By Michel Ordman, VGNI
In the 25th Aug 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Israeli saved hundreds on Oct 7, now gives new skills to ex-soldiers .
- Israelis give cancer–killing cells a new lease of life.
- Israeli support for bereaved Golan Druze.
- Israel is ranked fourth in the world for AI advancement.
- No wonder Israelis are happy – we have an app for that.
- Massive project to deliver Israeli renewable energy to the US.
- More archaeological evidence of ancient Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel.
- Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Oct 7 hero rehabilitates IDF soldiers. On Oct 7, Lt Yehonatan Skariszewski fought Hamas terrorists and guided over 100 Nova festival survivors to safety. He now works for NGO “For the Home, For Tomorrow,” training ex-combat soldiers in manual skills as therapy to counter anxieties following their active service.
https://www.jns.org/oct-7-
Inspiration from Israelis returning home. (TY Ruth Kaplan) On Oct 7, residents of Kibbutz Magen fought off dozens of invading Hamas terrorists (video link below). They were then evacuated to the Dead Sea, from where 90% have since returned to their Kibbutz. Their stories of resilience give strength to Jews everywhere.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Resilience in the North. While Israeli citizens in the South are returning to their homes, many in the North have never left. The residents of this region – Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze alike – have become the guardians of their homeland, refusing to abandon the land they love, even in the face of unimaginable adversity.
https://www.israelhayom.com/
Far-seeing enhancement. (TY UWI) While regular IDF soldiers have modern weapons, reservists lacked precision scopes for their Negev guns. So, several Israeli civilians voluntarily developed the Tomer Adapter, named after Tomer Nagar – a “Negevist” who fell while bravely defending the Kissufim military post on Oct 7.
https://www.jewishpress.com/
Donations for Northern hospitals. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) is donating $1 million to the Tzafon Medical Center (Poriya) to bolster its Trauma Unit. It is also funding $620,000 worth of new equipment and medical supplies at the Italian Hospital in Nazareth.
https://israfan.com/p/ifcj-
Thousands of American volunteers. (TY Stefan) Another article publicizing the work of volunteers from America. They include some 3,500 who came on missions organized by JNF-USA since Oct 7, helping repair, rehabilitate, and rebuild Gaza border communities and giving vital motivational support.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
Helping rebuild Israeli communities. Russell Robinson, CEO of JNF USA, describes how his organization is building a community center 2km from Gaza. Self-funded volunteers on JNF-USA trips are cleaning up schools so that children can resume their studies. In the north, JNF-USA is building culinary and medical centers.
https://video.i24news.tv/
Reduced university tuition fees for reservists. Some 500 Tel Aviv University 1st-year students beginning their studies in the coming academic year who have served at least 30 days in the reserves since the beginning of 2024 will be entitled to a tuition discount of NIS 2,500, covering about 25% of total tuition fees.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Rejuvenating cancer-killing cells. Researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have discovered why natural killer (NK) cells in the immune system lose their ability to fight cancer. They introduced nanoparticles that silenced the enzyme DGK alpha and the transcription factor Egr2, returning the NK cells to normal function.
https://www.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Cancer pain treatment now used in US. (TY Nevet) The US is now recommending the innovative pain relief treatment for pancreatic cancer patients developed at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center (see here previously). 125 international patients received radiation treatment to the celiac plexus nerve. 53% reported significant benefit.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
https://www.thelancet.com/
Wearable can predict epileptic attacks. Israel’s Blink Energy has developed a tiny device, fitted to one eyelid, that monitors and analyzes blink patterns to detect or diagnose health conditions. E.g., to warn of an imminent epileptic seizure; or if about to fall asleep at the wheel; or to diagnose Parkinson’s disease or sleep disorders.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.blinkenrg.com/ h
Fighting superbugs. Latest article about Israel’s NanoSynex (see here previously) and its antibiotic diagnosis test. The $11 million funding from investors, the IAA and Europe has helped it develop the product to test up to 20 patients at once and determine the correct antibiotic to use against bacteriological infections.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
The secrets of nutrient absorption. Scientists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute and Sheba Medical Center have compiled the first detailed map of the various activity areas in the human small intestine, revealing what makes it so effective at absorbing nutrients and protecting the body from infection.
https://www.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.
Can you shed light on this? (TY Ron M) I don’t know why an 8-year-old child swallowed a flashlight part – but he didn’t die. Doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital removed the object, which had created an electrical circuit in the child’s esophagus. In another hour, it could have caused irreversible damage.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Antibiotics from pepper. Researchers at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have created a derivative of the long pepper plant that disrupts the chemical communication between bacteria. The PL-18 derivative of Piperlongumine reducies bacterial virulence by disrupting the biofilm that surrounds bacteria.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Detecting COPD with a smartwatch. Israel’s RespirAI uses artificial intelligence and smartwatch sensors to monitor chronic patients e.g., with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). RespirAI compares oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) and EKG data with the wearer’s physical movement to predict imminent deterioration.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Diagnosing high-risk fat. All fat is not created equal. Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have devised a non-surgical miRNA biomarker biopsy test for visceral adipose tissue (VAT) inflammation, which is derived from a specific type of body fat that poses a high cardio-metabolic risk in obese individuals.
https://www.israel21c.org/if-
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Co-existence in Northern hospitals. Prof. Masad Barhoum, Christian Arab director of Galilee Medical Center, and Prof. Salman Zarka, Israeli Druze director of Ziv Medical Center in Safed, describe how their staff of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Circassians, Druze, and Bedouins work as a family to save victims of Hezbollah.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Support for Druze families. Israelis have donated some two million shekels to help support the families of the Druze children in Majdal Shams killed by a rocket fired by Hezbollah terrorists. Countless Israelis made pilgrimages to the local playground, laying bouquets of flowers or tying black ribbons to the charred fence.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Hoops sanctuary for displaced kids. Jared Armstrong made Aliyah (eventually) from Philadelphia to Ashkelon. Following Oct 7, and subsequent Hamas rocket attacks, he converted his Jared Armstrong Basketball (JAB) CAMP non-profit to unite diverse children via basketball camps and clinics in Israel and the US.
https://www.israel21c.org/us-
https://www.jabcamp.com/our-
The IDF Bedouin Battalion. (TY Yanky) A photo essay on the IDF’s Bedouin battalion that operates in the desert terrain of Israel’s south. In addition to the Bedouin majority, the battalion also has Jewish, Arab Israeli, and Christian soldiers – a diversity that reflects its soldiers’ deep-rooted connection to the land they defend.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Inspiring Muslim blogger. Nagham Haj Ali, 20, from Shefa-Amr in northern Israel has over 500,000 social media followers. She volunteers at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center and tells everyone to do national service. President Herzog awarded her a certificate of excellence for fostering understanding between Jews and Muslims.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
3 Israeli universities again in top 100. The Shanghai Ranking, is widely viewed as an authority in determining the quality of academic institutions. In its 2024 list, The Weizmann Institute was ranked in 69th place, Hebrew University in 81st place, and the Technion Institute in 85th place.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://www.shanghairanking.
Paraguay to move embassy back to Jerusalem. (TY WIN) Paraguay has announced the relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, reaffirming its unwavering support for the Jewish people. The official statement emphasized, “Paraguay will always be on the side of the Jewish people, no matter what the cost.”
https://en.mercopress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
4th highest advancement in AI. Israel is rated 4th globally in Artificial Intelligence technology advancement according to a recent study by US software company ZeroBounce. Israel invested over $12 billion in AI during the last decade – ranking fourth after the USA, China and the UK – more than Canada, Germany and India.
https://www.enterprisetimes.
Converting waste into bio-fuel. Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a process to turn any wet raw waste thrown in the trash into liquid and solid bio-fuels without the need to dry the waste. It involves using solar energy to heat the waste, removing water and oxygen, and using the residue as a solid fuel.
https://www.jns.org/new-tel-
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
More recognition. (TY Nevet) The European Research Council has awarded Ben Gurion University’s Dr. Nir Shlezinger up to 1.5 million Euros for his project that aims to bring Artifical Intelligence (AI) to wireless communications. Dr Shlezinger won a Krill prize from the Wolf Foundation back in June (see here previously).
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-
Israel’s first energy island. Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa in northern Israel is set to become Israel’s first micro-grid. Its wind turbines, solar energy fields and biogas storage dome will make it electricity independent should the national grid fail. Gilboa will be a pilot backup, providing decentralized electricity distribution centers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Alert system without GPS. The IDF can now send out location-based alerts to phones in case of large-scale emergencies. The system is based on Cell Broadcast, which is a method of sending short messages to multiple phone users in a defined area where accurate GPS signals cannot be relied on.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
El Al’s defense system. A reminder of why El Al can continue to carry passengers to and from Israel while most foreign airlines have suspended services. Each aircraft is installed with C-MUSIC from Israel’s Elbit Systems, comprising automated laser-based Directed Infra-Red Counter Measure (DIRCM) protection.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://elbitsystems.com/
The app that can teach you happiness. Israel’s Talia Soen is co-founder and CEO of Happy Things – an app based on positive psychology research, that encourages users to take simple, everyday action to increase happiness in an attainable way. Apparently, happiness is a skill that can be strengthened with practice.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.happythings.app/
Pollination without bees. Israel’s QueenDee has developed a device that attaches to the underside of a drone / UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and collects or distribute pollen to flowers and plants. Collection uses one of two methods – vacuum or electrostatic attraction. AI and image recognition ensure accurate pollination.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://www.queen-dee.com/
Connecting trains at high speed. Israel’s DirecTrains has developed “Direct Coupling” to allow trains to join and separate while moving. Local trains can connect with express trains without stopping either one. It reduces road congestion, energy consumption, operational costs, CO2 emissions, travel times and more.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://directrains.com/ http
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
13 Israelis open NYSE. On 19 Aug, the founder of Israeli Mapped in NY, Guy Franklin rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. He was joined on the podium by twelve founders of Israeli tech companies. The 450 Israeli-founded companies in New York include 30 unicorns. These 30 alone have created 15,000 jobs.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Negev Innovation Hub. The InNegev Innovation Hub (see here previously) is an incubator for startups developing climate tech solutions. It has attracted startups including Emnotion, and BeAir, but supports startups across Israel. Partners include Netafim, the Israel Charitable Association, Alpha Capital and Lamed Holdings.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Electricity reform to save money for consumers. (TY Yanky) Israelis will soon be able to choose which supplier to purchase electricity from, breaking the decades-old monopoly of the Israel Electric Company, Discounts on electricity bills could reach 20%, resulting in total savings to consumers of up to NIS 2 billion.
https://www.jpost.com/
Israeli systems boost income at Palo Alto. US gian Palo Alto Networks increased its annual revenue by 16% to $8 billion fueled by two Israeli-based Next Generation System (NGS) products – the Cortex division and the Prisma Cloud division. Annual NGS revenue was $4.2 billion representing a 43% growth rate.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
$1.5 billion of Israeli green energy for US. Israeli renewable energy company Energix, in collaboration with tech giant Google, will enter a tax equity partnership for future projects in the U.S. amounting to 1.5 gigawatts by 2030. The estimated value of the partnership is between $1.3 and $1.5 billion by 2030.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
$1.2 billion to develop new gas field. (TY Hazel) Multinational Energean has announced that it will invest $1.2 billion to develop the Katlan gas field off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. It expects output to commence in 2027. The field contains 1.10 trillion cubic feet of proven and probable gas reserves.
https://www.reuters.com/
Israeli tech at Bojangles drive-thrus. The AI voice bot from Israel’s Hi Auto (see here previously) is to be used to handle customer orders at hundreds of Bojangles drive-thrus. Bojangles has dubbed the technology “Bo-Linda”, which has already been implemented in over 50 of its restaurants.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Exits, takeovers & mergers – to 25/8/24: Johnson & Johnson is to acquire Israeli medical device maker V-Wave for up to $1.7 billion. Israel’s Thetaray has acquired Europe’s Screena. US-based Applied Systems acquired Israel’s Planck Resolution.
Startup investment – to 25/8/24: Kubiya raised another $6 million; DreaMed Diabetes raised $3 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Rare whale shark visits Eilat. A 20-foot whale shark was sighted and photographed gliding through the waters of Eilat’s coral reserve. The world’s largest fish is an endangered and protected species, harmless to humans, so it was heartening to see it accompanied by baby whale sharks. (Article includes video of the sharks.)
https://www.israelhayom.com/
NBA star motivates Israelis. Former NBA star and sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal sent a message to dozens of Oct 7 survivors and bereaved relatives of victims who were on a One Family therapeutic vacation at Canada’s Camp Timberlane. O’Neal’s message was sprinkled with Hebrew, offering his “love” and support.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Look what they found in the drainage channel. Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists, excavating a drainage channel in Jerusalem, have uncovered relics of life prior to the sacking of the city by Roman legions in 70 CE. A glass vial, grape pips, eggshells and ceramic lamps still with soot in them.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
Huge quarry unearthed in Jerusalem. A massive 2nd Temple period stone quarry from the time of King Herod is being excavated in the Har Hotzvim Industrial area in Jerusalem. Archaeologists have uncovered stone slabs, many 2.5 meters long and 40cm thick. Also a stone implement and a stone vessel, likely used by workers.
https://www.
From Tisha b’Av to Tu b’Av. (TY Sharon) The emotional rollercoaster of the Hebrew month of Av was more noticeable this year. Positive Jerusalem events included Summer Nights at the Tower of David, the Puppet Festival, “Infinity” near the Pais Arena, Jerusalem of Gold, plus Tu b’Av itself – the “holiday” of love.
https://rjstreets.com/2024/08/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Speeding up the Aliyah process. Israel is to issue temporary licenses to lawyers, accountants, and teachers, enabling new immigrants to work in their professions immediately on arrival in the country. More than 10,000 Aliyah case files have been opened by North Americans since Oct 7 plus nearly 6,500 from France.
https://www.jns.org/israel-to-
150 French Jews make Aliyah. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews arranged an El Al flight to bring 148 men, women, and children, seven babies, and one small dog to begin new lives in Israel. They will take up residence in Netanya, Raanana, Hadera, Givat Shmuel, and Ashdod. More will certainly follow.
https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA – https://my.jnf.org/gaza-
Orthodox Union – https://www.charidy.com/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/
https://system.smartgiving.
https://chaischneider.org/
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.
USA – https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe – https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada – https://www.israelbonds.ca/
Most of these developments are indeed very good news at a dark time in our history. All thes people volunteering for Israel, and actually flying to Israel to work as volunteers despite the danger, and some even making aliya at a time when it is very dangerous to do this, is very heartwarming.