I will continue last week’s theme where I
ridiculed UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s speech, blaming Israel for the
stagnation of the Arab World. Last week
we saw Israel’s neighbors continuing to self-destruct and PA Chairman Abbas
extending his obstructive preconditions for restarting peace talks. In
contrast, Israel was busy pushing ahead with its technological advances to make
the world a better place.
Even at walking pace, Israel is making
giant strides. Israeli start-up SensoGo
has developed a device that, when strapped to a patient’s leg, performs medical
gait analysis. It records and
uploads data about factors such as the patient’s gait, speed, and style of
walking. Doctors can diagnose a patient more quickly and efficiently than from
current video methods. Next, here is a
news update about the ReWalk exoskeleton from Israel’s Argo Medical that allows
paraplegics to walk upright. Version 2
of ReWalk has just been released to
help them walk even better. New
software programs make the device easier to use. Also one device can now be resized to fit and help train
different users.
When aging bones are too fragile for fast
walking, Israel’s Bonus Biogroup can generate new bones
from a patients’ own fat cells.
Hospitals in Tzrifin and Afula, have agreed to trial the implanting of
engineered bones back into patients. Meanwhile, Weizmann Institute researchers
have solved a major piece of the puzzle as to why one in 4000 babies is born
with DiGeorge syndrome, the cause of various abnormalities
in the heart and face.
The top medical story of the week really
emphasizes the message that we must never stand still and become
self-complacent. Tel Aviv’s Sourasky
Medical Center screened 1,000 apparently healthy
Israelis for 11 of the most common cancers. 2.4 percent (24) were
diagnosed with early stage malignancies and then treated successfully –
potentially saving their lives. And
don’t stick with the notion that a fatty diet is always bad for you. A five-year study at Israel’s Beilinson
Hospital says that for the elderly, higher levels of cholesterol mean a
longer life, not a shorter one. Patients of average age 82 with higher
cholesterol levels (including high LDL) lived longer than those with lower
levels.
Israel’s Council for Higher Education continues to invest in building research
institutions that will make tomorrow’s breakthroughs. It has added 11 more
research centers into its ICORE research excellence program, to
reinforce Israel’s intellectual capacities and promote synergy among
Israel’s leading research centers at universities, colleges, hospitals and
research institutes. And in the Israeli-Arab
town of Sakhnin, NASA’s administrator Charles Bolden, participated in the
launching of the Moona science, environment and space center. Also in the Arab sector, the Wadi Attir
eco-village project completed its “preparation phase” with the
inauguration of the Arab Bedouin village of Hura in the northeast Negev desert.
Ironically, one of the village’s main sponsors is KKL-JNF - a current target
of anti-Israel BDS campaigners.
Israel keeps stimulating innovation by
investing in start-up companies. To get a feel for how funding works, read this
excellent article in TechWeekEurope, which described how the Tel Aviv Time
Incubator brings the Israeli government and venture capitalists together to maintain
the momentum of the country’s technological advances. And should you be worth several million
dollars and have the odd $10,000 available to invest, you may be interested in
joining OurCrowd. Israeli entrepreneur Jon Medved has founded
this exclusive club to fund and grow Israeli start-ups into global giants. Over at one of Israel’s flagship companies,
Strauss Coffee, the caffeine buzz may have been responsible for the company’s
rapid rise to become the
world's fourth largest coffee company, even prior to their recent
Russian acquisition.
Israelis, of course, are also pushing the
boundaries in the International arena.
A team of eight scientists from the Hebrew University, the Weizmann
Institute of Science, and Tel Aviv University are participating in the
Human Brain Project, chosen by the European Commission as one of its
flagship projects. And Israeli
professor Jonathan Rabinowitz, of Bar-Ilan University has
been appointed to the European Medicines Agency’s Advisory Group. He
will also co-chair of the Program Committee for the Biennial Schizophrenia
International Research Society Conference to take place in Florence, Italy.
Visitors to Jerusalem from June 13-14 will
witness the fastest race ever around the timeless city. Herod’s
chariot races are long gone – to be replaced for two days, by sleek
Formula 1 cars screaming past the Old City walls, going through Mamila, and
buzzing by the King David hotel.
Finally, he could
have submitted to his fate, sat back and simply received an honorable
discharge, but Captain Ziv Shilon was not going to give in to the Gaza
terrorists who planted the bomb that blew off his arm in October. Today, the Givati
IDF officer is
back with his soldiers and in a special ceremony he presented them with
their combat soldier pins.
Israelis never
accept “no” for an answer!
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly
newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to
michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
