RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-723883

Leave it to two prominent American Jews to call on the White House to censure Israel. In fairness to former State Department Mideast analyst/negotiator Aaron David Miller and one-time US ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer, what they jointly penned in The Washington Post on Tuesday could easily have been crafted by any of the outgoing powers-that-be in Jerusalem.

Indeed, though Miller and Kurtzer – senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Princeton University professor of Middle East policy respectively – have never been shy about criticizing the Jewish state that both profess to love, they might not have been so openly hostile without encouragement from Israelis in high places. Take temporary interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, for example.

Given their own horrifying statements of late, it’s hard to expect critics abroad not to jump at the chance to spew equivalent vitriol. And, boy, did Miller and Kurtzer let it rip.

“As Israel approaches its 75th birthday next year, Benjamin Netanyahu has midwifed the most extreme government in the history of the state, all in an effort to secure legislation to postpone the trial against him or cancel the indictments altogether,” they wrote. “Having brought to life the radical, racist, misogynistic and homophobic far-right parties, Netanyahu is now stuck with them.”

They went on: “He has cut a deal with convicted inciter of hatred and violence [Otzma Yehudit leader MK] Itamar Ben-Gvir and made him minister of national security, with far-reaching authority for the West Bank, Jerusalem and mixed Arab-Jewish cities in Israel proper. [Religious Zionist Party leader MK] Bezalel Smotrich, who has called for the expulsion of Arabs, is in line to run the Finance Ministry, with additional authority over the Civil Administration, which governs the West Bank. And [Noam Party leader] Avi Maoz, who proudly espouses a fierce anti-LGBTQ agenda, has been made a deputy in the prime minister’s office in charge of ‘Jewish identity.’”

https://www.commonsense.news/p/bibis-back-a-conversation-with-israels?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

EXCERPTS:

BW: Supporters and critics of yours describe you the same way, which is having a real sense not just of duty but really of destiny in your service to Israel. In a way, you view yourself as the leader that can save the Jewish state and therefore the Jewish people. There’s a line in the introduction to your book where you talk about how you wish to be remembered. It’s a simple and short line. You say, “that I helped secure the life of the Jewish state and its future.” But the whole idea behind Zionism—the political movement for Jewish self-determination, Jews being able to live in their own land, not dependent on anyone else, and able to protect themselves—is that the Jews no longer need to be saved. Who do you see Israel as needing to be saved from right now and do you imagine a day when Israel or the Jewish people will ever not need to be saved?

BN: I think life is a constant battle and the life of nations is no different. Nations come; nations go. Civilizations rise and civilizations fall. The Jewish people have broken the so-called iron laws of history. There was a great Italian philosopher, in the 16th century, who said that all nations are born, they flower, then they wilt, and then they die. You can’t escape it. Well, the Jewish people have escaped that. We died 100 deaths and we came back to life.

BW: The Jews are the ever-dying people.

BN: Well, we decided to stop dying. The birth of Zionism said that the way to rescue the Jewish people from the final death, which our modern Moses—Theodor Herzl—saw very clearly 120 years ago, he said we’d be destroyed if we don’t have a way to save the Jews from the fires of violent antisemitism. We would die and we would be erased. My father, 33 years after Herzel in 1933, at all of 23 years old, said we are facing a Holocaust. That’s his word. The Holocaust of Hitlerism, which would destroy the Jewish people. The only way to save the Jewish people, to save the Jewish future, was to have a Jewish state which would be a haven for the millions that would otherwise be trapped in Europe. He devoted his life, before my brother fell in Entebbe, to found the Jewish state.

 https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/insight/

While you were still trying to figure out how to seat 12 people at a table for 10, seven-year-old Israeli Demir Ladigin and his brother were burying their father Michael. On the same day, Tamir Avihai and Motti Ashkenazi were buried as well. Eleven children were robbed of their fathers by Palestinian terrorists.

While you were cooking your turkey, an 18-year-old Israeli, Tiran Fero, was in a car accident in the Palestinian-ruled city of Jenin. He was taken to a Jenin hospital and put on life support, but was then snatched by Palestinian gunmen. Later, his lifeless body was returned. His uncle, Edri Fero, who was at the hospital, said his nephew was still alive when he was taken.

“They were shooting in the air and shouting in Arabic,” he said, “nobody dared to stop them. They disconnected him from the machines and tossed him into a car.” A senior Palestinian official said the suspects kidnapped Tiran because they thought the teen was an undercover Israeli soldier.

While you were setting the table last Wednesday, two terror bombings at Jerusalem bus stops killed 15-year-old Aryeh Shechopek and injured 18 other people. While you were cleaning up on Friday, Tedsa Tschuma, a father of three, died of his injuries.

First, the bad news. In 2022 Israel has had the highest number of casualties from Arab terrorist attacks since 2008. Second, antisemitism, much of it propelled by the anti-Israel libels and bias in academia and the media is at an all-time high in just about every continent. Exception Azerbaijan.

But here is a silver lining: In spite of heightened security concerns and equipment, Israel’s research institutions, laboratories and hospitals continue to create better modalities and outcomes in science, medicine, agronomy and food production and storage.  Below is another amazing catalog of these triumphs brought to us weekly by Michael Ordman. Rsk

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

In medicine, Israeli scientists have developed cancer-killing antibodies using computers; generated microscopic bubbles to make tumors explode; predicted and prevented future heart attacks; protected medical staff from future radiation damage, and so much more that will extend future human lifespans.

In the food industry, Israelis are answering the call to feed a hungry world by creating foods such as no-turkey turkey, no-cow yogurt, no-tree cocoa and vegan products to satisfy all tastes. Meanwhile, Israeli technology will keep fruit and vegetables fresh for weeks on supermarket shelves.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
 
Computer-designed anti-cancer antibodies. Israel’s Bar-Ilan Prof. Yanay Ofran has invented antibodies to attack tumors, using computers and then produced them from amino acids in a process akin to 3D printing. His startup Biolojic Design created Aulos Bioscience which is conducting human trials of AU-007 in Australia.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/cancer-patients-trialing-worlds-first-nano-robot-antibodies-made-in-israel/
 
Ultrasound and bubbles can destroy tumors. Tel Aviv University researchers have used a combination of low-frequency ultrasound and injected nanobubbles to cause tumors to explode. Lab tests focused only on the area of the tumor, which avoids damage to healthy tissues. It could be used to treat tumors deep inside the body.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-723059
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/nr/d2nr01367c
 
Hi-tech volunteers help diagnose cancer. Hundreds of Israeli hi-tech employees volunteer in the Code for Israel initiative to benefit Israeli society. One group founded the Pathomatic Project and developed an algorithm that immediately alerts medical staff, at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov (Sourasky) hospital, to cancer biopsy scans.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/362832
https://nocamels.com/2022/11/algorithm-beats-cancer-scan-delays/
 
Risk of heart failure detected. The HearO app from Israel’s Cordio Medical (see here previously) achieved an 82% success rate in a study of 180 patients at 10 Israeli clinics. The app detected Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) an average of 18 days before it occurred, using algorithms and previously recorded speech.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-app-sounds-alarm-before-heart-failure-just-by-analyzing-your-voice/  
 
US approval for medical radiation shielding. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Radiaction Medical has received US FDA clearance for its Radiation Shielding System. The system protects medical staff in labs using fluoroscopy machines – a leading source of occupational ionizing radiation exposure for healthcare providers.
https://www.radiactionmedical.com/radiaction-medical-announces-the-latest-food-and-drug-administration-510k-clearance-for-its-novel-automated-radiation-shield-system-highlighting-u-s-expansion/
 
The “Waze” of feeding tubes. (TY WIN) The Envue feeding tube placement system from Israel’s Envizion Medical (see here previously) has been used tens of thousands of times in dozens of US hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic and the St. Vincent network of hospitals. It has been 100% successful and saved many lives.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-feeding-tube-that-could-prevent-tragedies/
 
Your personal clinic at home. Israel’s TytoCare (see here previously) has launched its Home Smart Clinic. It conducts remote physical exams using AI-powered guidance and diagnostic support. The virtual clinic includes the remote handheld diagnostic device plus Tyto Insights, Tyto Engagement Labs, plus all necessary support.
https://www.tytocare.com/home-smart-clinic-ebook/  
 
Brain monitoring at home.  Israel’s X-trodes (see here previously) has partnered US-based EMOTIV to launch a first-of-its-kind medical-grade wearable solution for brain and physiological monitoring outside of clinical settings. X-trodes’ multi-electrode patches measure a patient’s EEG, EMG and ECG signals.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-722605
 
Mental health center for English speakers. Yeshiva University (YU), together with Amudim Israel, have opened the Jerusalem Therapy Center. It fulfills a critical need for affordable, English-language mental health services, serving those impacted by trauma, addiction, and other complex mental health related issues.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/363125
 
Advancing healthcare with the UAE. Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has signed a strategic agreement with Abu Dhabi-based innovation giant G42 Healthcare to develop new health technology. Plans include joint projects in stem cell research, cardiology, oncology, obstetrics, gynecology, diabetes, fertility, and more.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/major-israeli-emirates-agreement-signed-to-start-jointly-building-health-tech/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/363163
 
Bacteria or virus – Tucson hospital will know. (TY Atid-EDI) Arizona’s Tucson ER & Hospital has adopted the bacteria vs virus test from Israel’s MeMed (see here previously). The test distinguishes viral from bacterial infection within 15 minutes and avoids wasting antibiotics on a virus.
https://www.me-med.com/press-releases/tucson-er-hospital-adopts-trailblazing-memed-bv-test/
 
Hear from a top Israeli scientist. Fascinating podcast featuring Tel Aviv University’s Vice President, Prof. Dan Peer.  He is an extraordinarily prolific scientist with more than 130 patents under his name and over 150 publications. He discusses nanotechnology, COVID-19, and translational medicine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AmZG-DH-SI
 
The bus ride of his life. Volunteer EMTs from Israeli NGO United Hatzalah saved the life of Shmuel who had a cardiac arrest on a bus in Bnei Brak. One EMT was on the same bus and he alerted UH dispatch. In minutes four EMTs were working on Shmuel, whose pulse returned shortly after. In hospital, Shmuel thanked them all.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/363117

https://melaniephillips.substack.com/p/western-humbug-over-murdered-israelis?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=77655&post_id=86654580&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email

It’s been another epic week for western hypocrisy. And it’s been another epic week for indifference or worse towards Israel. The two are, of course, intimately connected.

On Wednesday, 16-year-old Aryeh Schupak was murdered and over a dozen others injured, at least one of them critically, when a bomb packed with nails and ball-bearings exploded at a bus stop in Jerusalem. Another remote-controlled bomb went off shortly afterwards at another bus stop in the city.

The Biden administration rushed to condemn the bombings. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that America “stands resolutely with Israel in the face of the terrorist attacks this morning in Jerusalem” and reiterated that “our commitment to Israel’s security is iron-clad”.

This is nauseating humbug. These attacks, like the rest of the terrorist wave against Israelis in recent months, are in large measure the product of relentless Palestinian Authority incitement in its schools and media, as well as its “pay for slay” rewards to terrorists and their families.

Nor are Israeli Jews the only targets of Palestinian terror. On the same day as the bombings, a 17-year-old Israeli Druze, Tiran Fero, who was critically injured in a car crash in Jenin, was abducted from hospital by a mob of Palestinian Arab gunmen, reportedly because they mistakenly thought he was an Israeli soldier.

According to Fero’s family, the terrorists stormed the hospital, disconnected him from his respirator while he was still alive and threw him into a car. His body was retrieved by Israeli and PA security forces and returned to his family the following day.

Given its role in inciting and financing such terror, the Palestinian leadership would be treated as pariahs in any civilised universe. Instead, the Biden administration continues to fund it and treat it as worthy of a state.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/no-the-override-clause-wont-crush-israeli-democracy/

 Israel’s outgoing interim prime minister, Yair Lapid, opened his Yesh Atid Party meeting on Monday by addressing the infamous “override clause.”

“It will crush the court; it will crush Israeli democracy,” he said, referring to one of the main issues dividing Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition-in-formation and the rival “anybody but Bibi” camp that lost the Nov. 1 Knesset election.

Soon-to-be-former Defense Minister Benny Gantz echoed the sentiment on social media. “Those who promote passage of the override clause with a majority of 61 are acting in the name of corruption, not governance,” he tweeted, also on Monday. “Netanyahu wants to carry out a [car]-ramming attack on Israeli democracy and harm national security.”

Exiting Transportation Minister and Labor Party chair Merav Michaeli posted about her faction’s “first conference to save democracy and the justice system,” held to “unite the forces of good…to fight the dangerous override clause that is liable to critically harm the legal system and…the rights of all of us.”

The list of doomsayers about the proposed amendment—aimed at enabling the Knesset to “override” Supreme Court reversals of laws it enacts—goes on. Some detractors have been highlighting the slim majority of MKs (61 out of Israel’s 120-member parliament) that promoters suggest should be sufficient to dismiss judges’ unwanted interference.

Others, who don’t even bother pretending that the size of the majority in question is at the root of their objections, simply decry the very notion of stripping the judiciary of any of its powers.

This isn’t to say that all supporters of the override clause are comfortable with every detail of its incarnation. Take best-selling author and neo-conservative pundit Gadi Taub, for example. In a letter to colleagues over the weekend, the senior lecturer at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Governance at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem responded to a petition against the clause launched by a fellow academic—Dr. Yael Shomer of Tel Aviv University—in tandem with a separate one signed by 130 jurists and counting.

Shomer’s formulation boiled down to what has become a convenient catchphrase—the “tyranny of the majority”—bandied about by all override opponents, among them those lacking even minimal familiarity with the subject.