In the 19th July 26 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
l An IDF soldier will use his $4 million lottery win to benefit war victims.
l Three groundbreaking Israeli discoveries for cancer, diabetes and spine injury.
l Record donation will triple the size of Jerusalem hospital.
l Argentine and Serbian leaders “illuminate” their Israeli hosts.
l Israeli rescue teams help victims of Venezuela’s earthquakes.
l Israeli acoustic sensors can prevent wildfires.
l The IMF reports that the Israeli economy is outperforming all G7 countries.
l Israel came second in the Eurovision Song Contest.
l Ancient Jewish archeological finds at site of the Tabernacle.
· Click here to see the 19th Apr newsletter on (TY Steve) IsraelSeen, (TY Ruth) Ruthfully Yours, and (TY Peloni) IsraPundit. Also TY Barbara for translating the newsletter into Spanish here. TY Colin for translating it into German here, into French here, and into Hebrew here. Please forward this newsletter to Spanish-speaking, German-speaking, French-speaking and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also please visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
From no pulse, to boardroom. (TY UWI, DFClub & AllIsraelNews) Eyal Cohen was severely wounded by an explosive device and declared to have no pulse. A rare and desperate medical procedure brought him back from the brink. Eyal shares his journey of pain, business survival, and the road back to fatherhood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgSzyOzi6Q
Wounded soldier completes Half Ironman triathlon. Boris Shtunda, an IDF soldier who lost his leg in Gaza and endured 19 surgeries, defied every obstacle to complete the Half Ironman triathlon in Valencia, Spain.
Detecting drones on Lebanon border. Israel’s Magos Systems has secured a NIS 21 million deal for hundreds of its radar-based drone detection systems that are expected to significantly improve detection of Hezbollah's fiber-optic drones. The system has successfully passed stringent tests by global and Israeli customers.
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-900916
https://magossystems.com/ar-300-drone-detection-radar/
Therapy farm. (TY All Israel News) Israel’s Na’aleh Therapy Farm pairs traumatized soldiers and at-risk youth with rescued abused animals, creating a powerful mutual healing environment where the wounded help heal the wounded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUpHjsvhTTY
IDF reservist wins the lottery. A young Israeli reservist, recently returned from two months of duty in Gaza, discovered he had won a 15 million shekel ($4 million) lottery win. He outlined plans to use a large portion of the winnings to establish a non-profit organization to support fellow soldiers and those impacted by the war.
7-year-old girl gets new life. A 7-year-old girl from Arad, critically injured during an Iranian missile attack, has been discharged from Petah Tikva’s Schneider Children’s Medical Center. It was “a complex, multi-system injury with immediate life-threatening consequences,” said Dr. Michael Gurvitz, who operated on the girl.
Basketball courts for Israel. (TY UWI & I24 News) Former pro-basketball player Jared Armstrong has founded the JAB Resilience tour to build and renovate basketball courts in Israeli communities affected by the conflict. They include Ashkelon, Dimona, Sderot, Kibbutz Zikim, Ofakim, Herzliya, and Majdal Shams.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jab-resilience-tour-in-israel-with-former-pro/id1838799370?i=1000765518282 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRN77rkwHm8
Pay compensation conditions improved. The Israeli government is to reduce the minimum leave period that entitles furloughed private sector workers to receive 75% of their full salary. The period will now be five consecutive days, down from 10 days. https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-panel-advances-measure-lowering-bar-to-compensate-workers-furloughed-by-iran-war/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
How tumors disable the immune system. (TY TPS) Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that tumors take control of macrophages that help remove dead cells. They trigger gene activity in the macrophages to support tumor growth and suppress the immune cells. New cancer therapies can now be developed.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-tumors-hijack-macrophages-dead-cells.html
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/tumors-found-to-rewire-immune-cells-may-lead-to-new-cancer-treatments https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aed1544
How insulin cells keep up with age. (TY UWI) A team of scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the US has found that the body’s insulin-producing cells continuously adjust over time to keep blood sugar stable, raising the possibility of new treatments that could delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Breakthrough spinal cord injury treatment. A new study led by Tel Aviv University offers real hope to millions worldwide affected by spinal cord injury (SCI). Removing blood glutamate, that forms immediately after injury, significantly improves functional recovery.
Mushrooms to cure mental disorders. Israel’s MSICS Pharma is developing medical-grade technology to grow and produce psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms. In trials, psilocybin shows strong potential in treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, plus eating disorders such as anorexia.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/byoweavrbg
AI cancer treatment development with AstraZenica. AstraZeneca is expanding its partnership with Israel’s Immunai (see here previously), deepening its use of Immunai’s AMICA-OS artificial intelligence platform in oncology treatment development. Immunai will be eligible to receive up to $37.5 million during 2026 and 2027.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bkhaclqcwe
$23.3 million for personized medicine. The Israel Innovation Authority, NVIDIA, Teva, Sheba, CytoReason, TerraCyte, MeMed, Weizmann, Technion, BGU, and others will establish a NIS 70 million consortium to develop the next generation of AI applications in biology, therapy discovery, and personalized medicine.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hy41tyb4gx
Record donation to Shaare Zedek. WhatsApp founder Jan Koum is donating $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in what is being described as the largest philanthropic contribution in the history of Israel’s healthcare system. It is expected to triple the size of the hospital, which currently has approximately 1,000 beds.
https://worldisraelnews.com/whatsapp-founder-donates-record-200-million-to-shaare-zedek/
21 children saved in Rwanda. (TY I24News) Israeli humanitarian organization Save A Child's Heart completed a week-long medical mission in Rwanda, performing life-saving heart procedures on 21 children while helping establish the country's first pediatric interventional cardiologist.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-israeli-doctors-save-21-childrens-hearts-in-rwanda/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8FBIRxdBWE
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Free admission. Bank Hapoalim opened 54 museums, parks, heritage sites, and tourist attractions across Israel free of charge over three weekends in May. The project benefits Israeli families while supporting museums, heritage sites, nature parks, and tourism businesses impacted by the war.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-894983
Hundreds of haredim enlist in single day. An unprecedented surge in Haredi enlistment, with several hundred young Haredi men volunteering for combat units in a single day. The IDF’s Manpower Directorate described the turnout as “the largest spontaneous enlistment event among Haredi youth in years,”
https://idfclub.org/hundreds-of-young-haredi-men-enlist-in-combat-units-in-a-single-day/
Israel joins Mediterranean fisheries pact. Israel has joined the European Union’s MedFish4Ever Declaration, a regional framework aimed at improving the management and recovery of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and Black seas. https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/israel-joins-mediterranean-fisheries-pact
Jet fuel to Germany. (TY UWI) Due to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel is transfering jet fuel to Germany, following a request from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Even amidst a war against Iran and Hezbollah Israel has a surplus fuel production that can be exported.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/israel-to-export-jet-fuel-to-germany
Argentina President lights Independence Day torch. (TY Hazel) Torch lighters at Israel’s 78th Independence Day ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl included Argentine President Javier Milei, the first foreign leader to receive the honor. Some Israelis were also happy that Argentina beat England in the soccer World Cup.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-kicks-off-78th-independence-day-festivities-with-annual-torch-lighting-ceremony/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/689842
Serbian FM visits and speaks fluent Hebrew. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić in Jerusalem. Sebia’s FM, who is Jewish, spoke in fluent Hebrew, underscoring support for Israel. “I want everyone in Israel to know that in Serbia and in Belgrade, you have true friends," he said.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/426217
Knesset lights up to honor America’s 250th anniversary. Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset building, was lit up in the United States’ red, white, and blue to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-knesset-lights-up-red-white-and-blue-honoring-americas-250th/
https://lennybendavid.substack.com/p/happy-birthday-to-the-united-states
Transforming agriculture in Africa. Israel’s Tomer Malchi has won the $100,000 Charles Bronfman Prize for the work of his nonprofit CultivAid. For the past 15 years, Malchi has trained thousands of African farmers to grow more sustainable and marketable produce and improved the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands more.
Searching for earthquake survivors in Venezuela. Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodríguez thanked the local Jewish community and Israel for sending a specialized search and rescue unit to help locate survivors of the two deadly earthquakes that struck Venezuela. Also other articles on Israeli assistance.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/byuxjvvmze
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
All Israelis win Chemistry Olympiad medals. History was achieved on Israel’s Independence Day by the six members of Israel’s student delegation, all of whom won medals at the International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad held in Moscow. The students were trained at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion.
The secret of flowing glass. Tel Aviv University scientists have discovered how a flowing liquid suddenly become a rigid, almost frozen material, without changing its structure. This phenomenon is known as the “glass transition,”. The precise changes in motion were studied in liquids with tiny solid particles floating inside them.
https://thejewishedition.com/news/israel/2026/04/29/tau-researchers-discover-how-flowing-liquid-becomes-rigid-glass/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-025-03140-z
Real-time AI data for rescuers. Rescue teams need vital technical information about collapsed buildings in order to extract civilians trapped inside. Researchers from the Technion and the University of Haifa have developed an AI-based tool that rapidly retrieves the construction permit data from municipal databases.
Listening for wildfires. Israel’s Firewave is an AI-powered acoustic sensor that detects wildfires in under two minutes by listening for the sound of combustion, far outpacing traditional camera-based systems. Firewave says that it “listens to nature, to protect it”.
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-the-israeli-startup-that-can-detect-wildfires-in-minutes/
https://www.firewave.earth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzuxHJeV-TA
Up in the clouds. A 4-kg CloudCT satellite, built through an international project involving the Weizmann Institute, Technion and Germany’s Center for Telematics, will test AI-based cloud tomography technology ahead of a planned 10-satellite constellation. It will advance research into clouds and their role in the climate.
https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/hyhy9d11azg
$2 billion a year for joint tech projects. At AI+ Expo in Washington DC, US ex-envoy Tom Nides and ex-IDF intel chief Amos Yadlin advanced the Technology Alliance - Strategic Technology Compact, in which the USA and Israel would invest $2 billion a year into joint tech projects.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Economy is booming. Israel’s economy is expected to outperform major developed markets in 2026. Capital markets are also outperforming, with the Tel Aviv 35 surging and the shekel rising. The IMF estimates 3.5% growth for Israel this year, compared to 2.3% for the US and 1.3% for the EU, outperforming all G7 countries.
S&P continues A rating. U.S. credit rating agency S&P affirmed Israel’s sovereign credit rating at A/A-1 with a stable outlook. Key factors include Israel’s wealthy, innovation- and technology-driven economy, large net external asset position, deep local capital markets and credible, flexible monetary policy.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/s-p-affirms-israels-a-a-1-rating-with-stable-outlook
Public wealth increased 80% in six years. The assets of the Israeli public (bank accounts, savings, and securities, has risen from NIS 4.1 trillion in 2020 to NIS 7.4 trillion at the end of Feb 2026. On average, Israelis now have doubled their holdings in Israeli stocks and shares that they held two years ago.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-895264
Arkia expands Vietnam service. Israeli airline Arkia is expanding its service from Tel Aviv to Vietnam.
The carrier said it will begin weekly non-stop service from Tel Aviv to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) starting in October, in addition to its weekly flights to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, which it inaugurated in January.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/arkia-to-expand-vietnam-service
Elbit opens new Romanian factory. Israel’s Elbit Systems inaugurated a new drone facility in Romania for the production of advanced unmanned aerial systems platforms. The defense tech giant seeks to expand its footprint in Europe. The site is Elbit’s 7th production facility in Romania where it has 1,000+ employees.
Bridgewise partners X for market analysis. Israeli startup BridgeWise (see here previously) is partnering with Elon Musk’s X to plug financial conversation feeds into its AI financial intelligence platform to help investors capture market sentiment in real time and make better-informed decisions where to park their funds.
From Air Force hero to tech entrepreneur. Kobi Richter is one of Israel's most decorated Israeli Air Force pilots. He then built global companies like Orbotech (see here) and Medinol (see here). Now he helps outstanding ultra-Orthodox students enter Israel's technology sector without abandoning their way of life.
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/h1u1xk77fl
Exits, takeovers & mergers to 18/7/26:. Computer giant Cisco has acquired Israel’s Astrix Security for $400 million. Multinational MoonPay has acquired Israel’s Sodot for $100 million. ServiceNow has acquired Israel’s ai.work for tens of millions of dollars. Israel’s Nexar and US-based Nauto are to merge. Giant Qualcomm has acquired Israel’s SAM Seamless Network for more than $150 million.
$8.4 billion in six months. Israeli startups closed at least 129 funding rounds in the first six months of 2026, raising at least $8.4 billion, mostly in AI and cybersecurity companies.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hjyqukqqzx
Israeli startup investments to 18/7/26. Kela Technologies is raising $200 million (new Unicorn); Aidoc raised another $150 million; Zyg.com raised $60 million; CopilotKit raised $27 million; MSICS Pharma raised $3.6 million; AlphaDrive launched $100 million AI & cyber fund.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT,
Israeli Pavillion popular at Biennale. Star attraction at the the 61st Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition was the installation by Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru. “Rose of Nothingness” includes drip irrigation, mezuzahs, and locks engraved with the commandment “Love thy neighbor as thyself”.
1,000 attend concert at new Binyamin region amphitheater. More than 1,000 residents attended the Ishay Ribo concert that opened the Talmidim Amphitheater, a new venue in the Binyamin Region. Tickets were sold out within two hours. The venue is planned to be expanded to accommodate up to 3,000 spectators.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/429523
Eurovision success. Israel’s Eurovision 2026 singer Noam Bettan wrapped himself in tefillin (philatelies) and prayed before his Eurovision performance. Noam came second to Bulgaria in the final competition singing “Michelle”. It was a great result as Israel does not need the trouble and expense of hosting next year’s event.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/noam-bettan-advances-to-eurovision-final-amid-anti-israel-protests-at-vienna-arena https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9JVTSHKeqc
Rhythmic gymnasts take the floor in Baku. Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team won gold at the World Cup in the all-around competition and the five-balls routine in Baku, Azerbaijan. Daniela Munits won gold medals in both the Cross Battle competition and the clubs final. The Israelis also won a silver medal and two golds.
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/they-floored-the-world-israeli-coach-hails-gymnasts-after-miracle-of-baku-v8wkr6wg https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-gymnast-daniela-munits-wins-double-gold-at-european-cup-in-baku/
THE JEWISH STATE
78 miracles in 78 years from 1948 to today. This is only a partial list. Thanks to the Almighty for all the miracles. https://www.israelunwired.com/78-miracles-of-israel-from-1948-to-today/
Israeli completed Talmud tractate on Mount Everest. (TY WIN) Israel’s Moshe Frei, was trekking Mount Everest with three friends when he completed the Menachot tractate at Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,364 meters (17,598 feet). “The timing was right, and it was a great place,” Frei told JNS from Nepal.
https://www.jns.org/news/jewish-life/talmudic-tractate-completed-on-mount-everest
Yoni Netanyahu heritage. A national heritage center for aviation planned for construction north of Jerusalem will dedicate a wing to Lt. Col. Yoni Netanyahu, who died in “Operation Thunderbolt” to rescue 102 hostages held in Uganda. This year is the 50th anniversary of the successful Entebbe military operation.
The Biblical history of Ashkelon. Ashkelon, once home to the Philistines, was a vital part of ancient Israel and a key maritime trade hub. The city has hundreds of archaeological sites including where Samson literally brought the house down. And on Jerusalem Day, news of a mysterious ancient tunnel found near Jerusalem.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-inside-the-biblical-history-of-ashkelon/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq5aSORvVXM https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-896167
https://worldisraelnews.com/mysterious-ancient-tunnel-in-jerusalem-leaves-archaeologists-baffled/
Archeological discoveries at ancient Shiloh. Days before the fast of Tisha B’Av, archaeologists uncovered 2nd Temple-era relics at ancient Shiloh, including a lavish ritual bath and a purple-dye snail shell once used for sacred garments. It sheds new light on the original site in Israel of the Tabernacle and its Jewish connection.
https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sy9zd2wnze
Manasseh’s children are coming home. Michael Freund, founder of Shavei Israel writes about the Bnei Menashe community from North East India who for 27 centuries, dreamed of returning to Zion. By 2030, all of them will be living and dreaming in Zion. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-894755
We are living the dreams of our ancestors. (For Jerusalem Day) For 2,000 years we prayed, cried, and longed “L’shana haba’a b’Yerushalayim” - next year in Jerusalem, and today, we are BLESSED to walk her streets, to see the Israeli flag fly over a united Jerusalem, to live as a sovereign nation in our homeland! (2025 video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIJvc5TMRns https://pulseofisrael.com/2025/05/27/jerusalem-day/
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-israelis-pack-into-the-capital-to-celebrate-jerusalem-day/
https://rjstreets.com/2026/05/17/a-full-week-celebrating-jerusalem-59/
A Torah scroll’s journey from Nazi Germany to Israel. Lost for decades, a Torah was smuggled by the Kahn family out of Nazi Germany, taken to the USA but lost for nearly 80 years. Finally, it was discovered by the daughter of Rabbi Aaron Adler (whose wife is a Kahn descendant) and re-dedicated at Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-901121
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (Select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/ or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bellevue-foundation/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/ or Canada https://www.uhcanada.org/
Donate a medic bag, save a life https://israelrescue.org/campaign/medicbag/
Magen David Adom UK: https://mdauk.org
USA: https://afmda.org/
Israel: https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA - https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate or Canada https://jnf.ca/
Orthodox Union - https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Help rebuild Soroka: https://www.soroka.org/
And Weizmann: https://weizmann-usa.org/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/donate (Israelis)
https://system.smartgiving.org.uk/charities/8530/make-donation (UK)
https://chaischneider.org/donate/ (USA)
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-give/ (US)
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/support_rambam/donate_now/ (Rest of the World)
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/state-of-israel-bonds
USA - https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe - https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada - https://www.israelbonds.ca/
