By Michael Ordman, VGNI
In the 21st Jul 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Even the loss of limbs cannot defeat the Israeli spirit.
- Israeli computer-brain interface breakthrough could restore the power of speech.
- An Israeli surgical device can transform the lives of millions of heart patients.
- Israeli tech enables those with impaired speech to access the Internet.
- An Israeli food additive makes cooking oil safe for re-use.
- The FBI used Israeli tech to access cellphone of would-be assassin.
- In the latest EU Horizon investment round, the 3rd most funds went to Israel.
- A Haredi community hosted 180 secular Nova survivors for Shabbat.
This edition of Israel’s Positive newsletter reveals so many incredible achievements of the Jewish State that I had difficulty stopping at 50 articles. Please savor them as the next planned issue will be after I return from visiting family in the UK in mid-Aug. But If I get time, I may issue a newsletter on or around the 4th Aug.
This week’s edition includes Israeli innovations that reveal the early signs of life-threatening diseases; also, that locked-in patients can be given the ability to speak; that the voice-impaired can gain the freedom of the Internet; and that intellectually disadvantaged students can obtain university degrees.
It reveals that Jerusalem’s Jews and Arabs can sing together; that Arabs from Morocco want to see the real Israel; and that there are many nations of the world that support Israel’s fight against terrorism. This newsletter also reveals the amazing spirit of Israelis, determined to continue to rebuild their lives and benefit society, even after the devastating events of Oct 7.
Among the many Israeli technical breakthroughs, the US has again used Israeli security technology to reveal the secrets of a would-be assassin’s cellphone. And the massive European funding for Israeli startups reveals just how much the world needs Israeli technology.
Finally, as the International Court of Justice bleats that Israel cannot occupy its own land, archaeologists reveal and display thousands of Jewish relics proving the Biblical bond between the Jewish people and all of the Land of Israel.
POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Lifting our spirit. (TY Sam Kramer) Ziv Shilon lost an arm in Gaza in 2012, but he didn’t lose his spirit. Here, he performs hagbah (lifting the Torah scroll) in the Chabad of Savyon, Nothing stops these heroes – they are now a defining and meaningful part of the fabric of Israeli society. See also Ari Spitz, wounded in Feb 2024.
https://sparksofanation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
A modern day prophet & hero. Another article describing the actions of Rami Davidian (see here previously) who saved hundreds from the Hamas terrorists. The author writes, “Our people are Maccabees and prophets, warriors and angels. There have been many heroes, but Rami Davidian…must be remembered for generations.”
https://www.jns.org/a-modern-
Defense innovations from startups. Once you skip the negative section of this article, there are several key initiatives and innovations that will help the IDF in future conflicts. The MAFAT program, Tel Aviv University problem-solving, Unit 81, MAMRAM’s tech commando unit,
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Be’eri dairy makes cheese again. The dairy at Kibbutz Be’eri is producing its famous cheeses again, nine months after the devastating Oct 7 attack. Despite losing his business partner, Dagan Peleg bowed to pressure from Israelis craving for Be’eri cheese – especially those from the kibbutz evacuated to Dead Sea hotels.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://beeridairy.co.il/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Patient “speaks” using the power of thought alone. A historical first. A 37-year-old male neurosurgical epilepsy patient at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov (Sourasky) Medical Center was implanted with depth electrodes. He silently controlled a computer-based vocalizer in a natural way to voluntarily produce 2 vowel sounds.
https://www.jns.org/tau-
https://journals.lww.com/
Non-invasive glucose monitoring. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s HAGAR’s GWave is the world’s first non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring technology that uses radiofrequency (RF) waves to measure glucose levels in the blood. Its latest trial had 97% accuracy compared to blood tests (see here). See other Israeli monitors here.
https://www.businesswire.com/
How good are your arteries? Israel’s AccuLine is developing CORA – an accurate, non-invasive, swift, and low-cost test for early detection of coronary artery disease and prevent heart attacks. It detects 2 novel bio-signals in combination with AI-powered signal processing and proprietary augmented waveform display.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Replacing open-heart surgery. (TY Ron M) US giant Edwards Lifesciences’ acquisition of Israel’s Innovalve Bio Medical will enable its innovative catheterization system to replace the diseased mitral valves of millions of patients, avoiding open-heart surgery. The system was originally developed at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
The hub of the brain. (TY UWI) Researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have identified the brain’s claustrum as vital for controlling behaviour e.g., responsiveness and impulsivity. It also regulates sleep and the new knowledge can open up new pathways for treating ADHD, schizophrenia, OCD, and addictions.
https://tps.co.il/articles/
https://www.nature.com/
One-day retreat to prevent PTSD. (TY Yanky) Israeli NGO The Protective Partnership has started a free one-day retreat in Herzliya, called the Villa. Led by Dr Ronny Simons, it uses Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to strengthen the brains of IDF soldiers to protect against suffering PTSD.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://the-villa.co.il/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Cancer care for Anglo Israelis. (TY Yanky) Sharsheret Israel helps English-speaking women in Israel with breast cancer to navigate treatment and support. Based on the US model, Sharsheret Israel is piloting its services including psychosocial support, cancer treatment navigation, education, support groups and more.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
Boosting health tech in the North. Israeli NGO Startup Nation Central is helping Tzafon Medical Center (Poriya hospital) near Tiberias become a regional leader in health tech innovation and entrepreneurship. It will also support the new Helmsley Rehabilitation Center at the hospital.
https://www.jns.org/startup-
Has your medicine expired? The expiry date printed on many medicine bottles is not relevant once you open it – you must record the date it was opened. Israel’s Innocap has a special cap with a simple dial that records the day and month of opening. It also connects to a smartphone which displays information about the medicine.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://innocap.info/smart-
Almost life-like. (TY Atid-EDI) The new J5 Digital Anatomy™ 3D Printer from Israel’s Stratasys enables the creation of biomechanically accurate, highly realistic anatomical models for medical purposes. These mimic bone structures, tissues, ligaments, & complex vascular structures, respond like organs, and much more.
https://www.stratasys.com/en/
https://www.stratasys.com/en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sisters! Take care if you ask to see the “Sister” at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. Nurses Yamit and Inbal are identical twins. Their older sister Sima (another nurse) looks just like them. They grew up in a house with 10 children – nine girls and one boy. Their parents must have needed a lot of patience, or is it patients?
https://www.ynetnews.com/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Street doctors. Street Medicine Tel Aviv (SMTA) comprises 50 volunteer medics who treat the homeless of Tel Aviv. 95% are citizens with medical insurance but lack ID, a phone to make appointments, or money to buy medicines. SMTA breaks the stigma on twice-weekly rounds, applying antibiotics, bandages, stitches and more.
https://www.jns.org/tel-avivs-
Special class receive their BA degrees. The six Israeli Intellectually Disabled (ID) students that achieved the necessary academic BA qualifications last year (see here previously) have just formally received their Multidisciplinary degrees in a ceremony at Bar-Ilan University.
https://www.jns.org/bar-ilan-
Say it, do it. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Voiceitt (see here previously) has just launched Voiceitt for Chrome. Voice-impaired users can dictate into their browser to convert garbled speech into text for emails, Google Workplace, Google Classroom, and blogs, plus message services like Slack or Discord, and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jerusalem Youth Chorus. (TY Harvey) Jerusalem’s inclusive choir of Israelis and Palestinian Arabs wowed the jury on America’s Got Talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Winning the hearts & minds of GenZ. The Israeli non-profit TalkIsrael (see here previously) is training the next generation of social media content creators to develop high-quality content that can shine a more positive view of Israel and life inside the country. TalkIsrael’s content already has had 5 million views.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Peace delegation from Morocco. Two dozen Moroccan social-media influencers and young professionals from the Muslim delegation in the Holy Land are on a week-long visit to Israel, organized by the Sharaka NGO (see here previously). They are seeing a different view from the “Al Jazeera” narrative they get in Morocco.
https://www.jns.org/a-
Welcoming diplomats to Israel. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog received the diplomatic credentials of new ambassadors to Israel from Italy, Japan, and Peru, all wearing the yellow ribbon symbol supporting the kidnapped hostages. The President also warmly greeted the new ambassadors of Kazakhstan and Kenya.
https://www.jns.org/herzog-
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Multifunctional sensors for physical AI. Scientists and Israel’s Ben Gurion University have developed 3D-printable electronic composite materials (ISMCs) that can make biological-like sensors. They can have a huge impact in healthcare and robotics and launch the world of physical AI, with even more potential than digital AI.
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-
Post-grad course in green energy. (TY Atid-EDI) The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is launching a new master’s program focused on green energy technology. It will incorporate eco-friendly materials, creating green energy production devices, and tackling challenges in energy storage and management.
https://www.jpost.com/
Sustainable corn production. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s N2Off (NTWO OFF – see here previously) has demonstrated that its innovative bacteria technology, can potentially reduce Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions when applied to corn seedlings at comparable levels (by 40-50%) already obtained in wheat cultivation.
https://www.globenewswire.com/
Increasing yields of winter wheat. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Lavie-Bio (see here previously) has expanded its Yalos microbial inoculant (biological fertilizer) to winter wheat. Yalos improves yields by some 12.5%. Trials in North America continue and Lavie-Bio plans to expand Yalos to crops such as soybean and canola.
https://lavie-bio.com/press/
https://lavie-bio.com/yalos/
A healthier fry-up. Israel’s Beyond Oil is a unique powder that absorbs harmful components from fried oil so it can be reused while preserving its quality. It won the FoodTech Company of the Year award at the 2024 Israeli Restaurateurs Conference and is now being used in Israel by two global fast-food chain brands.
https://www.israel21c.org/new-
https://www.beyondoil.co/ https://www.youtube.com/
Startups for space accelerator. Five Israeli startups were selected, from 50 candidates, to join the EXPAND space program, part of the Creation-Space accelerator (see here previously). These are Tedence Space (electro-magnets), OASIX (heat pump), Omnidrill (robots), Inhayle (hydroxyl disinfectants), and NOVAlert (sensors).
https://www.jns.org/wire/
https://finder.
https://liortevet6.wixsite.
Making sense of the data. Israel’s Kaleidoo (part of Israel’s Bynet Data Communications (see here previously) has created the Kal Sense platform. It converts a company’s video, voice, and text communications into AI-ready data that can be analyzed to answer questions posed by company executives.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://www.kaleidoo.ai/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Gaming for education. Israel’s Arcademy has finished a successful trial of its Minecraft educational gaming platform at nine Israeli schools. Students actively engaged in lessons, and improved problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity skills. Arcademy will launch in schools across Israel and the US next year,
https://www.israel21c.org/
Moovit moves up to intercity. Israeli public transport app Moovit (see here previously), which helps travelers navigate local journeys in more than 100 countries, has launched a new platform for longer, intercity trips.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Israeli tech hacks Crooks’ phone. The Washington Post reported that the FBI used technology from Israel’s Cellebrite (see here previously) to unlock the cellphone of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks. Cellebrite is used by over 2,500 North American agencies, 20 of the largest US city police departments, and 25 in the EU.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
$142 million of EU funding. Nine Israeli startups have secured a total of $142 million in funding from the EU Horizon (EIC Accelerator) program. They include MediWound (EscharEx), JaxBio, Nurami, LightSolver, Quantum Transistors, RAAAM Memory, Reophotonics (ioTech), SpacePharma, and Impact Biotech.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.mediwound.com/
https://i-o-tech.com/
Microsoft’s partner of the year. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s 2bcloud has won the 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for Israel, which recognizes companies that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft Cloud applications, services, devices and AI innovation in 2024. 2bcloud is also an Amazon AWS partner.
https://2bcloud.io/2bcloud-
https://2bcloud.io/
A top fintech company. Israel’s Okoora (see here previously) has been selected for CNBC/Statista’s 2024 list of the world’s leading fintech companies. The list recognizes companies that have significantly contributed to the transformation and innovation of the financial services industry through technology.
https://www.jpost.com/
A one-stop shop for solar sites. Israel’s GiraSol Renewable Energy builds and maintains solar energy systems using the best global technology to check for performance issues. GiraSol’s clients include Israel’s Energix and France’s EDF, which operates large solar farms in Israel.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Boots UK sells Israeli pregnancy tests. The UK chemist chain Boots is now selling Salistick, the world’s first saliva-based pregnancy test, from Israel’s Salignostics (see here previously).
https://www.abingdonhealth.
https://www.boots.com/boots-
Pain monitoring in Japan. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Medasense (see here previously) is partnering with Nihon Kohden for the exclusive distribution of its revolutionary PMD-200 real-time non-invasive pain monitoring device in Japan. https://medasense.com/
Israel’s most promising startup. 40% of Americans used to travel within the USA with no travel insurance. When Covid struck everyone wanted insurance. Israel’s Faye launched its product and in 2023 was named Wall Street Journal’s travel insurance product of the year. Now Faye is Israel’s most promising startup of 2024.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
1,000 pay for GenAI. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Upword (see here previously) attracted 30,000 users for its Beta version, with 1,000 paying for its advanced GenAI capabilities. Upword is designed to mimic the traditional research methods required by professionals, researchers and academics and has now launched its full version.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Exits, takeovers & mergers – to 21/7/24: Holding our breath for Google’s expected $23 billion takeover of Israel’s Wiz. Meanwhile, Edwards Lifesciences has acquired Israel’s Innovalve for $300 million. US-based Tricentis has acquired Israel’s SeaLights for around $150 million.
Startup investment – to 21/7/24:. CTERA raised $80 million; CytoReason raised $80 million; OCON Therapeutics raised $10 million; HAGAR raised
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