n the 3rd Apr 22 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Israelis are treating thousands at its field hospital in Ukraine.
- Five positive news items about Jewish and Arab Israeli women.
- Israel summit with foreign ministers of UAE, Morocco, Bahrain and Egypt.
- Three Israeli environmentally friendly successes.
- Three new billion-dollar Israeli companies.
- Jerusalem’s women’s marathon was won by a Ukrainian refugee.
- An excavated lead amulet is a 3,200-year-old Biblical relic.
- In one month, Israel has absorbed 10,000 immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Medical clowns aid Ukrainian refugees. (TY JNS) The huge numbers of Israeli volunteers aiding refugees from Ukraine in Moldova include the medical clowns of Dream Doctors (see here previously). Their costumes, big red noses and funny antics light up the faces of exhausted Ukrainian women, children, and elderly men.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Ukraine field hospital treats thousands. Israel’s “Shining Star” field hospital has been established by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and Sheba Medical Centre, assisted by Israel’s healthcare system. In its first week it treated 1,100+ adults and children, including a 10-year-old heart patient.
https://www.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Second booster reduced deaths by 78%. Israeli HMO Clalit, Sapir College and Ben-Gurion University studied 563,465 Israelis aged 60-100 who were eligible for the fourth coronavirus vaccine. They reported a 78% decrease in COVID deaths. In a 40-day period.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Hope for advanced head & neck cancer patients. (TY WIN) Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have developed an innovative treatment for Head & Neck Cancer (HNC) sufferers. It blocks the hyper-activation of a specific cell-signaling pathway that is found in over 40% of HNC patients.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/
Accurate diagnosis. (TY UWI) Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that after a minor head injury many children later displayed symptoms that were often misdiagnosed as ADHD. 200 children were monitored and 25% were found to suffer chronic persistent post-concussion syndrome, requiring much different treatment.
https://www.israel21c.org/
International research grants. Ben Gurion University’s Dr. Shai Pilosof has won a $100,000 grant from the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSP) for researching animals and environment. His colleague Dr Benjamin Palmer is investigating the diversity of color in the natural world.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Mentoring for women in hi-tech. Israel’s Melio (see here previously) recently launched MentorMe – its mentoring program for female developers that brings together highly-experienced women with those at the beginning of their careers, to learn and discuss the challenges they face. 50 women were selected to participate.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Women move up in the IDF. Good video showing the opportunities for women in the Israel Defense Forces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Israel’s Arab sector is modernizing. Dr Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yahyais director of the Arab Society in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI). She highlights Arab students, graduates and PhD candidates at university compared to 2010. Other positives include the medical profession and Arab women in employment.
https://www.jns.org/
Arab women learn Hebrew. (TY JNS) Israeli nonprofit Lissan (Arabic for “language” or “tongue”) promotes gender and social equality in Jerusalem. It oversees the “Women Speaking Hebrew” program where 40 volunteers teach Hebrew to some 400 Arab women, empowering them and giving them more independence.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://lissan.org/?lang=en
Israeli woman to host UAE lifestyle TV program. The Khaleej Times, the United Arab Emirates’ longest-running English newspaper, has named Israeli broadcast host Michal Divon, as host and executive producer of its new digital show “Dubai This Week.” It promises unique access to the Emirates and celebrity interviews.
https://www.
Singapore to open embassy in Israel. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it will upgrade its consulate in Israel to a full embassy, as part of a series of agreements reached between the two governments. The two countries are keen to conduct joint projects in Artificial Intelligence.
https://www.
From war in Ukraine to studies at Israeli university. Tel Aviv University welcomes Maryana Sytar – the first Ukrainian graduate research student to arrive as part of TAU’s emergency scholarship program. Maryana was working towards her PhD at the Koretsky Institute of State and Law of Ukraine before the war broke out.
https://english.tau.ac.il/
Israelis donate aid to Ukrainians. The Jewish Agency is leading Operation Out Turn, involving 110 local authorities and organizations from all over Israel. It includes an air train of 23,000 boxes (sone 230 tons) of humanitarian aid donated by the Israeli public for the victims of the war in Ukraine.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Helping refugees in their own language. Israel is sending a delegation of 15 Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking police officers to Poland to assist Ukrainian refugees who want to come to Israel (see here previously). Additionally, police will reserve rooms at Israel’s National Police Academy to host some 100 refugees.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
“The Orange Ones”. The car being driven by volunteers from United Hatzalah broke down twice in Moldova. Each time local citizens helped fix the problem but wouldn’t accept payment. The reason? “We recognized your jackets – you are “The Orange Ones” who have come from Israel to help the Ukrainian refugees”.
https://www.
Four Arab nations at Israeli summit. (TY UWI) Israel hosted the “Negev Summit” comprising the Foreign Ministers of the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain and Egypt, plus the US Secretary of State and Israel’s Foreign Minister. They stated that the conference would be the first of a regular regional forum.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Intelligent Apple scholars. Two Israelis (out of 15 worldwide) have been selected as Apple Scholars in AI / Machine Learning for 2022. Moshe Shenfeld is studying privacy-preserving machine learning at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Also, Noam Razin of Tel Aviv University for fundamentals of machine learning
https://machinelearning.apple.
https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/
More sea turtles hatching. (TY Hazel) For the second year in row, Israel Nature and Parks Authority reports a sharp increase in the number of sea turtle nests along the Israeli coast. The 449 sites are nearly double that five years prior. The improvement is attributed to fishing bans, and more monitoring.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Using nature for nature. (TY SCICC LA) Israel’s Ayala Water & Ecology (see here previously) has 26 years of experience in the field of phytoremediation – the use of plants to extract and remove elemental pollutants from water. Ayala received an EU Horizon 2020 innovation award to adapt its technology for the EU market.
http://www.ayala-aqua.com/ https://www.youtube.com/
https://sme.easme-web.eu/?b=
UBQ wins innovation award. Israel’s UBQ Materials has won an innovation award in the Speculative Design category at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) event. Its recycled waste-derived thermoplastic can be used in the 3D printing industry, which currently relies on non-recycled oil-based thermoplastic.
https://nocamels.com/2022/03/
Leading the waterways. On 13th Apr (at noon ET) Ben Gurion University is hosting a Zoom webinar entitled “How Israel is Leading the Way in Water Renewal” featuring BGU’s Professor Edo Bar-Zeev. He will share his latest research on desalination and the aquatic environment.
https://americansforbgu.zoom.
https://americansforbgu.org/
Weathering the storm. (TY SCICC LA) Israel’s PLANETech and KKL-JNF are launching the Climate Solutions Prize, aiming to identify technologies that tackle extreme weather events. Israeli companies can present their solutions to predict, prevent, manage & recover from wildfires, floods, storms, extreme heat, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Technion tractors are transforming agriculture. On International Day of Forests (21st Mar) Israel’s Technion Institute reported on Israel’s Blue White Robotics (see here previously), founded by two graduates of the Technion. The latest article explains how its tractors use sensor technology to operate autonomously.
https://technionuk.org/press-
https://www.bluewhiterobotics.
Filling up. Israel’s TankU uses AI and computer vision to monitor vehicles and enable refueling, charging, and washing. At Israel’s Sonol’s gas stations, a customer selects to pay through the app, is identified next to the pump or charge point, confirms the operation with a click and then begins refueling. Totally self-service.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Headset is out of this world. (TY UWI) Israel’s Brain.Space will test its electroencephalogram (EEG) enabled helmet on astronauts (including Israel’s Eytan Stibbe) on the 3rd April SpaceX shuttle flight to the International Space Station (ISS). It will be the world’s first test of the effect of microgravity on the brain.
https://www.jpost.com/
See the Internet as you want to see it. Israel’s Bright Data (see here previously) helps companies gather commercial information on the internet. Its product enables customers to see the internet how they choose. So a farmer can monitor customers, analyze weather conditions and view consumer sentiment about its products.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Opportunities in Bahrain. A team from Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), led by Executive Chairman Erel Margalit, completed a 4-day visit to Bahrain as guests of the Bahrain Economic Development Board. They met Bahrain’s top business leaders to promote a new economic chapter in Bahrain-Israel relations.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Flying cars for Australia. Israel’s AIR (see here previously) has just partnered with Australian electric aircraft distributor, FlyOnE, to supply 25 AIR ONE eVTOL vehicles, worth $150,000 each, in 2025. FlyOnE will serve as AIR’s local distribution, service, and maintenance partner.
https://nocamels.com/2022/03/
Discounted housing. Israel’s Ministry of Housing and Construction and the Israel Land Authority are listing 30,000 dwellings at 20% discount to market value. The first 10,028 units will be sold by lottery in 31 cities including Acre, Dimona, Ofakim, Be’er Ya’akov, Eilat, Ashdod, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Rishon Lezion.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Global demand for V2X tech. Israel’s Autotalks (see here previously) has received three large orders for its V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communications solutions. It will provide its V2X chipsets to three top auto manufacturers in Europe, Japan, and China. It doubles Autotalks orders pipeline to $200 million.
https://www.new-techeurope.
More funds for startups. Israel’s Glilot Capital Partners (see here previously) has raised $220 million for its fourth Seed fund. It is double the size of its previous fund and will invest in Israeli startups in the areas of cybersecurity, enterprise software and developer tools. Meanwhile, Israel’s Vertex VC has raised $400 million.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Cutting the cost of self-funded health care. Israel’s Marpai is a third-party administrator (TPA) for firms that manage a self-funded health insurance program. It acquired Continental Benefits, cutting its claim costs from $8 to $3 and now aims for $1. Marpai uses AI to predict and improve the health of a member firm’s employees.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Mentoring entrepreneurs. Israel’s Qumra Capital is launching a second cohort in its mentorship program to help guide new startup CEOs. During the six-month program, 10 participants will receive first-hand insight and tools to help them set and achieve growth goals and milestones.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Keeping Croatia safe. Israel’s SuperCom (see here previously) has just won another European contract, this time with Croatia. The Ministry of Justice and Administration of Croatia will deploy SuperCom’s PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring (EM) Suite to track offenders outside of the prison system.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
100 “Israeli” electric trucks in London. Asher Bennett (brother to the Israeli PM), is founder of Tevva Electric Trucks (see here previously). “We’re trying to do something good for the world,” he told Calcalist’s “Mind the Tech London” conference. Tevva now operates 100 electric delivery trucks in and around London.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
This week’s Unicorns. Cybersecurity Island.io (see here previously) has just become Israel’s latest financial Unicorn by raising $115 million at a valuation of $1.3 billion. Israel’s RapidAPI (see here) raised $150 million at a $1 billion valuation. Capitolis (see here) raised $110 million at a valuation of $1.6 billion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Takeovers and mergers. Israel’s Perception Point (see here previously) has acquired Israel’s fellow cybersecurity Hysolate (see here previously). Intel is to acquire Israel’s Granulate (see here previously) for $650 million.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Investment in Israeli startups to 3/4/22: RapidAPI raised $150 million; Island.io raised $115 million; Capitolis raised $110 million; Beewise raised $80 million; Bionic.ai raised $65 million; Cyera raised $56 million; Datagen raised $50 million; ChargeAfter raised $44 million; Nucleai raised $33 million; Pinecone raised $28 million; Cyberpion raised $27 million; Home365 raised $26 million; Lightlytics raised $26 million; D-ID raised $25 million; Wing Security raised $20 million; Highcon raised $18.5 million; Kooply raised $18 million; BeamUP raised $15 million; Reigo raised $13 million; Brew (GetBrew.com) raised $12 million; Plantish raised $12 million; TankU raised
@Edgar
I quite agree with your interpretation of Velikovsky, too readily dismissed, like junking a car because the tires were installed backwards. I found his observations to be quite revealing in many ways, and in a historical context far broader than the period or specific history upon which he wrote – I think I mentioned it once before that he inspired me to consider a timeline reordering in my later studies of Indian history. I really believe it is a great loss for any who have not been exposed to his very impressive writings.
@SEBASTIEN-
A very interesting find. But there are a lot of “might”, ‘may , etc in it. The suppositions that jump from a supposed original natural event, to the series of what “might” be called Plagues in the Biblical sense, …. The red algae must have been a fairly regular sight, likely every few years, and if on the NIle, during the period before the spring floods when the Nile would have ben at it’s lowest.
However, it also is a fascinating addition to our speculative interest in this period.
But…. Ramses 2 was a couple of hundreds of years after Thera/Santorini blew up. Velikovsky attributed the destruction of the Minoan Civilisation on Crete to it. They both undoubtedly occurred at around the same time. Unfortunately I can’t get at my Velikovsky books to confirm, am just using recollections, but I read them several times over, whilst comparing with other sources.
I have a couple of books about the excavations there because of my Velikovsky interest. Written by an old cricket opponent I knew quite well. (didn’t like him) a Professor John V. Luce, who, originally with Professor Marinatos the Guru of Mediterranean archaeology, investigated and dug for several seasons at Thera, and were the original, uncoverers of the sunken ruins of Akrotiri. The dig may still be ongoing. Luce suggested that There was the original site of “Atlantis”, and wrote books on it..
Incidentally, Luce was certainly at Dublin University when Adam was taking his Ph.D. He was a very big wheel there, a lifetime Scholar of TCD..
It is remarkable how an interest in Velikovsky leads off into many bylanes.
Interestingly, He established a Foundation which he named after his deceased father Simon Velikovsky, who had a small publishing firm. This firm had published a few of Immanuel’s works, which he had presented to both the newly founded University and to the libraries of many other universities around the world. They of course, reciprocated and sent many of their own publications to the HU, which were the nucleus of their Library. He got his friend Einstein to contribute physics and mathematical chapters to his major opus of the time, and, involved Chaim Weizmann and Martin Buber amongst others, who became the first Board of Directors.
He was truly a great man and a Great, 100% Zionist Jew.
Einstein, in fact, left all his works, letters, drafts and more to the HU.
@ Edgar https://thestandard.newsday.co.zw/2017/04/09/10-plagues-egypt-happened-scientists/
A correction:
His last book “Mankind in Amnesia” analyzes the psychology of the mankind and posits that the mankind may be repeatedly trying to destroy itself because of some subconscious urges.
Velikovsky is disliked by both the religious and the atheists.
The religious fault him for using science to explain the miracles of the Bible while the atheists accuse him of dragging religion into his theories through the back door.
The establishment scientists hate him because in spite of his not being a member of the scientific “club” he dared, by using the interdisciplinary approach and deep research, to make several major scientific breakthroughs, such as reviving the theory of catastrophism, revising the timeline of ancient history, totally changing the view of the atmosphere of Venus, etc.
The scientists and historians usually work in very narrow specialties and never look beyond the borders of their theme of studies.
The problem with his followers is that no matter how well meaning they are they cannot really appreciate his work or continue it because they have never received and can’t hope to receive the kind of education he had.
It was his father who was one of the founders of the Hebrew University.
His last book “Mankind in Amnesia” analyzes the psychology of the mankind and posits that the mankind may e trying to repeatedly destroy itself..
One of the accusations against Velikovsky, was that instead of Torah accounts being confirmed by his discoveries -like Papyrus Ipuwer- he was trying to squeeze his theories (timeline and others) into conformity with Torah accounts.
Papyrus Ipuwer seems to ME at least, to be a contemporary account of the “Plagues” mentioned in the Torah. even if the dates seem not to correspond. It is not possible that the Torah compilers knew of the Papyrus and copied it. The Plagues have been in Torah from the very earliest accounts of the Exodus,
(although I’m certain that the 600.000 was a mis-translation for “600 HEADS OF FAMILIES-perhaps to make it seem more miraculous, and the HAND of G-D)
even if the number of the Plagues 10, may just be a now forgotten ritual, and not a factual amount
. .
I have read and researched extensively for years into these very things.
It is well established that certain of the earliest Torah accounts are mostly myth, and taken from already extant stories, (like Gilgamesh/Noach’s Flood) yet Velikovsky was taking some as being “Torah”. and twisting his theories into agreeing with obvious myth. I agree that some of his concepts were of that calibre, but by far not the majority.
Howecer, his theories about Venus, startling and ridiculous as they were called by cosmologists and astronomers, seem to have later, been reluctantly confirmed by those same antagonists.
In my opinion, whether correct or not, he was treated shamefully by the Establishment.
I see a mention of Velikovsky. I have about 5-6 of his books am/was very enthusiastic over his new dating theory, which I still believe to be at least worty of consideration. The writings on one of the Tombs at Karnak, perhaps Hatshepsut (can’t recall) which shows pictograms of the articles of the temple. looted from Jerusalem, seem definitive to me.
I recall that one of the Universities, Oxford I think, Had for many years a 60=70 page Gazette totally dedicated to Velikovsky’s theories, none of which at that time had proven to be wrong..
He had definite scientific qualifications, although not a complete Semitics scholar, so was not a charlatan as he was accused of being. He was a noted physician psychiatrist, and a major founder of Hebrew University.
I still treasure his books. I believe that there s a Velikovsky Foundation carried on by a daughter.. His main problem was that he was much too old when he came to modern prominence and was worn down by the unreasoning animosity of those who did not want their set little theories to be disturbed. And, of course he was a JEW.
@Michael S
Of course, it’s amazing.
Some archaeologists (from Johns Hopkins University in the 90s, I think) found a clay piece in a turquoise mine in the Sinai(?) , and it said in the old Hebrew script “Those Egyptians are working us to death”.
It was on the Science Daily website a few years ago, I don’t have it in front of me.
It’s a great website.
Have you ever read anything by Immanuil Velikovsky?
He wrote several incredible books which support the veracity of the Tanach (Torah, Prophets, Writings).
The funniest thing is that he didn’t really mean to do it, he was doing research for another book.
Reader, you’re obviously joking, and I get the joke. Concerning the amulet, age 3200 BP, however, don’t you think it’s amazing, that this oldest of paleo-Hebrew inscriptions found on Mount Ebal refers precisely to the Biblical account of events there over 3200 years ago?
Deut.11
[29] And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
The results were verified by modern tomographic technology. It is impossible for this stuff to be made up: Torah was written before 3200 BP, consistent with its own claims.
“Any Bible doubters still out there?”
I don’t know.
I know someone (a non-observant Jew) who said “God knows I don’t believe in Him”.
Go figure.
Any Bible doubters still out there?