Bringing Sight to the Blind in Africa

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Israel sends special teams to a variety of places in the world to help out with medical and emergency issues, and two eye doctors from Rambam Health Care Campus had the opportunity to treat correctible vision problems and blindness in the African nation of the Republic of Cameroon, according to the Rambam Web site.

Jerusalem in Top 10 Choices for Tourists

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Travelers from around the world voted for their favorite sightseeing destinations in a poll sponsored by Trip Advisor, a Web site that provides valuable travel information, and Jerusalem came in seventh place! Their Travelers’ Choice 2010 “Top 10 Culture and Sightseeing Destinations in the World” list their choices in this order: Florence, Washington D.C., Rome, Paris, Siem Reap (Cambodia), New York City, Jerusalem, Venice, Istanbul, and London.

Hebrew University Goes Global

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For the first time, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will award academic credits to students who study its courses via the Internet—enabling students from any country in the world to study a Hebrew University program. The first session of students to recently complete an online Hebrew University course in Biblical Hebrew includes 30 students from Lebanon, Singapore, Peru, Argentina, Holland, Ireland, Denmark, France and Italy.

4.2 Billion Barrels of Oil under Gas?

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There may be as much as 4.2 billion barrels of oil in deep [geological] structures beneath the natural gas structures at the Leviathan prospect, according to a statement by the Israeli partners to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. [For more information on Leviathan, see the Good News article in the August-2010 issue of the Dispatch.]

Ahmadinejad’s October Visit to Lebanon

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“I would like to thank everyone, and especially the Lebanese people who came out to welcome their brothers. They showcased Lebanon's power and we thank them for that. I feel as though I'm at home, in my homeland among my brothers.

Divisive Words from Catholic Bishops

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“The Holy Scriptures cannot be used to justify the return of the Jews to Israel and the displacement of the Palestinians, to justify the occupation by Israel of Palestinian land…We Christians cannot speak of the ‘promised land’ as an exclusive right for a privileged Jewish people. This promise was nullified by Christ. There is no longer a chosen people—all men and women of all countries have become the chosen people.”

Threats of War over Jerusalem

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“Jerusalem is not just a city. Al-Aqsa [on the Temple Mount] is not just a mosque. Jerusalem is the key to peace, and Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and one wars. Unless the issue of Jerusalem is solved, so that it returns to its owners; unless Jerusalem will be Palestinian, as it was throughout history, the capital of the Palestinian state and the capital of the Palestinian people, the place which is the object of heartfelt longing and which all Muslims aspire to reach; unless Jerusalem is like that way, there is no peace.

Settlement Freeze for Jewish State Recognition

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made political waves in October by offering to seek an extension of the settlement construction freeze in exchange for the Palestinian leadership acknowledging Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Speaking in the first meeting of the Israeli Knesset [parliament] winter session in comments posted on the Prime Minister’s Office Web site, Netanyahu said:

Bio-Bee Bumblebees

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Bio-Bee mass-produces the earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, for natural pollination of various crops. Greenhouse tomato is the major crop, and added to this are sweet pepper, eggplant, strawberry, melon and courgette (zucchini). Outdoor fruit crops such as pears, cherry, plum, blueberry and avocado are also successfully pollinated by bumblebees.

Jesus and the “Holy Tongue”

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Did the historical Jesus speak Hebrew? The supposition of New Testament scholars—indeed the virtually unchallenged assumption in Bible dictionaries and Gospel commentaries for well over a century—is that the native tongue of Jesus was Aramaic, not Hebrew. That is beginning to change. The cumulative research of a generation of scholars living in the Land of Israel, both Jews and Christians, strongly challenges this conventional conviction as outmoded and misleading.

Killing Pests—Naturally

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Of all the pest-gobbling insects and spiders Dr. Shimon Steinberg encounters as research and development manager for Bio-Bee Sde Eliyahu, he's particularly partial to the predatory mite. It may not sound lovable, but this minuscule “very handsome, nice orange spider” is a highly efficient enemy of the spider mite, a devastating agricultural pest. It's also fast moving, a trait much admired by Steinberg, a marathon runner. Besides, Steinberg tells ISRAEL21c, the two-millimeter-long, pear-shaped creature is Bio-Bee's top seller worldwide. “Sixty percent of California strawberries since 1990 are treated with this predatory mite from the Holy Land,” he says like a proud papa.

1948—Who Recognized Israel First?

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Even among Israel supporters, there are few who recognize November 29, 1947 as an important date. It is, in fact, the anniversary of the United Nations vote to partition Palestine, laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel. May 14, 1948, however, is readily recognized by many as the founding of the state. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a nation being born in a day (66:8), fulfilled it. Even though the UN vote happened months before, plans for the declaring of independence did not begin in earnest until May 13, and less than 24 hours later, the nation was born. It seems apparent that it happened at God’s sovereign direction.

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