A Healthy and Good News Year

Today I present to you my predictions for Israel’s medical achievements that will take place in the forthcoming new Jewish Year of 5776.  They are reliable predictions, as they mirror actual events that occurred in 5775.  I have only sufficient space here to include detailed evidence for three of these predictions.  Please visit my website if you would like to view the remainder.

Here is my summary list of medical predictions in full.  The ones I expand here are highlighted in red.

1. There will be numerous major breakthroughs by Israelis in the search for a cure for cancer.

2. There will be huge Israeli advances in the treatment of brain diseases.

3. New Israeli treatments will be found for diabetes.

4. Israeli innovations and research will give heart to cardiology patients.

5. Israelis will make major discoveries about the immune system and auto-immune diseases.

6. Israelis will find new ways to fight resistant strains of bacteria

7. Israelis will continue to pursue treatments for rare diseases and conditions.

8. Israeli doctors will personally intervene to save the lives and limbs of thousands of non-Israelis.

9. New Israeli medical innovations will improve the lives of disabled people.

10. There will be new Israeli medical treatments for the relief of pain.

11. New Israeli devices and techniques will diagnose disease and injuries earlier and quicker.

12. New Israeli medicines, devices and techniques will save and change lives and give hope to millions.

1.  There will be numerous major breakthroughs by Israelis in the search for a cure for cancer. 

The most promising Israeli news on cancer treatment in 5775 included Weizmann Institute’s triple treatment to stop tumor growth.  Also, the Technion’s use of the body’s natural chemicals to suppress malignant growth and protect healthy cells and its tiny silicon containers that deliver chemotherapy without damaging healthy tissue.  Vaxil Biotherapeutics’ continues to make progress with its anti-cancer vaccine and so are Israel’s Compugen with its five candidate antibody therapies and cCAM (just bought by Merck) with its CM-24 antibody for many types of cancer.

Further down the road, Israel’s Quiet Therapeutics has developed nano-particles that target biomarkers on tumors; an Israeli scientist has documented which of 20,000 genes are targets to kill tumors. Weizmann scientists have discovered a molecule to prevent “cell membrane spam overload” – a trigger for cancer and Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have discovered anti-tumor neutrophils among white blood cells.

Many Israeli treatments target specific cancers, such as the VB-111 ovarian cancer treatment of VBL Therapeutics.  Novocure’s TTFields scalp device slows the growth of brain tumors.  Gamida Cell’s NiCord stem cells treats leukemias and Hodgkin lymphoma and IceCure Medical is now treating breast cancer with its IceSense3 system.  Finally, Israeli researchers have discovered what causes melanoma cells to turn into aggressive tumors and are convinced that it will soon lead to a breakthrough treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rsCxIfZsb4

7. Israelis will continue to pursue treatments for rare diseases and conditions. 

I have included this prediction in detail, as I want to emphasize that Israeli scientists and companies do not just want to ensure a big financial income from selling treatments for ailments affecting millions of patients.

Last year, advances by Israeli biotechs and scientists included:

-          BioBlast’s Cabaletta treatment for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)

-          Advanced Inhalation Therapies’ Nitric Oxide treatment for cystic fibrosis

-          Chiasma’s oral treatment Octreotide, for acromegaly

-          Protalix Biotherepeutics’ PRX-102 treatment for Fabry’s disease

-          Enlivex’s ApoCell treatment to prevent Graft-vs-Host Disease

-          Foamix’s Finacea Foam treatment for Rosacea

-          Nutrinia’s NTRA-9620 treatment for intestinal failure in preterms

-          Tel Aviv University researchers who are solving mysteries regarding rare genetic diseases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTj-fMyuurg

8. Individual Israeli doctors will save the lives and limbs of thousands of non-Israelis.

Israeli medicine is truly giving light to the nations.  In 5776 we will definitely see more from Israel’s skilled and dedicated surgeons who were repairing shattered lives throughout last year. 

Save A Child’s Heart doctors are currently working at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon to fix the hearts of 13 children from Ethiopia, 9 from Zanzibar, 6 from Iraq, 5 from Kenya, one from the Palestinian Authority and one from Gaza.  In May, SACH surgeons repaired a heart deformity in baby Lisa from East Timor – the 50th country to send patients to SACH.  In July, 20 SACH doctors, nurses and technicians repaired the hearts of 10 children in Tanzania and examined hundreds more.  In April, heart surgeons at Hadassah hospital saved Iraqi toddler Maryam, who had previously been given little hope of survival.  The doctors at Hadassah’s “Heart for Peace” organization have also treated hundreds of children with congenital heart diseases from Gaza and the PA territories.

To see two contrasting examples of Israelis treating Palestinian Arabs, doctors at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon helped a 4-year-old girl from Gaza to walk again, while a senior Hamas member had spine surgery at an Israeli hospital.  Israeli doctors certainly have no problem treating patients from Moslem countries – whether travelling to Kyrgyzstan to restore eyesight to 90, or continuing to treat Syrian casualties of their civil war at hospitals in Northern Israel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR4Euhzp2lY

Although global natural disasters cannot be predicted, tiny Israel will always be among the first to respond.  It had the largest medical aid team in Nepal after the country’s devastating earthquakes. The 250 Israeli aid workers included IDF medics and doctors from Rambam, Sheba and Sha’are Zedek hospitals.

To finish, Israeli scientists are also being inspired to achieve some “out-of-this-world” medical goals.  They aim to re-write DNA to correct genetic mutations, eliminate all brain diseases, regenerate organs using stem cells, automatically deliver your medications intravenously, and stop the aging process altogether. 

So I can confidently predict that in the coming years,

Israel’s medical achievements will be amazing!

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Where was the Apartheid State in 2013?

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/where-was-apartheid-state-2013

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5124

“And if you think that's Apartheid it's because… You don't know what Apartheid really was”.  (From “Israel Apartheid” by Ari Lesser)

My journey through the news reports of 2013 has now reached the subject of Israel’s treatment of its largest minorities - specifically, Moslem Arabs (including Bedouins), Christians and Druze.  (Those who missed last week’s “The Israeli Occupation in 2013” can still read it here.)

As usual, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) idiots have got it totally wrong when they accuse Israel of being an “apartheid” state.  There is no segregation of Israel’s Jews, Arabs and Druze in the manner of South Africa under apartheid. The following news stories from 2013 show that Israel gives its minorities equal status in all areas of society.

When reporting medical stories involving Israeli-Arabs I frequently feature Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center.  A high proportion of Muslim women refuse to undergo prenatal testing for deformities, so Rambam surgeons often have to perform operations such as on two 14 year-old twins each with a cleft palate and nose, and fused fingers. Also at Rambam in June, Israeli-Arab Mohammed Eckert received a kidney from the son of Israeli-Jew David Ben-Yair whilst simultaneously David received a kidney from Mohammed’s wife.  "We bonded both physically and mentally," said David. "Here, in our country, and in the world at large, we have to realize that we have the power to save people, all people."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahu_as7yub8

Congenital heart defects are also common among the Israeli-Arab population.  At 28, Balal Kalash from Kfar Qara had undergone several cardiac operations at Schneider Children's Medical Center until in June he became the hospital’s oldest pediatric heart transplant patient.  And only in Israel could researchers have uncovered an Arab genetic disease.  The rare bone marrow mutation “congenital neutrophil defect syndrome” affected five Arabs at Sheba Hospital and two Moroccan Arabs in Munich.  Israeli doctors are now working on a potential treatment.

There was no discrimination in April when Muslim cardiologist Dr. Aziz Darawshe was promoted to become director of the emergency department at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, and chairman of the Israel Society for Urgent Medicine.  Dr Darawshe would therefore have been impressed in October by the way Doctors at Israel’s Hadera hospital carefully extracted a 3.5cm hatpin that was accidentally swallowed by a 16-year-old Israeli-Arab girl from Baka al-Gharbiya.

Israel’s universities are a shining example of Israel’s integration of its minorities.  Last year, the top student at Israel’s Technion was a Moslem Israeli woman.  Mais Ali-Saleh graduated first in her medical school class and is now an obstetrician-gynecologist at Carmel Medical Center in Haifa. 

In February we heard about the commercial plans for the diagnostic breath test for cancer invented by Technion’s Israeli-Arab Professor Hossam Haick.  In April, the normally anti-Israel New York Times published a positive feature on the Technion, highlighting its 20% Arab student composition.  It is also well worth reading Vivian Hamui's account of life with fellow students who include Ethiopians, Russians, Chinese, Dutch, Venezuelans and (of course) Arabs.

Israel certainly doesn’t rest on its (Nobel) laurels.  In 2013:

-         The Hebrew University started a program for students from minority backgrounds

-         The Israeli Ministry of Education founded the "Peace University" in Nazareth

-         Israel’s Higher Education Council launched a new $82 million, six-year program for Arabs.

-         Channel 2 TV featured Ashraf Brik - Israel’s first Arab Chemistry Professor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im6kGkaUw9I&feature=youtu.be

These are some of the Jewish State’s initiatives in 2013 to improve the economic prospects of Israeli minorities:

-         January’s R&D conference for the Arab community, sponsored by Israel’s Ministry of Science

-         February’s inauguration of the Bedouin eco-village of Hura

-         March’s export by Golan Druze of 18,000 tons of apples to Syria.

-         The annual free distribution of fir trees by the municipality to Christian residents of Jerusalem.

-         The new Nazareth industrial park promoting economic cooperation between all religious groups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V5cBo9pfpM

In entertainment, 19-year-old Israeli-Arab Lina Mahoul won the TV song contest “The Voice Israel” singing Leonard Cohen’s “Halleluyah”.  In sport, Israel’s European Under-21 Soccer Championship squad contained Jews, Arabs, Druze and Ethiopians, as you can see in this video

There may be a way to convince the BDS mob that Israel is not an Apartheid state, but they would have to read and listen to what ordinary Israeli Arabs said themselves in 2013.  People such as:

-         Abdol Abugosh - “I’m proud to be Arab and Israeli.”

-         Anett Haskia, whose goal is to replace deceitful Arab representatives in Israel’s parliament.

-         Some of the majority of Bedouin who supported Israel’s plans to improve life in the Negev.

Or the thousands of Israel’s minorities that in 2013 were proud to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. 

Such as:

-         Samir – a Muslim Arab who was born in Syria but now lives in Israel.

-         Sgt René Elhozayel - an Arab Bedouin medic with 5,600 relatives who nearly all join the IDF.

-         Master Sgt. Marzuk Suaed who actively goes round recruiting fellow Bedouins.

-         Bedouin Lieutenant Colonel Magdi Mazarib, who was featured in Al Arabiya.

-         New recruit Muhammad Atrash and his brother Milad who is training to be an officer.

-         Colonel Ghassan Alian, the first Druze to serve as the chief of the elite Golani Brigade.

-         And especially Bedouin Ahmed Inaim who enlisted despite losing one brother in service and another who was wounded in the raid in which terrorists captured Gilad Shalit.  Please watch his video here.

To conclude, here is the full video of Ari Lesser’s “Israel Apartheid” to enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsOH2Y_CZE0

Finally, here is an example of how crazy the BDS squad really is.  When Larry Rich, from Israel’s Emek Hospital, spoke in the Scottish Parliament about Israel’s equal treatment of its patients and medical staff, a BDS member launched into a long verbal attack on the Jewish State.  Just before he sat down, he had the gall to ask for Israel’s help in treating someone with a serious medical condition.

Apartheid State?  What on earth are they talking about!

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com