The highlights include: An Israeli biotech has developed five antibodies to fight cancer. Four amazing Israeli treatments for diabetes, including a pill for “type 1” sufferers. A brilliant music video ridicules the comparison of Israel to Apartheid South Africa. Intel-Israel is at the core of the new “two-in-one” tablet-laptop computers. Israel’s TowerJazz is to manufacture Panasonic products for the Japanese market. Israel’s Or Aviram is the new men’s world ten-pin bowling champion.
Thanks to our friend Michael Ordman and Good News from Israel
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Five antibodies to treat cancer. Israel’s Compugen has discovered five candidate antibodies that have the potential to treat cancer. The antibodies target proteins on the surface of cancer cells in order to deliver highly toxic chemicals to kill them. Initial results are expected late 2014 although the concept has been proved.
Lymphoma treatment gets exclusive status. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) The US FDA has granted orphan designation for Teva’s TREANDA treatment for indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL). TREANDA is already used for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Israeli shoes help keep your balance. Israel’s B-Shoe has developed a “smart shoe” that stops wearers from falling if they lose their balance. A microprocessor and patented algorithms detect a stumble triggering the motion device to roll the shoe slightly and gently backwards until the person regains balance.
Israeli diabetes management system is now available. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) In March I included the NoCamels article about the Dario glucose iPhone monitor from Israel’s LabStyle. In Sept the Dario received the European CE Mark and last week the world launch commenced in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Forget about your diabetes. A new video showing how much easier life has become for patients with type-1 diabetes who are using the MD-Logic Artificial Pancreas. An international program based at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah, Israel.
Stem cells to cure diabetes and brain diseases. Israel’s Kadimastem is turning stem cells into beta cells that can produce insulin in the pancreas or nerve cells in the brain. Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist has just given Kadimastem an NIS 8.5 million grant to continue its research into both technologies.
A pill for Type 1 diabetes. Israeli biotech Ormed is developing oral medicines to treat conditions that normally require injections. Its flagship product, the ORMD-0801 insulin capsule for Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes has just successfully completed clinical trials. Ormed’s share price rose 115 percent on the news.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Minorities speak out for Israel. Muslims, Druse, Beduins, and Christian Arabs staunchly came out in support of the country as a Jewish and democratic state at a Zionist Conference for Human Rights in Tel Aviv
Free trees for Jerusalem Christians. As per every year, the Jerusalem municipality, with the support of the Jewish National Fund, distributed fir trees free of charge to Christian residents of the city.
“Israel Apartheid” The latest rap video from Ari Lesser. It’s even better than his “Boycott Israel” video.
A picture that the international media won’t publish. A Palestinian Authority ambulance carrying a very sick woman was stuck in the snow. Luckily, soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were there to help. In the chaos of the snowstorm, the IDF never lost track of it values.
Syrians treated in Israel: Ziv Medical Center in Safed treated its 200th wounded Syrian. The 21-year-old patient was in serious condition with gunshot wounds to his hip and stomach.
The fur flies. A record 37,400 pets traveled through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport so far in 2013. 49% were dogs, 45% were cats and 6% were fish, birds and rodents. Reasons included their owners’ relocation for studies, diplomatic missions and immigration. The airline of choice for Israeli pet owners was El Al.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Developing next generation communications. Israel’s Technion and Sydney University have launched a project to use cutting-edge nano-photonics to increase the bandwidth of computer communications. The project has the backing of the New South Wales Government and the Australian Research Council.
Detecting problems in the pipeline. Israel’s AcousticEye impressed investors at Tel Aviv’s WATEC water technology conference with its unique system to detect defects, blockages, cracks and holes in industrial pipes.
Dutch and Israelis develop “Wetskills”. Israel’s Technion ran a 5-day competition for Dutch and Israeli graduate students as part of the Dutch Prime Minister’s visit to Israel. The students had to solve water issues, with the winning team developing a plan to encourage Arab farmers to irrigate using recycled wastewater.
A tablet or a laptop? Intel-Israel is a major contributor to Intel’s Baytrail processor, which powers the new range of “two-in-one” computers from Dell, ASUS, Toshiba, Acer, HP, Sharp and Lenovo (so far). All the devices have detachable keyboards and run either Windows 8.1 (as laptops) or Android (when a tablet).
The dream team. Israel’s Zula has developed a new way to manage team communications using mobile devices. Zula brings the best of video conferencing, file sharing, facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and email to revolutionize teamwork. Zula has just received a seed investment from Microsoft Ventures.
The folding car. (Thanks to Israel21c) The City Transformer is an Israeli concept car designed for the urban environment. To cater for limited parking places, the car’s width can be reduced from 1.6 meters to a mere one meter. Weighing only 400 kg, it will run on a rechargeable battery.
“The Blob” wins workspace design award. (Thanks to NoCamels) Israeli students Alina Boukovsky and Yirat Lorenz, from Rishon LeZion’s College of Management Academic Studies, won first prize in the 2013 WING Global Student Design Competition. “The Blob” is the title of their innovative computer workstation.
Even better translation. Businesses can now speak even more clearly to foreign customers. Israel’s Lexifone has launched version 2 of its phone conversation translation system. It translates in real time French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and of course English.
Awards for Everything. Israel’s Everything.me won a 2013 Meffy award in San Francisco in recognition of its contextual phone technology that provides Android users with an effortless mobile experience. Everything.me also won the Bronze Lovie in the ‘Lifestyle’ category.
Israel purifies more UK water. In May I reported that Israel’s Mapal Green Energy had won a contract with Britain’s Anglian Water Company. It has now closed a deal with the UK’s largest water company Thames Water, for Mapal’s bubble aeration technology water purification system to treat sewage and polluted water.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Starting a business in Tel Aviv? Free consulting, marketing, legal advice and subsidized loans are available for immigrants to Israel who arrived less than 10 years ago or Israelis who returned less than two years ago.
Making the world more beautiful. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Syneron has formed a joint venture with Unilever to market Syneron’s home-use aesthetic devices globally. The company also won the title “Equipment Supplier of the Year” for the second year running, at the UK’s Aesthetic Awards 2013
Towering deal with Panasonic. Israel’s Tower Semiconductor Ltd is to set up a joint venture with Panasonic Corporation to manufacture Panasonic’s products. The joint venture is expected to be worth a massive $400 million in sales to Tower annually. No wonder Tower’s share price rose 40% on the news.
Israelis power Broadcom in 4G race. Mobile communications giant Broadcom has 1000 Israeli employees thanks to five of its last eleven acquisitions. “When we need a new technology, we usually look at Israel first, because there is so much telecom innovation going on there,” said CTO and co-founder Dr Henry Samueli.
Putting on the Ritz. Ritz-Carlton cut the ribbon of its first hotel in Israel at the Herzliya Marina, featuring the brand’s first kosher restaurant.
US-Israel Energy bill. The US Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved a bipartisan bill that aims to bolster joint energy projects between Israel and the US.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Kol Cambridge’s tribute to Arik Einstein. Thursday’s Kol Cambridge program from DJ Antithesis on Tel Aviv’s Radio TLV1 was a special tribute to Arik Einstein on the 30th day following his death.
Cheer up with Israeli beer. Thanks to Yehudit, I’ve just discovered Doug Greener’s excellent new blog on Israeli boutique beers. Looking forward to trying some of those out during the Purim festival in March.
Stunning Jerusalem snow sculptures. Thanks to Elder of Ziyon.
Or bowls them over. (Thanks to Israel21c) Bowling history was made at the 49th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia as Israel’s Or Aviram defeated the first two seeds to take home the trophy. Or scored two perfect 300-point games on the way to his victory.
THE JEWISH STATE
$22 million donation. Helmsley Trust has given $22 million to Magen David Adom, Barzilai Hospital, Haifa University and Friends of the IDF. Trustee Sandor Frankel stated, “They will strengthen Israel’s scientific, technological and medical research, which will benefit not only Israel, but the rest of the world as well.”
Welcome to 1000 French students. Amid an unprecedented rise in French immigration to Israel, 1,000 French high school seniors arrived in Israel for a weeklong tour of the country, organized by the Jewish Agency.
Why I want to live in Israel. Libbie Snyder writes about the 30 or so reasons why she loves living in the Jewish State. Whatever the reason, she says, “Now is the time to be here”.
Returning to Zion. The Bnei Menashe trace their history to the exile of the tribe of Menashe from Israel by the Assyrians in 723 BCE. On Dec 25th 2013, 40 Bnei Menashe from India flew from New Delhi to Israel thanks to the group Israel Returns, whose goal is “bringing home lost tribes and ‘hidden’ Jewish communities.”
