RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19639/palestinians-human-rights

The failure [to report the deaths of two men in Hamas custody] underscores what appears their total lack of concern for the human rights of Palestinians living under the rule of Hamas….

The media seem more worried about the human rights of Palestinian terrorists than the rights of victims of Palestinian terrorists.

Adnan [the leader of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad] was neither tortured nor mistreated in Israeli prison.

The stories of the two Palestinian men who died in Hamas custody are vastly different from that of Adnan. Al-Sufi’s family insist he died of torture while in Hamas custody.

Foreign journalists did not visit, or even try to contact, the families of the two men held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The UN and human rights organizations — who expressed so much concern over the death of the hunger striker in an Israeli prison — have yet to comment on the suspicious deaths of the two Palestinians in Hamas detention in the Gaza Strip, which could constitute crimes against humanity.

No one cares about the two men who died in Hamas custody, apparently because Israel is not associated with their deaths. Had Al-Sufi and Al-Louh died in an Israeli prison, they would have made headlines in The New York Times, the BBC and CNN.

The newspapers and media organizations turning a blind eye to human rights violations committed by Hamas against Palestinians are implying, through their failure to cover these suspicious deaths, that there is nothing newsworthy about Palestinians reportedly being tortured to death in Palestinian prisons.

The media’s indifference to these deaths appears the result of the “racism of low expectations.”

“They treat Muslims like monkeys in a zoo,” stated Egyptian scholar Hamed Abdel Samad. It is as if journalists and so-called human rights groups assume that Muslims are such savages that it would be laughable even to expect civilized behavior from them; so why report it at all?

Some of these “correspondents” appear so blinded by their bigotry that, under the banner of being “pro-Palestinian,” they are ready to give Hamas a free pass to arrest, torture and kill as many of their fellow-Palestinians they wish.

There is much damning evidence of anti-Israel bias in the mainstream media and so-called human rights organizations in the West.

Those who ignore human rights violations committed by both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority against Palestinians do a massive disservice to the Palestinians whom they claim to support, but who remain horribly mistreated by their own leaders.

The death on May 1 in an Israeli prison of Khader Adnan, a senior member of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) organization, has received worldwide coverage in major media outlets, including CNN, BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, and The New York Times.

 www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com 

Here are just a few headlines about Israel from Michael Ordman but please read the whole list below:

Israelis have developed and implanted the world’s smallest heart pump.
Medical experts come to Israel to learn about healthy aging.
Israelis show the Jewish State in its true light to the United Nations.
Israeli technology can solve the problem of unrecyclable plastic.
Israeli airport security scanning is keeping our skies safe.
Oil from Jerusalem is used to anoint King Charles.

This is what is happening in Israel 24/7 as scientists, doctors and techies work to make the globe safer and enrich and prolong and improve the lives of billions throughout the world. And there is also the Israel that is fun and happy with cafes, beaches, restaurants, theaters, concerts and every form of entertainment from Avant Garde to the Classics. Even those detractors in the media who libel the nation in their daily slander, love being posted there. As one of my granddaughters said: “Israel is “cool.” If you can, go there before it gets hot.  rsk

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Israeli surgeons perform innovative skin cancer treatment. For the first time in Israel, plastic surgeons and oncologists at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center used electrochemotherapy to treat skin cancer tumors. An electric current disrupts the cellular membrane of the tumor cells, allowing chemotherapy to enter.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-740208  
 
Successful trial of world’s smallest heart pump. Israel’s Magenta Medical has completed the First-In-Human trial, in Tbilisi, Georgia, of its Elevate percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD) – the smallest heart pump in the world. Magenta has just raised $55 million and US clinical trials are now being planned.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/magenta-medical-closes-55m-funding-round-led-by-orbimed-301814419.html  https://www.tctmd.com/slide/magenta-elevatetm-high-output-low-french-size-percutaneous-left-ventricular-support-device  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sjv57t14h
 
Cold cure. (TY Hazel) A study used the cryoablation system from Israel’s IceCure Medical (see here previously) to treat 42 women with the chronic, painful, incurable disease endometriosis. 93.75% had no pain after six months, and 82.72% remained pain-free up to three years later.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/freezing-tech-could-treat-painful-womens-disease/
 
Israel closes last Covid-19 ward. Jerusalem’s Herzog Medical Center has closed the hospital’s coronavirus ward, the last one operating in the country. The ward’s closure means that future COVID-19 patients will be treated in regular hospital wards. Herzog’s coronavirus ward opened in August 2020, and treated 2,000 patients.
https://www.jns.org/israel-shuts-down-last-covid-specific-hospital-ward/
 
Sheba saves mother and daughter. (TY UWI & I24 News) When an Israeli woman discovered that she and her daughter were suffering from a dangerous genetic heart condition, Sheba Medical Center found innovative ways to save their lives.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0IfKRI0As
 
Biomed Israel. 6,000 delegates are expected at Biomed Israel in Tel Aviv – the 21st annual networking event to explore life-sciences and health-tech topics ranging from medical robots to longevity. The event (May18 – 18) will attract healthcare industry executives, scientists, engineers, physicians, and investors from 45 countries.
https://www.israel21c.org/global-health-industry-stakeholders-coming-to-biomed-israel/
https://kenes-exhibitions.com/biomed/agenda/
 
Can lucid dreaming be harmful. The normally anti-Israel BBC has credited the medical research of scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University. Lucid dreaming is when you realize that you are in a dream and then use the opportunity to control the dream.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230425-can-lucid-dreaming-be-harmful
 
Live longer in Israel. The Longevity Nation conference, (Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life in Israel) in March highlighted 5 factors to healthy aging. Energized cells, good arteries, removal of old cells, SIRT6 prevents frailty, and methylation counters stress. The Sheba Longevity conference is on May 10 – 11.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-scientists-seeking-secrets-to-longer-healthier-lives/  https://longevitynation.org/
https://www.longevityisrael.org/   https://slcc.co.il/
 
Not the oldest. A previous newsletter (see here) reported that Israeli doctors put a pacemaker into 102-year-old Rachel Kafri. As remarkable as it sounds, Rachel isn’t the oldest Israeli recipient of a pacemaker. The same medical team has implanted pacemakers inside at least three other Israelis older than 100. The eldest was 107.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/israel-middle-east/why-israelis-live-so-long
 
 
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
 
Providing education for hospitalized Israeli children. Since its inception in 2009, SASA Setton (see here previously) has provided educational solutions to nearly 2 million hospitalized children from all parts of Israeli society in every hospital in Israel – some 140,000 children annually in Hebrew, English, Arabic, and Ukrainian.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-740068  
 
Dog-training therapy for wounded soldiers. New York-based belev echad has established a program Dogs 4 Soldiers. It provides therapeutic puppies to love and assist wounded IDF warriors. The soldiers learn to train their puppies by professional dog trainers who then certify the soldiers to become professional dog trainers.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/idf-veterans-best-friend-dogs-ease-pain-of-ptsd/
https://belevechad.nyc/programs/israel/dogs-4-soldiers/
 
The faces of Israel. The Jerusalem Post partnered Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance to organize the “Celebrate the Faces of Israel” conference. The Israeli speakers included The President, Jerusalem’s Mayor, Nobel Laureates Aumann and Shechtman; MKs and business leaders, plus US Ambassadors past & present, and more.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370662  https://congress.jpost.com/faces-of-israel-23/
 
Urban renewal projects up by 200%. In 2022, urban renewal permits increased by 200% (28,630 units) over 2021. Most of these were to reinforce apartment buildings built before 1980 to withstand earthquakes, and add amenities such as an elevator, enlarge the apartments and add a protective security room.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/urban-renewal-project-approvals-tripled-in-2022-in-bid-to-increase-housing/
 
Showing the UN the benefits of drone technology. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, together with Israel’s National Drone Initiative, held an event at the UN headquarters on drone technologies. Israeli startups presented the “sky of tomorrow,” featuring smart transportation, security, safety, health, commerce and more.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370980
 
Shalva Band plays at the UN. To celebrate Israel’s 75th Anniversary, Israel’s Shalva band performed to hundreds of diplomats on the stage of the United Nations in Geneva.  The band comprises disabled performers including two blind singers. One of them sung a song in Arabic that she dedicated to all the mothers in the hall.
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjkpz6jv2
 
All at sea in Singapore. Israel inaugurated its national pavilion at Singapore’s IMDEX Asia Naval and Maritime Defense Exhibition. The event was attended by over 11,000 delegates from more than 60 countries and regions. Israeli companies included Controp, DSIT, Elbit, IAI, Israel Shipyards, Orbit and Rafael.
https://www.jns.org/israel-inaugurates-national-pavilion-at-singapore-defense-exhibition/
 
 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
 
How Israel became the Innovation Nation. (TY WIN & I24 News) A new video which explains how Israel has grown to an innovation powerhouse.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oNjVyCKEGY
 
SpaceTech growing at Light Speed. This OurCrowd webinar highlights how SpaceTech is changing the way people work on Earth. Hear speakers from Axiom Space. Balerion Space Ventures, Edgybees and Ursa Major.
https://events.ourcrowd.com/project/spacetech-growing-at-lightspeed/
 
Edison award winner. Israel’s Innoviz (see here previously) has been awarded the Edison Award for technology in the Smart Transportation category. Its latest product, InnovizTwo, provides high-performance, automotive-grade LiDAR sensor for all levels of autonomous driving at dramatically lower cost.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-740032  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwi8wTTcnGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zskIHfyVXM
https://innoviz.tech/innoviztwo#top
 
A beam of light on the horizon. A most comprehensive article about Magen Or (Light Shield or Iron Beam) the laser defense system being developed by Israel’s Rafael and the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/t7ac5asht
 
Turning sludge into fertilizer. Lodologic the Brazilian affiliate of Israel’s Paulee Cleantec. has signed a contract with SABESP, one of Brazil’s largest sanitation providers, to treat over 310 tons of wastewater sludge every day from 4 million residents. It will be turned into organo-mineral fertilizer, in high demand by farmers.
https://www.israel21c.org/turning-tons-of-brazilian-sludge-into-odorless-fertilizer/
 
Returning plastic to its origins. Israel’s Plastic Back can reverse engineer any type of plastic waste into its original oil, wax, and chemical components. It will buy any plastic waste that cannot be recycled and pilot a chemical process developed at the Hebrew University, to upcycle the waste back to the petrochemical industry.
https://www.israel21c.org/novel-system-reverse-engineers-plastic-waste-for-upcycling/
https://www.plastic-back.com/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npp9-vYYx7Q
 
Biodegradable plastic. (TY Hazel) Interesting video featuring Israel’s Biotic (see here previously) and its bio-degradable polymer produced from naturally grown algae. The algae is ocean grown, so no arable land is used; and sea-water, rather than treated water is also used in the process, minimizing resources used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM8QhUtGU7U  https://www.biotic-labs.com/
 
A breath of fresh water. Israel’s Mayu aims to produce healthy and sustainable water, accessible to anyone, anywhere. Its water filtration devices purify, through filtration; aerate, to balance oxygen levels; and mineralize, by “micro-dosing” the water with minerals. Mayu’s first product – The Swirl is available on its website.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-startup-aiming-to-fix-the-water-we-drink/  https://mayuwater.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxsWaEChE7M   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOrwa6Mo4VM
 
A sunscreen that is good for corals. In a previous news story (see here) Israeli scientists had issued a global warning that sunscreen ingredient BP-3 was harmful to coral reefs. Now Eilat has partnered with marine and skincare specialists to develop Reef Relief, a sunscreen that includes nourishing minerals to help reefs grow.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/worlds-first-sunscreen-that-nourishes-coral-reefs/
https://www.reefreliefsunscreen.com/
 
Thermal storage factory opens. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Brenmiller Energy (see here previously) has opened its first production plant in the southern Israeli city of Dimona. The factory, built with the help of EU funds, aims to produce storage systems capable of holding four gigawatts of energy by the end of the year.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-green-thermal-storage-company-opens-first-factory-in-dimona/
 
Better airline security. (TY Nevet) The security scanning system from Israel’s SeeTrue (see here previously) is now deployed at several European airports. In 2022 it detected 500,000+ prohibited items, from scissors and screwdrivers to drugs and banknotes. It is 10 times faster than a human and has half the error rate.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/ai-bag-scanner-is-faster-and-more-accurate-than-airport-staff/
 
Grapes originated in the Land of Israel. Scientists previously (see here) traced the domestication of grapes to Israel and the Caucasus. Now researchers from Tel Aviv and Haifa universities have confirmed the original findings by genetic tests on ancient wine seeds discovered by archeologists in the Negev.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rkk72kxv2
 
 
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
 
Trade with New Jersey is worth billions. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority reports that trade between New Jersey and Israel increased by 11% in 2022 to $1.72 billion. It also highlighted that Israeli investments were valued at approximately $551m. and had created 1,900 local jobs since 2003.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-740242
https://www.jns.org/despite-economic-headwinds-new-jersey-israel-trade-increased-11-in-2022/
 
One of the fastest growing companies in the world. The annual revenue of Israeli cybersecurity Semperis (see here previously) has grown to nearly $100 million in just 9 years. Its disaster recovery system knows how to detect cyber-attacks, neutralize them, and restore the organization’s activities automatically.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/s1yug0x7n
 
A growing Unicorn. Optibus (see here previously) is a billion-dollar Israeli private company whose value is increasing, despite the current financial market downturn. In 2022 it doubled its revenues and workforce. Its public transportation management software is now used in 2,000 cities worldwide.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sk8hzaxq3
 
Permit to sell cow-free milk. Israel’s Remilk (see here previously) has received regulatory approval from Israel’s Health Ministry to sell its cultured protein-based cow-free milk products to Israeli consumers.  Remilk already has permits to sell its products (chemically identical to cow’s milk) in the USA and Singapore.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-remilk-gets-first-regulatory-permit-in-israel-to-sell-cow-free-milk/
 
How 7th Heaven was invented. 7th Heaven chocolate (see here previously) was conceived in the kitchens of two vegan Israeli chocoholics Daniel and Elya, who were dating. They have just raised $3 million to market the creamy non-dairy, kosher chocolate beyond its current retail locations of New York, Miami, and California.
https://worldisraelnews.com/7th-heaven-how-date-night-turned-into-a-3m-israeli-vegan-chocolate-company/
https://www.7thheavenchocolate.com/
 
Volvo invests in Israeli driver safety startup. (TY OurCrowd) Volvo Cars Tech Fund joined the current $6M target funding round for CorrActions (see here previously). Its CEO said “CorrActions fits the bill perfectly and focuses on a mission that is close to our heart: making cars and traffic safer.”
https://www.media.volvocars.com/uk/en-gb/media/pressreleases/310402/volvo-cars-tech-fund-invests-in-ai-startup-corractions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StZoharC4VQ
https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/24/volvo-cars-tech-fund-invests-in-driver-monitoring-startup-corractions/
 
49 more startups in MassChallenge II. Israel’s largest equity-free accelerator program, MassChallenge IL, brought together 49 startups in Jerusalem recently to learn business essentials, a first step towards enabling companies to complete its four-month “investor-ready” program.
https://www.jns.org/49-israeli-startups-learn-business-basics-in-masschallenge-program/
 
Rolling out smart shopping carts. Israel’s A2Z Smart Technologies (see here previously) has signed an agreement to roll out 1,000 of its smart pick-and-go, self-checkout shopping carts at Israel’s  Hastok home design and household concept stores across the country in a deal valued at NIS 30 million ($8.3 million).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-startup-inks-nis-30m-deal-to-deploy-smart-carts-at-local-home-design-stores/
 
Exits, takeovers and mergers to 7/5/23. US-based Blink Mobility acquired Israel’s Envoy for $34 million. Israel’s Youappi has been acquired by an unnamed US company for around $110 million.
 
Investment in Israeli startups to 7/5/23: Pinecone raised $100 million; Healthy.io raised $50 million; Magenta Medical raised $55 million; Novidea raised $50 million; Coro.net raised $45 million; Foretellix raised $43 million; ADASKY raised $30 million; Trullion raised $15 million; Neteera raised $13 million; Ctrl raised $9 million; Aligned raised $5.8 million; Viridix raised $4.1 million;
 
 
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
 
Prize for Jewish Literature. Israeli writer Iddo Gefen has won the $100,000 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for his short-story collection, “Jerusalem Beach.” Iddo is a cognitive psychology doctoral student at Columbia University. His book is a series of snapshots of contemporary life in Israel – some to become movies.
https://www.jns.org/iddo-gefen-wins-sami-rohr-prize-for-jewish-literature/
 
Visit Arad. The desert city of Arad has changed since the article’s author first visited in 1989. Its coffee bars, healthy environment, wellness therapy, art studios, wineries, brewery, restaurants, hiking trails, hotels and glamping sites provide plenty to interest tourists and visiting Israelis.  Search “Travel Arad Israel” for more.
https://www.israel21c.org/experience-relaxed-desert-tourism-in-arad/
 
Tour Jerusalem on a Red Bus. The new Red Bus City Tour offers narrated sightseeing tours of Jerusalem in a choice of 29 languages. The 90-min tour visits the Old City, Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus. Or 2.5 hours to City Hall, Sacher Park, Knesset, Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, National Library, Mount Herzl and more.
https://www.israel21c.org/tour-jerusalem-in-a-red-double-decker-bus-with-narration/
https://redbuscitytours.com/
 
FIFA supports Israeli soccer programs. FIFA – the top governing body in the world of soccer – has awarded $30,000 to Israeli non-profit “The Equalizer” (see here previously) for its 3 soccer programs. FIFA has also renewed its support for the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation’s sports program (see here previously).
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-740087?utm_source=jpost.app.android&utm_medium=share  
 
 
THE JEWISH STATE
 
Practical advice for UK Anglos pre- and post- Aliya. On Tue 16 May, 7pm UK time, UKAA is hosting two free online talks. The 1st concerns insuring your shipment to Israel. The 2nd is on where to buy your home. Register at the link below. or email info@ukaliyahadvisors.com with your full name and phone number.
https://ukaliyahadvisors.com/event/16-may-2023/
 
Jewish and Democratic. (TY Nevet) The latest edition of the annual Democracy Index from the prestigious Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranks Israel 23rd of 167 countries. Israel is by far the most democratic country in the Middle East, and it is also ahead of Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the United States.
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israel-ranks-above-spain-italy-and-us-for-democracy-in-new-ranking-5thm78K0h6XhdVKV066TwE
 
Digitizing ancient Israel inscriptions. US Brown University, and the University of Virginia before that, have digitized over 5,000 texts and their translations from the land of Israel between 500 BCE and 514 CE.  They were written mostly on mosaics and stone, and are largely in Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
https://www.jns.org/brown-university-project-is-digitizing-10000-ancient-israel-inscriptions/
http://www.inscriptionsisraelpalestine.org/
 
Israeli archeologists excavate in Morocco. The Abraham Accords have allowed Israeli researchers to excavate two huge ‘genizas’ found in rural Morocco. Israelis who once lived in abandoned Moroccan villages are now able to investigate remnants of their Jewish life in Morocco and that of their ancestors. https://www.timesofisrael.com/abraham-accords-allow-israelis-to-excavate-two-huge-genizas-found-in-rural-morocco/
 
75 Ambassadors plant 75 trees for Israel 75. To commemorate Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence, the KKL-JNF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs encouraged the whole diplomatic corps in Israel to plant 75 trees as a symbol of growth, development, and a strong connection to the land of Israel.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-75-ambassadors-plant-75-trees-in-israel-on-israels-75th-anniversary/
 
King Charles is anointed with Jerusalem oil. The oil used to crown King Charles III on May 6th comes from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, noted the “deep historic link” between the oil for the coronation and that of biblical kings.
https://www.jns.org/king-charles-to-be-anointed-with-oil-from-mount-of-olives/
 
Lucy Dee’s heart. When Lital woke up after the transplant surgery with the heart of Lucy (Leah) Dee, she couldn’t stop crying. “How much love does the Creator of the world have to give me the heart of such a woman? The power of this woman of grace, I feel it inside my body.” Then Lucy’s family came to visit Lital.
https://worldisraelnews.com/i-have-so-much-love-to-give-says-recipient-of-terror-victim-lucy-dees-heart/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/like-im-with-her-terror-victim-lucy-dees-family-visits-recipients-of-her-organs/
 

https://bit.ly/44ehk9M

Notwithstanding the 75-year-old systematic – and sometimes brutal – pressure on Israel by the US State Department and almost all US presidents, US-Israel commercial and defense cooperation has surged to dramatic heights.

*The mutually-beneficial US-Israel cooperation has been consistent with US economic and defense interests and with the US mindset about Israel. Unlike the US mindset on most other countries, the mindset on Israel is a bottom-top phenomenon. Thus, US policy toward Israel is a derivative of the worldview of the American constituency, which is generally followed by elected officials in the US House and Senate and acknowledged by the White House.  

*The US constituency’s perspective of the Jewish State has been impacted by Israel’s unwavering democracy, reliability and unique technological, intelligence and military capabilities. Moreover, the worldview of most constituents has been influenced by the historic, religious, ethical and moral roots of US culture and civic life, which were heavily influenced by British and French philosophers as well as by Biblical sources, as documented by the legacy of the Founding Fathers, who established the Federalist system of governance and authored the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.  

*While the attachment of the US population to the Biblically-driven legacy of the Founding Fathers has gradually eroded, it still impacts the worldview of most Americans, as evidenced by the political discourse, which frequently features Biblical quotes.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19614/palestinians-hamas-destroy-lebanon

According to these reports, Hamas could not have carried out the rocket attack without the blessing of Hezbollah, Iran’s terror proxy in Lebanon.

“[T]here are those who seek to turn Lebanon into a military base. What [Hamas] did [by firing missiles at Israel] will be an incentive for other organizations to carry out similar military actions that could drag Lebanon into disaster.” — Elie Mahfoud, a lawyer for Sovereign Front for Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat, April 24, 2023.

Hezbollah has proven that it is the only authority in Lebanon and that the Islamic Republic of Iran controls all aspects of the country.” — Kheirallah Kheirallah, veteran Lebanese journalist, Al Arabiya, April 9, 2023.

Kheirallah also took the Lebanese foreign ministry to task for protesting against Israel when it fired back “instead of asking itself what Hamas and its rockets are doing in Lebanon.”

The bad news… is that Lebanon will continue to be used by Iran’s ruling mullahs and their proxies as a launching pad to attack Israel as long as the Lebanese people do not rise up against them.

More bad news: this is exactly what will happen if and when a Palestinian state is established next to Israel. This new state will be used by Iran and its terrorist militias as a base for attacking Israel and killing as many Jews as they can.

Many people in Lebanon are worried that the Iranian-backed Islamist group Hamas and other Palestinian terror factions might drag Lebanon into another war with Israel.

The concern was expressed after several rockets were fired in early April from south Lebanon into Israel. Several reports have suggested that Hamas was behind the rocket attack. According to these reports, Hamas could not have carried out the rocket attack without the blessing of Hezbollah, Iran’s terror proxy in Lebanon.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-jerusalem-rally-was-a-reminder-that-democracy-didnt-lose-the-left-did/

 Those of us who were among the hundreds of thousands of participants in the right-wing rally in Jerusalem on Thursday evening weren’t surprised when the “resistance” bloc pulled a two-fer: downplaying the significance of and attendance at the event, on the one hand; and treating the happening as evidence that Israeli democracy is in danger of annihilation at the hands of fanatics, on the other.

Nor did we imagine that coverage from most media outlets would be accurate, let alone fair, since they’ve been acting all along like a branch of the protest movement. Instead, we drew encouragement from the throngs of fellow members of the national camp who turned up to bolster the government and urge it not to be bullied into backtracking on its mandate.

Both were necessary under the circumstances, with the Orwellian doublespeak of the opposition having become so blatant that it’s putting regular propaganda to shame. Indeed, the projection on the part of the protest instigators isn’t merely jaw-dropping (calling the government, rather than those trying to topple it, a “coup,” for instance); it’s actually been successful at sowing self-doubt in coalition circles.

Ahead of the opening of the Knesset’s summer session on Sunday, then, it was particularly crucial for lawmakers to be reminded of the populace that isn’t drinking the Kool-Aid—those still expecting and demanding judicial reform, with or without a broad consensus. It was also important to highlight that compromise on this or any other issue isn’t on the agenda of the forces spearheading the weekly demonstrations.

The points were made amid much good cheer and lots of applause for the speakers. Justice Minister Yariv Levin was given an especially warm welcome, in addition to cautionary chants of “Don’t be afraid!”

The message was that he shouldn’t cave on the judicial-reform process that the government had put on hold. This was done to allow for negotiations to bring about an agreement and prevent civil war.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

On May 14, 1948, eleven minutes after the declaration of the reborn state of Israel, Unite States President Harry Truman, officially recognized the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Jewish State. He did so in spite of the advice of some of his most trusted cabinet members. His memory is a blessing.

This was a magnificent moment in the history of the Jewish people and answer to the prayer of Jews from time immemorial- “Hear oh Israel.” Israel heard and became a remarkable democracy whose dazzling and outsize contribution to all human endeavors in science, technology, medicine, agriculture, water circulation and succor in crisis, are listed by Michael Ordman below.

On a personal note, the first time my family visited Israel was shortly after the fragile cease-fire that ended the Arab war against the state. Our car had a flat tire in Beersheba and while my father and the driver were attempting to inflate a spare, a squadron of small airplanes flew overhead with the Star of David prominently displayed.  My little brother shouted “Jewish planes!” Indeed! those little planes were the first manifestation of the mighty and state of the art Israel Defense Forces whose responsibility and destiny are the defense of the Jewish state. Happy Birthday Israel. Rsk

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Cancer therapy breakthrough. (TY WIN) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed nanoparticles containing RNA that silences the protein CKAP5 – essential to the stability of many types of cancer. The therapy causes the cancer cells to collapse and is 80% effective in lab tests targeting ovarian cancer.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370420  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade4800
 
Diffusing radiation therapy for inoperable cancer. Israel’s Alpha Tau Medical (see here previously) has used its Alpha DaRT radiation therapy to treat its first patient with advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer. The Montreal trial will treat 30 patients with Stage II, III, or IV pancreatic cancer or an inoperable pancreatic tumor.
https://www.alphatau.com/single-post/alpha-tau-jgh-announce-alpha-dart-treatment-of-first-patient-in-pancreatic-cancer-clinical-trial
 
Preventing mosquito bites. Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have discovered that a thin coating of natural, sustainable, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) applied to human skin, decreases the number of mosquito bites by 80%. In combination with the naturally occurring amino acid Indole, it is over 99% effective.
https://www.jns.org/hebrew-u-researchers-develop-new-method-to-prevent-mosquito-bites/  
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37056470/   https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/alpha-tau
 
Relieving social anxiety without pills. An Israeli-led study of 105 adults with social anxiety disorder used therapy based on eye-tracking, combined with a musical reward. The “gaze-contingent music reward therapy” (GC-MRT) was just as successful (50%) as the standard psychiatric medicine.
https://www.israel21c.org/musical-technology-relieves-social-anxiety-without-drugs/
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220533
 
Relieve stress with an AI-based nutrition coach. April is Stress Awareness Month in both the USA and UK, Israeli-US startup myAir has marked it by launching its stressless routine smart food platform. It includes 24/7 personal support from an AI-based nutrition coach to supplement its nutrition bars (see here previously).
https://myair.ai/landing/coach/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_AMupe9wQ
 
Turning out alright. It took an Israeli – Dr Abraham Yaari – to invent the Yaari Extractor™- a simple device that solves shoulder dystocia – an emergency where a baby’s shoulders are preventing safe delivery. The device allows the obstetrician or gynecologist to turn the baby 45 degrees, thus preventing its suffocation.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/super-simple-device-that-frees-trapped-babies/  https://yaariextractor.com/
 
Matching patients to the best treatments. The normally anti-Israel BBC has discovered Israel’s Genetika+ (see here previously) which is developing a precision tool that uses Artificial Intelligence to determine if a particular antidepressant will work for an individual.  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65260592
 
Super-paramedic. Benny, a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, treated two victims of a terrorist stabbing.  Before that, however, he helped immobilize the terrorist.  A real life Israeli super-hero.
https://israelrescue.org/blog/barehanded-emt-neutralizes-knife-wielding-terrorist-then-treats-two-injured-people-one-in-serious-condition/
 
Israeli doctor saves passenger. For the second newsletter in a row, another Israeli doctor saved an airline passenger. This time it was a teenager who suffered a severe anaphylactic attack. United Hatzalah volunteer Dr. Natan Ungar used adrenaline to treat the patient, and the El Al plane continued from Tel Aviv to New York.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370205
 
Robotic surgery saves Jerusalem doctor. When Dr. Ariel Lipschuetz fractured his back skiing in France, he called Dr Schroeder, Director of Hadassah’s back unit. Amazingly, he was skiing only 26km away and arranged for robotic percutaneous fixation surgery at Hadassah. It saved Dr Lipschuetz from almost certain paralysis.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-739194
 
Celebrating the Remarkable 3. I highly recommend watching this inspiring video of some of the pioneering medical science and researchers at Israel’s Ben Gurion University. It describes BGU’s groundbreaking discoveries and innovations in 3D printed science, cancer research, biomedical engineering, and so much more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv81QOBhdrY

https://www.commentary.org/articles/meir-soloveichik/miracle-of-israel-at-75/

In 1949, nine months after the State of Israel was formally recognized by both U.S. President Truman and Soviet Premier Josef Stalin, Britain refused to acknowledge the existence of the first Jewish commonwealth to appear on the earth in 2,000 years. The Labor foreign minister, Ernest Bevin, known for his antipathy to Zionism, refused to consider that a fledgling Jewish state should be of interest when it was opposed by so many countries that seemed to matter more to Britain. In response, the leader of the opposition, Winston Churchill, stood in Parliament and delivered one of his addresses for the ages. He accused Bevin of presentism, of maintaining a stunted historical perspective. 

“Whether the right honorable gentleman likes it or not,” Churchill said, “the coming into being of a Jewish state in Palestine is an event in world history to be viewed in the perspective, not of a generation or a century, but in the perspective of a thousand, two thousand or even three thousand years. That is a standard of temporal values or time-values which seems very much out of accord with the perpetual click-clack of our rapidly changing moods and of the age in which we live. This is an event in world history.”

Churchill’s words are worth bearing in mind as we consider the contretemps over judicial reform in Israel as the nation moves toward the 75th anniversary of its inception. In the midst of all of the rancor, it is easy to overlook how remarkable, from a historical perspective, this anniversary actually is. It should be obvious, of course, that Israel’s birth was astounding: that, as Paul Johnson reflected in these pages, while 100 states came into being in the 20th century, only Israel’s birth counts as a miracle. But as we mark 75 years of a modern Jewish state, a study of history reveals another fascinating fact: This might be the most stable 75 years of government that the Jewish people have had in Jerusalem in all of Jewish history. 

Can this be? Consider: Several thousand years ago, David first conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital and was soon after temporarily overthrown by his son Absalom. David was forced to flee the city, returning only after he had conquered and defeated his son’s forces. Solomon succeeded his father and ruled in peace and prosperity, whereupon the Israelite monarchy summarily split between kingdoms north and south, which is how the Holy Land remained until its conquest by Assyria and Babylon.