Intubation. Photo: HU. highlights include: Two new Israeli devices help unconscious patients to breathe and to be fed intravenously. Big increase in numbers of Palestinian Arabs employed by Israelis in Judea and Samaria. BBC admits that Israelis are saving Syrian lives. Israeli scientists have discovered how to turn inedible plants into food crops. Israel has built an accurate forecasting system to help put out forest fires. Israel’s natural gas begins to boost the economy. Two new archaeological links to the Biblical Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Patients can breathe easier. Students in the bio-design program of the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Hebrew University have designed a robotic intubation device that guides itself to the lungs. The “GuideIN Tube” prevents accidental insertion of the air tube into the food pipe, which can be fatal.
And in the same vein…. A similar idea – the Sagiv (designed by Hadassah / Hebrew U researchers) helps medical staff insert an IV tube (catheter) into the vein, first time and without pain to the patient. It resolves one of the biggest issues for nurses and paramedics – especially in young children whose veins are very thin.
New Israeli tendon helps athletes spring back into action. (Thanks to Israel21c) Torn knee ligaments no longer need end sports careers. Israeli start-up Tavor has developed an implant called Knee-T-Nol made from a titanium alloy. After surgery, you can walk in 12 hours and total recovery is under three months.
Re-growing cartilage. CartiHeal – Israel’s developer of cartilage regeneration technology – was awarded the distinguished “2012 Incubator Company Excellence Award” from Israel’s Chief Scientist. CartiHeal is running a clinical study in leading European medical centers with very promising results.
Generic alternative for brain tumor treatment. Israel’s Teva has partnered with the US/Israeli firm Perrigo to launch “a high quality, less expensive alternative” to Temodar (temozolomide) for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (brain tumor). Teva also had good news about its chemotherapy and prostate cancer treatments.
A glue to stop bleeding. Surgeons will be pleased to be able to seal up vascular operations using Seal-V from Israel’s Sealantis. A spin-off from Israel’s Technion, Seal-V is safer than protein based or synthetic based alternatives. It is highly effective, fast bonding, easy to use and has just received European medical approval.
Rambam hospital is music to African-American ears. Haifa’s Rambam Hospital will be holding an end August gala event to raise funds for research into the prevalent genetic kidney disease that afflicts African-Americans. Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole (herself a kidney disease survivor), and many others will perform.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
‘Bedouin or Jewish, I am proud to serve my country’. Master Sgt. Marzuk Suaed, 37, a Bedouin father of three, comes from a large family in which everyone enlisted into the IDF, many of them serving in combat units. Saued goes from door to door telling Bedouin youngsters the importance of enlisting.
20,000 happy Palestinian Arab workers. BDS crazies should note that the number of Palestinian Arabs working for Israelis in Judea and Samaria increased by 4,000 in the second quarter of 2013. These 20,000 Arabs receive double the average PA government wage.
Even the BBC reports Israel’s help for Syrians. News of Israel’s treatment of wounded Syrians has reached the Beeboids. Although they can’t seem to understand why Israel doesn’t want to talk to them about it.
Israeli volunteers help Nepalese extend life expectancy. Israeli humanitarian organization Tevel b’Tzedek has been working in impoverished Nepalese villages for four years. It has installed chimneys and biogas systems to reduce the number of deaths from smoke pollution.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Producing edible crops from poisonous plants. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute have discovered the biochemical process responsible for producing glycoalkaloids – the poisonous chemicals in many wild plants. The discovery will help make new food crops and provide edible crops with protection from disease and pests.
Innovative by nature. Relative to its population, Israel has more engineers than any other country in the world. Here, high-tech entrepreneurs offer their theories on why Israel is a hotbed for startup companies.
Beersheva inaugurates “Silicon Wadi”. The Gav Yam Industrial Park Negev will consist of 23 buildings on a 50-acre site adjacent to Ben Gurion University and the planned IDF C4I Corps campus. Beersheva Mayor Rubik Danilovich hopes the hi-tech park will turn the city into a technological powerhouse.
Chinese top managers seek Israeli innovation. On a five-day visit to Israel, 62 of China’s senior managers participated in a Technion workshop titled “Visit to Israel – An In-Depth Journey to the Factory World Innovation.” They also saw leading Israeli companies Iscar, Amiad Water Systems, Biosense Webster, Stratasys, NaanDanJain Irrigation and Gilat Satellite Networks.
Israel retains World Computer Chess Championship. Deep Junior, a program written by Israelis Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky, and running on a Dual 12 core Intel Xenon I5 2.7 GHz computer, won the World Computer Chess Championship in Yokohama, Japan. Junior has now won six of the last eleven tournaments.
Unique research on the Coral Reef. Technion Professor Uri Shavit and his team are conducting research that will contribute to helping secure the world’s coral reefs. Using a Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV) laboratory, they measure flows in Eilat – one of the few places in the world where this research can be carried out.
Putting out the fires. (Thanks to Israel21c) Following the Carmel forest fires last year, Israel’s Ministry of Public Security used theoretical models and live feeds to develop the Matash Fire Forecasting System – the first operational system of its kind in the world. It has already helped to control and extinguish forest fires in Israel.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Another gas discovery. A new natural gas deposit has been found close to Israel’s 282 billion cubic meter Tamar gas reservoir. Tamar South West is expected to contain 19 billion cubic meters of gas.
Natural gas powers economic growth. Israel’s Composite State of the Economy Index for July 2013 increased by 0.2%, and was significantly impacted by the start of natural gas production. Previously published figures for March, April, May and June were also revised upwards following the recent release of Q2 data. Q2 GDP rose 5.1% – far above expectations.
Moody’s affirms Israel’s A1 rating, maintains stable outlook.
70,000 passengers in one day. Ben Gurion airport saw its busiest ever day last Friday’s with a record 70,000 passengers. The figure is expected to be exceeded this Thursday and this August the airport is certain to record the highest monthly passenger traffic numbers in its history.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Tel Faher – now Israeli farmers can have peace. Here is a lovely short video from Shmuel, of Villa Rimona, featuring just one of the many thousands of Israel’s lesser-known historical sites.
Israeli paralympic gold. Israel’s Itzhak Mamistvalov won the 100-meter freestyle S1 race at the 2013 IPC World Paralympic Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada. Itzhak has cerebral palsy and swims using only his right hand. Israel’s Inbal Pezaro won a silver medal in the women’s 200-metre freestyle.
THE JEWISH STATE
2700 year-old Hebrew inscription found in Jerusalem. Another Jewish biblical link to Israel’s capital city has been discovered in the City of David excavations. The pottery fragment from the first Temple period has an ancient Hebrew inscription possibly containing the name of the Biblical figure Zechariah son of Benaiah.
And a 2700 year-old wall in Ashdod. At the same time, Assyrian king Sargon II was destroying the Philistine army in the Ashdod area and an 8th Century wall has been unearthed by the harbor. The prophet Isaiah (ch.20) warned Judah’s king Hezekiah to stay out of the fight – advice, which Hezekiah heeded. (Is history repeating?)
The 50th Nefesh b’Nefesh flight. A total of 331 new immigrants (Olim) from North America landed at Ben Gurion Airport on August 13, 2013. This flight marked the 50th Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight since the group began mass Aliyah flights to Israel in August 2002.
Huge surge in French Aliya. French Jews are immigrating to Israel in record numbers. A 10% increase in Aliya since the beginning of 2013 is expected to swell to 2500 new immigrants by the end of the year – almost double the rate for previous years.
Matriculation rates improve. The percentage of Israelis passing their school matriculation exams increased by 1.7% in the 2011-12 school year compared to the previous year. In the past five years, the rate has improved by 3.5% to an overall rate of 49.8%. Success for those actively studying improved last year by 2.6% to 62.4%.
1993 Maccabiah USA team swimmer returns as its Rabbi. Daniel Greyber won a Gold medal at the 1993 Maccabiah. It was his first trip to Israel, his first visit to the Western Wall and the first time he put on tefillin. Two decades later, he returned to Israel for the games – this time as the rabbi escorting the US’s delegation.
Dip the apple in the honey – Technion style. A hi-tech crossbow fires a piece of apple at a balloon filled with honey, high above Israel Technion’s campus. The apple, thus coated with honey, is then caught by Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie. What is their New Year message? That the Technion aims higher!
Centenarian promoted. Yitzhak Pundak fought in Israel’s War of Independence. He commanded the Nahal Brigade and the Armored Corps after the War. In 1971 Moshe Dayan appointed him Governor of Gaza, but a 1954 promise of promotion to Major General was not fulfilled. Now at 100-years-old, Yitzhak gets his rank.
