RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.jns.org/opinion/coronavirus-double-speak/

 JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s announcement on Sunday evening of additional steps to confront the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus illustrates how easily government policies can be inherently contradictory.
Even when giving the benefit of the doubt to hysterical health authorities—and refraining from the natural inclination to suspect ulterior motives for fanning the flames of a crisis—it’s hard not to be disdainful of the double-speak surrounding anything coronavirus-related. This isn’t exclusive to Israeli decision-makers, of course. No, the hysteria is so infectious that it’s been spreading across the globe faster than the pandemic.
But Israel is what one Pfizer executive called a “sort of laboratory.” Though the pharmaceutical giant’s chief scientific officer, Philip Dormitzer, was referring to the Jewish state’s vaccine drive, the same has been said about other elements of the war against the microbe and its mutations. These include stringent lockdowns, imposed early on and more than once by the previous government, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ironically, the crushing of businesses and people’s spirits executed in the name of public health contributed greatly to electoral defeats, including Netanyahu’s, and caused serious dissatisfaction with leaders everywhere. This was inevitable.
When the economy and morale sink, the person at the helm is blamed for it. This was true of former President Donald Trump, who was criticized for being too dismissive of the dangers of the virus, and it was equally the case where Netanyahu was concerned, although he took the exact opposite approach to that of Trump.
Indeed, despite his staunch free-market outlook, Netanyahu, like many Israelis, can’t seem to shake the nanny-state mentality when it comes to dictating regulations for the good of the populace. In this respect, the Bennett-led coalition is worse—not necessarily in practice, but in ideology—because contains factions that actually believe in centralism, not merely revert to it out of cultural habit.

https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Targeting a cause of ALS. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed an experimental molecule that breaks down the protein TDP-43, a key cause of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). TDP-43 causes motor neurons to degenerate. The new molecule enabled motor neuron activity to be restored and opens the door to an ALS cure.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/tel-aviv-university-breakthrough-touted-as-key-to-reversing-als/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27221-8#Sec46

Slowing dementia. Tel Aviv University scientists have made progress in developing a treatment using the NAP peptide to counter Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions (see here previously). Their new compound dramatically decreased the excessive buildup of the protein tau, which misfolds in Alzheimer’s patients.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-drug-candidate-slows-alzheimers-causing-protein-in-mouse-brains/

https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(21)01630-9/fulltext

Blood test for early cancer detection. An Israeli-led team of scientists have developed a blood test that analyzes fragments of DNA to determine the impact of the immune system. The test is like a liquid biopsy and can detect cancer early in remote tissues, e.g., bone marrow, lymph nodes and other organs.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-scientists-say-new-test-can-gauge-vaccine-response-before-antibodies-form/   https://elifesciences.org/articles/70520

Identifying high-risk hospital patients. Tel Aviv University Professor Noam Shomron has developed an AI tool that interprets routine hospital blood tests to assess patients at danger levels in the case of blood infection.  The tool is shortly to be trialed at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/life-saving-israeli-tech-helps-id-patients-most-at-risk-from-blood-infections/

Designing antibodies to fight disease. Israel’s Biolojic Design is developing an AI platform to generate antibodies that have specific targets and biological effects. It instructs the immune system to precisely attack the causes of disease, such as the mechanism underlying autoimmune disease, cancer or diabetes.

https://www.biolojic.com/  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3922316,00.html

Smart bandage to heal wounds. Professor Hossam Haick’s lab at Israel’s Technion Institute (see here previously) has developed a smart suture-less dressing that binds the edges of a wound together, wards off infection, and even digitally reports on the wound’s condition to the surgeon.

https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2021/11/25/israeli-innovation-novel-antibacterial-surgical-cut-band-aid-monitoring-healing/  https://www.israel21c.org/a-smart-polymer-that-would-heal-wounds-without-sutures/

Mitral valve replacement. Israel’s TruLeaf Medical, part of Israel’s Allium Medical (see here) has developed a Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) solution to save the lives of numerous Mitral Regurgitation patients worldwide. The device has already completed animal studies and is set to be tested in humans soon.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3924605,00.html  https://www.truleaf-medical.com/

Paint additive helps prevent listeria. Israel’s Bio-fence (see here previously) has completed a study showing that its antimicrobial paint additive extends the power of disinfectants. A major Israeli sausage manufacturing plant completely wiped out listeria after applying Bio-fence’s paint coating.

https://www.israel21c.org/new-paint-additive-protects-surfaces-from-deadly-pathogens/

Preventing glaucoma. Israel’s Ophthalmic Sciences has developed IOPerfect – the world’s first AI-based contactless intraocular pressure (IOP) measuring device. It allows those at risk of going blind from glaucoma, to measure their eye pressure anytime and anywhere and communicate the results to their doctor.

https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech/israeli-company-says-novel-ai-device-could-help-prevent-adult-blindness-688544  https://op-sci.com/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAQKplraP4M

How bacteria evade antibiotics. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that some bacteria enter a “disrupted” state when attacked but not destroyed by antibiotics. A different chemical is then needed to “finish them off”, otherwise they can eventually recover and reproduce. See also here.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-lab-finds-out-why-some-germs-dodge-drugs-opening-door-to-life-saving-fix/  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MXRVJqbhN7-Zcm8j_WLZJkjqvgSUTvRG

Less antibiotic wastage. An AI tool from Israel’s Technion Institute helps combat antibiotic resistance. It reduced ineffective antibiotics prescribed for urinary tract infections by 35%. The tool was trialed by Israel’s Maccabi Health Management Organization (HMO) and will now be used for other infection types and HMOs.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/35-fewer-patients-given-wrong-medicine-thanks-to-israeli-ai-tool/

Seaweed can protect against Covid. (TY Hazel) Researchers from Tel Aviv University have found that Ulvan, extracted from the “sea lettuce” algae, Ulva, could help stop coronavirus from infecting human cells. The team is still working on identifying the specific chemicals in Ulvan that counter Covid infection.

https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/could-seaweed-save-humanity-from-covid-19-687775

https://peerj.com/articles/12398/

“Alexa – watch my mother”. The home monitoring system Vayyar Care (see here previously) is soon to be available as part of Alexa Together, a new subscription service from Amazon.  If Vayyar Care detects a fall, it contacts an urgent response emergency helpline. Alexa will also send a notification to the designated caregiver.

https://www.israel21c.org/vayyar-teams-with-alexa-to-aid-seniors-who-fall-at-home/

We are not mice.  Excellent article about Israel’s Quris (see here previously) which has developed the ability to test new medical treatments on a human simulation chip. Watch the video where Quris founder (Israeli Nobel Prize winner) Aaron Ciechanover explains the problem with previous “mouse model” testing methods.

https://www.israel21c.org/no-animals-harmed-in-new-chip-drug-tests-that-are-faster-and-cheaper/

A 3D-printed ear. The mouse model is still useful for developing groundbreaking medical innovations. Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute combined organ printing and tissue engineering to create a mouse implant that replaced ears that failed to develop in the womb. Can’t wait to hear if it works in humans too!

https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/israeli-researchers-create-an-ear-from-nothing-688471

Healthcare platform for research. Israel’s Lynx MD has developed an environment which allows scientists to access and analyze massive amounts of real-world anonymized medical data. It has recently joined forces with leading health organizations to collect real-world data from patients hospitalized with Coronavirus.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3924888,00.html   https://www.lynx.md/

Doctors restore sight of blind Israeli-Arab woman. 60-year-old Hanan Awad from Nazareth had been blind for 20 years due to a severe corneal disease. Doctors at Israel’s Beilinson hospital restored her sight with an implant combining an artificial cornea and a piece of her shin bone. After 3 months, the bone was removed.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/12/15/blind-woman-regains-eyesight-at-israeli-hospital-using-artificial-cornea-carved-from-her-shin-bone/

100 doctors come to Israel’s aid. Masa Israel Journey has brought 100 doctors to Israel to help relieve the pressure in parts of the Healthcare system. The Fellows come from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Lithuania. The Masa Doctors program has brought almost 1,000 qualified doctors to Israel.

https://www.jns.org/masa-brings-100-plus-young-doctors-to-israel-to-aid-health-care-system/

https://bit.ly/3GNyAWQ

1.  The return on the annual US investment in Israel

*On October 2021 and January 2020, Israel’s intelligence alerted the US of Iranian drone and missile attacks on US military installations in Southern Syria and Iraq. 200 US soldiers (in Syria) and 1,500 US soldiers (in Iraq) took effective shelter.

*The scope of Israeli intelligence shared with the US exceeds the intelligence provided by all NATO countries combined. It includes data on Iran’s global terrorism and nuclear and ballistic programs; Islamic terrorism targeting the US and pro-US Arab regimes; battle tactics and military systems of US rivals and enemies; Israeli-developed technologies and battle tactics neutralizing hostile capabilities; Soviet nuclear-equipped intercontinental ballistic missiles; etc.

*According to General George Keegan, former Head of Air Force Intelligence: “I could not have procured the intelligence [received from Israel] with five CIAs.” The annual budget of one CIA is around $15BN.

*Israel is the most cost-effective, battle-tested laboratory of the US defense industries, employing (with much gratitude!) hundreds of US military systems, sharing with the US manufacturers lessons (operation, maintenance, repairs), which are integrated as upgrades. These upgrades enhance US global competitiveness, spare the US billions of dollars and many years of research and development, increase US exports and expand US employment. According to Lockheed-Martin (formerly GD), Israel’s use of the F-16 has yielded over 700 upgrades, netting a mega-billion-dollar bonanza to the manufacturer. A similar bonanza is enjoyed by McDonnell-Douglas, the manufacturer of the F-15. The benefits to the US derived by the more sophisticated and expensive F-35 are substantially higher.

*According to the late Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and General Alexander Haig, “Israel is the largest US aircraft carrier, which does not require American soldiers on board, cannot be sunk, and is deployed in a most critical region, economically and militarily, sparing the US the need to manufacture, deploy and maintain more real aircraft carriers and additional ground divisions, which would cost the US some $15bn annually.”

*The formulation of US battle tactics is largely based on Israel’s battle experience. For instance, Special Operations units (on their way to Iraq and previously to Afghanistan) and urban warfare specialists are trained in Israel. The US Air Force benefits greatly from joint maneuvers with Israel’s Air Force, which possesses much more battle experience, shedding light on the far-reaching capabilities of US-made combat aircraft.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/yes-prime-minister-opinion-688986

Yes, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, you were right to tweet about the “settlers in Judea and Samaria [who] have been suffering from violence and terrorism, daily, for decades.”

It was appropriate for you to have called them the “protective wall of us, all [whom] we must strengthen and support in word and deed.”

It was wise of you to stress that though certain kinds of fringe phenomena exist everywhere, “we cannot make a broad generalization about an entire sector.”

Yes, prime minister, it was apt of you to criticize Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev for his outrageous discussion with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, during their meeting this week at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. Too bad you didn’t actually mention his name or tag him in your post. But then, he’s a key member of your cabinet, and you have to be strategically prudent.

Even without your spelling it out, everyone understood that you were referring to Bar Lev, who had boasted on social media about his get-together with Nuland, claiming that she “was interested, among other things, in settler violence and how to reduce tensions in the region and strengthen the Palestinian Authority.”

Your longtime sidekick — or possibly former one, now that you turn to Shimrit Meir for foreign policy and other advice — was more direct. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked attached her comments to Bar Lev’s tweet, accusing him of being “confused.”

The settlers, she wrote, “are the salt of the earth, descendants of the pioneers from the valley and the mountain.”

She pointed out what is obvious: “The violence that should be causing shock is that of the dozens of cases of throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Jews every day — only because they’re Jews — all with the encouragement and support of the PA. I recommend that you talk about that violence with Ms. Nuland.”

https://www.jns.org/opinion/avigdor-liebermans-crass-admonition-to-a-sector-decimated-by-covid-closures/

Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman is famous for many things, but tact isn’t one of them. And this week, he outdid himself, displaying a marked lack of sympathy for all the people in one of the country’s key industries—tourism.

It’s pretty rich, so to speak, for the honcho charged with safeguarding and growing the economy to be dismissive of such an instrumental sector. Then again, the former Moldovan’s imitation of Kremlin-like power-wielding is as solid as his rejection of Soviet-style fiscal policies.

Though he subsequently claimed to regret his “wording,” what Lieberman had said during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting was that anyone in the tourism business affected by what is emerging as a new set of draconian coronavirus restrictions—due to panic over the Omicron variant of COVID-19—should “find another job.”

This was after announcing that the government wouldn’t be compensating them for their plight, which he asserted wasn’t going to be ending any time soon. Tough luck.

The outcry that ensued was understandable. Even Israelis who generally oppose nanny-state politics were incensed, mainly because it is the government that decided to close the borders to non-citizens. It is the government as well that keeps coming up with plans—often silly, ineffective or unenforceable—to prevent the spread of what it is incomprehensibly referring to as a “fifth wave” of the pandemic.