Good News from Israel (November 22, 2020)

By Michael Ordman

NETANYA, Israel — In the 22nd Nov 20 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

• In a human trial, Israeli scientists have reversed the aging process.
• The UN overwhelmingly approved an Israeli-led resolution on sustainable solutions.
• A 62-year-old ex-Air Force pilot will be the next Israeli astronaut.
• An Israeli company has solved the problem of recycling dirty plastics.
• Joint US-Israeli agriculture projects give the world huge economic benefits.
• Two Israelis basketball players were selected in the NBA drafts

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israeli scientists reverse aging process. In the first trial on humans, Israeli scientists have shown hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can reduce two key biological hallmarks of aging – telomere length shortening and accumulation of senescent cells. These factors lower the risk of cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s and much more.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/first-time-human-study-shows-reversal-in-biology-of-aging–telomere-shortening-and-senescent-cells-accumulation–with-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-hbot-301176053.html
https://www.aging-us.com/article/103571

Gene editing to prevent cancers. (TY Janglo) Scientists at Tel Aviv University have used CRISPR gene editing in the lab to treat some of the most aggressive of cancers. They improved Glioblastoma (brain cancer) survival rates by 30%, but for metastatic (secondary) ovarian cancer, survival was increased by a huge 80%.
https://www.israel365news.com/161060/gene-editing-technique-successfully-used-for-first-time-by-tel-aviv-university-to-treat-aggressive-metastatic-cancer-in-mice/

A Prophet for predicting cancer treatment. Israel’s Oncohost (reported here previously) presented the results of its latest proteomic (proteins) cancer study to the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC). Oncohost’s PROphet host response profiling platform can predict the best therapy to use for specific cancer patients.
https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2020/11/15/oncohost-offers-new-hope-for-pancreatic-cancer-sufferers/
https://www.sitcancer.org/2020/program/annual-meeting-schedule-2020#tab6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihPi8YYRvLM

Hands-free diagnostics. Two Israeli companies OutSense and Olive Diagnostics have developed innovative devices that remove the embarrassing and potentially unhygienic procedure of collecting urine and fecal samples for disease diagnosis. Their real-time passive diagnostic sensors can be fixed to any toilet.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/startups-smart-toilet-bowl-scans-poop-and-urine-for-medical-insights/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cME7i4EfITk  https://outsense.co.il/  https://www.olivek2.com/
https://www.israel21c.org/keep-track-of-your-health-by-simply-peeing-as-usual/

Partnership to get fast medical advice. Israel’s K Health (reported here previously) has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to improve and accelerate deployment of K Health’s virtual therapy models. K Health enables people to receive comprehensive medical insights and immediate treatment in their homes.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873713,00.html  https://khealth.ai/

Vaccine connections. Mikael Dolsten, Chief Scientist of Covid-19 vaccine front-runner Pfizer, studied at Israel’s Weizmann Institute during his doctoral studies. (Pfizer’s CEO is also Jewish.) Meanwhile, Israeli Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks of top Covid-19 vaccine prospect Moderna, has just received a Ben Gurion Award.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-immigrant-and-top-pfizer-scientist-hails-role-of-us-immigrants-in-vaccine/  https://www.jns.org/ben-gurion-university-taps-moderna-chief-medical-officer-with-namesake-award/

34 lives saved in one month. Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion’s bone marrow database enabled 34 life-saving stem cell transplants in October. The transplants took place across the USA, plus in Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and of course Israel.  Thousands of new donors join every month.
https://ezermizion.org/blog/because-of-you-78/

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Promoting female entrepreneurs. The 12th annual Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 in Israel starting Nov 16, focused on promoting female entrepreneurship. Top international and Israeli female entrepreneurs hosted dozens of virtual panels. Female led Israeli companies represented included Nurami and HT BioImaging.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3872291,00.html
https://www.htbioimaging.com/

An intelligent decision. Israel’s Military Intelligence Unit 9900, one of the most highly classified intelligence units in the IDF, has allocated a room dedicated for nursing mothers. Many of its officers return from maternity and paternity leave and the unit’s work-life balance policy supports their family and professional activities.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/11/18/military-intelligence-unit-becomes-first-to-boast-nursing-room/

Wheelchair friendly.  (TY Hazel) Tel Aviv has been ranked as one of the seven most wheelchair-friendly cities in the world by London-based “Truly Belong” magazine. It reported that: “The eclectic city has made great strides in recent years to become fully accessible to people with disabilities.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/tel-aviv-named-among-worlds-most-wheelchair-friendly-cities-649456

UN adopts Israeli “green” resolution. An Israeli-led resolution, “Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development,” was passed by an overwhelming majority of 144 nations by the United Nations Second Committee. The resolution calls for efforts to incentivize environmentally and socially sustainable solutions.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/291546

Endangered salamander surfaces in Israel. (TY Arutz 7) Recent Israeli rains encouraged the appearance of some rare species of animals. They included the almost extinct poisonous fire salamander, which was spotted in the Northern Israel’s Banias nature reserve. https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/ryQOQGwFP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkgFGkjQVg8

New Green Plan. Israel’s Energy Ministry has presented a NIS 1.5 billion national energy efficiency plan to cut emissions by 17% by 2030. It also aims to improve energy efficiency and create thousands of new jobs. It includes investment in renewables, transition to electric vehicles and better construction and appliances.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-energy-ministry-unveils-plan-to-cut-emissions-create-jobs-1001349829
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwpbi47HpjE

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Desertification conference begins. The world’s leading desertification conference (reported here previously) has attracted nearly 2,000 delegates from 103 countries including the UAE and Iran. The free event is hosted on-line by Israel’s Ben Gurion University. https://dddconf.org/

Nine Israeli hi-techs in emerging top 100. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) included 9 Israelis in its 2020 list of top tech “global challenger” companies from emerging markets. For more details on CyberArk, IronSource, Landa, Monday.com, Or Cam, Payoneer, Playtika, SolarEdge and Wix, visit www.IsraelActive.com.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3872871,00.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/9-israeli-companies-among-100-tech-emerging-market-challengers/

Israel’s next astronaut. Eytan Stibbe will be Israel’s second astronaut, following the path of Ilan Ramon, when he launches to the International Space Station in 2021. Stibbe, 62, served in Israel’s Air Force for 43 years. He co-founded Israel’s Ramon Foundation which is financing his space mission plus Israel’s space experiments.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/291326

Israeli scientist wins $2.5 million “wild ideas” award. Israeli neurobiologist Professor Oded Rechavi, of Tel Aviv University, has been awarded one of the first two $2.5 million Polymath Awards. Funded by the Schmidt Futures Initiative, the award encourages scientists to take risks and investigate new wild ideas. Amazing video.
https://www.israel21c.org/tel-aviv-university-researcher-wins-first-polymath-award/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbrASDmXXk

At the forefront of research. Here are some virtual opportunities to watch webinars about what Israel’s Ben Gurion University scientists have been doing to save Eilat’s coral reef, and to combat cancer.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_INmHoirYTXqkPGalKY0ObA
https://aabgu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BtyIu9q5QzqKCpyZaVBOtw

Watt a car! (TY JBN) Israel’s Watt Car is developing a two-seater electric urban vehicle that has the flexibility of a motorcycle with the comfort of a sports car. Shaped like a wheel, the vehicle weighs some 450 kg, can reach a speed of around 120 kph (75 mph) and has a range of 200 km (120 miles). Four re-charging methods.
https://www.watt-ecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WATT-compressed-movie.mp4
https://www.watt-ecar.com/

Are you listening? Israel’s Noveto (reported here previously) has launched its SoundBeamer 1.0 desktop device that beams sound directly to a listener without the need for headphones. You can now have your own personal sound bubble, listen to music, lectures, watch movies etc. without disturbing others in the room.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/futuristic-device-from-israeli-firm-puts-music-in-your-head-without-headphones/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zHxwUJR8dQ

Making the future accessible. Israel’s Wheelshare provides mobility and independence to people with movement issues. It has installed wheelchair lending stations at most Israeli hospitals, accessible through a multilingual digital app. Its aim is to extend the service globally to include airports, shopping centers and more.
https://www.wheel-share.com/?lang=en  https://socialimpactil.com/wheelshare-making-the-future-accessible/

New drone R&D center. Israeli-Canadian drone startup SkyX (reported here previously) is opening a research and development center in Israel. It is recruiting 50 employees, most in the fields of software development and image processing. SkyX’s UAVs inspect energy and rail sites, patrol borders and support search and rescue.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3872370,00.html

Making shopping fun. Walmart’s partnership with Israeli startup EKO (reported here previously) was explained by Walmart’s Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside at the “Mind The Tech” conference in New York. EKO uses storytelling to make retailers’ products appeal to consumers.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873290,00.html

Where security is key. Israel’s Unbound Tech has solved a key problem for companies wanting to expand to new locations or into the Cloud – where to store all their security access keys? Unbound does it with software, cryptographically splitting a key into separate parts and then protecting each part in a different location.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873372,00.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5WRQeLjHtc  https://www.unboundtech.com/

Cybersecurity for your car. Israel’s C2A Security (reported here previously) has launched Autosec a security platform for car-makers and car-part providers. Autosec technology allows manufacturer to continually track all cybersecurity issues in their vehicles and fix any vulnerabilities automatically. C2A has also joined AUTOSAR.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/a-cyber-seatbelt-to-keep-your-car-safe-from-hackers/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVRvI4Er7k4  https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/c2a-security
https://c2a-sec.com/

Content that matters. (TY JBN) Israel’s Listory claims to be the world’s first content refinery. It allows the user to save time when reading information on the Internet. Listory aggregates and handpicks the most relevant stories, articles, podcasts, or videos that are based on your personal taste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMKSTK3t7SI  https://www.listory.com/en/

Recycling dirty plastics. 91% of plastic put into recycling bins ends up in landfills because it is dirty. But Israel’s KB-Recycling (being rebranded as Alkemy) has developed a method of turning dirty plastic into plastic sheeting used in construction to seal surfaces, for protecting floors during renovation work and much more.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-company-solving-the-dirty-secret-of-recycled-plastic/  http://kb-recycling.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYGWvB6rN0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgDnqIr2I68

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

S&P maintains Israel’s high credit rating. As predicted here previously, financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s affirmed their high AA- credit rating for the Jewish State with a stable outlook. S&P cited Israel’s robust financial system and access to capital markets. They also noted Israel’s recent agreements with Arab states.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/sp-affirms-israels-strong-credit-rating-despite-its-pandemic-battered-economy/

IMF positive on Bank of Israel’s pandemic performance. Several compliments in the latest report from the International Monetary Fund. Timely and decisive measures helped preserve market and financial stability and access to credit. Support to the health system, households and businesses helped soften the economic impact.
https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Documents/Israel-%20Staff%20Concluding%20Statement%20of%20the%202020%20Article%20IV%20Mission.pdf

Success of Joint US-Israeli agriculture projects.  Since 1979, the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) has invested $1.06 billion in 1,330 projects. A review of just 20 case studies shows an economic benefit of $2.7 billion to the US, $500 million Israel, and another $13.3 billion globally.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-agriculture-projects-of-us-israel-fund-added-3-billion-to-economies-report/

Etihad to fly Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv. Etihad Airways, the second largest airline in the UAE after Emirates, has announced that it will begin operating flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on March 28, 2021. In the announcement, Etihad said it would fly to Tel Aviv “the economic and technological center of Israel.”
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-Etihad-Airways-launching-daily-Abu-Dhabi-Tel-Aviv-flights-1001349526

Fresh Israeli produce in Dubai. This article has a nice photo of an Israeli display at Dubai’s Ras Al Khor fresh market. Shlomi Fogel, Chairman of Carmel Agrexco, one of Israel’s largest exporters of agricultural produce said, “we are beginning to see the ‘fruits of peace’ today”.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/dubais-fresh-market-displays-israeli-produce-for-the-first-time/

RunYoung. Chinese venture capital fund RunYoung Technology Transfer Center has launched a $50 million fund dedicated to investing in Israeli early-stage life sciences companies that are interested in entering the Chinese market. It will invest up to $5 million in each Israeli startup.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873378,00.html

Google AI’s first Israeli investment. Israeli online data ownership startup Mine (reported here previously) has completed a $9.5 million funding round led by Gradient Ventures – the first time Google’s AI-focused venture fund has invested in an Israeli company. Mine has just launched its data privacy product in the United States.
https://www.israel21c.org/google-ai-venture-fund-invests-in-first-israeli-startup/

Bridging the gap. Israel’s Dynamic Infrastructure (reported here previously) has extended its pilot project in Suffolk County, New York.  It will now assess the structured integrity of 74 bridges in the county. Dynamic monitors over 900 bridges in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Israel.  http://diglobal.tech/
https://www.world-today-news.com/new-york-74-bridges-under-surveillance-in-suffolk-county/

Making motorcyclists safer. Israel’s Ride Vision (reported here previously) has partnered German automotive giant Continental AG and raised $7 million from investors including Israel’s OurCrowd. Ride Vision said that in 2021 its products will be available in Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Greece, Israel, and the UK.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ride-vision-raises-7-million-from-investors-in-bid-to-make-motorcyclists-safer/

Israeli driving tech for Japanese giant. The world’s second-largest mobility supplier, Denso, has selected the technology of Israel’s Foretellix (reported here previously) for its next-generation automated driving and ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) solutions. Denso’s components are in nearly every vehicle on the road.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873213,00.html

More Israeli Unicorns. Israeli cybersecurity Cato Networks (reported here previously) has just raised another $130 million of funds, bringing its market value to $1 billion. Israeli fraud preventer Forter (reported here previously) has raised another $125 million, taking its market value to $1.3 billion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3873311,00.html
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3874232,00.html

Say goodbye to security deposits. Israel’s Obligo allows tenants to avoid having to hand over large cash deposits to landlords and property managers. Obligo’s Billing Authorization system sets up a secure and limited connection to a resident’s bank account in case the owner / manager needs to charge for damages or missed rent.
https://myobligo.com/

Managing Bond portfolios. Israel’s BondIT has just acquired Germany’s Scorable to offer their combined innovative technologies to asset & wealth managers. They can build and analyze fixed-income portfolios in minutes, and then use the information to rebalance existing client portfolios.
https://bonditglobal.com/bondit-and-scorable-have-joined-forces-introducing-portfolio-management-research-as-a-service/  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3874050,00.html   https://bonditglobal.com/

Investment in Israeli startups: Cato Networks raised $130 million; Forter raised $125 million; GenCell raised $61 million; Verbit raised $60 million; K Health raised $42 million; Fireblocks raised $30 million; AI21 raised $25 million; Unbound Tech raised $20 million; Obligo raised $15.5 million; BeyondMinds raised $15 million; Intelligo raised $15 million; Mine raised $9.5 million; Ride Vision raised $7 million; Build.security raised $6 million; Resec raised $4 million; Listory raised $4 million;

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`

Jerusalem pianos festival. The Jerusalem Theater’s eighth annual Pianos Festival was held online and free of charge to all who registered. Each performance was broadcast live on both Youtube and Facebook. The festival was dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven, marking 250 years since the famed composer’s birth.
https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/jerusalem-hosts-eighth-annual-pianos-festival-for-free-completely-online-649070
https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/events-and-culture/allevents/pianos-festival/

Oud Festival goes virtual. The Jerusalem International Oud Festival Nov 19 – 28 will be online, free of charge on the Confederation House Youtube channel and on Facebook. This year’s festival will focus on Israel artists.
https://www.midnighteast.com/mag/?p=52006  http://www.confederationhouse.org/en/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkD9PtB1oNpWeeSUJpCDpQ

Loving Art Making Art. Tel Aviv’s annual “Loving Art. Making Art” festival (Nov 12 -14) exhibited the works of some 150 artists in public open spaces, 30 galleries and four museums around the city.
https://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/en/Pages/ArticlePage.aspx?WebID=9336473c-1537-4ab6-8a69-d299b5db8bcc&ListID=b4eda22c-a69a-4bef-9479-05d5a832ad16&ItemId=148

Successful virtual Israeli cultural festivals. Several Israeli cultural events have attracted large paying on-line audiences. These include the Haifa International Film Festival (30,000), the Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival (61,000) and the Haifa International Children’s Theatre Festival (2,500).
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3872854,00.html

Two Israelis selected in NBA draft. 19-year-old Israeli Deni Avdija was ninth overall in the prestigious first round of the National Basketball Association draft of new players. He will play next season for the Washington Wizards. Israeli Yam Madar was drafted 47th overall and selected in the second round by Boston Celtics.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-basketball-sensation-deni-avdija-picked-in-nba-draft/

THE JEWISH STATE

The top advocates for Israel on-line. Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) has compiled a list of 40 individuals, Jews and non-Jews from all walks of life, from around the world who are making a real difference as a fearless and tireless on-line advocate for the Jewish state.  Kol Hakavod!
https://www.jns.org/jns-top-40-global-advocates-for-israel-online/

Jerusalem comes back to life. (TY Sharon) Israel’s capital was a mixture of on-line and in-line this week as stores opened, some with long lines of customers waiting outside. Meanwhile Chabad, ALYN wheels and the Jerusalem Pianos festival (mentioned above) all connected virtually with their audiences.
http://rjstreets.com/2020/11/15/online-in-line-jerusalem/  https://www.midnighteast.com/mag/?p=52006
http://rjstreets.com/2015/12/27/pianos-in-jerusalem/

Israel Philharmonic’s virtual Hanukkah. The “Israel Philharmonic Pre-Hanukkah Global Celebration,” on Dec 6, will stream globally free of charge. It features compositions by Hans Zimmer with special guest stars.
Register using the second link below.
https://www.jns.org/israel-philharmonic-to-host-virtual-pre-hanukkah-global-music-celebration/
https://www.afipo.org/event/israel-philharmonic-pre-hanukkah-global-celebration/

L’Hayim. Mike Pompeo was the first US Secretary of State to visit Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights. He visited the Samaria Psagot winery, which named a red wine “Pompeo” in his honor and presented him with a 1st century CE Jewish coin depicting a wine vessel, found in a cave near the winery.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pompeo-makes-unprecedented-golan-heights-visit-this-is-israel/

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Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel. www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com