Good News From Israel

IAI to set up US electronic defense systems co

2011-10-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Article published by GLOBES Israel's Business Arena

October 25, 2011

By Ran Dagoni

ELTA North America is to be located in Maryland and will produce radar and combat communications systems.

The board of directors of Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) has decided to set up a new company in the US to be called ELTA North America to market electronic defense products in the western hemisphere, IAI North America president Uzi Rosen has told "Globes."

Rosen stressed that planned production in the US will not result in layoffs at IAI unit ELTA's plant in Israel. The new company, which will be located in Maryland, will be part of IAI North America. ELTA Systems Ltd., based in Ashdod, is one of the world's leading electronic defense systems companies, which develops, designs and manufactures radar and electronic combat communications systems.

Rosen said, "This is an important strategic decision, which will deepen IAI's penetration into the US and other markets."

He added that the decision was based on the positive experience gained by IAI's first subsidiary in the US, Stark Aerospace in Mississippi, which was established five years ago to manufacture and market Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and electro-optic payloads to North American customers.

Rosen said, "Stark is growing at a satisfactory rate and we are planning to add new production lines for other avionics and payloads."

According to Rosen, ELTA North America will be virtually a mirror image of Stark Aerospace from the organizational structure point of view but will specialize in products developed by ELTA. Stark is a US company in every sense. It is managed by Americans, and does not employ any Israelis. This will be the organizational format of ELTA North America. The company is expected to begin the final assembly of products, inspect quality and deliver products to clients before the end of 2011.

IAI decided to locate the new company in Maryland because of the availability of appropriate skilled labor. Rosen said, "Following the economic crisis there are fantastic human resources here looking for work. I've been in the US for five years and I've interviewed many prospective employees but I've never before encountered workers of this level. Today, it is very easy task to hire quality people in the US."

He added that IAI is preparing to put ELTA's technology onto the US market with an emphasis on ground radar to detect people and equipment. The company is focusing marketing efforts on two types of customers: the US military and all its arms, which have for years been developing infrastructures to defend mainly its overseas bases and installations, and internal security agencies engaged in defending the country's lengthy borders with Mexico and Canada.

Rosen said, "IAI already provides ground radar to the US market because its quality is far better than that being offered by the local market."

He was very much in favor of opening a US plant but he stresses that the final decision was reached by IAI's board of directors in Israel, which understood the potential of such a large market for the venture. Rosen expects a major rise in orders for ELTA's products once ELTA-North America begins to provide customers with local support.

Questioned on whether production in the US will lead to layoffs in Israel, Rosen said, "The very opposite. We are not moving production lines from Israel to the US. We are duplicating production lines. IAI management understands that if it does not open US production lines then it will not get more orders from the American market. The way I see it every extra order from the US market will in the end require more production of sub-systems in Israel and only the final assembly will be implemented in the US. Every new order in the US will add 100% - 50% going to Israel and 50% to the US."

He insists that ELTA's workforce understands this new decision and that the works committee realizes that more orders in the US means more work in Israel.

Rosen expects that within five years ELTA North America will record annual profit of $200 million.

Turning gray water green

2011-07-21T20:48:00.001-07:00

Article published on ISRAEL21c July 21, 2011

By Karin Kloosterman

A simple Israeli system for collecting, treating and reusing household water arrives right on time for global water shortages.

The facts on the ground are stark: Israel is in a serious water deficit. The Sea of Galilee is shrinking every year, as are its underground aquifers. Yet water needs are increasing along with energy costs.

One answer to this crisis may be found in the water we send down the sink and bathtub drains. Much of this "gray water" can be lightly treated and reused to flush toilets and water gardens.

Putting that ideal into action on a large scale is the target for Gil Ben-Meir, inventor of the Evergreen gray water solution developed by his company, Green Solutions. Some 150 family Israeli homes have already installed Evergreen. This business owner, working since 2009 on the project, is intent on making a dent in the foreign market with Israel's already well-known water solutions that work.

Water levels in the Sea of Galilee are dropping dramatically year by year.

Speaking at the 15th annual Cleantech Exhibition in Tel Aviv in July, he tells ISRAEL21c that the Evergreen system is a small, affordable and easy-to-maintain gray-water processing device that can treat up to 600 liters of household water a day, or about 150 gallons.

Fitted to every pipe but the kitchen sink and toilet - wastewater from these drains contains too much organic material and oil to be safely recycled -- the system collects gray water from baths, showers, hand-washing basins and washing machines. Running through a specially developed biofilter, the treated gray water is then sent to the toilet and to the garden, where it can be reused instantly.

The system may be just the solution needed in chronically dry areas, including the Greek Isles, other Middle Eastern countries and American states like California and Nevada.

Rinse and repeat

The average household in America consumes about 350 gallons of water per day, according to the website drinktap.org. About one third of that could be salvaged, treated and reused with this new Evergreen system.

It's easy to install, the filters are self-cleaning and the maintenance is simple - "once every three or four months," says Ben-Meir. "Everything one needs to operate it is supplied with the system."

With the average cost for parts and installation about $4,000, or NIS 15,000, the return on investment is about five years, and the system runs on the same amount of electricity as it takes to burn a 70-watt bulb all day. Evergreen can be scaled up for apartment complexes and other higher demand locations.

Quieter than an air conditioner, Evergreen measures about 180 by 70 centimeters (71 by 27.5 inches) -- much smaller than similar solutions, says Ben-Meir. "The innovation here is its adaptation to smaller applications with a small footprint. What usually takes three to four square meters of space is now contained in less than two square meters, at a 50 percent cost reduction."

He assumes the tool would also work in cold climates like Canada and northern Europe, since the system can be installed in a basement and operates on the temperature of the water fed into the system.

Evergreen can be fitted with a holding tank to process water and store it for use during peak hours and days.

Energized by Israel's challenges

Ben-Meir founded Green Solutions after living in the United States for 13 years and studying energy management at the New York Institute of Technology.

"I came back from a long stay in the States, where I was doing something completely different, and in 2005 I decided to switch to the environment field -- to the clean-tech sector," says Ben-Meir. "I completed a master's degree and decided to come back to Israel and to work on solutions for gray water."

At that time, Israel was at the start of five years of drought. "There was a serious shortage of fresh water, and I was looking for ways to recycle and save water. Here is the fruitful soil to grow on and develop it," he adds, referring to Israeli expertise in water reclamation.

Based in Zichron Yaakov, Green Solutions currently employs three people, and also provides solar energy solutions for homeowners.

Kishon River: From poison to pristine | environment

2011-04-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

Kishon River: From poison to pristine | environment

The volunteers from Boston

2011-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Article published on Ynetnews.com March 31, 2010
By Danny Spector

Every year, Steve and Carol Doppelt gather a number of American friends and volunteer in Haifa for an entire month.

Steve and Carol Doppelt have been living in the United States for four generations. At first the family lived in New York and then moved to Boston, where they live to this day. And yet every year they arrive in Israel with a growing group of volunteers for an entire month of voluntary activities in the Haifa area.
Why? Because they feel like it.

"We visited Israel for the first time to celebrate our son's bar mitzvah in Jerusalem," says Steve. "After that time we simply fell in love with the country and realized that we wanted to come back here again and again.

"Since then we try to come every year, just to volunteer. We bring along good Jews who love the country and try to do all they can to develop Haifa and help educate the next generation."

The latest delegation, which landed here about two months ago, included 15 people who volunteered in the northern city's schools for four weeks. They taught the children English and tried to help in whichever way they could, even with matters requiring labor.

All this took place thanks to the Boston-Haifa Partnership which flew them here, while the city's residents took care of their accommodation.

"We feel like we've come home when we arrive here," Steve adds. "We want Israelis know that in spite of the situation there are always people who will come and stand by them here. We do it every year and we're happy to see the positive effect of what we do. Let's hope we can continue coming and doing this for many more years."

Why don't you just make aliyah?

"The truth is that we've also taken the opportunity to study Hebrew in an ulpan. Who knows, maybe in the future we'll even make aliyah."

Israel brings a cold sport to a hot country

2011-02-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Article publishe on ISRAEL21c February 23, 2011
By Harvey Stein

Toronto it's not, but Metulla's Canada Centre provides a cool venue for immigrant and native Israelis thirsting for fast-paced fun on the ice.

A mere kilometer from the Lebanese border, Israel's only permanent regulation-size ice rink draws hockey players of all ages from throughout the country. It's not a sport normally associated with the Middle East, but for Israel's many Russian and Canadian immigrants, ice hockey is part of their culture. And they're willing to drive for hours to maintain it.

Hockey lovers drive for hours across Israel just to get a chance to skate on the ice.

Since its start in 1989, the federation has started drawing native Israelis as well, and competing in an international division. Kids come for two-day mini-camps on the ice, and senior leagues - with players from 16 to 60 -- meet weekly. When they're not at the Metulla rink, most players must practice on rollerblades for lack of an appropriate venue.

Plans are afoot to build a second Olympic-size rink in central Israel. For now, however, the diehards are happy to trek up north to the Canada Centre for a bracing breath of cold air and an action-packed, competitive workout.

Forever21 to open first Israeli store in September

2011-01-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

Article published by GLOBES Israel's Business Arena

January 23, 2011

By Ilanit Hayut

The fashion store will open in Tel Aviv's Azrieli Center.

Sources inform ''Globes'' that fashion chain Forever21 will open its first store in Israel at Tel Aviv's Azrieli Center, in September 2011, just before Rosh Hashana. The two-floor store will cover 1,500 square meters, apparently replacing the Yotvata In the City dairy outlet on the first floor.
After negotiating with a number companies, Forever21 decided to operate in Israel directly, rather than through franchises. Gillerman Global Ltd., owned by Dan Gillerman, will manage the brand in Israel.
Gillerman told "Globes", "I strongly hope that we'll meet the timetable, and that the first store will open by Rosh Hashana."

Ancient human remains found in Israel

2010-12-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Article published by YAHOO! news December 27, 2010

By Daniel Estrin

Israeli archaeologists said Monday they may have found the earliest evidence yet for the existence of modern man, and if so, it could upset theories of the origin of humans.

A Tel Aviv University team excavating a cave in central Israel said teeth found in the cave are about 400,000 years old and resemble those of other remains of modern man, known scientifically as Homo sapiens, found in Israel. The earliest Homo sapiens remains found until now are half as old.

"It's very exciting to come to this conclusion," said archaeologist Avi Gopher, whose team examined the teeth with X-rays and CT scans and dated them according to the layers of earth where they were found.

He stressed that further research is needed to solidify the claim. If it does, he says, "this changes the whole picture of evolution."

The accepted scientific theory is that Homo sapiens originated in Africa and migrated out of the continent. Gopher said if the remains are definitively linked to modern human's ancestors, it could mean that modern man in fact originated in what is now Israel.

Sir Paul Mellars, a prehistory expert at Cambridge University, said the study is reputable, and the find is "important" because remains from that critical time period are scarce, but it is premature to say the remains are human.

"Based on the evidence they've cited, it's a very tenuous and frankly rather remote possibility," Mellars said. He said the remains are more likely related to modern man's ancient relatives, the Neanderthals.

According to today's accepted scientific theories, modern humans and Neanderthals stemmed from a common ancestor who lived in Africa about 700,000 years ago. One group of descendants migrated to Europe and developed into Neanderthals, later becoming extinct. Another group stayed in Africa and evolved into Homo sapiens — modern humans.

Teeth are often unreliable indicators of origin, and analyses of skull remains would more definitively identify the species found in the Israeli cave, Mellars said.

Gopher, the Israeli archaeologist, said he is confident his team will find skulls and bones as they continue their dig.

The prehistoric Qesem cave was discovered in 2000, and excavations began in 2004. Researchers Gopher, Ran Barkai and Israel Hershkowitz published their study in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

Israel-Cyprus exclusive economic zone set

2010-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

Article published on Ynetnews December 19, 2010

By Zvi Lavi

Agreement provides Israel with exclusive economic, research rights and sovereignty over artificial facilities built within maritime area. 'Delimitation of territorial water borderline enables investors to feel economic certitude, promote and develop Israel's energy market,' says Minister Landau.

The exclusive economic zone within the territorial waters between Israel and Cyprus was set on Friday morning at the maritime half way point. The clarification of the borderline is essential in protecting Israel's rights to oil and underwater gas reservoirs.

The border was set in an agreement between Israel and Cyprus, signed this morning in Nicosia by Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau and Cyprus' Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou.

During the signing ceremony, Landau said that "the delimitation of the territorial water borderline will enable investors to feel economic certitude and promote and develop Israel's energy market."

The exclusive economic zone is an area where the country has exclusive economic and research rights but has no sovereignty other than over the artificial facilities it builds in the area. The accord was signed after vigorous negotiations in recent months, between diplomatic and professional representatives from both sides.

Delineation of the maritime borderline with Cyprus was done with Cyprus' full cooperation through experts from both countries, according to the accepted principles of international law according to the accepted professional measuring methods.

Until now, Israel operated in Mediterranean waters according to the principles of international law concerning the international shelf. According to these principles, the country has automatic rights over all natural resources within her international shelf even if it doesn't make a formal announcement.

The delimitation of the exclusive economic zone allows for more maritime border certainty towards investors and neighboring countries and will help Israel anchor its economic rights in the Mediterranean as well as pave the way for searching for and developing energy sources at sea.

Joint resources will be divided

In the agreement, Israel and Cyprus commit to cooperating on the development of cross border resources if any are discovered, and will hold negotiations over the nature of the technical and professional arrangements needed in order to divide the joint resources.

Following the signing of the agreement Minister Landau said: "The signing reflects the close relations and ongoing cooperation between Israel and Cyprus.

In light of the recent significant natural gas resources discovery in the Mediterranean, the delimitation of the maritime border has an important role in anchoring the essential economic rights of the state in connection with the ocean's natural resources."

Druze and Bedouin join ZAKA's rescue operations

2010-11-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Article published on ISRAEL21c November 15,
By Abigail Klein Leicman

Israeli rescue organization ZAKA is now training volunteers from minority communities to be first responders in the wake of tragedy.

A Bedouin volunteer joining one of the four new Arab units in ZAKA

For 15 years, Israel's unique voluntary rescue organization, ZAKA, has been sending volunteers to work alongside law enforcement and emergency personnel following acts of terrorism, accidents and natural disasters across the globe.

Now ZAKA is expanding its network within Israel to better serve Arab, Bedouin, Circassian and Druze populations. Two new units in the north and two in the south will be staffed by members of those minority communities, after receiving training that will be adapted to their own religious and ethnic customs.

Until ZAKA (a Hebrew acronym for Disaster Victim Identification) was founded in 1995 by Jerusalemite Yehuda Meshi-Zahav in response to a spate of terrorist attacks, the Jewish state had no organized system for dealing with victims' body parts and blood, considered sacred by Jewish law.

More volunteers means a more perfect world

Fifty-one-year-old Meshi-Zahav tells ISRAEL21c that ZAKA also handles bodies of non-Jewish victims - even terrorists - with sensitivity to cultural and religious principles However, he is eager to have volunteers from Israel's non-Jewish sectors become full participants.

"We believe everyone wants to do good work," he says. "Adding as many people as possible to our volunteering circle is a means to perfecting our world."

Meshi-Zahav was a yeshiva student when he witnessed the first bus bombing just outside Jerusalem in 1989. He and some other students ran to help, but could not offer much assistance without expertise in forensics or first aid. "I went home and the images kept replaying in my mind like a horror movie," he recalls.

Over the next six years, he built up the basis for what would become the world's only Jewish organization of its kind.

Today, about 1,500 ZAKA volunteers - including canine, diving, and rappelling specialists - take responsibility for ensuring that all human remains are treated in accordance with religious guidelines. The only organization authorized by the Israeli police to handle recovery and body part identification, ZAKA participates in search-and-rescue missions and firefighting efforts, international disaster relief, and accident-prevention programs.

Government-sponsored training for minorities

Although small ZAKA units are already active among the Bedouin population in the south and the Druze communities of the north, this marks the first time ZAKA's expansion is being sponsored by the government. Galil Ayoob Kara, a Druze member of Israel's parliament and Deputy Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee, has termed the arrangement "holy work" and a critical step toward equality for all Israeli citizens.

Meshi-Zahav looks to the project as a way of breaking barriers and building bridges between Israeli Jews and minorities, which is one of his priorities. "We are open to all: Religious and not, Jews and non-Jews, Israelis and Arabs," he says. "Our guiding principle is our belief that man was made in the image of God."

An ultra-Orthodox Jew with side curls and a black skullcap, Meshi-Zahav has been present at some grim scenes as a result of his work with ZAKA.

ZAKA assisted at the sites of the World Trade Center and Mumbai terrorist attacks; the Columbia space shuttle tragedy in Texas; the carnage in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; synagogue bombings in Istanbul; the tsunami aftermath in Southeast Asia; plane crashes in Phuket, Thailand, Mexico, and Namibia; the earthquake in Haiti; and a recent murder of a Jewish traveler in the Ukraine, among other tragedies.

The United Nations officially recognized ZAKA as an international humanitarian volunteer organization in 2005.

UN recognition opens doors

"UN recognition is extremely important in our overseas operations," explains ZAKA spokeswoman Lydia Weitzman. "That recognition allows us to go into all areas, even countries where Israel does not have diplomatic relations. The humanitarian message of ZAKA is the key that opens doors to all communities."

ZAKA recently established International Rescue branches in foreign countries including Mexico, France and Hong Kong, with another planned for Kiev to serve Eastern Europe. Community volunteers are to be trained to offer an immediate professional response to a disaster in their region, before Israel-based volunteers can arrive.

The four new Israeli units will begin gearing up this winter. Gadi Kellerman is working with about 15 Bedouins in the south, recruited mostly from among border patrol and police officers. Hezki Farkash is setting up the new Druze units in Beit Jann and Yirka up north.

"In the north and the south, our goal is to keep growing the number of volunteers from the Druze and Bedouin communities," stresses Meshi-Zahav.

Meet the Israeli Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle - AvantGuard

2010-11-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Direct flights from Denmark to resume after intifada halt

2010-10-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Article published by GLOBES Israel's Business Arena

October 24, 2010

By Globe's Correspondent

Cimber Air's direct flight will cuts the time of the trip in half.

Danish airline Cimber Air will operate three direct scheduled and charter flights a week from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv beginning November 1.

A Cimber Sterling Airlines Boeing 737-700

There has been a significant increase in the numbers of tourists visiting Israel from Scandinavia during 2010. This, together with the anticipated continued increase with the commencement of the new and reinstated flights is expected to return the Scandinavian countries to the incoming tourism map of Israel and generate a 25% increase in incoming tourism from these countries. In January-September 2010, 47,400 tourists arrived from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark (16% more than the same period last year and 19% more than 2008.)

The direct flight cuts the time of the trip in half, as what was a nine-hour journey, including a changeover in Vienna or another European capital, is now about 4.5 hours.

Daily El AL and SAS flights between Israel and the Scandinavian countries ceased operating ten years ago with the onset of the intifada, after a significant drop in demand.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said, “The Tourism Ministry will continue its marketing efforts in 2011 to bring back the tourism traffic from Scandinavia to Israel, as main source countries for incoming tourism."

Google to bring Dead Sea Scrolls online

2010-10-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Article published on Ynetnews October 21, 2010

By Associated Press

Technology giant, Israel announce plan to launch public viral database for ancient archaeological treasure.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, among the world's most important, mysterious and tightly restricted archaeological treasures, are about to get Googled.

The technology giant and Israel announced Tuesday that they are teaming up to give researchers and the public the first comprehensive and searchable database of the scrolls – a 2,000-year-old collection of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek documents that shed light on Judaism during biblical times and the origins of Christianity. For years, experts have complained that access to the scrolls has been too limited.
Once the images are up, anyone will be able to peruse exact copies of the original scrolls as well as an English translation of the text on their computer – for free.

Officials said the collection, expected to be available within months, will feature sections that have been made more legible thanks to high-tech infrared technology.
"We are putting together the past and the future in order to enable all of us to share it," said Pnina Shor, an official with Israel's Antiquities Authority.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940s in caves in the Judean Desert and are considered one of the greatest finds of the last century.

After the initial discovery, tens of thousands of fragments were found in 11 caves nearby. Some 30,000 of these have been photographed by the antiquities authority, along with the earlier finds. Together, they make up more than 900 manuscripts.

For decades, access to 500 scrolls was limited to a small group of scholar-editors with exclusive authorization from Israel to assemble the jigsaw puzzle of fragments, and to translate and publish them. That changed in the early 1990s when much of the previously unpublished text was brought out in book form.

Restricted access
But even now, access for researchers is largely restricted at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where the originals are preserved in a dark, temperature-controlled room.

Shor said scholars must receive permission to view the scrolls from the authority, which receives about one request a month. Most are given access, but because no more than two people are allowed into the viewing room at once, scheduling conflicts arise. Researchers are permitted three hours with only the section they have requested to view placed behind glass.

Putting the scroll online will give scholars unlimited time with the pieces of parchment and may lead to new hypotheses, Shor said.

"This is the ultimate puzzle that people can now rearrange and come up with new interpretations," she said.

Scholars already can access the text of the scrolls in 39 volumes along with photographs of the originals, but critics say the books are expensive and cumbersome. Shor said the new pictures – photographed using cutting-edge technology – are clearer than the originals.

The refined images were shot with a high-tech infrared camera NASA uses for space imaging. It helped uncover sections of the scrolls that have faded over the centuries and became indecipherable.

If the images uploaded prove to be of better quality than the original, scholars may rely on these instead of traveling to Jerusalem to see the scrolls themselves, said Rachel Elior, a professor of Jewish thought at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

"The more accessible the fragments are the better. Any new line, any new letter, any better reading is a great happiness for scholars in this field," she said.

'May spur new interpretations'
The new partnership is part of a drive by Google to have historical artifacts catalogued online, along with any other information.

"There are artifacts in boxes, in museum basements. We ask ourselves how much this stuff is available on the Internet. The answer is not a lot, and not enough," said Yossi Matias, an official from Google-Israel.

Google has worked to upload old books from European universities and pictures of archaeological finds from Iraq's national university. This project is different, Matias said, because access to the scrolls may spur new interpretations of the highly debated text and because the scrolls have a more universal appeal.

For the last 18 years, segments of the scrolls have been publicly displayed in museums around the world. At a recent exhibit in St. Paul, Minn., 15 fragments were shown.

Shor said a typical 3-month exhibit in the US draws 250,000 people, illustrating just how much the scrolls have fascinated people.

"From the minute all of this will go online, there will be no need to expose the scroll anymore," Shor said. "Anyone in his office or on his couch will be able to click and see any scroll fragment or manuscript that they like."

Much mystery continues to surround the scrolls. No one knows who copied these ancient texts or how they got there. The scrolls include parts of the Hebrew Bible as well as treatises on communal living and apocalyptic war.

Over the years, the texts have sparked heated debates among researchers over their origins.

Some believe the Essenes, a monastic sect seen by some as a link to early Christianity, hid the scrolls during the Jewish revolt of the first century AD, Others believe they were written in Jerusalem and stashed in caves at Qumran by Jewish refugees fleeing the Roman conquest of the city, also in the first century.

IAI presents new Panther UAV

2010-10-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Article published in Jerusalem Post October 5, 2010

By Yaakov Lappin

The new 65-kilogram UAV can stay in the air for up to six hours and fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet. It comes equipped with a specialized day and night camera with a laser range-finder on board.

Israel Aerospace Industries is set to unveil a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during a conference in Latrun on Tuesday.

The Panther UAV “combines the flight capabilities of an airplane with helicopter- like hovering, a tilt-rotor propeller, and a fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system, which enable a runway-free takeoff and landing on an unprepared area,” IAI said in a press release on Monday.

The Panther will go on display at the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) 2010 annual meeting and exposition in Washington, to be held October 25-27.

Itzhak Nissan, president and CEO of IAI, said, “The Panther’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, along with its effective use of changing flight dynamics, make it a unique and invaluable asset on the tactical battlefield for the Israel Defense Forces and for foreign customers. We consider the innovative technology used in this system to be ground-breaking.”

The new 65-kilogram UAV can stay in the air for up to six hours and fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet. It comes equipped with a specialized day and night camera with a laser range-finder on board.

Milk drinkers lose more weight, research shows

2010-09-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Article published on ISRAEL21c September 26, 2010

By ISRAEL21c staff

A two-year weight loss study held in Israel reveals that dieters who consume milk lose more weight on average than those who don't.

A new weight loss study conducted in Israel has revealed that dieters who consume milk or milk products lose more weight on average than those who consume little to no milk products.

The two-year dietary intervention study, of 300 overweight men and women in middle age, was carried out by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). The researchers found that regardless of diet, dieters with the highest dairy calcium intake - equal to 12 oz. of milk or other dairy products, lost about 12 pounds (6kg) at the end of two years.

Dieters with the lowest dairy calcium intake - about half a glass of milk, only lost seven pounds on average.

The researchers, led by Dr. Danit Shahar, of BGU's Center for Health and Nutrition, and the Faculty of Health sciences, also discovered that levels of vitamin D found in the blood, also affected the success of weight loss treatments. The results confirmed existing research showing that overweight participants have lower blood levels of the vitamin.

Higher vitamin D levels in successful dieters

"It was known that over-weight people had lower levels of serum vitamin D but this is the first study that actually shows that serum Vitamin D increased among people who lost weight," says Shahar. "This result lasted throughout the two years that the study was conducted, regardless of whether [participants] were on a low-carb, low fat or Mediterranean diet."

Vitamin D increases calcium absorption in the bloodstream and in addition to sun exposure can be obtained from fortified milk, fatty fish and eggs. Americans generally consume less than the recommended daily requirement of Vitamin D which is found in four glasses of milk (400 international units).

The study, which was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was part of the Dietary Intervention Randomized Control Trial (DIRECT) held at the Nuclear Research Center in Israel in collaboration with Harvard University, the University of Leipzig, Germany and the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Some 322 moderately obese people, aged 40 to 65, took part in the study evaluating low fat, Mediterranean or low-carb diets for two years.

In earlier findings, scientists discovered that low-fat diets aren't the best way to lose weight, but that dieters are likely to lose more weight on a Mediterranean diet, or a low-carb diet.

The study was supported by the Israel Ministry of Health and the Israel Dairy Council, the Israel Chief Scientist Office, German Research Foundation and the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Research Foundation.

Google acquires Israeli start-up Quiksee

2010-09-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

Article published on GLOBES [online] September 13, 2010

By Noa Parag

According to Quiksee CEO Royz, the company's technology enhances Google's Street View.

Search giant Google has found a second company to acquire in Israel, buying start-up Quiksee. The price is estimated to be several million dollars. Both Google and Quiksee declined to respond.

The firm was founded in 2007 by CEO Gadi Royz, VP R&D Rony Amira, CTO Assaf Harel, and Pavel Yosifovich. The company's software allows Internet users to turn a simple video clip into an interactive video clip. Users can photograph any location where they are with a digital camera or mobile device, upload the file to Google Maps, and take part in the dynamic mapping of the world.
Quiksee's software turns the clip into an interactive one, by allowing people to wander through and get a real visit experience, without physically being there. Essentially it allows anyone to create location based media.
According to CEO Royz, Quiksee's technology enhances Google's Street View. It allows surfers to virtually enter a hotel, business office, or other property, without GPS or any other medium.
Estimates are that the company has raised $3 million to date, from Van Leer Group Foundation unit Docor International BV and from Ofer Hi Tech Ltd.
In April, Google made its first acquisition in Israel, buying start-up LabPixies.

Number of high rises in Israel doubles

2010-09-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Article on Ynetnews.com September 1, 2010

By Billy Frenkel

Israeli Union for Managing Houses and Buildings says construction of towers 21 stories and higher jumps 125% in last two years

Israel is getting taller. New construction of towers with 21 stories or more rose 125% in 2008 and 2009 in comparison with 2006 and 2007, according to an analysis of Central Bureau of Statistics figures performed by the Israeli Union for Managing Houses and Buildings.

The figures show that the start of construction on high-rise buildings rose between 2006 and 2009. The rate of new construction on residential towers with 11 stories or more in urban areas stood at 16.5% of all new construction in 2006 and 2007. This figure rose to 23.5% by the end of the first quarter of 2010, with a total of 10,836 apartments overall.

The figures also show that Petah Tikva is gaining height the fastest in the past two years with 1,585 new apartment units being built in buildings 11 stories and taller. Of these, 485 apartments have started being built in buildings with 21 floors or more – 593 apartments in buildings with 16 to 20 floors, and 507 apartments in buildings between 11 and 15 floors.

Tel Aviv leads in 21-story building growth
Second in terms of overall new apartments built in towers 11 stories and taller is Be'er Yaakov with 1,016 such apartments being constructed during these years.

Tel Aviv came in third with construction being started on 782 new apartments in buildings with 11 stories and more. A breakdown of the figures by height of the apartments shows that Tel Aviv has the highest number of apartments being built in towers of 21 stories and higher with 539 new units.

The next cities on the list in descending order are Holon, Netanya, and Rishon Lezion.

Israel wins taekwondo gold after Iran withdrawal

2010-08-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Article published on The Jakarta Post August 16, 2010
By The Associate Press

Politics threatened to overshadow the inaugural Youth Olympic Games after an Iranian athlete cited injury before withdrawing from the boys taekwondo final against an Israeli athlete on the first full day of competition.

The Iranian delegation said Mohammad Soleimani aggravated an injury and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Soleimani was unable to face Israel's Gili Haimovitz or attend the medal ceremony late Sunday.

Israeli officials said they expected Iran to refuse to compete and that the withdrawal was politically motivated. Daniel Oren, head of the Israeli delegation, said he was thrilled at the gold medal but expressed frustration that the victory was not earned in the final.

"When Gili won the semifinal, we knew the Iranian was making the final. Already, we knew that the Iranians would not come," Oren said. "This is their system. On the one hand, we got the gold medal. It's very exciting for us. On the other hand, we would prefer winning by competing."

Haimovitz said he was happy to have won gold.

"Actually, I don't want to get into politics or that kind of thing," the 17-year-old Oren said. "I don't know. I was ready for a fight. If he came out or not, I don't care."

An Iranian official did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said it is "my understanding is that he was taken to hospital and unable to compete."

The World Taekwondo Federation confirmed Haimovitz's victory. When contacted by The Associated Press, the federation spokesman denied that there was a political motive for the withdrawal.

Alex Gilady, an IOC member from Israel who handed out the medals for the competition, said it was a tactic by Iran to avoid violation of Olympic rules.

"Once he (Soleimani) was injured, that meant he still would win the silver ... have to stand on the podium and listen to the Israeli anthem and see the Israeli flag over the Iranian flag," Gilady said. "They put him in an ambulance so at least they would not create a crisis that would have demanded further action. So it looks like everything is OK."

Iran in the past has stated that its policy is to withdraw from competing against Israel because it does not recognize the country. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Iranian Arash Miresmaeili - a two-time world judo champion - refused to compete against Israel's Ehud Vaks in the opening round of the 66kg competition. He said his decision was to show solidarity for the Palestinian cause.

Haimovitz's victory was Israel's first gold medal of the Games, a 12-day event which will feature 3,600 athletes ages 14 to 18 from 204 national Olympic committees competing in 26 sports across Singapore.

Youth Olympics organizers have sought to emphasize the educational and cultural benefits of bringing together teenage athletes from around the world.

In an unofficial medal tally because organizers are not collating standings, Russia led with six followed by China with four and the United States with three after the first day of competition.

On Monday, medals will be awarded in fencing, swimming, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling and weightlifting.

How Israeli Technology Can Help Clean Gulf Oil Spill

2010-08-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Article published on Arutz Sheva August 5, 2010

By Baruch Gordon

It’s taken millions of dollars to cap it, and it could take billions more to clean it up. BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is perhaps the environmental catastrophe of the century. But Tel Aviv University has a solution that may help remedy the remaining oil residue through a natural, biological process.

Prof. Eugene Rosenberg and Prof. Eliora Ron of Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology are using naturally occurring oil-munching bacteria, grown at the TAU lab, to clean the hard-to-reach oil pockets that occur when oil mixes with sand and organic matter on beaches and forms a thin layer on the Gulf’s precious waterways.

“It’s worked to clean up an oil spill on the coast of Haifa, Israel, so we’ve already got good evidence it could work in Florida too,” says Prof. Ron. Details of their decades of research appear in The Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, published this year by Springer Verlag.

Using nature itself to fight contamination
The researchers identified a naturally occurring variety of sea-borne bacteria that digests oil. By studying the bacteria’s genetic background, developing methods of growing the bacteria, and increasing their capacity to ingest the oil, the scientists have developed a solution that could clean up the residual oil that can’t be removed by mechanical means.

Prof. Ron says that sucking up surface oil pools and containing the oil are important and necessary first-step actions. But her solution addresses the smaller amounts of oil left behind ― that which isn’t easily removed from sand and water. It is this small percentage of oil that sits under rocks and forms a thin film on the water’s surface. Her bacterial solution can remove this oil, which is necessary to protect the sea’s wildlife.

“We see sad pictures of birds covered in oil and people with good intentions cleaning bird wings,” says Prof. Ron. “But by the time the oil is on their wings, it’s too late. Birds die because oil gets into their lungs.”

Going the last mile
“The problem is huge and even with just a little bit in your lungs, oil is bad. Even when cleanup crews reduce the amount of oil at sea, there will probably be enough left behind to kill birds and wildlife.” At this level of oil removal, the researcher says, the only solution is bioremediation ― using nature itself to do the final cleanup.

Israel’s hard-won disaster expertise reaches South America

2010-07-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Article published on ISRAEL21c July 29, 2010
By Karin Kloosterman

Israeli experts in disaster response stress communication and infrastructure planning when teaching Chilean professionals how to cope with mass casualty situations.

It was a strange twist of fate: At the same time as an Israeli emergency response team was planning a program to train Chilean professionals in how to handle mass casualty situations, disaster struck in Chile, when an 8.8 Richter Scale earthquake hit the country in February, killing hundreds.

Last month, an Israeli team of six professionals traveled to Santiago to analyze the aftermath of the disaster and hold a five-day workshop to train more than 300 emergency response personnel from Chile and Paraguay in how to deal with mass casualty events.

Israel's long history of coping with terror and formidable road accidents has prepared the country to deal with the worst, says Gila Hyams who heads the Teaching Center for Trauma Mass Casualty Situations at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel.

She and her team travel the world teaching medical staff and response teams how to deal with events that most people would prefer not to even think about.

While Hyams was aware of the earthquake in Chile, she tells ISRAEL21c that she could never have imagined the scope of the disaster because it wasn't emphasized in the media she was exposed to in Israel. "When we arrived there they took us to the area of the tsunami, which was caused by the earthquake, and we saw something unbelievable," she recounts.

"We've learned with blood"

A whole village on the country's southern coast that was built in contravention to the building codes had been swept into the sea, killing 60 people. Adding to the tragedy, the community center set up to deal with emergencies was also swept away with the massive tidal wave, leaving no place for the critically injured to be treated. And the absence of efficient communication with the authorities to secure needed help - even for the most basic things like bandages - made matters even worse.

In their workshop, the Israeli team, comprised of doctors and members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), focused on communication and infrastructure planning - the two most problematic areas in the Chilean experience. And since by Latin American standards Chile is considered a very developed country, it is hoped that the ripple effects of the workshop will be better emergency responses in the entire region.

Each of the six Israelis led a working group, through which they shared the Israeli experience, unique in the world. Hyams says that the workshop "was a real eye opener" for the participants. "We've learned through blood, through the mass causalities we have here [in Israel] from terror attacks," she says. At the same time, Hyams feels compelled to mention "... the heroism of the medical teams that worked in such awful conditions during the catastrophe."

Israeli and Chilean participants in the course designed to help Chile handle mass casualty situations in the wake of disasters.

Among the Chileans who attended the workshop were senior members of Chile's air and ground forces and representatives from its rescue units and police force. News of the Israeli delegation also drew 12 doctors and nurses from Paraguay.

"These people get paid for this and we regulate what they need to do," explains Hyams, who has also brought a number of teams to the United States where American peers learn about the Israeli response to emergencies.

She has been to Dayton, Ohio; to a conference at New York University; another in Dallas, Texas; and most recently her team was in Detroit, to trade tips with specialists there. "We learn about trauma, and it is mass casualty we teach. We have more experience in this area unfortunately," she says. Also, due to Rambam's expertise with mass casualties, the center recently held a course in trauma for medical personnel in NATO countries.

Stressing communications and infrastructure

Team member Dr. Amir Blumenfeld, former head of the IDF Trauma Unit, relates that communications were so uneven following the earthquake in Chile that "... when we arrived there we found that... in some of the areas nobody knew what had happened." And Hymans adds, "There weren't enough people to treat the injured. They couldn't even find bandages.

"One of the most important points to stress when dealing with this situation is collaboration between ambulance, police and army and hospitals. They didn't have this in Chile. We have many things in place [in Israel], on our computers, and a network that connects representatives, on call, who are ready to deal with a state of mass casualties," he tells ISRAEL21c.

"When they get the calls they will all arrive to the same place for command and control, which will include a rep from the ministry of health, the hospitals, police and army." This is so all the forces can be united on a common front. And while it sounds intuitive, a lack of communication and ground control was one of the criticisms that the Bush Administration faced over its response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Hyams lauds the Jewish community in Santiago for helping to rebuild the local medical support system: "The pictures here are very difficult. Four months after the disaster there is still damage everywhere. Where hospitals once stood, there are now tents," she says, pointing out that the Jewish community's assistance has been very significant.

She would like to return to Chile and is in contact with MASHAV, Israel's National Agency for International Development Cooperation, in the hope that the organization will help sponsor more workshops or bring Chileans to Israel to learn more. Her idea is to organize more workshops through a local MASHAV office in Santiago, set up to service the wider Latin American region.

The recent June workshop in Chile was sponsored by Israel's Rambam Hospital; Israel's Ministry of Health, the Jewish community in Chile, and the Las Condes Hospital, a private medical facility in Chile.

2,000-Year-Old Gold Coin a Testament to Galilee Ancient History

2010-07-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Article Published on Arutz Sheva July 18, 2010

By Hana Levi Julian

A 2,000-year-old gold coin discovered by a West Virginia University student at an archaeological site in the upper Galilee has proven to be the find of the season.

It is the first Antonius Pius coin ever found in Israel and was discovered by Alexis Whitley and her friend, on one of the hottest days of the summer. The two were clearing away dirt and rocks at the Bethsaida site when suddenly, Alex spotted the sparkle of a coin as it slipped down.

Unaware of its significance, it took a while for Whitley to understand why excavation director Dr. Rami Arav immediately had her pose with the coin as photographers raced to the site.

The coin, which Arav described as a discovery of Biblical dimensions, weights 7 grams of 24-karat gold – 97.6 percent gold, to be exact. It depicts the portrait of Antonius Pius, a Roman emperor who rules from 138-161 CE.

“Not every job that is boring has boring results,” Arav chuckled, when asked in an interview with Israel National News how he managed to stay focused on one site for the past 24 years. “Sometimes the results are fascinating.”

Arav, a professor at the University of Nebraska, said the coin was issued to celebrate Pius' designation of consul for a second time, which according to historical records took place in the summer of 138 CE. He noted that Pius' ascension to consul should have been indicated with an announcement on the flip side of the coin – but instead, the coin shows a portrait of the goddess Pietas – which the chief archaeologist said may have been a rare and valuable misprint. “Somebody in the Roman Imperial mint goofed. It is like having a rare and mistaken silver dollar,” Arav explained.

The coin also supports the theory that Pius embraced the Jewish population in Rome, unlike his father, who brutally oppressed the Jewish revolts. Pius is considered to have been a personal friend of Rabbi Yehudah (Judah) the Prince, creator of the Mishnah.

Bethsaida was founded as a capital of the ancient kingdom of Geshur and was the birthplace of at least three Christian apostles – Peter, Andrew and Philip. The ancient town is located at Park HaYarden, north of Lake Kinneret, also known as the Sea of Galilee. The site, discovered by Arav in 1987, has seen 24 seasons of excavations thus far.

Other finds over the past years have included a golden earring, an Athenian tetradrachm, a small Egyptian figurine (Pataekos) and common cooking pots.

The golden earring was made of two pieces comprised of the head of an unidentified animal, decorated with small gold balls, with gold and silver twisted filigreed strings, soldered together with a gold strap.
The tetradrachm, a find which relates to the Persian period(450-330 BCE), dates back to approximately 450 BCE, according to a post on the Bethsaida excavation web site. The small figurine depicting the Egyptian god Pataekos was unearthed from beneath a 10-cm level of sediment of red burnt soil at the dig in 1994. Although most of the blue glazing was faded or peeled away, noted Arav at the time, “a few deposits under the right arm and under the neck indicate its original turquoise color.”

A globular cooking pot was also found at the site, one of the most common that exists in the excavation of the Hellenistic-Roman periods in the Land of Israel. The globular pot, equipped with two handles that emerge from the rim and were attached to the shoulders, was a common find at the site, said Arav.

He added that the coin, as well as all the other finds at the Bethsaida dig, remain the property of the State of Israel. “It is part of the heritage of this country,” he said. “Soon after the professional publication of the coin it will go to the Israel Antiquities Authority and I believe that it will be on display in a museum.”

The Bethsaida Excavation is being carried out by a consortium of 20 universities and colleges worldwide, Arav explained. Among the institutions involved are American, European, Australian and Israeli universities, headed by the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

SafeRise Apartment Security System Developed by Israeli General

2010-07-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

Forget the World Cup, think soccer robotics

2010-07-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Article published on ISRAEL21c July 8, 2010
By Karin Kloosterman

The Israeli national team didn't make the cut for this year's World Cup soccer tournament, in fact they've only made the cut once -- in 1970. But that doesn't faze Israelis who are more known for their high tech prowess, over sport, any way. Using their brains instead of brawn, a group of Israeli researchers and their students headed to Singapore for six days in June to coach their own kind of soccer team -- one made of robots at the annual RoboCup tournament.

They might not have won the prestigious tournament, but in the good spirit of robotics and diplomacy the team played against Texas and Austria, practiced with Turkey, and was even invited to come with their robots to Iran.

It's the second year that Israelis have been invited to the robotic soccer league, the Robot World Cup, which pits robots from different universities around the world against each other. Going in with an advantage, making the cut among only 24 teams from around the globe, Israel's Team BURST from Bar Ilan University had to deal with a "repository" failure calling on their human support team to race around the clock trying to fix the robots before kickoff.

In the end the Israeli university team placed nowhere near the top, yet "we scored a goal," boasts Dr. Eli Kolberg, on the committee of the RoboCup league, and researcher at Bar Ilan University. He also escorted a junior high school team from Holon, Israel, which won a robotics dance competition.

Playing with plastic, chips and brains

The official team from Israel included four robots and 13 researchers from Bar Ilan, among who were 11 of the school's best graduate students from the Department of Computer Sciences. Normally students don't get access to the kind of classes that prepare them to build high-end robotics projects -- especially ones that teach robots how to run, kick, head but and try to score penalty goals:

"One of the unique things about the robotics program at the Computer Science department is our emphasis on inclusion of undergraduate students in state-of-the-art research projects. There are very few universities in the world, let alone Israel, where undergraduate students can take regular classes, in which they face state-of-the-art research challenges in robotics," said Prof. Gal Kaminka, a researcher at Bar Ilan University who heads the team.

The Israeli team of robots might not have the face of Beckham or the speed and balance of Pele, but they've got brains. And that's the research teams' tactic on the "field". "The competition is really about programming the software brain that controls each robot," says Kaminka. "Each robot has a camera, range sensors, a computer, and independent motion capabilities. They cannot rely on human intervention or guidance in any way or form. However, they can communicate with each other.

"There's a very exciting story of which RoboCup is only a symbol, a front: the story of the birth of Israeli robotics in recent years," he explains to ISRAEL21c. "This is reflected not only by academic efforts such as RoboCup, but also what is happening in the industry, with both large defense integrators as well as small start ups that are popping up," he says.

An ER situation and "sports medicine"

"There's a sense that the market is moving at an accelerated rate. I know that all of sudden, after years of having my PhD and MSc student graduate to jobs in larger companies, suddenly two of them are off to start their own robotics companies. One of them, Cogniteam, actually sponsored our team.

"This was a factor in my decision to open RoboCup to undergraduate students - an unusual decision, given their inexperience. I wanted to make sure that Bar Ilan is producing students with knowledge in robotics at a faster rate."

Before the team arrived in Singapore on June 19, the Israeli BURST team was pretty confident of a win. But disaster struck almost immediately. "After a few hours of work during the first set-up day, we discovered that our code went through a meltdown," the students wrote on their blog.

"Things that worked in the lab, no longer work. Repairs just seem to make things worse. We have been working 22 hours a day to stabilize the situation. Some of the students are falling asleep at the keyboard. The amount of caffeine intake is just astounding: The current rate is eight espressos for every 10 hours," they lamented.

"What happened is our repository crashed - it's the software - it's complicated to explain but it's working in several environments. We had to work hard in order to help the robots step up to a reasonable competition," says Kolberg, who believes the robotics soccer league could one day compete against real human soccer players.

"On the third game we started making goals. But it was too late for us," he tells ISRAEL21c. "The people - professors and faculty and students really understand what we've done in a short time and it was a great honor for Israel. It won't be the last game we play," concludes Kolberg, who reported a practice session against a Turkish robotics soccer team.

Next year, they'll be back -- hopefully for a win. If not in the real life World Cup, than with their robots.

Tourism Booms Between Israel and Malta

2010-06-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Article on Arutz Sheva June 30, 2010
By Hana Levi Julian

While Israeli tourism to Turkey is dying on the vine, the Republic of Malta is preparing to introduce a new direct flight route to the Jewish State. The small Mediterranean nation, located near Italy, has lost no time taking advantage of the drop in Israeli travelers who are choosing Turkey as their destination of choice.

The General Retailers and Traders Union (GRTU), the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Chamber, and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) banded together recently to advocate routes to both Jerusalem and Beirut. Some of those involved suggested that it would be a good idea to connect the two destinations.

The GRTU "has been inundated with requests and queries" as to why airlines do not start flight operations from Malta to Jerusalem and Beirut and back, Philip Fenech, president of the GRTU's Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure section, told The Malta Independent. “A number of Maltese, with their strong Catholic faith, have always shown a high interest in traveling to these two places,” he explained.

MHRA president George Micallef added that tour operators have had especially positive experiences from Israel, leading him to be certain that there is money to be made on both sides. “The MHRA has in the past experienced charter operations from these two destinations, particularly Israel, and we have generally received positive feedback from the hotels that have hosted a large number of guests from these countries, said MHRA president George Micallef.

He cautioned, however, that it was important to ensure that the momentum of high energy seen during peak months be continued during off-peak season as well. Otherwise, he said, “it can create more problems than solutions. When introducing new and prospective destinations like Jerusalem and Beirut, Malta needs to ensure their sustainability,” he said.

Malta, a member of the United Nations and the European Union, is comprised of an archipelago some 93 kilometers south of Sicily and 288 kilometers northeast of Tunisia. The republic spans some 300 square kilometers, making it one of Europe's smallest and most densely populated countries. Its official religion is Catholicism.

Israel launches new spy satellite 'Ofek 9'

2010-06-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Article published on AP June 22, 2010
By Mark Lavie

JERUSALEM – Israel launched a spy satellite called "Ofek 9" late Tuesday, Israel's Defense Ministry and officials said, increasing Israel's capacity to keep an eye on enemies like Iran.
The Defense Ministry issued a statement saying the satellite was launched late Tuesday from the Palmachim air force base on Israel's coast south of Tel Aviv. An hour later, after the satellite completed its first circuit, the ministry said it had achieved its proper orbit, describing it as "a surveillance satellite with advanced technological capabilities."

Defense officials said Ofek 9 is a spy satellite with a high resolution camera. It would join two other active spy satellites in the Ofek series already orbiting the earth. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because details were not made public, said the three satellites would give Israel considerable coverage of sensitive areas.
Addition of a new satellite gives Israel the capability of sending space-borne cameras over sensitive areas more frequently. One of Israel's main targets for spy photos is Iran, because of its nuclear program.
Israel considers Iran to be a strategic threat, charging that its nuclear program is meant for developing bombs, despite Iranian denials. Also, Iran has tested missiles that can reach Israel, and its leaders frequently refer to Israel's destruction.
Israel is also thought to be targeting Syria with its satellites. In 2007, warplanes struck a site in Syria thought to be a nuclear facility under construction. Israel has not commented, but it was widely reported that the attacking aircraft were Israeli.
Defense officials said that with each successive Israeli satellite, cameras are more advanced and offer higher resolution. They said the camera aboard Ofek 9 was made by Elbit, a leading Israeli high-tech optics firm. They said the camera could pick out missiles and launchers on the ground.
Isaac Ben-Israel, a former head of the Israeli space agency, told Israel Radio that the new satellite weighs about 650 pounds (300 kilograms), small in comparison to American spy satellites. He said it would take another two or three days before it could be determined if its camera was working properly. So far, he said, Israel has not had problems with cameras aboard its satellites.
In 2008, an Israeli spy satellite launched from India took aloft an advanced radar system that would allow photography in all weather conditions and at night.
Besides its spy satellites, Israel also has a number of communications satellites in orbit.

Israeli companies star in New York Advertising Festival

2010-06-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Dig reveals 3,500 yr old relics

2010-06-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Article published in Jerusalem Post June 7, 2010
By jpost.com staff

Find includes 100 undamaged religious utensils.

A major 3,500 year old archaeological find was made at Tel Kasis dig near the Tishbi Junction in the North, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday.

The site was found to include over 100 undamaged religious utensils, including tableware such as cups and plates, vessels for storing oils and statuettes some of which were imported from Mykonos in Greece.

The dig is being managed by archaeologists Uzi Ad and Dr. Edwin Van-Den-Brink, who described the discovery as a rare find.

The archaeologists believe that the items were carefully hidden in the hole at a time of conflict in Canaan, for safekeeping.

A natural gas pipeline is planned for the area, and the dig is part of the preliminary preparations.

The Magnet System

2010-05-17T11:47:00.001-07:00

Article published on Israel Defense Forces website May 17, 2010
By Bar Josephine Dadon

The new Magnet system streamlines operational activity in times of emergency. Magnet is connected to radar systems allowing it to serve as an alternative alert system for high-trajectory weapon fire.

The Magnet system, which will streamline the operational activity of the Israeli Air Force, has been installed and put into operation on all IAF bases.
The Magnet presents a situation report of all IAF bases and includes a computerized operations log, replacing the manual system, which allows for faster data transfer. During security related events, the system displays the relevant areas, the number of injured, and the concentration of IAF forces, while every unit is able to update the situation on its base independently. The information is then transferred to central control posts and to the commanders of the various units and departments of the IAF.

“The guidelines for any given emergency situation are already saved in the system, so that if there is an incident, whoever directs the operation can log in to the Magnet and receive instructions,” explained the head of the Operations Department in the IAF Self-Defense Branch, Maj. Itzik Ben-Simon.

In addition, the Magnet system can form a connection to radars and other detection means, allowing an alternative alert system for high-trajectory weapon fire towards IAF bases. “The new system can send a warning regarding missiles hitting any base through a message on the screen,” explained Maj. Ben-Simon. “Until now, the alerts were given by phone from the control cell in Tel Aviv.”

The development of the Magnet system began in 2002 in the Ofek Computer Unit and a full review of its operational capabilities was recently completed. “The Magnet is more stable than in the past, and IAF commanders rely on it. The system has already been presented to the IDF Army Headquarters as well, and the IDF is examining its possible integration in the Ground Forces,” added Maj. Ben-Simon.

ISRAEL JOINS WEALTHIEST NATIONS

2010-05-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Israeli cardiology given top marks

2010-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Article published in Jerusalem Post April 26, 2010
By Judy Siegel-Itzkovich

Israeli cardiology has received an impressive report card from the European Society of Cardiology, whose prestigious European Heart Journal has found that the death rate of hospitalized heart attack patients in Israel is lower than that in 29 European countries. In addition, Israeli acute myocardial infarction patients get balloon angioplasty to open clogged coronary arteries faster than in all the others except Germany.

A few years ago, among all diseases cancer was identified as the biggest killer in Israel, surpassing heart disease, whose mortality rates have declined due to improved medical technology, highly trained cardiologists, greater accessibility and better prevention. Accessibility was increased when the Health Ministry required the health funds to give hospitals a rather generous, set amount per procedure instead of the much lower, per diem hospitalization rate.
Experts from 30 countries, from Austria to the UK, were asked to report on their own official national statistics, and Israel was represented by leading cardiologists Profs. Alexander Battler, Basil Lewis and Shlomo Behar.

The just-published scientific paper reported that the number of annual Israeli angioplasties (catheterizations in which a tiny deflated balloon is pushed from the groin or arm into the heart to restore blood flow) is 2,726 per million residents – twice that in the US and higher than France and Italy. Only Germany had a higher rate than Israel’s. Just 4.2 percent of patients died in the aftermath of heart attacks in Israeli hospitals, compared to 11.9% in Finland and 13.5% in Italy.

The article also noted that 75% of Israeli heart patients who undergo urgent angioplasties get it immediately rather than the less effective thrombolysis (injection of tPA, which gradually dissolves the clot).

At the same time, the number of new heart attack cases here is similar to the average European rate of 136 per 100,000, the Israel Heart Society reported. The journal showed in its tables that the rate of Israeli residents per catheterization center was 333,500 (there are 22 centers here), which was at an “optimal” level, making this country look good compared to most European countries. Israeli heart attack victims, on average, reach medical care in 90 minutes after the onset of symptoms compared to twice that in Belgium and Greece.

The heart society’s president, Prof. Gad Keren, and secretary-general Prof. Doron Zager said they were proud that the mortality rate from heart attacks in Israel is among the lowest in Europe. “It reflects upon years of research and hard work by cardiology departments around the country, as well as the health system’s correct investment in catheterization labs. To preserve this achievement for the future and even to improve on it, we must continue to invest many resources in research, manpower and equipment to deal with heart attacks. This investment has proven itself as saving lives,” they concluded.

Samaria Wines Win Big; Victor Credits Shemittah Year

2010-04-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Article published on CrownHeights.info April 23, 2010

Wineries in Judea and Samaria shone at the annual Eshkol Hazahav wine competition this year, taking a total of seven awards. A total of 251 wines were submitted to the competition, and were judged by dozens of experts in a blind taste test.

The Hararei Kedem winery in Yitzhar was particularly successful, taking two gold medals and one silver. Hararei Kedem's winning wines were a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Cabernet-Merlot blend.
Hararei Kedem is a unique winery for several reasons. Not only does owner Ariel Ben-Sheetrit use Jewish labor, instead of hiring foreign workers as many do, but the wines he creates are entirely organic. In addition, Ben-Sheetrit observes the shemittah (Sabbatical) year, allowing his fields to lie fallow once every seven years.

Ben-Sheetrit was given an opportunity to address the audience after winning, and he used the opportunity to tell the hundreds of assembled winery owners, wine experts, journalists and tourists that he credits his success to his observance of the shemittah year, and to the fact that his grapes are grown in the portion of the land of Israel belonging to the biblical Joseph (Yosef), who is buried a short distance from Yitzhar.

The grapes that created his winning wines were grown in the year before the shemittah year, after he had decided to let the land lay fallow the next year despite agricultural experts' attempts to dissuade him, Ben-Sheetrit related. In that year, 2007, the year before the shemittah year, his vineyard produced three times the usual quantity of grapes.

"It was truly a fulfillment of the words of the Torah, that the land will give enough for the sixth, seventh, and eighth years,” he declared. The grapes were special in terms of quality as well as quantity, he added, as indicated by the prize-winning wines they produced.

The Pesagot winery won three medals as well, and Yekev Gevaot of Givat Harel won a single medal, which join the two gold medals it won last year.

The wine industry in Judea and Samaria has flourished in recent years. Wineries in the region have won awards in Israel and abroad, and have drawn tourists from around the world.

Boston to host Israeli innovation exhibit

2010-04-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Article published on Ynetnews April 17, 2010

Museum of Science fair in May to highlight groundbreaking developments being made by Israelis, Israeli institutions in clean energy, medicine, and technology

A weekend of programming showcasing Israeli innovation will culminate at 9 am on Sunday, May 2, during a technology fair at the Museum of Science in Boston. The fair – co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to New England – will include addresses by Prof. Peretz Lavie, president of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; Dr. Rafael Beyar, CEO and Director General of Rambam Health Care Campus; Michael Granoff - Better Place; and many others.

The event will highlight the groundbreaking developments being made by Israelis and Israeli institutions in clean energy, medicine, and technology. Visitors will be able to see Israel's progress on its plan to be the first country to have a majority of electric cars on its roads; efforts to be a pioneer in solar and wind energy; and thriving innovative economy.
Educational exhibits will be sponsored by the following Israeli universities and institutions: The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; Rambam Medical Center; Hadassah Medical Center; New England-Israel Business Council; Jewish Heart for Africa; Bloomfield Science Museum; and South Area Solomon Schecter Day School.

The Alan J. Tichnor Memorial Event will conclude on Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Mishkan Tefila with a keynote panel discussion on the future of Israeli innovation and technology, featuring senior leadership from Israeli universities and moderated by Dan Senor, Author of Start-up Nation; The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle. The discussion will include greetings from the academic community delivered by Dr. Jehuda Reinharz, President of Brandeis University.

February Brings Highest Number of Tourists in Israeli History - Good News - Israel News - Israel National News

2010-03-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

February Brings Highest Number of Tourists in Israeli History - Good News - Israel News - Israel National News

Jpost video: Design Museum in Holon open for its first exhibit

2010-03-04T15:41:00.001-08:00

Israeli avocado takes Europe

2010-02-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Article published on Ynetnews February 28, 2010
By Navit Zomer

Wall Street Journal praises Agrexco company, says its avocado exports total one-third of amount of fruit in Europe. This season's exports expected to increase by more than 50%

The pear-shaped green fruit's sales have totaled reach one-third of all the fruit sold in the continent, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article dedicated to Agrexco. The Israeli company was defined by the leading American newspaper as the biggest Israeli exporter of fresh agricultural produce of high quality. According to the paper, 2009 saw a 12% rise Agrexco's sales turnover and the company leads Israel's agricultural exports this year.

Last year, the company exported agricultural produce under the Carmel brand for about € 492 million (about $663 million). Agrexco CEO Shlomo Tirosh told the paper that Israel markets 390,000 tons of fresh agricultural produce to countries all over the world, with avocado taking the first place. According to the Tirosh, there is no other product with such an outstanding presence from one single exporter. This season, the fruit's exports are expected to reach 36,000 tons compared to 22,000 last year – an increase of more than 50%. Pepper came in second with about 36,000 tons, in spite of the difficult winter in the Arava region. It was followed by organic tomatoes and conventional ones, mainly cherry tomatoes.

Green herbs have also had a strong presence – particularly basil, chives and mint. Despite the competition from Egypt, Morocco and Spain, the Israeli herbs' popularity is stable thanks to their high quality. In addition, the sales of Israel's melons have risen by 50% after years of decline.

The article reveals that Israel has a real advantage when it comes to organic products. Agrexco began specializing in the organic field 25 years ago, providing all its organic products with a good reputation and advantage over other countries. Tirosh estimates that the company's annual sales turnover will see a 3% rise in 2010.

The Unique Jerusalem Bird Observatory

2010-02-16T16:02:00.001-08:00

Congo Surgeon Trains in Burn Treatment at Rambam

2010-02-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

Article on Arutz Sheva February 14, 2010
By Hana Levi Julian

Rambam Medical Center in Haifa is training a surgeon from the Democratic Republic of Congo in burn treatment and plastic surgery, a field that 33-year-old Dr. Leon Mubenga says does not exist in his country. Upon completing the two-month course, Mubenga will be the first doctor in his country trained to care for burns, an area of specialization he said is desperately needed.

“Treatment options are few due to limited knowledge and suitable equipment. In contrast to Western countries, many patients with relatively small percentages of burns on their bodies die,” he said.

The surgeon was sent to Rambam by Project Moriah Africa, a voluntary organization founded by Dr. Gila Garaway and which is dedicated to assisting the Congo Republic.

Garaway, an environmental development specialist living in Tiberias, founded the group in 2002 after her husband died in a plane crash. The couple had worked together for many years in Congo as consultants for different organizations, and as the 62-year-old specialist explained, “In this project we constantly seek experts with whom we can collaborate.”

Dr. Yosef Berger, senior physician in Rambam's Department of Plastic Surgery and Director of the Plastic Surgery Service at Poriyah Hospital in Tiberias, is a long-time acquaintance of Garaway, and helped introduce the project at Rambam.

An initial plan to send Berger to Africa to train doctors was scuttled at the last minute when funding pledges didn't materialize, and instead Mubenga, who works in a large hospital in the city of Bokabo, was brought to Haifa. The facility where the Congolese surgeon works serves an area larger than the State of Israel – the eastern part of Congo, considered a war zone in recent years.

The difference in prognosis for a burn victim in Israel and one in Congo is stark. According to Professor Yehuda Ullman, Rambam's Director of Plastic Surgery and Chairman of the Israel Association of Plastic Surgery, a Congolese victim suffering with burns on as little as 30 percent of his body might die. In Israel, however, noted Ullman, “we succeed in saving those with burns on 80 to 90 percent of their bodies.”

Mubenga has worked hard since beginning the program two weeks ago, said project officials. “These have been two eventful weeks, and Dr. Mubenga has taken part in six operations,” Ullman noted. “While he is here, Dr. Mubenga can certainly gain the expertise needed to save his patients.”

The Congolese surgeon, meanwhile, vowed to pass his knowledge on to his colleagues upon his return. “This way,” he said, “we can save more lives.”

Israel on schedule to inaugurate electric car grid

2010-02-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Article on Ynetnews February 12, 2010
Published by Associated Press

Israel is on schedule to inaugurate a revolutionary electric car grid with dozens of recharge stations and thousands of cars on the road by next year, the project's developers said Sunday.

The California-based company Better Place hopes Israel's model will lead a shift toward electric transportation worldwide.

Between 70 and 100 recharge stations will open across the country by 2011 to service a fleet of electric vehicles, the company announced at a news conference unveiling a visitor center north of Tel Aviv.

Beginning in September, the company will test hundreds of cars and install a preliminary infrastructure before the project's commercial launch.

When the grid is complete, drivers will be able to recharge their vehicles using plugs installed next to parking spaces. On longer trips, motorists can stop at stations where a machine can replace the car's lithium ion battery. The cars, developed with Renault-Nissan, have a range of about 100 miles (160 kilometers) before the battery must be replaced.

Better Place has said users will pay for a monthly package that will include the price of the car, the battery and use of the grid. But it has yet to announce how much all of this will cost, saying only that the price will be equal to or less than the price of a regular car.

'Solving problem for entire world'

The company, founded by Israel-American businessman Shai Agassi, a former top executive at software giant SAP AG, raised $350 million from an HSBC-led investor consortium last month, one of the largest clean-tech investments in history. The new financing values Better Place at $1.25 billion.
Speaking Sunday, Agassi said his goal was to help end global dependence on oil. "Israel has taken on the problem (of oil dependency) and has decided independently to solve this for the entire world," he said. The visitor center opened Sunday offers interactive tours, test drives of the electric car, and an automated station to get on the wait list to buy the new car. Agassi reported heavy interest in the vehicle, but gave no numbers.

Israel-Nasa Partnership

2010-01-27T17:29:00.001-08:00

Building in Beit El

2010-01-27T17:25:00.001-08:00

Exhibition Review: 'We Also Are a Silver Tray'

2010-01-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Article on Jerusalem Post January 25,2010
By Yonatan Silverman

We Also are a Silver Tray The Palmach Museum Tel Aviv

The main exhibition in the Palmach Museum is an innovative arrangement of cinema docudrama and diorama designed to bring to life the experiences of the young Israeli men and women who trained and fought with the country's Palmach forces during the War of Independence.

We Also are a Silver Tray, the museum's new permanent exhibition, perhaps has less action in the script but it depends on the same docudrama and diorama techniques. And its story is most engaging for anyone interested in the history and human background of Israel's War of Independence.

Perhaps the most salient fact addressed in this new permanent exhibition is that 30,000 out of 60,000 Jewish combat soldiers during the War of Independence were Holocaust survivors. They were recruited for combat in the midst of the process of immigration and absorption. Around 1,400 were killed in combat.

As the guide explained, this story is not limited to the Palmach, but relates to the birth and development of the entire IDF.

The unknown soldier has become an icon for the fight of Holocaust survivors for statehood. Photo: Courtesy Palmach Museum

The main section of the exhibition is a long cinema docudrama featuring young Holocaust survivors in period costumes discussing the issues that mattered to them at the time, including living arrangements and learning Hebrew. Other young people in Palmach dress also play roles in this cinema production. The camera is angled so that the actors could almost have been playing their parts live on stage.

The exposure to this rare chapter of Israeli history in the exhibition is remarkable. There's no question why most of the visitors around me when I reviewed the new show were Israeli high school students just before recruitment into the IDF.

Israeli Aid Delegation Begins Work in Haiti

2010-01-16T11:32:00.001-08:00

Israeli Team Heads for Quake-Struck Haiti; Fate of Jews Unknown

2010-01-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

Article published on Arutz Sheva on January 13, 2009
By Hana Levi Julian

An seven-member team of Israelis has left for Haiti to assess what type of aid is most needed by the tragedy-struck island nation after it was hit by a massive earthquake late Tuesday afternoon. The delegation, comprised of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDF Home Front Command and IDF Medical Corps Personnel departed at 11:30 a.m. Israel time. Among the team members are experts in the fields of engineering, medical, logistics and rescue and recovery, government officials said.

Medical supplies, a field hospital, food stuffs and/or other humanitarian aid are among the types of assistance being considered for the desperately impoverished nation, sources said.

No Israelis have been identified among the victims of the quake that rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, according to Israeli Ambassador to the neighboring Dominican Republic, Amos Radyan. However, the condition of the Jewish families who live in the country is not clear, he said. Telephone lines are still down, and the Israeli embassy has been unable to contact any of the families.

There are approximately 25 to 30 Jews left in Haiti at present, most of who live in Port-au-Prince. Israel and Haiti maintain full diplomatic relations, but the Jewish State does not have an embassy in the country, which is served by the embassy in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

The earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, was the worst to hit the area in more than 200 years and the biggest quake ever to strike the impoverished island nation. It caused the National Palace to collapse and destroyed the local headquarters for United Nations peacekeepers as well as a hospital. Many U.N. employees are listed as missing, officials said.

A number of aftershocks followed the initial tembor and many more are still expected. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center, the depth of the earthquake was about six miles. It measured nine on a 1-to-10 scale that gauges the level of shaking on the ground.

Jews have lived in Haiti since 1492 CE, when Luis de Torres, a Converso, arrived as an interpreter for Christopher Columbus, albeit for the most part through hiding their Judaism. Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient synagogue of Crypto-Jews in Jeremie, and Jewish tombstones have also been discovered in port cities such as Cap Haaitien and Jacmel.

Prior to World War II, the island was home to a diverse community of Jews from France, Poland, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and other lands. In 1937, the Haitian government also issued passports and visas to some 100 Eastern European Jews fleeing the Nazi Holocaust. By the late 1950s, many of these Jews had left the country in order to ensure that their children would marry other Jews and not assimilate.

Israel21c Sequence 17 Harp ContestA H 264 LAN

2009-11-02T18:27:00.001-08:00

Future Tech: Driving With a Third Eye.

2009-10-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

Israeli medical team to join relief effort for Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines

2009-10-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Article published in Jerusalem Post on October 9, 2009
By Brian Blondy

An Israeli medical team was set to leave for the Philippines on Thursday night, to aid the victims of Typhoon Ketsana.

On September 26 the storm devastated the country, leaving an estimated 300 people dead, hundreds of thousands homeless and about 2.5 million people affected as a result.

The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid (IsraAID), which is currently coordinating the Israeli assistance, will hold meetings with the local Red Cross, the UN and international aid agencies upon arrival at the coordination center for the relief efforts.

On Friday a team of six Israeli doctors, nurses and paramedics from the organization F.I.R.S.T. (an IsraAID partner) will begin working within the Laguna and Marikina districts, areas that in recent days have seen a rise of food- and water-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue and diarrhea, due to the six-meter-high flooding. Both districts, located in the vicinity of Manila, have suffered a major part of the aftereffects of the disaster.

On the morning of October 2, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the whole country under a state of calamity.

Typhoon Ketsana brought heavy rains which caused severe flooding in Manila, the Cordillera region and 25 provinces on the northern island of Luzon.

With a 45 cm. rainfall in 24 hours, Manila and the surrounding region have experienced 1.8-meter-high flood waters, which have disabled the city's health and electrical infrastructure.

The IsraAID relief mission is a joint Israeli-Jewish collaboration with partners such as the American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles.

Ancient synagogue found in Israel

2009-09-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Article published on CNN September 11, 2009
By Kevin Flower

In what was slated to be the site of a new 122-room hotel, archaeologists say they have discovered one of the world's oldest synagogues in Northern Israel.

The site, which was unearthed as preparations were being made for construction of the hotel near the Sea of Galilee, is believed to date back some 2000 years from 50BCE to 100CE.

A large carved stone found during excavations of the recently uncovered synagogue.

In the middle of the 120 square meter main hall of the synagogue archaeologists discovered an unusual stone carved with a seven branched menorah . "We are dealing with an exciting and unique find," said excavation director and Israeli Antiquities Authority archaeologist Dina Avshalom-Gorni.

The menorah engraving is the first of its kind to be discovered from the Early Roman period according Avshalom-Gorni who said the site joins just six synagogue locations that are know to date from the same time.

She said synagogues from this period were extremely rare in part because many Jews during that time were in the habit of visiting the main temple in Jerusalem three times a year as opposed to attending local houses of worship.

Avshalom-Gorni posited that the engraved menorah was done by an artist who had visited the main synagogue in Jerusalem known as the Second Temple where the actual menorah was believed to be kept.

In addition to the engraved stone Avshalom-Gorni said they discovered preserved frescoes on the walls with "vivid" colors.

The synagogue was discovered in area called Migdal, historically an important settlement along the Sea of Galilee, which researchers say was mentioned in ancient Jewish texts as playing a prominent role during what is known as the Great Revolt, when Jews attempted to rebel against Roman rule. Migdal also figures in early Christian writings as the place where Mary Magdalene accompanied Jesus and the Apostles.

Jose Miguel Abat, a legal representative for the company developing the land, Ark New Gate, said the company was thrilled at news of the find and planned to establish a multi-cultural and multi-religious center at the location.

"We are sure this finding and the planned center will attract tourists and visitors from Israel and from around the World," Abat said in a statement.

CNN airs ISRAEL21c story: World's birdlife in danger if Israeli sanctuary closes

2009-09-09T18:45:00.001-07:00

City of David archeologists discover ancient fortification

2009-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Article published on The Global News Service of the Jewish People September 2, 2009

Israeli archeologists uncovered a large fortification likely used by the Canaanites and dating to the Middle Bronze period. The 26-foot-high and very thick wall was likely used by the Canaanites to protect the path to an important water source, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The discovery, in the “Walls Around Jerusalem" National Park in the City of David, is "the first time that such massive construction that predates the Herodian period has been discovered in Jerusalem,” according to a news release from the authority.

A small section of the wall was discovered in 1909, but the recent excavations determined how large the wall actually is. Nearly 80 feet of the wall has now been uncovered, but it is believed that it continues to run westward beyond the part that was exposed.

The fortification will be revealed to the public for the first time Thursday as part of the 10th Annual Archaeological Conference on the discoveries in the City of David.

Gap to open Tel Aviv store in February

2009-08-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Article published on Ynetnews.com August 25, 2009
By Navit Zomer

Elbit Trade and Retail announces plans to open 5,651 square feet store in Azrieli Center Mall early next year.

After the opening of American fashshion label Gap's first store at the Mamilla pedestrian shopping mall in Jerusalem on Monday, the company will be preparing for the opening of its second store at the Azrieli Center Mall in Tel Aviv in February.

Elbit Trade and Retail, the company that holds franchise rights for Gap in Israel announced on Thursday the opening of the Azrieli store, which will span an area of 525 square meters (5,651 square feet).

The new store will make the mall the first in Israel to house both a Gap store and the international Swedish fashion chain H&M, which is slated to open next April.

The Gap store in the Azrieli Center Mall will be opened on half of the area of the mall's Mango clothing store, which is also run by Elbit Trade and Retail, and in place of the mall's Lucci and Mac stores, which will be relocated to other areas in the shopping center.

Azrieli Center CEO Arnon Toren said talks regarding opening additional Gap store's in other Azrieli Group shopping centers were ongoing.

In addition to the Mamilla and Azrieli Center stores, a Gap branch will also be opened at the Arena Mall in the Herzliya Marina, as well as in other locations.

Latin American Jews building in Jerusalem's Har Nof

2009-08-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Article published on GLOBES [online] August 18, 2009
By Ariel Rosenberg

Latin American Jews building in Jerusalem's Har Nof. Most of the members of the buyers group are Jews from Venezuela and Mexico who are planning to immigrate to Israel soon.

A buyers group of Latin American Jews will build two nine-floor residential buildings in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood.
The Pninat Har Nof will exploit the hilly topography of the site to build 70 terraced apartments of three to six rooms each. The project will also include a synagogue and Beit Midrash, spa, fitness rooms, sports fields, a banquet hall, underground parking, and a park.

Most of the members of the buyers group are Jews from Venezuela and Mexico who are planning to immigrate to Israel soon. The buyers group was organized by Moises Benarroch, a resident of the neighborhood who immigrated to Israel 13 years ago.

IDF: More than 300,000 settlers live in West Bank

2009-07-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Article published in HAARETZ July 27, 2009
By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Settlements Correspondent

There are now more than 300,000 residents living in Jewish West Bank settlements, according to a Israel Defense Forces Civil Administration report covering the first half of 2009.

As of June 30, the settlements had 304,569 residents, an increase of 2.3 percent since January.

Most of the growth was in the most religious communities, including the ultra-Orthodox settlements. Modi'in Ilit gained 1,879 residents, a 4.5 percent increase. Beitar Ilit gained 1,074 residents, a 3.1 percent jump.

Excluding these two communities, the growth rate in the other Jewish settlements was 1.75 percent.

Generally, growth rates are higher in the second half of the year, because many families move over the summer.

Among local councils, Har Adar (near Jerusalem) saw 5.7 percent growth, and Alfei Menashe (near the Sharon region, north of Tel Aviv) reported a 2.7 percent increase. Kedumim recorded 2.1 percent; Emanuel, 1.2 percent; and Kiryat Arba, 0.9 percent.

The report also reflects government restrictions on settlement construction. Population growth in settlements in high demand was relatively low. Ma'aleh Adumim, home to many young couples, saw a population increase of just 1 percent, as did Efrat, where professionals and American immigrants often seek housing.

The population of Hashmonaim, also a destination for many American newcomers, increased by 1.1 percent. Ofra grew by 1.2 percent. Karnei Shomron had a population increase of 0.2 percent - another 15 residents. Ariel grew by less than 0.1 percent.

The report also noted a 4.4 percent increase - 425 people - in settlers living outside municipal areas.

However, these figures do not include all of the residents of unauthorized outposts, as some are regarded as residents of adjoining settlements. The highest growth rates by percentage were in small settlements such as Itamar, Elon Moreh and Kfar Tapuah.

Israel holds 18th Jewish Olympics

2009-07-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Article published on China View July 13, 2009
Editor: Zhang Xiang

RAMAT GAN, Israel, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The 18th Maccabiah Games, known as the Jewish Olympics, officially kicked off on Monday night in this central Israeli city.

Some 30,000 spectators, including Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attended the opening ceremony, and watched 65 delegations from different countries and regions march into the National Stadium.

During the 11-day sports meet, over 7,000 amateur and professional athletes will compete in 31 events, including Olympic ones such as track and field, basketball and swimming, and non-Olympic ones such as golf, karate, lawn bowls and chess.

The contests are divided into three different categories, namely Open, Junior and Master. The Junior games are open to athletes aged from 15 to 18, and the Master ones are for older competitors.

In light of the record high number of participants in the quadrennial event, a regional games recognized by the International Olympic Committee, the Jewish state has mobilized resources nationwide, and matches will take place at different venues across the country.

The Maccabiah Games debuted in 1932, and has been held in Israel reguarly since 1953. Named after an ancient Jewish hero, the event is open to every Jew across the world and every non-Jewish citizen of Israel.

In order to guarantee the safety of the participants, Israeli authorities have beefed up security measures across the nation.

P.S. Official Macabiah Games website: http://www.maccabiah.com/

Israel's biggest mall to be built in Beersheba

2009-07-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Article published on Ynetnews.com July 6, 2009
By Ilana Curiel

County's first green shopping center to be built in southern city at total investment of NIS 700,000. Construction scheduled to be completed in 2012

"This is my life's work," entrepreneur Eli Lahav, CEO of the Lahav Group, stated last week in reference to the Beersheba Mall, which is planned to stretch over an area of about 100,000 square meters at an investment of NIS 700 million (about $180.5 million).

According to Lahav, the mall – which is scheduled to be ready in three years – will be the biggest in Israel and the first green shopping center in the country.

Shem Tov Tzruya, head of the architects' team at the Moore Yasky Sivan company, spoke of the mall's green characteristics, which will be a consumption, recreation and social center for residents of the Negev's capital and its surroundings.

Alongside the green design, which saves on energy, the mall's appearance is also aimed at making an impression and breaking the city's desert-like appearance.

Simulation of new mall

Lahav and Tzruya made the remarks at a ceremony held Sunday in the Negev's capital to expose the project.

The mall's main entrance will have three waterfalls. "The water expresses prosperity and life," explained Tzruya. In addition, the mall will include a pool for collecting rain water and air-conditioner water and reusing it for irrigation, as well as use of natural illumination and solar energy.

A green park will be built near the mall on an area of about 8,000 square meters. Special bicycle lanes will be developed around the mall.

"On the roof we'll have thousands of photo-volt cells in order to save on energy. A special glass will be installed at the entrance to the mall which will be transparent without absorbing the sun's energy," explained Tzruya.

According to the entrepreneurs, the mall will be twice bigger than the Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv. It will have 40,000 square meters of commercial area for rental, 1,800 parking spots, and about 5,000 square meters for recreation and leisure.

The transfer of the IDF bases to the Negev and the fact that the land reserves in central Israel are increasingly disappearing have led Lahav to realize that Beersheba could be the next economic center.

'A huge youth cultural center'

The mall will be built on the ruins of the nostalgic (Neot Midbar) Desert Inn Hotel. The recreation and leisure center created is expected to serve hundreds of thousands of the region's residents.

"When I was offered to buy Neot Midbar, it took me a few second to realize the deal's potential, and within 24 hours everything was already signed," explained Lahav, who was born in Beersheba.

"They asked me 'why Beersheba?', and I said, 'The news will come out of Beersheba.' This is one of the leading consumers' cities in Israel, a district city with half a million people. This is the next great thing. This is a world view, a concept, a center combining recreation and leisure and a communal center. This is in fact a huge youth cultural center."

Lahav aspires to turn the mall into the residents' second home. The mall will take part in activity for the communal life together with municipality bodies for all layers of the population, including hosting classes encouraging local handiwork, a center for youth movements and soldiers' meeting, a recreation center for children, and a golden age club.

Behind the social aspect hides a financial motive as well. Beersheba is already filled with shopping centers, and therefore the Beersheba mall must make itself particularly attractive for the audience it is slated to serve.

Avi Shayat, Lahav Group's business development manager, explained that this would also leverage the business-economic activity in the city.

"The more you stay here the level of expenditure per capita rises, and the proceeds increase," said Shayat.

The army is also a key part of the business. "There will be shuttles from the bases to the mall. Those going on leave won't escape. In the night the soldiers will be driven back to the bases."

'Mall will be a source of inspiration'

"People will come and learn from us. The mall will be a source of inspiration," said Lahav. "We are creating a public center."

He added that the mall would be planned as an inseparable part of the city, but that this would not hurt the other centers. "There will be a battle on giving better service. There is room both for that and for that."

The mall's construction is expected to being in 2010, but the earth works have already begun. The construction is expected to end in 2012. In the area near the mall the municipality is interested in setting up a hotel, and the Lahav Group is competing for the area in a tender.

Some 300,000 vehicles pass every day on the Toviyahu Boulevard route, where the mall will be built. 35% of the city's population lives at a distance of 1.5 kilometers from the mall.

No one was wise enough to realize the potential hiding in this valued area so far, and Lahav decided to build his life's work, his vision, in the area: A metropolitan commercial center combining communal activity.

However he is still asked, "Why Beersheba?"

"Beersheba and the Negev are about to undergo a revolution in the coming years," says Yaakov Ben Yizri, president of the commerce bureau in the Negev. This is a good enough reason to understand why Beersheba of all places."

Windsurfing Competition in Tel Aviv

2009-06-21T14:30:00.001-07:00

IAI and Airbus to Develop Environmentally Conscious Taxiing System

2009-06-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Article published on Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd website, June 17, 2009

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Airbus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2009 International Paris Air Show to jointly develop and test an innovative environmentally friendly pilot-controlled towing semi-robotic system.
The Taxibot Dispatch Towing system, designed by IAI, allows both wide and narrow body commercial airplanes to taxi to and from the gate and the runway without the use of their jet engines.

The revolutionary Taxibot Dispatch Towing concept represents a potential to reduce annual fuel costs from $8 billion to less than $2 billion, CO2 emissions from 18 billion tons to less than 2 million tons per year, and noise emissions by a significant margin.

Yehushua (Shuki) Eldar, IAI's Corporate VP of Business Development and Subsidiaries says: "We are excited to work on the development of this eco-efficient taxiing dispatch system. The project demonstrates our commitment to the environment and utilizes IAI's robotics capabilities and technological experience.”

IAI and Airbus are studying the performance, operational, commercial, and safety aspects of the system on a series of ground taxiing tests on Airbus' A-340-600 airplane in Toulouse. The companies have agreed that following successful test period results, they may establish a Joint Venture (JV) to develop and certify the Taxibot and market the program.

According to plans, the Taxibot operational system is expected to be ready for first deliveries by the third quarter of 2011.

The special design of the Taxibot gives the pilot full control of the system during the taxiing process, and uses the existing airplane controls in the same way that the pilot is accustomed to when taxiing using the airplane's engines. The use of the Taxibot system requires no modification to the airplane and minimal modifications to the airport infrastructure which will not affect existing taxiways and runways.

For the last three years, IAI has invested R&D resources in environmentally conscious programs, including the development of renewable energy technologies, as part of a strategic plan to increase its civilian activities. Taxibot is a significant step forward that can modify the taxiing process in airports to save fuel, decrease noise levels and air pollution in comparison with today's ground operational processes.

Israeli UAVs expected to steal the show at Paris expo

2009-06-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Article in Jerusalem Post June 14, 2009
By Yaakov Katz

A hovercraft designed to evacuate wounded soldiers from an urban battlefield, an unmanned helicopter and a kamikaze drone will be unveiled to the public on Monday at Israel's official pavilion at the 48th Paris Air Show.

Twelve Israeli companies - including Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Urban Aeronautics and Elbit Systems - will present their wares at the Israeli national pavilion, which cost over NIS 6 million to erect at the Le Bourget expo center.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak flew to Paris on Sunday to attend the opening.

One new platform that will be on display is the MULE medical evacuation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development by Urban Aeronautics, based in Yavne.

The IDF has expressed interest in the MULE, which the company has said is capable of delivering supplies and ferrying casualties within a battle zone. The MULE can carry approximately 317 kilograms over an 80-kilometer radius. The speed of the MULE is expected to be in the range of 100 knots, with a maximum operating altitude of 3,660 meters.

Another UAV slated to be unveiled on Monday is the Picador, an unmanned helicopter developed by Aeronautics Defense Systems. The Picador has already made its first flight test and is designed for naval and land-based operations. It has a range of 200 km. and is reportedly capable of carrying a 180-kg. payload.

HAROP being launched and hitting the target

Another drone on display is the HAROP loitering munition, a self-destructing drone that can be used to detect and destroy missile launchers, anti-aircraft systems and naval craft. Developed by IAI, the HAROP can be launched from various platforms.

Rather than carrying a separate missile or warhead, the HAROP drone itself is the weapon and is designed to be a hunter and killer by loitering above a battlefield and attacking targets. It was specifically designed to suppress enemy air defense systems.

IAI recently signed a $100 million contract to supply the HAROP to a foreign customer, reportedly India.

"This is a state-of-the-art loitering munition system which features accurate detection capabilities and minimizes collateral damage to the surrounding area," IAI CEO Itzhak Nissan said.

In related news, Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel has decided to purchase the Iron Fist active-protection system developed by Israel Military Industries for the army's new "Namer" armored personnel carriers (APC). Currently in its final development stages, the Iron Fist is capable of intercepting and destroying a wide range of anti-tank missiles, from old RPGs and standard tank shells to the Russian-made advanced missiles in Hizbullah's and Syria's arsenals.

The Iron Fist consists of a radar and passive optical system that detects incoming threats and destroys them within a fraction of a second using a combustible blast interceptor. Unlike similar active-protection systems, which fire off a large number of projectiles, the Iron Fist intercepts incoming threats by using a rocket the shape of a mortar shell. The rocket destroys the threat with a blast that crushes its soft components or deflects the missile or kinetic projectile in flight.

Israel-US Team Kills Breast Cancer in the Dark

2009-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Article on Arutz Sheva June 12, 2009
By by Karin Kloosterman

With the alarming incidence of breast cancer in America -- one in eight women can expect to get it sometime in their life -- new solutions for women, their mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and friends, cannot come fast enough. An Israeli-American research team has stumbled onto a new and interesting find - a non-radiation based therapy that may provide relief for an aggressive and hard to treat breast cancer cell known as HER2+, but which could also have wider applications for treating all kinds of cancer.

Breast cancer alone is the most common form of cancer among U.S. women, and the second leading cause of death after lung cancer. About 200,000 women in the U.S. alone had breast cancer in 2008, and about 40,000 will die from it each year.

Prof. Zeev Gross, from the Technion / Israel Institute of Technology has played no small role in the new research paper that shows positive results for the new non-radiation based therapy based on the chemical compound gallium corroles.

Published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Israel-U.S. team, including scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were able to show positive pre-clinical results on the new treatment that homes in on HER2+.

Using a new-to-science organic chemical called a corrole, described about 10 years ago, Gross was able to develop a powerful method that synthesizes these chemicals for practical use in medicine. From being able to make a couple of milligrams in two years, Gross' team could produce two grams in two days.

Lights up and kills cancer
The beauty of the new chemical compound, waiting for an investment in order to go to clinical trials, is that it not only works in diagnostics, lighting up and showing doctors where the cancer cells are, it is also somehow able to kill the cancer at the same time. Gross has also found it works for treating arterial sclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which leads to heart disease.

"We started in cancer wanting to take advantage of a property of this compound," Gross tells ISRAEL21c. "They are highly florescent and we wanted to use them to detect cancer. We found at the cellular level [gallium corroles were] useful for imaging, but also found it could kill cancer with high specificity and could be an alternative to chemotherapy.

"We were surprised," he continues. "It could be used for selective killing of cancer cells. Focusing on breast cancer cells, our collaborators developed a vector, a virus based gene delivery protein, and we said let's use it for corroles."

Testing this idea, the researchers were pleased to see the dual effects of this chemical. Gross explains: "In most cases, if people want to get a closer look at a drug in vivo, they have to attach a fluorescent probe to it - and that turns it into a different molecule.

"But in our case, the active molecule we're tracking does the fluorescing. We get to track the original, unmodified molecule and are hence able to follow its distribution among different organs in live animals."

Fewer side effects than chemotherapy
In the new study the international team combined a gallium corrole with a protein carrier so that the corrole would show an affinity to cancer cells. According to the researchers, when tried on mice with breast cancer, it became a targeted cancer therapy able to both detect and eliminate tumors in mice. They report fewer side effects compared to other breast cancer treatments.

Corroles are similar in structure to porphyrin molecules used today in a well-researched cancer treatment called photodynamic therapy, or PDT. Porphyrin compounds are injected into the body and are then exposed to specific wavelengths of laser light. The light causes the porphyrins to create tumor-killing oxygen radicals.

The difference between porphyrins and the team's corroles, explain researchers, is that corroles don't need laser light to be activated, in effect it's killing "cancer cells in the dark," they say.

In the study on mice corroles, the Israel-U.S. team was able to shrink breast cancer tumors at doses five times lower than standard chemo treatments (based on a drug called doxorubicin). Also, the corroles could be injected straight into the bloodstream and not into the tumor, making the treatment, if developed clinically, easier to administer.

"Using lower concentrations means less toxicity. Doxorubicin tends to have significant heart toxicity; this therapy seems likely to be much less damaging to the heart," Daniel Farkas, a co-researcher in the study and the director of Cedar-Sinai's Minimally Invasive Surgical Technologies Institute tells ISRAEL21c.

Putting statins out of business?
But the Israeli team finds it could work in heart disease as well: iron corroles are also able to provide reversal effects of arterial sclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, says Gross. With a different mode of action than gallium corroles, "We took mice prone to develop arterial sclerosis and treated them with the same family of compounds. It's a very potent antioxidant," he says. "It's interfering with the process causing arterial sclerosis."

"We already know about green tea, red wine, or pomegranate," he explains, noting that his innovation is better than natural antioxidants that at same stage can also attack vital biomolecules. The therapy was shown to work in successful pre-clinical studies, while the medicinal value of corroles, says Gross, was something his Technion lab initiated 10 years ago.

"We discovered how to synthesize corroles and are the main people pushing forward the fundamentals of science," says Gross, noting the applications are wide and three-fold in catalysis, in medicine, and in renewable energy.

The Technion lab's senior scientist Dr. Atif Mahammed, an Israeli Arab is "a leading figure in this whole project," says Gross, who says his lab is also enriched with a team of gifted scientists from the former Soviet Union.

Funding for the research was provided by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, the National Science Foundation in the US, the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Donna and Jesse Garber Award, the Gurwin Foundation, and the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Tel Aviv celebrates 'White Night'

2009-05-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Article on Ynetnews May 28, 2009
By Josh Lichtenstein

Third annual festival honoring city's status as World Heritage Site marked with night of partying. Restaurants, bars, cafés remain open all night, with free concerts and cultural activities across city.

On Wednesday night Tel Aviv celebrated its third annual “White Night” festival with parties and special events throughout the city. Bars, restaurants, and cultural institutions kept their doors open late into the night creating a vibrant atmosphere across the city.

The city has been holding the event for the past three years to celebrate its UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) status as a World Heritage Site.
Tel Aviv has been recognized around the world for its beautiful Bauhaus style architecture and rich cultural heritage. Lining Rothschild Boulevard and Bialik Street, buildings were illuminated with special lighting. The city offered guided tours of the architecture along Bialik street. The streets were filled with people, many dressed in white, all joining together to party in beautiful Tel Aviv.

So much to see

Throughout Tel Aviv cultural events took place late into the night. Most of the events were free to the public , which allowed more people to take part. In the station complex of the Neve Tzedek neighborhood, the Gesher Theatre company performed selected acts from William Shakespeare's “The Twelfth Night”. In the Sharon Garden of Hahashmal Park, Israeli Opera soloists performed a special concert of Israeli songs accompanied by piano. Elsewhere, the Tel Aviv Opera House presented a midnight showing of a selection of popular operas.

The flea market in Jaffa stayed open late allowing shoppers to wonder through art galleries, restaurants, and cafes. The biggest parties took place along the beach where people danced and partied to the sound of live music and deejays. Mante Ray beach held a huge free party sponsored by Club Med with free music and dancing. Bars and cafes near the water were packed with people. There was an amazing amount of energy in the air with the all the activities going on throughout the city.

Incredible nightlife

Gabriel Rosenberg, a Tel Aviv resident who recently moved to the city, described his first “White Night” experience to Ynet saying, “White night is an unbelievable event where people from all around Tel Aviv can get together and enjoy incredible nightlife and an atmosphere that compares to no other place on earth. Where else can you find so many beautiful people and live music in one place, together with such amazing weather?“

The city of Tel Aviv invested NIS 350,000 (roughly $90,000) in this year's events. Surprisingly, the Florentine neighborhood, which is a major party hub during Purim and Independence Day celebrations, did not hold any events.

Elbit Systems wins €25m order from Austrian Army

2009-05-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Article on GLOBES [online] May 18, 2009
By Globes' correspondent

The company will supply 12.7mm remote controlled weapon stations for jeeps.

Elbit Systems Ltd. has won a €25 million contract from the Austrian Army for the company's new 12.7mm unmanned electrically remote controlled weapon stations. Deliveries will be made over the next four years.

This is Elbit Systems' third international contract within a week.

Elbit Systems Ltd. logo

Elbit Systems signed the contract with Fiat Group SpA (Milan: F) subsidiary Iveco SpA, the prime contractor for the program. The weapon stations will be integrated into Iveco Defense Vehicles' 4x4 Light Multi-role Vehicles jeeps.

The weapon stations include day and night detection systems and a multi-threat detection system that can detect, categorize and pinpoint laser, radar, and radio-frequency sources of threats. The weapon stations are designed for light combat vehicles, adding sensors and firepower, without greatly increasing the vehicle's weight.

Elbit Systems Land and C4I Tadiran general manager Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis said, "We are proud to have been selected to take part in this important project for the Austrian Armed Forces. Elbit Systems' co-operation with Iveco Defence Vehicles reflects the level of recognition we have achieved with our customers and international partners. The selection of our systems constitutes a breakthrough in an emerging international market emanating from a shift in the modern battlefield."

Arad takes a personal approach to promote itself as 'recycling city'

2009-05-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Article on The Jerusalem Post May 16, 2009
By Ehud Zion Waldoks

Arad has launched a project to rebrand itself as the "recycling city." The Negev town has begun to encourage all forms of recycling, from paper and plastic to old clothes.

Yet what is unique about the project are not the technical aspects. Their tools are the same as in other Israeli cities: cages for plastic bottles, containers for batteries and cylinders for paper. There are no advanced technological elements.

Instead, the focus of the project is on the people: on cooperation and collaboration.

Arad Municipality building

The project began as an unusual collaboration among a foreign donor, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), the Environmental Protection Ministry, the local environmental unit, the municipality and the Or Movement, which seeks to encourage settlement in the Negev.

The idea was first raised by Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Charitable Foundation out of Boston. Ruderman runs all of his family foundation's day-to-day activities from Israel, having made aliya three-and-a-half years ago.

"Where I lived [in Boston] we were recycling everything. So I tried to think of a way to improve recycling in Israel," he told The Jerusalem Post recently. "We approached the JNF because they have a project to develop the Negev. We shopped the idea around and Arad was the most interested."

This is the foundation's first foray into an environmental education endeavor, but Ruderman hopes it will become a model which can be replicated across the Negev and throughout Israel.

The foundation has been active in other types of educational activities both here and in the Boston area.

For Ruderman, the partnership aspects were critical.

"Partnerships maximize what you can do," he said.

JNF CEO Russell Robinson sees a similar potential in the program.

"The Negev is the new frontier for the 21st century. The Negev is languishing. Arad went from a middle-class city to a depressed one. Beersheba was losing its population until two years ago.

"You need to bring 500,000 people in the next 10 to 15 years. People need to take pride in their community and their city and this kind of project could do that.

"Recycling is very tangible - the visual of all the plastic bottles collected brings better understanding. And of course, if it works in Arad, it can be replicated elsewhere," he told the Post.

All across the South, Robinson pointed out, environmental projects are beginning to sprout up in the scattered communities. The JNF has invested significant sums in various projects and plans to continue to invest in the upcoming years.

"There's the Timna National Park which brings in 250,000-300,000 visitors. Kibbutz Lotan is an environmental showcase. There's a farmers market in Yahel and our idea is to create a bike path from Yahel to Eilat with kiosks at every stop," he said.

The JNF plans to invest $2m.-$3m. in that project.

Nitzana has also moved to adopt ecological principles with a recycling teaching center and other aspects.

In addition to the collaborative nature of its conception and inception, the Arad recycling program focuses on tailoring recycling to the needs of the city's individual communities. Instead of just placing cages and containers around the city and running a PR campaign, the planners have involved the public from the very first.

"We started off by holding a public hearing about the project. There were 750 seats and every one of them was filled," Ayala Guber-Avrahamy of the Eastern Negev Environmental Unit recalled. The unit services Arad, Tamar, and Yeroham.

Since the hearing, the public has been involved with every aspect of planning and execution. It's a bottom-up model, rather than top down, Guber-Avrahamy said.

"Our success is measured by our ability to involve the community, to get them to understand the value added," she said. A community-based process is considered more sustainable in the long run, according to community organizing professionals.

Moreover, since recycling is largely based on citizens' willingness to participate and separate their garbage at home, it's particularly amenable to the planners' strategy.

"We met with every community in order to understand what their needs were," said Svivotichnun's Hagit Naalei Yosef, whose firm was brought in to plan the program.

"Sometimes the community doesn't connect to the collection receptacles, and sometimes they are in the wrong place," she noted.

"When we talked to the community of people with disabilities, for example, they mentioned that the holes in the cages for plastic bottles were too high for them," Guber-Avrahamy said.

"They also suggested that pupils who have to fulfill their community service obligations could come by their houses on a regular basis to pick up all sorts of plastic to recycle," Naalei Yosef said.

The local haredi community is also involved.

"In the Gur Hassidic community, they recycle pregnancy clothes. At one of the local schools, we've started a uniform-shirt recycling program, where pupils bring the shirts they've outgrown for the younger ones," Guber-Avrahamy added.

To the best of her knowledge, Guber-Avrahamy said, a community involvement model like this hasn't been tried anywhere else in Israel to encourage recycling.

Looking to the future, Guber-Avrahamy said they were in talks with a plastic recycling company about recycling types of plastic other than plastic bottles.

"They work with a lot of factories, but they've never worked with a municipality before," she said, "We're thinking about having the sorting done by people with special needs."

Stolen 2,000-Year-Old Hebrew Papyrus Recovered

2009-05-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Article on Arutz Sheva May 6, 2009
By Hillel Fendel

A 2,000-year-old Hebrew document has been recovered by police and antiquities authorities, shedding light on post-Temple Jewish life in the Land of Israel.

The 15x15 cm (6x6 inch) papyrus is 15 lines long, and is clearly dated, “Year 4 to the destruction of Israel.” Archaeologists say this refers to either 74 CE, four years after the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, or the year 139 CE, after the destruction of rural settlement in Judah following the Bar Kokhba Revolt.

Amir Ganor, director of the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery in the Israel Antiquities Authority, told Israel National News, “We heard about this papyrus several months ago, and after investigation by the police and the other units involved, we finally reached the right people this past week." Asked when it was found and removed from the ground, he said, "It still has pieces of earth on it, and since it was offered for sale in recent months, it is likely that it was found in the very recent past.”

Asked if he knew where it was found, Ganor said, “The best climatic conditions for preserving documents of this nature for so many centuries are in the Judean Desert, and so that is our assumption.” The investigation as to where and how the papyrus was found continues.

The recovery of the document was the culmination of an operation led by the Intelligence Office of the Zion [central Jerusalem] Region and the Undercover Unit of the Jerusalem Border Police, in cooperation with the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery and the Archaeological Staff Officer in the Civil Administration.

“It appears that we are dealing with rare historic evidence regarding the Jewish people in their country from more than 2,000 years ago,” Ganor summed up.

The document is written in ancient Hebrew script characteristic of the Second Temple period. This style of the writing is primarily known from the Dead Sea scrolls and various inscriptions that occur on ossuaries and coffins. The papyrus is incomplete and was in all likelihood rolled up; pieces of it crumbled, mainly along its bottom and left sides. The name of a woman, “Miriam barat [Aramaic for ‘daughter of’] Yaakov” is also legible in the document, followed by a name that is likely to be that of the village in which she lived: Misalev, believed to be Salabim and possibly the present-day Kibbutz Shaalvim in the Ayalon Valley.

Also mentioned in the document are the names of other people and families, the names of a number of other villages from the Second Temple period, and legal wording dealing with the property of a widow and her relinquishment of it.

Ganor says that the document is "95%" believed to be authentic and ancient, “based on the epigraphic style, the material the document is written on, the state of preservation and the text, which includes a historic date that can be deciphered.” However, “since this object was not discovered in a proper archaeological excavation, it still must undergo laboratory analyses in order to negate the possibility it is a modern forgery.”

“The document is very important from the standpoint of historical and national research,” Ganor stated. “Until now, almost no historic scrolls or documents from this period have been discovered in proper archaeological excavations… The deciphering of the entire document by expert epigraphers and historians may shed light on how the people of the period managed their affairs and supplement our knowledge about their way of life. What we have here is rare historic evidence about the Jewish people in their country from more than 2,000 years ago, during the days following the destruction which sent the people of Israel into exile for a very long time – until the creation of the State of Israel.”

Zenith turns an Israeli kibbutz solar

2009-04-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

According to Solar Feeds website, ZenithSolar, an Israeli start-up company to license revolutionary solar energy technologies, will be launching its first “solar farm” in April 2009 based on Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) systems. Developed by Prof. David Faiman, Chairman of the Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics at the University’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, the system will harvest more than 70% of incoming solar energy (as compared to industry norms of 10% to 40%).

Journalists are invited on March 22, 2009 to Kvuzat Yavne for the first site visit and briefing to learn firsthand how this unique technology will generate electricity and thermal energy (hot water) for the Kibbutz and ultimately other Israel neighborhoods.
ZenithSolar is set to develop and mass produce the most reliable cogeneration solar power system – with a full vertically integrated strategy – that can be deployed as a distributed energy network. Founded in 2006, The ZenithSolar system is price competitive with traditional forms of energy without government subsidies. ZenithSolar concentrated solar energy generation system is based on a new paradigm in optical design and high-efficiency solar cells.
Additional link: http://www.zenithsolar.com/

South Africans Make Aliyah at Western Wall

2009-04-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Article on Arutz Sheva Aprill 22, 2009
By Hillel Fendel

Over 85 new immigrants of all ages from South Africa and Zimbabwe arriving in Israel today (Wednesday) will receive their citizenship at a unique group ceremony at the Western Wall on Thursday.

The arrival of the Jewish Agency flight at Ben Gurion International Airport will contribute to the increasing Aliyah numbers from South Africa. Some 340 Jews moved to Israel from the country in 2008, twice as many as in the year before. This flight is the third one bringing South African Jews this year.

South African Jews at Western Wall

The Jewish Agency will hold a special Absorption Day for the new Israelis at the Shalom Hotel in Jerusalem's Bayit V’gan neighborhood on Thursday morning. Representatives of various government and important offices, such as the National Insurance Institute, the health funds, phone companies, the Ministry of Absorption, and others, will be on hand.

At 4 p.m, the new immigrants will receive their ID cards in a unique ceremony at the Western Wall. Such cards are usually granted without fanfare in an Absorption Ministry office.

On hand for the occasion will be Jewish Agency Treasurer and former Meretz MK Haggai Merom, South African Jewry lay-leader Mendel Kaplan, and representatives of the Friendship Fund.

Some 65,000 Jews still live in South Africa, including 45,000 in Johannesburg and 15,000 in Capetown. Some 21,000 South African Jews have made Aliyah since the inception of the State of Israel.

Seeing through walls

2009-04-21T19:20:00.001-07:00

Article by The Israel High-Tech & Investment Report
Published in April's issue.

The ability to see through solid, non-transparent walls is a capability that everyone can immediately find applications for. For people who operate in hostile environments this ability can be the difference between success and failure of an operation. Failure may spell out casualties. The need for this technology has existed for a long time and now the Xaver 800 is mature to deliver this capability in a compact, portable device.

The Xaver 800 system creates an operational unfair advantage to the one who operates it. It pretty much changes the rules of the game, allowing a real shift in operational paradigms. Forces can plan ahead and beyond the wall they stand in front of, significantly increasing their mission success probability while protecting their lives. The Xaver 800 is microwave radar that is capable of penetrating walls and creating an image of objects behind those walls by picking up the reflected energy from those objects. The system provides information regarding the number of people, their location and orientation, as well as the shape of the room.

Xaver™400 Video Presentation

The system is basically a radar system, but with several unique characteristics. First and foremost, the operational environment is very different than ordinary radars, for air traffic control. Ordinary radar operates in free space over large distances and transmits very high power levels. The xavier system needs to penetrate walls and provide high resolution over relatively short distances. In addition, due to the fact that there are people in the immediate vicinity of the system we must keep microwave radiation at safe levels. The design utilizes special antenna design and an ultra wideband (UWB) signal to cope with the challenge. The use of UWB signal provides design simplicity on one hand, but required innovative implementation on the other. The Xaver 800 can see through most commonly used wall materials, e.g. clay brick, cinder blocks, reinforced concrete, plaster dry wall, wood, adobe and stone.

The system provides situational awareness of a room or building by providing information of how many people are behind the wall or walls; it also provides information on the structure of the building or rooms. Getting information from behind solid walls allows better preparation of an operation: reducing surprises, ensuring efficient use of resources and eventually saving lives.

Applications include:
* Military urban operations
* Hostage rescue
* Victim search and rescue

The Xaver 800 is a portable system. It weighs 15Kg/33lb and it folds to a compact 47cmX47cmX15cm ( 19" x 19" x 6") that can be easily carried and operated by a single person. The system consists of two parts - Front end (FE), which is the sensor part and Back end (BE), which is the operating and display unit. The two parts may be either attached to each other or connected by cable. Unfolding the sensor and mounting the system on a tripod takes less than one minute. The Xaver 800 delivers images within 15 seconds from pressing the ON/OFF button.

IDF Makes Technological Advancements for Missile Defense System

2009-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Article published on April 7, 2009
By Israel Defense Forces

On Tuesday (April 7), the IDF carried out a test launch of the Arrow II Missile Defense System; this system is a part of a program that is designed to improve security methods in Israel and in the United States. During the test, a missile that simulates a possible threat to Israel was launched and shortly thereafter, the system's radar identified the missile and sent the data to the Data Management Center, who then fired the Arrow in order to intercept it.

Arrow Missile. Photo: IAF Website

During the test launch, representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the U.S. Department of Defense, and representatives from relevant industries, were present. Sources from within the Ministry of Defense clarified that the success of the project constitutes an important step in the long term plan to develop operational capabilities that are able to provide a solution to the threat of ballistic missiles being launched at Israel.

The Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, was briefed regarding the results of the test launch and said, "This is a project that is important for the State of Israel. The integration of the Arrow System together with the 'Iron Dome,' which also produced successful results during a test launch last week, will provide the best protection for immediate strategic threats. The security apparatus works intensively in order to provide a defense system against missiles and thus to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens."

Two weeks ago, there was a successful test launch of the Iron Dome, which is designed to provide protection against short-range missiles and rockets such as Qassams and Grad rockets, while the Arrow system is intended for long-range, ballistic missiles that can come from enemy countries.

Haifa to build biotech park

2009-03-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

Article on GLOBES [online] March 30, 2009
By Gali Weinreb

Haifa Economic Corp expects to invest $1.5 billion in the new park over five years.

Haifa municipality-owned Haifa Economic Corporation plans to build a biotechnology park adjacent to Matam High-Tech Park at the southern entrance to the city. The company expects to invest $1.5 billion in the new park over five years.

The biotechnology park will be built on a 30-dunam (7.5-acre) site jointly owned by Haifa Economic Corporation and Property and Building Ltd. (TASE: PTBL). Haifa Economic Corporation intends to buy out Property and Building.

Research At Hi Tech Lab

Haifa is considered a focal point of Israel's biomedical industry, especially the medical device sector. IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has a unit there that handles, among other things, healthcare. Technion Entrepreneurial Incubator Co. Ltd. (TEIC), which also supports biomedical start-ups, operates out of Matam.

Haifa Economic Corporation CEO Avi Feferkorn is in charge of the biotechnology park project.

"Globes": Is it possible to find tenants at reasonable prices for the biotech park during the current slump?

Feferkorn: "We conducted a large market survey, from which we concluded that there is sufficient demand for the biotech park. Half of biomedical start-ups are located north of Hadera.

"There is a real crisis now, so it is very cost-effective to build now, and market the biotech park in a few years, after the recovery. We have all the money we need to move forward on construction, so there is no need to raise capital or obtain loans."

New GPS device makes schlepping around Eretz Yisroel easy

2009-03-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Article on www.jpost.com March 26, 2009
By Mel Bezalel

Oy gevalt! You can sure feel like a schlemiel getting around Eretz Yisroel sometimes. Especially if you're a kvetch who doesn't have the chutzpa to ask for directions because you only speak Yiddish.

But there's no need to feel like a shmendrik anymore, because beginning this week, the iGO8 Judaism GPS is available in Yiddish - it's their latest shtick.

The machers at iGO, a subsidiary of Nav N Go, have designed the new device for the Orthodox market in Israel. Now Yiddish-speakers in areas such as Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Modi'in Illit and Ashdod can use the product to locate more than 10,000 unique Jewish interest points - including the addresses and telephone numbers of thousands of synagogues, mikves (ritual baths) and kosher restaurants.

What also distinguishes it from other GPS gadgets is that more secular points of interest - such as nightclubs, non-kosher restaurants and Internet cafes - are not in the database.

Even the interface is designed with the religious consumer in mind - when the device is switched on, the user is automatically shown the Travelers' Prayer. Instead of pressing "OK" to skip to the next screen, the option is instead "Amen."

It may give you naches to discover that the new Yiddish version was not based on any market research or overwhelming demand. David Wiernik, Nav N Go president, says the idea was born at an iGO press conference last month, when a technology journalist asked him if a Yiddish version was in the pipeline.

Upon answering "no," Wiernik realized he liked the suggestion.

"I looked at the journalist and thought, 'You got me. I'd never thought about it,' so I told him I would accept the challenge. My immediate response was 'yes,' without even looking at the consumer market."

A mensch, no?

Many in the know are positive about this new meshuggener gadget. Yossi Gur, manager of the Avis branch in the capital's Romema neighborhood, says: "We have a lot of Orthodox customers in this location, many of whom speak Yiddish, and two-thirds of them ask for a GPS. This new device is a great idea, and it would work really well in our station."

The Yiddish edition reaches stores one month and $20,000 (what it cost to develop) after the iGO8 Judaism Hebrew version, and is exclusively available with QUE navigation devices. It is priced at between NIS 1,200 and NIS 1,499.

4,000-year-old 'Abraham's Gate' reopens

2009-03-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Article on Jerusalem Post March 18, 2009
By Etgar Lefkovits

The nearly 4,000 year-old "Abraham's Gate" at Tel Dan in northern Israel has been reopened to the public after a decade-long restoration project, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said Wednesday.

'Abraham's Gate' under renovation at Tel Dan

Located in a nature reserve at the foot of Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights, the ancient structure, which is believed to have been constructed around 1750 BCE, during the Canaanite Period, is made of mud-bricks.

The gate, which could be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO later this year, has been named after the Biblical patriarch since some people speculate it may have been used by Abraham during the rescue of his nephew Lot.

The gate, which is composed of three arches and constructed of sun-dried mud brick on a foundation of large basalt stones, has been restored to its original height of seven meters, the state-run authority said.

The arches of the gate are believed to be the oldest ever found in Israel.

"The exposure of the gate to the public at large is a holiday for anyone who holds dear the preservation of heritage in the State of Israel," said Eli Amitai, Director General of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The preservation work at the site was carried out in conjunction with the state-run Israel Antiquities Authority.

The site has recently become an attraction for Christian pilgrims.

The nature reserve encompasses the ruins and partially restored remains of an ancient Israelite city.

Tel Aviv Centennial

2009-03-13T15:20:00.001-07:00

Founded on the sand dunes north of the old sea port of Jaffa 100 years ago, Tel Aviv has become the bustling cultural and economic heart of Israel.

Envisioned as the main gateway into Israel, the city has developed into an exciting and dynamic city that's always on the go. Three million pass through the city every day.

In 2003, UNESCO declared it a world heritage site because of the restoration work to the city's many Bauhaus buildings, and the New York Timesrecently labeled it "the capital of Mediterranean cool".

In honor of the city's centennial, dozens of celebrations are planned for the year ahead, from city marathons, to white nights, art exhibitions, and cultural events.

Organizers hope the centennial festivities will do for Tel Aviv what the Beijing Olympics did for China's capital.

Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion named top Middle East airport

2009-03-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Article on www.globes.co.il March 10, 2009
By Orli Peleg-Mizrahi

Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion named top Middle East airport
This is the second successive year that Ben Gurion Airport has achieved this ranking.
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport came top in the Middle East region in the Airports Council International (ACI) airport survey. The rankings were announced today. Ben Gurion came second in the world for airports with annual passenger traffic of 5-15 million. This is the second successive year in which Ben Gurion Airport has achieved these rankings.

The ACI survey captures passengers’ perception of the quality of more than 30 aspects of service that they have experienced at an airport. Interviewing covers every day of the week and every month of the year to ensure coverage of all seasons and all peaks and troughs.

For the fourth successive year, the top three performing airports in the world were in the Asia-Pacific Region, with Incheon International Airport in South Korea winning the Best Airport Award. Passenger satisfaction with the new Terminal 3 promoted Singapore Changi Airport into 2nd place this year, with Hong Kong International Airport coming in at a close 3rd place.

ACI director general Angela Gittens said, "Survey results show that overall passenger satisfaction continues to improve year-on-year. This reflects the importance airports are placing on customer satisfaction and the innovation in services that we are seeing worldwide. The program continues to grow which demonstrates that airports care very much about their customers, no matter how tough the economic situation.”

The survey found that comfortable waiting areas, good signage, and clean, readily accessible washrooms are the most important elements to a passenger.

KFC Israel going kosher

2009-03-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Article on http://www.ynetnews.com/ March 09, 2009
By Meirav Crystal

International fast food chain taking steps to turn its branches in Israel kosher, including replacing milk-powder chicken coating with kosher soy-powder coating, said to be identical in taste.

Going kosher pays, as international fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has learned, and is now taking steps towards receiving full kashrut in its Israeli branches.

Thanks to a special approval granted by the global chain, KFC Israel announced on Sunday that it would start marketing its chicken meals with a kosher soy-powder coating rather than the standard milk-power coating.

The approval was granted after two years of negotiations and deliberations, since the milk-powder element has been an inseparable part of KFC's world-famous coating for over half a century, and is what gives it its one-of-a-kind taste and coloring.

The kosher powder that will replace the milk ingredient is a milk-flavored soy powder that was approved by Kentucky Fried Chicken's labs in Dallas, Texas.

Thanks to this development, the chain will be able to open kosher branches in other places around the world where large Jewish populations are concentrated.

According to KFC Israel, the new taste is identical to the original, and the move to develop the new ingredient stemmed from many customers' requests to avoid mixing meat and dairy.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has 10 branches in Israel, two of them being strictly kosher, while the rest operate on Shabbat.

According to the company's plans, three more branches are expected to be opened throughout 2009.

Gas Drilling Begins Off Hadera Coast

2009-03-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Article on Arutz Sheva March 08, 2009
By Hana Levi Julian

The company which discovered abundant gas reserves off the coast of Haifa in January has begun drilling in a new site, west of Hadera.

Noble Energy Inc., the Houston-based partner of Isramco Ltd., Delek Group Ltd., and Avner Oil and Gas LP, said the new offshore well, named Dalit-1, is located approximately 60 kilometers west of Hadera.

The company moved its rig on the ship "Atwood Hunter" to the new drill site on Friday after having completed drilling at the Tamar-1 well 90 kilometers west of Haifa. The Tamar-1 find was eventually discovered to be more than 60 percent larger than originally estimated, according to Noble Energy officials -- reportedly more than enough to fuel the State of Israel for at least 15 years.

Gas Reservoir At Gelilot North Of Tel Aviv

The drilling is expected to last approximately two months and cost $130 million, company officials said. Once drilling is completed at Dalit-1, the "Atwood Hunter" will proceed to the next well, dubbed Tamar-2.

There is a 40 percent chance the company will find commercial quantities of up to 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas at the site, referred to as the Michal prospect, according to the Globes business news agency.

Israel’s Hula Lake Park one of the most outstanding sites in the world

2009-03-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

Article on jnf.org:

February 25, 2009 -- New York, NY -- BBC Wildlife Magazine, the world's best-selling natural history and environmental magazine, has named Israel’s Hula Lake Park one of the most outstanding sites in the world for nature observation and photography.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) park, home to millions of migrating cranes each winter, was ranked 9th on a list of 20 exceptional nature sites chosen by 300 international experts including scientists, photographers and television producers.

In the article announcing the winning sites, acclaimed Scottish nature photographer Neil Benway described his visit to Hula Lake, where he sat amidst a flock of 15,000 cranes, as “an experience of a lifetime.”

Located in the Galilee, Hula Lake is one of the most important bird-watching sites in the world. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are drawn to the Hula Valley Crane Lookout to observe white cranes on their way to Southern Africa, stopping one last time before they begin the Sahara Desert portion of their flight.

JNF has played a significant role in the development of Hula Lake Park into an international tourist attraction. In 1991, JNF, together with the Israel Land Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, and local farmers, undertook the Hula Restoration Project to create a rich habitat that would attract cranes needing rest and nourishment during the course of their winter migration.

The major goal of this re-flooding project was to protect the water quality of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) by stopping erosion and preventing pollutants from flowing into Israel’s primary source of freshwater. This upgraded the agriculture and rejuvenated the ecosystem of the area, bringing back riverbank vegetation like reeds and papyrus and attracting a variety of animals that make their home among the plants.

In addition to bird watching at the Crane Lookout, visitors can bike through the park on JNF’s cycling routes or view the birds on a camouflaged tractor that pulls right up to the feeding sites. An educational center offers videos and information about the history of the Hula Valley and the many kinds of wildlife that inhabit it.

JNF also conducts ongoing research on bird migration at Hula Lake.