Water for a Thirsty World

{image_1}Israel isn’t the only country hurting for water. In Antarctica, the driest continent on earth, the scientists working on global warming need water. When the waves of the 2004 tsunami destroyed wells, the people of Maldives needed drinkable water, as well as the refugee camps of Moldova and Albania and 1.3 billion in China. A small Israeli company, based in the Galilee, has been offering its technology to all these countries and more—with portable desalination units.

Iran’s Space Program – Peaceful or Dangerous

{image_1}Iran says it has successfully launched a rocket capable of bringing a satellite into orbit. RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, reported that an Iranian spokesman said on February 5 the space technology efforts do not pose a threat to the rest of the world.

Wires and Cables Disappear

{image_1}Now that the electronic data revolution has hit home, cable “spaghetti” is starting to take over, but there is a way out of this tangled mess. Powermat, led by CEO Ran Poliakine, has developed a system whereby the electrical devices in your home or office will get their power not from a plug, but right off the table you’re working on. Electromagnetic waves are used similar to the ones used with popular Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, such as are used to keep track of endangered species in the wild with a chip. However, that technology has been limited to collecting or sending data—until now.

The Bridge of Strings—Jerusalem’s New Gateway

{image_1}Construction on the Bridge of Strings at the entrance to Jerusalem is expected to take another seven months. The NIS 135 million [US $36.5 million] bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, will be built on concrete supports covered in Jerusalem stone, above which will hang a steel and glass structure.

Unique Glass Panel Restored

{image_1}The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) recently unveiled a large 103 x 103 centimeter (40.5 x 40.5 inch) glass panel first discovered in 2005. The panel was found in Caesarea in the ruins of a large Byzantine Period (AD 324–638) structure, possibly a palace. It was found face down underneath the collapsed second floor of the structure. Specialists have spent the last several years restoring and studying the panel.

Connecting the People with the Land for 60 years

“Archaeology in Israel has provided a valuable link between the country’s past and present, with thousands of years of history unearthed at some 3,500 sites. Many finds attest to the long connection of the Jewish people with the Land of Israel,” states Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While Muslims are busy destroying thousands of years of Jewish history below the Temple Mount, archaeological finds in the past 60 years throughout Israel have only reaffirmed Israel’s claim to the Land. We have room to highlight only three.

Nuclear Fuel—From Russia to Iran

March 31, 2008

The Bushehr nuclear power plant in southwestern Iran took a step closer to operability on January 28, as Iranians received the last batch of nuclear fuel from Russia. Some 82 tons [49 metric tons] of nuclear fuel arrived in Iran to allow the facility to start producing electricity. The plant should have been up and running at the end of 2007, but contractual problems led to a considerable delay. Russia said Iran had failed to make payments on time. Besides the fuel for the initial commissioning, auxiliary equipment for the plant also arrived.

Remembering Miracles

{image_1}“In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

David Ben Gurion

Maccabi Tel Aviv Enters Hall of Fame

{image_1}Israel’s championship winning basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv is to be honored at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the US, as part of celebrations for Israel’s 60th anniversary in May, according to Ynet News. The team, which won championships in Israel and Europe (including the Champions Cup on five occasions), will be the first Israeli team to be presented in an exhibition at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Second Temple Housing Found

{image_1}One of the biggest problems in Jerusalem is finding a place to park. Each year the city attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and one of the most popular destinations is the Western Wall below the Temple Mount. The city of Jerusalem decided to build a new parking lot for visitors to the Western Wall near the entrance to the City of David, but before work could begin, archaeologists undertook a salvage dig to see if there were any antiquities there.

Is Israel Feeling End-Time Tremors?

{image_1}In 1948, a political earthquake fulfilled biblical prophecy with the creation of the State of Israel. Recent ground shakings have people wondering if the world is about to witness another earth-shattering prophecy come to pass. At 9:38 on December 2, 2007, Israel’s mid-morning coffee and tea was disturbed by an earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale. For Israelis, who live in an earthquake-prone region, feeling a quake is not that unusual. What made the morning’s tremor atypical was that it was the fourth in two weeks.

Israel Wins Big in Special Olympics

{image_1}Thirty-nine Israeli Special Olympic athletes brought home 36 medals (10 gold, 16 silver, and 10 bronze) from the International Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China, in October, 2007. Israel was one of 165 participating countries, and out of 25 possible sports, the team took part in eight events: bowling, cycling, judo, soccer, swimming, tennis, table tennis, and track and field. Jewish pride and support for the team was exemplified by the Chinese Jews of Shanghai, who raised US $20,000 for them and supplied each athlete with a uniform and sneakers.

Free Weekly Israel Prayer Update & News