The photo is of grapes growing on a wild vine adjacent to a local children’s playground in Netanya
This Week’s Sanity Report from Israel Sept. 3, 2023
In many synagogues, last week’s Torah portion described the joyful ceremony to be performed when bringing the first fruits of the season to the Temple in Jerusalem.
So it is very appropriate to read how fruitful Israelis have recently been with innovative medical devices and new treatments. Israeli programs are bearing fruit to benefit the elderly in Spain, Ethiopian-Israeli immigrants, Arab fish farmers, Middle East businesswomen, New York Search & Rescue teams, America’s Historically Black colleges and three African countries. We are seeing Israeli scientific breakthroughs come to fruition in producing sustainable fuels and recycling plastics.
The high number of Israeli Unicorn (billion-dollar) companies shows how fruitful Israeli entrepreneurs have become, and the seeds for future successes are being planted with new investments into the hi-tech sector. I cannot explain, however, as to what has caused Israel to suddenly blossom at so many international sports.
Finally, Israel’s commitment to its children resulted in one Israeli girl overcoming cancer to become fruitful as a mother.
The photo is of grapes growing on a wild vine adjacent to a local children’s playground in Netanya.
The highlights include:
- Israeli bio-techs detect life-threatening diseases in DNA or cells.
- Read news about six amazing Israeli medical device companies.
- Jerusalem’s deputy mayor helps advance the career of women – in Morocco.
- Israelis are busy in Africa, helping Rwanda, DRC, and Zambia.
- Israeli innovation makes carbon-free ammonia fuel more likely.
- The skies the limit for new Israeli planes and air routes.
- Israeli sporting success in gymnastics, martial arts, athletics, and video games.
- An Israeli woman certainly has someone watching over her.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Whole genome cancer detection. It wasn’t long ago since the genome was fully decoded. Now, Israel’s C2i Genomics (see here previously) has teamed up with Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center take blood test data and perform whole genome minimal residual disease (MRD) testing to detect recurring cancer early.
https://www.israel21c.org/ai-
Biopsy the cells. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s MetaSight Diagnostics is developing fast, low-cost mass spectrometry to perform vast amounts of serum biopsies of the metabolome (molecules in a cell). These can detect cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular and neurological diseases etc. MetaSight is working with KSM (Maccabi’s R&D).
https://metasightdx.com/ https://www.youtube.com/
Light-activated cancer treatment gets US support. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s ImPact Biotech has received Orphan treatment designation from the US FDA for its Padeliporfin VTP in Pancreatic Cancer. ImPact stands for IMmune Photo Activated Cancer Treatment and VTP is Vascular Targeted Photodynamic therapy.
https://impactbiotech.com/
US NIH funds Israeli radiation therapy. The U.S. National Institutes of Health has granted Israel’s Pluri (previously Pluristem) $4.2 million to develop its PLX-R18 (see here) as a treatment for Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome – a deadly disease that can result from nuclear disasters and radiation exposure.
https://pluri-biotech.com/wp-
https://pluri-biotech.com/wp-
Transforming clinical best practices. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s Quai.MD is developing an AI- platform that improves hospital patient care, reduces costs and saves doctors’ time. The process is tailored to the patient and hospital. Partners include Mayo Clinic & MUSC. Initial focus is the diagnosis of patients with chest pain.
https://nocamels.com/2023/08/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
11,000 focused ultrasound procedures. (TY OurCrowd) A 5-year study of patients has proved the success of the focused ultrasound treatment from Israel’s Insightec (see here previously). It improved quality of life with no progressive or delayed complications. Insightec’s technology has been used 11,000+ times globally.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
Brain stimulation eases ADHD symptoms. In a small clinical study, Israeli and UK researchers found non-invasive brain stimulation improved the condition of 55% of unmedicated ADHD children aged 6-12. Only 17% of the placebo control group improved. 64% of the treated children retained the improvement weeks later.
https://en.huji.ac.il/news/
Next gen blood test device gets US approval. (TY OurCrowd) The US FDA has approved the upgraded 15-minute bacteria vs virus diagnostic blood test device from Israel’s MeMed (see here previously). The new MeMed BV is now suitable for urgent care centers, as it avoids the clotting and spinning process of the original.
https://www.me-med.com/press_
Approval for smart colonoscopy device. (TY Atid-EDI) MAGENTIQ-COLO from Israel’s MAGENTIQ-EYE (see here previously) has been cleared by the US FDA and Israel’s AMAR, and received Europe’s CE Mark. The AI-assisted device is significantly more efficient in detecting adenomas (pre-cancerous polyps).
https://www.accessdata.fda.
https://vimeo.com/540882393 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Re-educate your muscles. Israel’s NeuroTrigger is developing a powered muscle stimulator to repeatedly contract muscles to increase their range of motion and prevent retardation. Neurotrigger has received a BIRD grant (see below) to develop an eyelid pacemaker that restores blinking to those with facial paralysis.
https://www.nt-med.com/
Remote health care for Madrid region. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Essence SmartCare (see here previously) has won a contract from the Community of Madrid governmental region. Essence will use its digital AI systems to replace outdated analog remote care services for 100,000 senior citizens and disabled individuals.
https://www.prnewswire.com/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
$66 million to help integrate Ethiopian citizens. Israel is to extend and update its plan to integrate its 160,000 citizens of Ethiopian descent. Aims of the $66 million budget for 2023-24 include integrating Ethiopian Israelis into military service, closing the income gap and increasing trust between the community and the government.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
Clean energy for Israel-Arab cities. (TY Hazel) Israel has launched a NIS 30 million plan to promote green energy in Israeli-Arab cities. It will finance energy production projects, such as replacing old, inefficient lighting and air conditioning systems, plus the implementation of solar projects in public buildings.
https://english.news.cn/
Israeli help for PA fish farmers. (TY Hazel) Israel is helping edible fish farmers in the Palestinian Authority cities of Tulkarm and (yes) Jenin. They receive financing, equipment, fish food, water filters, and training. Israel helps with veterinary medicine, forestry, plant protection and agricultural imports.
https://www.aninews.in/news/
Casablanca course helps careers of Israeli & Moroccan women. Casablanca was the venue of a very successful first Israel-Morocco cohort of the career-advancement program by Israel’s Femforward (see here previously). Jerusalem’s deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum was one of the facilitators. Bahrain is next.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
Search & Rescue training for NY National Guard. (TY Hazel) 15 New York Army National Guard engineers received hands-on training in Oriskany NY, from members of Israel’s Home Front Command. They learned Israeli techniques for locating and rescuing people from collapsed buildings.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/
US Black Colleges to start exchange programs. (TY UWI) 5 heads of US universities in the Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) group were so impressed from their recent trip to Israel that they will soon start student-exchange programs. They will also encourage the other 96 member institutions to do so.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Food, water & energy for Rwanda. Israel’s Netafim has designed a unique coworking farm hub in landlocked drought-stricken Rwanda, with a purpose-built water source and energy network. The Gabiro Agribusiness Hub in the Nyagatara region of Eastern Rwanda is built on land that was previously not suitable for farming.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Screening women for cancer in DRC. Israel’s MobileODT (see here previously) has partnered with US-based Cingulate Medical to launch phase one of a National Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer screening and treatment program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – the largest such program in Africa.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
Agreements with Zambia. (TY WIN) Israel and Zambia’s Foreign Ministers met in Jerusalem and signed several cooperation agreements to strengthen the two countries’ ties in the spheres of medicine, agriculture, communications, and culture. https://www.i24news.tv/en/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Ammonia for carbon-free fuel. Israel’s Nitrofix (see here previously) has developed a zero-carbon, green electricity, zero hydrogen, method for producing ammonia for use as a green fuel. Nitrofix uses an organic metal catalyst to help combine nitrogen from the air with water. The only by-product is oxygen.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
SodaStream switches to renewable energy. New Israeli energy regulations have allowed Israel’s SodaStream (see here previously) to sign a 15-year deal with Israel’s Enlight (see here previously) that will power all of SodaStream’s production facilities in Israel with 100 percent renewable energy by the start of 2024.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Recycling synthetic fibers. Israel’s TextRe (see here previously) creates plastic pellets from synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon from textile waste. The pellets are then used to make other plastic products.
https://nocamels.com/2023/08/
Food packaging from waste-produced fungi. Israel’s MadeRight takes industrial organic waste to grow fungi. This is then fermented to produce bioplastic pellets that can be made into biodegradable plastic food packaging. MadeRight has won two sustainability awards and MassChallenge.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Smart headband for blind swimmers. Israel’s EyeCan has developed a vibrating headband device that alerts swimmers in real time if they move from the center of their lane or are approaching an obstacle. EyeCan is part of the IDF’s 8200 Impact program and has received a $30,000 grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.
https://nocamels.com/2023/08/
Using AI to fight antisemitism. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s Cyabra (see here previously) not only spots fake videos but is also playing a key role in the fight against the surge of antisemitism online. Cyabra is using an algorithm developed by Israeli startup Final to flag antisemitic posts on social media and initiate their removal.
https://www.jpost.com/
Using AI in the emergency services. (TY Dr Salem) Excellent article on how AI is being used today in Israel to save lives by two of the country’s emergency services: the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority and Magen David Adom, which oversees emergency medical response. AI significantly speeds up response times.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
The cutting-edge of 3D software. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed software, called ArchCUT3-D, to extract and analyze ancient engravings that could lead to a better understanding of ancient engravers’ background and skills.
https://www.jns.org/jns/topic/
The best battery. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Addionics (see here previously) won the UK Research and Innovation’s SME Credit Competition – part of UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge. Addionics receives £1 million to enable Addionics to access the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre for scaling up production.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
Perfect dubbing. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Deepdub (see here previously) has launched Deepdub Go. Now any business can transform its audio-videos into any language, whilst lip-synching the presenters/actors but retaining their original voices and emotions. For training videos, university courses, ad agencies and movies.
https://deepdub.ai/press-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
In-car speed camera. Israeli-founded Mobileye has introduced the world’s first vision-only Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) solution to meet European standards for all new vehicles to recognize speed limits without relying on 3rd-party map and GPS data. Certified for all 27 EU countries plus Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.
https://www.mobileye.com/news/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Good news for Arab women and Haredi men. In 2020, 25% of Arab women aged 30-34 held academic degrees, double the percentage in 2010. In 2023, 45% of Arab women were employed, up from 33% in 2014. Among Haredi men, employment has reached 56%, up from 52% in 2014.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/
https://en.globes.co.il/en/
New grants for Israeli Arab entrepreneurs. The Israel Innovation Authority has announced new grants for innovative programs to train entrepreneurs in research and medical institutions with at least 50% representation from Israel’s Arab community. The Human Capital for High-Tech Fund is offering up to 70% of program costs.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
Tax benefits for investors. (TY Atid-EDI) The Israeli Knesset has passed the “Angels Law”. It grants tax benefits to investors in the local high-tech industry as well as incentives for purchasing other tech companies based in Israel. Benefits take effect immediately. Foreign firms also get benefits for lending to Israeli startups.
https://www.al-monitor.com/
BIRD invests $8 Million in 9 new projects. The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial R&D (BIRD) Foundation is granting $8 million for 9 joint hi-tech projects. The Israeli startups are Agado Live, Agromentum (Fieldin), AlvaLinks, ContainerEyes, GeneYX, NeuroTrigger, Oshi, Quantum Machines, and Treetoscope.
https://www.birdf.com/wp-
https://finder.
Flying high. Israel’s Arkia is starting flights from Tel Aviv to Sri Lanka in Oct. Meanwhile, El Al is to begin a Tel Aviv to Fort Lauderdale (Hollywood International) service in April plus six seasonal flights this year. However, the recent Jeddah to Tel Aviv flight, for Israeli passengers from the Seychelles, was a one-off.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
El Al’s new Dreamliner uses sustainable fuel. (TY Stuart Palmer) El Al Israel Airlines’ newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner flew from Boeing’s Seattle factory using 30% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It is El Al’s first use of SAF, made from sources such as CO2 in the air and emits far less carbon than fossil fuels.
https://www.elal.com/eng/usa/
NIS 100 billion high speed train plan. Israel is planning a 100-billion-shekel ($27 billion) high-speed rail line from Kiryat Shmona in the north to the southern city of Eilat 400km (250-miles) away.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
The world’s second most Unicorn founders. Tel Aviv University has produced the second-most unicorn ($1 billion+) companies in the world, based on where their founders went to college. Stanford was the highest, but TAU was next, even beating UK’s Oxford University.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Partnering to detect diabetic retinopathy. (TY OurCrowd) Customers of US retinal imaging and diagnostic company IRIS will be able to use AEYE-DS from Israel’s AEYE (see here previously) for the autonomous detection of diabetic retinopathy. https://www.prnewswire.com/
Exits, takeovers & mergers to 3/9/23. US Dynatrace is acquiring Israel’s Rookout for NIS 40-50 million. Israeli-founded, US based Coro Cybersecurity has acquired Israel’s Privatise. Israel’s InMode has acquired the patients of Colorado’s Viveve Medical.
Investment in Israeli startups to 3/9/23: AI21 Labs raised $155 million; FeelBetter raised $5.9 million; Append Medical raised 4.35 million; MadeRight raised $2million; Skillset raised $1.65 million.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Sussita – Israel’s new National Park. The Hellenistic / Roman / Byzantine city of Hippos (Sussita in Hebrew) was established over 2,300 years ago in the Golan Heights. The new Sussita National Park (see here previously) offers a glimpse of ancient life there.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Gal Gadot movie is a hit in six Arab countries. (TY Hazel) Gal Gadot’s spy thriller “Heart of Stone” is number one on Netflix in 93 countries, including in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Real Madrid opens Jerusalem soccer clinic. Spanish soccer club Real Madrid opened its youth training camp in Jerusalem. It welcomed 450+ teenage players from Israel, Morocco, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority.
https://www.jns.org/jewish-
Gymnastic successes. Israel’s women’s rhythmic gymnasts won the silver medal in the 2023 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup event in Milan, achieving the same score as Italy. They then made history at the World Championships in Valencia, Spain, winning gold medals in both the All-Around and the Combined events.
