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Good News Israel Archive from the week of October 23, 2016: Israel’s Intec has received a European patent for its Accordion oral treatment delivery system; US female war veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are receiving treatment in Israel, and much more.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Controlled release innovation gets European patent

Israel’s Intec has received a European patent for its Accordion oral treatment delivery system. Designed to improve efficacy and safety of any oral treatment, Accordion utilizes an efficient gastric retention and specific release mechanism. Intec itself has incorporated Accordion into its Parkinson’s, insomnia and gastric ulcer treatments.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160906005739/en/Intec-Pharma-Granted-European-Patent-Accordion-Pill%E2%84%A2%E2%80%93Carbidopa

http://israelactive.com/?s=Accordion

Rosacea treatment is safe and effective

Israel’s Foamix has reported good results from the Phase II trials of its FMX103 treatment for papulopustular rosacea. The condition, suffered by millions, is characterized by facial redness from inflamed lesions.

http://www.foamixpharma.com/

500 aneurysms successfully treated

Israel’s Rapid Medical has announced its 500th successful operation to treat life-threatening aneurysms (swellings of arterial wall) using its Comaneci Adjustable Remodeling Mesh. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapid-medicals-comaneci-adjustable-remodeling-mesh-exceeds-500-successful-aneurysm-treatments-592723241.html

An easier thyroid cancer test

Israel’s Rosetta Genomics thyroid cancer diagnostic test (“RosettaGX Reveal”) can now be performed from a sample on the ThinPrep slides popular with clinicians. Previously, the sample had to come from a thyroid Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) biopsy.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160907005941/en/RosettaGX-Reveal%E2%84%A2-Thyroid-miRNA-Classifier-Utilized-ThinPrep%C2%AE

Dispelling myths about celiac disease

A team of Tel Aviv University researchers has analyzed the medical records of 10,000 Israeli teenagers with celiac disease. The findings show no evidence of clinicians’ belief that sufferers are likely to be underweight or below average height.
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/health/new-research-long-held-belief-celiac-disease-dispelled#!

A decade of IDF bone marrow donations

It is now ten years since the Ezer Mizion bone marrow registration booth became an integral part of the IDF recruiting station. Since then, 1100 IDF soldiers have donated their stem cells to cancer patients worldwide. Many of those saved told their stories at an event honoring the donors.
http://www.ezermizion.org/blog/1100-thank-yous/

13 miles in an Israeli bio-suit

Paraplegic Claire Lomas completed the UK’s Great North run in an exoskeleton from Israel’s ReWalk. Claire, who is 16-weeks pregnant, took five days to complete the 13.1-mile race. (The BBC, of course, doesn’t mention that ReWalk is Israeli.)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-37332178
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/163142/israeli-invention-helps-paralysed-woman-finish-race

Combined PET/MRI scanner

Israel’s Aspect Imaging has launched a brand new integrated simultaneous PET-MRI that combines PET and MRI modalities. The system is based on Aspect’s compact MRI plus the SimPET system from Seoul National University’s Department of Nuclear Medicine.
http://www.aspectimaging.com/news/aspect-imaging-seoul-national-university-partner-launch-worlds-first-commercial-simultaneous-preclinical-petmri-complete-solution/

GSK markets Israeli growth formula for children

Multinational GlaxoSmithKline signed an agreement with Israel’s Nutritional Growth Solutions for GSK to produce and market Horlicks Growth+, developed by Schneider Children’s Medical Center for enhancing height and weight in underdeveloped children.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israels-ng-solutions-signs-child-formula-deal-with-gsk-1001157015

 

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel is amazing

Italian journalist Giulio Meotti writes that Israel today has what most of Western countries don’t have, in terms of economic growth, security, internal dynamism and optimism. He recommends that we should all move to Israel.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/19600

An African-American in the IDF

The inspiring story of 23-year-old Avi Rosenblum – born to African-American Christian parents in the United States. He was adopted by Jewish parents in California and is now a soldier in the IDF.
http://www.israellycool.com/2016/10/21/watch-inspiring-african-american-lone-soldier-avi-rosenblum/

International lawmakers tour Hebron

Twenty members of parliament from countries throughout Europe, Africa and Latin America attended the 5th annual Israel Allies Foundation in Jerusalem. During Succot they toured Eastern Jerusalem and the Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs in Hebron.
http://www.baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=79723
http://www.timesofisrael.com/defying-unesco-and-ramallah-foreign-lawmakers-tour-jewish-hebron/

UK PM hails UK-Israel ties

In her Jewish New Year greeting, British Prime Minister Teresa May praised the relationship between the UK and Israel, in particular – bilateral trade, scientific research, security cooperation and shared values. She also said that she was determined to stamp out boycotts of Israeli goods and events.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/british-pm-hails-uk-israel-ties-in-greeting-for-jewish-new-year/
https://cfoi.co.uk/publications/

First visit by PM of Luxembourg

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Luxembourg Prime Minster Xavier Bettel in Jerusalem – the first visit to Israel of a Prime Minister from the tiny European state. They discussed increasing bilateral trade, which nearly doubled between 2014 and 2015.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=36379

Israel meets Africa at the UN

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held a summit at the United Nations with the leaders of over 15 African countries. Afterwards, Israeli companies presented their technological developments to dozens of African ambassadors, senior UN officials and representatives from the private sector.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Benjamin-Netanyahu/Netanyahu-meets-with-African-leaders-on-sidelines-of-UNGA-talks-Israeli-innovations-468511

Israel’s economic help for Egypt

Recent improved relations between Israel and Egypt has initiated new projects in which Israel will assist Egypt’s fragile economy. These include desalination, irrigation, solar energy and agriculture.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4867417,00.html

Indian troops are “as good as the IDF”

Israel’s Defense Forces are the standard for professionalism and valor. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in praising his country’s Special Forces paratroopers after operations against terrorists, said proudly that the Indian troops were as good as the IDF.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/indian-pm-our-army-as-brave-as-the-idf/2016/10/19/

60 years of helping other nations

In 1957, Israel launched the Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV (the Hebrew acronym for Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation). Since then, 270,000 in 132 countries have received training in agriculture, public health, education, women’s empowerment and more. And an article about MASHAV’s project in Uganda for Youth at Risk. http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech/Tell-us-how-you-made-Israel-470231

http://www.ofri.org.il/Article-451,1314-Alternative-Learning-Imparting-Skills-through-Tailoring-The-MASHAV-Perspective.aspx

Heroes to Heroes

U.S. female war veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are receiving healing in Israel. Heroes to Heroes, a New Jersey-based nonprofit, organizes trips to Israel that provide emotional and spiritual healing for groups of 10 vets. They meet former IDF women who have been through rehabilitation.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/u-s-veterans-ptsd-find-common-bond-healing-israel-n653321

The Pakistan Israel Alliance

Pakistani ‘Muslim Zionist’ Noor Dahri launched the Pakistan Israel Alliance (PIA) at the Glasgow Friends of Israel Conference in Scotland. The PIA seeks to build bridges between Pakistanis and Israelis, and between Muslims and Jews. Also a recent interesting article from Noor.
https://pakistanisraelalliance.org.uk/
http://en.thegreatmiddleeast.com/2016/10/islam-supports-israels-right-of-existence/

Earthquake-proof desks for Taiwan

Israel has donated 117 tables that provide shelter during earthquakes to schools in the Taiwanese city of Tainan that was struck by an earthquake earlier this year. The tables were designed by an Israeli student and his teacher at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-gives-taiwan-tables-that-double-as-earthquake-shelters/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2356554/Earthquake-proof-table-save-lives-millions-school-children.html

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israeli bees are doing OK

While global honeybee populations have declined, Israeli bees are holding steady. Reasons include Israeli research into Colony Collapse Disorder, boosting bee immune systems, developing nectar-rich plants, Israeli Honey Board support for beekeepers, eradicating Varroa mites and planting 100,000 seedlings to give bees a varied diet. http://www.israel21c.org/how-israel-is-saving-the-honeybees/

Sidekix expands to 60 cities

Israeli urban on-foot iPhone navigation app Sidekix was previously available in just 15 cities. Today it can be used in 60 cities in the US, UK, Europe and Israel and is growing at a rate of about five cities per month. An Android version is also planned.
http://www.israel21c.org/waze-for-walkers/

The world’s smartest building

Intel Israel is building what it claims will be the world’s smartest building. The 34,000-square-meter R&D center in Petach Tikva will contain thousands of smart sensors to control security, lighting, climate, recycling, parking, presentations, restaurants and coffee for 2500 employees.
http://nocamels.com/2016/09/intel-israel-smartest-office-building/

Heat-resistant apricots

Israeli scientists at Israel’s Agricultural Research Organization (better known as the Volcani Institute) have identified a genetic mechanism in apricots that controls temperature sensitivity. Starting with apricots, they are now developing varieties of crops that thrive in temperatures where previously they couldn’t even grow.

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/1.746880

Helping build a smart city in Kenya

Tel Aviv municipality has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Kenya to collaborate on the $14.5 billion development of Konza – a new “techno city” in south-eastern Kenya. Kenyans will train at three Tel Aviv Global initiatives.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4864885,00.html

Artificially Intelligent marketing

Israeli marketing analytics developer Datorama provides an end-to-end marketing analytics solution for business users. Its Marketing Integration Engine uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to connect online and offline data. Datorama has just raised $32 million to fund more R&D.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israeli-marketing-analytics-co-datorama-raises-32m-1001151609

Add any A/C appliance onto the Internet

Israel’s Sensibo allows you to control your air-conditioning from any location. Now it has launched Sensibo Inside that allows OEMs and distributors to turn any A/C appliance into a smart IoT (Internet of Things) device.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160913005286/en/Sensibo-Announces-Launch-Sensibo-Partnership-Blue-Star

Less air and water pollution

Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has reported reductions of up to 52% in the emissions of air pollutants by 540 of the biggest enterprises in Israel between 2012-2015. The flow of pollutants into the Mediterranean also dramatically decreased between 2012-2015.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4851360,00.html

 

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

The 2nd most innovative country

Business Insider has rounded up the 15 highest ranked countries in the world for innovation, based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report on the state of the world’s economies. Based on this, tiny Israel is ranked second in the world!
http://www.businessinsider.com/wef-15-most-innovative-nations-in-the-world-2016-10/#t2-israel-57-14
http://uk.businessinsider.com/israel-entrepreneur-visas-2016-9

Cofix opens first Russian coffee shop

Israel’s “everything at 5-shekels” coffee shops are about to take Russia by storm. Moscow’s first Cofix charges just 50 rubles for any menu item. The average price for a cup of coffee in Russia is 200 rubles (245 rubles at Starbucks). Cofix plans to open 1000 Russian shops.
http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Israeli-coffee-chain-Cofix-opens-first-of-1000-Russian-stores-469847

Samsung opens NEXT Tel Aviv office

Samsung Global Innovation Center has opened a “NEXT” branch in Tel Aviv to invest in Israeli early-stage technologies and software developers. The South Korean conglomerate has set up similar offices in South Korea, San Francisco and New York in order to stay ahead of competition.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/samsung-opens-tel-aviv-branch-to-invest-in-local-software-tech

$250 million to invest in Israeli medical tech

Chinese IT corporation Neusoft and Israeli-Chinese private equity fund Infinity Group are jointly to set up a $250 million fund to invest in Israeli medical technologies over the next three years. They will also provide access to Chinese clients and the Chinese equivalent of the US FDA.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/chinese-israeli-fund-to-invest-250m-in-med-tech/

Calling tourists from India and China

Visitors to Israel from India and China rises by 10-13% each year. But Israel’s Tourism Ministry wants more than double the 40,000 Indians and 47,000 Chinese by 2018. Its $1.6 million campaign in India portrays Israel’s uniqueness, culture, lifestyle and haven for vegetarians.
http://www.israel21c.org/israel-looks-to-the-east-with-new-tourism-campaigns/

Funds flow in for Israeli startups

In just a two-week period, the following Israeli startups raised a total of $217 million. WSC Sports ($12m); Datorama ($32m – see above); Cato Networks ($30m); Claroty ($32m); CTERA ($25m); Applause ($35m); Optimove (20m); Totango ($8m); Tipalti ($14m); Zeekit ($9m); Unfortunately, there isn’t sufficient space here for more details of what these startups do.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-digital-testing-co-applause-raises-35m-1001152273

 

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

A model for public gardens

The Social and Environmental Hub at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is unique. Israeli co-founders Lior Gottesman and Adi Bar-Yoseph travel to international conferences to speak about public gardens as agents of social empowerment.
http://www.israel21c.org/public-gardens-across-globe-admire-new-model-in-jerusalem/

World swuggling record

Over 10,000 participants took part in the annual open-water Sea of Galilee Swim. That wasn’t a record – but Shahar Cohen’s backstroke to cover the 3.5-km distance while juggling three balls, was sufficient to break the world “swuggling” (swimming while juggling) record.
http://www.israel21c.org/israeli-juggler-sets-new-record-at-the-sea-of-galilee/

Israeli drama goes to Brooklyn

The co-creator of Friends, Marta Kauffman, is turning hit Israeli TV drama series “Shtisel”, into “Emmis” and setting it in Brooklyn, USA. The US version will be shown on Amazon Prime. It will closely resemble its Israeli parent, but will do more to explain Orthodox ritual to non-Jewish viewers.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-hit-drama-shtisel-heads-to-us/

Brazilian dance comes to Israel

The Opera House, Tel Aviv is hosting the Israeli Premiere of Baila Brazil from Nov 2 – 5. The dance company, founded by three friends from the slums and favelas, is wowing audiences all over the world in a show pulsating with Brazilian soul.
http://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/?CategoryID=810&ArticleID=2373

39th Kinneret bike race

The annual “Round the Kinneret” (Sovev Kinneret) bike race takes place on Nov 5. The complete course is 65km, but shorter courses can be done. http://igoogledisrael.com/events/sovev-kinneret/

 

THE JEWISH STATE

Happy Succot from the IDF

This IDF commander knows what the Jewish festival of Succot means.

9 beautiful Israeli sukkot

They may be “temporary” dwellings, but these sukkot are something special. President Rivlin’s, Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, Inbal Jerusalem, Kibbutz Lotan, Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, Aish HaTorah Jerusalem, Tel Aviv municipality, Samaritan community and Holon municipality.
http://www.israel21c.org/9-of-the-most-beautiful-sukkot-in-israel/

Ex-anti-Semitic leader to make Aliya

Csanad Szegedi, former, vice-president of Hungary’s anti-Semitic Jobbik party, discovered he was Jewish, abandoned Jobbik and visited Israel. He is now making Aliya. http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Former-antisemitic-Hungarian-MP-who-discovered-Jewish-roots-to-make-aliya-468386

Where the Romans breached Jerusalem’s wall

Archeologists have been excavating the site for the new campus of Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. In the remains of the wall surrounding Jerusalem, they found weapons and scores of sling stones that the Romans fired from catapults 2000 years ago.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/excavation-reveals-spot-where-romans-breached-jerusalems-wall-2000-years-ago/2016/10/20/

Thousands of pilgrims visit Israel

The Feast of Tabernacles attracts huge numbers of Christian pilgrims who fulfil the Biblical command that all nations should go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival. This year the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem brought numerous foreign government officials to Israel, along with 5,000 Christian pilgrims.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-march-in-jerusalem-in-support-of-israel/
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/African-nations-open-for-diplomatic-ties-business-with-Israel-470452

A sukkah on a camel

Thanks Sharon for sending this report on the scenes in Jerusalem during Succot (Tabernacles) but especially for the picture of a sukkah (tabernacle / booth) on a camel.
https://rjstreets.com/2016/10/19/21-favorite-sukkot-in-jerusalem/
https://rjstreets.com/2016/10/21/special-sukkah-shabbat-shalom/

Children fall from windows – land in sukka booths

In two separate incidents in the Israeli city of Elad, two children fell from windows in their houses and were saved by the sukkahs (Tabernacles – ritual booths) that their neighbors had built in the apartment below.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/two-children-who-fell-from-windows-saved-by-sukkahs/

 

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