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By Derek Hunter
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Nor did she care:
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Hillary Clinton Did Joe Biden No Favors With These Remarks
By Matt Vespa
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https://www.visualcapitalist.
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Robbert Kraft is a courageous Jew who is a billionaire and has a billion dollar heart.
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'I'm worried about our country': How NFL owner Robert Kraft targets hate with Super Bowl ad
Robert Kraft looks at America, the nation he loves, and is scared about what he sees.
"I don't recognize parts of this nation," he said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports. "I don't like where we're headed. I'm worried about our country right now."
Kraft has always been more than the owner of the Patriots. He's a proud Jew who has dedicated large swaths of his life to fighting antisemitism and fostering racial togetherness, particularly between Blacks and Jews. Kraft, like many others, has watched the steady increase of anti-Jew hate and believes the country is at a perilous moment in its history.
"I saw men dressed up as Nazis in Charlottesville yelling, 'Jews will not replace us,'" Kraft said. "There was the Tree of Life massacre. None of this should be happening in the United States of America."
"We're the greatest country in the world but it's starting to look like Germany in the 1930s to me," he said. When Kraft was read back that quote and asked exactly what he meant, Kraft didn't skip a beat: "And I want to prevent us from getting to the 1940s."
One way Kraft wants to help prevent the spread of Jewish hate, he says, was the purchase of a 30-second advertisement that will play during the Super Bowl. It's the first-ever ad that Kraft's Foundation to Combat Antisemitism has run in the big game. It's also a continuation of the foundation's Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign. It launched last year with a Blue Square symbol of unity for non-Jews to show their support for the Jewish community.
A trailer for the advertisement can be seen here:
The main theme of the ad: all hate thrives on silence and no one can be a bystander. The people who will change the country for the better will do so by speaking out.
The ad features Dr. Clarence B. Jones. In 1963, Jones helped Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. compose the historic “I Have a Dream” speech. It's not a coincidence that Kraft is partnering with Jones as Kraft has long pushed unity between Blacks and Jews.
"I'm worried about what's going on with younger Americans, especially with Black and Jewish Americans," he said. "I feel like we need to repair that relationship."
One reason for that strain may be the war in Gaza. Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League, told the New York Times that a longstanding alliance between Blacks and Jews that can be traced back to the Civil Rights movement is "being tested" now because of the war.
Kraft wants to use the ad to also make sure Americans understand just how virulent antisemitism is right now. He wants to do this particularly with younger people.
His warnings are stark and also necessary. Every credible metric that gauges hate shows antisemitism rising stratospherically. In fact, FBI Director Christopher Wray said antisemitism was reaching "in some way, sort of historic levels."
Kraft warns that unless there's unified pushback, the hatred won't stop with the Jews. He again gave an historical comparison.
"In Germany, it all started with the Jews," Kraft said. "Then (the Nazis) went after everyone. What I would say to some Americans is, 'You're next.' Jews, Blacks, Asians, the LGBTQ+ community. It won't stop with the Jews. You're next unless we all stand together."
When talking to Kraft, who I've known for decades, and have interviewed numerous times, there is a sense of urgency in his voice that I've never heard before. Kraft believes that the country, when it comes to anti-Jewish hate, is at perhaps its worst point in decades. He's right.
Kraft also believes that beating back all of that hate will require a unified effort from all Americans. He's right about that, too.
"I want to combat Jewish hate but also all hate," he said. "The way to do that is that we all fight it together."
"Why am I doing the Super Bowl ad?" he said. "The majority of people in America, who are good people, I think they believe there's nothing they can do. But there is. What we need is non-Jewish people to stand up to this hate."
Kraft added: "I believe most humans are good people. I really believe that empathy is part of us. You learn hate over time."
You can also learn to fight it and Kraft is doing just that.
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Sullivan swallows hard and then makes a rational decision.
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Andrew Sullivan: What I got wrong about Trump
For UnHerd, FAIR Advisor Andrew Sullivan speaks with Freddie Sayers about what he got wrong about Trump.
I also think that regarding the wokeness stuff, even though I really find Trump horrid on so many levels, if he’s the only thing that can stop this stuff from being imposed across the country and across the United States Government, then you can see why I might prefer him over Biden, who is giving in to woke at every level. The federal government is involved in systematic DEI: in all of its capacities it now has putting equity at the heart of everything as a policy. He would remove that and there would be support for ending DEI in corporate America and in universities. He’s clearly taken out a position — even if he’s not interested in that stuff, he’ll find someone who is. And that’s a huge thing for the base. It would happen, I think.
And
If a Democrat politician does not want Biden to campaign in his district why should America want to e-elect Biden?
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N.Y. Dem Admits He Doesn’t Want Biden at Campaign Events: ‘Democratic Brand Is In Trouble’
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The U.N is anti-Semitic and UNWRA is corrupt and its leader a bald faced liar. Past time to leave at best or, at least, defund the entire organization and its various agencies
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Would blacks tolerate our government funding the KKK?
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UNRWA chief: UNRWA didn't know what was under its Gaza HQ
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says organization didn't know Hamas tunnels ran under building, IDF spokesman shoots back: 'You have to be very naive to think that the UNRWA personnel did not know what was happening under their feet.'
In a series of bullet points posted on X, formerly Twitter, Lazzarini claimed, "UNRWA did not know what is under its headquarters in Gaza."
"UNRWA is made aware of reports through the media regarding a tunnel under the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza.
"UNRWA staff left its headquarters in Gaza City on 12 October following the Israeli evacuation orders and as bombardment intensified in the area. We have not used that compound since we left it nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there.
"We understand, through media reporting, that the Israeli Army has deployed troops within the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza City. We are therefore unable to confirm or otherwise comment on these reports.
"In times of 'no active conflict' UNRWA inspects inside its premises every quarter, the last inspection for the UNRWA Gaza premises was completed in September 2023."
He also claimed that, "UNRWA is a Human development and humanitarian organization that does not have the military and security expertise nor the capacity to undertake military inspections of what is or might be under its premises."
"In the past, whenever suspicious cavity was found close to or under UNRWA premises, protest letters were promptly filed to parties to the conflict, including both the de facto authorities in Gaza (Hamas) and the Israeli authorities. The matter was consistently reported in annual reports presented to the General Assembly and made public.
"These recent media reports merit an independent inquiry that is currently not possible to undertake given Gaza is an active war zone.
"The Israeli Authorities have not informed UNRWA officially about the alleged tunnel," he added.
MAJ Nir Dinar, IDF spokesman to the international press, responded, "A lesson in responsibility taking from Lazzarini."
"As Ronen Bergman quoted me saying in his NY Times story: 'You have to be very naive to think that the UNRWA personnel did not know what was happening under their feet.'"
Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner, who was recruited back into service of the IDF spokesman following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, responded to Lazzarini's post, writing, "All UNRWA, Lazzarini, Tom White Gaza needed to do was check the power and water bills."
"Here’s a free media lesson: You should have started this tweet like this: 'I am extremely concerned / alarmed with the reports being made public about the alleged abuse of the sanctity of UN premises by the Hamas authorities in Gaza.'"
"I wonder if you’re now going to condemn Hamas for putting your operations and the people you are supposed to serve at risk? Or are you going to continue to blame Israel for your utter failure?
"I worked as a humanitarian officer for years with UNRWA I had much respect for your mission and your commitment and many friends among your staff. Today I feel duped like many of the governments that have frozen your funds that you at minimum turned a blind eye to the truth."
COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) quoted Lazzarini's post and responded, "Oh, you knew."
And:
Honest Reporting.
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U.N.aware? Media Defend UNRWA as Agency Plays Dumb About Hamas Tunnels Under HQ |
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Over the weekend, the IDF revealed an extensive Hamas tunnel under UNRWA's Gaza headquarters.
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What Bienenfeld does not discuss is the impact of the Sonneborn Institute. Rudy Sonneborn was a New York industrialist. He formed a group of 18 prominent Zionist Jews, of which my father was one. They met in Rudy's Manhattan apartment with Ben Gurian I have the photograph, and they laid out the plans each would undertake to prepare Israel prior to statehood.
My father's job was to purchase war surplus from Southern scrap dealers, ship to Shep Broad in Miami who, with the help of the head of United Fruit, then trans-shipped to Israel.
Shep was a dear friend of my father and wanted dad to practice law with him in Miami after Shep returned from WW 2. Dad chose to stay in Birmingham and fight segregation. Shep founded the law firm of Broad and Cassel, developed The Bal Harbor Shopping Center and built the Broad Causeway link to Miami Shep's son, Morris, passed away several year's ago. Shep's daughter, who lost her husband in WW 2, still lives in Miami Beach.
Shep became immensely wealthy and established The Broad Charitable Foundation.
The Truth About America and Israel’s Founding is Not What You Think
Researching America’s role in the founding of the modern Jewish state led me to a fascinating historical nugget that rejiggers much of what we know about modern Israel’s founding. The truth is not what you may think it is. It shows that the state was very early on a pawn in the Cold War and that Truman was callously willing to jettison the Jews if need be.
In a 1998 essay marking Israel’s 50th anniversary, historian Paul Johnson addressed a “paradoxical aspect of the Zionist miracle, which we certainly did not grasp at the time and which is insufficiently understood even now.” Martin Kramer explained in an illuminating essay from November 2017.
On November 29, 1946, the United States voted for the resolution to partition British Palestine into two separate sectors, one Jewish and one Arab. At the same time, though, it imposed an arms embargo to stop any arms from going to the Jews in British Mandate Palestine. This left 650,000 Jews alone and without weapons to defend themselves and face 50 million Arabs pledging to finish what Hitler started.
No Truman defenders can deny this reality. We can only conclude the president was prepared to accept another Jewish genocide. He knew that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al Husseini, had raised an Islamic army for the Nazis in return for a German promise to this end. After the war, he was a wanted war criminal. There are still surviving pictures of him with his good friend Adolf Hitler. He was the spiritual father of the Gaza and West Bank Arabs and terrorist Yasser Arafat’s uncle.
Image: Harry Truman meeting with Ben Gurion and Abba Eban. Public domain.
The Arabs, meanwhile, easily obtained arms. Jordan’s Arab Legion was armed and trained by the British and led by a British officer. At the end of 1948 and in the beginning of 1949, British RAF aircraft flew with Egyptian squadrons over the Egyptian-Israel border. On January 7, 1949, Israeli planes shot down four British aircraft.
That wasn’t the only strange thing that the United States did. After first approving a two-state solution, by March of 1948, the United States reversed itself on the two-state solution and, instead, sought a temporary United Nations (UN) trusteeship. On the eve of the British withdrawal from Israel in May 1948, America’s top diplomat warned Israeli leaders against declaring independence.
What was all this sea-sawing from the United States? The answer lies in the Cold War.
Harry Truman faced a difficult presidential election in 1948 and needed every vote and campaign contribution he could muster, including from America’s Jews. This was the driving force behind his support for establishing the state of Israel. However, the Cold War ultimately drove his policies, and he was indifferent about the fate of the Jews. Once out of office, though, Truman would unabashedly take full credit for Israel’s creation simply because, in May 1948, he recognized Israel as a fait accompli (de facto) but not de jure, as a legal entity.
By contrast, the Soviet Union under Stalin also voted for partition and recognized the new State of Israel de jure as opposed to the limited de facto recognition from Truman. It held firm in its commitment before and after the vote for partition.
In a May 1947 United Nations speech, Soviet Ambassador to the U.N., Andrei Gromyko, astonished the assembly with a humanist speech about Israel. Kramer writes (emphasis mine):
During the war [said Gromyko], the Jewish people had been subjected to “indescribable sorrow and suffering. It is difficult to express them in dry statistics.” Jews had been subjected to “almost complete physical annihilation.” And now “hundreds of thousands of Jews are wandering about in various countries of Europe,” many in camps for displaced persons where they are “still continuing to undergo great privations…. The time has come, “to help these people, not by word, but by deed…. This is a duty of the United Nations.”
[snip]
“No Western European state,” Gromyko asserted,
has been able to assure the defense of the elemental rights of the Jewish people. This is an unpleasant fact, but unfortunately like all other facts, it must be admitted, and that explains the aspirations of the Jews to establish their own state.
And then the bombshell:
It would be unjust not to take this into consideration and to deny the right of the Jewish people to realize this aspiration. It would be unjustifiable to deny this right to the Jewish people, particularly in view of all it has undergone during the war.
In March 1948, with the United States retreating from the idea of partition, the Soviet Union stood in favor of it and attacked Truman’s trusteeship proposal. If trusteeship were put to a vote, Gromyko warned that the Soviet Union would cast a no vote. The Soviet Union also authorized its satellite, Czechslovakia, to sell desperately needed arms to Israel.
According to Abba Eban, Israel’s first U.N. Ambassador, without the Soviet bloc, “we couldn’t have made it diplomatically or militarily.” Likewise, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, said, “They (Soviet Union) saved the country, I have no doubt of that.” In her memoirs, Golda Meir similarly wrote that without the arms from the Eastern Bloc, “I do not know whether we actually could have held out until the tide changed as it did by June 1948.” From partition until June, as Meir said, things were grim.
This wasn’t philo-Semitism, of course. It was because Israel was then a socialist experiment and had instantly become a Cold War pawn, with the Soviet Union backing it and Truman jettisoning his support lest the Soviets get a win. Indeed, across Washington, D.C., Israel was no longer America’s concern.
Of course, there was a bit more going on than pure Cold War politics. The Secretary of State in particular, former General George C. Marshall among them, was unconcerned with the fate of the Jewish people. Why else the embargo? Marshall, like the British, preferred a relationship with Arab oil over the existence of the Jewish State. He was firmly against partition and the establishment of a Jewish state.
Also, credit for Russian support must be given to the diplomatic efforts led by Chaim Weizmann, who was Israel’s first president, and Ben-Gurion, as well as the “vagaries of fate,” sometimes referred to as the G-d of Abraham. These men would compare favorably to Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin in the role they played founding a new nation.
Finally, all this occurred against the backdrop of the Holocaust. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill had long known about the Nazi death camps but ignored that information. Many in the world felt that the Jews would be safe if they were reinstated as a nation in their ancestral home, where they’d had a continuous presence for almost 4,000 years.
Today, Biden and his administration are mimicking Truman in the worst way possible with their incomprehensible demand for a “two-state solution.” Like Truman, Biden is withholding armaments while Jews once again face annihilation. However, unlike the calculating Truman, Biden doesn’t even have the excuse of a Cold War. Instead, he is bowing before those in the Democrat party with their genocidal demand that Jews be erased “from the river to the sea.”
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Our son, Daniel, now works for The Israeli Government and is The Florida Director of Israel Bonds. Florida is the 3rd largest state to purchase Israeli Bonds. Daniel hopes to re-organize the state and substantially increase bond purchases.
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The photo (TY Sharon) is of Sabra fruit growing on prickly pear cacti in the Jerusalem sunshine last week. Israelis are called after the sabra because they are thought to be prickly on the outside and sweet on the inside.
I think that you will find many of the news articles in this week's positive Israel newsletter are sweet on the inside. So please have a look inside and below.
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 11th Feb 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
A dog rescued in Gaza could understand Hebrew.
A volunteer US eye specialist has saved the sight of many wounded IDF soldiers.
50,000 volunteers show that they have “One Heart”.
Another breakthrough in the production of green hydrogen.
A startup used its own invention to save its business.
Three instances of proactive women entrepreneurs.
Israelis won international gold medals in skiing, kickboxing, windsurfing and jujitsu.
The Argentine President promised to move his embassy to Jerusalem.
Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
POSITIVE NEWS DURING A WAR
Cowboys to the rescue. (TY UWI & ILTV News) Ruthie’s horse farm in Binyamin, home to many troubled teens, faced closure when its male workers were called up. Then the Christian cowboys of Montana came to walk the horses, clean and maintain the farm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0HRRrTdkow
If it could only talk. IDF troops in Gaza have rescued many abandoned pet dogs and cats, at least one parrot and three horses. One dog was a purebred Malinois, a.k.a. Belgian sheepdog. It responded to commands in Hebrew, which probably meant it (like many of the rescued animals) was looted on Oct 7.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troops-rescue-of-animals-in-gaza-fuels-pro-palestinian-looting-charges/
Fauda star released from hospital. (TY Yanky) Actor and singer Idan Amedi, star of Israel’s Fauda TV series, was released from hospital after 8 weeks. Although badly burned in Gaza, he now hopes to be in Fauda season 5. He said, “The Israeli people are the strongest in the world. When we are united, we are invincible.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-one-recognized-me-says-fauda-actor-idan-amedi-of-injury-from-gaza-blast/
20% of IDF reserves are hi-tech workers. Although hi-tech workers constitute only 10% of Israel’s employees, they make up 20% of the IDF’s reserve forces. Interesting, but not sure what to make of that!
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hku9ilrq6
No place like home. (TY Yanky) After 10 weeks in limbo in an Eilat hotel, over 400 Kibbutz Re’im members have moved into two towers in Tel Aviv. A Tel Aviv Municipality banner welcomed relocated Kibbutz Re’im residents with this message: “There is no place like home, but in the meantime, feel at home.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-oct-7-entire-kibbutz-temporarily-resettles-in-two-newly-built-tel-aviv-towers/
His prayers were answered. IDF Sgt. Major Malchiel ben Yosef saved his comrades from a Hamas terrorist who emerged from a Gaza tunnel behind them with an RPG launcher. Malchiel turned towards Jerusalem to pray the afternoon service and spotted the terrorist. He then alerted his comrades who dealt with the threat.
https://www.jns.org/prayer-of-idf-soldier-saves-fellow-fighters/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Adapting animal antibodies for humans. (TY UWI & JNS) Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed an algorithm to help identify which antibodies, that work on animals, can be adapted for human use. Their CUMAb, algorithm generates 20,000 variants of a mouse antibody and predicts which are most stable.
https://tps.co.il/articles/breaking-barriers-israeli-algorithm-offers-swift-and-cost-effective-antibody-humanization/
Why some children stop breathing. Researchers at Ben Gurion University and Tel Aviv University have discovered the impact of a genetic defect that causes Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) in children. They hope that their findings will lead to a cure to a dangerous form of sleep apnea.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-785213 https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44318-023-00018-9
Ultrasound surgery just got more focused. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s Insightec has announced Exablate Prime - the next generation of MR-guided focused ultrasound with many new features for incisionless neurosurgery. It comes as the US military and the Dutch government have approved Insightec for essential tremor therapy.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/insightec-announces-exablate-prime-the-next-generation-of-mr-guided-focused-ultrasound-855754708.html
Netanya hospital opens pediatric playroom. Netanya’s Laniado Hospital has opened a brand-new playroom, courtesy of Toys for Simcha, based in Brooklyn. Happy Kids Heal Faster,” said Rabbi J.J. Hecht II, president of Toys for Simcha. Hundreds of the 8,000 evacuees living in Netanya have been treated at Laniado.
https://www.jns.org/netanya-hospital-opens-pediatric-playroom-in-wake-of-oct-7/
Overcoming trauma. As a boy, Yechial witnessed a bus explode, which motivated him to become a volunteer United Hatzalah EMT. He has helped at many tragedies: Miron, Ukraine, Hurricane Ian, Turkey, Morocco, and Oct 7. One of the last lives he saved was a dog. He now trains therapy dogs, to help others overcome trauma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qve42g2F0v4
https://www.instagram.com/unitedhatzalahofisrael/reel/C2K78jxtVLt/
The medical specialists who answered the call. Israel’s Health Ministry and Nefesh B'Nefesh arranged for hundreds of physicians to fly to Israel to help those in need following Oct. 7. Many world-renowned specialists left their lucrative jobs, families, and children behind to come to Israel and boost the medical system.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/12/21/meet-the-specialists-who-left-everything-behind-to-volunteer-in-israel/
Restoring sight to wounded IDF soldiers. Eye specialist Dr Sid Shechet of Baltimore’s Elman Retina Group is volunteering for two weeks at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva. He has been operating non-stop for more than twelve hours daily, helping to restore vision to severely wounded soldiers and anyone else in need.
https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=169946
https://www.elmanretina.com/about-us/meet-the-doctor/
Partnering for mental health therapy. Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has partnered with Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) to expand the mental health support provided to trauma-suffering war victims. FIDF Funds will help train new Shaba therapists to work in IDF veterans' rehabilitation centers across the country.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/technology-science/1706964944-israel-sheba-announces-partnership-with-fidf-for-mental-health-of-war-victims
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Jewish Disabilities Month. JNF-USA is planning a series of events to mark Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAAIM) and to celebrate their longstanding efforts to improve Israel for residents and visitors with disabilities. Feb donations to support this cause will be matched up to $1.25 million.
https://www.jnf.org/menu-3/press-releases/press-release-stories/february-3--2024
A campus for ultra-orthodox students. A consortium led by Ben-Gurion University and several academic colleges is to create a separate ultra-Orthodox campus in the South. A growing number of haredim want to pursue a higher education, but not compromise their beliefs and religious observance.
https://americansforbgu.org/bgu-open-orthodox-campus/ https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-760508
Empowering Ethiopian Israelis at Rambam. Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa and Boston-Haifa Connection have launched a 5-month course to educate 20 of its Ethiopian Israeli employees in Hebrew literacy and computer skills. The employees predominantly work in the Housekeeping and Custodian Department.
https://israfan.com/2024/02/08/bridging-cultures-a-leap-forward-for-ethiopian-israelis-at-rambam/
Prize-winning, women-led startups. The competition for female-led Israeli startups at an event organized by Yazamiyot (see below) was won by anydish (AI nutrition - see here previously). In 2nd place was Aisap (AI ultrasound heart monitoring - see here previously) and in 3rd was Kinoko (funghi - see here previously).
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/kmvn5pprn
It’s all in the Family. In a world that seems to devalue the family unit, Family Day (Yom HaMishpacha) in Israel on Feb 9 is a day to honor the family unit and its centrality to our lives. Israel has 2.25 million families with about half having two parents and at least one child under the age of 17.
https://www.jns.org/2-25-million-families-in-israel-average-of-3-69-members-each/
See Israel through the eyes of the IDF. If you, your children, or grandchildren live in the USA, are aged 21-39 and want to gain a deep understanding of IDF soldiers' mission in the current war, register for the Friends of the IDF’s National Young Leadership Mission to Israel from May 24 to May 30, 2024.
https://www.fidf.org/national-young-leadership-mission-to-israel/
Visitors. (TY Nevet) Friendly visitors to Israel in Jan included Chechia President Petr Pavel, former US Vice President Mike Pence, 9 UN envoys, 22 EU lawmakers, 40 US JCC leaders, 50 Hadassah leaders, Palantir directors, US student leaders, Christian Zionists, Indian influencers, Iran’s opposition leader, and many more.
https://www.broaderview.org/visitors/
50,000 volunteers mobilized. Last week’s article about Lev Echad (One Heart – see here) supporting wounded IDF soldiers didn’t give the US charity enough credit. Since Oct 7, some 50,000 volunteers have run Israeli mental health hotlines; supported displaced Israeli families and reservists; distributed food, and much more.
https://www.israel21c.org/50000-volunteers-give-from-their-hearts-through-one-heart/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
An innovation hub in the Negev. Synergy7 is an innovation hub in Be’er Sheva, aimed at boosting both the area and the entire Israeli tech sector. The Israel Innovation Authority is providing NIS 100 million of funding and it is backed by Ben Gurion University, Clalit Healthcare, Elbit Systems, Dell, and the Merage Foundation.
https://nocamels.com/2024/02/new-high-tech-hub-is-making-israels-desert-bloom-with-ingenuity/
https://synergy7.co.il/
A better water splitter. A detailed scientific paper describing the efficient method devised by Technion Prof Avner Rothchild and his team to split water into “green” hydrogen and oxygen. It involves using Bromine in the Decoupled Water Electrolysis (DWE) process. See here for Technion’s research into Hydrogen production.
https://www.israel21c.org/scientists-unlock-secret-of-producing-green-hydrogen/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-023-01767-y
Turn your Apple watch into a wrist camera. It took over seven years (see here previously) but Israeli-developed wristcam is a smart wristband that uniquely turns an Apple Watch into a camera capable of taking photos and recording video and audio, without relying on an accompanying phone.
https://nocamels.com/2024/01/smart-strap-turns-your-apple-watch-into-a-camera/
Protecting vulnerable websites. Israel’s MazeBolt has developed RADAR – a system that constantly checks a company’s websites and reports any vulnerabilities to DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. It performs a real attack on the webserver, but not disruptive enough to crash it. The server is then re-checked after fixing.
https://nocamels.com/2024/01/security-system-stops-hacker-attacks-before-they-happen/ https://mazebolt.com/
Keeping railways safe. Israel’s Rail System develops AI-based safety technology for railways. It has just received European certification for its Main Line system which uses 2km range vision sensors to assess risks and detect threats for the railway industry. Even in poor visibility, they can prevent deadly collisions.
https://nocamels.com/2024/01/israeli-rail-safety-company-secures-eu-certification/ https://railvision.io/
What a way to run a business. Israel’s Alignment Labs lost two of its 3 key employees who were called up to the IDF reserves. One was released, but only so he could donate a kidney to someone he didn’t know. So, they used their own developed product – Goni – to help them focus on priorities and keep their customers happy.
https://www.israel21c.org/how-can-a-startup-function-when-its-founders-go-to-war/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATtRpPlL3Jo
https://www.alignment-labs.com/
Ramon Space Conference. Another wow year. The 19th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference was introduced by Israel’s President Herzog. His message was “working together” for “the future of humanity”.
https://www.jns.org/space-diplomacy-builds-bridges-on-earth/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-X85xo2p-A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azoq20KQBSM
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel Resilience Fund progress report. Global venture investing platform OurCrowd presented progress of its Resilience Fund (see here previously) supporting war-impacted but high-potential Israeli startups. It has now invested in 22 startups - many building products to help win the war or have 50-100% of employees in the IDF.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/israel-resilience-fund
Women-led startups in the south. Israeli NGO Yazamiyot (see here previously) and Arieli Capital held an event at Microsoft's offices in Be'er Sheva to discuss how to support female-led startups in the south. When partners are called up, women entrepreneurs often must manage both the home front and lead the startup.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/b1wwt6nq6 https://www.yazamiyot.com
Finding the best employment for evacuees. The 710 West initiative, set-up by an all-women team, motivates and encourages evacuees of the western Negev to seek employment. Its personal and professional support helps them find the right fit of employer and suitable work, even though many are still displaced.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/women-led-initiative-opens-doors-for-southern-evacuees-needing-more-than-just-a-job/
Smiling again. (TY Yanky) Oracle CEO Safra Catz, the US's top-earning female tech billionaire, granted every Oracle employee in Israel a bonus for the difficulties they are facing. During her week-long visit to Israel, she revealed that her husband said that on Oct 7 she stopped smiling. Only on arrival in Israel did she smile again.
https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/h1xoj00zc6
$9.6 million BIRD Foundation grant. The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has granted $9.6 million to 10 joint projects. The Israeli companies are Celleste Bio, CENS Materials, Diptera.ai, Opmed.AI, Hypervision, Imagindairy, IAI, LahakX, Tissue Dynamics and Sheba hospital.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/s13hssx56
Bringing cardiac ultrasound to Asia. Israel’s UltraSight (see here previously) has partnered with South Korean medical device manufacturer Selvas Healthcare to introduce the Israeli’s AI-powered cardiac ultrasound diagnosis system into the Asia market. It should help combat the increase of cardiovascular disease in Korea.
https://nocamels.com/2024/02/korean-firm-bringing-israeli-ultrasound-software-to-local-market/
Satellite tech for US Defense. Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks (see here previously) has won a $10 million follow-on order from the US Department of Defense to supply more of its DKET 3421 terminals. Deploying in less than three hours, the DKET 3421 provides a satellite network hub anywhere in the world.
https://www.gilat.com/pressreleases/gilat-awarded-10-million-follow-on-order-from-the-us-department-of-defense/
One financial app to rule them all. It’s not there yet, but Israel’s Sequence looks a very useful future platform to manage all personal finances in one place. Keep track of bank accounts, investments, credit cards, loans etc. Automate regular financial activities, reduce debts, get the best interest rates, control investment strategies etc.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/ryqmkuafp https://www.getsequence.io/
More investment. The $473 million startup investment funding in Jan 2024 was 75% higher than Jan 2023.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hjh8ngy9p
Startup investment – to 11/2/24.; Ionix raised $42 million; Oobit raised $25 million; Sensos raised $20 million; Octup raised $4 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The evolution of Israeli fashion. One of the upcoming Ezra lectures for English-Speaking Residents in Israel is an interactive journey through the history and future trends of Israeli fashion. Shenkar College graduate Ilan Dotan describes how fashion is connected to every milestone of Israel’s history. Feb 13 at 11am in Raanana.
https://esra.org.il/events-listing-view/details/2024-02-13/872-the-evolution-of-israeli-fashion-a-journey-through-history-and-future-trends.html https://esra.org.il/social-culture/activities-events.html
Winter sounds festival. (TY Yanky) Tel Aviv’s Cultural Centre hosts the Winter Sounds music festival in May. Over four days, live music performances will feature the cream of Israeli music, from classical and Mizrahi music to singer-songwriter tributes and jazz. https://www.jpost.com/must/article-784224
Swamp cat seen in Hula valley. An Israeli nature conservationist recorded a swamp cat (also known as a jungle cat, reed cat, or jungle lynx) in the Hula valley in Northern Israel. The swamp cat is one of the three remaining species of wildcats in Israel. Israel is the most westerly location for these animals.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-783109
We will bloom again. This year’s Darom Adom (Red South) festival, where Israelis visit the fields of red winter-blooming anemones that carpet the forests and fields, will be more muted that usual. But many events are to go ahead, such as the Anemone March, and the numerous opportunities to support local businesses.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/red-anemones-carpet-south-as-annual-festival-muted-this-year-celebrates-them/
https://www.habsor.co.il/?p=24599&lang=en https://www.habsor.co.il/?lang=en
Hot wheels. (TY Hazel) Israeli driver Ariel Levi won Round 2 of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe Sport Division. See last few laps. Also (at 3mins 30secs) the Israeli National Anthem Hatikvah.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=223252000859435 https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/ariel-levi
Gold skier & kickboxers. Israeli skier Viktor Polinkovsky won the FIS Masters World Cup event (age category 60-64) in Slovenia. Israelis Yulia Sachkov and Deniz Serebyanikov won gold at the WAKO European kickboxing Athens Challenge. 12-year-old Karolina Chorny won the Kick Light European Championship.
https://www.instagram.com/followteamisrael/p/C2rKol6NuHU/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/followteamisrael/p/C2p3Hv1tuMU/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/followteamisrael/p/C2ojT2_tMmc/
Gold windsurfer & jujitsu judokas. (TY Hazel) Israeli windsurfer Sharon Kantor on Saturday won a gold medal at the iQFoil World Championships in Lanzarote and qualified for the Paris summer Olympics. Meanwhile, Israelis Guy Borstein and Tommy Buaron won gold medals at the Jujitsu Genoa Open.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-sharon-kantor-wins-gold-at-windsurfing-championships/
https://www.instagram.com/followteamisrael/p/C26vJXyNJ3E/?img_index=1
6,000 runners in the Dead Sea Marathon. Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz said the Dead Sea marathon “is a symbol of the willpower and the tremendous love of life of the State of Israel and its citizens. The Dead Sea is a wonderful natural phenomenon in the lowest place in the world. From here, you can only go up.”
https://www.jns.org/6000-run-in-dead-sea-marathon-amid-gaza-war/
https://www.israel21c.org/6000-runners-defy-adversity-in-5th-dead-sea-marathon/
THE JEWISH STATE
What to do after a gap year in Israel. Nearly 450 students came to the Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah Campus in Jerusalem to learn more about what life after their gap year can look like in Israel. With a total of 25 booths and 60 volunteers on hand, students learned about Sherut Leumi, army and higher education options.
https://www.herenextyearisrael.org/ https://www.nbn.org.il/jlm-higher-education/
Countering hostile Arab media. Since Oct. 7, Israeli political analyst and Arabic-speaker Idit Bar has engaged in intensive public diplomacy on BBC Arabic and social media. In the process, she has learned to gain support by emphasising common concerns (e.g., terrorism, Iran, fundamentalism, etc.) in the Arab world.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/to-stand-up-for-israel-mideast-expert-agrees-to-be-punching-bag-for-arab-media/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxLd056sNA
The most consecutive rain days in 30 years. Israel has seen 14 straight days of rainfall in the north and south for the first time since February 1992. It is called a “rain of blessing” as the steady, persistent downpour allows rainwater to seep into the ground, enriching natural water sources without the damaging side effects of flooding.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-sees-14-straight-days-of-rainfall-for-first-time-in-over-30-years/
Amulet found. IDF reservist Erez was hiking in Israel’s Nahal Tabor Nature Reserve during two days’ leave. He found a 2,800-year-old Assyrian scarab amulet at Tel Rekhesh, identified as the city of Anaharath in the book of Joshua. The Assyrians defeated the Kingdom of Israel but failed to conquer the Kingdom of Judea.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-hiker-finds-2800-year-old-scarab-amulet/
WW1 Jewish graves found in Gaza. (TY WIN) Soldiers in the IDF’s 188th Brigade were surprised to find stars of David on gravestones in a cemetery in the central Gaza town of Al-Maaziin. They were the graves of British Jewish soldiers who fell in 1917, in World War I, fighting the Ottomans in the Land of Israel.
https://www.jns.org/idf-soldiers-stumble-on-wwi-graveyard-in-gaza/
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-of-jewish-settlements-in-gaza
Argentine Embassy to move to Jerusalem. Argentina’s new President Javier Milei stepped off his plane on arrival in Israel and immediately announced that his country’s embassy would be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He brought his personal Rabbi, visited Yad Vashem, and prayed at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/landmark-visit-argentinas-new-president-makes-inaugural-journey-to-israel/
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-president-of-argentina-prays-at-the-western-wall/
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/ or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bellevue-foundation/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/ or Canada https://www.uhcanada.org/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA - https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate or Canada https://jnf.ca/
Orthodox Union - https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/donate (Israelis)
https://system.smartgiving.org.uk/charities/8530/make-donation (UK)
https://chaischneider.org/donate/ (USA)
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
And many more charities here:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/where-people-abroad-can-donate-to-israels-hospitals-troops-survivors-and-more/ https://chesedtoday.com/campaigns/soldiers/ (Warm winter clothes for Israeli soldiers)
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/state-of-israel-bonds
USA - https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe - https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada - https://www.israelbonds.ca/
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Tom Fitton's Judicial Watch, weekly playback:
| VIDEOS OF THE WEEK ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
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