packaged flawlessly. It is used by Nestle, PepsiCo and soon Colgate. Yoran has also received a $1 million grant from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 initiative.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911925,00.html https://www.yoran-imaging.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvbL5nhs6KE
Smart city parking. Israel’s Wisesight uses AI to help parking system subscribers avoid fines for not activating their payment service. It also helps cities reduce traffic jams, remove parking meters and optimize parking spots. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911739,00.html http://wise-sight.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u-3_CfUc3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9xHMAKy9Qo
Israel’s first facility to treat brackish water. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s IDE Water Technologies has launched the Afikey Maim reclamation plant – a first of its kind brackish/surface water reverse osmosis (BWRO) plant in Israel. It will transform 2 million cubic meters a year of polluted water from the southern Jordan River.
Secret Prize-winners. (TY JNS) The Jewish state's highest security prize - the Israel Defense Prize – has been awarded to 4 projects involving Mossad, Israel Security Agency, IDF Unit 8200 and C4I Corps, National Cyber Division, Military Intelligence Directorate & Unit 81, MAFAT, the IAF, Rafael and IAI. But keep it quiet!
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/06/4-classified-projects-awarded-israel-defense-prize/
How Israel handles digital threats. (TY I24 News) Interesting video describing some of the measures that Israeli cybersecurity companies are employing to protect companies against ransomware attacks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fmniO84puM
Safe treatment of medical waste. Israel’s Maabarot Metal Works has developed the Envomed 80 - a machine that reduces medical waste into a safe environmentally friendly product that is disposable alongside municipal waste. It can treat up to 250kg of infectious hospital waste in 20 minutes, without having to send it off-site.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-remedy-for-the-growing-epidemic-of-medical-waste/ https://envomed.com/
https://envomed.com/category/evenements/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q07yqKWPBU
A doctor’s life saved. The motorcycle safety technology from Israel’s Ride Vision (see here previously) definitely saved the life of Israeli doctor Eyal Nachmias. Available in Israel and Italy, it and can be fitted in less than an hour., Ride Vision is working with global partners to embed the system in new bikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcognTuUw2s
The right color. Team ARe-Paint from Ben Gurion University won the "Tambour" challenge at the recent HackIDC event at the IDC in Herzliya. Their Augmented Reality (AR) app matches surface colors to the pallet color on a catalog and then projects that color onto to any wall or surface to match the shade to furniture etc.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/firstprize_IDC.aspx
Informatics Olympiad medals. All 4 members of the Israeli team won medals (two silver and two bronze) at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) held virtually in Singapore. The 351 students from 88 countries had to solve complex tasks using codes and algorithms in under five hours.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
On the road to recovery. A key sign that Israel has turned an economic corner is June’s all-time record month of 30,000 new car deliveries. 183,000 cars were delivered in the first six months of 2021 – almost equal to all of 2020. The world-wide shortage of microchips for new cars prevented even more cars being delivered.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-car-deliveries-in-israel-reach-all-time-high-1001376929
Tel Aviv is booming. The Tel Aviv Innovation Ecosystem Report 2020 shows that the Israeli tech scene, and specifically Tel Aviv, is thriving. Tel Aviv is home to 20 unicorn companies – 14 having reached a valuation of over $1 billion in 2020 alone. 2020 investment in Tel Aviv tech companies increased 34% from 2019.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/tel-aviv-thrives-as-magnet-for-tech-investors-multinationals/
Don’t get left behind. When Israel’s IronSource went public last week, it generated 230 new Israeli millionaires and they will change Israeli society. The opportunities are out there – Israel still has more than 13,000 hi-tech job vacancies. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911652,00.html
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911676,00.html
Encouraging Israeli fintech. Israel has introduced two bills to encourage Israeli fintech (financial technology) companies to operate in Israel as well as overseas. Removing regulatory barriers for their Israeli activities Israel and tripling the amount of credit that they can offer to their customers. See example, Israel’s Sunbit in 3rd link.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-strives-for-smart-regulation-to-help-boost-post-covid-economy/
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911741,00.html
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911648,00.html
Motorsport technology for Porche. (TY Hazel) Porsche Ventures, has invested in Israeli motorsport technology startup Griiip (see here previously). Griiip has developed a cloud-based data platform called RAMP (Racing Media Platform) that enables the transmission of motorsport data directly from the racing car.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/porsche-israeli-motorsport-tech-startup-griiip/
AnyVision is another Unicorn. Israel’s AnyVision (see here previously) makes face recognition technology. It has just raised $235 million to speed up growth and development of its software. It is one of the largest visual intelligence funding rounds, giving AnyVision a market value of over $1 billion and the status of a Unicorn.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/facial-recognition-firm-anyvision-raises-235-million-from-investors/
Investment in Israeli startups: AnyVision raised $235 million; Outbrain raised $200 million; Orca Security raised $150 million; Aleph Farms raised $105 million; Silk Technologies raised $55 million; CoreTigo raised $13 million; NanoLock Security raised $11 million; BioT raised $6.5 million; Medorion raised $6 million; Cardiac Success raised $5.2 million; Wisesight raised $4 million; Votis raised $2.5 million; Bllink raised $1.6 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Nanoscience and Art Museum. Who says science and art don’t mix? The new Fetter Museum of Nanoscience and Art at Bar-Ilan University’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA) shows what happens when scientists and artists put their talents together.
https://www.jns.org/israel-opens-dazzling-new-nanoscience-and-art-museum/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQCf-09frw
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. (TY Margaret) These beautiful free videos from Jerusalem’s Botanical Gardens include “Autumn in the Eastern Mediterranean” and “A virtual tour of the JBG” by Dr Ori Fragman-Sapir, plus “Saving rare and endangered species” by Omri Bachrach. Donate or become a Friend of the JBG.
https://vimeo.com/491733894 https://vimeo.com/510409150 https://vimeo.com/521588262
https://www.botanic.co.il/ https://www.botanic.co.il/en/friends/ https://www.friendsjbg.org/
Viral sheep. Israeli photographer Lior Patel's drone footage of sheep has been viewed more than 100,000 times. It even caught the attention of the BBC. The second link connects to one copy of the Facebook video.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/flock-of-sheep-captivates-in-beautiful-israeli-time-lapse-video/
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=355135256036023&id=114315533451331
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-57690125
New Israeli stamps. (TY Jacob Richman) The latest beautiful Israeli postage stamps feature Tu B’Av (Jewish festival of love), Olympic Games, Israel Police Orchestra Centennial, Manufacturers' Association of Israel Centennial, plus labels depicting the Police marine rescue service and a Police bomb disposal expert.
https://jr.co.il/stamps/index-2021.html
Acrobatics gold. The Israeli team won gold at the World Acrobatics Championships in Geneva. Michal Stratievsky, Yarden Ron and Tamar Stoller received a score of 28.450 points, beating out trios from Russian and Portugal to take first place. The Israeli athletes are all between the ages of 13 and 20 years old.
THE JEWISH STATE
From Colombian TV star to orthodox Israeli Jew. After 25 years as a TV host, actress and model, Sarah Mintz (born Maritza Rodríguez) married Mexican TV producer Joshua Mintz, in 2005. In April 2021, they relocated to Jerusalem with their twin boys, after Sarah’s orthodox conversion.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-colombian-telenovela-star-now-an-orthodox-jew-in-israel/
Buying a piece of the rock. Jews moving to Israel and seriously considering it are currently rushing to purchase property in Israel. Realtors say that the market has gone crazy. Nefesh B’Nefesh, who have just launched a new institute for Aliya, say that applications to make Aliya are up more than double from 2019.
https://www.jns.org/owning-a-piece-of-the-rock-post-covid-westerners-snap-up-israeli-property/
https://www.jns.org/nefesh-bnefesh-launches-new-institute-for-aliyah-and-strategy/
Special issue coin to thank Healthcare workers. The Bank of Israel is to issue a special edition of a 5 NIS coin designed specifically as a token of appreciation to Israeli medical staff. It is in gratitude for contributing and fighting for the lives of the public during the corona crisis and features a medical worker treating a patient.
Visit a 2nd Temple Jerusalem building. The public will soon be able to view impressive new sections of one of one of the most magnificent public buildings uncovered in Jerusalem from the Second Temple period. It will form part of the tour of archaeological excavations recently conducted in the Western Wall Tunnels.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309480
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRFE-GfDzpY
Did King Solomon collect sharks’ teeth? Archaeologists have uncovered a mysterious stash of 29 fossilized shark teeth at a 2,900-year-old site in Jerusalem’s City of David. The excavated house is called “Rock Cut Pool,” and dates to the time of King Solomon. The teeth have been dated to be around 80 million years old.
4th July in Jerusalem. Israelis and Americans celebrated the 245th American Independence Day at the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The speeches emphasized America’s Biblical foundations as well as Israel’s and USA’s shared values. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsDEFWfTxmM https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309341
https://rjstreets.com/2021/07/04/what-do-you-think-of-on-july-4th-in-jerusalem/
210704
In the 4th Jul 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· An Israeli TB diagnosis patch could save up to 1.4 million lives a year.
· Israeli experts are helping rescuers in the Miami building collapse.
· Israeli scientists have developed a material two atoms thick.
· Two Israeli startups make record-breaking public launches.
· Israeli teenagers win gold at European gymnastics competition.
· Israeli mother donates her kidney to save a Gaza boy.
· Click here to see the 27th Jun newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours (with another great intro), San Diego Jewish World, and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German here and (TY Stuart Pa) here. Also (TY Zachy) in Hebrew here and (TY Stuart Pa) here. Please pass on those links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also (TY Esty) please visit the https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
· Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
· Click here to keyword SEARCH almost any topic in the IsraelActive archives (18,757 news articles).
· If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Successful trials of TB diagnosis patch. (TY Hazel) Six years ago (see here previously) Technion scientists began developing a sensing plaster to detect tuberculosis biomarkers on the skin. Now, trials of the A-Patch, in India and South Africa, have showed high effectiveness. TB affects around one third of the world’s population.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-skin-sticker-that-can-diagnose-tuberculosis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLS5hvwxspo https://apatch.technion.ac.il/a-patch-project/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202100235
GPS therapy for inflammatory diseases. Professor Dan Peer of Tel Aviv University (see here previously) has extended the effectiveness of his nanoparticle therapies. He has taken the RNA technology used in coronavirus vaccines to target only the specific T-cells and genes responsible for inflammatory diseases.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-021-00928-x https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZvlC7i9PQk
The world’s smartest hospitals. (TY Atid-EDI) Newsweek's “The World's Best Smart Hospitals” ranked Sheba (Tel Hashomer) at 13, Sourasky (Ichilov) at 84, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem at 196 and Rabin (Beilinson) at 215. The criteria was robotic surgery, digital imaging, AI, telemedicine, and electronic medicine.
Personalized AI medication platform. Israel’s MDI Health Technologies (see here previously) has launched its end-to-end AI platform for personalized medication. Trials at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital showed that the platform presented up to 40% more life-saving patient insights than the clinical pharmacists had identified.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911335,00.html https://www.mdihealth.com/
AI powered ultrasonic heart imaging. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s DiA Imaging is partnering Canada’s Circle Cardiovascular Imaging (CCI). DiA’s AI Ultrasound imaging analysis systems will be integrated into CCI’s cardiovascular imaging equipment. https://www.dia-analysis.com/post/circle-cardiovascular-imaging-announces-partnership-with-dia-to-deliver-ai-based-imaging-solutions
Nine tests using home telemedicine device. (TY Hazel) The N9 portable home device from Israel’s Nonagon (previously MyHomeDoc reported here) now includes stethoscope (lung, heart etc. sounds); otoscope (ears); oximeter (pulse and oxygen) and thermometer. It also uses patient’s smartphone camera (throat & skin tests).
https://www.israel21c.org/new-telehealth-device-makes-home-visits-a-virtual-snap/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnlI0E6x4s
Rapid diagnosis of blood cancer. Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital is piloting the diagnosis of blood cancer using cutting-edge AI technology from Israel’s Sight Diagnostics (see here previously). Data and images from Sight’s OLO device, plus patient data can identify malignant lymphocytes and spot early hematological cancer.
https://nocamels.com/2021/07/shaare-zedek-pilots-ai-olo-sight-diagnostics/
Go with the gut. A great summary of the work that Weizmann scientists have been conducting on the microbiome (bacteria in the gut) that led to the founding of startup DayTwo. Diabetics can now have their gut microbiome analyzed and receive a personalized nutrition plan. (2016 video still relevant – 3 million views)
https://nocamels.com/2021/06/gut-israeli-research-microbiome-personalized-diets/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z03xkwFbw4 https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00665-20
Brain profiler to go into space. (TY UWI) Israel’s Montfort (see here previously) has launched a new version of its smartphone app, called “Brain Profiler” to diagnose psychosis, depression and anxiety. It will be sent to the International Space Station in 2022 to test and monitor Israel’s Eytan Stibbe and his fellow astronauts.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-smartphone-technology-to-diagnose-psychiatric-diseases/ https://mon4t.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PlTXt-OUiI
150 new ambucycles. United Hatzalah held a dedication ceremony for its new Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Ambucycle Unit. Dr Miriam donated 150 ambucycles (motorcycle ambulances), in the memory of Sheldon, to join the 1,000 existing vehicles used in their emergency paramedic work.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/miriam-adelson-donates-150-life-saving-ambucycles-to-united-hatzalah/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnQNTxj0n5M
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
18 years of donating food to the needy. Israeli food rescue organization Leket celebrates 18 years of taking food that would only go to waste and distributing it to those who need it. 18 years is represented by the letters Chai in Hebrew which means “Life”. Leket gives life to the poor of Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlH40QjNq0o https://www.leket.org/en/18-years-of-leket/
Summer camp for everyone. Camp Shalva offers eight weeks of life-changing experiences to over 300 children with disabilities every summer. They experience water sports, concerts, rollercoasters, and more. It also allows their families to receive invaluable respite. https://www.shalva.org/programs-therapies/
https://shalva.net/donation/camp.php?mc_cid=5fff4e4961&mc_eid=b130ca8242
Female doctor and paratrooper. Dr. Nofit Shmuel is only the second woman to serve as a combat doctor in the IDF and the first in the Paratroopers division. There's no such thing as 'limits,'" she says. "Limits are only in your head, and if you get rid of them there, you'll continue to move ahead without anything stopping you.”
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/06/23/a-red-beret-and-a-stethoscope/
Israel welcomes HMS Richmond. (TY Nevet) UK Royal Navy Frigate HMS Richmond has docked at Israel’s Haifa port. The brand-new ship is part of the fleet that the Royal Navy considers central to frontline operations, including disrupting the work of criminals, such as smugglers, pirates and traffickers.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-warship-visits-israel/?ct=t(Newsletter_2021-06)
Hi-tech and emotional support. The IDF’s Intelligence Division’s Unit 9900 has built a 3D model to map the building that collapsed in Miami to help locate victims. Tunneling experts from Israel’s SmartAID have also arrived. Meanwhile, Israel’s United Hatzalah is providing trauma support to families of those missing.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309028
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIT0oIoyQFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE3pD930w5o
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The world’s thinnest technology. (TY UWI) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have engineered the thinnest piece of technology - layers of Boron and Nitrogen just two atoms thick. Electricity causes the layers to slide and can be used to control advanced electronic devices. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6549/1462
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israeli-scientists-create-the-worlds-thinnest-tech-just-2-atoms-thick-672448 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foqzblD6pvo
Israel’s practical use of AR. This article focuses on some of the 50 Israeli startups that have been developing practical uses for AR - Augmented Reality. Applications include repairing a patient’s eye socket (see here); personal shopping (Mixed Place - see here) and Lumus (see here) who manufacture the AR glasses themselves.
Protect your pacemaker from hackers. Israel’s CyberMDX (see here previously) has finished its 18-month project to protect the systems at Michigan Medicine. It is now being deployed at the 26 hospitals of Michigan’s MetroHealth. CyberMDX now protects millions of medical devices and IoT devices around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YJKPYs5dkc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppqKsITm0WU
Hadera residents get deliveries by drone. Israel National Drone Network Initiative has entered its second phase (see here previously). Unmanned aircraft will fly across the skies of Hadera, delivering goods to the city’s residents. The project’s aim is eventually to relieve road congestion and deliver urgent supplies quickly.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hadera-residents-to-start-getting-delivery-by-drones-in-pilot-project/
A living port in Spain. A consortium including Israel’s ECOncrete (see here previously) has won European funding for a large-scale “Living Ports” project at the Port of Vigo, Galicia, Spain. ECOncrete will build a sea wall, support for the observation deck, and units for coastal stabilization and habitat creation.
https://www.israel21c.org/econcrete-to-build-environmentally-friendly-ports-on-spanish-coast/
Using defense tech for medical solutions. Israel’s Soroka Medical Center and Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary Elta have set up a joint innovation center to take defense technologies and convert them into new medical technologies. During the coronavirus pandemic, IAI built ventilators and patient monitors.
Cars that learn. Israel’s AutoBrains (formerly Cartica) is partnering vehicle products maker Continental to bring its “unsupervised learning” technology to market. AutoBrains develops Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that process signals from the car's environment and learn in a similar way to human drivers.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911405,00.html https://autobrains.ai/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
New economic pact with UAE. Israel and the UAE have signed an Agreement on Economic and Trade Cooperation. It covers free flow of goods and services, trade fairs, knowledge exchanges, delegations, standards and regulation, the private sector, R&D, agri-tech, and more. Mutual trade has now exceeded $675 million.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-lapid-signs-new-economic-pact-with-uae-1001376356
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/309038
El Al partners Etihad. The UAE’s Etihad Airlines and Israel’s El Al have launched a joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. El Al will sell tickets and offer frequent flier points to its members for the twice-weekly Etihad service between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv from July 18.
Cybersecurity for Dubai. Israel’s Rafael has established the Israeli Operational Technologies Cyber Consortium to provide cyber security for operational technologies in Dubai. Its aim is to protect critical infrastructure in the UAE and elsewhere in the Gulf, including desalination plants, power plants and seaports.
The UK chooses Israel’s Trophy. The UK Ministry of Defense has chosen the Trophy Active Protection System, from Israel’s Rafael to protect its Challenger 3 tanks from missile threats.
https://www.jns.org/uk-ministry-of-defense-chooses-trophy-protection-system-to-boost-its-defenses/
World’s first cultured meat-production plant. (TY JNS) Israel’s Future Meat (see here previously) has opened the world’s first industrial cultured meat facility in the city of Rehovot. It has the capability to produce 500 kilograms of slaughter-free meat products a day - equivalent to 5,000 hamburgers.
Holy peanut butter. Israeli anesthesiologist Dr. Jason Cohen sells 100% Israeli peanut butter. He founded the startup Holy Butter when he found that Israeli brands mainly use Chinese peanuts or peanut powder while Israel exports 70% of its very high-quality home-grown peanuts to Europe. He also sells 100% Israeli almond butter.
https://www.israel21c.org/an-israeli-doctors-prescription-for-premium-peanut-butter/ https://holybutter.com/en/
Big Deal! In one of the biggest deals ever between two Israeli companies, DevOps specialist JFrog has acquired VDoo and its automated product security platform for $300 million. It triples JFrog’s team of security experts (engineering, marketing, and sales) with employees located in Israel, Germany, Japan and North America.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911303,00.html
Zerto exits for $374 million. US multinational Hewlett Packard Enterprise is buying Israel’s Zerto for $374 million. Zerto’s products are used by 9,000 customers globally, providing them with disaster recovery, ransomware protection, and data and application cloud services.
The largest Israeli Nasdaq launch. Israel’s IronSource has begun trading on the US Nasdaq following its $11 billion SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) merger and the biggest public offering in Israel's history. IronSource will receive $2.15 billion to expand its platform for app developers. It is also making a profit!
The largest IPO by a cybersecurity firm. Shares of Israeli-founded cybersecurity firm SentinelOne have begun trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company raised $1.2 billion - the largest ever initial share offering by a cybersecurity firm. The IPO price gave the company a market valuation of nearly $9 billion.
The highest value private Israeli startup. Israel’s Gong (see here previously) is already a Unicorn, but its latest round of funding has raised its value to a huge $7.2 billion. It is the highest valuation ever achieved by an Israeli startup in a financing round. Gong has 2,000+ clients and is now expanding to Europe.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-gong-raises-250-million-at-72b-valuation-1001373264
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911291,00.html
Even larger seed. Back in April (see here previously), Israel’s Talon Cyber Security raised $26 million in what at that time was Israel’s largest ever initial funding of a startup. Now Israel’s mixed reality startup Multinarity has just emerged from stealth mode by announcing $28 million of seed funding. And it’s still a secret!
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3911378,00.html https://www.multinarity.com/
Investment in Israeli startups: IronSource raised $2.15 billion (IPO); SentinelOne raised $1.2 billion (IPO) Gong raised $250 million; Noname Security raised $60 million; BreezoMeter raised $30 million; Zencity raised $30 million; Multinarity raised $28 million; Juno Journey raised $19 million; Home365 raised $16.3 million; FloLive raised $15.5 million; MDI Health Technologies raised $6 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
July on Center Stage. Cultural events during July on Israels English-speaking theater in Raanana include Bar Quiz (5th), A Bushman’s Trail (6th), The Gate (12th), Sandy Cash cabaret (14th), Whistle (20th), Jokers & Thieves SongTalk (21st), plus comedy, karaoke, improv night and more. https://www.centerstageisrael.com/
Stars in the Garden. (TY Margaret) The Art Garden at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum is the venue for two live music performances. On 19th July stars composer, pianist, and singer Yoni Rechter. Then on 20th July the Jane Bordeaux band (see here previously) hosts singer and songwriter Keren Peles.
https://www.imj.org.il/en/events/stars-art-garden-live-performances-israel-museum
What will happen next in Jerusalem? (TY Sharon) Almost back to normal on Jerusalem streets. Events included Chabad at Sultan’s Pool, “Rebecca: Mother of Two Dynasties” at the Begin Center, Olympic athletes meet the President, Business Leaders’ Conference, German President’s State visit, plus plenty more.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/06/27/jerusalem-back-to-normal-but-what-will-happen-next/
Gold for teen gymnasts. (TY UWI) Israel won the gold medal in the 11-17 age-group category at the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique’s 11th World Age Group Competitions in Geneva, Switzerland. The event was a precursor to the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in July.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-teen-acrobatic-gymnastics-team-takes-world-gold/
https://gymnastics.sport/publicdir/live_results/16526/results/1117-MG-FIN-RS.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzSN-XoJrYI
Married couple running for Israel. (TY UWI) Ethiopian Israelis Marhu and Selam Teferi have both qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Selam is running in the women’s 5,000 meters. Marhu is competing in the Marathon. Marhu made Aliyah in 2006 at the age of 14, whereas Selam became an Israeli citizen in 2018.
THE JEWISH STATE
Israel opens new embassy in UAE. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid affixed a mezuza onto Israel’s new embassy in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. He praised the Abraham Accords and the pursuit of peace with the Arab world, and also thanked Netanyahu, Trump and Biden for their contributions.
https://worldisraelnews.com/lapid-lands-in-uae-on-1st-state-visit/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27wSa1Hs1O0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf2R2UAc3qY
Bahrain appoints its first Ambassador to Israel. (TY JNS & UWI) Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah will serve as Bahrain’s first envoy to the State of Israel. He previously served as deputy ambassador to the United States.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-bahraini-ambassador-to-israel-formally-appointed/
Israeli mother donates kidney to Gaza boy. Idit, a 50-year-old Israeli mother of three, from a staunchly right-wing family, has donated one of her kidneys to save the life of a 3-year-old Palestinian Arab boy from Gaza. She was inspired by her Shoah survivor grandfather, who always taught her to lead a meaningful life.
An internship in Israel? Yes please! Shelli Liebov is a current student at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She is in Israel for summer 2021 to be a marketing and PR intern with Yissum, the technology transfer arm of Hebrew University. She is documenting her experiences in a series of blogs that are well worth reading.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/10-hours-and-35-minutes-to-change-everything/
Celebrate the Miracle of Entebbe. The American Foundation Creating Leadership for Israel (AFCLI) celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Entebbe rescue on Monday, July 5, 2021. Seminar starts at 11am EST and Ceremony at 2pm. Join by zoom or live in Philadelphia. Register or reserve places at the following link.
https://afcli.org/our-programs/miracle-at-entebbe/ https://afcli.org/
