ϟ Israeli apartheid?
Saudi Arabia bans protests, Turkey locks up journalists, Iran and Libya kill their opponents. Egypt and Syria have also been killing protesters
Haneen Zoabi, a 41-year old Arab woman is an elected member of the Israeli Knesset and has led anti-Israel protests.
Israeli apartheid?
Her actions would never be tolerated in any of the surrounding countries,
but Zoabi’s anti-government pieces are routinely published in main stream Jerusalem newspapers.
While Saudi Arabian women are forbidden to drive a car,
in Jerusalem, many Arab women take driving lessons
and sit on Egged buses in traffic jams on Agrippas Street like everyone else.
School girls are not afraid to share the same streets,
no matter what uniforms they wear, and go on to attend Israeli universities
and find work in the medical professions in Israeli hospitals.
Arab women walk alone
through the streets of the Old City
and in all the neighborhoods
around
Jerusalem
dressed in clothing
of all types and colors
Often Arab women shop in Mamilla Mall or in the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk,
and in Talpiot.
They can eat in a street cafe or restaurant
or walk with a male companion.
With young children
or alone, Arab women are not afraid or forbidden to move around freely.
Israeli apartheid?
(Source: rjstreets.com)
ϟ Israel saving the world again: An Artificial pancreas
MD-Logic mimics the workings of the pancreas, monitoring blood sugar levels and delivering insulin automatically, even at night.
Prof. Moshe Phillip, director of the Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Schneider Children’s Medical Center, demonstrates MD-Logic on a young patient.
In people with diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce or release insulin as it should, so the body can’t metabolize sugars properly. That means blood sugar levels have to be monitored continuously, even (and especially) at night, when diabetics’ blood sugar can get dangerously out of control.
But nighttime monitoring and dosing is a sleep-stealing activity, particularly for parents of diabetic children.
A new artificial pancreas developed in Israel may allow them sweeter dreams. The MD-Logic was recently tested on Israeli children at an overnight diabetes summer camp, to resounding success.
The key is that the device’s software “thinks” like a physician, says one of its developers, Eran Atlas of the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
Using existing insulin pump technology, MD-Logic closes the loop between a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump, allowing patients to self-regulate their glucose levels and deliver the exact amount of insulin needed, when needed — even at 3 o’clock in the morning.
ϟ A true light among nations
While doom and gloom dominate the headlines and it appears as if Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas are all poised to strike tomorrow in a massive simultaneous attack, or it appears that nearly the entire world is against us, or that the country’s social fabric is quickly ripping at the seam, it becomes necessary to see the larger picture by looking at what we are really about. Many of Israel’s problems are created from without but our successes come from within.
So for some perspective – and optimism – we need to look inward. As a country, we are defined by our collective successes and what follows is but a small sampling of that:
• Ten Israelis have won the Nobel Prize so far.
• Israel is a leader in quality of life. In a comparison conducted by the UN regarding quality of life in 182 countries, Israel ranked 27th, only slightly lower than the UK.
• Israel’s healthcare system is one of the most advanced in the world.
• Israel is a leader in biotechnology development.
• Israeli medical developments are used in the best operating rooms across the world.
• Israeli cows produce the largest amount and highest quality of milk in the world.
• Israel is the only country that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.
• Israel is one of the world’s top leaders in agricultural development and fruit cloning.
• A quarter of the population holds a degree – ranking third in the world.
• Israel produces more scientific papers and more patents per capita than any other country.
• Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant- absorbing nation, has more museums per capita and receives more media coverage than any other country in the world.
• Israel has sent emergency delegations around the world to assist foreign governments in times of major disaster including but not limited to Cambodia, Rwanda, Turkey, Argentina, Armenia, Russia, Kenya, New Orleans, Haiti, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
• The IDF was the first major medical team to set up camp immediately following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
• The World Economic Forum has recognized Israel as one of the leading countries in the world in technological innovation.
• The cell phone, disk on key, instant messenger chat, voicemail technology and PillCam were all developed here. The Pentium4 processor was designed and developed here as well.
• Microsoft and Cisco built their largest R&D centers here.
• Apple chose Israel as its first and only R&D center outside the US.
• Israel has the world’s highest percentage of engineers and scientists.
• Israel is a leader in genetics and preventive medicine.
• Israel sends hundreds of missions to developing countries worldwide.
• Israeli agricultural experts introduced drip-irrigation technology, saving water in arid regions.
• An Israeli company recently discovered a way to eradicate the use of pesticides for pest control by using edible oil instead.
• A simple, inexpensive Israeli solution for storing staples is helping Africans, South Americans and Asians survive food shortages.
• Except for the US and Canada, Israel has the most traded companies on Wall Street than any other country.
• Israel is a leader in coexistence programs that bring together Arabs and Jews.
• Israel has an incredible array of institutions that focus on charitable outreach and offering help to the needy.
• Israel is unique in terms of its size, location and diversity of climate and wildlife.
• Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo is involved in worldwide breeding efforts and to reintroduce animals to their natural habitats.
• Israel is the only place where biblical history really comes alive.
• While far from perfect, the Knesset is an anomaly in the Middle East. Its makeup of Arabs and Jews, secular and Orthodox and men and women makes Israel a unique liberal democracy – in fact the only one in the Middle East.
• Israel’s military prowess and might is worldrenowned.
It is a leading force in battlefield technology, counterterrorism, combat skills, intelligence gathering and air superiority. The Mossad is likely the world’s top intelligence agency, unsurpassed in its ability to gather information from around the globe.
For all these reasons and more, it is important to recognize and appreciate that with all its problems, Israel is a great country.
ϟ Israeli team brings home the gold for debating
In day-to-day life, the Israeli debating style typically consists of raising the volume of one’s voice to drown out your opponents and give them no choice but to listen to your monologue. When that fails, yell louder.
Nonetheless, brothers Omer, 26, and Sella Nevo, 22, won the World University Debating Championships for English as a second language on Tuesday, the third time that Israelis have won the title in the past three years.
The Nevo brothers, who study at Tel Aviv University, join champions Meir Yarom and Michael Shapiro, who took home the title for the University of Haifa in 2011 in Botswana, and Yoni Cohen- Idov and Uri Merha of Tel Aviv University, who won the 2010 championship in Istanbul.
No other country has had students from its universities win the competition three years in a row.
While the Nevo brothers could not be reached in Manila, Philippines, by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Cohen-Idov, who now serves as the Tel Aviv University Student Union debate team coach, described how the natural Israeli penchant for arguing, a national pastime of sorts, is not necessarily an asset in debate competitions.
“People think, ‘Oh we’re Israelis; we have to win because we argue all the time.’ But really we win it in spite of this. Also, in spite of the stereotype, Israelis can be very good at listening and understanding people; they just have to learn how to do it.”
Nonetheless, brothers Omer, 26, and Sella Nevo, 22, won the World University Debating Championships for English as a second language on Tuesday, the third time that Israelis have won the title in the past three years.
The Nevo brothers, who study at Tel Aviv University, join champions Meir Yarom and Michael Shapiro, who took home the title for the University of Haifa in 2011 in Botswana, and Yoni Cohen- Idov and Uri Merha of Tel Aviv University, who won the 2010 championship in Istanbul.
No other country has had students from its universities win the competition three years in a row.
While the Nevo brothers could not be reached in Manila, Philippines, by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Cohen-Idov, who now serves as the Tel Aviv University Student Union debate team coach, described how the natural Israeli penchant for arguing, a national pastime of sorts, is not necessarily an asset in debate competitions.
“People think, ‘Oh we’re Israelis; we have to win because we argue all the time.’ But really we win it in spite of this. Also, in spite of the stereotype, Israelis can be very good at listening and understanding people; they just have to learn how to do it.”
ϟ Two IDF Soldiers Save Palestinian Man’s Life
Lt. Kim Ben Tikva and Sgt. Sharon Grisaro had an eventful night: they saved a Palestinian man’s life.
The two were awakened at 1:00 AM two nights ago when a taxi bearing a dying Palestinian man and his family stopped at the gates of the Halamish military base in Judea and Samaria and called for help. They rushed to the scene and immediately started treating the patient, who, after 15 minutes of intensive CPR, began breathing and regained his pulse. At present he is hospitalized at the Rabin Medical Hospital and his condition is stable.
Sgt. Sharon Grisaro, paramedic in the 96th battalion
Lt. Kim is a doctor in the 96th Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, and Sgt. Sharon serves as a paramedic in the same unit. Both are very used to these kinds of situations.
“The situation wasn’t surprising at all; this is something that happens a lot. The local medical services know the training we have, as well as our experience with patients in critical conditions and often rely on us,” explained Sharon. “We make no distinction between patients and will treat anyone in need – Jewish or Palestinian, men or women. It’s one of our values both as doctors and as soldiers in the army.”
Lt. Kim Ben Tikva, doctor in the 92nd Battalion
ϟ Eight Miracles of Israel-Happy Chanukah!
The story of Chanukah is one that relates to the Zionist movement in a very profound way. It is the story of Jewish nationalism and the ongoing connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. It also highlights the continuing battle for the Jewish right to self-determination in the land of Israel. As we light the Chanukah candles every night, publicizing the miracle of the oil, my thoughts go to the ongoing miracles of the State of Israel. So, here are my eight miracles of Israel this holiday season:
1. For thousands of years, there has always been a Jewish presence in our ancient homeland, Israel, and in 1948 the eternal dream of the Jewish people was fulfilled as Israel became the modern Jewish State.
2. Israel is a champion of humanity. After five years of his captivity and countless hours of effort, Gilad Shalit was returned to his family and to Israel. Gilad Shalit’s freedom and rehabilitation is a miracle, and is testament to Israel’s commitment to the safety and security of its people.
3. The social protests that marked this past summer in Israel were conducted in a peaceful manner. Unlike the violence of the Arab Spring, the social protests in Israel were calm and the protesters were able to express their feelings in productive ways.
4. Israel has one of the most moral and just armies in the world. The Israel Defense Force is committed to the principles of security, defense, loyalty, and human dignity.
5. Israeli society is diverse in terms of the ethnic and religious backgrounds of its citizens. Arabs, Jews, Christians, Bahai, and many others live together in a country that protects all of their rights and respects their individuals beliefs.
6. Israel is a haven for individuals who seek refuge from around the world. African refugees from Eritrea and the Darfur region come to Israel seeking asylum. Jews from Ethiopia and the FSU journeyed to Israel for religious freedom. People from around the world know Israel to be a champion of human rights and equality.
7. Israel is a pioneer in medical and environmental technology. In addition to the many new technologies that Israelis produce annually, Israel also has the distinction of being the only country in the world to leave the 20th century with an increase in its number of trees.
8. Israel is the product of thousands of years of Jewish longing, of efforts to return, and of an ongoing national connection to a shared destiny. It is the home of the Hebrew language, which was revitalized and transformed into a modern language, and to the Jewish people.
ϟ Israel has extended humanitarian relief to over 140 countries in need including countries that Israel has no diplomatic relations with.
(Source: forzionssake)
