Michael Ordman | VGNI | Oct 18, 2026
In the 18th Oct 2026 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Incredible resilience of brave, wounded Israeli soldiers.
- Israeli therapy breakthroughs for cancer, schizophrenia, epilepsy, hearing loss, and more.
- Many Israeli companies exhibit at air show in Morocco.
- First the Israeli cherry tomato, now the “all-year-round, seedless” tomato.
- Nearly half the world’s investment into cybersecurity went to Israel.
- Even without FlyDubai, Israel rules the skies.
- Israeli women windsurfers rule the waves.
- Miracles at 30,000 feet.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Soldier’s helmet gives medical history to paramedics. The IDF’s new “CPR GO” combat?medic interface was created jointly by the IDF Medical Corps, the Lotem technological unit, and Israeli defense?tech engineers from Elbit. It allows medics to tap a wounded soldier’s helmet and instantly view that soldier’s medical history.
Giving wounded heroes a fighting chance. House of Heroes, founded by former IDF resilience trainer Sagi Dovev, uses Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and other sparring styles to help rehabilitate some of the 26,200 soldiers wounded since Oct 7, 2023.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-war-put-them-on-the-ropes-a-martial-arts-gym-gives-wounded-vets-a-fighting-chance/ https://houseofheroes.org.il/en/#ourstory
Fallen officer’s organs save six people. Capt. Shahar Gamla, 23, was killed by an explosive drone in Lebanon. His heart was transplanted into a 54-year-old man, his lungs into a 47-year-old man, a liver lobe to a 7-year-old girl, the rest of the liver to 69-year-old man, and his kidneys to a 37-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898911
Critically wounded in Gaza he now studies law. Ari Spitz (see here previously) spent six weeks in a coma and walked out of hospital with three prosthetic limbs. He is now studying for a law degree at Bar-Ilan University. He was also selected to light a torch during Israel’s 78th Independence Day ceremony.
https://idfclub.org/the-indominable-spirt-of-ari-shpitz-from-severe-gaza-injury-to-law-school/
Critically wounded in Lebanon, he returned to IDF. Itamar Galinsky, who was critically wounded during the fighting in Lebanon nearly two years ago, has returned to reserve duty in the same unit in which he was serving when he was wounded. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/432949
Toy car locates rocket launcher. The IDF’s Maglan elite special operations unit, used a children’s remote ? controlled toy plastic car to locate a concealed rocket launcher hidden inside a booby?trapped building. They attached a small helmet?mounted video camera to the car, and entered without risking soldiers’ lives.
https://idfclub.org/how-idf-soldiers-used-a-toy-rc-car-to-locate-a-hidden-rocket-launcher-in-gaza/ s
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Successful treatment for bladder cancer. Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem is treating high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients with NDV-01 biodegradable polymer gel that releases chemo continuously over 14 days. 95% of patients achieved a complete response, with 76% disease-free after one year.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/428597
Long-lasting schizophrenia treatment. (TY UWI) Israel’s Teva has received FDA approval for Weltruza, a monthly injection for adults with schizophrenia. The long-acting injectable contains the antipsychotic olanzapine to help patients who have difficulty taking daily medications. (But not in UK pharmacies.)
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/e2s62jq0k
https://thedailybritain.co.uk/royal-college-pharmacy-teva-israel-palestine/
Gene therapy for baby with epilepsy. In a medical world first, doctors at Israel’s Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva have delivered gene therapy into the brain of an eight-month-old baby suffering from a rare, life-threatening form of genetic epilepsy. They injected healthy copies of the faulty WWOX gene.
Breakthrough may restore hearing. Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that irreversible hearing loss caused by damage to inner ear hair cells, may be reversed by converting nearby “transdifferentiating Deiters’ cells (tDCs) from supporting cells to hair cells. Expanding this to other cells could restore hearing.
https://www.aftau.org/news_item/tau-researchers-identify-mechanism-that-may-pave-the-way-for-hearing-restoration/ https://www.jpost.com/science/article-902034
Using light to to treat brain disorders. Israel’s Modulight Biotherapeutics is developing optogenetic therapy using light-activated proteins (opsins – developed at Israel’s Weizmann Institute) to target neurons in the brain and treat severe neurological disorders. These include neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and movement disorders.
https://www.modulight.bio/ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2026/press-release/
https://israelactive.com/?s=optogenetic+
Rewiring the brain for PTSD patients. Israel’s Nuri Braintech has developed the world’s first emotion brain-computer interface for psychiatry to treat trauma sufferers. Its implantable system uses Deep Brain Recoding – a closed-loop neuromodulation protocol that senses trauma signals and guides the brain to unlearn them.
Minimally invasive ostomy. Israel’s Phantom GI is developing a device designed to create an ostomy under local anesthesia. It would relieve a blockage for inoperable bowel obstruction patients (some 55,000 per year in the USA). The PercStoma device uses a needle puncture, local anesthesia and X-ray imaging.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/skjuvwsoge https://phantomgi.com/
When DNA damage cannot be repaired. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute and in New Jersey have proved that DNA mutations do not occur randomly. Repair enzymes fix damaged DNA, preventing diseases such as cancer, but only if the DNA bends to create a negative charge. The enzyme ignores straight DNA.
Detecting pain in animals. Dr. Marcelo Feighelstein, head of the AI Systems Engineering Program at Israel’s Tel Hai University, has developed AI-based tools capable of recognizing pain and emotions in cats, dogs, rabbits, sheep, cattle, and now horses. It can help determine pain in newborns and those unable to speak.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-907402
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
A woman candidate for a Haredi party. The Haredi Public (HaTzibur HaCharedi) party has included Dr. Nechumi Yaffe in its list, making her the first woman to run for the Knesset with a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) party. Dr. Yaffe is a researcher in political psychology at Tel Aviv University.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-907867
“We (Syrian) Druze are part of Israel”. The spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze, Sheikh al-Aql Hikmat al-Hijri, has described the community as “an integral part of the State of Israel,” At a gathering in Suwayda, he praised Israel’s model of state-building. saying the two communities shared doctrinal “common denominators,”
https://www.euronews.com/2026/08/28/syrias-top-druze-leader-calls-community-integral-part-of-israel
Lebanese Christian dreams in Hebrew. G, fled to Israel from Lebanon with his Christian family in May 2000. He earned a degree in industrial engineering and management and is a product manager in Israel’s hi-tech industry. His closest friends are Jewish Israelis; he dreams in Hebrew, and despairs about Lebanon.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899088
Iron Dome interceptor goes to the Pacific. A new US Marine Corps air defense system (MRIC) was successfully tested in Guam. It is built around Israel’s Tamir interceptor and marks a major step in the international expansion of Iron Dome technology.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/r1idkbm4gl
ARC Innovation Boston. As predicted (see here previously) Sheba Medical Center’s innovation hub has been launched in Boston USA. The startups include UltraSight, FeelBetter, Modulight, and Nuri Braintech.
https://technionuk.org/news-post/israeli-companies-shipping-up-to-boston/
https://www.modulight.bio/ https://nuribrain.tech/
Israel debuts at Moroccan Airshow. Israel opened an Israeli national pavilion at the Marrakech Airshow in Morocco. It was Israel’s first official participation in a Moroccan defense exhibition since the signing of the Abraham Accords. Apart from the Israeli pavilion, Elbit Systems, IAI, and Rafael also exhibited.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Record number of PhD graduates. 325 graduates at Israel’s Technion Institute were awarded Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees – a record number in the Technion’s history. Women comprise 44% of the new PhD graduates, while 20% are international students. The youngest graduate is 28 years old, and the oldest is 77.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/blog/article/new-technion-record-325-new-phd-graduates
Tomatoes that grow without fertilization. (TY TPS) An Israeli-led research team has identified the genes that guide how tomatoes release pollen. They used CRISPR gene-editing to produce tomatoes without seeds and do not require fertilization. They grow all-year-round and produce 10 times the weight of unmodified ripe fruit.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-tomato-breakthrough-could-extend-harvests-into-colder-months/
More than just a cinema. Israel’s Bigger Picture is transforming cinemas with AI and technology, into experiences that offer a more social environment. It offers venues a full platform that allows them to provide touchless experiences, better ticketing, scheduling, and cross-selling, plus big data analysis of its customers.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-899079 https://biggerpicture.ai/
Uber and Autobrains gear up for autonomous Munich trial. Ride-hailing app Uber has tapped Israeli autonomous driving startup Autobrains and US chipmaker giant Nvidia for a pilot program set to bring driverless robotaxis to the streets of the German city of Munich.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-900069
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb8c3xic9k0
A new way to search for extraterrestrial life. A team of scientists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute and in the USA have developed a new method for detecting alien life, by analyzing molecular groups to identify life’s building blocks. Israel’s Eureka spacecraft proposes to take this to Jupiter’s Europa moon in the next decade.
http://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-02864-z
Israeli tech for the moon. NASA’s Artemis moon mission relies on Israeli companies. StemRad for radiation-shielding vests; Tedence Space (AI?driven electromagnetic monitoring); Omnidrill (robotic drilling platform); Ramon Space for radiation?hardened processors; and Moonshot Space (electromagnetic launch).
https://idfclub.org/israeli-tech-powering-nasas-return-to-the-moon/ https://israelactive.com/?s=Omnidrill+
Israeli-Arab presents foldable iPhone. (TY Hazel) Apple recently unveiled its long-anticipated foldable iPhone with Israel’s Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji (see here previously) presenting the iPhone Duo.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/991203/iphone-duo-foldable-news-specs-price-release-date
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUfGcZ092b0
University uses green energy for 45% of its power. Some 45% of Tel Aviv University’s power now comes from green energy (target is 100%). 4 million kWh originates from 17,000 sq meters of solar systems installed on campus roofs, plus 29 million kWh from off-campus solar energy sources. 30 MWh of storage is planned.
https://english.tau.ac.il/news/campus-sustainability
Making sense of video chaos. Airis Labs has developed an AI platform designed to connect and analyze multiple streams of visual information, including security cameras, drones, body cameras and media footage, and transform them into structured intelligence that can be searched, investigated and analyzed in real time.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/rjcmc84ezg https://www.airis-labs.com/
Scientific cooperation with Europe. Israeli and European diplomats, researchers and innovators gathered at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem for the Horizon Europe Award Ceremony. The program has involved 5,000+ joint projects, 6,000+ Israeli participants, 1,000+ companies and billions of Euros in research activity.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
GDP up, inflation & unemployment down. (TY TPS) Israel’s economy showed continued resilience ahead of the Jewish New Year, with Gross Domestic Product rising 3.2% in the first half of 2026; foreign investment hit a record $26 billion in 2025; inflation is at 1.5%, and unemployment is 3.3% (OECD average 4.9%).
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israels-economy-expands-despite-war-inflation-falls-to-1-5/
Huge investment in cybersecurity. Israeli startups raised at least $2.4 billion in cybersecurity funding during the 3rd quarter of 2026 – nearly half of that raised by the whole of the world’s cybersecurity sector.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/8e72dv4yf
Buying out aging family businesses. What happens to successful family businesses when there is nobody to run them after the owner retires? Israel’s Pitlane Capital has set up a $25 million ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition), fund to find entrepreneur-managers that will acquire and run these businesses.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/rjgmur0ggl https://pitlanecapital.com/
$250 million for Swish fund. Omri Casspi, the former basketball player turned venture capitalist, has completed a $250 million fundraising round for his third fund, bringing Swish Ventures’ assets under management to $800 million. His earlier funds’ Israeli selections included Cognition, Wonderful and Upwind.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bj11x7a800ge
$125 million for defense tech. Protego Ventures, has completed a $125 million raise for its inaugural fund.
Protego is Israel’s largest dedicated defense-tech fund. It invests in early-growth-stage companies that have already begun selling their battlefield-proven or operational-proven products.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/r1bizfy5zl
Eco-communities in Israel. For a few hours every fortnight, residents of the rundown Shapira neighborhood in South Tel Aviv exchange compostable waste for a “Lira Shapira” from the municipality, which they spend at the local market. The idea has spread to Haifa (Shtar), Harish (Lish), and Kibbutz Tziv’on (AsimonTziv’on)
Super jumbo jet converted to cargo plane. Israel Aerospace Industries has successfully converted an Airbus A330-300 from wide-body passenger plane to cargo plane and completed its maiden flight. The A330-300BDSF has capacity for up to 30 containers and payload capability of up to 61 tons.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/432716
El Al to offer free Starlink internet to passengers. El Al will add Starlink internet services to its aircraft starting in 2027. The new onboard service (free subject to conditions) “will provide a fast, stable and continuous browsing experience throughout the flight, just like at home.”
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-899484
Direct flights to the Philippines. Israeli airline Arkia announced Tuesday that it is launching the first direct flights from Tel Aviv to Manila, Philippines starting Jan 2027. The 12-hour flight will be on an Airbus A330.
Drip-irrigation factory in Mexico. Netafim, Israel’s drip irrigation creators, has opened its largest factories to date in Hermosillo, Mexico. The 30,000-sqm plant will supply farmers across North and Central America, and will be equipped with advanced automation systems, creating some 200 direct jobs.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/energy-and-infrastructure/article-898631
Trillion Shekel company. Cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks has crossed a new milestone on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, becoming the first company in the exchange’s history to reach a market capitalization of NIS 1 trillion ($326 billion). https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/y6d3iin7a
Exits, takeovers & mergers to 13/9/26. ServiceNow (North America) acquired Israel’s Sweep.io in a deal estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. SoundHound (US) acquired US-Israeli LivePerson for $43 million. Israeli-founded Nebius acquired Israel’s Inferize for $100-150 million. Israel’s Capitolis is acquiring US-based eSecLending for $200 million in cash. U.S. bank Valley National acquired Israel’s Bluevine for $340 million. US-based Cognex is acquiring Israel’s RealSense for +$600 million. Israel’s Groundcover acquired Israel’s Wand for several tens of millions of dollars. Israel’s Upwind acquired Israel’s Aegis for tens of millions of dollars. Israeli-founded Venn acquired US-based Zuma for $50 million. US-based Rocket Software acquired Israel’s Geniez AI for up to $100 million.
Israeli startup investments to 13/9/26. Wonderful AI raised $550 million (value $5 billion); Cyera raised another $400 million; Island.io raised $400 million (value $6.4 billion); Upwind raised $300 million (value $3.8 billion); Cylake raised $245 million; Capitolis raised $220 million (value $1.9 billion); Reco.ai raised $55 million; Pluto Security raised $42 million; AITAN (formerly EyesAtop) raised $41 million; Guardio raised $40 million; Huskeys raised $27 million; Chamelio raised $26 million; Rein Security raised $25 million; Enso raised $15 million; Rig Security raised $12 million; Inferize raised $10 million; Phantom GI raised $5 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT,
The Last Waltz from Engelbert Humperdinck. British pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck will return to Israel for two concerts at Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium (Jan. 25 & 26) as part of his global “The Last Waltz – Farewell Tour”. He last performed in Israel in 2015 (see here previously).
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rjaupvimgl
Two sperm whales spotted off Mediterranean coast. On International Oceans Day, researchers from Israel’s Haifa University spotted two rare sperm whales off the Ashdod’s coast. The team caught sight of the mammals just before having to evacuate to shore, cutting the survey short due to an Iranian missile alert.
Windsurfing World Champion. (TY Hazel) 20-year-old Israeli windsurfer Tamar Steinberg (see here previously) won the gold medal at the iQFOiL Windsurfing World Championships in Weymouth, England. Israel’s Sharon Kantor took the silver, while another Israeli, Daniela Peleg, came fourth.
European karate champion. Israeli karateka Ilai Timan won the Juniors J16 Boys 60-65 kg event at the European Shinkyokushin Karate Championship in Latvia. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeJzuU3MvyN/
https://kumitetechnology.com/en/tournament/354/results-individual/
THE JEWISH STATE
2,100-year-old aqueduct discovered in Jerusalem. (TY TPS) A 300-meter section of Jerusalem’s Hasmonean period Lower Aqueduct has been uncovered during construction of a new south-Jerusalem neighborhood. Using gravity, it carried water from Solomon’s Pools, south of Bethlehem, to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
https://worldisraelnews.com/2000-year-old-hasmonean-aqueduct-section-uncovered-in-jerusalem/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8aEbPj2-Yw
Bronze-age storage jars found at Shiloh. Three well-preserved large storage jars dating back to the Middle Bronze Age were discovered during excavations in ancient Shiloh, site of the Biblical Tabernacle. Likely to have held grapes and wine, the jars were unearthed just days before the Ancient Shiloh Wine Festival.
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-899217
Inside Tel Azekah. (TY I24 News) Tel Azekah is an Iron Age Judean stronghold in central Israel referenced in the Book of Joshua and the story of David and Goliath and has been slowly excavated for the past 16 years.
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-inside-the-ancient-judean-stronghold-of-tel-azekah/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pe4ff9T470
Miracles in the sky. There are so many unbelievable aspects of the near-disastrous Flydubai incident. The Indian captain who, although stabbed, managed to open the cockpit door a fraction. Passengers overpowering the terrorist co-pilot, the plumber who leveled out the damaged plane, the reserve pilots, and more.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-miracle-in-plane-flight/ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BNQQii9ky-Q
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S2f9Ojo42Rc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIDG0B8Fd5c
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-910533 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-911017
https://pulseofisrael.com/2026/10/04/plane-miracle/
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.
IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (Select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/ or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bellevue-foundation/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/ or Canada https://www.uhcanada.org/
Donate a medic bag, save a life https://israelrescue.org/campaign/medicbag/
Magen David Adom UK: https://mdauk.org
USA: https://afmda.org/
Israel: https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA – https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate or Canada https://jnf.ca/
Orthodox Union – https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Help rebuild Soroka: https://www.soroka.org/
And Weizmann: https://weizmann-usa.org/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/donate (Israelis)
https://system.smartgiving.org.uk/charities/8530/make-donation (UK)
https://chaischneider.org/donate/ (USA)
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-give/ (US)
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/support_rambam/donate_now/ (Rest of the World)
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/state-of-israel-bonds
USA – https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe – https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada – https://www.israelbonds.ca/
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