Right Down to the Wire



The excitement of living in the Start-up Nation can be electric.  You can often feel the buzz from highly charged Israeli entrepreneurs developing their latest wired and wireless innovative products.  You never know, until the last moment, what new life-changing Israeli devices and discoveries are going to be announced. This week I wanted to share some of the latest news that is literally coming over the wire almost every day in the Jewish State.

Regular readers of this blog know that I like to begin with medical news items.  Acwire from Israel’s MediValve is a unique guide-wire tool that has just received European and FDA approval. It helps cardiologists perform the extremely difficult task of implanting heart valves at the exact required spot, thus saving thousands of lives.  In the US, 60,000 deaths from pressure ulcers (bedsores) can also be prevented if more hospitals follow the lead of those installing the MAP (Monitor Alert Protect) system from Israel’s Wellsense. A pressure-sensing mat alerts nurses to reposition patients regularly. 


The wiring of the brain is still a mystery. But as Dr Ofer Yizhar of Israel’s Weizmann Institute explains, the new neuroscience of optogenetics examines light-specific activation or suppression of neurons in the brain.  It could help us understand memory problems, schizophrenia and autism.  Moving further down the body, the Israel transplant center has announced that over 200 patients no longer need to be wired up to dialysis machines thanks to kidney transplants.  Last year 90,000 Israelis signed new ADI organ donor cards, bringing the total of registered holders to 787,087.

They say that all successful entrepreneurs started small.  So it is handy that Yissum, the Research and Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has developed micro-sized electrical circuit wiring from low-cost oxidation-resistant copper nano-inks.  They replace the expensive silver inks that make up circuits in RFID-tags, solar cells, sensors and electrodes for displays.  While we are talking small, Tel Aviv hosts NanoIsrael 2014, the fourth bi-annual conference & exhibition in March.  Over 1,200 nano-tech professionals are attending from over 36 countries. The exciting possibilities include ultra tiny storage systems, contact lens sensors for diabetics, protective clothing, water purification, renewable energy and super-fast computers.

We now travel on the high wire from the micro to the macro. Forty students at Herzliya High School have built a low-cost micro-satellite to be launched by Russia in April.  The 10cm cube will circle the Earth every 90 minutes and form part of a network of international satellites designed to provide a cell phone lifeline to travelers in remote areas.  Back in civilization, Israeli start-up Glove has an app to help mobile phone users select the network provider with the consistently best reception. 


Israeli technology is hard-wired into the core of most of today’s computers and mobile hardware.  Indeed it seems to be chips with everything, what with Israel’s Altair Semiconductor installing its 4G communications chipset in the new Google/HP Chromebooks.  The 4G chips access the Internet at ten times the speed of 3G chips.  You can even put a microchip from an Israeli start-up called Oggii on your dog to check if it’s healthy. Or you can boost the Wi-Fi signal to any laptop, tablet or smartphone with the unique “implicit beamforming” technology from Israel’s Wi-Fi chip manufacturer Celeno.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will definitely be beaming if its new Iron Beam system performs well at next month's Singapore Air Show. Iron Beam’s high-energy laser based air-defense system complements Iron Dome by intercepting very short-range rockets, mortar, and airborne target attacks.  Meanwhile, the UK’s Economist magazine gave rare praise to the Israeli whose research led to a radar system that helps avoid collisions – between aircraft and flocks of birds.  And you can watch the ultimate fly-by-wire video as Israel’s unmanned flying car completed its first fully automatic test flights.  The Air Mule Vertical Takeoff and Landing craft from Israel’s Tactical Robotics has great potential for use as an air ambulance.


I’ll finish by descending from the clouds to describe two contrasting Israeli innovations.  You can’t get more low-tech than a collapsible camping grill made from stainless steel wires.  Israeli Roee Magdassi (a student at the Bezalel Design Academy in Jerusalem) has designed the Stakes camping grill that folds up to the size of a paper towel when not in use.  His IDF service inspired him to make a lightweight alternative to the ones he had to carry in his army backpack.  Finally, the makers of the seven-dollar Israeli-developed Keepod “thumb drive” have launched the first project in their program to “computer-enable" some of the world’s 5 billion people who don’t have access to technology.  Via Crowdsourcing, you can wire some funds to help 1500 of Nairobi’s slum dwellers get on-line and have a new chance in life.

Stay wired in for more news of exciting Israeli innovations.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

When will they ever learn?



I write this after hearing two BBC presenters express horror that a Moslem family strapped a suicide belt onto their 9-year-old daughter and attempted to educate her to blow herself up at a checkpoint.  Before you congratulate the BBC on learning the facts of life about Islamic terrorism, I have to point out that this was a report from Afghanistan.  The BBC unfortunately cannot make the educational leap in connecting this to the evil of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas constantly teaching their children to hate Israelis.

In contrast to the schooling of that Moslem girl, “education” in the Jewish State has completely the opposite purpose.  Take for instance the life-saving advances in medicine over the past few weeks.  After two years’ training Israeli surgeons at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva performed the first-ever successful transplant in Israel of a small intestine.  The donor was an 11-year-old Israeli girl whose other organs saved the lives of four children.  In medical research, neuroscientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered defects in the brain’s basic biochemical transport mechanism that can cause diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntingdon’s. The discovery opens up exciting new areas to develop potential treatments.  Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee has allocated NIS 2.5 million for eighteen new biomedical research projects to be conducted at hospitals in northern Israel.

Here is some recent news of three innovative educating devices that Israelis have developed to address different medical problems.  To help patients learn to recover from the shoulder injury known as Rotator Cuff, Israel’s OrthoSpace has developed the InSpace Balloon, which is implanted in a minimally invasive procedure. To relax their youngest patients prior to surgery, staff at Schneider Children’s Medical Center push them into the operating room in toy pedal cars. But the third device literally opens up a whole new world for autistic children or anyone with severely impaired speaking or writing ability.  Ola Mundo (“Hello World ” in Spanish) is a simple but effective mobile app that transmits instant messages using symbols.


Graduating from the field of medicine, here are some Israeli applications and devices with an educational theme that have been receiving a good deal of attention recently.  You will soon “know the score” when you use the new version of the Tonara iPad electronic sheet music application.  Learn the lessons of high-rise disasters by installing the Israeli-developed Skysaver escape harness.  And it’s a whole new ball game now that tennis players can train using Israel’s SmartCourt


Israel is working to ensure that every citizen gets the educational opportunities they require:

-          Kol Israel Haverim, is promoting the Israeli program that supports high school girls in science, technology, engineering and math.

-          Pupils from two Israeli schools received a boost when their scientific experiments were launched to the International Space Station where astronauts will perform them in zero gravity.

-          And the new Adelson School of Entrepreneurship at the IDC Herzliya is set to change the status quo by providing students with the knowledge and tools to realize their entrepreneurial ambitions. 

At Israel’s Technion, young people are empowered with the educational tools to make a real difference in the world.  They can change the lives of women in Nepal by building sustainable biomass reactors that generate clean energy from recycled waste. Or they can develop a fuel cell powered by Aluminum and water.


It is encouraging that many non-Israelis are learning about the positive side of the Jewish State.  They include

-          Five international art bloggers with millions of avid readers who visited the country’s museums and met its top artists as guests of the Kinetis nonprofit educational organization.

-          Overseas delegates attending the European Supercomputing Winter School in Tel Aviv.

-          Turkish medics who purchased a Renaissance surgical robotic system from Israel’s Mazor Robotics for a major hospital in Istanbul.

-          Arab media that publicizes the fact that Israel gives medical treatment to Palestinian Arabs.

-          Syrian refugees receiving clothing from Israeli student organization Human Warmth (Cham Enoshi).

-          Residents of PA village Wadi Nis who receive free weekly personal house calls from Dr. Yitz Glick, an orthodox Jew from Efrat in Judea.  Dr Glick also founded the Efrat Emergency Medical Center in 2000, which treats both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs.

-          The United Nations, which is being advised by Israel’s Moti Cohen on how to build aquaponic farms that provide people with both fish and plants to eat.


I return to Israel’s Technion for this final item in which 20 students have been training 20 Labrador guide dogs whilst they are studying for their degrees.  Students have the lifestyle that can train guide dogs to behave well in all situations.  But the real reason why the project is so successful is because the students love their dogs and the dogs love their students.

It’s a lesson we can all learn.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Where was the Apartheid State in 2013?



“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."


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.


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.


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.


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

The Israeli Occupation in 2013



“Occupation”- Definition: job, profession, line of work, career, calling, walk of life. 

So what work has Israel been doing in connection with the Palestinian Arabs since my last article on the subject earlier in the year? 

In May, doctors at Schneider’s children hospital transplanted a kidney into a 10-year-old Palestinian Arab boy. The kidney came from 3-year-old Israeli Noam Naor who died in a tragic fall and his parents decided to donate his organs to save the life of others.  Following the operation, Noam's mother said, "To see Yakub today is very exciting. I wish him only health, a full and speedy recovery.” In the same month, Hadassah doctors performed an extremely rare operation to deliver the conjoined (“Siamese”) twins of a Palestinian Arab mother. The babies weighed 4.9 pounds and shared a heart.

The Israeli charity Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) performs more life-saving surgery on Palestinian Arab infants than from any other part of the world.  In August, of the 22 children at SACH’s base in the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, seven were from the Palestinian Authority.  SACH works with Christian organization Shevet Achim which funds and transports PA and Gaza children requiring heart surgery to Israeli hospitals such as the Wolfson and to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.


In July, IDF paramedics and Magen David Adom joined together with the PA police and the PA Red Crescent to save a Palestinian Arab who was hit by a car when riding his donkey near Nablus (Shechem).  MDA transported him to an Israeli hospital for further treatment.  And coming right up-to-date, in December an IDF emergency medical team rescued a 10-year-old Palestinian Arab boy whose head was cut open following a car accident and airlifted him to hospital.  The team also treated the boy’s mother, who suffered from shock after the accident. 

In 2013, truck drivers from Israel were fully occupied making 64,783 deliveries of food, medicines, finished goods and building materials (some 1.3 million tons) into Gaza.  Unfortunately for Hamas, their leader Ismail Haniyeh was caught feeding orphans in Gaza with “boycotted” Israeli yogurts.  Meanwhile in July sixty Gaza farmers attended an agricultural seminar in northern Israel.  They completed workshops on cultivation methods, planting schedules, soil preparation, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides. In the following video, dozens of Gaza farmers are shown at an Israeli exhibition earlier in the year learning about innovative Israeli agricultural methods and new fruits and vegetables developed in Israel.


When the December storm struck, Israel intervened in Hamas’ quarrel with the PA by rushing in 1.2 million liters of diesel into Gaza to restart its power station.  And when the snow trapped a Palestinian Authority ambulance carrying a very sick woman, Israeli soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were there to help it back on the road.

The PA shuns normalisation of relations with Israel, but the 20,000 Palestinian Arabs working for Israelis in Judea and Samaria (25 percent more than in 2012) illustrate that the reality is quite different.  In August we also read about the hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian Arabs who have become business partners and colleagues in joint start-ups. For example Israeli startup Naked Sea Salt partners with a Palestinian Arab company to use eco-friendly methods to harvest salt from the Dead Sea.  And the massive project involving Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority will construct a pipeline from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to produce millions of cubic meters of drinking water for the region, hydroelectric power and replenish the critically dwindling Dead Sea.  Even Al Jazeera broadcast the news of the joint project.


Work by Israel for the PA includes support for a new industrial park, near Bethlehem (so much for the “apartheid wall”!).  Further construction projects, like that of Israeli water treatment company Mapal Green Energy, are recycling domestic sewage and water for Palestinian Arab villages. This could explain why the PA’s many leisure parks managed to keep their swimming pools full throughout the summer.

Despite the PA being constantly occupied with incitement, there are still occasional opportunities for optimism.  In September, five Arab schools in East Jerusalem decided to switch from the Palestinian to the Israeli curriculum so that their students could study for the Israeli bagrut (matriculation exam).  Then as Moslems celebrated the end of the Moslem holy month of Ramadan, approximately one million Palestinian Arabs received permits to enter Israel as tourists200,000 more than last year.  And we may see more videos of Israelis (hopefully not in IDF uniform) and Palestinian Arabs dancing together.


Before anyone says that this is all new, here is a selection of Israel's "occupational therapy" from previous years.  And here, and here and here.

Finally, future prospects for peace lie with the next generation.  We can only hope that sufficient children remain untouched by PA hate education to achieve this.  Some will have played in mixed teams with Israeli children in the May 2013 Mini Soccer World Cup at Israel’s Kiryat Gat stadium.  It was (UK) Liverpool’s soccer manager Bill Shankly who said, “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death… I can assure you, it is much, much more important than that.”

More good news will occupy this space in 2014.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

History of Israel's Good News Oct to Dec 2013


Israel Good News Archive – 6th Oct to 29th Dec 2013
131229


In the 29th Dec 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        An Israeli biotech has developed five antibodies to fight cancer.
·        Four amazing Israeli treatments for diabetes, including a pill for “type 1” sufferers.
·        A brilliant music video ridicules the comparison of Israel to Apartheid South Africa.
·        Intel-Israel is at the core of the new “two-in-one” tablet-laptop computers.
·        Israel’s TowerJazz is to manufacture Panasonic products for the Japanese market.
·        Israel’s Or Aviram is the new men’s world ten-pin bowling champion.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Boycotting Israel is Academic Nonsense” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
(or read it at San Diego Jewish World)
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Five antibodies to treat cancer.  Israel’s Compugen has discovered five candidate antibodies that have the potential to treat cancer.  The antibodies target proteins on the surface of cancer cells in order to deliver highly toxic chemicals to kill them.  Initial results are expected late 2014 although the concept has been proved.

Lymphoma treatment gets exclusive status.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) The US FDA has granted orphan designation for Teva’s TREANDA treatment for indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL).  TREANDA is already used for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Israeli shoes help keep your balance.  Israel’s B-Shoe has developed a “smart shoe” that stops wearers from falling if they lose their balance. A microprocessor and patented algorithms detect a stumble triggering the motion device to roll the shoe slightly and gently backwards until the person regains balance.

Israeli diabetes management system is now available.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI)  In March I included the NoCamels article about the Dario glucose iPhone monitor from Israel’s LabStyle.  In Sept the Dario received the European CE Mark and last week the world launch commenced in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Forget about your diabetes.  A new video showing how much easier life has become for patients with type-1 diabetes who are using the MD-Logic Artificial Pancreas.  An international program based at the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petach Tikvah, Israel.

Stem cells to cure diabetes and brain diseases.  Israel’s Kadimastem is turning stem cells into beta cells that can produce insulin in the pancreas or nerve cells in the brain.  Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist has just given Kadimastem an NIS 8.5 million grant to continue its research into both technologies.

A pill for Type 1 diabetes.  Israeli biotech Ormed is developing oral medicines to treat conditions that normally require injections.  Its flagship product, the ORMD-0801 insulin capsule for Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes has just successfully completed clinical trials.  Ormed’s share price rose 115 percent on the news.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Minorities speak out for Israel.  Muslims, Druse, Beduins, and Christian Arabs staunchly came out in support of the country as a Jewish and democratic state at a Zionist Conference for Human Rights in Tel Aviv

Free trees for Jerusalem Christians.  As per every year, the Jerusalem municipality, with the support of the Jewish National Fund, distributed fir trees free of charge to Christian residents of the city.

“Israel Apartheid” The latest rap video from Ari Lesser.  It’s even better than his “Boycott Israel” video.

A picture that the international media won’t publish.  A Palestinian Authority ambulance carrying a very sick woman was stuck in the snow. Luckily, soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were there to help. In the chaos of the snowstorm, the IDF never lost track of it values.

Syrians treated in Israel:  Ziv Medical Center in Safed treated its 200th wounded Syrian.  The 21-year-old patient was in serious condition with gunshot wounds to his hip and stomach.

The fur flies.  A record 37,400 pets traveled through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport so far in 2013.  49% were dogs, 45% were cats and 6% were fish, birds and rodents. Reasons included their owners' relocation for studies, diplomatic missions and immigration. The airline of choice for Israeli pet owners was El Al.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Developing next generation communications.  Israel’s Technion and Sydney University have launched a project to use cutting-edge nano-photonics to increase the bandwidth of computer communications.  The project has the backing of the New South Wales Government and the Australian Research Council.

Detecting problems in the pipeline.  Israel’s AcousticEye impressed investors at Tel Aviv’s WATEC water technology conference with its unique system to detect defects, blockages, cracks and holes in industrial pipes.

Dutch and Israelis develop “Wetskills”.  Israel’s Technion ran a 5-day competition for Dutch and Israeli graduate students as part of the Dutch Prime Minister’s visit to Israel.  The students had to solve water issues, with the winning team developing a plan to encourage Arab farmers to irrigate using recycled wastewater.

A tablet or a laptop?  Intel-Israel is a major contributor to Intel’s Baytrail processor, which powers the new range of “two-in-one” computers from Dell, ASUS, Toshiba, Acer, HP, Sharp and Lenovo (so far).  All the devices have detachable keyboards and run either Windows 8.1 (as laptops) or Android (when a tablet).

The dream team.  Israel’s Zula has developed a new way to manage team communications using mobile devices.  Zula brings the best of video conferencing, file sharing, facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and email to revolutionize teamwork.  Zula has just received a seed investment from Microsoft Ventures.

The folding car.  (Thanks to Israel21c)  The City Transformer is an Israeli concept car designed for the urban environment.  To cater for limited parking places, the car’s width can be reduced from 1.6 meters to a mere one meter.  Weighing only 400 kg, it will run on a rechargeable battery.

“The Blob” wins workspace design award.  (Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli students Alina Boukovsky and Yirat Lorenz, from Rishon LeZion’s College of Management Academic Studies, won first prize in the 2013 WING Global Student Design Competition.  “The Blob” is the title of their innovative computer workstation.

Even better translation.  Businesses can now speak even more clearly to foreign customers.  Israel’s Lexifone has launched version 2 of its phone conversation translation system.  It translates in real time French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and of course English.

Awards for Everything.  Israel’s Everything.me won a 2013 Meffy award in San Francisco in recognition of its contextual phone technology that provides Android users with an effortless mobile experience. Everything.me also won the Bronze Lovie in the ‘Lifestyle’ category.

Israel purifies more UK water.  In May I reported that Israel’s Mapal Green Energy had won a contract with Britain’s Anglian Water Company.  It has now closed a deal with the UK’s largest water company Thames Water, for Mapal’s bubble aeration technology water purification system to treat sewage and polluted water.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Starting a business in Tel Aviv?  Free consulting, marketing, legal advice and subsidized loans are available for immigrants to Israel who arrived less than 10 years ago or Israelis who returned less than two years ago.

Making the world more beautiful.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Syneron has formed a joint venture with Unilever to market Syneron’s home-use aesthetic devices globally.  The company also won the title “Equipment Supplier of the Year” for the second year running, at the UK’s Aesthetic Awards 2013

Towering deal with Panasonic.  Israel’s Tower Semiconductor Ltd is to set up a joint venture with Panasonic Corporation to manufacture Panasonic’s products.  The joint venture is expected to be worth a massive $400 million in sales to Tower annually. No wonder Tower’s share price rose 40% on the news.

Israelis power Broadcom in 4G race.  Mobile communications giant Broadcom has 1000 Israeli employees thanks to five of its last eleven acquisitions.  “When we need a new technology, we usually look at Israel first, because there is so much telecom innovation going on there," said CTO and co-founder Dr Henry Samueli.

Putting on the Ritz.  Ritz-Carlton cut the ribbon of its first hotel in Israel at the Herzliya Marina, featuring the brand’s first kosher restaurant.

US-Israel Energy bill.  The US Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved a bipartisan bill that aims to bolster joint energy projects between Israel and the US.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Kol Cambridge’s tribute to Arik Einstein.  Thursday’s Kol Cambridge program from DJ Antithesis on Tel Aviv’s Radio TLV1 was a special tribute to Arik Einstein on the 30th day following his death.

Cheer up with Israeli beer.  Thanks to Yehudit, I’ve just discovered Doug Greener’s excellent new blog on Israeli boutique beers.  Looking forward to trying some of those out during the Purim festival in March.

Stunning Jerusalem snow sculptures.  Thanks to Elder of Ziyon.

Or bowls them over.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Bowling history was made at the 49th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia as Israel’s Or Aviram defeated the first two seeds to take home the trophy.  Or scored two perfect 300-point games on the way to his victory.


THE JEWISH STATE

$22 million donation.  Helmsley Trust has given $22 million to Magen David Adom, Barzilai Hospital, Haifa University and Friends of the IDF.  Trustee Sandor Frankel stated, “They will strengthen Israel’s scientific, technological and medical research, which will benefit not only Israel, but the rest of the world as well.”

Welcome to 1000 French students.  Amid an unprecedented rise in French immigration to Israel, 1,000 French high school seniors arrived in Israel for a weeklong tour of the country, organized by the Jewish Agency.

Why I want to live in Israel.  Libbie Snyder writes about the 30 or so reasons why she loves living in the Jewish State.  Whatever the reason, she says, “Now is the time to be here”.

Returning to Zion.  The Bnei Menashe trace their history to the exile of the tribe of Menashe from Israel by the Assyrians in 723 BCE. On Dec 25th 2013, 40 Bnei Menashe from India flew from New Delhi to Israel thanks to the group Israel Returns, whose goal is “bringing home lost tribes and ‘hidden’ Jewish communities.”


131222



In the 22nd Dec 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        An Israeli biotech has developed a new chemical that can treat multiple diseases.
·        An Israeli optical device can detect early-stage cervical cancer.
·        An Israeli hi-tech has donated equipment to rebuild communications in the Philippines.
·        Israeli scientists on the Gaia European space project are searching for new planets.
·        You can now order Israeli-distilled single malt whiskey.
·        Jerusalem thaws out and Mount Hermon’s ski slopes are now open.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Israel Storms Ahead” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

New wonder treatment.  Israel’s VBL Therapeutics has developed VB-201 – the first of a new class of oral anti-inflammatories called Lecinoxoids.  VB-201 has the potential to treat immune-inflammatory diseases such as Psoriasis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and more.  The US FDA has also granted fast-track designation for VB-111, which treats GBM - an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Hadassah delivers 80 babies during snowstorm.  Staff at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem worked 16-hour shifts to meet the needs of 80 women who gave birth during the recent snowstorm.  Rescue teams transported expectant mothers to the hospital and some MDA ambulances conveyed two pregnant women.

Global research into Alzheimer’s.  Israel Brain Technologies has signed an agreement with four US organizations to create a partnership in neuroscience research, and in particular Alzheimer's disease.

Straighten teeth in your sleep.  A new orthodontic system developed by Israeli Aerodentis straightens the teeth through gentle pulsating force, which moves the teeth gradually during sleep.  Medical research shows this force is healthier and more efficient than applying constant pressure.

UN authorizes Israeli device to combat AIDS / HIV in Rwanda.  (Thanks to Atid/EDI)  The United Nations and the Rwandan government have selected PrePex - a non-surgical device developed by Israel’s Circ MedTech - to circumcise 700,000 Rwandan men to stop the spread of AIDS / HIV in the country.

Revolutionary shoes relieve foot pain.  Israeli Yaffa Golan couldn’t find a solution to the foot pain caused by her diabetes, so she invented Medic Shoes - clinically-proven flexible shoes featuring vibrating motors that massage the sole of the foot.  They relieve burning, cramping, tingling, circulation and the quality of sleep.

Device for detecting cervical cancer.  A quarter of a million women die of cervical cancer every year.  Israel’s MobileOCT has developed an image enhancement device that can detect early stage cancer.  MobileOCT just won a $100,000 investment in an Elevator World Tour event in Tel Aviv.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Entrepreneurial solutions for people with disabilities.  PresenTense Israel, the Ruderman Family Foundation and Beit Issie Shapiro are launching Accelerating Inclusion in Israel (A3i) - the first start-up accelerator for hi-tech and social ventures that helps people with disabilities become entrepreneurs.

Happy ending.  Palestinian Arabs stole an Israeli woman’s car with her baby daughter asleep in the back seat.  Another Arab then gave the woman his phone so she could call her husband and the police.  The husband drove to a nearby Arab village, where locals led him to their car with the baby still asleep inside.

Computer access for all.  At the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation in Vienna, Keepod launched its Unite project - to provide access to computers and the Internet to 5 billion people. Keepod’s Israeli developed operating system runs from any USB drive, eliminating dependency on one physical computer. 

Defense minister pulls his sleeves up.  Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon rescued a woman, whose car was stuck on one of Jerusalem’s snow-covered streets.  Yaalon and his staff, saw the woman in distress, stopped their vehicle, rolled up their sleeves and pushed the car out of the snow.

IDF medical team saves Palestinian Arab boy.  An IDF emergency medical team rescued a 10-year-old Palestinian Arab boy whose head was cut open following a car accident and airlifted him to hospital.  The team also treated the boy’s mother, who suffered from shock after the accident.

Syrians treated in Israel:  Three Syrians in moderate to serious condition were brought for treatment to Western Galilee hospital in Nahariya in northern Israel.  Meanwhile, Doctors at Sheba Medical Center operated on a 4-year-old Syrian boy born with reversed ventricles. His father said “I am happy to have met this country”.

Gaza:  Israel has delivered 1.2 million liters of diesel into Gaza to restart its power station.

Wifi equipment to the Philippines.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israeli company RADWIN has donated its point-to-point equipment to help re-establish communications networks in areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).  The network infrastructure is essential to the recovery process in order to facilitate relief efforts.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A new agricultural model for farmers.  Israeli scientists are to use the new Agriculture Technology Center to develop the “Facebook or Wikipedia of agricultural technologies”.  They will build a model to incorporate information technology into modern farming and assist farmers in implementing the model.

Israeli tomato company keeps men healthy.  Israel’s LycoRed has developed Lyc-O-Pro, a science-based formulation targeting prostate and bladder health. Lyc-O-Pro combines curcumin, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and a proprietary tomato extract optimized for men’s health.

Israeli and Afghan presidents meet in China.  The presidents were Professor Menachem Ben Sasson, President of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Professor Habibollah Habib, President of Kabul University in Afghanistan.  The two met at a conference for 2000 educators from 110 countries at the Confucius Institute in Beijing and discussed bilateral relations and possible collaborations.

Tower expands into China.  Israel’s Tower Semiconductor has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai ICC Technology & Industry Promotion Center to expand the distribution of Israeli complementary metal–oxide–semiconductors into the Chinese market. (Originally in Globes)

Asia wants to invest in Israel.  Please watch this excellent video featuring venture capitalist Jon Medved of OurCrowd. Here he is publicizing the funding of Israeli startups on Bloomberg TV Asia.

US company is also Israeli.  When US-based LivePerson bought Israeli start-ups HumanClick, Kasamba and NuConomy it acquired 400 Israeli staff – about half the company.  LivePerson also listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.  So when an on-line sales site asks you if you want to chat, Israeli software is responsible.

Israelis in international space project.  Tel Aviv University Professor Shay Zucker and Dr Yifat Dzigan will be searching for new planets in our Galaxy as part of the European Space Agency’s Gaia project, which launched last week.  Gaia contains a camera with a billion pixels to measure the movements of the stars.

Government approves “Digital Israel” project.  The Israeli cabinet has approved the "Digital Israel" project, designed to improve public access to the education, health and welfare systems. It will also encourage e-trading and reduce bureaucracy.  The optical fiber grid will allow Internet speeds up to 1,000 megabits per second. 


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Inflation falls by 0.4 per cent.  An 8.1% drop in the prices of fresh vegetables means that Israel’s annual inflation is now running at 1.9%, just below the middle of the government’s target.

Israel attends WTO conference in Indonesia.  Naftali Bennett was the first Israeli minister to visit Indonesia for 13 years when he attended the World Trade Organization conference in Bali.  He made a speech to 157 economic leaders and signed a trade agreement designed to inject a trillion dollars into the world economy. 

UK adtech delegation visits Israel.  A delegation of advertising and marketing executives from Britain came to Israel to encourage tech partnerships between the two countries.  They were shown Israeli cutting-edge technologies in the areas of visual search and exposure, social media, interactive video platforms, big data, real-time analytics, mobile advertising, content marketing and augmented reality.

German-Israeli incubator nurtures Israeli start-ups.  Germany’s healthcare corporations Merck Serono has allotted 10 million Euros to an incubator for new Israeli companies at its Inter-Lab R&D center in Yavne. The latest startups to join are Chanbio (MS antibody treatment) and Metabomed (cancer metabolism).

Single Malt Israeli Whiskey is coming.  In just 4 years time, Milk & Honey, Israel's first distillery will have the world's first commercial Israeli single malt whiskey available in stores.  For $79 you can be guaranteed a bottle of the first batch to be available in Dec 2017.  Le Hayim (“to life”).

Securing the world’s busiest websites.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Tel Aviv-based Fireblade protects websites with page-hits in the billions. Fireblade announced that it is partnering with Los Angeles’ EdgeCast Networks, one of the world’s top content delivery networks, to provide next-generation website security.

Israel is a major driver for Massachusetts’ economy.  A new independent study shows that over 200 Israeli-founded businesses contributed $6 billion in direct revenue and over 6,600 jobs in Massachusetts in 2012. 

Ben Gurion airport to double its capacity.  Israel Airports Authority is to construct a 17,000 square meter “fourth arm” to Terminal 3 at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to cater for up to 20 million passengers.  Its runways will also be upgraded to allow for double the current aircraft traffic.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Israeli TV is available worldwide.  The Israeli Network (TIN) exports Israel and the feeling of belonging to it, around the world.  Watch Israeli TV with English subtitles; hear and learn the Hebrew language; see news as it happens from the Israeli point of view, rather than how foreign news channels often portray Israel.

Paris comes to the Judean desert.  (Thanks to Israel21c) The Israeli Opera is to perform Giuseppe Verdi’s much-loved opera, La traviata, at the Masada International Opera Festival in June 2014.  It will be the 4th annual open-air opera season at the venue, following previous stagings of Nabucco, Aida and Carmen.

Israeli swimmer wins 6th Euro medal.  Israel’s Gal Nevo claimed his sixth career medal at the European Short Course Swimming Championships on Friday, winning a silver medal in the 400-meters individual medley final in Herning, Denmark.  He missed becoming the first Israeli gold medallist by two one-hundredths of a sec.

Get your skis on.  More than 1,600 visitors crowded Mount Hermon to enjoy the snow after the ski site opened on Monday. The snow depth at the site ranged from 24 inches in the lower areas to more than 40 inches in the higher ones. One visitor said, “It feels like Switzerland.”


THE JEWISH STATE

A chance encounter in Jerusalem.  Rami Yizraeli bumped into his neighbor in Jerusalem and persuaded him to help with his project - to put up a plaque next to the Supreme Court containing names of many of the Jews that died fighting to defend Jerusalem in 1948.  It was fortunate that Rami’s neighbor was Bibi Netanyahu.

Where people enact their dreams.  (Thanks to Israel21c) The UK’s leading travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, spotlighted Tel Aviv in its “Insider Tips” section.  It quotes “Tel Aviv’s creative energy and joie de vivre. Such positive energy is rare to find, and a pure joy to experience. This is a place where ideas are transformed into reality - where people enact their dreams rather than just talking about them.”

Go through the gates of Jerusalem.  A modern interpretation of Isaiah 62/10?

Welcoming the Shabbat with stranded guests.  The community spirit kicked in as Jerusalem residents hosted visitors to the capital who found themselves trapped by the snow that they came to see.


131215


In the 15th Dec 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli scientists have developed a fast, accurate blood test for women at risk of cancer.
·        A restaurant in Tiberias has been serving free meals to needy residents for 12 years.
·        Israel, Jordan and the PA have agreed the “Dead Sea to Red Sea Canal” plan.
·        CERN’s center for nuclear research elected Israel as its first non-European member.
·        Israeli-Chinese cars are now on sale in Europe.
·        Evgeny Kissin, one of the world’s best pianists has become an Israeli citizen.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “So where is Israel exactly?” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Accurate test for cancer gene.  Thanks to scientists at Hadassah Medical Center, a simple blood test will now detect the presence of harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in otherwise healthy women.  Gene expression profiling is far quicker, cheaper and more accurate than the previous method of full gene sequencing.

Slowing down to speed up DNA sequencing.  Technion scientists have made a breakthrough that will improve the accuracy and speed of calculating an individual’s genome.  A focused low-power green laser slows down the flow of DNA nanopores to enable sensors to get a higher-resolution analysis of the proteins in the DNA.

Seeing is believing.  I featured the “talking glasses” from Israel’s OrCam in a previous newsletter, but here is a new video showing the power of the unique Israeli device for the visually impaired.

Israeli experts at G8 Dementia Summit.  Israel has participated in an international summit on dementia in London, England, bringing its know-how to bear on a disease that is set to treble globally by 2050.

Digital dentistry has wide-open benefits.  Thanks to the Israeli-developed Objet30 OrthoDesk 3D printer, small dental labs can now produce stone models, orthodontic appliances, delivery and positioning trays, retainers and surgical guides, which were previously only accessible by large labs.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Technion’s revolutionary program for Haredim.  Rabbi Dov Lipman outlines the Israel Technion’s goal to help ultra-orthodox citizens reach the highest Talmudic, academic and professional standards.

12 years of kindness.  The Meir Panim Free Restaurant in Tiberias is celebrating its 12th anniversary.  Funded entirely by Mrs Lee Steinberg of New York, the restaurant serves 160 meals every day to needy residents and delivers another 60 meals to the homebound.  It provides a dignified and social atmosphere for its customers.

Uriel scores a touchdown.  11-year-old Uriel Wang from Jerusalem has had two bone marrow transplants to treat his leukemia.  Thanks to the Jerusalem Big Blue Lions football team, Uriel achieved his dream of playing for the team and scored a dramatic touchdown, with a little help from both sides.

Scholarships for evacuees.  Yedidut Toronto is granting University scholarships to 202 students formerly evacuated from Gush Katif as part of Israel’s disengagement from Gaza.  The scholarships will be distributed by the employment organization JobKatif, which has already found work for 2,500 ex-Gush Katif residents.

Better English for Israeli kids.  Israeli and UK education ministers signed an agreement promoting English studies in Israel. A national plan developed by the British Council, includes joint seminars and on-line tools to help improve the professionalism and English language skills of hundreds of Israeli teachers.

Crossing Boundaries Through Medicine.  The "Heart for Peace" Foundation and Israel’s Civil Administration for the Territories organized a party at the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital, for Palestinian Arab and Israeli children who underwent cardiac surgery and catheterization.

Arabs rush for Technion course.  Thousands of Arab students, including 600 Egyptians, have applied for Israel Technion’s online course in nanotechnology and micro sensors. Technion Professor Hossam Haick, who invented Israel’s NaNose cancer detection device, offers the course beginning in March in Arabic and English.

G8 taskforces take up Israeli social initiative.  The organization Social Finance Israel presented an innovative blueprint for preventing type-2 diabetes to the G8 Taskforce on Social Impact Investment.  Social Impact Bonds invest in companies tackling social or medical issues and governments pay dividends based on results.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Jordan chooses Israeli as VP of science project.  The Jordan-based SESAME scientific research project has chosen an Israeli as vice president. Professor Eliezer Rabinovici of Jerusalem's Hebrew University is the new Vice President of the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East.

Israel, Jordan & PA sign agreement.  Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority have 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, hydroelectric power and replenish the critically dwindling Dead Sea.

Airport security – El Al is the best.  UK Daily Mail’s travel editor praised the Israeli airline for ensuring safety.  “Maybe it's time to ditch the security scanner and actually talk to people at airports...it works for El Al”

Israeli aerosol wins International green-tech award.  Israeli start-up GreenSpense represented Israel in the International Cleantech Open Ideas Competition in San Francisco, the “Oscar” of clean-technology awards. Its no-gas eco-friendly aerosol can won 1st place in the Chemistry & Advanced Materials category.

Israel is a world leader in cyber security.  This article describes why Israel is to host January’s Cybertech 2014 International Exhibition and Conference.

Israel is the first and only non-Euro member of CERN.  The prestigious CERN European nuclear physics Council in Geneva unanimously accepted Israel as its 21st full member state.  The organization is the largest center for the study of nuclear particles and operates the longest particle accelerator in the world.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

OECD praises Israel’s economic growth.  "Israel's output growth remains relatively strong, unemployment is at historically low levels, its high-tech sector continues to attract international admiration, and new off-shore gas fields have come on stream," The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in the executive summary of its 2013 Israel Economic Survey.

Israeli deficit shrinks further.  The cumulative deficit for the last 12 months dropped sharply in November and totaled NIS 31.7 billion, 3% of GDP - much lower than the original target of 4.65% of GDP.

The Chinese market.  (Thanks to Uri) Israeli firms are finding billions of new middle-class customers in the far-east superpower for Israel’s advanced medical and hi-tech products.  Weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Beijing have just been increased from three to fourteen to cater for the increased business demand. 

First European showroom for Israeli-Chinese cars.  Car manufacturer Qoros Auto Co. Ltd., a joint venture controlled by Israel Corporation and China's Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. has officially opened its first showroom in Europe in the Slovakian capital Bratislava.  The price of the Qoros 1.6 turbo will be 20,960 Euros.

Flying to Israel will be “easy-er” (and cheaper).  UK low-cost airline easyJet is introducing three new routes to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.  They are London Gatwick (three flights a week starting April), Milan Malpensa (four times a week starting March) and Berlin (3 times a week starting February).

Israel’s Pillcam is swallowed up.  Irish medical devices company Covidien has bought Israel’s Given Imaging, manufacturer of the unique digestible Pillcam colon diagnosis camera, for a reported $860 million.

Israel’s Frutarom is flavor of the month.  One of Israel’s biggest companies, Frutarom has just purchased US-based flavor manufacturer Hagelin & Co for $52.4 million.  It follows Frutarom’s recent acquisitions of Russia’s Protein Technologies Ingredients for $50.3 million and Guatemala’s Aroma SA for $12.5 million.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

“The greatest pianist in the world” is now Israeli.  Evgeny Kissin, generally regarded as one of the world’s greatest living pianists, has taken Israeli citizenship.  Kissin, who was born in Russia, said “Israel is the only state on our planet which I want to represent with my art and all my public activities, no matter where I live.”

Cirque du Soleil returns to Israel.  Canada’s Cirque du Soleil enchanted Israelis last summer with its show "Alegria". It returns to Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena between 6th and 16th Aug 2014 with ten performances of the award-winning production "Quidam," seen already by more than 10 million viewers worldwide.

Israeli actress is “Wonder Woman”.  Israel-born actress Gal Gadot is set to star as Wonder Woman in a Warner Bros superhero film featuring Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman.  Director Zac Snyder said that Gadot “has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role."

Two UK TV channels to air Israeli series.  Israel’s original hit series “Hostages” will be broadcast on BBC Four in Hebrew with English sub-titles.  It is the first time that the BBC has shown an Israeli series. Meanwhile, Channel Four will show the US remake in which the family of a woman surgeon is taken hostage in order to coerce her into killing the US President.

Netanya to host international soccer tournament.  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.


THE JEWISH STATE

Subbotnik Jews make Aliyah.  The forefathers of Ariel and Moriah Shishlenikov were Christian peasants who embraced Judaism some 200 years ago. Now they are the first of the 400 - 500 residents of the southern Russian village of Vysoky to immigrate to Israel.

UK tourists love Israel.  A survey of easyJet passengers from the UK showed that 65 percent of first-time tourists had improved views of the Jewish State following their trip.  78 percent would visit again and 82 percent would recommend it to others as a holiday destination.

63 special bar & bat mitzvot. Boys and girls from all over Israel gathered under the auspices of the International Young Israel Movement (IYIM) – Israel to celebrate their Bar and Bat Mitzvot. Every one of the 63 participants was deaf or hearing impaired.

Does Hanukah have a message for America?  For the first time since 1888, the day of Thanksgiving and the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukah coincided.  It will not happen again for over 70,000 years.  Is there a connection between the two festivals?

Here comes the rain and snow.  Winter has finally arrived in Israel.  The Kinneret is rising and there are some beautiful photos of Israel as Jerusalem has its heaviest snowfall for 60 years.


131208


In the 8th Dec 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Two major Israeli discoveries that could revolutionize treatments for Alzheimer’s.
·        A new Israeli treatment for Attention Deficiency Disorder
·        Israel won an international award in recognition of the number of women in Israel’s parliament.
·        Israeli humanitarian work is expanding in both Syria and in the Philippines.
·        An Israeli company is building Honduras’ first geothermal power plant.
·        Apple buys Israeli gesture technology company PrimeSense for $350 million
·        The world’s oldest wine cellar has been unearthed in the Galilee.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Another Week of Miracles” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on JewishBusiness News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Chemical stops brain from aging.  Researchers at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem and Israeli startup TyrNovo have discovered that a unique compound, named NT219, selectively inhibits the process of aging in order to protect the brain from neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s.

Regulating proteins in the brain.  In May, Tel Aviv University researchers discovered that too much of the “bad” protein Tomosyn led to Alzheimer’s disease in mice.  Now they have identified lists of microRNA molecules that regulate proteins that are either good or bad for brain performance.

Israeli fibroid treatment is now in use across the UK.  The ExAblate focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) from Israel’s Insightec is already in use in London, destroying uterine fibroids that cause pain and infertility.  MRgFUS has now been installed at Solihull’s Spire Parkway Hospital in the West Midlands of England.

Israeli exoskeleton on CNN.  The “robotic trousers” from Israel’s ReWalk that help paraplegics to walk, have attracted interest from the TV channel that usually doesn’t have very nice things to say about the Jewish State.

Better calcium to treat osteoporosis.  (Thanks to Uri) Israeli biotech Amorphic has developed Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC) that the body absorbs far better than the crystalline form.  Amorphic produced synthetic ACC after studying the crayfish, which uses natural ACC to build its bones in low calcium conditions.

New treatment for ADD.  Israeli start-up Alcobra set out to develop a pill that would reduce blood alcohol but came up with a treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder.  Alcobra claims metadoxine has all the benefits of Ritalin, Concerta, and Strattera without their drawbacks.

How Israel eradicated malaria.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is running a conference this coming week to analyze how Israel eliminated malaria from pre-State Palestine.  Lessons learned could help remove the scourge of malaria prevalent currently in Africa.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel wins international women’s rights prize.  The Women in Parliament Global Forum awarded Israel with its prize for progress at the European Parliament in Brussels. According to the OECD, Israel is among a minority of 9 percent of developed countries with gender-sensitive institutions in the seat of government.

Bedouin sheiks speak out.  Don’t believe the BBC or the incitement of non-Bedouin Arab politicians.  Watch this video and see what two Bedouin leaders think of Israel’s plan to improve the future of their brethren.

Israel and Syria:  Israel has been sending water and baby food to besieged Syrian villages.  The IDF has also been using its groundbreaking freeze-dried plasma innovation in its field hospitals - to save wounded Syrians from blood loss.

Still working in the Philippines.  Although the IDF mission has returned to Israel, the IsraAID delegation continues to provide relief to the typhoon victims in Ormoc and its surrounding municipalities.  The team is dealing with trauma and physical health problems, extending its role as other countries pull out.

Israeli wins prize for Japanese book.  The Japan Cultural Institute has awarded Professor Ben-Ami Shillony of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem its annual prize for promoting the understanding between cultures.  The JCI’s Foundation for Furtherance of International Cultural Ties selected Prof Ben-Ami’s book “The Secret of Japan’s Strength” (recently translated into Japanese) ahead of 74 other works in Japanese.

UN passes Israeli resolution on agriculture.  The UN on Tuesday passed an Israeli-sponsored resolution on “agricultural technology for development,” a bill dedicated to sustainable agricultural advancements for developing countries.  138 countries voted “Yes” whilst Arab states abstained.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Eilat to be energy independent in 2 years.  An eight-megawatt medium-sized solar field has been installed at Kibbutz Neot Smadar – the second major solar site in the Eilat area.  Within 2 years, new sites will increase local capacity to 160MW, well above the current 120MW consumption level.

Geothermal power for Honduras.  Israel’s Ormat Industries is to build and operate the first-ever geothermal power plant in Honduras.  The 18-megawatt renewable energy plant will begin operations in 2016.

Building a power station for Peru.  Kallpa Generaction, a subsidiary of Israel Corporation, has been awarded the Peruvian government tender to build a 593MW dual-fuel open cycle power station (natural gas and diesel) that will support the country's grid.  The agreement is for 20 years and is worth $1 billion.

Israel to restore Mexico’s aquifers.  (Thanks to Israel21c) The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico has signed a cooperation agreement with Israel’s national water carrier Mekorot for the development of strategies for the purification and protection of groundwater quality in Mexico.

SiSense wins World Technology Award.  Eldad Farkash of SiSense won a top prize at the World Technology Awards gala in New York City for his invention of In-Chip big data analytics technology. The Israeli-run company’s software allows users to analyze vast amounts of data at huge speeds using minimal hardware.

Preventing soil erosion.  Ben-Gurion University is establishing a center for excellence on fertile land erosion.  The project has been made possible due to a grant from the chief scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture.

Top Israeli companies at AgriVest.  Too new stars at Israel’s AgriVest agricultural conference included Rootility, which has a root-growing platform that substantially increases crop yields.  Also EggDetect, which ensures incubation of only fertile eggs and prevents unnecessary production of male chicks.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Unemployment falls to 5.9%.  Israel’s unemployment rate fell to 5.9% in October from 6% in September.  The number of Israelis participating in the work force rose to 3,704,000, up 0.4% from the previous month.

All-time record for currency reserves.  The total of Israel’s foreign currency reserves reached a new record of £80,589 in November.

Israeli economy gets more ‘A’s.  Fitch announced this that it has affirmed Israel's 'A' rating and raised the country's outlook to 'positive'. It also affirmed Israel's long-term foreign and local currency ratings at 'A' and 'A+' respectively. The agency also raised the outlook on the foreign currency debt from 'stable' to 'positive'.

Apple buys Israel’s Prime Sense for $350 million.  After 18 months of talks, Apple Inc confirmed that it has acquired Israel’s PrimeSense. PrimeSense’s gesture recognition hardware and software is embedded in Microsoft’s Kinect system used in Xbox 360 game consoles.

Three of the fastest growing companies are Israeli.  Deloitte’s EMEA Fast 500 ranks three Israeli companies among the ten European technology companies with the highest rates of growth.  MyThings (advertising) was placed second, Trusteer (IT security) was fifth and MyHeritage (family trees and genealogy) was tenth.

Mini-golf project gets good publicity.  Newsletter subscriber Grant Crankshaw’s Headstart campaign to build a Bible-themed mini-golf venue in Ra’anana has been featured in top media articles.  Here it is on Israel21c.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Anemone voted Israel’s national flower.  The bright red calaniot (anemones) that cover the country's southern fields each spring have now become Israel's national flower.  In an online election campaign held by the Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNI) and Ynet, the anemone attracted 28 per cent of the vote.

100 years of aviation in Israel.  (Thanks to Jacob Richman) In 1913 French aviator Jules Vedrines landed his Bleriot XI in the pre-State Land of Israel, near the beach in Tel Aviv.  New Israeli stamps celebrate this event, plus two of the Israeli aircraft developed since, the Zukit and the Heron I UAV.

Gary Numan to perform in Israel.  British new wave and punk legend Gary Numan will arrive in Israel this winter to perform at Tel Aviv's Barby Club on February 10.  Numan's first song as an solo artist, “Cars” was released in 1979 and made it to the top of the charts. Over the next decades he released more than 20 albums

“Me and you will change the world”.  Arik Einstein, who died last week, was Israel’s most popular singer and songwriter.  We learnt his iconic song “Ani v’Ata” (Me and You) at ulpan (Hebrew language school).

Israel ride raises $500,000.  132 cyclists rode from Jerusalem to Eilat to raise money for the Arava Institute and the Hazon charity.  Five days of cycling took the riders through 350 miles of beautiful Israeli scenery.


THE JEWISH STATE

The world’s oldest wine cellar.  Archaeologists have discovered a 3700-year-old wine cellar in Tel Kabri, in the Galilee.  Forty intact jars were found in the cellar, which dates to 1700 BCE. Each of the jars would have held fifty liters.  The cellar is estimated to have held 2000 liters of the strong sweet wine.

The first night of Hanukkah in Jerusalem.  A glimpse of Israel’s capital in the glow of the first candle lit during the festival of lights. Prime Minister Netanyahu lit for the IDF delegation returning from the Philippines.

Hanukkah miracles.  Blinded in a Gaza terrorist attack last month, 2nd Lieutenant Ahiya Klein has recovered enough sight in his left eye to return home and light Hanukkah candles.  And, two-year-old Avigail Ben-Tzion is smiling again after suffering serious head injuries when Arabs threw rocks at her family’s car in Jerusalem.

Hasmonean era house discovered.  For the first time ever, the remains of a Hasmonean building are being excavated in Jerusalem.  Coins found in the ruins of the house date the building to the 2nd Century BCE - the time of War of the Maccabees against the Syrian-Greek rulers that led to the Jewish festival of Hanukah.

World’s largest Hanukkiah.  On the last (8th) day of the Jewish festival of Hanukah, Israel Electric Corporation switched on the 8th candle on the largest Hanukah candelabra in the world. It is made from nine aerial platforms, reaching a height of 28 meters and can be seen from all over Tel Aviv.


131201


In the 1st Dec 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        An Israeli non-invasive treatment was used to cure a Jerusalem shopkeeper of essential tremor.
·        Special Israeli shoes will straighten infants’ deformed feet in six weeks.
·        Following the typhoon, Israeli medics treated over 2600 injured Filipinos and delivered 36 babies.
·        An Israeli company won an international prize for saving drinking water in the Philippines.
·        Israel has many job opportunities for unemployed US citizens.
·        A Jewish altar has been discovered in Shiloh that predates King Solomon’s Temple.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Israel is Weird and Wonderful” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israeli cured of essential tremor.  At Haifa’s Rambam hospital, the first Israeli has been cured of essential tremor using ExAblate Neuro – the non-invasive focused ultrasound treatment from Israel’s InSightec.  Also a recent BBC program featuring the treatment, but no mention of the name of the equipment, or that it is Israeli.

Doctors seeking doctors.  Israeli start-up Qure has developed a smartphone app that allows doctors worldwide to locate and communicate with their fellow professionals.  Qure maps physicians globally with a navigation tool to find a particular expert.  It then provides a closed network for private communications.

Intensive Care Unit on a motorcycle.  Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom in Jerusalem has introduced unique ICU motorcycles. These are fully equipped with rescue and ICU capabilities so that MDA paramedics can get to patients faster and stabilize them until ambulances arrive to evacuate them to hospital.

$1 million to research brain disorders.  Researchers from Ben-Gurion University, plus the University of Heidelberg and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin are investigating the impact of mitochondria on memory and brain disorders. The team has been awarded a $1 million German-Israel Project-Cooperation Grant.

Cannabis cures Crohn’s?  Israel is a pioneer of the medical properties of cannabis / marijuana. A study by scientists at Tel Aviv University and Kfar Saba’s Meir Hospital has shown it to give Crohns’ disease sufferers significant relief from their symptoms. Some of them said the disease went into remission.  An estimated 0.3 percent of the general population suffers from Crohn's disease.

Straightening babies’ feet.  Another Israeli medical products mentioned last week is the UNFO foot brace. The device is worn below the ankle and rectifies infant foot deformities (metatarsus adductus or metatarsus varus) within six weeks.  It is far superior, safer, and less stressful than a cast or full leg braces.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Ikea Israel helps toddlers with disabilities.  Ikea in Israel has raised funds to help two Israeli charities (Akim and Chimes) renovate an educational and therapeutic center for toddlers with disabilities in Jaffa. 

Israeli technology treats PA sewage.  Israeli water treatment company Mapal Green Energy is building a a sewage water reclamation system for the Palestinian Arab village of Uja, near Jericho. It will recycle domestic sewage and water for use in agriculture.

Saving lives in Israel and the world.  Good summary in the UK Sunday Telegraph of the work of Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom both nationally and globally.

Syrians treated in Israel:  IsraAid has provided almost $100,000 in nutritional and hygienic assistance to displaced Syrians. Plus, some aid examples and of the wounded Syrians treated in Israeli hospitals.  Then watch a two-minute BBC program on the Syrians being treated at Israel’s Ziff Hospital in Tsfat.

Israel in the Philippines  Israeli doctors treated 300 Philippine injured per day and delivered three-dozen babies.  The team also rebuilt a school enabling 350 children to restart classes and their parents to return to work. The 148-member team has now handed over to a EU delegation having treated over 2600 patients.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Technion: The Engine of a Young Nation.  Richard Baehr, Chief Political Correspondent of American Thinker, was most impressed with his visit to Israel’s Institute of Technology.

Where to stick your phone?  If your mobile phone keeps sliding around the inside of your car, then you need an Israeli “Sticko”.  The gadget will stick your phone to your dashboard, windshield or any window.  You can also stick other items – like a shower gel bottle to the wall of the shower.  See the video.

Protection against multiple threats.  (Thanks to Nevet www.BroaderView.org) Israel’s RADA has developed a tactical Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) to detect UAVs, mortars, and rockets.  Boeing is currently evaluating the system.

Recycling US vehicles for peace.  (Thanks to Nevet www.BroaderView.org) Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, refurbishes hundreds of obsolete military vehicles at its Land Vehicle Center.  60-year-old vehicles have been put into world peacekeeping roles at a fraction of the cost of new ones.

Before the typhoon.  Israel’s water management company Miya won the Drinking Water Supply – Software category in this year’s IWA Project Innovation Awards for its work reducing water leakage in Manila, Philippines.  Water lost through faulty systems was reduced from 67% to 38% - saving 700 million liters a day.

Israeli cooking app goes global.  Israeli startup Kinetic Art is producing a vegetarian cooking application of 20 of America's leading chefs in association with the James Beard Foundation culinary organization.  The application, called “The Best of the Best”, will be available for iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

The best start-up at IDCEE 2013.  Israeli company Ubertesters won the best startup award, and a prize of about $20,000 in the IDCEE 2013 international technology conference held in Kiev, Ukraine.  Ubertesters presented its cloud-based platform for the crowdsourced testing of mobile applications.

Database of Israeli companies fighting climate change.  The Ministry of Economy presented a database of the Israeli companies that offer Adaptation technologies at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference. The companies address climate, waste, green building materials, agriculture and crisis management.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Agritech - Israel’s commercial future.  Israel has become a world leader in advanced precision farming techniques, water optimization, robotics, sensor driven technology and environmentally friendly agrochemicals.  All will be on display at the 2nd annual Agrivest Conference on Dec 3 at the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv.

The best in business.  Top speakers at Globes Israel Business Conference include OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, Professor Stanley Fischer and Dr. Fatih Biron, one of the most influential experts in the energy industry.  The event takes place at the Dan Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv on Dec 8-9.

Don’t suffer unemployment – come to Israel.  (Thanks to Nevet – www.BroaderView.org) Interesting article that suggests Americans should consider working in Israel after college.  Between 4.8 and 14.7 per cent of US graduates cannot find jobs locally.  Many American companies have specific jobs pages for their Israel sites.

Global and dynamic.  Israel has been ranked second in the Global Dynamism Index science and technology sector of worldwide accountancy firm Grant Thornton International.  Only South Korea was higher.  Israel was eighth in the overall Global Dynamism Index rankings.

Engineering Israeli-UK projects.  British engineering firm Arup is working with Israel’s national water carrier Mekorot and several Israeli start-ups, both globally and also to bring their technologies to Britain. Arup is supported by the UK Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Paraguay offers a springboard to Israeli trade.  Paraguay’s visiting Trade and Investment Minister Gustavo Leite said that an Israeli-Paraguayan partnership would bring Israel’s hi-tech and technology to Paraguay whilst Israel would acquire an instant ability to expand its markets throughout South America.

Israel’s Spice Girls.  (Thanks to Charlie) “Tavlinim” (Hebrew for “spices”) is a group of women in Netivot who formed a cooperative in order to cater at events on a commercial basis.  The group is supported by Philadelphia’s Partnership2Gether.  Most of the women originated from Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia. http://blog.ifcj.org/post/israels-spice-girls

Scramble for Israeli technology firms.  CNN records the growing success of Israeli hi-tech start-ups that has attracted the interest of major global giants.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Heritage coin wins international prize.  The NIS 2 Silver Proof commemorative coin in the UNESCO “World Heritage Sites” series issued by the Bank of Israel and dedicated to the water supply system at Tel Megiddo has won a prize at the tenth annual Vicenza Numismatica International Competition held in the city of Vicenza, Italy. It was chosen as the “Most Beautiful Architectural Representation on a Coin Minted in 2012”.

The Beatles as never seen before.  Another unique performance from Rabbis Arie and Gil Gat.

“Everything is wonderful here”.  Please take a look at the redeveloped Independence Square in my hometown of Netanya. (Turn down the speakers if the music isn’t as attractive as the visuals.)


THE JEWISH STATE

“And you shall choose life.”  This article explains the simple reason why Israel has been sending rescue missions and humanitarian aid across the world for the past 60 years.  It gives examples from the Greek earthquake of 1953 to the Philippines in 2013.

New Orleans supports Israel.   Chloe Valdary has made this powerful and inspiring video about the Jewish State.  Chloe is a black American woman who is organizing the second annual pro-Israel Festival in New Orleans next year.  Please support her project.

Majorca’s master chef returns to the Jewish people.  For centuries the family of Tony Pina practiced Judaism secretly in Majorca.  Now, 500 years after forced conversion to Christianity, Tony has returned to his roots in Jerusalem, defying history, logic and the impossible.

Biblical altar discovered at Shiloh.  Archeologists have found the first physical evidence that the ancient city of Shiloh (in Judea and Samaria) was a religious center before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem.  An Iron Age stone altar was accidentally exposed during a recent archeological dig.


131117

In the 17th Nov 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered a fundamentally new form of antibiotic.
·        Researchers from the same university are able to control overactive white blood cells.
·        Israeli doctors delivered a baby at their new field hospital in the Philippines.
·        Israeli scientists have made a new liquid fuel from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
·        An Israeli company is to generate electricity from a landfill site in Ghana.
·        Israel beat the favorites Russia in the European women’s chess championships.

·        Last week’s JPost blog “Israel is the Key to Life” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

A protein that kills bacteria.  Tel Aviv University researchers have succeeded in isolating a protein known as Gene 0.4 that kills bacteria. In what is a first step toward developing a substitute for antibiotics, the protein prevents bacteria from dividing, thus destroying them and combating infections. A positive story from Haaretz!
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.557677

Download MDA’s medical app.  Hebrew speakers can get medical guidance direct from Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom via their cell phone. After downloading the app, they don’t need Internet access.  Call MDA (even from overseas) to receive detailed animations, safety advice, training videos and tips.
http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Health-Scan-MDA-app-brings-help-through-your-smartphone-330451

Have you heard about the EarDoc?  The EarDoc from Israel’s Kencap Medical solutions is a non-invasive, non-surgical device that can improve the quality of life for sufferers of earache.  It was one of the three previously unreported Israeli innovations featured in the new medical video I distributed last week.
http://www.eardoc.info/products/ent-news/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdqrGaUF5EQ

Israeli innovations in Life Sciences – Part 2.  As promised, the second video showing Israeli products previously unreported in this Newsletter.  HemaClear for bloodless surgery; RIMED non-invasively measures blood-flow in the brain; FirstCare bone injection gun.  More on these in future newsletters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO7EMKUy-28

Intravenous injection in action.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) A video showing the design of the remarkable SAGIV device invented by Hebrew University students that provides 100% accurate insertion of intravenous tubes into a person’s veins.  (You still may not want to watch this, however, if you have a fear of needles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ9dJpCdYKs#t=11

Pediatric research with Philadelphia.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has signed a research agreement with Philadelphia’s Children’s Hospital and Drexel University to advance pediatric medicine. The event took place during Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s trade mission to Israel.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/280261#.UoHV3yf65pE

Slowing down the immune response.  Tel Aviv University researchers have found a way to control overactive eosinophil white blood cells - a disorder that can lead to allergies and autoimmune diseases.  In lab tests they have located and regulated the two cell receptors PIR-B and PIR-A that protect or shut down the oesinophils.
http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/TAU-researchers-find-way-to-slow-down-white-blood-cells-331407

Sleep soundly with a SomnuSeal mask.  (Thanks to Israel21c) For those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) Israel’s Discover Medical has developed a less-intrusive CPAP mask to help them breathe at night.  It is fitted like a boxer’s mouth guard and also requires less air pressure from the CPAP machine.
http://israel21c.org/health/new-device-for-sleep-apnea-is-easier-on-the-heart/


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Syrians treated in Israel:  Ziv medical center in Safed treated another casualty who sustained serious injuries in the Syrian civil war.  And for once a EU official praised Israel’s treatment of “the other”.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Ziv-medical-center-receives-seriously-injured-Syrian-331376
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/EU-official-lauds-Israel-for-treating-injured-Syrians-331691

The largest Arab-Israeli hi-tech company.  Imad Younis founded Alpha Omega in Nazareth in 1993 and received funding from Israel’s Chief Scientist program.  Today Alpha Omega employs Moslems, Christians and Jews and ships its brain surgical guidance systems to 500 hospitals and laboratories across the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAvWODm3uaE 

Dean of exact science is haredi woman.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Professor Malka Schaps, a Harvard graduate living in the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) city of Bnei Brak, is the new dean of Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Exact Sciences.  She had previously founded the university’s program in financial mathematics.
http://israel21c.org/headlines/bar-ilans-new-haredi-dean-of-exact-sciences/

World record donation of hair.  Zichron Menachem - the Israeli association for the support of children with cancer and their families - set a Guinness World Record for donating the most hair to cancer victims in one day. Some 250 women, including cancer survivors, cut 53.1 kg (117 lbs) of their locks for wigs for cancer patients.
http://israel21c.org/news/israelis-sets-guinness-record-for-donating-hair-to-cancer-patients/

Israeli rescuers in Philippines.  A lead IDF team left Israel for the Philippines on Sunday night, which was hit by a devastating typhoon.  A further team of 148 flew out on Wednesday.  IsraAID is also sending a relief team.  A baby born in the IDF field hospital will be named “Israel”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke04OKpPEqQ

Truth told at UN General Assembly.  A live microphone broadcast an interpreter’s private remarks to all GA delegates.  “Isn’t it a little weird? There are nine or ten resolutions against Israel. And I know there’s a problem with the Palestinians. But there’s other bad **** going on and they’re spending so much time on this.”
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/uns-relentless-attacks-on-israel-publicly-criticized-at-un/2013/11/15/


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A new green fuel.  Ben Gurion University scientists have developed a revolutionary method for producing alternative liquid fuel from two of the most common substances on earth, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.  BGU Professor Moti Herskowitch unveiled the breakthrough at the Bloomberg Fuel Choices Summit in Tel Aviv.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-researchers-develop-revolutionary-alternative-fuel-process/

Checking the temperature.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s BT9 has enhanced its Xsense automated data collection and analytics system for the cold supply chain.  The range of products monitored by the sensors now include meat and poultry, fish and seafood, dairy, ice-cream, chocolate, snacks and medicines.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/15/bt-idUSnBw155163a+100+BSW20131015

Don’t touch my bike.  Israel’s HUHA team devised a solution to preventing bicycle theft that is only slightly larger than a plastic coca cola cap.  The Cricket is a silent alarm that uses bluetooth technology to alert smart phone users if anyone touches their bicycle.
http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/10/cricket-bike-alarm-plastic-cap/

TCL TVs to have Israeli software.  TCL Corporation, the third largest television brand in the world, has selected the industry-leading and award winning gesture recognition solution from Israel’s PointGrab to power TCL’s upcoming line of smart televisions.  PointGrab’s software is already included in Samsung smart TVs.
http://www.pointgrab.com/1881/tcl-selects-pointgrab-to-power-gesture-control-experience-in-new-line-of-smart-tvs/

Water - a key to world peace?  “Filtration will ensure that life as we know it continues”, says the CEO of Israeli water filtration company Amiad.  “Ensuring that there is enough clean water to grow the food burgeoning populations need is a concern for farmers and governments everywhere.  With our systems, farmers grow ten kilos of cucumbers in an area where they previously had been able to grow just one kilo.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/water-filters-a-key-to-world-peace/

Energy from garbage in Ghana.  Israel’s Energy Industries is to construct a plant in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, to create electric power from natural gas extracted from a large landfill.  Test drills will determine the amount of Methane gas that can be obtained from it.
http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/11/israels-energy-industries-wins-power-from-garbage-contract-in-ghana/

Who is on our network?  A new Israeli start-up, Adallom aims to detect and prevent advanced computer attacks from cyber criminals inside or outside a company.  Adallom monitors and interprets user activities and builds up a “profile” for each user. In this way it can determine suspicious behavior and alert management.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/benkepes/2013/11/12/the-next-israeli-success-story-adallom-uber-control-for-cloud-customers/

Technion goes into China.  The Technion-Guangdon Institute of Technology (TGIT) will be a bridgehead into China for Israeli companies.  The local Chinese government will fund TGIT's construction and initial operations.  The Li Ka Shing Foundation also donated $130 million to the Technion.
http://youtu.be/O_MUWu6BSpQ

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Another record for currency deposits.  Israel’s foreign exchange reserves at the end of October 2013 stood at a record $80,571 million, an increase of $669 million from their level at the end of September.  $320 million were purchased to prevent Israel’s natural gas production from strengthening the Shekel’s exchange rate.
http://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/07-11-2013-forex.aspx

World’s richest man invests in Israel.  Israel-based start-up Mobli has just received a strategic investment from America Movil, owned by Mexico’s Carlos Slim.  The goal is to bring Mobli's photo, video sharing platform to millions of America Movil’s customers in Latin America.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4450354,00.html

Entrepreneurs win trips to the innovation nation.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Heads of start-ups in 12 European, Asian and South American countries won competitions to visit the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Tel Aviv.
http://israel21c.org/headlines/start-tel-aviv-brings-foreign-ceos-to-israeli-innovation-hub/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUEWIG8HZY

Israel and Korea – together an economic powerhouse.  A delegation led by the (South) Korean ambassador to Israel, Kim Il-soo, participated in the first-ever Korea-Israel Creative Economy Forum.  Kim said that Israel was much admired in his country. Annual trade is $2.5 billion. Samsung’s only foreign R&D is in Israel.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-and-south-korea-could-be-economic-powerhouse/

A very successful Formula.  For those that think there are no big Israeli companies, Israel’s Formula Systems controls three Israel companies – Matrix, Magic Software and Sapiens.  Together they employ thousands of IT experts and sell products and services in hundreds of countries.  They are very profitable – and growing.
http://www.formulasystems.com/group-structure 
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000894151&fid=1725


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Cyndi Lauper to perform in Tel Aviv.  Cyndi Lauper, one of the most successful American singers of the 1980s, is staging a concert on January 4 at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena.  It is part of the “She's So Unusual” tour, marking the 30th anniversary of her album that included "Time After Time" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,".
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4450954,00.html

America will “Dig” Jerusalem.  Israel’s Keshet Broadcasting is producing an action-adventure drama series called “Dig” for the NBC cable network that is set entirely in Jerusalem.  Gideon Raff (of Hatufim / Homeland fame) is one of the co-writers.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=13315

Israeli wins $3.7 million in Poker World Series.  Israel-born Amir Lehavot finished in third place in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, taking home about $3.7 million.  Lehavot moved to the United States from Israel at age 16 but plays under the Israeli flag.  6,352 competitors each bought in for $10,000.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/ex-israeli-places-third-in-world-series-of-poker/2013/11/06/

Israel beats Russia at chess.  The Israeli women's chess team beat the favorites, Russia, in the European Team Chess Championship taking place in Warsaw, Poland.  After three draws, Israel’s Masha Klinova defeated Russian chess grandmaster Natalia Pogonina.  Israel is currently leading the tournament.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4452016,00.html

2500 run through Jerusalem at night.  Jerusalem held its second annual night run in the capital.  2,500 runners, including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, ran 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) on an enchanting and breathtaking route past modern and historic sites.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=13291


THE JEWISH STATE

Happy Hanukkah from Israel’s Technion.  Direct from the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, five talented Technion students perform their version of Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages) created in the lab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb_CbuhLi2Q&feature=youtu.be

Masa’s 10 year journey.  Israel’s Masa (Hebrew for “journey) brings young Jewish adults from around the world to Israel for five months to a year.  This year Masa celebrates its 10th anniversary when a record 11,000 young Jews from 62 countries will take part in Masa’s programs.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=13287

Hot off the press.  I was listening to a BBC interview last week where the BBC presenter accused Israel as being one of the countries where Christians were under threat.  I would like to point out that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population is on the increase.
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/CBS-report-Christian-population-in-Israel-growing

131110

In the 10th Nov 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        A new Israeli wristwatch wakes diabetics if their blood-sugar level drops too low at night.
·        A US couple donated $50,000 to advance Israeli medicine.
·        A “Boycott Israel” supporter attacked Israel and then asked for its medical help.
·        Israel is revitalizing European agriculture and wastewater recycling.
·        Another record month for air passengers to Israel.
·        Five years after being declared “dead” an Israeli completed the New York marathon.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
       Click here for “Israel through the ages” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Cancer gene can prevent cancer spreading.  Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that whilst the c-Kit gene can promote the early-stage growth of colon cancer cells, its presence later on stops the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.  Another oncogene c-Myc has the same duality in breast cancer.

Enabling diabetics to sleep soundly.  NightSense is an Israeli device worn by diabetics at night (the most dangerous time for diabetics) to detect sudden drops in blood-sugar levels (hypoglycemia).  NightSense analyzes subtle changes in the movement of the hand that indicate changes in pulse and heart activity. 

Amazing 3D medical holograms.  Israel’s Real View is bringing fantasy to reality with 3-D holograms that doctors can use to save lives.  Its advanced 3-D interactive visualization holographic system allows physicians to work with the patients’ true 3-D anatomy appearing as precise volumetric holograms floating in mid-air.

5 children receive transplants.  Within 72 hours the staff of Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva successfully transplanted five organs into five small children.  They included a 7-year-old girl whose father donated a liver lobe and a 5-year-old boy who received a kidney from his mother.

Pushing male fertility to the limit.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Dr. Karen Tordjman of Tel Aviv University discovered a new genetic mutation in a sterile Androgen Receptor Insensitivity sufferer. She then used a treatment that theoretically had no hope, but within two years led to him successfully father three children.

More amazing Israeli medical devices. (Thanks to Nevet – www.BroaderView.org) This video (part 1 of 2) contains details of three Israeli devices that I hadn’t even heard about before.  They are EarDoc, Unfo and Qure I will include details about these devices next week together with Part 2 of the video.  Stay tuned!

$50 million to advance personalized medicine.  Nancy and Stephen Grand, of San Francisco, have donated $50 million to Weizmann’s Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine.  The INCPM focuses on genomics, protein profiling, bioinformatics, and treatment discovery to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

Baby saved with device just delivered.  United Hatzalah volunteer medic Itzik Hillel saved the life of a one-month-old baby girl who had been left in a hot car. Itzik used a device called ResQme that shatters the car window without causing any risk to the child. The device had been distributed to medics only the night before.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel’s first Arab Chemistry Professor.  Israel’s Channel 2 recently featured (with English subtitles) the life journey of Professor Ashraf Brik of Ben Gurion University’s department of Chemistry.  Winner of the Teva Award for Excellence, Professor Brik was the first member of his family to pursue higher education.

A Bedouin explains.  (Thanks to Hazel) Kamel Abu Nadi, a Bedouin from Israel’s Negev desert, believes that the Israeli government's new plan of community and economic development in the Bedouin community - if implemented correctly - might bring about dramatic improvement in the quality of life of the Negev's Bedouin.

Syrians treated in Israel:  A Syrian woman gave birth at Israel’s Ziv (Sieff) Medical Center in the central Galilee city of Tzfat.  The 20-year-old woman was brought to the hospital in active labor by the IDF during the night from a village near Kuneitra, which was under Syrian military curfew with no access to a Syrian hospital.  The hospital also treated three Syrians with shrapnel wounds.

BDS member requests help from Israel.  (Thanks to Joy Wolfe) Larry Rich, from Emek Hospital in Afula, Israel spoke to an audience of over 60 in the Scottish Parliament about Israel’s equal treatment of its patients and medical staff, whatever their religion.  One supporter of boycotting Israel criticized the Jewish State and then had the gall to ask for Israel’s aid for someone with a serious medical condition.  Larry agreed to help.

UN award to Israeli NGO bringing electricity to Africa.  Israel’s Innovation:Africa was awarded the UN Innovation award for bringing solar energy using Israeli technologies to African villages, medical clinics, orphanages and schools.  66 projects in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi have benefited 478,661 people.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israeli water tech rescues EU farmers.  Israeli drip-irrigation pioneer Netafim is leading the United Nations FIGARO project - an international consortium to develop new precision irrigation management technologies to increase water availability for Europe’s water-intensive crops. A pilot is running at nine EU sites, plus in Israel.

Israeli treatment for Dutch wastewater.  Israel’s Applied CleanTech has signed an agreement with several Dutch water and paper industry companies. If tests of Applied CleanTech’s groundbreaking Sewage Recycling System are successful, it will be implemented across the Netherlands providing huge environmental benefits.

See the water flow.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Visitors came from around the world to see the Israeli innovations at The Water Technology and Environment Control (WATEC) Exhibition and Conference in Tel Aviv.  One company was Israel’s Curapipe who showcased its Trenchless Automated Leakage Repair (TALR) Solution.

Two Israelis win French award for agriculture.  (Thanks to Israel21c) The French Ministry of Agriculture has awarded the National Order of Agricultural Merit to Professor Pedro Berliner of Ben Gurion University for his research into agro-hydrology in desert regions, and Eli Ben-Zaken, one of the top winemakers in Israel. 

Israel’s rain man conserves school’s water.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Science teacher Amir Yechieli showed his school how to capture and reuse the rainwater that collected on its roofs.  15 years later he has helped 120 schools and now heads a new water conservation company Yevul Mayim (Saving water).

Israel & Poland sign scientific cooperation deal.  During the president of Poland’s visit to Israel, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the first-ever scientific cooperation effort between the two countries. 

Israel fixes its satellite.  Israel’s Spacecom has resolved a problem with the power supply running its Amos 4 satellite just in time to finalise a $77 million deal to provide satellite communications services for ten years to an Asian customer.

Predicting your next call.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Yissum, the research and development company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has introduced SEER a predictive speed dialer for smartphones. The algorithm utilizes past behavior to display likely contacts and enable the user to easily make a call with just one click.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Scottish University installs Israeli wireless system.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Students at Abertay University are now enjoying 10 times more bandwidth than they had a year ago, now that the institution has installed the EtherHaul millimeter wave wireless system from Israel’s Siklu, the leader in E-band millimeter wave systems.
Siklu’s products have also been installed in Kent, England to provide broadband to rural communities.

Lockheed Martin discovers Israel.  US Defense giant Lockheed-Martin plans to open a major subsidiary in Israel that will employ hundreds of people.  In addition to building a branch for IT and cyber protection, it will seek to expand cooperation with Israeli defense companies and to work in the domestic security market

Record month for air passengers.  1.24 million people flew via Ben Gurion airport in October 2013, 6% more than in October 2012.  Passenger traffic from Jan to Oct 2013 is 7.5% higher than for the same period last year.  The West Hall at Terminal 1 is now open for low-cost flights to Europe under the open skies agreement.

Israel has a water surplus.  Despite delayed winter rains, Israel’s natural reservoir, the Kinneret, is over 1.65 meters above the lower red line.  If Israel receives an average rainfall, its water company plans to open the Degania Dam – the first time since 1992.  Israel may also scale back expensive desalinated water production.

Israel and Vietnam establish agriculture R&D fund.  Israel’s agriculture Minister Yair Shamir and Vietnamese government officials agreed to establish a joint agriculture research and development fund, and to complete a free-trade accord.  Israeli exports to Vietnam last year jumped by 120% to $747 million.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Carmel Caves are new UNESCO heritage.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named the Carmel Caves site in northern Israel the newest World Heritage Site for "providing a definitive chronological framework at a key period of human development."

Enjoy more great Israeli music.  Kol Cambridge’s Nov 7th playlist from DJ Antithesis on Tel Aviv’s Radio TLV1 included songs from Itai Hariri, Roni Dotan, Harel Skaat and Yigal Bashan.  Also click on the 31st Oct edition at 45:45 and hear a plug for this newsletter.

Israeli versus Israeli.  Thankfully, this refers to the first time in history that two Israelis have faced each other in a National Basketball Association game when the Houston Rockets outplayed the Dallas Mavericks 113-105.  Forward Omri Casspi scored 12 points for the Rockets whereas guard Gal Mekel scored 11 points for Dallas.

20,000 jog through Tel Aviv at night.   The Tel Aviv Night Run had a carnival atmosphere as 20,000 runners wearing pink T-shirts enjoyed a well-organized nocturnal 10km jog through Tel Aviv’s streets.

Israeli who almost died runs NY marathon.  Five years ago, in an explosion in Gaza, newlywed Aharon Karov was declared dead. Now he’s raising money for OneFamily Fund, the organization that helped him get back on his feet. He has just completed the New York Marathon in 4hrs 14min 31sec.


THE JEWISH STATE

Barmitzvah signifies a coming of age.  Israel-born Arik met and married Indian-born Bat Chen – a member of the Bnei Menashe sect of Indian Jews – soon after Bat Chen immigrated to the Jewish State in 1999.  Now their son Benayahu is celebrating his Barmitzvah and Bat Chen feels that she is now a fully integrated Israeli.

Thousands at GA in Jerusalem.  3000 Jews from North America, Europe and Israel from across the political spectrum are attending the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly held in the historic homeland of the Jewish people. They will hear 140 speakers - half of them women - and discuss issues facing Israel and the global Jewish community.



131103 

In the 3rd Nov 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Weizmann scientists have transformed adult cells into the earliest form of stem cells.
·        Israel hosted the UN-approved International Women’s Leadership Conference.
·        A new Israeli material is the best at removing organic-based polluting chemicals.
·        An Israeli company is to build a 200MW solar power system in Inner Mongolia.
·        Tom Jones gave two memorable performances in Tel Aviv.
·        Ethiopian Jews celebrated the Sigd festival in Jerusalem

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “A question of honor” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Reproducing the earliest stem cells.  Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute are the first in the world to produce completely “reset” stem cells from adult cells.  Re-engineered stem cells were previously primed to be specific to certain cells in the body.  The new Israeli stem cells have the potential to be grown into any organ.

Freezing lung cancer to death.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) The IceSense3 tumor-freezing technology from Israel’s IceCure is already destroying breast cancer.  Now IceCure is to conduct clinical trials on lung cancer tumors, fully funded by the Kameda Medical Center of Japan.

Trials start on blood clot treatment.  Israel’s D-Pharm has begun Phase 2 testing in the Ukraine of its THR-18 treatment for patients suffering from blood clots and strokes.

Another shot at the hygiene rap.  If you enjoyed watching September’s “viral” rap video by Shaare Tzedek medical staff, then here is a version with English subtitles.  “It’s all in our hands” now makes perfect sense.

Israel’s health is on the move.  The Mobile Health Israel Conference in Tel Aviv brought together health professionals, entrepreneurs, data experts, and others involved in the movement toward digitizing health records, distance medicine, and other innovations in health care that are part of the digital revolution.

Your personal diagnosis device.  Israeli start-up Tyto Health Care has developed a device that can gather information straight from a patient’s mouth and throat, eyes, ears, heart, lungs, and skin. It includes a camera and microphone to take measurements, uploading the results to a doctor or health management organization.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Wounded Syrians treated in Israel: IDF soldiers took a 9-year-old boy from Syria to Ziv Medical Center in Safed. The boy was injured in his eyes as the result of an explosion.  Also two Syrians were brought to Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya in moderate and critical condition, with head, chest and limb injuries.

“Peace University” to open in Nazareth.  The Israeli Ministry of Education announced the founding of a university in Nazareth to be called "Peace University" that aims to foster coexistence between Arabs and Jews. It will be an Israeli campus of Texas A&M University, and most of the funding for it comes from the US.

Yad Sarah Presents: Gadgets for the Elderly.  Yad Sarah’s mobile unit has been making a difference for senior citizens by showing them new devices and activities that can help them lead fuller, more comfortable lives.

Israeli charity is bridging the global disability gap.  Back in August I reported the speech of Jean Judes of Beit Issie Shapiro who advised the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) about Community Based Rehabilitation.  Here now is Jean’s report on the CRPD conference.

Israel hosts International women’s conference.  Mashav (Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation) is holding the 28th International Women Leaders’ Conference in Haifa in cooperation with the United Nations.  The conference aims to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Take your Israeli hedgehog anywhere.  (Thanks to noCamels) “Keepod” is the Hebrew word for “hedgehog”.  The spiny animal was the inspiration to the Israeli designers of the Keepod USB device.  Insert it into any computer (PC, Mac etc) and your information, applications and operating system are available and secure.

Learning together for a better world.  This video describes the aims of the iPodia alliance and its global project “Classrooms without borders” in which Israel’s Technion Institute is a key contributor.

OrCam glasses are now available.  (Thanks to Israel21c) In my 9th June newsletter I reported that Israeli start-up OrCam’s camera-based system will “read” to the visually impaired whilst on the move.  Well the revolutionary spectacles are now being shipped at a cost of $2,500 a pair.  Thanks to Myer for the alert.

Developing with South Carolina.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) The US State of South Carolina and Israel signed an agreement to establish a bilateral research and development initiative designed to enhance collaboration. Funds will be provided for projects that strengthen economic, industrial, technological and commercial cooperation.

New material to remove pollutants.  Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has commercialized a clay-based mineral developed by Dr Yael Mishael of the Hebrew U.  The mineral is modified with polymers to absorb organic polluting chemicals and is even better than active carbon.

Improving crop yields.  Israel’s Evogene has signed agreements with Monsanto, Dupont Pioneer and Syngenta to provide genes that enable essential food crops such as corn, soybean, cotton and canola to resist disease. 


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Investment soars into Israeli clean tech.   Israeli clean tech companies have raised $151 million in the first nine months of 2013.  The top deals were: $65 million raised by bio-agritech Kaiima; $25 million raised by energy saving chip developer Altair Semiconductor and $18 million raised by recycling company Blue Sphere.

Unemployment down again.  Israel’s unemployment rate fell to 6.1% in the third quarter, from 6.8% in the second quarter.  Participation in the workforce went up, as did the percentage of full-time employees.

"Facebook amazed by amount of talent in Israel".  Facebook’s Vice President Nicola Mendelsohn told Israel’s President Peres, “It was a momentous decision for Facebook to open its first Research & Development center outside the US.  We chose Israel in the knowledge that the best talent is found here.”

“Dr Fischer – the man behind the logo”.  Aged 78 Dr. Eli Fischer doesn’t plan to retire any time soon. He is a scientist, successful industrialist, philanthropist and an international brand.  “Dr Fischer” has over 500 different products and employs over 750 direct employees.  His autobiography has just been published in the US.

Solar power for Inner Mongolia.  Israel’s HelioFocus will build a $340 million 200-megawatt solar boosting system for Chinese energy company Taiqing in Inner Mongolia. It will reduce dramatically the carbon emissions from an existing coal-fired power station.

A start-up is like a diet – never give up.  Entrepreneur/investor Jeff Pulver advised business leaders launching new companies in downtown Haifa.  “The biggest cause of failure in fitness, and in start-ups, is giving up. Just because you didn’t get an investment it doesn’t mean you don’t have a good idea. Never give up.”

Israel writing Azerbaijan’s water plan.  Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, has won a 4-year project to draw up a water master plan for Azerbaijan and supply monitoring equipment to the Moslem country.

AOL discovers Israel and IKEA assembles another site.  AOL is hiring employees for its Israeli development center. It is seeking developers, content managers, production managers, and support staff.  Meanwhile, IKEA is building a new site near Haifa that will employ 300 staff.

Asurion buys Soluto.  (Thanks to Israel21c) US technology protection services giant Asurion has made a surprise purchase of Tel Aviv-based PC management solutions provider Soluto for an estimated $100 million.

Start-up Israel.  An excellent video I must have missed due to there being so many good news stories.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Richie & Cowell raise millions for Israel.  Grammy Award-winning musician Lionel Richie and X Factor celebrity Simon Cowell helped raise $20 million at a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces gala.  Cowell personally contributed $150,000 and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews donated $4.5 million.

Tom Jones’ voice booms out in Tel Aviv.  British (Welsh) singer Tom Jones played to full houses at Nokia Arena in his two concerts in Tel Aviv.  He even sang “My Yiddishe Momme” in his second concert.

Paula Abdul on 10-day Israel tour.  American singer and dancer and TV personality Paula Abdul met Israeli President Shimon Peres on her first ever visit to Israel.  “I'm so overwhelmed with gratitude to be here,” Paula said. “I know already when I have to leave I won’t want to.”

Lou Reed’s Israel connection.  Singer-songwriter Lou Reed who died on Oct 27, last came to Israel in 2008, as a “guest artist” at his wife Laurie Anderson’s concert.  A new genus of velvet spider found underground in Israel’s Negev desert last year was named Loureedia annulipes after the former Velvet Underground leader.

The biggest underwater shoot-out.  For the 9th year in a row, the Red Sea competition took place in Eilat.  Integrating elements from photography, high-tech, tourism and diving industries, the event is one of the world’s leading underwater photography competitions.


THE JEWISH STATE

Mini-golf thru the Bible.  Newsletter subscriber Grant Crankshaw has had a great idea - a project to build a Bible-themed mini-golf park in Raanana. Grant is using Crowdfunding to raise funds - another great Israeli idea.  Please support him by pledging to buy discounted tickets. Your contribution is only withdrawn from your bank if the campaign reaches its investment target. Please watch the video at the headstart crowdfunding site.

The legacy of the Bielski brothers.  400 people gathered in New York to honor the legendary Bielski brothers, the partisan leaders who saved more than 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.  The Bielski grandchildren included an Israel Defense Forces battalion commander. Surviving brother Aron urged them all, “Supporting Israel is the most important. If they don’t, some day they will pay for it.”

Celebrating the return to Jerusalem.  Thousands of Ethiopian Jews gathered in Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, to celebrate Sigd.  The Biblical holiday originally observed in Ethiopia 50 days after Yom Kippur to repent for sins, pray for their return to Jerusalem, the coming of the Messiah and a Third Temple.

Thousands at ‘Religious-secular’ Shabbat.  More than 6,000 families up and down the country took part in Shabbat meals in an initiative to build community connections, with religious families hosting secular attendees.  The Beit Hillel organization plans to make the initiative an annual event.



131027 

In the 27th Oct 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        31 Israeli doctors are performing heart operations in Tanzania and Nigeria.
·        An Israeli app will allow you to send your DNA sequence (Genome) for analysis.
·        For the first time the elite Golani battalion has a Druze commander.
·        Israel has joined the EU’s prestigious Galileo satellite project.
·        Investment in Israeli start-ups is the highest since the year 2000.
·        Rihanna performed to 50,000 fans in Tel Aviv.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Lands of the Free” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israelis saving African lives.  A team of 20 Israeli doctors and medical staff from Save a Child's Heart (SACH) has just flown to Tanzania to provide free heart surgeries.  With them was Tanzanian Dr Godwin Godfrey who returned home following five years of training in Israel. Elsewhere, a team of 11 cardiac surgeons and nurses from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center performed 10 complex heart operations over 4 days in Nigeria.

A wristband to monitor your health.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Tel Aviv-based startup Seraphim Sense is behind the Angel monitor, a biofeedback wristband that senses motion, acceleration, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. The health band is synced to your smartphone and computer to display results.

Israeli trial is good news for IBD sufferers.  Results of early clinical trials using bertilimumab at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek medical center have indicated that it could be effective in treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Israel awards $1 million prize to US BrainGate.  In a reversal to the norm, an Israeli non-profit organization presented a US company with a large sum to help it develop its innovations.  BrainGate’s million-dollar prize from Israel’s BrainTech will advance its brain sensors that allow paralyzed patients to move a robotic arm.

Israel gives sight to Romanian baby.  10-month old Dennis lost his vision shortly after birth in Romania. When he arrived at Save A Child’s Heart, the Israeli doctors checked out his heart and his eyes. They prescribed special glasses and there wasn’t a dry eye in the ward when Dennis saw his mother for the first time.

MDA’s new hi-tech mobile command center.  Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom unveiled a multi-million dollar command vehicle designed to direct rescue operations on the most difficult terrain and during cellular network failure.  It has over two-dozen computers and TVs and can accommodate 23 staff.

Medicine for the wild blue yonder.  A comprehensive write-up of the 61st International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine (ICASM) in Jerusalem.  250 overseas delegates from 36 countries plus Israelis discussed everything from pregnant women pilots to space travel to psychological problems of controlling UAVs.

Your personal Genome app.  Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a website and smartphone app that will allow you to submit your individual Genetic DNA sequence map for analysis.  Prior to pregnancy, check for risks of birth defects; or select medical treatments that will be most effective without side effects.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Elite IDF unit leader is a Druse.  For the first time in the history of the Israeli Defense Force, an officer from Israel’s Druse community is to serve as the chief of the elite Golani Brigade. Colonel Ghassan Alian was previously deputy commander of the Golan Division.

We are not alone.  Michael Freund writes a positive article detailing Israel’s International friends and recent state visits.

Nigerian President and 30,000 pilgrims in Israel.  President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a sitting President went on pilgrimage to Israel.  The president was accompanied by ministers and state governors and signed the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and Israel.

What would the UN do without Israel?  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 13 Israeli NGOs ‘Special Consulative Status’ and is currently considering granting this status to a further two.

Tucson firefighters in Israel.  (Thanks to Hazel) A team of seven Tucson Arizona area firefighters is working for two weeks with Israel Fire and Rescue Services.  Tucson Fire Capt. Kris Blume said that they wanted to “see what's not just common practice but the best practice."


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israeli intelligence inspires Apple.  According to those in the know, the members of the IDF’s secret 8200 unit that set-up Any.Do were the inspiration for Apple’s latest iOS7 operating system.

A wireless device to check fertility of cows.  Israel’s Afimilk has developed the AfiAct II heat detection system that identifies the optimum time for insemination of cattle.  Already AfiAct is saving US customers hundreds of dollars per cow.

Magic solution for mobile devices.  Israeli software company, Magic, has released its latest enterprise mobility solution for businesses whose employees need to access data using a variety of devices.

Sensors to find water leaks.  Israeli start-up Aquarius Spectrum has been chosen by Jerusalem’s area water corporation to install its smart systems for detecting leaks in the municipal water supply system.  Aquarius Spectrum has developed innovative acoustic sensors, software algorithms and testing prototypes.

Global Cities Summit attracts 68 cities.  Hundreds of start-ups, investors and multinationals attended the 3rd Digital Life Design Festival in Tel Aviv. The event included the Global Cities Summit, a policy forum that addresses issues like urban living, ways of coping with growth and better methods of transportation.

Israel joins EU satellite project.  Israeli academics and companies have been given security clearance to work on the Galileo project that will launch 30 satellites and become Europe’s alternative to the US GPS system.

Pentagon uses Israeli robots to climb stairs.  The US Department of Defense is fast-tracking its deployment of stair-climbing Israeli developed micro-robots with US Army Special Forces. The robots, called the Micro Tactical Ground Robot (MTGR), were designed by Tel Aviv-based start-up Roboteam Ltd.

Calculating the best prices.  Tel Aviv-based Feedvisor has developed the world's first fully algorithmic re-pricing platform for online retailers to keep their prices competitive and maximize profitability.  Forbes rated Feedvisor among the most innovative and promising startups in Israel in 2012 and has just raised $1.7 million.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Stability at the Bank of Israel.  At last, Dr Karnit Klug has been appointed as the successor to Professor Stanley Fischer as BoI Governor.  Dr Klug is the first ever woman governor and was Prof Fischer’s preference for the position. She has been Acting Governor since Prof Fischer stepped down in June

State of Economy index up again.  The Bank of Israel's Composite State of the Economy Index for September increased by 0.3 percent.  Data for previous months was also revised upwards due to natural gas production.

Investment in Israeli start-ups is a 13-year high.  162 Israeli start-ups raised $660 million from local and foreign investors in the third quarter of 2013, the highest quarterly amount since 2000.  Investment in start-ups rose 12% to $1.63 billion in January-September compared to the corresponding period last year.

Israeli firms are so popular.  Acquisitions and mergers involving Israeli companies totaled $4 billion in the first ten months of 2013 - the highest for ten years.  The figure for Israeli exits was 20 percent of the US M&A market over the same period, even though investment in Israeli companies is less than 5 percent of the US total.

CuratedIsrael – Israeli luxury products and more.  CuratedIsrael is a one of a kind marketplace for beautiful pieces straight from Israel.  Additionally, “CuratedIsrael Gives Back” supports charities and designers with worthy causes. Founder Diane Kaston says, “Giving back for the blessings of life is the ultimate luxury.”

Amazon discovers Israel.  Amazon.com will open an office in Tel Aviv to support the growth of its cloud services and its rapidly growing customer base in Israel.  Israeli customers will be among the first in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to enjoy Amazon Web Services.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Rihanna performs in Tel Aviv.  Pop sensation Rihanna took the stage Tuesday night in Park Hayarkon, Tel Aviv in front of over 50,000 fans.  The show was part of her “Diamond Tour” - she previously performed in Tel Aviv in 2010 and refused to be intimidated by a BDS campaign that tried to persuade her to cancel her concert. 

Bob Dylan wrote “Neighborhood Bully” 30 years ago.  October 27 is the 30th anniversary of when Bob Dylan released his up-tempo Zionist anthem, the ironically-titled “Neighborhood Bully” on his Infidels album. 

More on the Singing Rabbis.  For brothers Arie and Gil Gat, there’s no contradiction between being devout Jews and covering rock hits on Israel’s ‘Rising Star’ TV show.

Zubari wins windsurfing gold.  Israeli windsurfer Shahar Zubari cruised to a gold medal in men’s RS:X at the Sailing World Cup in Qingdao, China.  Israel’s Maayan Davidovich won bronze in the RS:X women’s division.

World Cup silver for Israeli swimmer in Qatar.  Israeli swimmer Amit Ivri finished second in the women's 100-meter individual medley at the FINA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. However, whereas all competitors had the flag of their country next to their names on TV, Ivri's was left white (blank) instead of the Israeli flag.


THE JEWISH STATE

Israeli education – a reminder.  Israel’s high school graduation rate was 92% in 2010 (OECD average 84%). Israel spent 7.2% of GDP on educational institutions in 2009 (sixth highest in the world). And pre-school education is now free for all Israeli children from age 3 upward.

Hundreds of Bnei Menashe moving to Israel.  Israel’s Knesset approved the aliya of 899 Indians, known as Bnei Menashe. Some 1,700 Bnei Menashe, who claim to be Jews descended from the biblical tribe of Menashe, are already living in Israel. A further 9,000 remain in India and Burma.

Israel preserves Jewish and Muslim culture.  The Center for North African Jewry in Jerusalem exhibits the culture that is common to the Muslims and to the Jews of North Africa, while the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra Ashdod creates a connecting link between Jews and Arabs.



131020

In the 20th Oct 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        An Israeli device helps diabetics to absorb Insulin quicker, easier and safer.
·        Israeli doctors extracted a hatpin swallowed by an Arab girl.
·        An Israeli mobile solar energy device provides cheap electricity in developing countries.
·        Facebook has made its largest investment in Israel by purchasing Onavo.
·        Engineering students at Israel’s Technion won an Italian competition to build a racing car.
·        An amazing video of the sensational singing Rabbis on Israel’s hit show Rising Stars.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Going against the flow” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

A device to give diabetics freedom.  Israel’s Insuline has developed InsuPad - a device that warms the body after diabetics inject themselves - even after meals. The pad helps less insulin absorb much quicker and reduces hypoglycemic incidents. J&J Lifescan has just signed an agreement to market InsuPad in Germany.

A wireless device for heart failure patients.  Israel’s Leviticus Cardio is developing a wireless device that delivers energy to operate Left Ventricle Assist Devices (LVADs).  LVADs keep heart failure patients alive for up to seven years until they can have a heart transplant.  Ex US vice-President Dick Cheney was a LVAD user.

Gene mutation discovery. Researchers at Sheba Medical Center and Weizmann Institute together with Duke University have identified genes ASNS and TECPR2 responsible for two serious neurological disorders in children.  The discovery will identify carriers and prevent such severe genetic diseases from being passed down.

Israeli doctors remove hatpin from Arab girl’s throat.  The 16-year-old from Baka al-Gharbiya was adjusting her headscarf and had put the 3.5cm hatpin in her mouth temporarily.  Unfortunately, something made her laugh and she swallowed the pin.  Doctors at Hadera hospital pulled the pin out of her vocal cords.  Ouch!


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Wounded Syrians treated in Israel:  Two seriously wounded Syrians were brought to Ziv (Sieff) Medical Center in the central Galilee city of Tzfat last week – Total treated at Ziv now 133.

Signing the National Anthem.  All the volunteer IDF soldiers with disabilities who performed in the closing ceremony for their special basic training used the deaf sign language to accompany the Israeli National Anthem – “Hatikvah”.  The sign-language tutor and conductor is Yahala Lachmish, daughter of my friend Leonie.

Science brings Iran and Israel closer.  When ex-Bar-Ilan President Professor Eugene Kogan spotted that an Iranian study had omitted mentioning his work, he contacted the Iranians.  Their response was "We thank you for bringing the study to our attention. In the next issue we will gladly mention your research. We believe that scientists are messengers of peace, and scientists' way of thinking is different from politicians' way of thinking,"

reThink Israel.  A new campaign has been launched to change opinions about Israel among 18-24 year-olds Americans.  reThink Israel wants to spread a positive buzz about Israel’s culture, diversity, humanitarian efforts and innovations.  Please ask reThink Israel’s CEO Gerald Ostrov to get in touch with me!

Czech president checks out the Dead Sea.  Nice to see a head of state willing to take his shoes off and enjoy one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions.

First visit for two Prime Ministers.  As if to illustrate Michael Freund’s message, both Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister of Malta and Peter O'Neill, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea are the first sitting prime ministers of their respective countries to visit Israel.  Both came with large delegations and cooperation plans.

“They all will come to Jerusalem”.  The Knesset – Israel’s parliament – has optimistically invited lawmakers from all countries (even Iran) to Jerusalem.  Israel is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Knesset speaker invited IPU President Abdelwahed Radi to hold an IPU meeting in Israel’s capital.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Mobile solar energy.  Israel’s Nova Lumos has devised a pay-as-you-go mobile-based solar energy program for developing countries that produces clean electricity for less than it costs to purchase kerosene.  Nova Lumos just won The Pitch contest for new start-ups at the "Globes"-Ernst & Young Journey Conference in Tel Aviv.

Return of the Judean Date Palm.  (Thanks to Charlie) Latest news on the progress of the oldest known tree seed ever to germinate originally reported in my newsletter in Nov 2012.  Dr Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is working hard to revive other age-old trees from their long dormancy.

Your fridge will never be empty.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israeli start-up Smartli has developed an automatic grocery shopping system that uses sensors to track the items missing from your fridge. It then generates a shopping list, and ensures that these items are delivered directly to your door at your preferred time.

The future is bright.  In a few months, Israel’s BrightSource expects to turn on its 377-megawatt solar thermal farm in the California desert.  At about the same time, it will begin work on a 121-megawatt solar thermal energy plant in Israel’s Negev Desert.

Israel to make helmets for F35 pilots.  The Pentagon has announced that Israel’s Elbit, is to be the sole supplier of helmet mounted display systems (HDMS) for all 4,000 F35 stealth aircraft. The deal is worth more than $1 billion over 10 years.  Already 100 F35 pilots have tested and approved the new helmet.

Technion builds a winning racing car.  Buckle up your seat belt and watch a team of 25 Israel Technion Institute students build a Formula SAE racecar and compete in Italy.  The team won first place worldwide out of all newcomer teams.  Part of the "New Product Design" course in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

A passion for taste and health.  Israel’s Frutarom is truly a global innovator.  It develops and sells flavors and ingredients for food, beverage, supplement and pharma health industries in 140 countries.  Its 31 R&D labs include eco-friendly Wedenswil in Switzerland where its biogas equipment has been upgraded to produce 2,600,000 kWh of energy per year.

Bio-fuels conference.  Dozens of senior representatives of the international bio-fuel industry are visiting Israel this week for the first international biological fuels conference, the Agro-Energy Nexus Summit, in Herzlyia.  Israeli companies are already leading this growing market in several areas.

See Israeli 3D prints in London.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Hundreds of 3D models printed by Stratasys, the Israeli-American manufacturer of 3D printers, are being displayed in a free exhibition, “3D: Printing the Future.” at London’s Science museum.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Investing in Surgical Robots.  OurCrowd – Israel’s Crowdfunding investment company has added Medical Surgery Technologies into its portfolio.  MST’s FDA-approved robotic vision system replaces the medical assistant who historically handled the video camera during keyhole surgery.  No more shaky pictures.

Israeli chips for Australia.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Australia's second largest DSL broadband provider, iiNet, has picked the high performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip from Israel’s Celeno to enable iiNet to stream data and HD video directly from future iiNet products.

Microsoft Haifa is too big.  Microsoft Israel Ltd. has grown too large for its current Haifa premises and has signed a 10-year lease on a new, 12,000 square-meter building at the Matam High Tech Park in Haifa.  In addition, Microsoft has a 13,000 square-meter building in Herzliya.

Israel’s electronic link to Las Vegas.  Tel Aviv was one of only four cities in the world to hold “CES Unveiled” - a daughter event of Las Vegas’s massively popular Consumer Electronics Show.

Facebook discovers Israel.  The social media giant has acquired Israel’s Onavo for at least $100 million.  Onavo has developed some unique marketing and data compression applications as well as operating a successful mobile security business.  Onavo says that it will become Facebook’s Israeli office.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

The Prime Ministers – the movie.  If you haven’t read the book “The Prime Ministers” by Yehuda Avner don’t worry – the film version opened in New York on Oct 18.  I really enjoyed reading Ambassador Avner’s memoirs of Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin.  I can’t wait to see it in Israel.

One of the most technologically advanced stadiums in Europe.  It cost over 300,000 shekels, and is five times the size required by the team that uses it.  But Netanya’s new soccer stadium looks magnificent.  Now the Netanya council just needs to work out how it is going to pay for it!

Gold medal for Israeli beer.  The Alexander boutique brewery from Emek Hefer in central Israel has won a gold medal in the 2013 European Beer Star competition for its Alexander Black English-style porter beer.  The competition included some 1,500 beers from 40 countries.

“Rising Star” is a hit in Europe.  Israel’s new hi-tech TV show has been sold to French, German, Russian and now Scandinavian entertainment companies.  Keshet’s singing competition allows home audiences to vote live for their favorite singers via a dedicated app, drawing them uniquely into the action on screen.

Discovered here!  Remember the busking Rabbis in the Jerusalem mall that I featured in June?  Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-KRMVdEYjc and here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D6dFViw2m8
Well they have just become national celebrities by winning on the latest edition of Israeli TV’s “Rising Star” (see above).  Amazing video. Who better to sing, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls.”

Kol Cambridge from Tel Aviv.  My friend Antithesis is exciting the airways, broadcasting Israeli and Jewish music twice weekly from Radio Station TLV1.  Here is Thursday’s broadcast.

Israel draw with Portugal.  The Jewish State may have missed out on qualification for soccer’s World Cup, but they performed admirably in their penultimate match, away from home against the Portuguese favorites.

Israeli swimmer breaks record - in Dubai. Israeli swimmer Amit Ivri broke her own record - and Israel's record – in her 200-meter individual medley heat at the FINA Swimming World Cup, being held in Dubai.


THE JEWISH STATE

Healthy, educated and able.  The World Economic Forum (WEF) has just issued its first-ever Human Capital Index. Israel came 4th in the world for capacity for innovation, 3rd for life expectancy, 2nd for tertiary education attainment and joint 1st for water, sanitation and hygiene.

The word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  (Thanks to Jacob Richman) The next letters sent from Israel may feature some of the latest set of beautiful biblical postage stamps.

Charity pure and simple.  Everyone can do some good.  Pantry Packers offers groups of tourists to Israel the opportunity to spend 90 minutes packing food for poor families.  It’s a concept called Tikun Olam Tourism.

Study for a law degree in Israel in English.  The IDC (Interdisciplinary Center) in Herzliya is offering the first ever Israel-based law degree course for English speakers.  It costs $10,950 pa - 15% of US law school fees. It prepares students for the Israeli bar exam but 5-week US courses exist for those returning to the USA.



131013

In the 13th Oct 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli hospital restores speech to student electrocuted in Romania.
·        Two Israeli citizens won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
·        Apple has bought a 21-year-old Israeli’s personal assistant application for $40 million.
·        Israel has produced a record date crop using less water.
·        A pro-Israel video called “Boycott Israel” has gone viral.
·        Archaeologists have unearthed a 2000-year-old Jewish village in the Galilee.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Israelis are full of energy” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).
·        Click here to see the newsletter on Jewish Business News.

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israeli hospital saves electrocuted student.  Romanian Jewish student David Fintzi struck an electric cable as he leaned out of a train window.  27,000-volts set him on fire and he was close to death in a Bucharest hospital.  The Jewish Agency flew him to Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital where a medical miracle has taken place.

Teva launches generic treatment for kidney disease.  Teva is the first company to produce generic Zemplar (paricalcitol) tablets in the US.  The treatment is for patients with Stage 3 or Stage 4 chronic kidney disease and in Stage 5 patients on dialysis.

Keep taking the tablets.  Israel’s MediSafe has just raised $1million to expand its medication management solutions. MediSafe’s smartphone app keeps track of medication taken and sends alerts to relatives or monitoring organizations if any treatment is missed.

One year at Hadassah hospital.  In the last 12 months, Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital treated nearly a million patients including 137,142 emergency cases. It performed 4,318,652 lab tests and delivered 10,971 babies.

Israel’s contribution to World Vision  (Thanks to Israel21c) October 10th was “World Sight Day”. Here are 10 products from the “Light to the Nations” that will transform the field of vision.  They include implants, keyboards, a smartphone for the blind, electronic spectacles and cameras.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Ethiopian wins Israel’s “Big Brother”.  Tahunia Rubel became the fifth Ethiopian-born Israeli woman to snag major headlines over the previous 12 months. The 25-year-old model won Israel’s Big Brother contest in its fifth season.  Tahunia won just over $250,000 in prize money.

Ugandan woman helps defend Jewish State.  Private Or Meidan’s decided to follow in her Israeli stepfather’s footsteps and has joined the IDF after immigrating to Israel in 2011.  She now operates the Iron Dome missile defense system and is joining the IDF’s Nativ program to convert to Judaism.

A (dental) bridge to peace.  Dr Adam Stabholz, ex-dean of the Hebrew University dental school joined with Dr. Musa Bajali, head of the dental school at Al-Quds University to form the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders.  They share the ambitious goal of promoting peace globally through oral health.

Israeli organizes European seminar against Femicide.  Israeli researcher Shalva Weil has brought delegates from 26 countries to the Hebrew University in order to initiate European action against the widespread murder of women.  Up to now, little has been done to jointly address increasing numbers of “honor” killings in Europe.

The 124th Syrian treated at Ziv Hospital.  The IDF brought another victim of the Syrian civil war to the Ziv (Sieff) Medical Center in the central Galilee city of Tzfat for treatment.

Israel gives agriculture help to Nevada.  Nevada governor, Brian Sandoval, is visiting Israel’s Negev in October to learn more about indoor farming, and how using Israeli technology could rejuvenate Nevada’s lackluster farming industry.  Nevada is already in contact with Israel’s national water company, Mekorot.


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Strawberry leaf yeast goes commercial.  I reported in January the discovery by Hebrew University scientists of the natural, non-toxic pesticide made from the yeast growing on strawberry leaves.  Now Israel’s agro-tech giant Makhteshim Agan is working with HU’s commercial company Yissum to develop the bio-control agent.

Israeli-Chinese car gets top safety rating.  The Qoros Sedan 3 has become the first Chinese car ever to win a five-star score from Euro NCAP.  Qoros is a joint venture of Israel Corporation and China's Chery Automobile.

Three Israeli Nobel prize-winners?  Israeli-born Arieh Warshel shared the 2013 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Martin Karplus and Michael Levitt for their 1970s computer models for predicting chemical processes.  Levitt has Israeli, British and US citizenship.  All three are Jewish.  Plus, Belgian’s Nobel laureate for Physics Francois Englert is a Sackler Professor at the Tel Aviv University School of Physics and Astronomy.

WATEC 2013 is coming.  Israel’s internationally acclaimed conference on Water Technology and Environmental Control takes place later this month in Tel Aviv.  It will be preceded by the Cleanvest Summit, where recent technological breakthroughs from the Israeli water industry will be revealed.

Where to park the car?  Israel’s Anagog monitors mobile phones’ sensors to detect parking spaces that are about to be vacated – in real time.  It is also cooperating with Finland’s PARX, the owner of Easy Park, which has users in 130 countries.

Technology - Made in Israel.  I hope that you’ve been following Gordon Robertson’s fascinating series on Israel; made for CBN.  Here is his 11 min video on Israeli Technology.  

BrainTech 2013.  At the first-ever International Brain Technology Conference in Tel Aviv, President Shimon Peres will present a check for $1 million to the winner of the Global B.R.A.I.N. (Breakthrough Research And Innovation in Neurotechnology) contest.  The finalists have developed applications that interface with the brain.

More dates from less water.  The yield from this year’s date crop in the Arava desert region is expected to reach 7,500 tons - an increase of 20% over last year’s harvest.  The high yields have been accompanied by a 20% reduction in water consumption.  Israel’s total annual date crop is expected to reach around 34,000 tons.

A new lock is in town.  (Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter and GreenProphet) A group of friends from Tel Aviv got so tired of lugging enormous locks to foil would-be bicycle thieves that they got together to design what may be the world’s only fashionable solution: the Foldylock.  The video resembles a Clint Eastwood movie.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Record foreign currency reserves.  Israel’s foreign exchange reserves at the end of September 2013 stood at an all-time record of $79,902 million - an increase of $1,383 million from their level at the end of August.

More oil than expected.  After extracting 116,000 barrels of oil from Israel’s Meged 5 well, Givot Olam Oil Exploration upped their estimate of oil in the field by 60 per cent to 2.49 million barrels of oil.

Japan trials Israeli tumor treatment.  (Thanks to Nevet – Broaderview.org) Japan has bought its first IceSense3 systems from Israel’s IceCure Medical.  The systems are already approved in the USA and Europe. Now Kamada Medical Center will use two $50,000 IceSense3 systems to kill breast tumors by freezing them.

Apple buys Cue.  21-year-old Israeli entrepreneur Daniel Gross has just sold his personal assistant app Cue to Apple for a cool $40 million.  Cue searches for keywords in a person’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts without having to sign in to any of them.  Apple could use Cue to help compete with Google Now.

Israel to NYC.  The US Israel Business Council is introducing 15 Israeli startups to New York City.  Curiyo, Viewbix, Augury Systems, Seebo, Brayola and ten others are facing 250 investors and business leaders who are providing advice and (hopefully) funding to the fledgling companies.

Teleflex buys another Israeli keyhole surgery company.  US giant Teleflex Inc. has acquired Israel’s InnoLap Surgical Ltd., which is developing a platform for scarless laparoscopic (keyhole surgery) procedures.  In July, Teleflex bought Israeli microlaparoscopy developer Eon Surgical.

Warren Buffet continues to connect with Israel.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Business giant Warren Buffet made his 3rd Israeli acquisition when his electronics components distributor TTI bought Israel’s Ray-Q Interconnect. The Israeli company manufactures harnesses that can connect a vast range of electrical equipment.

More Canadian visitors.  A new aviation agreement between Israel and Canada will lead to a significant increase in flights between the two countries and allow other airlines to operate regular flights on the Tel Aviv to Toronto route.  Currently El Al and Air Canada carry some 130,000 passengers on this route every year.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Italy’s “Apprentice” to be filmed in Jerusalem.  The Italian version of “The Apprentice” will film an episode of the reality show in Israel.  Five of the contestants and a crew of about 40 will film in Jerusalem.  Contestants search for five symbols around the city, to expose them and the Italian viewing public to sites of interest.

Boycott Israel!  You may like to watch this hard-hitting rap video by Ari Lesser.  Don’t worry – it’s pro-Israel.

Italy to Jerusalem by bicycle.  Top Israeli cyclist Shai Rishoni decided in 2010 to bring the Italian endurance cycle race Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia to Jerusalem.  Then in 2011 Shai was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).  He continued his quest and on Oct 11th 2013 it all happened.  It also raised funds for ALS research.


THE JEWISH STATE

Canada helps clean up Kishon river.  (Thanks to CLIC)  Israel, whose desalination and irrigation systems are among the most advanced in the world, has turned to her Canadian friends to help cleanse the water of its own Kishon River.

High-flyer.  Maybe he is not typical, but once a week D (name cannot be disclosed) is a fighter pilot soaring across Israeli skies, and for five days a week he is a Weizmann Institute nanotechnology doctoral student. Both his siblings are doing post-doctorates and all three received their first degrees from the Open University.

How are those Argan trees doing?  If you remember, Yoni and Shoshana are making the Negev desert bloom with Argan trees that will eventually produce fruit from which rich, nutritious Argan oil can be extracted.  1000 saplings have been planted and land is being prepared for another 1000 in the spring.  Please donate if you can.

Israeli police volunteers save 3 lives.  Three passengers were waiting by their broken down car at night on the Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem highway.  Volunteer police Moshe Appelbaum and Shalom Levy spotted them and moved them to the opposite carriageway.  Moments later, a passing car slammed into the stranded vehicle.

2000-year-old village unearthed in Galilee.  (Thanks to British Israel Group)  Sorry for missing this August archaeological discovery.  Shikhin in the Galilee is one of the earliest known villages from the Second Temple period and is mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and by Josephus.  It was the home to many potters.


131006

In the 6th Oct 2013 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

·        Israeli scientists have made an important discovery in the fight against leukemia.
·        Ethiopian-born Miss Israel is a sensation on her US tour.
·        Israel now generates half of its electrical energy from home-produced natural gas.
·        Wake-up with WakeUp - Israel’s new award-winning natural, healthy beverage.
·        Israel’s unemployment rate is the lowest for two decades.
·        Only 5 shekels for any item bought at new Cofix Israeli kosher café takeaways.
·        Israel is uploading 1600 Italian historical Jewish manuscripts onto the Internet.

·        Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “One in a Million” (fast-loading, text-only version, no adverts).

Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.


ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Breakthrough in understanding leukemia.  A mutated gene RUNX1 inherited from one parent is responsible for producing leukemia stem cells. Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that the healthy copy of the gene from the other parent is also required otherwise the leukemia cells die.

Brain cancer breakthrough.  The media is reporting the discovery by Dr Regina Golan-Gerstl, of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical School, of hnRNP A2/B1. The protein gene is key to the most common and aggressive adult brain cancer - glioblastoma.  Great news, as reported it in my 14th Aug 2011 newsletter.

Laquinimod reduces brain damage in MS patients.  In Phase III trials, Israel’s Teva reported that its Laquinimod oral treatment for multiple sclerosis reduced neuro-degeneration, slowing the progression of locomotor disability in multiple sclerosis patients.  Laquinimod might also help treat Crohn's disease, lupus nephritis, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s.

Americans look to Israel for Parkinson’s treatment.  1.5 million Americans, including many Jews, suffer from Parkinson’s disease.  The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle highlights some of the many Israeli treatments.

DIY medical sensor.  (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israel’s Elfi Tech monitors your pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood flow and much more, non-invasively at any time with the help of a sensor smaller than a dime.  It has just been selected as a finalist of the Nokia Sensing XChallenge.

Israel hosts international conference on proteins.  160 leading biomedical scientists from Israel, Europe and the US attended the ninth Jakub K. Parnas Conference entitled “Proteins - from Birth to Death” at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  It is co-sponsored by the Biochemical societies of Israel, Poland and the Ukraine.


ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Miss Israel wows black Americans.  Israel’s beauty queen, 22-year-old Ethiopian-born Yityish Aynaw, was in Los Angeles as a guest of Christian preacher Rev. Ronald V. Myers. He said that everyone should know what Israel did to rescue Ethiopian Jews.

Another Syrian treated in Israel.  A 23-year-old Syrian was brought to Ziv (Sieff) Hospital in the central Galilee city of Tzfat, for treatment of moderate shrapnel wounds to the hand, suffered in his country's civil war.  The hospital has treated 108 victims of the conflict.  Plus an article on the clandestine work that Israel is doing.

How do sick Arab children get to Israel?  (Thanks to Elaine) The Christian organization Shevet Achim works in places like Jordan, Iraq and the Gaza strip. It funds and transports children requiring heart surgery to Israeli hospitals such as Save A Child’s Heart’s Wolfson and at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.

Yad Vashem honors righteous Egyptian doctor.  Egyptian doctor Mohamed Helmy is the first Arab to be designated “Righteous Among the Nations” by Israel’s holocaust center Yad Vashem.  Dr Helmy hid a Jewish family in Berlin from 1942 to 1944.  Dr Helmy died in Berlin in 1982.

Israeli security for India.  (Thanks to Size Doesn’t Matter) Around 500 Israeli-made hi-resolution cameras with nighttime vision have been installed on the Kolkata (Calcutta) subway.

“Israeli water week” in Vietnam.  Israel brought its leading water experts to Vietnam to forge cooperation and bring advanced water technologies to Vietnam.  Israeli companies included Netafim, Amiad, Bermad and Odis. 


SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israel’s cleanest ever energy.  Half of Israel’s electricity now comes from natural gas – mainly from the new Tamar offshore gas field.  Israel Electric Corporation announced that this is its cleanest year ever for environmental quality and the production of clean, green electricity.

Gasoline from natural gas.  Israel Corporation subsidiary IC Green Energy has inaugurated a facility in New Jersey to produce gasoline from natural gas.  The plant can produce up to 100,000 gallons (440,000 liters) of gasoline a year.  Automobiles will be able to use the lower cost, less emissions fuel without any modifications.

Recovering lost energy.  Israel’s Ormat Technologies builds Recoverable Energy Generators (REGs) that turn waste energy from industrial processes into usable electrical power.  It already recovers 160 megawatts in the USA and 595 MW worldwide.  It has just agreed to build a 5MW REG power plant for eBay in Utah.

Drink Israel’s wake-up beverage.  Israeli startup Inno-Bev’s all-natural WakeUp won “Best Functional Drink” at the Drinktec Beverage Innovation Awards.  Instead of a high caffeine energy drink, enjoy guarana, ginkgo biloba, elderberry and a unique apple sugar with a low glycaemic index that reduces sugar fluctuation. 

$130 million to help build China’s Technion.  Israel’s Technion has received its largest ever donation.  The Li Ka Shing Foundation donated $130 million to establish the Technion Guangdong Institute of Technology, a joint venture with Shantou University in Guangdong Province in southern China.

Watching over them.  (Thanks to Yair) An Israeli company has made a watch to keep your loved ones safe.  The Foxiwatch has GPS, a mobile phone and an emergency contact button.  For children or at-risk adults.

Israel – the next Silicon Valley.  (Thanks to Jacob) A long but very positive article on Israel’s technical prowess.  Covers cyber-security, UAVs (unmanned drones), computer processor chips, the Start-up nation, Be’er Sheva’s Advanced Technology Park, Negev agriculture and Ben Gurion University.

New tech campus for Tel Aviv.  A site for a new technology and engineering campus has been allocated in southeast Tel Aviv.  The 6.75-acre site will accommodate 5,000 students, dormitories, the Afeka Academic College of Engineering, plus education institutions already in the area, such as the ORT Singalovksi School.

Israeli technology is up in the air.  Jerusalem is hosting the 61st annual International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine.  Israeli technology showcased will include an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and a robotic dog, both of which can evacuate wounded under fire.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israeli unemployment hits 20-year low.  Israel’s August unemployment rate fell to 6.1%, the lowest in two decades. At the same time, participation in the labor market continues to expand, reaching 64% in August.

Israel is still an A with S&P.  Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P) affirmed its A+ foreign currency credit rating for Israel with a "Stable" outlook. It also reaffirmed its local currency A-1 sovereign credit rating.

Japanese investment boosts ReWalk.  Japan-based robotics manufacturer Yaskawa Electric Corporation has invested in and formed a strategic partnership with Israel’s Argo Medical Technologies. Argo manufactures the ReWalk exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to walk.  The investment will aid R&D to streamline manufacture.

Israeli agriculture expands into Serbia.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Makhteshim Agan Industries supplies solutions to farmers that combat disease and increase yields.  It has purchased Magan Agrochemicals Serbia in order to expand into the Southeastern region of the European Union.

Look who’s talking?  Israeli communications integrator and social media solutions provider ITNavigator has just been bought up by US Networking giant Avaya and will be navigating its way to New Jersey.  ITNavigator spots comments (positive or adverse) about a company on the Internet, allowing a fast response.

Everything on the menu is 5 shekels.  All food and beverages at Israel’s new café chain, Cofix, will be kosher and just NIS 5 (under $1.5 or £1). Cofix plans 300 takeaway-only franchises.

China invests in Israeli collagen.  Israel’s Collplant has received a 10% investment from China’s Trauwin who will market Collplant’s products in China.  Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals and is used to repair damaged muscles and wounds.


CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Israelis are Magic.  (Thanks to Joshua) An Israeli, 19-year-old Shahar Shenhar, is the 2013 Magic: The Gathering (MtG) world champion.  MtG is a trading card game, which is as popular as chess among young intellectuals.  The champion in 2007 was Israel’s Uri Peleg, who has five graduate degrees.

A star is born?  (Thanks to 12Tribe Films) Elementary teacher Elon Taub really won over the audience and the judges with his performance on Israel’s Cohav Nolad.

Stevie TV – your personal TV channel.  (Thanks to Israel21c) Tel Aviv start-up Stevie TV takes feeds from Facebook and Twitter, your friends’ photos, “Liked” articles plus news stories, live sports and music etc. to give you the personal, interactive TV station of the future.  Bye bye BBC.

Israel beams Russian ice hockey to Europe.  (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Synterra Media, the largest Media Content Logistics operator in Russia, has selected Israel’s RRsat Global Communications to distribute live broadcasts of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) games for the 2014 season to millions of Europeans.


THE JEWISH STATE

Israel to digitize Italian medieval manuscripts.  Israel’s National Library will be digitizing the Palatina Library’s collection of about 1,600 documents dating to the Middle Ages.  Items to go online include one of the oldest existing copies of the Mishna – the Jewish Oral Law.

Israel’s fire scouts save lives.  (Thanks to Israel21c) About 1,500 Israeli teens (often from problem homes) are involved in the fire scout movement. They learn to operate fire trucks, ladders, hoses, rescue techniques and all about fires.  In 2010 fire scouts helped save two 18-month-old babies from a burning apartment. 

Flying with the birds.  Here is a beautiful Israel21c film about Israeli scientist and ornithologist Yossi Leshem. Yossi took advantage of Israel being the route for 500 million migratory birds to devise solutions that allow man and bird to share the same airspace in safety.

Grandma has a baby elephant.  “La Petite”, an Asian elephant at Ramat Gan’s Safari Park has just given birth - two months after her daughter, “La Belle”, gave birth.  Zoo staff said the new “little one” appeared to be strong, healthy, and successfully nursing.  Stop press – park staff have named La Belle’s baby “Letangi”.