This Week’s Sanity Report from Israel Aug. 2, 2020
Israel’s positive activities reach every part of the globe. In this week’s newsletter, many more lifesaving Israeli treatments and tests for Covid-19 and cancer reach international hospitals. Jews and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinian Arabs reach out to each other and Israeli water generators reach hospitals in Gaza. Israeli drones extend their international reach, including to save endangered wildlife. Israeli technology helps emergency response services reach incidents faster, extends the “digital reach” of remote communities and prevents cyber criminals reaching sensitive data. Despite the pandemic, Israeli companies are expanding their global reach and are attracting massive foreign investment. Finally, news of Israel’s achievements is reaching the TVs and computer screens of vast numbers of viewers across the world.
The photo is a screen-shot of the first ever TV appearance of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
The highlights include:
- Israeli scientists have developed a 2-hour test for cancer biopsies.
- Israelis and Palestinian Arabs are partnering to fight Covid-19.
- UK television features Israeli drone saving endangered chick.
- A new tabletop air purifier keeps rooms Covid-19 free for weeks.
- Israeli satellite tech will provide mobile connectivity to rural Kazakhstan.
- The 40th anniversary of the first appearance of Israeli comic-book superhero Sabra.
- United Hatzalah’s CEO Eli Beer is a present-day superhero.
- VeryGoodNewsIsrael’s editor publicized Israel’s Covid-19 treatments on Cool TV.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Pre-clinical success for Covid-19 ARDS treatment. Israel’s BrainStorm (reported here previously) reported promising results of pre-clinical trials for its Nurown treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) brought about by Covid-19. The NurOwn cells reduced the cytokine storm and lung damage.
Vitamin D impacts Covid-19 infection and severity. (TY UWI) Scientists at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have identified low plasma vitamin D level to be an independent risk factor for COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. They studied 782 Israeli COVID-19 positive patients and 7,807 COVID-19 negative patients.
You’ve got Covid – is that bad news? (TY Janglo) Two recent Jewish immigrants to Israel from France have developed an algorithm named PhysioZoo. Using data from a pulse oximeter (that measures oxygen in blood) the algorithm can determine if a Covid-19 patient is going to develop pneumonia long before symptoms appear.
VeryGoodNewsIsrael on TV. Barry Shaw of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies and The View from Israel interviewed me last week about the projects that Israel is working on to help combat the coronavirus infection. We hope to produce a monthly video featuring positive Israeli news. Please pass it on.
http://www.cooltv.se/video/the-view-from-israel-israels-s-search-for-a-covid-cure (Please ensure the sound is on.)
US approval for AI mammography. Israel’s Zebra Medical Vision (reported here previously) that uses artificial intelligence technology to help read medical scans, has received US FDA clearance for use of its algorithm to read mammograms. It already received European (CE) approval for its “HealthMammo” solution.
Two-hour analysis of a biopsy. (TY Honest Reporting) Technion Professor Daphne Weihs has developed a fast test to analyze cancer cells. Biopsies are placed into a special gel and measured. Two hours later the extent that the cells have embedded denotes whether they are benign, non-metastatic or metastatic (potential or actual).
So how is your health? Another exciting webinar (see previous) from Technion UK featuring Technion Professor Shai Shen-Orr, one of the leading Israeli researchers into the mysteries of the immune system. Also featured is Professor Ester Sager who is developing biosensors to diagnose diseases within minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOli7AezlrU
Sleep and Dream. Professor Peretz Lavie (ex-President of Israel’s Technion Institute) founded the Technion Sleep Medicine Center and authored several books on sleep disorders. Thanks to Technion UK, he is giving a free (donations welcome) webinar on Weds 5th Aug at 6pm UK time – 1pm EST. Register below to view live.
https://technionuk.org/rsvp-sleep-and-dream-insomnia-dreams-and-stress
Sharing stuff that works. An Israeli startup has launched an online platform where people suffering from chronic diseases can share information to learn which treatments work best for their specific condition, based on the experience of their peers. The crowdsourcing site is appropriately called StuffThatWorks.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3841285,00.html https://www.stuffthatworks.health/
https://stuff.health/s/1SaJPrvA (personal survey for specific conditions)
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Haredi women surge into hi-tech. The number of ultra-Orthodox tech employees jumped by 52% in 2014-2018; 71% of them are women. The report was compiled by the Israel Advanced Technology Industries (IATI), together with non-profit KamaTech, that seeks to integrate Haredi Jews into the country’s high-tech industry.
Another Special in Uniform. Daniel Defour was born very premature and at the age of 15 he went blind. At 17 he met the Prime Minister and spoke of his desire to join the IDF. Last week, aged 21, Daniel’s wish came true.
Baseless love in Jerusalem. Rabbi Matanya Yadid, teacher at Bar-Ilan University, and Sheikh Eyad Amer, imam of the central mosque in Kafr Kassem, held a Zoom session this week. The topic was “baseless love” in the context of the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
https://worldisraelnews.com/rabbi-and-sheikh-spread-baseless-love-in-jerusalem/
Battling Covid-19 together. Israelis and Palestinian Arabs are partnering to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. From early in the crisis, Israeli doctors have shared their expertise and given aid. Senior staff at Israel’s Sheba hospital brought equipment to PA hospitals and trained medics.
https://www.jns.org/opinion/israelis-and-palestinians-join-forces-to-battle-the-coronavirus/
Water generators for Gaza. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Watergen and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies have now donated three water generators to Gaza. The latest will produce (from humidity in the air) up to 5,000 liters of drinking water a day for the Nasser Medical Center in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest hospital.
The digital quality of life. Israel ranked 8th in a “quality of digital life” study conducted by VPN provider Surfshark. According to the index, Israel has the most affordable Internet in the world. The study measured the Internet in 85 countries as to its affordability, quality, infrastructure, government, and security.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842555,00.html
Testing mass-testing technology in India. Delegations from Israeli businesses and the Government are in India testing four new Israeli technologies for rapid diagnosis of coronavirus. These include from Vocalis (see here), and Tera Group (see here). The names of the other companies are being verified. (see here)
https://www.jns.org/high-level-israeli-delegation-in-india-for-mass-testing-of-covid-19-technology/
Israeli drone saves endangered vulture. (TY Clifford & Joan) UK Television station ITV featured this amazing positive story of the Israeli army using a UAV (drone) to feed a griffon vulture chick. The baby chick’s mother died when she flew into overhead cables and the father could not rear the chick alone.
https://www.itv.com/news/2020-07-28/conservationists-protect-griffon-vulture-chick-with-hi-tech-mama-drone-to-help-it-thrive-in-the-wild https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1RZKeO01s8
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Covid-19 Shield updated. Israel’s Health Ministry has launched version 2 of the Israeli app HaMagen (the Shield). The Covid-19 tracking app can now identify when a smartphone user approaches a Covid-19 infected individual provided both have Bluetooth enabled. Several errors that caused false positives were also fixed.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-ministry-launches-revamped-covid-19-tracking-app/
Purifying the air. (TY Barry Shaw) Israel’s ProtectAir uses tiny amounts of Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) to safely deactivate Covid-19. The device contains granules that activate on opening and protects a room for weeks. Meanwhile trials at Sheba hospital show Israel’s Aura Smart Air can eliminate 99.9% of the virus from the air.
https://protectair.co.il/en/home-english/ https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842434,00.html
https://www.israel21c.org/four-israeli-inventions-that-can-help-clean-the-air-of-covid-19/
UAV flies non-stop for 2 days. (TY UWI) Israel Aerospace Industries has built and tested a new drone for the German Air Force. The Heron TP UAV can remain in the air for 2 days. Previous models of the Heron have been sold to Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Greece, India, Singapore, South Korea and even Turkey and Morocco.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZIaXsAAlCw
Ultra-fast charging for drones. Israel’s StoreDot (reported here previously) has announced that its ultra-fast battery charging technology can now be used to charge commercial drones in just five minutes. Current charge times are typically 90 minutes for a 30-minute flight time.
Monitoring construction sites. The technology of Israel’s Buildots allows construction companies to keep a close eye on the processes at a construction site. It includes artificial intelligence and 360-degree cameras worn by site supervisors. Buildots’ clients include some of the biggest construction companies in Europe and Israel.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842566,00.html https://buildots.com/
Ethanol from melon waste. (TY Hazel) Similar to the Tel Aviv University article last week (see here), researchers at Haifa University have turned agricultural waste into alcohol. It can save 56,000 tons of pulp waste and 8,200 tons of CO2 emissions from the Malali watermelon, which is grown primarily for its seeds.
https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/ry624mvgD
Testing a faster emergency response. Israel’s Autotalks (reported here previously) is partnering US Applied Information in Alpharetta, Georgia to test the Autotalks V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) system. The system sends a signal from the emergency responder’s vehicle to the traffic-lights so the signals automatically change.
https://www.israel21c.org/autotalks-deploys-smart-traffic-signals-in-us-city/
Stopping targeted ads. It can be very annoying – a friend asks you to search online for something and within a few hours you receive dozens of unsolicited advertisements for items that you have no desire whatsoever. Now Israel’s CodeFuel has a launched a private search engine that keeps away Facebook, Amazon, Google etc.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3841930,00.html https://www.codefuel.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GcNQFYlkFQ
Hunting for cyber threats. Israel’s Liat Hayun has formed a team of Israeli cybersecurity experts to build the first ever “Managed Threat Hunting” service for US giant Palo Alto Networks. Aiming to counter cybercrime, it was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and is vital to many of Palo Alto’s customers.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3841000,00.html
The Path of Least Resistance. Israeli cybersecurity startup CyCognito eliminates a company’s most critical areas of exposure and shuts doors that would otherwise lead to stolen data or compromised systems. CyCognito leverages the concept of POLaR, the Path of Least Resistance – the easiest entry points which attackers target.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3841283,00.html
A search engine for data. Israeli-founded Explorium has built an end-to-end data automation service that uses machine learning to searches and extracts data from thousands of external sources relevant to a client. It then connects this to the customer’s internal database to build a predictive model that answers a specific query.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842276,00.html https://www.explorium.ai/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjt6tRe4eKQ
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Take the ferry to work in Tel Aviv. Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev has approved establishing a commuter ferry line that would reduce highway traffic in the center of the country. It would link Tel Aviv with Netanya and Hadera to its north, and Ashdod to its south. Netanya to Tel Aviv (e.g.) would take 20 minutes.
https://www.jns.org/report-israeli-transportation-minister-green-lights-ferry-to-tel-aviv/
https://israelbetweenthelines.com/2020/07/30/tel-aviv-gets-a-ferry/
Cellular connectivity for rural Kazakhstan. Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks has won a cellular backhaul project for Kcell, Kazakhstan’s largest Mobile Network Operator. Gilat will provide connectivity starting with hundreds of rural villages as part of the “Digital Kazakhstan” government program.
Reaching out further. Israel’s Fiverr International (reported here previously) is continuing its international expansion by launching its freelance network in two new languages – Dutch and Italian. The move follows the opening of similar sites in Germany, France and Spain, now serving 5.5 million businesses in 160 countries.
Extending the reach of your videos. Israel’s Minute.ly offers to increase revenue and user engagement by using its AI technology to “amplify the impact of your video content”. Minute.ly is partnering Infront – part of Wanda Sports – to identify peak moments in sporting videos and increase audiences in Europe and the U.S.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842019,00.html https://minute.ly/
Facebook & Intel expand Tel Aviv offices. Social media giant Facebook says its Israeli R&D center is a significant growth engine and is taking over two more floors in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Sarona Tower (It already leases 10 floors). Meanwhile, Intel Israel is to rent four more floors in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Triangular Tower.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842201,00.html
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842545,00.html
An app offering short-term jobs. Israel’s Nano Business has developed an application connecting employees seeking a daily income with employers in need of temporary workers. Those laid off by the Covid-19 crisis can use Nano to convert from waiters and event laborers into removers, plumbers and building workers.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3842490,00.html
Investment in Israeli startups: Nanox raised $110 million; Sight Diagnostics raised $71 million; Chorus.ai raised $45 million; Explorium raised $31 million; CyCognito raised $30 million; ClimaCell raised $23 million; Ermetic raised $17 million; Buildots raised $12.5 million; Cybellum raised $12 million; SavorEat raised $3 million; Aura Smart Air raised $3 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
US supporters’ donation to reopen Israel museum. The American Friends of the Israel Museum has donated $4 million to help Jerusalem’s culture and art museum to reopen. The museum has been closed since the start of the coronavirus crisis and without visitor income could only pay essential maintenance and conservation staff.
Friends of the IDF events. Here are links to two events of the Friends of the IDF (FIDF). Today’s (Aug 2 at 2pm & 6pm EDT) celebrates 18 years of FIDF’s Impact scholarship fund. It features Israel’s President, Israeli singer Idan Amedi and actors from Fauda. Then on Sep 13 at 7pm EDT is the FIDF 2020 National Virtual Gala.
https://www.fidf.org/events/impact-impact-registration https://www.fidf.org/events/2020-national-gala
1000 videos and 6 billion hits. (TY Janglo) Israeli-Arab Nas Yassin (reported here previously) is the founder of Nas Daily – a Facebook page with 25 million followers in which he documents his travels and experiences around the world. Nas has produced 1000 videos in 1000 days, receiving some 6 billion hits.
https://jewishjournal.com/podcasts/319164/nas-daily-i-made-1000-videos-in-1000-days-and-received-6-billion-views/ https://www.facebook.com/nasdaily/
40 years of Marvel’s first Israeli superheroine. (TY WIN) Marvel comics celebrates 40 years of Israeli superheroine, Sabra (alias Ruth Bat-Seraph). The Israeli policewoman with special powers first appeared in “Incredible Hulk” on 4th Aug 1980. She flies and fires metal quills, resembling the Israeli “sabra” (cactus).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMeAjfg9TiE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_(comics)
https://www.cbr.com/sabra-whatever-happened-to-israels-strongest-superhero/
Thanks for the fish. (TY Janglo) A pod of 15 bottlenose dolphins has been observed swimming in Israel’s Evtach sea preserve, which extends up to 13 miles off the Ashkelon coastline.
https://www.jewishpress.com/news/environment/a-pod-of-15-dolphins-spotted-off-ashkelons-coastline/2020/07/26/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g786JRF7_a4
Israeli gymnast wins silver medal – virtually. Israel’s top Olympic hopeful Linoy Ashram won second place in the International Online Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition organized by Russia’s Gymnastics Association. The first online competition of its kind, it was limited to teams from Israel, Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-rhythmic-gymnast-wins-silver-in-online-event/
Israeli cycling has come a long way. The Wheels of Love event (reported here previously) began with only nine riders. It now attracts over 400 riders, raising millions of dollars annually for Jerusalem’s Alyn hospital. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem now have hundreds of kilometers of bike paths. Read also how Israel has changed.
https://www.israel21c.org/cycling-is-having-a-moment-in-israel/
THE JEWISH STATE
Scholarships for Ethiopian Israelis. The Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, based in Montreal, Canada, has launched a scholarship program to support Israeli graduate students of Ethiopian descent, in partnership with Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Gap year programs to restart. Israel is approving entry visas for foreign students planning to study in gap-year programs, including at yeshivahs and seminaries. In a typical year, more than 12,000 yeshivah and seminary students arrive in Israel from aboard to study individually or to take part in organized programs.
More Brazilians make Aliya. (TY JNS) Since March, 140 Brazilian Jews have immigrated to Israel. Another 2,400 recently attended an online Aliya fair, organized by the Jewish Agency for Israel. In June, the Jewish Agency opened files for 632 Jews in Latin America – twice the number of June 2019.
Antithesis to Wiley. Thanks to Hazel and our friend, Israel’s Samuel Green (a.k.a. Antithesis) for this excellent blog and rap in response to Wiley, the “Godfather of Grime”, who went on a wild antisemitic rant on Twitter. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/im-grateful-to-wiley-for-exposing-how-bad-this-is/
https://www.israellycool.com/2020/07/27/listen-rap-riposte-to-wiley/
From coma to donor. Eli Beer, CEO of Israeli NGO United Hatzalah has just donated blood plasma to help Covid-19 patients recover. Eli almost died after contracting Covid-19. The doctors at Hadassah Medical Center said that his blood was particularly high in antibodies. Eli is also running to raise funds on Aug 16 (see video).
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/284243
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n4zzgd1ACk
