A Miniscule Mouse

August 1, 2011

{image_1} How small can a mouse be? “Small. Really small.” That's the answer of Israeli start-up MicroPointing's CEO Ailon Tamir. His company is developing what looks to be the world's smallest mouse device—as minuscule as one square millimeter.

An Artificial Nose Detects Cancer

{image_1} One of the most exciting advances in non-invasive diagnostic tools for cancer and kidney disease is the invention of Israeli-Arab chemical engineer Dr. Hossam Haick. A professor at the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haick's unique specialty is using breath analysis to detect disease.

An Artificial Nose Detects Cancer

Enhancing the Power of Grapefruit’s Benefits

August 1, 2011

{image_1} Imagine an ice cream sundae topped by a special chocolate sauce that will never let that blessed moment on your lips stay forever on your hips, or a pizza topping that you sprinkle over the cheese made from a secret ingredient that will help your body break down all the fat, so that it won't clog your arteries

Back to 1967?

{image_1} It’s perhaps the most oft-mentioned year in Israeli–Palestinian diplomacy, and yet it might be the worst understood concept in the decades-old conflict. Discussed by politicians and commentators alike, the 1967 “borders” have been presented even by US President Barack Obama as a starting point for Israeli–Palestinian negotiations. There are numerous problems with that approach, not the least of which is that the 1967 lines are not borders, nor have they ever been.

Beneath Jerusalem, a River Runs Deep

{image_1} Excavators digging for a new railway station deep under the surface of central Jerusalem have discovered what geologists say is the largest underground river ever found in Israel. Professor Amos Frumkin, head of the Cave Research Unit of Hebrew University, told The Media Line, “In terms of Israel, it’s the longest underground stream that we have ever seen. It is a kind of a canyon that has been cut by the stream of the water over a long period of time.”

Akko’s First Byzantine Find

{image_1} An important 1,500-year old public building dating to the Byzantine Period has been revealed in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in Akko. Although the exact function of the building has yet to be determined, IAA excavation director Nurit Feig is of the strong preliminary opinion that it might have been a church. The site was discovered near Tel Akko when construction had begun to build a new shopping mall.

Concerns over Egypt’s New Regime

{image_1} The Muslim Brotherhood has announced it will create a political party to vie in Egypt’s September parliamentary elections. The party, which will call itself the Freedom and Justice Party, will officially be independent from the Brotherhood but “will coordinate with it” according to a spokesman for the group. The distinction appears to be nothing more than a legal technicality. Since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak became inevitable, observers have wondered openly whether the new political situation in Egypt would open the door to Islamist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

Arab League for Palestinian State Recognition

{image_1} The Palestinians officially have the support of the Arab League to pursue statehood recognition and membership in the United Nations, according to the BBC. A committee with the Arab League, which is made up of 22 Arab states, released a statement in May that said it “supports the appeal to the UN asking that Palestine, within the 1967 borders, becomes a full-fledged state.” This refers to the armistice lines between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt prior to the 1967 Six Day War, which would place the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] and the Gaza Strip in Palestinian control.

Iran’s New Ballistic Missile

{image_1} Iran said it has successfully tested a new ballistic missile that is harder to detect and will now start mass-producing them. The missile, called Qiyam, is reportedly designed without stabilizer fins and was delivered to the aerospace wing of the Revolutionary Guards. Iran’s state television, Al-Alam, said the surface-to-surface missile was a pure Iranian project. The missile’s range wasn’t disclosed, but experts believe it is similar to Russian-designed Scud rockets, which can reach several-hundred kilometers. They make up the core of Syria’s arsenal, and reports said the new Iranian missile could find its way to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Tourists, Beware of Unauthorized Antiquities Dealers!

{image_1} An extensive campaign was undertaken in May to prevent the illicit trafficking in antiquities excavated and plundered from archaeological sites. In an operation conducted by the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, an American tour guide was identified while selling antiquities to a group of American tourists he was leading in Israel. Inspectors from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) were present at one of the sales that took place in a hotel. Upon conclusion of the sale, the suspect was detained and hundreds of ancient archaeological artifacts were seized.

Hamas: No Recognition of Israel

{image_1} A key official with Hamas told the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency that they would be willing to accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines—regarding the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip—but that they would not recognize Israel. Comments by Mahmoud al-Zahar, cofounder of Hamas, to Ma’an radio imply that, for Hamas, the creation of a Palestinian state could result in a long-term truce with Israel, but would not lead to permanent peace with Israel. Zahar said that formally recognizing Israel would threaten to prevent millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants from coming to Israel as well as “cancel the right of the next generations to liberate the lands [presumably the rest of Israel].”

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