This Week’s Sanity Report from Israel Dec. 8, 2024
Many of Israel’s positive achievements are truly “towering”. Its Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems have intercepted more hostile aerial attacks than all other global defense systems combined over the last 50 years. Read about Israel’s “Woman of the Year” whose mother was pregnant with her, only 80km from the Chernobyl reactor tower when it exploded. Wheelchair users can now visit the Tower of David in Jerusalem via accessible ramps and elevators. I hope the Muslim leaders who recently visited Israel’s multi-ethnic capital city saw this.
Other recent towering achievements include the five Israeli startups selected for Fast Company’s 2024 list of The Next Big Things in Tech. 40 construction industry leaders are using Israeli technology to build towering skyscrapers. Two Israeli TV series have won top awards and can now be seen on global television screens. An Israeli has been voted Toy Innovator of the year for his Star Wars light saber. And eight Israelis have just won the titles of World Champions in their sports.
The photo (TY Sharon) is of the now fully accessible Tower of David in Jerusalem.
the highlights include:
- Israel’s defense systems have intercepted the most aerial attacks in global history.
- An Israeli spinal implant cures back pain by restoring disc function.
- Wheelchair users now have full access to Jerusalen’s Tower of David.
- An Israeli scientist eradicates pests using their natural enemies.
- Australian & New Zealand farmers use Israeli tech to irrigate crops.
- Israeli Star Wars toy designer wins top innovator award.
- Eight more Israeli sports World champions.
- The Hasmoneans return to defend Israel on the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Billionaire Survivor gives message of hope. (TY WIN) 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Sir Frank Lowy gave a powerful and emotional Thanksgiving Day speech to ex-hostages and their friends. The Israeli-Australian multibillionaire drew from his life experiences to give them strength and resilience. (see here previously). https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
The most interceptions in 50 years. According to the CEO of Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, “David’s Sling and Iron Dome systems have intercepted more targets than all the other air defense systems worldwide combined over the past 50 years”. He also reassured everyone, there is no shortage of interceptors.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
From MSG to Sheba Hospital. (TY WIN) Ishay Ribo performed to thousands at Madison Square Gardens (see here previously). But he is just as at home playing to the wounded and their families in hospitals, or traveling to numerous military bases, and even funerals to use his talent for good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Therapeutic farm for treating trauma. Before Oct 7 2023, Sivan Shefer founded “Dialog with Animals”, just 4 miles from Gaza, training dogs and their handlers to treat people with disabilities. She now runs “Dialog for Life” – one of 15 initiatives of the Restart NGO, designed to help wounded IDF soldiers restart their lives.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://restartglobal.org/en/
Respite in San Diego. (TY Nevet / ADL) The San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) has just welcomed 95 students from the Israeli region of Sha’ar Hanegev, which suffered severely from the Oct 7 2023 Hamas onslaught. The Israelis receive respite and the San Diego students build connections to Israel.
https://www.
Christians support olive harvest. NGOs Genesis 1-2-3 Foundation and NewPersia.org have brought a group of American Christians to Israel as part of the “Root and Branch” initiative, which brings Christians and Jews together to rebuild livelihoods in Israel. They are currently involved in harvesting olives from century-old trees.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Transforming antibodies in Washington DC. Israel’s Biolojic Design (see here previously) is joining the Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) to develop therapeutic antibodies at its Washington, D.C. site. JLABS is one of the largest global networks of incubators pioneering groundbreaking healthcare solutions.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/
Repairing damaged genes. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have studied how RNA creates genes that make proteins. One process utilizes an enzyme called ADAR, which sometimes creates a genetic mutation that leads to cancer or brain disease. The discovery could result in a gene repair process and disease eradication.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/
https://www.jpost.com/science/
Preventing medical overload. Israel’s Droxi (see here previously) has developed a software platform to help doctors manage administrative burdens. The idea for Droxi came after a medical error that harmed co-founder CEO Gadi Shenhar’s grandmother. Both co-founders are graduates of the elite IDF 8200 unit and the Technion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Implant restores spine disc’s function. Video animation on how the spine implant from Israel’s Discure Technologies (see here previously) restores the natural pumping function of a damaged disc to cure back pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Using GenAI to discover new therapies. Israel’s Converge Bio (see here previously) builds large language models (LLMs) that accelerate the research process and remove much of the guesswork for biotech companies. It’s like ChatGPT for therapy development. It saves the trial and error, cost, and time to develop new therapies.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Can AI chatbots answer medical questions? (TY TPS) For easy general queries, chatbots can usually answer most medical queries. But for doctors wishing to diagnose and treat life-threatening conditions, they are not effective. Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have devised a questionnaire for comparing AI software.
https://www.jewishpress.com/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
Grant for research into cancer outcomes. Two doctors from Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Organization have been awarded a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon and Dr. Michal Braun will study the varying cancer treatment outcomes with the diverse populations in Israel.
https://www.hadassah.org/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Predicting the unpredictable. The amazing story of Dr Kira Radinsky, CEO of Diagnostic Robotics (see here previously) was reported here in 2022. You can hear Israel’s “Woman of the Year” give more details here. She reveals that her mother was pregnant with her in Kiev when the Chernobyl reactor exploded only 80km away!
https://pod.link/1765745756/
The Tower of David is accessible. Sharon (Real Jerusalem Streets) Altshul, highlights the now accessible Tower of David in Jerusalem and its museum director Eilat Lieber who previews the Global Conference on Accessibility in Historic Sites and Cities (5th – 7th Dec) in Jerusalem’s Old City and online. (see also here)
https://www.jns.org/
https://www.tod.org.il/en/
The first haredi IAF tech crew. (TY Hazel) 26 haredi Israeli soldiers have graduated as first-level technicians on F-16 fighter jets. They will serve at the operational center for combat aircraft in the Air Force and will ensure that aircraft and weapon systems are ready for operational activity.
https://www.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Children of foreign workers request to enlist. Dozens of children of foreign workers, who grew up in Israel, are petitioning Israeli ministers and pursuing legal avenues, to be allowed to serve in Israel’s Defense Forces. Many have already volunteered as agricultural laborers and now want to give back to the country via the IDF.
https://www.jns.org/children-
Breaking stereotypes in Jerusalem. The apolitical NGO Sharaka (see here previously) is leading a delegation of Muslim leaders, journalists, academics, and others, originally from South Asia, on a trip to the Jewish State. Although most now live in North America, they were generally unaware of Israel’s multi-ethnic population.
https://www.jns.org/breaking-
Mom’s the word. A delegation of 100 Jewish mothers from eight U.S. cities took part in the Momentum Journey of Growth – a yearlong program, connecting them with their Jewish identity and heritage. It culminated with an 8-day visit to Israel organized by the Momentum organization (see here previously).
https://www.jns.org/wire/100-
Wanna bees in Tel Aviv. When 23,000 bees chose to make a home on a Tel Aviv balcony, the owners called Magen Dvorim Adom (see here previously) who relocated the entire hive to one of the dozens of bee nesting boxes that the municipality has set up to preserve its pollinators. A kind of “Bee N Bee” (tee hee!)
https://www.israel21c.org/
Conserving the environment. (TY Hazel) Israel has 5 new or extended nature and heritage preservation areas. Evrach Marine Reserve (Ashdod to Ashkelon) is extended from 300 meters to 7km. Ramon Crater reserve now includes the whole crater. Sharon Park and Forest Pond in Hadera. Plus Caesarea’s offshore Park (see here).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Rather him than me. See this brave Iranian unfurl an Israeli flag in front of the Azadi Tower in Tehran. Ironically, the tower is still standing, although originally commissioned by the Shah of Iran, who was deposed by the regime of the current Islamic Republic.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Next big things in Tech. The 2024 list of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech (see last year) contained five Israeli companies. Epic Cleantec (for OneWater), Houzz (for Houzz Pro), Pangea Biomed (Enlight DeepPT), Verbit (Captivate), and WSC Sports (AI sports clips).
https://www.israel21c.org/
He saved the Sabra and Eucalyptus. Israel’s Prof Zvi Mendel and KKL-JNF saved the sabra (prickly pear) cactus from being globally destroyed by cochineal scale insects. He found and distributed the natural predator to the scale insects – Mexico’s ladybeetle. Previously he saved infected eucalyptus trees using a parasitic wasp.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
Reinventing the bus stop. 30 students from Israel’s Technion Institute have designed and built a pilot for a new protected bus shelter. It shields passengers from shrapnel and blasts, includes phone charging, WiFi, bike parking, water fountain, a community info display, and a system to alert bus drivers to waiting passengers.
https://ats.org/our-impact/
A gamechanger to quality construction. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s Siteaware (see here previously) revolutionizes quality management of construction. It is now used by over 40 construction industry leaders, including 17 of the top 100 general contractors in the US and 10 of the top real estate developers. See the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Pushing AI to its limit. Amnon Shashua (of Mobileye, OrCam, AI21 Labs & One Zero Bank) has co-founded AAI, to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges. It involves Artificial Expert Intelligence (AEI) to replicate human cognitive abilities combining complex reasoning for adaptable and precise real-time problem-solving.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Jaffa wave energy plant inaugurated. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Eco Wave Power (EWP) inaugurates Israel’s first wave energy power plant on 5 Dec at Jaffa Port (see here previously). For the first time, electricity from sea waves will power Israel’s national grid. Similar EWP projects are planned in Los Angeles and Portugal.
https://www.jns.org/jaffa-
Intelligent renewable energy. Israel’s EnSights has developed an AI-powered, cloud-based, clean energy optimization and management platform. It aims to maximize the cost and performance of a firm’s clean energy assets (solar, wind etc.). Ensights’ hundreds of users have 6,000+ renewable assets totaling over 1.6 Gigawatts.
https://ensights.ai/ https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://solarview-io.s3.eu-
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Outsized returns. US investment firm Ibex Investors recognizes “the opportunity to make outsized returns in Israel” with the close of its 5th Israel-focused fund with $40 million. Ibex Chief Investment Officer Justin Borus said, “We believe Israel will be among the best places in the world to invest over the next 10 years.”
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Second bounce for Omri Caspi’s fund. When Israel’s Omri Casspi retired from the NBA circuit, he founded Swish Ventures. Swish has raised $60 million for its second fund, aiming to invest in around 10 Israeli startups. Swish already manages around $125 million in assets. Portfolio companies include PointFive, Eon and Upwind.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Helping to irrigate Australasia. Israel’s CropX (see here previously) has launched its Actual ET sensor in Australia and New Zealand. This first-of-its-kind sensor monitors real-time plant water use in a field through evapo-transpiration (ET). It integrates with CropX’s farm management system for efficient irrigation.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/
Look who’s using Israeli-created avatars. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s D-ID (see here previously) has launched Personal Avatars that can generate digital agents indistinguishable from real people. D-ID’s clients include PepsiCo, AXA, Lenovo, J.P. Morgan, Softbank, Warner Bros and many more. See also D-ID’s ethics pledge.
https://www.d-id.com/news/
From IDF Chief to deep tech VC. Aviv Kohavi left his job as IDF Chief of Staff in Jan 2023. He has now reportedly joined Israeli-Canadian investment company Awz Ventures, which specializes in deep tech.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Exits, mergers & acquisitions – to 8/12/24: Israel’s Capitolis has acquired UK’s Capitalab for $46 million.
Startup investment – to 8/12/24: Upwind raised $100 million; D-Fend raised $31 million; Droxi raised $21 million; EnSights raised $10 million; Converge Bio raised $5.5 million; Firedome raised $4.5 million.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Druze artist’s video goes viral. (TY Nevet / ADL) Sam Halaby, a young Israeli Druze artist from Daliyat al-Karmel, has stunned the art world with The House of Colors, a multidimensional art project transforming his childhood home into a living masterpiece. The video of his vibrantly colored house has had 90 million views.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Chinese pottery mystery. (TY Israfan) A 16th century (Ming Dynasty) bowl has been unearthed in an archeological dig on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. It contains the earliest Chinese inscription found in Israel. It translates as “Forever we will guard the eternal spring” and probably was brought from China by the Ottomans.
https://www.
https://video.i24news.tv/
Toy Innovator of the year. Israel’s Yair Shilo was voted Toy Innovator of the Year 2024 at the 17th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards, in, Illinois USA. Power Saber, from Goliath Games and Nextoy, is the world’s first automatic retractable and extendable Star Wars light saber. It earlier won a Kidult award.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.peopleofplay.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Tehran series 3. The 3rd season of the award-winning Israeli spy thriller “Tehran” premiers on Dec 9 on Apple TV+ and Israel’s Kan public broadcaster. British actor Hugh Laurie (ex-House) joins the cast, as the series continues to explore the complex personal journey of Tamar Rabinyan, an Iranian-Jewish Mossad agent.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Neflix buys “Six Zeros”. Netflix has purchased the award-winning Israeli comedy series “Six Zeros,” the first season of which aired in 2023 on Israel’s public broadcasting network, Kan 11. The TV show explores what happens when people win millions in a lottery and how it changes their life.
https://www.jns.org/netflix-
Kevin Spacey visits Israel. (TY Hazel) US actor Kevin Spacey recently made a surprise trip to Israel. He visited the Gaza border communities, spoke to lone soldiers, and held a two-hour acting masterclass in Tel Aviv. He also met Knesset speaker Amir Ohana and visited wounded Israeli soldiers at Sheba Medical Center.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
Golden young windsurfers. (TY Nevet) At the 2024 World Youth Windsurfing Championship in Spain, Israel’s Alba Klein won the Under 17 women category as did Itamar Levi in the Under 17 men’s. Also in the men’s category, David Aleshko won bronze. Both Alba and Itamar were designated world champions.
https://www.israel21c.org/
World champion fencer. (TY Nevet) Israel’s Yuval Freilich (see here previously) won the Gold medal in the individual senior men’s epee event at the 2024 Grade A World Cup in Vancouver, Canada.
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Other jiu-jitsu world champions. In World jiu-jitsu championship where Israel’s Daniel Boaron won the U14, U48kg event (see here previously) there were Israeli wins in the women’s events. Maya Behar (U63kg), May Daniel (U57 kg), Michal Baly (U52kg). In the Under 16 division, both Zohar Sela and Lia Shalev won gold.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Bonei Zion prize-winners. (TY Sharon) The 10th annual Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize ceremony honored 12 inspiring Anglo Olim who have made exceptional contributions to Israeli society. Winners included Eylon Levy (see here previously) and and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum (see here previously).
https://baltimorejewishlife.
Hasmonean brigade starts on Chanukah. The new IDF combat unit for haredi Israelis, (“the Hasmoneans”), will formally be inaugurated on 25 Dec – the first day of the Jewish festival of Chanukah. The festival celebrates the victory of the Jewish Hasmonean army (the Maccabees) over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 BCE.
https://www.jns.org/idf-picks-
Where Herod’s great-grandson entertained. The latest excavations at Banias national park in the Golan Heights has revealed a cave used by the late 1st century CE by Agrippa II, the great-grandson of King Herod, as an ancient event hall in the Roman style. It reinforces the accounts of his contemporary – the historian Josephus.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/
(New – Donate a medic bag, save a life https://israelrescue.org/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA – https://my.jnf.org/gaza-
Orthodox Union – https://www.charidy.com/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/
https://system.smartgiving.
https://chaischneider.org/
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.
USA – https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe – https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada – https://www.israelbonds.ca/
