AMAZING ISRAEL: FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Melanoma can be cured – in Israel. Patients in an advanced stage of metastatic melanoma are being given a new lease of life at the Ella Institute of Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv. Sheba’s innovative Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) trials have patients from Europe coming to Israel to be rid of the deadly cancer.
Crohn’s medication works. Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals has reported success in the Phase IIa clinical trial of Laquinimod in moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. The announcement was made at the 20th United European Gastroenterology (UEG) conference in Amsterdam.
Ultrasound treatment for bone cancer patients. The US Food and Drug Administration has given pre-marketing approval for ExAblate targeted focused ultrasound treatment from Israel’s InSightec Image Guided Treatment Ltd.. The approval is initially for bone cancer patients who cannot undergo radiation therapy.
Israeli spinal surgery – in Vietnam. Mazor Robotics has received its first order in Vietnam for its Renaissance robotic navigation system for spinal surgery. The system will be installed at the Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi, the country’s largest surgical hospital, with 1,000 beds.
Genetic link for autism. New Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center research has found that Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) share a root cause with psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The research accessed anonymous records from over one million Israeli soldiers.
Natural medicines from Jerusalem. The Natural Medicine Research Unit for the Study of Complementary, Alternative and Integrated Medicine at Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem is exploring some ancient methods to cure modern day ailments. The centre even germinated a 2,000-year-old Judean date palm seed.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
A Palestinian Christian speaks out. Christy (not her real name) is on a speaking tour of the UK. She tells of the false narrative that the world is hearing about life for the Christian community under the PA. Because of death threats, she now lives in the UK. If you can get to Crawley or York, she’s worth listening to.
Big investment in Arab education. Israel is preparing a NIS 300 million investment into higher education for its minorities. The Council for Higher Education (CHE) said bringing more Arab students into higher education “will allow them to pursue a greater variety of careers and present new opportunities”.
Israeli boarding school for environmental entrepreneurs. The new Eastern Mediterranean College (EMC) for International high-school students will have two tracks. The first, focusing on desert ecology and the second on start-up businesses. 40 of the 200 places are reserved for Israel’s Arab neighbours and 40 for Israelis.
Bulgaria is a good friend. Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. President Plevneliev was thanked both for Bulgaria’s support to Israel following the recent terrorist attack in Burgas and also to Jews during World War 2.
Sharing with China. (Thanks to IATI) Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, MASHAV, has launched a joint project with the China Association for Science and Technology, which has some 5 million members, in a bid to share and promote Israeli knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A smartphone for the blind. The Israeli-developed phone, called Project Ray, vocalises any icon or name touched by a sliding finger and activates it only when the finger is lifted. It has a special GPS for the blind and an audiobook interface to Israel’s Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped.
A “clean” tech app to check your tyres. (Thanks to NoCamels) No need to get dirty or buy an expensive tyre pressure gauge. Download the TyreCheck app from Israel’s Neomatix and use your Smartphone to scan the tyres. If you need air, TyreCheck then tells you where to find the nearest air pump and the correct pressure.
Torah for iPad. While there’s no substitute for the real thing, this app attempts to recreate the feel of standing beside a real Torah. Not only does the Hebrew-lettering mirror the script found in an actual Torah, the app even comes with a “yad” – the hand shaped pointer traditionally used to touch the parchment of the Torah.
Israel inaugurates new Space Centre. Science and Technology Ministry officials dedicated a “space center” in memory of the late astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon, in the Arab city of Taiba. It will serve residents of the Galilee Triangle for study, experimentation and enrichment in the field of space and the sciences.
New improved solar tulip. Do you recall the solar tower shaped like a flower that Israel has built in the Negev desert and also installed in Spain? Well it has been vastly improved recently and is now much more efficient and with less downtime. New sites are planned in Mexico and in Arizona, USA.
Cardboard wheelchairs for Africa. The team that manufactured the cardboard bicycle has now produced a cardboard wheelchair for less than $10. Made from recycled cardboard, plastic bottles and recycled tires, it supports up to 400 pounds, resists both moisture and humidity, and requires no maintenance.
Techno.me. This annual event in Tel Aviv is a great platform for Israeli start-ups to announce their new products. One of this year’s stars is called “Learni” – an on-line e-book reading education system that is already in use at 15 Israeli schools.
Great new course. Over 100 Tel Aviv University students attended the first session of “The Sources of Israel’s Creativity and Environmental Innovation in Israel”. The organisation Kinetis initiated the course to expose the catalysts of creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit of the Israeli people.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
2012 forecasts improve. Merrill Lynch raised its 2012 GDP growth forecast for Israel from 2.7% to 2.9%, citing recent improvement in the global economy and resilience of the domestic economy in the first half of the year.
US-Israel bilateral trade at new record levels. Exports between the two countries was $36.9 billion in 2011 – up from the 2007 pre-economic crisis high of $33.8 billion. Israel is one of America’s top 25 largest export markets (top 10 by capita). The two countries held a high-level economic policy meeting in Washington.
Still investing in start-ups. 144 Israeli high-tech companies raised $488 million from Israeli and foreign venture capital funds in the third quarter of 2012; 8% more that $453 million raised in the preceding quarter.
They were Israeli. (Thanks to Israel21c) Three large takeovers of Israeli companies are in progress. IBM is looking to buy Red Bend (mobile software) for $250m. Japan’s Fujifilm is offering $750m for Given Imaging (Pillcam’s developer). Japan’s Sysmex is moving on Dune Medical and its MarginProbe cancer tissue detector.
Map of Israeli start-ups. This neat application shows dynamically the location of thousands of Israel’s innovative companies.
The secret of Israel’s start-up success – Chutzpah! When Israelis say you have “chutzpah”, they mean you know what you want and will go for it. They mean you have great tenacity and will do what it takes to achieve goals that others can’t even dream of. It’s what makes Israelis so strong at entrepreneurship.
Working in Israel. A new book called “A Financial Guide To Aliyah and Life in Israel” teaches about your rights and benefits as an Israeli employee. Listen to the program “Aliya Fever” on Israel National News radio.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
A Dane discovers Israeli hummus. Before he came to Israel, Morten Berthelsen thought hummus was a purely vegan thing, but three years in the Holy Land have turned him into an addict. Now he selects outstanding hummus places to include in the travel guide he is writing.
You must stay at this hotel. Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s annual Hot List elected Israel’s Beresheet Hotel in the Negev as one of the world’s best new hotels. On the edge of the Ramon Crater at 800m above sea level, residents can explore the crater in open jeeps or peruse the ruins of the ancient Nabataen city of Avdat.
Not the new James Bond movie. The IDF has some gadgets that 007 will soon be asking Q for.
News from the Hula. 500 million birds are currently migrating through Israel’s Hula valley on their way to Africa. See my video. Some of the Hula’s other species are making the news recently. The Hula painted frog was thought to be extinct and the African Monarch butterfly is once again using the lakes on its migration route.
THE JEWISH STATE
The month without a festival now has one. The current Jewish month of Marcheshvan had no festival to celebrate until 2009 when the Ethiopian (Beta Israel) Jewish community’s festival of Sigd was formally recognised by the Israeli government.
NYC is Thinking Israel. Hundreds attended a unique Nefesh b’Nefesh “Think Israel” conference in New York City, addressing Israel and Aliyah related topics – jobs, high education, army service, Masa programs and more.
School for Jerusalem studies. The Haim Kubersky School for Jerusalem Studies will combine research and history education about Israel’s capital city under one roof. It includes a two-year research fellowship, courses for overseas students and the training centre for Jerusalem tour guides.
“Improving the world, for Israelis, is a way of life.” Israeli entrepreneur Roni Einav has revealed much in his new autobiography. But some of his one-liners are amazing. “Entering situations of uncertainty is less traumatic because that’s life here.” “I mix people from different countries in my companies because everyone brings a different brain to the operation.” “The first quality a businessperson needs is the belief in dreams.”
From small beginnings. Israeli hi-tech Outbrain has grown into an international success. But it still maintains the personal touch with its employees. So when the son of its Vice President of Products was born prematurely at 25 weeks, the whole company worked together to support the hospital and the health of the newborn.
From India to IDF. Ronen Birvdaker, a Jewish Indian from Mumbai, was so moved by the deadly 2008 Islamic terrorist attack on the Chabad centre in his home city that he decided to immigrate to Israel last year. On Wednesday, he completed his training to become a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ Golani Brigade.
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