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Good News Israel Archive from the week of October 30, 2016: The state-of-the-art control system installed in the Head and Neck Operating Room at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center is the first of its kind in the world; A delegation of Israeli start-ups developing technologies to assist people with disabilities are showing their products and services in Sydney Australia, and much more.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A cockpit for surgeons
The state-of-the-art control system installed in the Head and Neck Operating Room at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center is the first of its kind in the world. Like a computerized cockpit system, a semi-circular wall of screens project the surgeon’s movements as he excises a tumor in the patient’s neck.
https://www.rambam.org.il/EnglishSite/AboutRambam/Publications/NewsandEvents/Pages/One-of-a-Kind-Control-System-for-Rambam%E2%80%99s-Head-and-Neck-OR.aspx
Philips uses Israeli tech to make scanners safe
Philips HealthCare has selected SafeCT-29 to make their CT and PET/CT scanners compliant with US XR-29 regulations regarding safe levels of radiation.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/philips-healthcare-selects-medic-visions-fda-cleared-xr-29-solution-for-use-with-its-ct-and-petct-scanners-300324590.html
An answer to jet lag?
Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered a link between the level of oxygen breathed by mice and their ability to adapt to a shift in daylight hours. http://www.timesofisrael.com/shift-in-oxygen-levels-can-reduce-jet-lag-israeli-study-finds/
Pilates can help recover from a heart attack
A study at the rehabilitation institute at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot has shown that the Pilates physical fitness system can strengthen the body physically and emotionally after a heart attack. The exercises help reduce patients’ body-mass index and boosts confidence.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Health-and-Science/Israeli-researchers-discover-Pilates-exercises-help-after-heart-attack-455456
A call for help from cows in labor
The AfiAct II cow monitoring system from Israel’s Afimilk will now send an alert to the dairy farmer when its sensors detect a cow experiencing a prolonged labor. Nearly half of first-calf Holstein cows in the U.S. require intervention from a farmer or veterinarian during labor.
http://www.afimilk.com/news/afimilk-introduces-automatic-calving-alert-service
360-degree colonoscope now has extras
The Aer-O-Scope® 360-degree disposable colonoscope from Israel’s GI View has now been upgraded to enable surgeons to take biopsies and remove polyps. The new colonoscope has just received FDA clearance.
http://www.fdanews.com/articles/178523-fda-grants-510k-clearance-to-gi-views-aer-o-scope-disposable-colonoscope-system-with-therapeutic-access
Smart patch to relieve migraines
Israeli startup Theranica Bio-Electronics has developed Nerivio Migra – the first of its “smart patches” delivering neuromodulation therapy – to provide migraine relief. A recent study of 86 patients at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center showed promising results.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/theranica-announces-closing-seed-funding-130000902.html
Teva and IBM to expand alliance
Teva and IBM are to significantly expand their existing global e-Health alliance using the IBM Watson Supercomputer’s Health Cloud to develop new treatments and improve the management of chronic diseases. It aims to streamline the long process of bringing new therapies to market.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/teva-ibm-to-tackle-new-drugs-chronic-diseases-with-ai/
Complex treatment of rare defect restores infant’s speech
A multi-disciplinary team of Israeli doctors at the Vascular Anomalies Clinic at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center performed an advanced procedure called Sclerotherapy to save a 2-year-old boy born with a venous malformation that had spread to his windpipe.
https://www.szmc.org.il/eng/article/news,101/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
My Home
For the first time, in the documentary My Home, we see life in Israel through those rarely heard from – the Israeli-Arab citizens who would never live anywhere else. Those Arab minorities who change the false narrative that Israel is an apartheid state, that minorities can’t succeed, that they have no rights.
http://israelseen.com/2016/09/26/my-home-israel-through-the-eyes-of-arab-israelis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZdmc6vb47g (trailer)
Program to boost Bedouins in high-tech
Ten male and 10 female Arab students have been selected to take part in Bridgetech – a pre-academic program that aims to increase participation of Israel’s Bedouin populations into the country’s high-tech ecosystem.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/program-seeks-to-boost-bedouins-in-israeli-high-tech/
Arabs who do National Service
Another article about the 4,500 non-Jews doing Sherut Leumi (National Service) in Israel. Seventy percent are Muslim, the rest being Druze, Christian or Circassian.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/israel-news/serving-israel-cost
Jewish-Arab women’s choir wins international award
The Rana Choir, a mixed Jewish-Muslim-Christian women’s chorus from Jaffa, received a 2016 International Hrant Dink Foundation award in Istanbul, Turkey. The foundation awards “people and organizations working for a world free of discrimination, racism and violence”.
http://www.israel21c.org/jewish-arab-womens-choir-wins-international-award/
Israel expands Gaza fishing zone
From Nov 1, Israel is increasing the fishing zone for Gaza fisherman from six to nine nautical miles “to facilitate increased activity in Gaza Strip’s fishing sector, which is an [important] source of income”. The expansion is conditioned on Gazans not exploiting it to smuggle or penetrate Israel’s territory.
http://www.bicom.org.uk/news/israel-expands-gaza-fishing-zone-50-per-cent/
Israeli member of Malawi parliament
David Bisnowaty was born in Israel and served in the IDF. Last year he was elected by a big majority to the parliament of Malawi. He says that Malawi has always had very strong ties with Israel. Israel was the first country to send doctors and agricultural people to Malawi unconditionally.
Israeli architect to receive US Lifetime achievement award
Israeli-born architect Moshe Safdie – whose works, including Yad Vashem, span the globe – will be honored for lifetime achievement at the 2016 National Design Awards by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-architect-to-receive-US-Lifetime-achievement-award-468173
PM and President meet East Asia’s faith leaders
A delegation that included Hindu gurus, Buddhist monks and Shinto priests met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin on the first day of a Jerusalem conference designed to deepen Israel-Asia ties.
Israel hosts OECD Education Conference
For the first time, Israel hosted the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Global Education Industry Summit. More than 30 delegations from around the world attended the two-day event, which focused on innovation in education.
http://embassies.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2016/Pages/President-Rivlin-addresses-conference-of-OECD-Education-Ministers-26-September-2016.aspx
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel can solve the world’s water shortage
From California to Africa, there is a global water shortage. Israel – one tiny country in the middle of a desert, has found remarkable solutions. Can its success be replicated? Businessman and New York Times bestselling author Seth Siegel explains.
Disability tech displayed in Australia
A delegation of Israeli start-ups developing technologies to assist people with disabilities are showing their products and services in Sydney Australia. They include Paratrek, Sesame Enable, NiNiSpeech and yooocan.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-startups-display-disability-tech-in-australia/
4 Israelis in top 100 cloud companies
ForeScout, Sisense, WalkMe and SMS Assist are the Israeli representatives on the first-ever Forbes 2016 Cloud 100 – the ultimate list of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. Companies are recognized by customers and peers for financial growth and excellence.
http://www.israel21c.org/forescout-sisense-walkme-sms-assist-in-forbes-cloud-100/
Saving the banana
The most destructive and costly disease threatening worldwide banana production is Black Sigatoka. Timorex Gold® non-chemical fungicide from Israeli-managed Stockton Group controls this disease, plus many others. The eco-friendly fungicide is based on the Melaleuca alternifolia plant extract.
http://www.stockton-ag.com/timorex-gold-effective-against-black-sigatoka/
3D printed dress “Oscillation” shakes fashion world
Fashion leader threeASFOUR and designer Travis Fitch used a 3D printer from Israel’s Stratasys to produce ‘Oscillation’ – an elaborate and intricate dress as the centerpiece of threeASFOUR’s ‘Quantum Vibrations’ collection for New York’s Fashion Week.
http://investors.stratasys.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=989196
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqz9MzX4Sw8
Helping farmers keep track of crops
Israel’s FieldIn won second prize for startups at the International AgriVest Conference held at the Weizmann Institute of Science, for its technology that increases the efficiency of growing crops by reducing overall use of pesticides and eliminating spray mistakes..
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-fieldin-helps-farmers-track-crops-cut-costs/
http://www.fieldintech.com/products/
Streaming video to Facebook
Israel’s LiveU provided video streaming tech for the Olympics, World Cup soccer, UK elections etc. Now LiveU has developed Solo – a wireless product that allows content providers to broadcast high-quality live video directly to Facebook Live.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/facebook-integrates-liveu-tech-to-boost-content/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Businesses grow in 3rd quarter
The Bank of Israel’s Companies Survey for the third quarter of 2016 indicates that, further to the previous quarter, the business sector grew rapidly. The positive picture is reflected in all the large industries – manufacturing, services, trade, transport and communications.
http://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/26-10-16CompaniesSurvey.aspx
Surging investment in Israel defies global trend
Ambassador Yoram Ettinger writes that Israeli hi-tech companies raised $1.19 billion during Q3 2016, the second highest quarterly amount in ten years. In the first nine months of 2016, Israeli hi-tech companies raised $4 billion, 27% higher than the same period in 2015.
http://theettingerreport.com/Overseas-Investments/Surging-overseas-investment-in-Israel-defy-global-.aspx
Large Israeli exits
Ambassador Ettinger also reports the acquisitions of Israeli companies EndoChoice for $210 million, BlazeMeter for $100 million, FireLayers for $55 million and Corrigon for $30 million.
http://theettingerreport.com/Overseas-Investments/Surging-overseas-investment-in-Israel-defy-global-.aspx
More avocado please
Israel exported 60,000 tons of avocados in 2015. Demand is even higher this year and 70% of this year’s 100,000-ton yield is earmarked for export, shipped in refrigerated containers to reach Europe in 4-5 days. Varieties include Ettinger, Pinkerton, Hass, Fuerte, Reed, Galil, Lavi and Moti.
http://www.israel21c.org/europe-to-israel-more-avocado-please/
Israeli agro-tech company valued at $2.8 billion
Israeli crop protection company Adama Agricultural Solutions is to be sold by its Chinese owner ChemChina to a firm it controls. The new owner, Hubei Sanonda, is paying about 18.6 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) for Adama, which has 4% of the Chinese agrochemical market.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-adama-m-a-sanonda-idUSKCN11J1Z3?rpc=401
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Music and Ethics
Musethica is an international nonprofit that advances classical music education and brings music to special audiences that otherwise do not have the chance to encounter it. Its 3rd International Chamber Music Festival takes place from Oct 28 to Nov 5 across Israel at venues such as schools for disabled children, hospitals, homes for the elderly and social organizations.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/About-music-and-ethics-471044
http://musethica.org/concert-calendar/iiimusethicafestivalisrael/
Israel’s first Arabic-language foreign Oscar entry
For the first time, a film entirely in Arabic will represent Israel at the Academy Awards (Oscars). “Sand Storm”, a family drama set in the Bedouin community, won six Ophir Awards (Israel’s top film competition), including for best film.
http://variety.com/2016/film/awards/israel-oscar-best-foreign-film-sand-storm-1201868901/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0KV2U_QwKU
Tel Aviv Piano Festival
More than 150 top Israeli and international pianists will perform at the annual Tel Aviv Piano Festival from Nov 9 to Nov 12. The largest concerts will be held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
http://www.itraveltelaviv.com/events/tel-aviv-piano-festival/
http://www.pianofestival.co.il/
THE JEWISH STATE
The earliest non-Biblical mention of Jerusalem
The Israel Antiquities Authority has recovered a papyrus from the time of the 1st Temple (7th century BCE) documenting a wine shipment from Na’artah to Jerusalem. This is the earliest extra-biblical source to mention Jerusalem in Hebrew writing. The papyrus was written by a woman administrator in the Kingdom of Judah. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/219379
Exiled Spanish & Portuguese Jews are returning home
The Aliya to Israel of some of the 100 million plus Bnei Anusim (descendants of Sephardi Jews forced to convert to Christianity) could be larger than the return of the “lost tribe” of Ethiopian Jews. Many are discovering their Jewish roots and connecting with Israel.
http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2016/9/27/how-exiled-spanish-and-portuguese-jews-are-returning-home
Unearthing the 2900-year-old gate of Lachish
The Israel Antiquities Authority’s has now fully excavated the 8th Century BCE (1st Temple period) Lachish city gate near Mount Hebron. They say that it may prove King Hezekiah’s Biblically-recorded efforts to abolish idol worship in the region.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Gate-shrine-from-First-Temple-period-unearthed-at-Tel-Lachish-National-Park-468904
Recreating the sound of the High Priest
I reported previously (in 2011) about the discovery of a garment bell that a High Priest would have worn on his robes when administering in the Temple’s Holy of Holies. The sound of all 72 bells has now been recreated, so you can hear exactly what it would have sounded like on Yom Kippur 3000 years ago.
Niece of Fatah founder tattooed “Israel” on her back
Sandra Solomon is the niece of Saher Habash, one of the founders of the Fatah party. Born in Ramallah, raised in Saudi Arabia, moved to Canada and converted to Christianity. She now loves the State of Israel so much, she had “Israel” in Hebrew tattooed across her shoulder blades.
The rains have arrived
Three days following commencement of the prayers for rain, thunderstorms arrived in Israel. Whilst central areas experienced scattered showers, the south had flash floods and strong rain that temporarily closed Eilat airport. 32 mm of rain fell in Eilat, 10 mm more than the yearly seasonal average.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Eilats-airport-closes-as-rain-pours-down-on-the-city-471093
1000-year-old Muslim inscription confirms site of Jewish Temple
Archaeologists have located a 10th century CE inscription above a mihrab-prayer niche in an active mosque in the village of Nuba, near Hebron. It states that the original name of the Dome of the Rock was Beit al Makdas (in Arabic), Beit Hamikdash (in Hebrew) or Temple (in English).
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