The Jewish Naqba النكبة (Catastrophe)

Esser Agoroth notes an important point:

"For those of you planning to observe Holocaust Memorial Day next Tuesday night (5:46), and for those of you who are not, for those of you who are of Ashkenazi decent, and for those of you who are not, I would like to recommend the below video montage, which provides some history and statistics regarding the pogroms and other atrocities incurred [upon] Jews residing in Muslim countries."

Israel: 'Wheels of Love' Bike Rally (video)

Saul Singer of the JPost provides this great video (check out the hi-def version) of the '08 Wheels of Love Bike Ride for the Children of ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem.


Go to ALYN's donation page.

Shabbat Shalom, Purim Sameach and have a great weekend.

Investors: Israel's Private Debt Ratio Beats U.S.

Despite it all, despite terrorism and threats of war, media hammering and political slamming, Israel is still the place to be for financial groups and corporations with no "Zionist" slant, and that wouldn't drop a dime on a bad bet:

From The Ettinger Report:

1. Irrespective of the global economic meltdown, the war on Palestinian terrorism, the Iranian threat, regional instability and political uncertainty, Standard & Poor (S&P) has left Israel's credit rating unchanged at A and the country forecast rating [has been sustained] as "stable." The rating was approved in all three criteria: Shekel debt, foreign currency debt and transfer and convertibility assessment, which remains at AA (Globes, January 20, 2009).

2. Israel's private debt-private income ratio is 55% (private Israeli
debt amounts to half of private income), compared with 170% in the US, 180% in Britain and almost 200% in Ireland. While the ratio of government debt-gross domestic product is a critical element of national economy, the private debt/income ratio has gained in importance since private consumption has become a crucial engine catapulting or devastating national economy (Yediot Achronot, Sever Plocker, Feb. 6).

3. $500MN raised - via an 11 year bond issue led by J.P. Morgan and Citigroup - by the Israel Electric Company, reflecting confidence in Israel's long-term economy (Globes, Jan. 26).

4. The New Mexico-based $34BN Thornburg Investment Management and Canada's PAW Capital have increased their holding in Israel's Amdocs and Radware from 4.5% to 10.1% (which amounts to $400MN in Amdocs) and from
5.1% to 7.3% ($8.2MN in Radware) respectively (Globes, Jan. 19). Britain's Axell Wireless acquired Israel's DekoLink for a few million dollars (Globes, Jan. 28).

5. Microsoft led a $24MN round by Israel's N-Trig (Globes, Jan. 13). EMC led a $15MN round of private placement by Israel's Varonis. EMC was joined by Accel Partners and other investors (Globes Jan. 23). Mexico's Arancia (food additive) participated in an $11MN round by Israel's Enzymotec (Globes, Feb. 4). Qualcomm is investing $7MN in Israel's Modu (Globes, Jan. 27). Germany's Hasso Plattner Ventures led a $6MN first round by Israel's BrightView (Globes, Jan. 28). Samson Ventures invested $2MN in Israel's SteadyMed (Globes, Jan. 29).

In short: money talks, bs anti-Israel hype walks.

Get more Israel business/investment news here:

• Globes - Israel's Business Arena
• The Marker
  
• Standard and Poor's Israel
  

Jerusalem: come for the terror -- stay for the culture!

No, really. I mean it:

• Israelis may have the blues, but they don't play the blues, which is why they have to rely on Americans to do it for them. Get low down in the (Nile?) Delta with the Jerusalem Blues Project tonight at Mike's Place.

• But if the idea of Anglo-Israeli blues inspires some understandable trepidation, bring the kids to a screening of Madagascar at the Merkaz in the German Colony.

• On Friday, bid fond farewell to the Summer Nights at the Yellow Submarine with a free lineup of world music acts. Or check out Russian boppers Robert Anchipolovski and Leonid Decelman grooving high at D. Grey.

• Shaanan Street, lord and master of chartbusting hip-hop/funk outfit Hadag Nachash, has gone solo for some reason and will be performing live at Beit Avi Chai at 22:30 on Saturday night in support of his just-released album.

• There's something appealingly incongruous about Hebrew-language stage adaptations of popular American films - and if you need an example, look no further than the Jerusalem Theatre's winning production of Rain Man, also on Saturday night.

• Sunday marks the 39th anniversary of the moon landing. Commemorate that triumph of science with a visit to the Bloomfield Science Museum, currently running exhibits on kitchen science and book-making; or just raise a toast to Neil Armstrong while Boston-based Israeli indie rocker Michael Gottlieb plays a free set at HaTaklit.

• On Monday, swing by the Musrara art school to admire the works of its talented students at a special class gallery showing, and wind down the evening with cocktails and the smoky vocal stylings of young chanteuse Shelly Tzarafi at Birman.

• Admire the grace of some of Israel's hottest young dancers Tuesday at a performance by the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company at the Israel Museum. Be aware, though: unlike the Calatrava Bridge opening ceremony, no modesty smocks and beanies here.

• And finally, on Wednesday, explore the last love of Anton Chekhov via a play at the reliably high-quality Khan Theater.

There's plenty more happening throughout the city, and as always, all you need to do is click over to the Events section to find it. Have a great weekend.

H-T: http://www.jerusalemite.net/blog/

And this is just a few of the, oh, 'bout a thousand reasons why I frikin' love the place. No, really. I'm not kidding.

JerusalemOnline: Weekly Video News Update

Today's Headlines:

Palestinian assassination plot against PM Olmert foiled Remnants of First Temple Period discovered by Temple Mount Recycled park built on remains of massive garbage dump

(Full disclosure: I worked at JerusalemOnline as an editor and translator)

Fox buys Israeli TV series

From Ynetnews:

"20th Century Fox Studios acquired the format of the Israeli drama show 'The Ex', and will produce a pilot for CBS based on the Israeli series. If the network is happy with the pilot, the show will go into production.

'The Ex' was written and directed by Sigal Avin, produced by Israeli network Keshet and broadcast on Channel 2 in the past year."

Israeli hacker trio cracks iPhone code, but - 'Will it Blend?'

From YnetNews:

Three Israeli computer engineers managed to hack Apple's iPhone system, making it available for use through Cellcom and Orange, Ynet learned Sunday.

The three were also able to lend the iPhone a Hebrew interface, thus breaking Apple's restriction on using the the phone only through the AT&T company in United States.

Israeli - Palestinian prisoner swap: video debate

Worth watching:

Society

Naomi Hazan, former Knesset member and Professor of Political Science and a well known human rights advocate and Frimet Roth, whose daughter Malki was murdered in the suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem's Sbarro cafe in August 2001, discuss the rights and wrongs of the just-decided move by the Israel government.

IDF soldiers Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted by terrorists one year ago. Eight Israeli soldiers are kidnapped or missing in action.

More posts on this issue here and here.

Possible cancer cure? Israeli zapper kills brain cancer cells

Hey, remember that UK doctors' plan to boycott Israeli colleagues and medical advances? Hmm. Well, feel free to boycott this, yutzes:

An Israeli-developed treatment that specifically targets rapidly growing cancer cells with electrical fields shows great promise in treating patients with brain cancer.

The Novo-TTF (Tumor-Treating Fields) device, invented by Technion Professor emeritus Yoram Palti, uses electrical fields to disrupt tumor growth by interfering with cell division of cancerous cells, causing them to stop proliferating and die off instead of dividing and growing. Healthy brain cells rarely divide and have different electrical properties than cancerous brain cells. This allows the device to target cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells.

"This is a new general modality for treating cancer. In a way it's similar to radiation, it's physical in the same sense, but the major difference is that there are no side effects..."

"This trial showed a big change, and on the basis of these results, the FDA has approved going on to bigger trials. So far, at least in the lab, all types of tumors have been sensitive to the treatment, so we're hopeful that it can treat all forms of cancer," he added.

That's right. A possible miraculous, dramatic cure for certain types of brain cancer - and maybe others. But hey, it's from those awful Israelis, so, like, fagedaboudit, right? More on this developing technology here.

Oh, and while we're at it, talking about them 'orrid Joos? Take a look at this news report video of an Israeli army officer and little Palestinian girl in a Jerusalem health care facility. Stick around for her parents' comments:

Gaza falls to Hamas: a wake-up call from hell

And here's some food for thought:

"Wonder what Iraq would look like if we left tomorrow? Take a look at Gaza today. Then imagine a situation a thousand times worse."

(...) "And there's humor in Hell: The Islamist madmen behind Hamas call Fatah fighters "the American Jew Army." We've come a long way, boychick, when fellow Arabs anoint the late Yasser Arafat's thugs as tools of the Great Satan and the Lesser Satan."

Still unconvinced? Then watch this report from Israel's Channel 10 television:

What to do? Well, there are calls for a multinational force. In the snarky question of one poster at a popular blog, "...does that mean the US Marines and the IDF?"

Hopefully, whoever it won't be as useless and neutered as the one along the Lebanese border with Israel (hey -- thanks a million for that gesture, guys).

And speaking of useless and neutered, a "senior state official," (wink, nudge) says Israel won't intervene in the clashes.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank,

Fatah gunmen and Palestinian Authority policemen on Thursday launched a wide-scale crackdown on Hamas figures and institutions in the West Bank. More than 30 Hamas officials and supporters were rounded up in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm.

But, no worries!:

Defense Minister Amir Peretz told a weekly meeting of security officials that Israel would not allow the ongoing violence between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip to spread into attacks on southern Israel, meeting participants said.

There now. Don't you feel safer already?

Israel's security?

"Eagle-eye," Peretz has
"Got it covered!"

Spielberg Film Archives adds 400 films, about Israel, Jews

The Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has completed a major upgrade and expansion of its “virtual cinema” project.

The Archive has launched a new, contemporary and user-friendly portal, now containing over 400 films from its collection.

Get the Cokes, popcorn and go take a look.

Israel: Researchers discover King Herod's grave, tomb

From Haaretz:

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced Monday night that it has uncovered the grave and tomb of King Herod, who ruled Judea for the Roman empire from circa 74 BCE.

The tomb was discovered by Hebrew University Professor Ehud Netzer, who is considered one of the leading experts on King Herod. Netzer has conducted archeological digs at Herodium since 1972 in an attempt to locate the grave and tomb.

More details about Herod are here.

Iran threatens 'tens of thousands of missiles'

From The Washington Post:

Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted on Thursday by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

"Nowhere would be safe for America with (Iran's) long-range missiles ... we can fire tens of thousands of missiles every day," said Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, the deputy interior minister in security affairs.

JerusalemOnline daily news update (special note to readers)

(I have taken a much-needed break from blogging for awhile, but will return in a few days, so please click back soon - DB 15/2/07)

• Prime Minister Olmert allows Turks to inspect Temple Mt. building site
• The race for the presidency: Collette Avital vs. her patron, Shimon Peres
• Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli rocks on
• Special: click to watch former CIA Director, James Woolsey
  
  
  
  Click here or on image for latest Israel
  Channel 2 news update.