Border towns okayed to evacuate residents with fighting expected to last several days; bomb shelters opened in center and south; hospitals move patients to fortified areas
By ToI Staff
Local council in south says dozens of families evacuating over fears of Gaza reprisal
Gallant holds assessment on Gaza with heads of security branches
Palestinian teen gets 15 years in prison for seriously hurting man in Jerusalem stabbing
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
Local council in south says dozens of families evacuating over fears of Gaza reprisal
By Emanuel Fabian
The Shaar Hanegev Regional Council says dozens of families have left their communities close to the border with Gaza, amid fears of rocket fire following deadly Israeli airstrikes in the Strip.
The council says the families living within four kilometers of Gaza are taken to be hosted in towns in central, northern, and southern Israel.
By the end of the day, over 200 families are expected to leave, the council says.
“The council is prepared to assist all residents who have special needs, including mobility problems and more,” it adds.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2nd-L) meets IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (R), Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar (2nd-R) and Mossad head David Barnea at his office in Tel Aviv on May 9, 2023. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
nt is holding an assessment now with senior military and defense officials at his office in Tel Aviv.
The meeting comes following Israel’s airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip, as part of an operation dubbed Shield and Arrow.
Participating in the meeting are IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Mossad head David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, head of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen Aharon Haliva, the officer in charge of Iran affairs Maj. Gen. Tal Kelma, the military’s liaison to the Palestinians Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, and other official
Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top generals wrap up an assessment after airstrikes in the Gaza Strip this morning, and an expected response by terror groups.
The Israel Defense Forces says the meeting at the military’s main command center focuses on action plans based on the potential developments, and the IDF’s readiness on all fronts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at the bombing campaign Israel launched in the Gaza Strip overnight during a meeting yesterday with two senior Biden administration officials, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report says Netanyahu did not raise the timing of the strikes — which included the assassinations of three top Palestinian Islamic Jihad members — while speaking with US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk and energy czar Amos Hochstein, but spoke generally about a potential future operation in Gaza.
Senior US officials discussed the idea — an answer to China’s Belt and Road initiative — with the Saudi, Indian, and Emirati national security advisers earlier this week.
They two also discuss a range of measures designed to bring the two states even closer, including more direct flights and easing the visa process.
The diplomats sign an agreement to bring some 42,000 Indian foreign workers to Israel, some 34,000 in construction and 8,000 in elder care.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland briefs, over video conference, the Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on January 26, 2021. (Daniela Penkova/UNSCO/File)
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland condemns the “unacceptable” killing of civilians in Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight.
Wennesland notes that in addition to the three Islamic Jihad leaders targeted, the strikes also killed “a doctor, five women and four children.”
“I condemn the deaths of civilians in the Israeli airstrikes. This is unacceptable,” he says.
Israeli airstrikes in #Gaza this morning resulted in killing 13 Palestinians – 3 PIJ members, 5 women & 4 children. I condemn the deaths of civilians.
Urge all concerned to exercise restraint. I remain fully engaged in an attempt to avoid a broader conflict.
In this handout photo from May 8, 2023, President Isaac Herzog speaks at his official residence in Jerusalem. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
President Isaac Herzog praises the Gaza strikes and urges Israeli citizens to listen to safety instructions from the Home Front command.
“I congratulate the IDF and the security forces on the comprehensive and intensive operations to foil terror and defend the State of Israel,” Herzog says.
“We face many security challenges that oblige us to act responsibly and to respond to instructions from the Home Front,” he says. “All of us, in our hearts and minds, are with the IDF, the security forces, and the residents of the south.”
Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group leader Jihad Ghanem during a funeral for him and his wife in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 9, 2023, following their deaths in a pre-dawn Israeli air strike. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The so-called Joint Operations Room of various Palestinian terror factions in the Gaza Strip says Israel and its leaders will “pay the price” for airstrikes this morning targeting senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In a brief statement, the collective, which includes both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, says it mourns the 13 Palestinians killed in the strikes.
It adds that Israel bears full responsibility for “this cowardly crime,” and that Israel’s leaders will “pay the price
Gallant tells southern mayors to prepare residents for possible prolonged conflict
By Emanuel Fabian
“We must be prepared for any scenario, including a prolonged campaign with an extended range of fire,” Gallant says, according to remarks provided by his office.
“It is very important that the citizens, under your leadership, be disciplined, attentive, and listen to life-saving instructions. The IDF and the security forces are prepared with all means and on all fronts,” he says.
“The defense establishment will provide whatever assistance is required. I instructed the professionals to be in continuous contact with you and take care of everything required for the needs of the residents. You have our full support,” Gallant adds.
The spokesman for the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad vows the terror group will respond to the deaths of three senior members in Israeli airstrikes this morning.
“The Al-Quds Brigades and the resistance affirms we will abide by our commitment and duty toward the martyrs, and will confront the aggression with steadfastness and courage,” says the spokesman, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Hamza
The Kan public broadcaster says that the Israeli delegation to the Eurovision in Liverpool is staying updated on the security developments in Israel as they prepare for tonight’s semifinal.
“Noa [Kirel] and all the members of the delegation are continuing to do everything to represent the country with pride in the semifinal tonight,” says the broadcaster in a statement.
If the situation in Israel escalates, the broadcaster adds, the competition will not air on the main Kan news channel as planned at 10 p.m. local time, but will air on Kan Educational (Channel 80) as well as on its website and on YouTube.
Kirel is slated to perform ninth in this evening’s competition with her song “Unicorn,” hoping to garner enough votes to qualify for Saturday’s grand final.
For the first time this year, viewers from around the globe — and not just those in countries who participate in the Eurovision — are able to cast their votes in the competition.
Jordan condemns the Israeli strikes in Gaza this morning, along with IDF raids in the West Bank.
A spokesman for the foreign ministry “stresses the need for the international community to move immediately and effectively to stop this aggression, and to provide protection for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in all the occupied Palestinian territories.”
The statement also says Jordan continues to work to ease tensions and end the cycles of violence
The Israel Defense Forces publishes footage of the airstrikes this morning against two of the three senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad members who were targeted and killed.
Moscow: Russian citizen, his wife and child among dead in Gaza strike
The Russian diplomatic delegation in Ramallah, in the West Bank, says that one of the men killed In Israeli strikes this morning was a Russian national.
The Lion’s Den armed group claims responsibility for setting off the bomb.
One soldier is lightly hurt in the incident. The IDF said two Palestinian suspects were detained during the operation in Nablus’s Old City.
pation forces vehicles whilst withdrawing from the city of Nablus. pic.twitter.com/jZo0b3KH7t
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides will leave his job in the summer after just two years, the Axios news site reports.
The report, citing two US officials, says that Nides informed US Secretary of State of his decision during a visit to Washington last week.
The report says Nides cited personal reasons after being away from his family since December 2021.
Many in the crowd are holding flags of the terror group.
Egypt condemns the Israeli strikes on Gaza, saying they were contrary to international law.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement says the strikes that killed three Islamic Jihad leaders and 10 others “are inconsistent with the rules of international law” and could fuel further violence.
Egypt has frequently acted as a mediator between Israel and the terror groups in Gaza.
Meanwhile, an Islamic Jihad source tells AFP that one of the killed men was part of a delegation from a group that had been due to travel to Cairo for a meeting Thursday, which had now been canceled
Israel Trauma Coalition opening resilience centers in Ukraine
The Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) is cooperating with the Ukrainian government and others to establish resilience centers in several Ukrainian cities. The first center opened in April in Kyiv, with others planned for Odesa, Kharkiv, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi, close to the front lines.
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Interview of Bernie:
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The Home Depot Billionaire’s Secrets of Success
by Sarah Pachter
Bernie Marcus grew up dirt poor. Now he’s giving away his fortune.
Bernie Marcus is passionate about giving all his money away.
The Home Depot founder is a signatory of “The Giving Pledge,” a group of billionaire philanthropists who have committed to giving the majority of their money away to charity, during their lifetime or posthumously.
Bernie has established a foundation which works tirelessly to support various causes. After he dies, he wants it dissolved and all his money to be given away within 20 years.
The billionaire was born just before the Great Depression, into abject poverty. Here are some of his greatest life lessons.
Miracle Baby
When Marcus’s mother was young, with several children at home, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her hands and feet became crippled and she was confined to her bed in excruciating pain. Their family was destitute and Marcus’s father was only able to maintain occasional work.
A Jewish doctor told his mother about a risky solution to her arthritis. He explained that her only chance at ever walking again was if she had another child.
Desperate for a solution, his parents tried and Bernie was born — mere days before the huge stock market crash leading to the Great Depression. They called Bernie a miracle baby because his mother was in fact able to walk again.
“I’m sure that to some degree my siblings resented having another mouth to feed, but I know that they also always believed that my birth helped save our mother’s life.”
Refuse to Bribe Harvard
As a child, Bernie hoped to become a doctor. He finished his prerequisite courses for medical school at Rutgers and applied for scholarships at various schools. The Dean of Harvard called young Bernie personally and said, “I secured a scholarship for you. Welcome to Harvard Medical School!”
Bernie was thrilled.
Then the Dean continued, “You can send the $10,000 check to the following address.” He explained that Harvard utilized a quota system that allowed only a specific amount of Jews to be admitted each year.
“This was old-fashioned antisemitism at play. I realized I would have to bribe my way in. There was no way I could come up with ten thousand dollars. Not if I worked fifty jobs, started robbing banks, or turned every member of my family upside down to shake money out of their pockets. But it wasn’t about the money. I was not going to pay a bribe to get into a school that I was qualified to attend. I was devastated that my dream was over.”
Little did Bernie know that his real dream was just beginning.
“I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been had I paid that bribe to Harvard. There would be no Home Depot. There would be no Israel Democracy Institute. There would be no Georgia Aquarium. A lot of cutting-edge research on stem cells, autism, cancer…would remain unfunded. I am not one to look backward and become mired in regret, but I know one thing for sure: ‘Do it yourself’ was my mantra.”
Failure is the price we pay on the road to success
On April 14, 1978 Marcus was fired from his job at Handy Dan Home Improvement.
Just over a year later, at 50 years old, he opened a new store called Home Depot—a huge warehouse that stocked everything one could need for home improvement, at low prices. He planned to have excellent customer service and was confident this would be a homerun business.
The day of the grand opening, June 22, 1979, his children stood outside the store, ready to hand out one-dollar bills to entice passersby to step inside. By the end of the day, they had plenty of dollars left over. Bernie’s hopes were crushed. His wife didn’t want him shaving that night, fearing what he could do if left alone with a razor.
Bernie Marcus in 1987
But Bernie didn’t give up. His team was passionate about this model and weren’t afraid to try again.
Their motto was honesty above all, even if it meant losing a sale. Years later, during a game of golf, Bernie’s friend said to him, “Your company is going to go bankrupt.”
“What are you talking about?” Bernie replied.
“It’s simple. I came in because my faucet broke. I was ready to purchase a faucet that would cost over two hundred dollars. Your employee told me that all I actually needed was a part that cost two dollars. Then the man showed me how to fix it myself. If you keep following this model, you will lose your pants in no time.”
Bernie smiled and leaned towards him. “Maybe. But if you ever have a problem again, where are you going to go next time?”
Do It Now
Bernie is a big believer in “Do it, and do it now.”
Once when negotiating a deal in Japan, his team realized that the Japanese negotiators had someone who understood English, so they had no way of communicating privately amongst themselves.
Looking at each other and realizing that they were three Jews from New Jersey, they started to speak in Yiddish.
The Japanese heard the new language and put everything on hold. They miraculously found a Japanese-Yiddish translator later that afternoon.
Later, after the deal was done, the translator privately admitted, “When we heard you say in Yiddish that if it doesn’t happen now we are getting on a plane and heading back to America, we realized we had to sign. It was now or never.”
Bernie also feels strongly that it’s never too late to start. He shared some examples of hugely successful entrepreneurs who started later in life: Kentucky Fried Chicken had humble beginnings, but started to franchise at the age of 60; Duncan Hines put his name on cake mixes at 73; Julia Child debuted on television at the age of 53.
Give Back
A childhood memory helped shape Bernie’s life.
Even though his family often did not have enough food to eat and his parents worked tirelessly to make ends meet, his mother always set aside a few coins for charity.
Once, rather than giving her children money for a snack, his mother told them that she was giving money to tzedaka, charity. She pulled out a small charity box. It never amounted to much, just a few dollars over the course of the year, but she always found someone who needed it more than them.
At the time Bernie was furious, but the lesson remained etched in his mind forever. Giving tzedaka is an important Jewish value that his mother instilled in him.
Years later, his accountant called to say, “Congratulations! You are now officially a billionaire!”
He turned to his wife and said, “Honey you can have anything you want in the world, or we can do great things. What do you want to do?”
“Let’s do great things!” she responded heartily.
“I don’t understand some wealthy people. It’s almost as if they keep a scorecard—who can get richer? Who can buy a bigger plane or a fancier superyacht? Who can buy a private island? It’s a perverse game of one-upmanship. Who has time for that? I have a friend who, I discovered, was making more than five million, and yet he only gave away $750 a year. That was it. The rest he spent on himself, and boasted about it. I ended the friendship, and I’m sure he still gives nothing away.”
There are angels in everyone’s life
When Bernie Marcus was looking to secure a loan to enable Home Depot’s launch, he approached Rip Fleming, a banker he knew from his Handy Dan days.
“Rip, my life is on the line,” he said. “If we don’t get a line of credit from you, we can’t get this business off the ground. Everybody has turned us down.”
After threatening to sleep at the bank for weeks and not leave without the loan, Rip agreed to try. He made three attempts, and by the fourth round he secured the loan.
Years later, Mr. Marcus learned what really happened.
Rip threatened to quit if we didn’t secure the loan. He was prepared to sacrifice everything for
When Rip retired, Bernie was the Master of Ceremonies at his dinner party, and he was seated next to the CEO of the Bank Rip had secured the loan from.
The CEO said to him, “You know, when Rip came to the loan committee to try to persuade us to give Home Depot a line of credit, we said no three times. On the fourth time, Rip threatened to quit if we didn’t secure the loan. He was prepared to sacrifice everything for you. The day we gave you the loan, we wrote it off as bad debt. We gave you the deal to keep Rip at the bank.”
Rip never told Bernie any of this.
“You can’t just give, sit back and be passive,” explains Bernie. “You have to find a way to get involved and contribute your skills. If you aren’t helping or volunteering, you are missing the best part of your life. That’s what builds the spirit of connectedness. Nothing compares to the feeling you get when you have touched somebody. Just writing a check will never give you that
Sarah Pachter is a dynamic, motivational speaker who has lectured throughout the US and Israel. For the past thirteen years Sarah has passionately taught women of all ages and levels of Jewish observance, drawing in large crowds with her innovative and personal touch. In addition to lecturing for many organizations, schools, and synagogues, she is a Kallah teacher, dating coach, and mentor. Sarah runs growth groups in private homes and meets with individuals for one-on-one private sessions. Sarah has been featured on the Radio, is a regular columnist, and a freelance writer for the Jewish Press, Aish.com and the Jewish Home as well as many other publications. She has authored Small Choices Big Changes published by Targum Press. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and five children. Her new book Is it Ever Enough? by Feldheim was just released. Sarah Pachter is also the host of Starstruck with Sarah Pachter, the new Aish podcast.
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This week's newsletter takes you inside many of Israel's achievements. Israeli medical successes include the world's smallest heart pump; a mother and daughter heart transplant; removal of painful internal human tissue by freezing; and how to live longer by maintaining a healthy inside. Israelis went inside the United Nations to show how Israel benefits the world; Israeli apartments are being strengthened inside to protect them against earthquakes; and Israeli children receive education even while inside hospitals.
You can read the inside story of Israel's Iron Beam laser defense project; the inside-out process of an Israeli startup that turns any plastic waste back into petrochemicals; an Israeli sunscreen with minerals that go inside coral reefs to promote growth; and an Israeli airport scanning system that can check inside passenger baggage 10 times faster than any human-operated X-ray device.
So many Israeli companies are working inside US States to benefit their economies; and inside companies such as Volvo and thousands of cities worldwide to make transportation safer and more efficient.
Finally, the atmosphere inside Israel has been uplifted by the story of Lucy Dee's husband and remaining children coming to the hospital to listen to Lucy's heart which is now beating inside an overjoyed Israeli woman.
The photo is of the inside of Israel's Knesset - Parliament, the decision-making institution of the most democratic country in the Middle East. The photo was taken during the announcement that the President of Israel would travel to London and walk on Shabbat to Westminster Abbey to attend the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Please recommend www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and forward this email to friends, family and colleagues and especially to any individuals who you think need to know about the good work that Israel does.
In the 7th May 23 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
Israelis have developed and implanted the world’s smallest heart pump.
Medical experts come to Israel to learn about healthy aging.
Israelis show the Jewish State in its true light to the United Nations.
Israeli technology can solve the problem of unrecyclable plastic.
Israeli airport security scanning is keeping our skies safe.
Oil from Jerusalem is used to anoint King Charles.
Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Israeli surgeons perform innovative skin cancer treatment. For the first time in Israel, plastic surgeons and oncologists at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center used electrochemotherapy to treat skin cancer tumors. An electric current disrupts the cellular membrane of the tumor cells, allowing chemotherapy to enter.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-740208
Successful trial of world’s smallest heart pump. Israel’s Magenta Medical has completed the First-In-Human trial, in Tbilisi, Georgia, of its Elevate percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD) – the smallest heart pump in the world. Magenta has just raised $55 million and US clinical trials are now being planned.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/magenta-medical-closes-55m-funding-round-led-by-orbimed-301814419.html https://www.tctmd.com/slide/magenta-elevatetm-high-output-low-french-size-percutaneous-left-ventricular-support-device https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sjv57t14h
Cold cure. (TY Hazel) A study used the cryoablation system from Israel’s IceCure Medical (see here previously) to treat 42 women with the chronic, painful, incurable disease endometriosis. 93.75% had no pain after six months, and 82.72% remained pain-free up to three years later.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/freezing-tech-could-treat-painful-womens-disease/
Israel closes last Covid-19 ward. Jerusalem’s Herzog Medical Center has closed the hospital’s coronavirus ward, the last one operating in the country. The ward’s closure means that future COVID-19 patients will be treated in regular hospital wards. Herzog’s coronavirus ward opened in August 2020, and treated 2,000 patients.
https://www.jns.org/israel-shuts-down-last-covid-specific-hospital-ward/
Sheba saves mother and daughter. (TY UWI & I24 News) When an Israeli woman discovered that she and her daughter were suffering from a dangerous genetic heart condition, Sheba Medical Center found innovative ways to save their lives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0IfKRI0As
Biomed Israel. 6,000 delegates are expected at Biomed Israel in Tel Aviv - the 21st annual networking event to explore life-sciences and health-tech topics ranging from medical robots to longevity. The event (May18 – 18) will attract healthcare industry executives, scientists, engineers, physicians, and investors from 45 countries.
https://www.israel21c.org/global-health-industry-stakeholders-coming-to-biomed-israel/
https://kenes-exhibitions.com/biomed/agenda/
Can lucid dreaming be harmful. The normally anti-Israel BBC has credited the medical research of scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University. Lucid dreaming is when you realize that you are in a dream and then use the opportunity to control the dream.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230425-can-lucid-dreaming-be-harmful
Live longer in Israel. The Longevity Nation conference, (Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life in Israel) in March highlighted 5 factors to healthy aging. Energized cells, good arteries, removal of old cells, SIRT6 prevents frailty, and methylation counters stress. The Sheba Longevity conference is on May 10 - 11.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-scientists-seeking-secrets-to-longer-healthier-lives/ https://longevitynation.org/
https://www.longevityisrael.org/ https://slcc.co.il/
Not the oldest. A previous newsletter (see here) reported that Israeli doctors put a pacemaker into 102-year-old Rachel Kafri. As remarkable as it sounds, Rachel isn’t the oldest Israeli recipient of a pacemaker. The same medical team has implanted pacemakers inside at least three other Israelis older than 100. The eldest was 107.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/israel-middle-east/why-israelis-live-so-long
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Providing education for hospitalized Israeli children. Since its inception in 2009, SASA Setton (see here previously) has provided educational solutions to nearly 2 million hospitalized children from all parts of Israeli society in every hospital in Israel – some 140,000 children annually in Hebrew, English, Arabic, and Ukrainian.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-740068
Dog-training therapy for wounded soldiers. New York-based belev echad has established a program Dogs 4 Soldiers. It provides therapeutic puppies to love and assist wounded IDF warriors. The soldiers learn to train their puppies by professional dog trainers who then certify the soldiers to become professional dog trainers.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/idf-veterans-best-friend-dogs-ease-pain-of-ptsd/
https://belevechad.nyc/programs/israel/dogs-4-soldiers/
The faces of Israel. The Jerusalem Post partnered Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance to organize the “Celebrate the Faces of Israel” conference. The Israeli speakers included The President, Jerusalem’s Mayor, Nobel Laureates Aumann and Shechtman; MKs and business leaders, plus US Ambassadors past & present, and more.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370662 https://congress.jpost.com/faces-of-israel-23/
Urban renewal projects up by 200%. In 2022, urban renewal permits increased by 200% (28,630 units) over 2021. Most of these were to reinforce apartment buildings built before 1980 to withstand earthquakes, and add amenities such as an elevator, enlarge the apartments and add a protective security room.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/urban-renewal-project-approvals-tripled-in-2022-in-bid-to-increase-housing/
Showing the UN the benefits of drone technology. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, together with Israel’s National Drone Initiative, held an event at the UN headquarters on drone technologies. Israeli startups presented the "sky of tomorrow,” featuring smart transportation, security, safety, health, commerce and more.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370980
Shalva Band plays at the UN. To celebrate Israel’s 75th Anniversary, Israel’s Shalva band performed to hundreds of diplomats on the stage of the United Nations in Geneva. The band comprises disabled performers including two blind singers. One of them sung a song in Arabic that she dedicated to all the mothers in the hall.
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjkpz6jv2
All at sea in Singapore. Israel inaugurated its national pavilion at Singapore’s IMDEX Asia Naval and Maritime Defense Exhibition. The event was attended by over 11,000 delegates from more than 60 countries and regions. Israeli companies included Controp, DSIT, Elbit, IAI, Israel Shipyards, Orbit and Rafael.
https://www.jns.org/israel-inaugurates-national-pavilion-at-singapore-defense-exhibition/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
How Israel became the Innovation Nation. (TY WIN & I24 News) A new video which explains how Israel has grown to an innovation powerhouse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oNjVyCKEGY
SpaceTech growing at Light Speed. This OurCrowd webinar highlights how SpaceTech is changing the way people work on Earth. Hear speakers from Axiom Space. Balerion Space Ventures, Edgybees and Ursa Major.
https://events.ourcrowd.com/project/spacetech-growing-at-lightspeed/
Edison award winner. Israel’s Innoviz (see here previously) has been awarded the Edison Award for technology in the Smart Transportation category. Its latest product, InnovizTwo, provides high-performance, automotive-grade LiDAR sensor for all levels of autonomous driving at dramatically lower cost.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-740032
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwi8wTTcnGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zskIHfyVXM
https://innoviz.tech/innoviztwo#top
A beam of light on the horizon. A most comprehensive article about Magen Or (Light Shield or Iron Beam) the laser defense system being developed by Israel’s Rafael and the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/t7ac5asht
Turning sludge into fertilizer. Lodologic the Brazilian affiliate of Israel’s Paulee Cleantec. has signed a contract with SABESP, one of Brazil’s largest sanitation providers, to treat over 310 tons of wastewater sludge every day from 4 million residents. It will be turned into organo-mineral fertilizer, in high demand by farmers.
https://www.israel21c.org/turning-tons-of-brazilian-sludge-into-odorless-fertilizer/
Returning plastic to its origins. Israel’s Plastic Back can reverse engineer any type of plastic waste into its original oil, wax, and chemical components. It will buy any plastic waste that cannot be recycled and pilot a chemical process developed at the Hebrew University, to upcycle the waste back to the petrochemical industry.
https://www.israel21c.org/novel-system-reverse-engineers-plastic-waste-for-upcycling/
https://www.plastic-back.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npp9-vYYx7Q
Biodegradable plastic. (TY Hazel) Interesting video featuring Israel’s Biotic (see here previously) and its bio-degradable polymer produced from naturally grown algae. The algae is ocean grown, so no arable land is used; and sea-water, rather than treated water is also used in the process, minimizing resources used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM8QhUtGU7U https://www.biotic-labs.com/
A breath of fresh water. Israel’s Mayu aims to produce healthy and sustainable water, accessible to anyone, anywhere. Its water filtration devices purify, through filtration; aerate, to balance oxygen levels; and mineralize, by “micro-dosing” the water with minerals. Mayu’s first product – The Swirl is available on its website.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-startup-aiming-to-fix-the-water-we-drink/ https://mayuwater.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxsWaEChE7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOrwa6Mo4VM
A sunscreen that is good for corals. In a previous news story (see here) Israeli scientists had issued a global warning that sunscreen ingredient BP-3 was harmful to coral reefs. Now Eilat has partnered with marine and skincare specialists to develop Reef Relief, a sunscreen that includes nourishing minerals to help reefs grow.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/worlds-first-sunscreen-that-nourishes-coral-reefs/
https://www.reefreliefsunscreen.com/
Thermal storage factory opens. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Brenmiller Energy (see here previously) has opened its first production plant in the southern Israeli city of Dimona. The factory, built with the help of EU funds, aims to produce storage systems capable of holding four gigawatts of energy by the end of the year.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-green-thermal-storage-company-opens-first-factory-in-dimona/
Better airline security. (TY Nevet) The security scanning system from Israel’s SeeTrue (see here previously) is now deployed at several European airports. In 2022 it detected 500,000+ prohibited items, from scissors and screwdrivers to drugs and banknotes. It is 10 times faster than a human and has half the error rate.
https://nocamels.com/2023/04/ai-bag-scanner-is-faster-and-more-accurate-than-airport-staff/
Grapes originated in the Land of Israel. Scientists previously (see here) traced the domestication of grapes to Israel and the Caucasus. Now researchers from Tel Aviv and Haifa universities have confirmed the original findings by genetic tests on ancient wine seeds discovered by archeologists in the Negev.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rkk72kxv2
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Trade with New Jersey is worth billions. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority reports that trade between New Jersey and Israel increased by 11% in 2022 to $1.72 billion. It also highlighted that Israeli investments were valued at approximately $551m. and had created 1,900 local jobs since 2003.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-740242
https://www.jns.org/despite-economic-headwinds-new-jersey-israel-trade-increased-11-in-2022/
One of the fastest growing companies in the world. The annual revenue of Israeli cybersecurity Semperis (see here previously) has grown to nearly $100 million in just 9 years. Its disaster recovery system knows how to detect cyber-attacks, neutralize them, and restore the organization's activities automatically.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/s1yug0x7n
A growing Unicorn. Optibus (see here previously) is a billion-dollar Israeli private company whose value is increasing, despite the current financial market downturn. In 2022 it doubled its revenues and workforce. Its public transportation management software is now used in 2,000 cities worldwide.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sk8hzaxq3
Permit to sell cow-free milk. Israel’s Remilk (see here previously) has received regulatory approval from Israel’s Health Ministry to sell its cultured protein-based cow-free milk products to Israeli consumers. Remilk already has permits to sell its products (chemically identical to cow’s milk) in the USA and Singapore.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-remilk-gets-first-regulatory-permit-in-israel-to-sell-cow-free-milk/
How 7th Heaven was invented. 7th Heaven chocolate (see here previously) was conceived in the kitchens of two vegan Israeli chocoholics Daniel and Elya, who were dating. They have just raised $3 million to market the creamy non-dairy, kosher chocolate beyond its current retail locations of New York, Miami, and California.
https://worldisraelnews.com/7th-heaven-how-date-night-turned-into-a-3m-israeli-vegan-chocolate-company/
https://www.7thheavenchocolate.com/
Volvo invests in Israeli driver safety startup. (TY OurCrowd) Volvo Cars Tech Fund joined the current $6M target funding round for CorrActions (see here previously). Its CEO said “CorrActions fits the bill perfectly and focuses on a mission that is close to our heart: making cars and traffic safer.”
https://www.media.volvocars.com/uk/en-gb/media/pressreleases/310402/volvo-cars-tech-fund-invests-in-ai-startup-corractions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StZoharC4VQ
https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/24/volvo-cars-tech-fund-invests-in-driver-monitoring-startup-corractions/
49 more startups in MassChallenge II. Israel’s largest equity-free accelerator program, MassChallenge IL, brought together 49 startups in Jerusalem recently to learn business essentials, a first step towards enabling companies to complete its four-month “investor-ready” program.
https://www.jns.org/49-israeli-startups-learn-business-basics-in-masschallenge-program/
Rolling out smart shopping carts. Israel’s A2Z Smart Technologies (see here previously) has signed an agreement to roll out 1,000 of its smart pick-and-go, self-checkout shopping carts at Israel’s Hastok home design and household concept stores across the country in a deal valued at NIS 30 million ($8.3 million).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-startup-inks-nis-30m-deal-to-deploy-smart-carts-at-local-home-design-stores/
Exits, takeovers and mergers to 7/5/23. US-based Blink Mobility acquired Israel’s Envoy for $34 million. Israel’s Youappi has been acquired by an unnamed US company for around $110 million.
Investment in Israeli startups to 7/5/23: Pinecone raised $100 million; Healthy.io raised $50 million; Magenta Medical raised $55 million; Novidea raised $50 million; Coro.net raised $45 million; Foretellix raised $43 million; ADASKY raised $30 million; Trullion raised $15 million; Neteera raised $13 million; Ctrl raised $9 million; Aligned raised $5.8 million; Viridix raised $4.1 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Prize for Jewish Literature. Israeli writer Iddo Gefen has won the $100,000 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for his short-story collection, “Jerusalem Beach.” Iddo is a cognitive psychology doctoral student at Columbia University. His book is a series of snapshots of contemporary life in Israel - some to become movies.
https://www.jns.org/iddo-gefen-wins-sami-rohr-prize-for-jewish-literature/
Visit Arad. The desert city of Arad has changed since the article’s author first visited in 1989. Its coffee bars, healthy environment, wellness therapy, art studios, wineries, brewery, restaurants, hiking trails, hotels and glamping sites provide plenty to interest tourists and visiting Israelis. Search “Travel Arad Israel” for more.
https://www.israel21c.org/experience-relaxed-desert-tourism-in-arad/
Tour Jerusalem on a Red Bus. The new Red Bus City Tour offers narrated sightseeing tours of Jerusalem in a choice of 29 languages. The 90-min tour visits the Old City, Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus. Or 2.5 hours to City Hall, Sacher Park, Knesset, Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, National Library, Mount Herzl and more.
https://www.israel21c.org/tour-jerusalem-in-a-red-double-decker-bus-with-narration/
https://redbuscitytours.com/
FIFA supports Israeli soccer programs. FIFA - the top governing body in the world of soccer – has awarded $30,000 to Israeli non-profit “The Equalizer” (see here previously) for its 3 soccer programs. FIFA has also renewed its support for the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation’s sports program (see here previously).
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-740087?utm_source=jpost.app.android&utm_medium=share
THE JEWISH STATE
Practical advice for UK Anglos pre- and post- Aliya. On Tue 16 May, 7pm UK time, UKAA is hosting two free online talks. The 1st concerns insuring your shipment to Israel. The 2nd is on where to buy your home. Register at the link below. or email info@ukaliyahadvisors.com with your full name and phone number.
https://ukaliyahadvisors.com/event/16-may-2023/
Jewish and Democratic. (TY Nevet) The latest edition of the annual Democracy Index from the prestigious Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranks Israel 23rd of 167 countries. Israel is by far the most democratic country in the Middle East, and it is also ahead of Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the United States.
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israel-ranks-above-spain-italy-and-us-for-democracy-in-new-ranking-5thm78K0h6XhdVKV066TwE
Digitizing ancient Israel inscriptions. US Brown University, and the University of Virginia before that, have digitized over 5,000 texts and their translations from the land of Israel between 500 BCE and 514 CE. They were written mostly on mosaics and stone, and are largely in Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
https://www.jns.org/brown-university-project-is-digitizing-10000-ancient-israel-inscriptions/
http://www.inscriptionsisraelpalestine.org/
Israeli archeologists excavate in Morocco. The Abraham Accords have allowed Israeli researchers to excavate two huge ‘genizas’ found in rural Morocco. Israelis who once lived in abandoned Moroccan villages are now able to investigate remnants of their Jewish life in Morocco and that of their ancestors. https://www.timesofisrael.com/abraham-accords-allow-israelis-to-excavate-two-huge-genizas-found-in-rural-morocco/
75 Ambassadors plant 75 trees for Israel 75. To commemorate Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence, the KKL-JNF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs encouraged the whole diplomatic corps in Israel to plant 75 trees as a symbol of growth, development, and a strong connection to the land of Israel.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-75-ambassadors-plant-75-trees-in-israel-on-israels-75th-anniversary/
King Charles is anointed with Jerusalem oil. The oil used to crown King Charles III on May 6th comes from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, noted the “deep historic link” between the oil for the coronation and that of biblical kings.
https://www.jns.org/king-charles-to-be-anointed-with-oil-from-mount-of-olives/
Lucy Dee’s heart. When Lital woke up after the transplant surgery with the heart of Lucy (Leah) Dee, she couldn’t stop crying. “How much love does the Creator of the world have to give me the heart of such a woman? The power of this woman of grace, I feel it inside my body.” Then Lucy’s family came to visit Lital.
https://worldisraelnews.com/i-have-so-much-love-to-give-says-recipient-of-terror-victim-lucy-dees-heart/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/like-im-with-her-terror-victim-lucy-dees-family-visits-recipients-of-her-organs/
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Official portraits for King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation released
Release of pictures showing Their Majesties in all their finery comes as monarch thanks public for their kindness
By Victoria Ward, ROYAL EDITOR
King Charles
The King is captured in his full regalia, wearing the Imperial State Crown and holding the Orb and Sceptre with Cross CREDIT: Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/PA
The King has hailed the public’s support, encouragement and kindness as “the greatest possible Coronation gift” as the first official portraits for the event were released.
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EXCLUSIVE: McCarthy Blocks Rashida Tlaib's Anti-Semitic Congressional Event
'As long as I’m Speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense'
By Adam Kredo
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy moved on Tuesday evening to block Michigan's Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from hosting an anti-Semitic congressional event planned for Wednesday, the speaker’s office confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon.
McCarthy told the Free Beacon that he intervened late Tuesday to reserve the Capitol Visitor Center space where Tlaib was set to host a Wednesday event to mourn Israel’s founding as a "catastrophe.' In its place, the speaker will lead a bipartisan briefing celebrating the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
"It’s wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel," McCarthy told the Free Beacon. "As long as I’m Speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion."
The anti-Semitic ‘Squad’ member came under fire this week after the Free Beacon reported that she would host the event alongside an array of anti-Israel groups, including some that have defended terrorism. Tlaib’s event was meant to celebrate the "Nakba," a Palestinian term for the creation of Israel that loosely translates as "catastrophe."
It is unclear how Tlaib and her supporters will move forward with the event now that McCarthy has occupied their meeting space. Tlaib, or another member, could potentially attempt to reschedule the event for a later date.
McCarthy’s intervention comes on the heels of a letter sent Tuesday evening by a rabbinical group asking leaders in the House and Senate to condemn Tlaib’s event.
"It is unsurprising but appalling that the featured speaker at this event will be a Member of Congress who describes the only Middle Eastern country to give equality and voting rights to both Jews and Arabs as ‘apartheid,’" the Coalition for Jewish Values, a pro-Israel advocacy organization comprised of more than 2,000 rabbis, wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Free Beacon. "We hope that our request will meet with your favorable response, and that you will condemn this event in the strongest terms as soon as possible."
Tlaib was scheduled to headline the anti-Israel event with several organizations that support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an anti-Semitic effort to wage economic war on Israel. They include Jewish Voice for Peace, a "radical anti-Israel activist group" that pushes the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has come under fire for glorifying Palestinian terrorism. Other organizers include Emgage Action, another BDS supporter that claims Israel is an "apartheid state," and Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, an advocacy group that claims Jewish money is infecting politics.
The invitation for Wednesday's event accuses "Zionist militias" of violently expelling Palestinians from the region when Israel was created in 1948, and maintains that Israel continues to brutalize Palestinians.
"May 15th marks 75 years since the beginning of the Nakba, which means 'catastrophe,'" the invitation reads. "Seventy-five years ago, Zionist militias and the new Israeli military violently expelled approximately three-quarters of all Palestinians from their homes and homeland in what became the state of Israel."
Speakers aimed to "uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba, and educate members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians," according to the invitation.
Nakba ceremonies have long promoted anti-Israel attitudes and descended "into expressions of support for terror groups or attacks against Israelis," according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. Tlaib's office did not respond to a request for comment.
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Today you learned, if you were listening or cared to, what I have said all along. The Biden Family is corrupt and "UNCLE" Joe is a liar and should be tried for his activities and eventually thrown out of office. .
So what is going to happen? Do we care any more?
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