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This Weeks Sanity Report from Israel

The highlights include:

• An Israeli-developed blood test is able to detect early-stage colon cancer.
• Israeli doctors saved the life of a Gaza girl who lost a leg in a traffic accident.
• Israeli technology displayed UK election results to Sky TV viewers.
• A new Israeli digital pen writes on any surface and displays on your smartphone.
• First time (here) news of six incubators/accelerators supporting Israeli startups.
• An Israeli sports league for mothers has gone global.
• Israel suspended international flights whilst five baby falcons were relocated.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Blood test detects early colon cancer. The lives of millions may be saved thanks to a new non-invasive test for colon cancer. Hemoglobin tests on 100,000 patients of Israel’s Maccabi Health Services have led to Israel’s MedialCS developing an algorithm that identified symptoms of early-stage colon cancer in 25% of those tested.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=25455

http://medialcs.com/Products

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-start-up-may-revolutionize-colon-cancer-detection/

Helping children to grow. A new supplement developed at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel has successfully helped children in the bottom 10th percentile for height and weight grow taller and gain weight.

Studies showed that children on the “Up-Pro” supplement grew 1-2 cm taller than the group given placebos.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=25391

App can diagnose ADHD. Israel’s GlassesOff has published results from a study into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), showing that its non-invasive, game-like technology can provide an early indication of whether a child has ADHD and to what degree. It can also monitor treatment of the disorder.

http://www.israelscienceinfo.com/en/hightech/glassesoff-permet-diagnostiquer-lhyperactivite-tdah-devaluer-lefficacite-traitements/

Treating sleep apnea and heart disease. Evidence linking cardiovascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has prompted Israel’s Itamar Medical to offer a Total Sleep Solution (TSS) to US hospitals and clinics. TSS links Itamar’s WatchPAT home sleep test with nationwide diagnostic testing facilities, sleep physicians and cloud-based IT platform. Itamar also markets its EndoPAT heart test.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itamar-medical-offers-a-total-sleep-apnea-management-solution-to-cardiologists-503586311.html

6000 disabled kids can now walk tall. Since Israel’s Debby Einatan invented the Upsee harness in 2014, UK manufacturer Leckey has sold over 6000 in over 120 countries. That’s 6000 kids who can walk with their parents for the first time. It can even normalize the child’s hip joint and improve head control.

http://nocamels.com/2015/05/upsee-firefly-harness-handicapped-kids-walk/

Thousands attend Israel BioMed 2015. BioMed 2015 (May 12-14) in Tel Aviv is an annual event that draws hundreds of industry executives, scientists and engineers, with thousands of attendees from over 45 countries. Hundreds of Israeli life science companies exhibit their products, services and technologies.

http://biomed.kenes-exhibitions.com/welcome-letter#.VVW6DPApqSp

Another $30 million for brain science. As reported previously in March 2013, the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel’s largest neuroscience center, has got “off the ground”. Now a further $30 million from the Safra Foundation will take it to the next level.

http://new.huji.ac.il/en/article/26681

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

A very special school. I was researching something completely different when I discovered the Alon Center in Kibbutz Alonim. It caters for the needs of teenagers of normal intelligence with emotional and/or behavioral issues who have been unable to successfully integrate into the regular school system.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYMOgTbX1Ms&w=520&h=315]

http://www.aloncentre.co.il/home/doc.aspx?mCatID=87

An Ethiopian actress in the true Rainbow Nation. Meski Shibru is an Israeli actress and vocalist. She immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia at the age of 16.

This Weeks Sanity Report from Israel.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfAZn3voCyQ&w=520&h=315]

Happy together in the IDF. At the Israeli Army officers’ training base, the members of Team 12 includes a Bedouin Muslim, an Ethiopian, a soldier who is both Muslim and Jewish, plus rural and city dwellers from both sides of the Green Line. And one Arab is successfully promoting the IDF to the Arab world.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=25181

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/israel-arab-youth-facebook-peace-messages-idf.html

Gaza girl can walk again. Israeli doctors saved the life of a 4-year-old girl from Gaza after Hamas finally gave permission for her to be treated in Israel. In Gaza, Yara had been run over by a truck. Local Gaza doctors amputated Yara’s leg but allowed necrosis to set in. Israeli doctors treated the injury and fitted a prosthetic leg.

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/70641-150510-hamas-allows-gaza-girl-to-be-treated-in-israel-after-leg-amputation

4 Israeli universities in top 300. The QS World University Rankings rates 800 of 3000 world universities. It includes the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at 138; Technion Institute at 190; Tel Aviv University at 195 and Ben Gurion University at 292. Many Israeli universities featured in the top 100 for individual subjects.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/four-israeli-universities-ranked-in-worlds-top-300/

Nepal – Israelis are on the scene. So much has happened in Nepal. A new 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit, with Israelis still on the scene. IsraAID is working in one of the remote devastated regions. A Nepalese man, who had previously worked in Israel, thanks Israel (in Hebrew) for saving his mother. And Israeli medical clowns have been improving recovery times for injured Nepalese children.

http://www.israel21c.org/news/israelis-on-scene-of-latest-nepal-trembler/

http://www.timesofisrael.com/clinic-in-a-backpack-brings-israeli-relief-to-remote-nepal-areas/

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/194820#.VVSdWfApqSp

http://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-dream-doctors-bring-smiles-to-nepalese-earthquake-victims/

Tanzania taps Israeli innovations. (TY Michelle) The Tanzania-Israel Business and Investment Forum (TIBIF) 2015 in Dar es Salaam in May focuses on agribusiness, education, energy, mining, infrastructure, security and technology. TIBIF taps Israel’s advancement in scientific and technological innovations, for the economic development of Tanzania. http://allafrica.com/stories/201505080383.html

How Israel helped the blacks of South Africa. (TY Elder of Zion) In a 1997 article recently rediscovered, David Kaplan revealed Israel’s clandestine support for the blacks of South Africa, during the apartheid era.

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.il/2015/05/how-israel-helped-apartheid-era-blacks.html#.VVW7gPApqSr

https://truthbetoldgroup.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/coming-out-from-the-cold-by-dave-kaplan/

35% increase in Chinese tourism. (TY Michelle) Israel has become a popular destination for Chinese visitors. Israeli Ministry of Tourism figures show that over 35,000 Chinese tourists visited Israel last year, 35% higher than the figure for 2013. The ministry has now opened Chinese language classes for Israeli tour guides.

http://english.cri.cn/12394/2015/05/03/1821s877077.htm

CHIP – making better citizens of the world. C.H.I.P (Western Civilization Heritage Israel Program) offers educational tours of Israel – the bedrock of Western civilization. CHIP teaches tolerance through education, in order to bring about peace and make our world a better place for all of us.

This Weeks Sanity Report from Israel

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqx-mV64rm8&w=520&h=315]

The world’s most dynamic population. (TY Michelle) A survey conducted by InterNations (a network of 1.5 million expats in 390 cities worldwide) has revealed that expats view Israeli dynamism as “off the scale”.

http://www.praguepost.com/travel2/47357-expats-in-israel-see-it-as-the-most-dynamic-country

Mazel Tov to William and Kate. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin sent Prince William and his wife Katherine the gift of a dress for their new baby, Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. The dress was decorated with the words “From Israel With Love”.

http://www.jpost.com/International/President-Rivlin-and-First-Lady-send-gift-and-well-wishes-to-the-royal-family-402042

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3D printed food. I reported about the food printer from Israel’s White Innovations in my 30 Mar 2014 newsletter. One year later, the Genie has received thousands of orders and is about one year from delivery.

http://nocamels.com/2015/04/3d-print-food-israeli-tech-the-genie/

http://www.geniethefreshway.com/

How Intel became Israel’s best friend. Newly found photographs show the history of Intel Israel – one of Israel’s most important business relationships. Intel opened its Israeli office in 1974 – two years after Israeli Dov Frohman invented the EPROM erasable read-only memory chip. Intel now employs 10,000 Israelis.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/how-intel-came-to-be-israels-best-tech-friend/

BizTEC has launched 122 startups. Israel’s Technion is running its 10th annual BizTEC competition. In that decade, it has produced 122 startups that have raised over $100 million in funds. The winning ideas include a liquid biological bandage, a keyhole surgery system, digital mapping of shipping and much more.

http://www.technion.ac.il/en/2015/04/10-years-122-companies-and-a-60-million-surprise/

Smart homes for the elderly. Samsung and Israeli startup Mybitat together are to develop an innovative smart home solution aimed at helping the elderly stay safe while at home. It combines cloud-based software, advanced sensors and behavior analytics to monitor seniors’ daily routine and wellness.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4651948,00.html

US-Israel Cyber Security Conference. The Defensive Cyberspace Operations & Intelligence (DCOI) conference featured world-renowned cyber experts from defensive cyberspace operations and intelligence. It also attracted top speakers, including former NSA directors, Finance and Intelligence Ministers from Israel.

http://www.dcoi-conference.org/#!about/cvz5   http://www.dcoi-conference.org/#!speakers/c36m

President meets winning young scientists. (TY Sharon) Israel’s President Rivlin met the 12 winners of Israel’s 2015 Young Scientists Competition organized by Jerusalem’s Bloomfield Science Museum. The winners will represent Israel at the Intel ISEF competition and the Young Scientists competition in Europe.

http://www.baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=59997

Israeli battery swapping for Chinese buses. Although battery swapping failed for Better Place’s Israeli electric cars, the technology has found favor for buses running in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China. Israel’s Ziv Av Engineering (ZAE) will design and supply the battery switching stations.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/where-better-place-failed-israeli-engineers-seek-to-help-china-succeed/

UK election results brought to you by Israel. If you watched the results of the UK elections on Sky News, then you will have seen the technology of Israel’s LiveU that Sky used to cover 150 key constituencies.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-firm-to-bring-election-results-direct-to-uk-living-rooms/

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJZkJyd4Jk&w=520&h=315]

Microsoft hosts 35 Israeli startups. Thirty-five startups using the best and most innovative of Israeli technologies were on display at Microsoft Israel’s ThinkNext 2015. Microsoft flew in top executives from the US to see a chat search engine, a smart faucet, a Skype language translator and a wearable fitness device.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-a-big-player-in-microsofts-big-data-future/

Holland-Israel Innovation Week. (TY Michelle) A week that attracted and connected fast growing startups, corporate international innovation teams, exceptional talents and investors from Holland and Israel.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WSe6BUUIbc&w=520&h=315]

 

[youtube=m.youtube.com/watch?v=4GBPJRy6z4Q&w=520&h=315]

Israeli fish farms can feed the world. Latest news on the sustainable fish farms built by Israel’s LivinGreen that I featured previously in Jan 2014. In 2014, LivinGreen led an educational project in Ghana, building farms from local materials. LivinGreen also participated in other projects in Ethiopia and China.

http://www.israelscienceinfo.com/en/environnement/revolutionnaire-livingreen-israel-diffuse-culture-vegetaux-associee-lelevage-poissons-aquaponie-monde/

India to adopt Israeli agriculture grafting. (TY Michelle) India’s Natural Organic Farmers’ Association is working with Israeli companies to import Israeli grafting technology in order to improve crop yields and pest resistance whilst reducing water usage and the indiscriminate use of fertilizers.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/vijayawada-firm-to-commercialise-israeli-grafting-tech/article7189720.ece?ref=tpnews

Checking every fruit is perfect. Most exporters perform random checks on their produce. Israeli fruit exporter Eshet Eilon inspects every piece of fruit for quality and ripeness. It uses spectral imaging at a rate of five tons an hour and rejects anything that contains disease or fungus.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/how-much-fat-in-that-avocado-israeli-machine-knows-for-sure/

How good are your farm workers? Israel’s Pointer Software Systems has developed Pickapp – a quality assurance (QA) monitoring application for farm managers. It provides real-time tracking of the progress of harvesting and the quality of the produce harvested.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=PynkVEjwYHk&w=520&h=315]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/194839#.VUMYbfApqSo

www.pickapp.farm

Israeli apps are already ticking on new Apple watch. Glide, JoyTunes, 24me, TL;DR and Vonage among the made-in-Israel applications already available on Apple’s new wearable.

http://itrade.gov.il/us-dc/2015/05/01/israeli-apps-already-ticking-on-apple-watch/

Protect the file, not the cabinet. (TY Michelle) Israel’s Sookasa provides encryption security for sensitive data even when it is accessed from a mobile device. Copies of data are as important as the original, and Sookasa is the result of a rethink to the entire security approach. https://www.sookasa.com/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaulli/2015/05/10/sookasa-from-israeli-intelligence-to-a-hot-valley-startup

Israel powers into oil & gas tech conference. Fourteen Israeli companies were on display at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), one of the world’s largest annual trade shows for the oil and gas industry. 94,700 people from 130 countries attended the conference.

http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2015/5/10/fuel-up-nation-israel-has-robust-presence-at-major-oil-and-gas-trade-show#.VVXNpPApqSo=

Microsoft’s (Israeli) Surface Pen in action. (TY Michelle) Please watch three creative individuals increase their productivity using the digital pen that Microsoft acquired when it bought out Israel’s N-Trig.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=owf93l1YkOs&w=520&h=315]

http://blog.surface.com/2015/05/msft-acquires-pen-tech-from-n-trig-ltd/

http://techcrunch.com/2015/05/01/microsoft-acquires-surface-3-pen-tech-from-n-trig/

The next generation digital pen. (TY Michelle) Israel’s OTM Technologies has developed the Phree – a digital pen that lets you write or draw on any surface and see the image on the screen on your smartphone. It uses 3D motion-tracking lasers and doubles as a Bluetooth headset. It has smashed its kickstarter funding goal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3079833/The-pen-just-got-SMART-Phree-lets-make-calls-shows-mobile-notifications-lets-write-notes-surface-appear-phone.html

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm_B2w1QjuE&w=520&h=315]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1958554063/phree-make-the-world-your-paper/video_share

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Facts about Israeli startups. (TY Michelle) Between 1999 and 2014, 10,185 Israeli tech companies emerged on the scene. About 5,400 are still in operation, with 2.6% garnering annual revenue that exceeds $100 million. High-tech exports are valued at about $18.4 billion a year, comprising about 45% of the country’s exports.

http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2015/04/25/can-israel-become-the-next-tech-capital/

Apple expands Israeli office. Apple has decided to increase the size of its second Herzliya research building to be built later this year by no less than 4,000 meters, enabling it to add 150 to 250 new Israeli employees to its current 700 staff. Apple’s Israeli development center is its largest in the world outside its California HQ.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/194737#.VUZ8vvApqSp

Tesla Motors selects Israeli solar power. Israel’s SolarEdge Technologies is to integrate its PV invertors with Tesla Motor’s Powerwall – its home battery solution. It will enable homeowners to store surplus energy at point of generation for later reuse, providing either complete energy independence or a backup for electrical outages.

http://www.solaredge.com/articles/solaredge_announces_collaboration_with_tesla_motors

http://www.greenprophet.com/2015/05/solaredge-and-tesla-team-up-to-tackle-distributed-pv-storage/

El Al starts an accelerator. Israel’s national airline El Al has launched its “Cockpit” program that provides help to entrepreneurs who are developing solutions for the travel industry. It already has two startups, Shopnfly and BidFlyer, who will use El Al as a “test site” for their apps and software and maybe as a strategic partner.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hope-for-better-travel-as-el-al-extends-hand-to-start-ups/

Nielsen’s 10th company. (TY Michelle) Another incubator has been quietly nurturing Israeli startups. Nielsen Innovate launched in July 2012 and has just funded its 10th start-up – Furious Corp, a media advertising platform. Nielsen Innovate focuses on marketing, consumer and advertising research technologies.

http://sites.nielsen.com/newscenter/nielsen-innovate-funds-10th-portfolio-company-furious-corp/

As recommended by Lockheed Martin. US defense giant Lockheed Martin has invested $25 million in Israeli cyber security firm Cybereason. It also offers Cybereason’s systems to its clients including most of the top Fortune 100 companies and the US Government. Cybereason uses behavior analysis to detect cyber attacks.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/lockheed-martin-sings-the-praises-of-israeli-cyber-security-firm/

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israels-Cybereason-lands-10m-Lockheed-Martin-investment-402230

Dual US and Israeli MBA. (TY Michelle) Israel’s College of Management Academic Studies (COMAS) and USA’s Baruch College-CUNY, are launching a unique dual MBA degree. The joint program leverages the spirit of Israel as a “startup nation” and of NYC as the world’s financial center.

https://zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu/about/news/dual-international-mbas-usa-israeli

An accelerator for entrepreneurs. Terra Venture Partners (TVP) has launched its “Create Tel Aviv” accelerator that aims to develop the human talent that makes up the Israeli start-up ecosystem. TVP will invest up to $5m in entrepreneurs who have skills and ideas, even if they don’t have a startup or a project yet.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-accelerator-backs-those-who-focus-on-the-big-issues/

Giving Israeli startups a US presence. (TY Michelle) The Israel Syndicate is a new U.S.-based group made up of investors targeting the ever-growing community of Israeli startups that need a US presence to develop the relationships needed to build a successful company.

http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2015/05/04/new-syndicate-us-based-investment-israeli-startups.html

Record year for Israeli life science investments. The Israel Venture Capital Research Center reports that $801 million was invested in 167 life sciences companies in 2014. This was 55% higher than the $516 million raised by 142 companies in 2013.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/2014-a-record-year-for-life-science-investments/

Claridge returns to Israel. (TY Michelle) Claridge CDPQ Israel has just opened in Tel Aviv, nine years after Claridge sold its last Israeli investment. The CDPQ is Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages $225 billion in pension funds, and is an equal partner in the operation. Claridge CEO Pierre Boivin said “To say we are bullish is an understatement.” http://www.cjnews.com/index.php?q=node/139311

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Israel Philharmonic has new young leader. David Radzynski, 28, the new concertmaster for the Israel Philharmonic, is one of the youngest violinists to lead a major world orchestra today. Radzynski is an American-Israeli, born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father fought in Israel’s 1967 Six-Day War.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4655369,00.html

The movie makers will come to Jerusalem. NIS 50 million of Jerusalem’s municipal budget has been invested over the past six years to develop a major film studio in Israel’s capital city. Mayor Barkat said that we will see Jerusalem on screens around the world and it would create hundreds of jobs.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Jerusalem-to-build-film-and-television-complex-to-attract-international-productions-402198

Get a 360-degree view of Tel Aviv. (TY Janglo) Tel Aviv’s new hot air balloon rises to 120 meters to provide a spectacular panoramic view for tourists and locals alike. Each ride takes 30 people and has an onboard guide.

http://igoogledisrael.com/2015/04/tlv-balloon-hover-above-tel-aviv-in-a-hot-air-balloon/?utm_source=rss

Israelis win world birding competition. A team led by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel took first place in the World Series of Birding competition’s Cape May category, identifying 157 species of birds in a 24-hour period. The competition in New Jersey raised $137,000 for conservation projects worldwide.

http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Israelis-take-first-place-prize-in-world-birding-competition-402678

Mothers in a league of their own. In 2005, Israel’s Ofra Abramovich founded Mamanet , a sports league exclusively for mothers. It has since blossomed into a unique social-sports phenomenon with thousands of mothers and branches all over the world.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=50CNj-9cne4&w=520&h=315]

THE JEWISH STATE

Getting Israel’s message across. The Hallelu Foundation has just been established, with the aim of advancing Israel’s global image. It will show the world what Israel is really all about and make us proud of Israel. Here is Hallelu’s first video.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYwk6dc6UF0&w=520&h=315]

Next time perhaps I can vote too. This newsletter editor booked a trip to the UK before the previous Israeli election date was announced and was unable to vote. It is now proposed that Israel will amend the law and allow absentee voting in future elections. We shall see!

http://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-said-backing-law-to-allow-israelis-living-abroad-to-vote/

0 – 100 in Hebrew. Two Dutch filmmakers produced this “educational” video featuring 101 Israelis.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WwQL6hr02A&w=520&h=315]

2000-year-old copy of the Ten Commandments. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has opened its “pivotal moments in civilization” exhibition, featuring the world’s oldest copy of the Ten Commandments. The 2000-year-old Dead Sea Scroll containing the famous text had never been previously on display in Israel.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/oldest-complete-copy-of-ten-commandments-goes-on-display-in-israel/

El Salvador conversos long for Israel. Hundreds of years after their forefathers fled Spain, some 300 descendants of Spanish conversos live in El Salvador as a thriving community, observing Orthodox Judaism, keeping the laws of the Sabbath, and dreaming of converting and immigrating to Israel as Jews.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=25309

Videos for Jerusalem Day. (TY Janglo) Here are some classic songs to celebrate the 48th anniversary of the unification of Israel’s capital city. Plus details of the Jerusalem Day parade.

http://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=356359

http://thingstodoinjerusalem.com/event/this-is-jerusalem/

Baby falcons halt international flights. Invoking the Torah commandment, not to take the mother bird with its chicks, Tel Aviv airport authorities halted flights for 30 minutes when a nest with five hatched falcons was discovered in a navigational antenna. As the worried adult birds circled overhead, the baby falcons were carefully removed and taken to the nearby Ramat Gan Safari to be raised and then returned to the wild.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/birds-nest-grounds-international-airport/

This Weeks Sanity Report from Israel