GOOD NEWS FROM ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN
https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/
Beyond the headlines of hostage releases, and new paradigms for the future of Gaza, there is a nation of start-ups, scientists and researchers that develop new technology to improve every aspect of beneficent human endeavor. After work they can enjoy cafes, bistros, restaurants, concerts, theater and dance, in a democracy that protects their civic lives. Michael Ordman details the foregoing . Read all about it. rsk
POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Private concert for freed hostages. (TY Yanky) Hanan Ben Ari, one of Israel’s favorite singers, gave a private performance for Liri, Karina, Daniela and Naama and their families in hospital. The unique 2-hour “welcome home” concert included his latest release, “Today I woke up happy.”
Now it’s personal. Fans of UK soccer team Tottenham Hotspur celebrated the release of hostage and Spurs fan Emily Damari. One fan said, “I don’t know her, I’ve never met her, but there was something very personal about her not just being a British hostage but being a Spurs fan.” (Ed – Something to think about!)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tottenham-soccer-fans-celebrate-release-of-hostage-emily-damari/
Thai ex-hostages get residency status. (TY WIN) The five Thai hostages released on Jan 30 have been granted Israeli residency status. Thaenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakhan, Sriaoun Watchara, Saethao Bannawat and Rumnao Surasak can stay in Israel if they wish, after their recovery. See them reunited with their families.
https://www.jns.org/thai-hostages-reunite-with-families-in-israel/
https://www.jns.org/israel-grants-released-thai-hostages-residency-status/
I chose faith. In footage of her helicopter flight from Gaza to hospital, released hostage Agam Berger wrote and displayed a message to the world. It said, “I chose a path of faith and I returned through a path of faith.” Agam observed Shabbat, fasted Tisha b’Av; wouldn’t eat non-kosher meat, or cook for her captors on Shabbat.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403158 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYY9Rhow-Z8
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403132
https://www.jns.org/female-captive-found-siddur-in-hamas-captivity-fasted-on-tisha-bav/
Supporting hostages with braided hair. The four female IDF soldiers released on Jan 25 had their hair braided by Agam Berger, who was released a week later. She had also braided the hair of some of the children released in Nov 2023. Many Israeli women, including El Al staff, have braided their hair as a sign of solidarity.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-839980
See Agam at her sister’s IDF graduation. Another article featuring released hostage Agam Berger. It features Agam at the IDF graduation ceremony for her younger sister Bar where Agam presented Bar with her graduation award ribbon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5eXP6a4wdo
How Gadi survived. 80-year-old released hostage Gadi Mozes was held for 483 days in isolation. He walked 7km a day up and down his tiny room. He solved mathematics problems in his head. He persuaded his captors to give him books in English, and he kept a daily diary which Hamas confiscated before his release.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pacing-7km-a-day-in-a-tiny-cell-rationing-grains-of-rice-hostages-stories-emerge/ https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/hostage-gadi-mozes-shares-how-he-kept-his-sanity-in-captivity-bm64zyhy https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/01/31/hero-hostage-managed-to-convince-hamas-to-give-him-books-in-english/
Life restarts. Despite still suffering from broken ribs and a bullet wound in his hand, released hostage Keith Siegel refused a wheelchair, wrapped himself in an Israeli flag, and walked from the IDF helicopter to the hospital. His youngest daughter Shir, who got engaged before Oct 7, can now set the date for her wedding.
How a Muslim Arab saved 32 from Hamas. (TY Nevet) On Oct 7 2023, Bedouin Israeli Yunis Alkarnawi hid 8 Israelis and 24 Thai workers on the farm he manages and then convinced Hamas terrorists not to enter the farm. Yunis has three members of his family currently serving in the IDF.
https://jewishinsider.com/2025/01/shalev-biton-yunis-alkarnawi-bedouin-israeli-nova-survivor-oct-7/
Building resilience – BGU events. Ben Gurion University are holding several US-location events to describe how BGU faculty and students are leading the way forward for the Negev and Israel after October 7th. Hear them in Miami FL (Feb 25), Boca Raton FL (Feb 26) or Houston TX (Feb 27).
https://americansforbgu.org/events/resilience_miami_beach/
https://americansforbgu.org/events/boca_2025/
https://americansforbgu.org/events/houston-2025/
Stray dog saves IDF soldiers. (TY Aubrey) During an IDF operation in Jenin, a stray dog tugged at the leg of a soldier and led him to a blanket. He lifted the blanket to reveal a massive explosive device. The heroic dog is now living in Israel. (see photo of device and dog at link)
https://vinnews.com/2025/02/02/a-stray-dog-saves-the-lives-of-idf-soldiers-in-jenin/
A brighter Jewish future. The 3rd annual International Yael Foundation Conference in Limassol, Cyprus, attracted 200+ Jewish thought leaders from 37 countries to discuss advancing Jewish education. They heard from Israelis impacted by Oct 7 2023 and understood that Jews globally had strengthened their Jewish identity.
https://www.jns.org/education-and-beyond-yael-foundation-summit-gets-underway-in-cyprus/
IDF’s new leader. Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir quoted King David’s Psalm 18 in his first speech after being nominated as the next IDF chief of staff. “I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them; and did not turn back till they were consumed”. And, “Israel will produce its own weapons, enabling it to face any threat.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/incoming-idf-chief-israel-will-prove-to-enemies-it-is-powerful-determined-to-win/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403289
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Therapies bypass the liver. Tel Aviv University researchers are able to encode cell therapy to target specific diseases without causing toxic side effects on the liver. Their first example encapsulates mRNA nanoparticles in lipids that are only absorbed in the intestine, telling it to generate IL-10 for curing colitis and Crohn’s disease.
https://en-lifesci.tau.ac.il/news/sbcr_peer_mrna_2025
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202408744
Targeting autoimmune diseases. (TY Nevet) Israel’s Pepticom (see here previously) is to accelerate the development of its oral IL-17 inhibitor program, targeting improved treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Can you smell the coffee? (TY Israel21c) Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute found that lack of a sense of smell often leads to depression, anxiety and other health issues which link to a reduced lifespan. They also discovered that sighing every 5 minutes or so helps prevent the collapse of alveoli in the lungs.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52650-6
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
A great year for donated shares. The shares that startups donated to Israel’s Tmura (see here previously) resulted in more than NIS 10 million being given to worthy causes in 2024 – the second highest since it was founded in 2002. Most went to groups involved in resilience, rehabilitation, and reducing social disparities.
https://www.israel21c.org/donating-stock-options-for-the-greater-israeli-good/
Huge rise in Arabs employed in Israeli healthcare. Since 2010 there has been a massive increase in Israeli Arab medical professionals. Current (vs 2010): 25% of Israeli doctors are Arab (was 8%), Nurses 27% (17%), dentists 27% (19%), Pharmacists 49% (28%). Arabs constitute some 20% of Israel’s population. Apartheid?
https://www.jns.org/swell-of-arabs-in-israeli-healthcare-since-2010-study-suggests/
Briefing Portuguese MPs. (TY Nevet) The Israeli non-profit ELNET (European Leadership Network) hosted a delegation of Members of the Portuguese Parliament. They visited Oct 7 sites and met a survivor and a hostage family member. They also visited Yad Vashem, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Wailing Wall.
https://elnetwork.eu/country/israel/elnetisraelmfa-portuguesempsdelegation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBOlWWAulWc
Educational Travel Summit. (TY Nevet) The Israel Educational Travel Alliance held its first-ever Leaders’ Summit in Israel. Some 140 representatives from 100+ member organizations reviewed educational Israel travel programs post Oct 7. The pledged to bring over 53,000 participants to Israel in 2025 (up from 35,500 in 2024).
Are we asking the wrong questions? Jerusalem’s Rabbi Daniel Rowe (whom I knew in the UK before making Aliyah) makes a good point here. Instead of lamenting why the Jewish State isn’t treated the same as other countries, why not focus less on fitting in and more on standing out? Perhaps by being more Positive?
https://www.jns.org/the-pro-israel-camp-is-asking-the-wrong-questions/
What a hoot! (TY Yanky) The Israeli initiative to use barn owls for natural rodent pest control (see here previously) is now global. Experts from 12 countries held their annual conference in Greece including new attendees from Germany, Georgia, and Ukraine. They plan to replicate the model in the USA and Asia.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Preventing food wastage. Israel’s StePacPPC (see here previously) and its partner Windham Packaging have developed a range of its bulk modified-atmosphere packaging to extend the shelf life of fresh produce headed to foodservice outlets – predominantly restaurants, hotels, and canteens. It is already having success in the US.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15vtSMqdZafcjxrrR5EDxjGvq-a0N0oZV
Wiz exposes DeepSeek. Israeli security giant Wiz uncovered a major security flaw in China’s new AI chatbot DeepSeek. In a routine scan, Wiz found DeepSeek had left a publicly accessible database unprotected, exposing digital software keys, backend operational details, and chat logs containing user prompts from its AI assistant.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/sensitive-data-from-deepseek-exposed-to-web-warns-israeli-founded-cyber-firm/ https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h12yfsooyx
Israeli agritech in Los Angeles. Please register for this event on Feb 10 featuring eight Israeli agritech startups Hoffman & Hoffman, AgriNoze, Edete, NETA (transforming agricultural waste), Acclym, SolarWine, Tevel Aerobotics, and CarobWay.
https://lu.ma/v8p4urmk https://www.hw-well.com/ https://www.acclym.com/ https://www.solarwine.ai/
AI in the classroom. Israel’s Education Ministry is implementing a nationwide program to integrate artificial intelligence into the nation’s school system. It includes training 70,000 teachers to use AI in classrooms and bringing in 3,000 training mentors from over 400 tech companies to help adapt AI tools.
https://www.jns.org/israel-unveils-groundbreaking-ai-education-plan-for-2025/
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/lde52kasn
Teaching robotics in kindergartens. It’s never too early to prepare children for the world of tomorrow. In a pilot of the first initiative of its kind, Israel’s Education Ministry is integrating robotics into 500 kindergartens across Israel. Pupils will make tracks for robots, solve puzzles, program through play, and create performances.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-840420
Generating a world with AI. Israel’s Decart (see here previously) has developed the app Oasis that attempts to replicate the game Minecraft, but using generative artificial intelligence. The AI-driven simulation uses “next-frame prediction” to anticipate player actions to generate scenery and construction sites.
https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/h1tn3clikx https://oasis.decart.ai/introduction
Field test for anti-drone systems. Nine defense companies and startups conducted a second test to the Defense Ministry of some 20 drone interception solutions at a simulated testing field in the Negev (see here previously). They were from IAI, Aerobotics, Rafael, Elbit, Robotican, Xtend, General Robotics, Smart-Shooter, and Tamar.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/syddsjwkkl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDUqPFjswlI
An accelerator for outer space. Israel-based global innovation hub Creation-Space is launching Space Venture – an accelerator program to create space-tech startups. Each will receive up to $250,000, plus tech support, access to research facilities, test sites, and workshops by top experts from NASA and the deep space industry.
Two more BIG winners. In addition to the award to Israel’s OncoHost (see here previously), two other Israeli startups won 2025 BIG Innovation awards from the Business Intelligence Group. ICL Group won in the agriculture category and Trax Retail of Singapore and Tel Aviv won in the retail category.
https://www.israel21c.org/3-israeli-companies-win-2025-big-innovation-awards/
Trustworthy online voting. Israel’s Sequent is the world’s first end-to-end verifiable and transparent online voting platform. It has successfully conducted more than 200 elections in 10 countries for local municipalities, government bodies, and the private sector. It will be used for 1.7 million voters in the 2025 Philippines election.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-technology-that-may-finally-make-online-voting-the-norm/
Print your spectacles coating. Israel’s flō Opics has developed a solution for coating optical lenses using digital printing technology. It revolutionizes hard-coatings, tinted, and photochromic lenses, which can be applied on a pixel basis rather than just one option for the whole lens.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h13w12eyjx https://www.flo-optics.com/coating-solution/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli AI programs to be in US AI plans. David Sacks, chair of US President Trump’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, and Elon Musk have agreed to integrate Israel’s artificial intelligence programs into the US administration’s plans to massively expand AI development, estimated at half a trillion dollars.
https://worldisraelnews.com/netanyahu-meets-with-doge-chief-elon-musk/
NIS 1.2 billion for IDF suppling startups. In 2024, some 300 security startups received NIS 1.2 billion of orders from the Ministry of Defense for urgent tech solutions for the IDF in Gaza and Lebanon. 30% went into tech for autonomous vehicles and a similar amount for cyber-tech. The rest went to sensors, digital, and AI.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/ry1a7pp00jg
United to restart in March. United Airlines is to resume flights to Israel in March, becoming the first U.S. carrier to renew services to Tel Aviv halted due to the war. United will initially fly from Newark’s Liberty International Airport on Mar 15, with daily service beginning two weeks later on Mar 29.
https://worldisraelnews.com/united-airlines-to-restart-service-to-israel-in-march/
Latin America invests in Israel. Leapfrog Innovation Powerhouse (LIP) Ventures is investing $90 million in Israeli startups from a group of 200 high-net-worth individuals and family offices across Latin America. The VC is boosting Israeli talent and helping Israeli entrepreneurs be exposed to the LATAM region.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sjjaoeroje
$1 billion of profit. Israeli Cybersecurity company Check Point closed 2024 with $2.56 billion in revenue, a 6% growth compared to 2023. For the first time, Check Point’s annual profit surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/s1o001jkd1x
Happy with your choppers? (TY Yanky) The Irish government promised not to buy anything Israeli. But its recent purchase of 4 Airbus helicopters included Helionix flight systems made by Israel’s Elbit. Yanky suggests that they remove the systems. The helicopters won’t fly, but it’s vital that Ireland preserves its integrity!
https://www.thejournal.ie/new-helicopters-will-have-israeli-tech-despite-govt-aim-to-avoid-kit-from-the-country-6601446-Jan2025/ https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/irish-airbus-h145m-helicopters/
Startup investment – to 9th Feb 25: Oligo Security raised $50 million; Finout raised $40 million; Flō Optics raised $35 million; Seraphic Security raised $29 million; Bigabid raised $25 million; Pepticom raised $6.6 million; Lowental Hybrid raised $5 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Persian leopards return to Israel. (TY Yanky) El Al has flown two young rare Persian leopards to their new home at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem from the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic where they were born. There are fewer than 1,000 Persian leopards in the world – the last one in the Upper Galilee was seen in 1960.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403066
Top 100 wine. The US publication Wine Spectator selected White Label Judean Hills 2021 from Israeli winery Flam for its Top 100 Wines of 2024 list. “full-throttled core of red currant, blackberry, dried flower and dusty earth flavors…shows a spine of graphite that brings focus and drive to the round, lush palate…” and more!
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-wine-makes-wine-spectators-top-100-of-2024/
https://www.flamwinery.com/en/ https://www.flamwinery.com/en/product/white-label/
See the colors of Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) February in Jerusalem is full of color. A new lion, the Botanical Gardens, purple irises, white roses, lemon trees, Jerusalem Theater art, and (of course) yellow ribbons.
https://rjstreets.com/2025/02/02/watch-as-the-pendulum-swings-february-begins-in-jerusalem/
Best large Jazz Ensemble album. Israeli musician Dan Pugach won a Grammy award in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album with his compilation title “Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence.”
https://www.danpugach.com/ https://www.youtube.com/danpugach
Even more good. The song that all Israel is singing. Tamid Ohev Oti (Od Yoter Tov).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEmjeU-62PM
Israel’s wheelchair dance champion. Major feature article about Israel’s Tomer Margalit (see here previously) who didn’t let paralysis prevent her from becoming a world class dancer.
https://www.israel21c.org/disabled-ballroom-dancer-taking-on-the-world/
THE JEWISH STATE
A 1900-year court case. A 1,900-year-old papyrus (the longest ever found in the Judean desert) recently deciphered for the first time reveals a Roman trial of two Jews (Saulos and Gedalias) in the land of Israel on the eve of the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 CE). Saulos may have been a “rebel”, trying to redeem Jewish slaves.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fraud-forgery-and-sedition-1900-year-old-papyrus-records-roman-trial-against-jews/ https://www.jewishpress.com/news/archaeology-news/roman-era-papyrus-unveils-tax-evasion-and-slave-trade-scam/2025/01/29/
Torah scrolls for battle conditions. Israel’s Military Rabbinate has unveiled a portable Holy Ark containing a Torah scroll. Army rabbis designed it to be worn like a backpack, which can be converted into a small podium, or bimah, for reading scripture. It is weatherproof and designed to prevent damage from humidity.
https://www.jns.org/idf-unveils-portable-torah-scrolls-for-field-conditions/
Thai officials offer thanks at the Kotel. (TY UWI) A delegation of senior Thai government officials, including Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, plus Thailand’s military chief of staff, visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, after five Thai hostages were freed from Hamas captivity.
https://www.jns.org/top-thai-officials-visit-western-wall-after-citizens-freed-from-gaza/
Nb’N’s 2024 achievements. Last year, Nefesh b’Nefesh helped 3,700 North American Jews make Aliyah. It launched IMAP (International Medical Aliyah Program) which helped 519 doctors and healthcare professionals make Aliyah. And it gave the Maor Youth Prize (see here previously) to 9 exceptional young Olim.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1804552066974540 https://www.imap.org.il/
https://www.jpost.com/aliyah-with-nbn/article-836309
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