Michael Ordman | VGNI | Nov 8, 2026
In the 8th Nov 2026 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- The IDF can now predict enemy movements in real time.
- Four children were saved in one day with transplants from a single donor.
- Recognition for the first female Israeli Druze doctor.
- Israelis have invented a plant spray that can help cool the planet.
- Intel has spent billions on Israeli quantum technology.
- Israelis won gold medals at windsurfing, judoka and beach volleyball.
- Enjoy some exciting pro-Israel AI music videos.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
On one leg. Boris Shtonda (see here previously) who lost his leg fighting Hamas in Gaza, refused to let his injury end his athletic dreams, finishing the New York City Marathon just weeks after completing the grueling Ironman in Hawaii, a true testament to Israeli heroism.
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-israeli-soldier-who-lost-his-leg-in-gaza-finishes-nyc-marathon/
$93 million for northern communities. (TY UWI) KKL-JNF has approved a $93 million development package for northern Israel communities. It includes budgets for rebuilding infrastructure and upgrading security, as well as funds to develop housing initiatives and projects to strengthen border communities.
Support unit for immigrant soldiers. (TY UWI) Israel is to establish a new unit for lone soldiers and new olim in the IDF. It will focus on language and cultural access for existing military and state services, assistance with bureaucratic rights, support for injuries or mental health issues, and communication with families abroad.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-896479
Predicting the enemy. The Gideon’s Edge AI platform forecasts enemy movement patterns in dense urban environments. Its neural networks generate predictive heat maps showing where enemy squads are most likely to move within the next 3 to 12 minutes. The IDF used it in Gaza, reducing ambushes by 38%.
New IDF tech unit. The new “Alumot” tech unit in the C4I and Cyber Defense Directorate is composed of combat soldiers, technology personnel, information researchers, and AI experts. It will develop and make accessible Israel’s information and AI capabilities for combat operations.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427447
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Common medication can combat atrial fibrillation. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have identified how the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide and the anti-inflammatory medication colchicine act on the heart to prevent the development of Atrial Fibrillation. It can offer new ways to treat patients before AF takes hold.
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-and-articles/bgu-study-maps-drugs-against-af/
https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/28/5/euag091/8660492?login=false
We are not mice. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Sheba Medical Center, and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has developed the first open digital atlas of a healthy human liver. Using cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing, they showed that mouse and human livers do not work the same way.
Under pressure. Sheba Medical Center has opened Israel’s first protected hyperbaric medicine center, a facility designed to provide oxygen therapy during emergencies, plus expanding treatment capacity for patients with complex medical conditions. The Kedar family donated 22 million shekels to establish the center.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/sheba-opens-israels-first-protected-hyperbaric-medicine-center/
Mental health emergency response unit. Magen David Adom has launched a new dedicated mental health emergency response unit, in partnership with Israel’s Health Ministry, following a successful pilot program. Mental health-related calls will be transferred to a specially trained mental health dispatcher for evaluation.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/mind-and-spirit/article-895976
$30 million for medical training. Jewish industrialist and philanthropist Steve Lavin has donated $30 million to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to support the establishment of an advanced medical education center focused primarily on training physicians in digital tools. It aims to provide a mentor for every student.
Four saved in 24 hours. A transplant marathon from a single donor in one day at Israel’s Schneider Children’s Medical Center saved a 9-year-old girl (liver), an 18-year-old woman (kidney), a 2.5-year-old boy (kidney), and a 3.5-year-old (heart). Schneider is one of the few pediatric hospitals in the world that could have achieved this.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Helping those with disabilities to vote. Israeli non-profit Elwyn, serves 5,700+ people with disabilities. Ahead of Election Day, all 250 members of the Elwyn Supported Living Program community were invited to attend preparatory sessions to explain voting, government, political parties and the role of the prime minister.
Award for first Druze female doctor. Israel’s Dr. Nadia Khir, a gynecologist with Clalit Health Services in the Haifa and Western Galilee district, received a special recognition award for her groundbreaking life journey, contribution to Israeli society, and the advancement of Druze women.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427252
Training Haredim for the Health sector. A new national program aims to bring 2,000 members of the ultra-Orthodox community into medicine and treatment-related fields over the next five years. The program is being advanced by the Kemach Foundation (see here previously), the Health Ministry, JDC and other partners.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-to-train-thousands-of-new-ultra-orthodox-doctors/
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/hjxflqexfe
International school inaugurated. Tel Aviv University has inaugurated a permanent building for the Lowy International School. The ceremony was attended by Sir Frank Lowy, the Australian Israeli businessman and philanthropist whose gift established the school in 2022 and now hosts some 2,500 students from 52 countries.
https://international.tau.ac.il/lowy-international-school-new-building-inauguration
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-912934
Five new ambassadors. (TY WIN) President Isaac Herzog received the credentials of the new ambassadors to Israel of Austria, France, Ghana, the Netherlands and Rwanda, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The conversation between Herzog and Rwanda’s Ambassador Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bayingana was the warmest.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/herzog-welcomes-five-ambassadors-in-jerusalem
Somaliland’s first Ambassador to Israel. Somaliland’s Ambassador Mohamed Hagi submitted his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, marking the first time the self-declared republic has stationed an envoy in another country. Hagi helped spearhead the growing relationship between Somaliland and Israel.
First orangutan to be born at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo. Tiny Cayaha, (‘light’ in Indonesian) is the first orangutan to be born at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo. He weighed around a kilogram (2.2 pounds) at birth, born as part of European zoo breeding program, as the critically endangered wild population continues to dwindle.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/great-excitement-as-first-orangutan-is-born-at-jerusalem-biblical-zoo/
“Desert” wine region recognized. The Negev desert joins major international wine regions such as Bordeaux, Champagne, Chianti, and Napa Valley. Its status is expected to strengthen Israel’s wine industry’s global position. The Negev’s 60+ wineries collectively produce over a million bottles of wine each year.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-896757
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The veggies of tomorrow. Israel’s Hazera (see here previously) has developed seeds for 1,300 vegetable varieties. They include the high-yield Galia melon, the long life Daniela tomato, the mini seedless watermelon and red Brussels sprouts. Acquired by France’s Limagrain it has 1,000 employees and markets to 130 countries.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tomato-tomorrow-the-israeli-lab-creating-the-veggies-of-the-future/
Drought resistant wheat named for Oct 7 victim. Israel’s Agriculture Ministry’s R&D arm, the Volcani Institute, has developed a new variety of drought-resistant “super” wheat that can be grown in the Negev desert. They named it after field-crop expert Yakov (“Ya’akobi”) Inon, who was murdered on Oct 7 2023.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-drought-resistant-wheat-variety-named-after-october-7-victim/
Cooling the planet with agriculture. Israel’s Cooling Crops has developed a spray to lower plant temperature, restore degraded soils, and improve crop performance. Early results show 3 to 6 degree reduction under direct sunlight, 80%+ improvement in soil stability, up to 3x water retention, and large increases in germination rates.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/rk00tkbfazl https://www.coolingcrops.com/
Turning waste heat into electricity. (TY UWI) Israel’s NanoTherma won first place in Access’s annual innovation competition with a system designed to turn waste heat from data centers into electricity. It converts low-grade industrial heat into electricity through nanomaterial-based thermoelectric processes.
https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/hjl63bxlzl https://nanotherma.com/
https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/company_page/nanotherma
https://www.shapir.co.il/en/projects/access-clone-1/
How Elbit’s laser tech protects airliners. (TY WIN) Elbit Systems’ C-MUSIC (see here previously) protects Israeli airliners, as well as civilian aircraft globally, from shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles. It detects the missile’s infrared signature and fires a jamming laser that disrupts its seeker head, causing it to miss its target.
https://www.jns.org/analysis/the-laser-beam-disrupts-the-missiles-seeker-head
Protecting tanks from RPGs. Israel’s Plasan (see here previously) has developed two non-explosive based systems to protect military vehicles from rocket-propelled grenades. Athena disrupts the penetrating jet of the RPG. Hybrid Slat Fence uses an external structure of hybrid metal-composite bars to limit the damage it causes.
https://idfclub.org/israels-new-armor-takes-aim-at-deadly-rpgs/
AI Superpower. (TY WIN) Israel’s new National Artificial Intelligence Directorate has the goal to transform Israel into a “global AI superpower.” Its work plan focuses on Investment in human talent, providing access to advanced Graphics Processing Units, and establishing acceleration centers for developing AI applications.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/israel-launches-ai-strategy-centered-on-talent-computing-power-and-fast-track-incubators https://aiisrael.org.il/
Training AI to translate sign language. Israel’s Rylo (formerly known as Nagish), is partnering Nvidia to train AI to translate (in real time) sign language into text or speech. Rylo is also launching a desktop application designed to make workplace conversations more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/5jpotblv0
Efficient space launches. (TY Arthur R) Israel’s Moonshot Space (see here previously) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to explore next-generation approaches for delivering payloads into orbit and beyond. Moonshot Space is developing electromagnetic launch systems.
https://akaerospace.com/updates/moonshotmou
Monitoring dark ships. Israel’s Windward (see here previously) has partnered US-based Vantor to detect, identify, and track vessels, even when they disable their automatic identification system transponders or try to obscure their identity. They will integrate Vantor’s space?based monitoring with Windward’s AI platform,
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-893563
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Funding for immigrant-founded startups. A new venture capital fund, called Aliyah Ventures, plans to transform the Israeli innovation sector for immigrant entrepreneurs. It provides funding up to $500,000, plus integration courses, Hebrew classes for business-related workers, and the use of its co-working offices.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-911857
AI decides what you should wear. Seven Israeli teenagers have developed the app Flair, which although just a demo system, helps shoppers decide what outfits to buy when there is so much to choose from. Built through the Mamriot program and a Factory 54 partnership, Flair’s algorithm uses sizes, colors, trends and much more.
https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/h1qvff6kfe https://www.mamriot.cyber.org.il/program
Thailand buys Israeli anti-drone rifle. (TY WIN) Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) has delivered its ARBEL Anti-Drone System (see here previously) to Thailand’s Ministry of Defense. The system is deployed and now operational in Thailand’s military.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-thailand-procures-israeli-drone-interception-system-1001560422
A quantum exit. Intel has agreed to acquire the Israeli quantum-software startup Classiq (see here previously) for $2.3 billion. Intel believes that the combination of Intel’s hardware capabilities and Classiq’s software could put the chipmaker at the forefront of the emerging quantum industry.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435210
Smelling of roses. Israel’s Karen Cohen Khazon turned her flavor and fragrance company Turpaz from a small Holon business to a global multi-billion-shekel public company. She is one of only four women who control TA-125 Index companies. Turpaz employs 1,100 people and has just made its 27th acquisition in nine years.
https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/r1db4wxxzl
https://mayafiles.tase.co.il/rpdf/1740001-1741000/P1740923-00.pdf
Top startup founders. Data from research firm PitchBook ranks Tel Aviv University as the world’s number 7 for the number (865) of undergraduate alumni in the last decade who founded startups that raised ($30 billion) venture capital. Israel’s Technion Institute (783) was ranked number 10, and have raised around $23 billion.
https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/bysvxtsc11g#google_vignette
Exits, takeovers & mergers to 8/11/26. Intel has agreed to acquire Israel’s Classiq for $2.3 billion. Unconventional AI is acquiring Israel’s NeuReality for at least $105 million. Swap Commerce acquired Israel’s Vizby for several millions of shekels. Israel’s Elbit has acquired Canada’s International Submarine Engineering (ISE). India’s Affle is acquiring Israel’s Perion Network for $420 million. US GrowthCurve is acquiring control of Israel’s TailorMed for around $250 million. US Cybersecurity Proofpoint is acquiring Israel’s Varonis for $6.5 billion cash. Salesforce acquired Israel’s Loops.ai for around $30 million. US Freshworks has acquired Israel’s Torii. US-based Prytek has acquired Israel’s Scanovate for $50 million.
Israeli startup investments to 8/11/26. Sentra raised $150 million; Upwind raised another $100million; Bites raised $40 million; Brava Security raised $15 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT,
Honored at the end. At 97 Yaacov Agam received the Israel Prize for his pioneering kinetic art, which included the iconic Fire and Water Fountain in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square. He must have been waiting for the award, as he passed away only two months later, just after his 98th birthday.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/creativity-is-the-basis-of-judaism-yaacov-agam-father-of-kinetic-art-receives-israel-prize/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/yaacov-agam-pioneering-israeli-kinetic-artist-and-israel-prize-laureate-dies-at-98/
Sderot’s Cinema South festival. (TY Israfan) After years of rocket fire from Gaza and the trauma of October 7, Sderot’s Cinema South Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary from Nov 1 – 5 at the Sderot Cinematheque. It includes films from students at Sapir College, and also works by Bedouin women filmmakers.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-913170
?ód? Ghetto exhibition now on show in Jerusalem. In 1940, a group of Jewish artists organized an art exhibition inside Poland’s infamous ?ód? Ghetto, in defiance of the Nazis. The exhibition “A Shared Destiny,” has now been recreated at Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust remembrance center in Jerusalem.
Dr Gal Gadot. Israeli actress Gal Gadot has accepted an honorary doctorate from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. She used her acceptance speech at a gala celebrating the Bar-Ilan’s 70th anniversary to praise the university and reaffirm her connection to Israel.
https://worldisraelnews.com/gal-gadot-awarded-honorary-doctorate-from-israeli-university/
Israeli set designer wins Emmy award. Israeli designer Arik Weiss has won an Emmy for Outstanding Title Design for his groundbreaking work on the opening sequence of the highly anticipated Nicolas Cage Marvel series, “Spider-Noir”. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-912477
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7-WvVTCRA8
See Eilat underwater. (TY Hazel) Dive into Eilat’s spectacular underwater world through immersive 360° experiences. Explore unique camera angles, encounter remarkable marine life, and discover fascinating insights into the Red Sea’s extraordinary ecosystem. Also view the live cameras (from 7am until sunset Israel time).
https://www.coralreefs.org.il/en
European windsurfing 1-2. Israel’s Tamar Steinberg won gold and Shahar Tibi took silver at the European Windsurfing Championships in Portimão, Portugal.
https://www.jns.org/news/world/israeli-windsurfers-win-gold-silver-at-euro-championships
European judoka champion. Israeli judoka Raz Hershko (see here previously) won the European Judo Championships for the second time in her career. In the final she defeated French opponent Léa Fontaine in under a minute. On her way to the final, Hershko beat opponents from Bulgaria, Italy, and Croatia.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/425727
Beach volleyball champions. Israel’s Eylon Elazar & Kevin Cuzmiciov achieved their first ever gold in the Challenge category on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, winning the Xiamen Challenge winners in China.
THE JEWISH STATE
Ancient fortress open to the public. (TY WIN) The Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jewish National Fund have reopened the restored Gal’on Fortress in central Israel, a 12th-century BCE border stronghold, described in the Book of Judges, built where Israelites, Philistines and Canaanites once fought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNofQMJfpC0
Jewish-American student discovers 3,300-year-old amulet. Shiloh Attoun, 17, an American student at JNF-USA’s Muss High School, Israel, discovered a 3,300-year-old Egyptian “scarab” amulet decorated with cobra motifs at Tel Gezer National Park. Shiloh found the amulet during his group’s first excursion in Israel.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435571 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyaet6M4feo
The first mikveh on a military base. The first-ever Jewish ritual bath (mikveh) on an Israeli military base was inaugurated at a Border Police base in central Israel. It was donated by the American filmmaker and philanthropist Cheryl Halpern in memory of her husband, Fred.
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/first-mikveh-inaugurated-on-an-israeli-military-base
It’s cool to be a Jew. Israeli-Aussie chef, musician/songwriter, and digital creator Yehuda Meitav is attracting millions of followers through his very clever viral AI music videos, revealing the hypocrisy of a Goliath of hatred in a world that loves every Jewish invention, from USB flash drives, to Waze.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-912393 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKTw8xJQI0g (Sky News)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjHH8sByePo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7oZ9nsseo
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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