RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.jns.org/opinion/israel-u-s-jews-and-the-left-right-rift/

In an op-ed this week on the rift between American Jews and Israel, Haaretz’s Chemi Shalev compares the “troubled marriage” to a romantic union gone sour. He does this through metaphor—a literary device that he clearly prides himself on employing to provide a snide description of the touted “match made in Jewish heaven” that is now, in his view, completely “on the rocks.”

“For many years it seemed like a love story from a fairy tale,” Shalev writes, apologizing in good liberal fashion for his use of “gender assignments” to the protagonists. “He [Israel] was brave, brash and handsome, like Paul Newman. She was rich and smart, a Jewish American princess, and what she lacked in beauty she made up for in unbridled worship for the very ground he marched on. It took them awhile to warm to each other—they kept at arm’s length for their first 19 years—but after June 1967 [the Six-Day War] they fell into each other’s arms like long lost lovers.”

The “world’s foremost power couple,” according to Shalev, proceeded to engage in a kind of mutual opportunism, with Israel serving as American Jewry’s arm candy in exchange for the coveted advantage of “cruising on the fast lane to unparalleled power, money and influence” in Washington.

This metaphorical “dynamic duo” lived in harmony for several years, until the husband’s “attractive self-confidence morphed into obnoxious arrogance.” Sadly, writes Shalev, “70 years of overall success went to his head.” As a result, “He turned holier than thou, rebuffed reproof, wallowed in victimhood, labeled his critics anti-Semites and was mortified when [his wife], of all people, seemed to echo some of their sentiments. He wanted her to remain dutifully compliant, to do exactly as she’s told and to keep the checks coming, as always.”

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/272063/airbnbs-corporate-act-anti-semitism-ari-lieberman

Airbnb’s November 19th decision to delist some 200 accounts of Jewish citizens who reside in the districts of Judea & Samaria, alternatively known as the West Bank, will have little economic impact on those account holders. Most of their business is generated by other advertising and hosting platforms so nothing will change. The tourists will still come. Moreover, Airbnb specifically excluded rentals from East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights from its delisting efforts. Nevertheless, despite its miniscule economic impact, it is crucial that supporters of Israel and opponents of antisemitism muster all efforts to reverse Airbnb’s illogical and discriminatory policy. This includes legal action, petitions, political and economic pressures.

The decision to ban West Bank accounts of Jewish residents exclusively is discriminatory on two levels. First, despite numerous conflict zones throughout the world – Tibet, Kashmir, Crimea, Western Sahara, Northern Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Nagorno-Karabakh, to name just a few – Airbnb decided to focus its efforts on Judea and Samaria. Second, Airbnb distinguishes between Jewish and Arab homes within Judea and Samaria. Thus an Arab resident of Jericho can freely rent his apartment, while his Jewish neighbor who resides in the community of Mitzpeh Jericho, cannot.

Judging from its disparate treatment of Israel, it is patently clear that Airbnb’s decision was motivated by pressure from nefarious anti-Israel elements. The United Nations Human Rights Council, a body hosted by the world’s worst purveyors of Antisemitism and human rights violations, placed Airbnb on its black list of companies doing business in Judea and Samaria. Human Rights Watch and other anti-Israel non-governmental organizations also chimed it. As a result, Airbnb chose the morally reprehensible path and succumbed. It is time for Airbnb to recognize that its deleterious action comes with adverse legal and economic consequences.

Within days of Airbnb’s action, a class action lawsuit was filed in Israel seeking an unspecified sum on behalf of those aggrieved by the company’s delisting campaign. A newly enacted Israeli law empowers courts to award compensation to plaintiffs who can prove that they were denied goods or services on the basis of their domicile.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/netanyahu-iran-and-threats-that-have-come-to-light/

Without the prime minister’s persistence in exposing the extent of threat posed by the regime in Tehran, as well as his forging of alliances to combat it, Israelis would not have the luxury to laugh at his diagrams.

In an address to the nation last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to critics angry with him for agreeing to a premature ceasefire with Hamas, and those accusing him of being more preoccupied with keeping his government from falling than with implementing wise policies.

“Most Israeli citizens know that when I make security-related decisions, I do so … out of a genuine and deep concern for the welfare of our country, the security of our citizens and the safety of our soldiers,” he said. “These are not slogans.”

He went on to state ominously that a multi-pronged operation is in the works. “I have a clear plan,” he announced. “I know what to do and when to do it. And we are going to do it. … This will involve sacrifice, but … we will overcome our enemies.”

Netanyahu seemed to imply that he was not solely referring to “our enemies” in Gaza or Ramallah, but to the mullahs in Tehran. Those of us convinced that his incessant harping on the Iranian nuclear threat is warranted can only imagine, with both hope and trepidation, what his “clear plan” entails.

The remaining minority of the Israeli public thinks that Netanyahu dangles the dangers of a nuclear Iran as a scare tactic to garner votes. This sector is responsible for ridiculing him every time he opens his mouth on the topic, especially when he whips out props for backup.

The most famous example is a cartoon-like diagram of a bomb that he held up during a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. To stress his point about the need for the international community to draw red lines on Iran’s nuclear program, he drew an actual red line between the base of bomb and the fuse. For this, he was made fun of relentlessly by every Israeli comedian, satirist, caricaturist and rival politician for months.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/272038/netanyahu-still-israels-preferred-leader-joseph-puder

At the Likud party meeting on Monday (November 19, 2018), Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu declared, “We have an entire year until the elections.” He made the statement a day after he called on his coalition partner not to dissolve the government. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the “Israel Our Home” party, originally a party of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, resigned last week as Defense Minister, and pulled his party out of the coalition government. He was hoping to bring down Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud (party) led government. The pretext for his decision was Netanyahu’s reluctance to engage the Israel Defense Forces in another Gaza war, and his decision to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas. Lieberman denounced the move as “surrender to terror.” Lieberman’s thinking was that his resignation will prompt other coalition partners to leave as well, and thus new elections will be called, since the Netanyahu government would not have the necessary 61 votes to govern. He failed. Now he will sit on the Opposition benches next to Ayman Odeh, of the United Arab List. Lieberman learned two lessons. One, the country and seated Knesset Members are not eager for new elections to take place, and two, Netanyahu is not led by his coalition partners, but rather the opposite.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the “Jewish Home” party and coalition partner was also in a heated disagreement with PM Netanyahu over the response to the massive rocket attacks from Gaza. Like Lieberman, Bennett also sought more aggressive action against Hamas and its terrorist partners in the Gaza Strip. Bennett used Lieberman’s departure as Defense Minister to petition for this job, the second most powerful post in the Israeli government. Bennett’s eight seats in the 120 Knesset seats (Israeli Parliament), three more than Lieberman’s party, posed a veiled threat to Netanyahu. The “Jewish Home” party departure from the coalition would have brought the government down, and new elections would become a certainty. Netanyahu however, decided not give in. He was aided by Jewish Home party constituents, who pressured Bennett to stay put. They simply figured that Bennett’s quest for the Defense portfolio was not worth risking an early election result that might harm the party, and diminish its representation in the Knesset.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who sought early elections at one point, has changed his mind and is determined to go on with his narrow coalition government of 61 seats until its official term expires next year. Polls have consistently predicted that the Likud would end up increasing its representation in the Knesset. And Netanyahu predicted in August of this year that the Likud might possibly garner “35 (mandates), 40 is the goal.” Netanyahu has held the office of Prime Minister for 12 years, and if he manages, as it appears, to hold on until next year, he could surpass Israel’s founding father, David Ben Gurion, as the longest serving prime minister.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Brain bleed detection approved. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s MedyMatch and its Artificial Intelligent Accipio Ix intracranial hemorrhage detection software. MedyMatch (renamed MaxQ AI) has now received both FDA and CE approval to sell its systems in both the US and in Europe.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/maxq-ai-receives-fda-clearance-for-accipio-ix-intracranial-hemorrhage-diagnostics-intelligence-platform-300745201.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UrqJ84BJbc

US approval for portable blood test. (TY Atid-EDI) I reported previously (8th Apr) on Israel’s PixCell which received a multi-million grant by the EU to help advance its HemoScreen portable blood test. The US FDA has just approved HemoScreen to sell in the USA. Meanwhile, Israel’s SightDx has launched its OLO blood tester.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hemoscreen-hematology-analyzer-for-point-of-care-receives-fda-510k-clearance-300745234.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xjPf1N8T0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1iSO1KaJ-Y https://www.sightdx.com/

Treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Intec Pharma which is developing treatments based on its innovative Accordion technology. Intec’s COO Nadav Navon provided an update of Intec’s pipeline on ILTV. Phase 3 trials have now commenced on Intec’s Parkinson’s treatment.
https://ir.intecpharma.com/news-releases/news-release-details/intec-pharma-completes-enrollment-pivotal-phase-3-clinical-trial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQEAH5L6Ng0

Quadriplegic bridegroom stands at his wedding. (TY TIP) I reported previously (Dec 2015) about a paraplegic bridegroom who walked down the isle in an Israeli ReWalk exoskeleton. Now a quadriplegic Israeli, Adir, was able to stand next to his bride, Liat, thanks to ReWalk’s latest “UPnRIDE” mobility solution.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-device-lets-wheelchair-bound-groom-stand-under-chuppah/

The right treatment is in the DNA. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s 2bPrecise takes sources of patient genetic data to help physicians determine the best treatment for individuals. 2bPrecise is partnering with US-based Innovation Institute and Avera Health’s GeneFolio to deliver a pharmacogenomics knowledge base to the point of care.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181102005411/en/2bPrecise-Honored-Israel%E2%80%99s-Top-Startups https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180307005764/enhttps://2bprecisehealth.com/

Pediatric orthopedic training for 50 African doctors. Professor Mark Eidelman of Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center led a unique 4-day training course in Addis Ababa. 50 doctors from Ethiopia and neighboring countries learned how to fix pediatric orthopedic deformities.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254979

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

From Ethiopian immigrant to Israeli Parliament. (TY UWI) Penina Tamanu-Shata is the first Ethiopian-born woman to become a member of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). Penina came to Israel in 1984 at the age of 3 during Operation Moses. She tells of her Aliyah and her work helping other immigrants to integrate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-wNynsw0Ec

Audio books for kids with reading difficulties. (TY Moshe K) The Israel Audiobook Project provides children with reading difficulties free access to texts in audio, rather than written, form. Now they too can enjoy the pleasure of well-known children’s stories and their characters.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/listening-to-a-world-of-adventures-one-magic-book-at-a-time/

Training program for special needs. Tel Aviv University and AKIM have launched a training program for those with learning difficulties to become professional dental sterilization technicians. Skills include decontamination, assembling, packaging, and distribution of re-usable surgical instruments and equipment.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/training-program-for-adults-with-intellectual-disabilities-opens-at-school-of-dental-medicine/2018/11/21/

The guy who saves wild animals. Avihu Sherwood runs the “For the Wildlife” Animal Rescue at the Dear Park Country Zoo, founded by Tzvi Adiv, on Israel’s Moshav Elishama, in Central Israel. Avihu tries to save any injured animal and reintroduce it into the wild – some 3,000 – 4,000 animals per year.
http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/interviews-and-profiles/healing-nature/2018/05/28/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo61yiz6Mwg

https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-scientists-develop-implanted-organs-that-wont-be-rejected/

Breakthrough development uses a patient’s own stomach cells, cutting the risk of an immune response to implanted organs.

Israeli researchers report that they have invented the first fully personalized tissue implant, engineered from a patient’s own materials and cells. The new technology makes it possible to engineer any kind of tissue implant, for the spinal cord, to the heart, or brain, from one small fatty tissue biopsy.

“We were able to create a personalized hydrogel from the materials of the biopsy, to differentiate fatty tissue cells into different cell types and to engineer cardiac, spinal cord, cortical and other tissue implants to treat different diseases,” said lead researcher Prof. Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology.

“Since both the cells and the material used derive from the patient, the implant does not provoke an immune response, ensuring proper regeneration of the defected organ,” Dvir explained.

The research was conducted by Dvir’s postdoctoral researcher, Reuven Edri, and doctoral students Nadav Noor and Idan Gal, in collaboration with Prof. Dan Peer and Prof. Irit Gat Viks of TAU’s Department of Cell Research and Immunology and Prof. Lior Heller of Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center in Israel. It was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.