Things can Only get Better

Things can Only get Better

5/3/14

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/things-can-only-get-better

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5277

As readers of my weekly positive newsletter will know, there has been a huge surge in the volume of Israel’s medical discoveries, scientific advances, agricultural innovations, water technology and humanitarian activities recently.  Despite the chaos in many other countries, I believe that better times are on their way for the rest of the world.

Israel’s medical innovations are making a better life for everyone.  The announcement of Israel Technion’s plans to establish an International Center for Cardiovascular Innovation will lead to better ways to treat heart disease – the world’s leading cause of death.  For Israeli Danny Oberman, his 2013 cardiac “incident” led him to develop the GPS-based CathMaps plus - a better method for Android and iOS smartphone users to find the nearest catheterization lab and share their medical history with cardiologists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZxhOuM49zI  

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has better knowledge than most of what visiting foreign Heads of State want from the Jewish State.  As he told delegates at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, their three requirements are “Israeli technology, Israeli technology and Israeli technology.”  For example, Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen cites as his model Israel's success as a "start-up" nation brimming with high-tech innovation.  Finland has been purchasing millions of Euros of Israeli technology.  Similarly, relations between Israel and Cyprus have never been better, according to Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulines.  There is good cooperation on security, energy, water management, science and technology.

Over 70 young Israeli entrepreneurs showed United Nations representatives better solutions for global problems at the Israeli Designed International Development (ID2) conference in Caesarea.  Innovations demonstrated included plants that give off light at night.  Meanwhile, Israel’s Evogene has launched PoinTar, a computationally based target discovery platform for generating better herbicides.  It identifies key molecules that can be chemically targeted to prevent weed growth.  Staying with agro technology, India’s Dr. Akhilesh Kumar came to work at Israel’s Vulcani Agricultural Research Institute in order to develop better strains of potatoes and solar-powered storage in order to feed India’s hungry population all year round.

Angola’s population will appreciate the better quality drinking water that will flow from fifty filtration systems to be supplied by Israel’s Amiad Water Systems. Amiad also just won one of Israel’s Outstanding Exporter awards.  California, in the grip of its most severe drought since 1977, will be far better off once it completes the Israeli-designed desalination plant near San Diego. Israel’s IDE Technologies is one of the main engineering contractors building the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Kp4IsJ6cQ

Israel has been proficient recently in developing better battery technologies.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has boosted the power of sodium-ion batteries with a new type of anode.  Also Israel’s EnStorage received nearly 1 million dollars as a BIRD Foundation grant for its Hydrogen Bromide flow battery development.  Meanwhile Professor Doron Aurbach of Bar Ilan University won the prestigious 2014 International Battery Association Yeager Award for advancing battery technology, especially rechargeable magnesium batteries.

Israeli apps are currently rated better than ever.  Israeli cyber-security companies received eleven awards at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco, including Votiro, which won gold in the “Innovations in Next Generation Security” category.  At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Israeli companies picked up five awards.  Israel’s PointGrab’s CamMe won “most innovative app” with EverythingMe one of five finalists.  Wibbitz won “best mobile publishing product or service” for its unique text-to-video technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=955PTWP7-uk

There is just enough room to wish Mazel Tov to my friend, Tel Aviv Radio TLV1’s DJ Antithesis who has found his “better half” and is getting married this week.  There should be some great music at his wedding.  And Israel’s soccer fans will hope for better results from its national team with its favorable draw in the qualifying stages of the 2016 European Nations Cup.

I want to leave you with the knowledge that it is the dedication of the people of Israel that makes life better for everyone.  The staff at Israel’s Beit Issie Shapiro are bringing a better tomorrow to those born with both severe mental and physical disabilities. You would hardly believe that children like Roni, Eytan, Nevo and Liora could, for example, learn to use iPads to help them develop to their full potential.  You can also help Beit Issie and Eytan by sponsoring his dad in the London marathon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTaWbHi1Ms

Finally two mature Israeli professors have been busy throughout their lives making a better world for all of us. Whilst at Israel’s Weizmann Institute, molecular geneticist Professor Michel Revel developed treatments for MS, ALS and diabetes.  Now at 75 years of age, he works at his own biotech company Kadimastem developing pluripotent stem cells as a regenerative medicine solution for all three diseases.  And I hope that you will find a new biography about renowned Israeli cardiac surgeon Professor Joseph Borman particularly heartwarming. “Open Hearts: A Memoir” describes how during the 1967 Six-Day War he saved the life of critically injured soldier Doron Lancet.  Doron eventually went on to lead the Israeli team that helped map the human genome to give us a better understanding of the causes of genetic diseases.

 

Are we on the way up? 

You’d better believe it!

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

Israel Storms Ahead

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/israel-storms-ahead

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5076

Thankfully Israel’s recent cold weather storm has subsided, leaving the country to get back to normal - whatever “normal” means.  Because no amount of snow and ice can put a freeze on the latest deluge of the Jewish State’s medical, scientific and social achievements.

Scientists at Hadassah Medical Center can now perform lightning fast checks on women worried about the risk of genetic breast cancer.  They have developed a simple blood test for the presence of gene mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2 that involves gene expression profiling – far quicker, cheaper and more accurate than the previous method of full gene sequencing.  Meanwhile, Israel Technion scientists have discovered that waves of low-power laser light produce a much faster analysis of an individual’s genome.

Israeli research into brain disease has the potential to rescue the world from an impending avalanche of dementia sufferers. This debilitating condition is set to treble globally by 2050, which is why Israeli scientists were invited to attend the G8 Dementia Summit in London. The G8 has also established a taskforce on Social Impact Investment, to which the Israeli organization Social Finance Israel presented an initiative for tackling type-2 diabetes.  It comprises Social Impact Bonds that invest in companies tackling social or medical issues and then governments pay dividends based on results.

The Jewish State was rewarded for its flood of international scientific research contributions when Israel became the first and only non-Euro member to be elected to the prestigious CERN European nuclear physics council. Now, if they wish, Israeli scientists can conduct research into electrical storms using the longest subatomic particle accelerator in the world.  In comparison, the Israeli-developed Objet30 OrthoDesk 3D printer is tiny, but the torrent of digital dentistry products that can flow from it is simply jaw dropping.  Small dental labs can now produce stone models, orthodontic appliances, delivery and positioning trays, retainers and surgical guides, which previously could only be manufactured by large laboratories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOnYq9w79cI

There is a constant ebb and flow in diplomatic contacts between Israel and the Arab world.  There was a moderate thaw in relations when the Jordan-based SESAME scientific research project chose Professor Eliezer Rabinovici of Jerusalem's Hebrew University as its new vice president.  The media then positively gushed with delight when Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority agreed to build a pipeline from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The initiative will produce millions of cubic meters of drinking water for the region, replenish the critically dwindling Dead Sea and generate hydroelectric power.  There was another upsurge in relations when Israel’s Technion received a cascade of applications from thousands of students from Arab countries, wanting to enroll in its new online nanotechnology course.

Predicting the weather is extremely difficult. Israel, however, has some unique knowledge about other high-pressure systems. Israeli start-up GreenSpense’s “no-gas” eco-friendly aerosol won 1st place in the Chemistry & Advanced Materials category at the International Cleantech Open Ideas Competition in San Francisco, the “Oscar” of clean-technology awards. Meanwhile, the UK Daily Mail’s travel editor praised El Al’s method of dealing with the pressure to get airline passengers checked quickly and securely onto flights.  “Maybe it's time to ditch the security scanner and actually talk to people at airports...it works for El Al”, he wrote.  The following video also sums it up cold and crisply.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HeHm_yXBPY

The wind is certainly back in the sails of Israeli air travelers.  Weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Beijing have just been increased from three to fourteen to cater for the surge in business demand.  Tourists and commercial fliers will appreciate the news that UK low-cost airline easyJet is introducing three new routes to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.  They are London Gatwick, Milan Malpensa and Berlin. 

Now that the snowstorm has abated, Israel can offer a warm welcome to its winter visitors.  The International Winter Soccer Tournament for Youths will be held at Netanya’s new 13,800-capacity stadium. Teams from Serbia, Germany, Moldova and (of course) Israel will participate and entrance is free of charge.  And as the sun comes out again, Israelis can look forward to the return of Canada’s Cirque du Soleil to warm their hearts this August or maybe “blow them away” with its award-winning production "Quidam".

Finally, 11-year-old Uriel Wang from Jerusalem has been under the weather following two bone marrow transplants to try to cure his leukemia.  The sun came out for him, however, thanks to the Jerusalem Big Blue Lions football team, who gave Uriel the opportunity of achieving his dream to play for the team. Just watch as he thunders in like a tornado to score a blizzard of a touchdown - with just a little help from both sides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq7n-IT6yhQ

Hopefully only blue skies from now on.

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

A Question of Honor

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/question-honor

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/4953

Israel is full of citizens and organizations that deserve to receive an honor.  Not a political honor such as the Nobel Prize for peace given to an unrepentant terrorist leader, nor an award from the British Foreign Office for services that undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish State. Respect can only be given to those who enhance Israel in the eyes of the world.  Here are some of the most recent examples.

The medical profession is overflowing with worthy individuals who put Tikum Olam (repairing the world) far above financial recompense.  Kol Hakavod (all the glory) to the team of 20 Israeli doctors and medical staff from Save a Child's Heart (SACH) that has just flown to Tanzania to provide free heart surgeries.  And to the team of 11 cardiac surgeons and nurses from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center that performed 10 complex heart operations over 4 days in Nigeria.  SACH doctors can also take credit for restoring the sight of 10-month old baby Dennis from Romania who lost his vision shortly after birth.

The paramedics working for Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom deserve recognition for having saved countless lives during the life of the modern state.  MDA just unveiled their latest hi-tech mobile command vehicle designed to direct rescue operations on the most difficult terrain and during cellular network failure.  Another organization, Yad Sarah, employs the largest number of volunteers in Israel, providing services and equipment to help the elderly and disabled lead fuller, more comfortable lives.  One of Yad Sarah’s thousands of volunteers, Dr. Marjorie Kenyon, finally retired from serving the organization, in her 100th year.  Here are some of the innovative devices and gadgets that Yad Sarah is currently demonstrating to the public.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dy2TkrUSZg

It is a great honor to the Jewish State that so many of its scientists have developed apps and devices that can save lives.  Tel Aviv University researchers have just developed a website and smartphone app that sends your Genome (your individual Genetic DNA sequence map) for analysis.  You can then identify the most effective medications with the least side effects - or prior to pregnancy, you can use it to check for birth defect risks.  Another TA University graduate, Eugene Jorov, co-founded Seraphim Sense and developed the Angel sensor in honor of his father who died from a heart attack.  The Angel is a biofeedback wristband that monitors the motion, acceleration, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate of at-risk individuals and sends an alert if their medical condition changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLChVKAxHO4

Foreign heads of state often treat the Jewish State with more respect than many of Israel’s own citizens.  In the past few weeks we have had been honored with the first ever visits from the sitting Prime Ministers of Malta and Papua New Guinea. Both arrived with large delegations and cooperation plans.  And President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit was the first time in the history of Nigeria that a sitting President went on pilgrimage to Israel.  He took the opportunity to sign a bilateral air services agreement between Nigeria and Israel.

Despite its flawed politics, the United Nations regularly turns to the Jewish State to solve issues of international concern.  The UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted ‘Special Consultative Status’ to 13 Israeli NGOs and is currently considering including a two more.  Similarly, all European Union political arguments were put aside in order to welcome Israeli scientists onto the Galileo project.  Israeli academics and companies have been given security clearance to work on the EU’s prestigious project to launch 30 satellites and become Europe’s alternative to the US GPS system. 

International stars from Rihanna to Tom Jones continue to honor Israel with their performances.  However, many pop fans will have missed that October 27 was the 30th anniversary of when Bob Dylan released his up-tempo Zionist anthem, the ironically-titled “Neighborhood Bully”.  Meanwhile brothers Arie and Gil Gat, explain that there is no conflict of honor between being devout Jews and covering rock hits on Israeli TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWFA04sqEo

Israel’s sporting heroes have certainly been awash with medals, including windsurfer Shahar Zubari who cruised to a gold medal at the Sailing World Cup in Qingdao, China.  Maayan Davidovich won bronze in the women’s division.  Israeli swimmer Amit Ivri even won medals at FINA World Cup events in Dubai (UAE) and Doha (Qatar) although Qatar dishonored itself by blanking out the Israeli flag on its TV broadcasts.

There is no greater honor than when people volunteer to serve their country, despite physical disabilities.  At the closing ceremony for their special basic training the 150 graduates of IDF’s Ofek course used the deaf sign language to accompany the Israeli National Anthem – “Hatikvah”. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYApGbgGT4

Finally, for the first time in the history of the Israel Defense Forces, an officer from Israel’s Druse community is to serve as the chief of the elite IDF Golani Brigade. Colonel Ghassan Alian was previously deputy commander of the Golan Division.  He follows fellow Druse Imad Fares who was chief of the IDF Givati Brigade.

Let’s honor those that deserve honor.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

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

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http://blogs.jpost.com/content/israel-making-world-tomorrow

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http://blogs.jpost.com/content/israel-voyage-discovery