RUTHFULLY YOURS

Anyone who follows the news from Israel knows how this usually goes.

Rabbi Raziel Shevach, a 32-year-old father of six, died of his wounds following a shooting attack near Havat Gilad in Samaria this evening. The rabbi leaves behind a wife, 4 daughters and 2 sons, the younger of which is an 8-month-old baby.

Ilana Shevach, mother of Rabbi Raziel Shevach who was murdered in Tuesday’s terrorist attack near Havat Gilad in Samaria, told Channel 20 about her son who left behind a wife and six children.

“Raziel is our oldest son. We have four sons – Raziel, Barel, Matanel and Eldan, and a daughter, Ateret. He was married to Yael, an amazing woman, and they have six children. He was a humble child. From what I heard today at the funeral, I did not believe how much of a righteous man he was,” the mother said.

“My husband was listening to the news on the radio. I’m in mourning, my father died a month ago and we are not watching television these days. He turned on the radio and said, ‘Ilana, there was an attack at Havat Gilad.’ So I told him I was going to call Yael and Raziel. My cell phone was in the kitchen, and then I heard on the news a voice saying, ‘They shot me, shot me in the neck,’ (from Rabbi Shevach’s call to Magen David Adom –ed.) and I recognized his voice.”

That’s the cue for the State Department serving as ambassador to mumble a generic condolence, praise the Palestinian Authority for keeping the peace, and call for all sides to show restraint.

But it’s not business as usual anymore.
David M. Friedman
✔ @USAmbIsrael
An Israeli father of six was killed last night in cold blood by Palestinian terrorists. Hamas praises the killers and PA laws will provide them financial rewards. Look no further to why there is no peace.
Praying for the bereaved Shevach family.

You can see why J Street did everything it could to stop his nomination. But the anti-Israel hate group failed miserably. Though it did manage some entertaining performances from Cory Booker, Al Franken and Brian Schatz.

For the first time, American diplomats are standing up to the terrorists, instead of aiding and abetting him. And they’re challenging the Palestinian Authority/Fatah’s support for the terrorist attacks.

The problem for the PLO/PA is that the world has changed fundamentally while they were busy embracing terrorists and getting away with it.

The PLO and the Palestinian cause more generally are sinking into irrelevance and rather than reform their policies to rebuild their position, they have adopted a scorched earth policy that only intensifies their race to the bottom.

On the face of things, the situation isn’t bad. Last month the PLO got 128 nations to vote in favor of their anti-American resolution rejecting US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. One of the states that voted with them was India.
Israel was shocked by India’s move.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rightly touts the growth of Israel’s bilateral ties with the largest democracy in the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s extraordinary visit to Israel last July highlighted the change. Netanyahu’s visit to New Delhi later this month will cement the new alliance.

Not only has Modi enthusiastically cultivated close ties with Israel, he has moved closer to Israel in its conflict with the PLO than any of his predecessors. In 2015, India abstained from an anti-Israel resolution at the UN Human Rights Council. Modi refused to visit the Palestinian Authority during his visit to Israel. And PLO chief and PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to India earlier this year, Modi refused to say – as his predecessors have said – that the capital of a Palestinian state should be located in eastern Jerusalem.

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a rare prehistoric site near Tel Aviv described as a “paradise” for hunter-gatherers living 500,000 years ago.

The site, next to a busy motorway at Jaljulia, has revealed hundreds of flint axes and other artefacts.

Experts say the area had a stream, vegetation and an abundance of animals – all perfect for early humans.

Ran Barkai, head of archaeology at Tel Aviv university, said the site had been “amazingly preserved”.

“For people it was like a paradise, so they came here again and again,” he said.

“The water brought flint nodules from the hills, which were used to make tools on the spot, and it attracted animals, which were hunted and butchered here. They had everything that prehistoric people needed.”

The ancient landscape was found between Jaljulia and the Route 6 motorway, about 5m (16ft) below the surface, and the finds indicate it was used by the ancestors of modern humans – homo erectus.

The Israel Antiquities Authority, which carried out the joint excavation with the university, said the finds had shed new light on the period.

Breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research. Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that 7% of pancreatic cancer sufferers survive more than five years due to high levels of the gene miR-34a and low levels of the gene PLK1. They then devised a nanoparticle to deliver miR-34a and a PLK1 silencer direct to the tumor.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tel-aviv-university-study-augurs-hope-for-pancreatic-cancer-patients/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-02283-9

Vitamins and folic acid reduce autism risk. A study of 26,702 Israeli expectant mothers and 45,300 children by a team led by Haifa University researchers, has revealed that mothers who take folic acid and multivitamin supplements before and during pregnancy are 73% less likely to have an autistic child.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/women-who-take-vitamins-folic-acid-73-less-likely-to-have-autistic-child/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2667432

Surgeons separate baby’s fused jaws. Doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center successfully operated on a two-month-old baby born with a very rare defect in which his jaws were fused shut. Worldwide, there have been only about 50 cases. The team comprised orthodontists, anesthetists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
http://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Rambam-doctors-successfully-separate-congenitally-fused-jaws-of-infant-521481

More smart socks. I reported previously (Feb 2016) on the Israeli SenseGo socks that spot incorrect posture or ill-fitting shoes. Now an Israeli startup has developed Elastimed – smart socks that improve circulation in the legs for treating venous and lymphatic diseases. Electric pulses compress and massage calf muscles to increase blood flow. http://nocamels.com/2017/12/elastimed-smart-socks-market-2019/

Israeli biotechs merge. I reported previously (28th May) on Israeli biotech BiomX which develops treatments using human bacteria (microbiome). BiomX has now acquired Israel’s RondinX, which has built a cutting-edge technology platform set to unlock the potential of microbiome therapeutics.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-biomx-buys-rondinx-in-israeli-microbiome-merger-1001216994

200,000 Indian diabetics to get Israeli glucose meters. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s GlucoMe blood glucose monitors for diabetics. Now, Apollo Sugar – the Indian national chain of 55 diabetes clinics – is to supply kits containing a GlucoMe monitor to each of its 200,000 diabetic patients.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-glucome-gets-india-contract-for-diabetes-kits/

A cancer patient’s “virtual” legs. When a cancer patient is unable to walk, even simple tasks such as making coffee, selecting a magazine or doing the laundry becomes impossible. Volunteers from Israeli charity Ezer Mizion become a patient’s “virtual” legs. They also cheer up the patient, which helps them battle the disease.
http://www.ezermizion.org/blog/they-were-my-legs/

Only Rambam can save her leg. (TY Stuart) Six-year-old Kyra Warrell from Brighton in the UK has proximal focal femoral deficiency in her leg, which UK doctors want to amputate. But her parents are raising £58,000 to go to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center where visiting US surgeon Dr Dror Paley says he can cure her condition.
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/six-year-old-faces-leg-amputation-unless-family-can-raise-funds-for-surgery-in-israel-1.451313

JNS.org – Two weeks after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution criticizing the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley hosted a reception on Wednesday for the 64 other countries that refused to back the measure.

The “Friends of the US” reception was held for the ambassadors of the eight countries (including Israel) that voted against the resolution in addition to the US, the 35 countries that abstained, and the 21 whose envoys did not show up for the vote.

“It’s easy for friends to be with you in the good times, but it’s the friends who are with you during the challenging times that will never be forgotten. Thank you to the 64,” Haley said at the reception, before reading the list of countries.

The event also included a video message from President Donald Trump.

“Rest assured that your actions on Thursday, December 21, will go down as a very important date, [and] were noted and greatly appreciated,” Trump said. “The United States remains committed to achieving lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. There’s no reason that peace should not be entered into. We will continue to work with the partners like you to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for the region, for the people, for the world.”

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon posted on Facebook, “I was honored to take part in a reception hosted by Ambassador Nikki Haley for the countries that stood by the US during the UN vote on Jerusalem. The leadership shown by the US unveiled the hypocrisy of the Palestinians, who speak of peace while doing all they can to avoid negotiations….We thank Ambassador Haley and the American people for their strong stance on behalf of truth and historical justice.”