Green Lung in Dimona

{image_1}If Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion were to pop by the city of Dimona today, he'd be thrilled to see this Negev community bringing his vision to fruition. Construction of a new green oasis in the desert is now underway.

A High-Tech Pillbox

{image_1}Chronic diseases are expensive to manage, and one of the reasons is that patients forget to take their pills, says Gil Margalit. He’s the founder of a new Israeli company, Vaica, which is developing a solution to help young and old alike remember to take their medication.

Music on the Mind

{image_1}Musicologists and brain researchers, who don't usually attend the same conferences, recently attended a Jerusalem conference. They shared a common language: music. The conference, “Music and Brains: The Surprising Link,” was presented by the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation (ICNC) at the Hebrew University [HU]. Prof. Naftali Tishby, director of the ICNC, was one of the conference organizers.

Disarming Syria Can Be Done—But Will It?

{image_1}The worst chemical weapons attack in decades…US warships sent to the region…the brink of war, again. And then, an eerie calm. A historic agreement to disarm Syria of their chemical weapons brought the entire US war campaign to a halt before it started. The deal saved the Americans from a fight they didn’t want, the Syrians from a sizable blow and made the Russians look good. It was all winners and smiles. But will it work? Is this a victory for diplomacy, or a villainous deception? In recent history, there have been multiple situations in which a nation has signed a deal to give up weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Some have resulted in massive success stories. But sometimes it has been a giant disaster—evil regimes have reneged on deals in explosive ways. Here’s a look at how the world can disarm Syria of its WMDs and what to watch for in order to prevent another nightmare.

Netanyahu Remains Strong

{image_1} “We have to be very responsible, buck the trends, don't go by fashion. If you govern by fashion and you govern by the kind of editorials you're going to get, you'll get good editorials and later you'll get good eulogies. My responsibility is to ensure the survival, security, longevity of the one and only Jewish state.”

1,000 Year Old Hospital Revealed

{image_1}Part of an enormous structure dating to the Crusader period (AD 1099–1291) has currently been revealed to the public. The building is situated in the heart of the Christian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, in a region known as “Muristan” (a corruption of the Persian word for hospital). The building is similar in appearance to the Knights Halls in Akko.

History Comes to Life

{image_1}Three complete cooking pots and a small ceramic oil lamp were uncovered inside a recently discovered small cistern in a drainage channel that runs from the Shiloah Pool in the City of David to Robinson’s Arch.

Intriguing Inscription

{image_1}Archaeological excavations conducted in the area of the Gihon Spring in the City of David have unearthed a layer of rich finds including thousands of broken pottery shards, clay lamps and figurines. Most intriguing is a ceramic bowl with a partially preserved inscription in ancient Hebrew. While not complete, the inscription presents archaeologists with the name of a 7th century BC figure, which resembles other names known from both the biblical and archaeological record, as well as providing a connection to the people living in Jerusalem at the end of the First Temple period.

Seaport Reveals Its Secrets

{image_1}Rare and unique discoveries were found this summer at the Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology excavation site in Tel Ashdod-Yam—located near the Mediterranean port city of Ashdod. Archaeologists have uncovered a system of fortifications which date back to the 8th century BC, the remains of buildings, as well as coins and weights from the Hellenistic period.

Ancient Golden Treasure

{image_1}In excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount, Hebrew University of Jerusalem archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar made a stunning discovery: two bundles of treasure containing thirty-six gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, and a gold medallion with the menorah (Temple candelabrum) symbol etched into it. Also etched into the 10-cm [3.9 in] medallion are a shofar (ram’s horn) and a Torah scroll.

Russia Fears Syrian Terrorists Could Hurt Them

{image_1}Syria is a chaotic mess that could be coming to a country near you. Or at least that’s what has Russian President Vladimir Putin concerned.

Muslim Brotherhood Banned in Egypt

{image_1}In a move that threatens deep security repercussions, an Egyptian court has banned all operations of the Muslim Brotherhood and seized its assets. Because the order included any institution “branching out from or belonging to” the Brotherhood, it is believed that its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, will be included in the ban. The order is being appealed. The Muslim Brotherhood was banned during the 30+ years of the reign of Hosni Mubarak, although it was allowed to have a limited presence.

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