Dispatch from Jerusalem

Investors Should Focus on Israel

BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH has advised international investors to temporarily avoid speculation in Dubai and focus on the Israeli stock market. The report, “Play Defense,” earmarks Israel’s banks and telecom companies as particularly promising businesses. “Israel should go back under investors’ attention,” Haim Israel, head of Research with Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Israel, told The Media Line.

10 Commandments of Arab Myths

1. The Palestinian people have a historic connection to the land.

{image_1}There is no such thing as a “Palestinian people.” When the Romans changed the name of Israel to Palestine, the people living in the land at the time were Jews, not Arabs.

An Eye from Zion

“AT FIRST, I THOUGHT I'D DIE.”That's what an ex-Mossad [Israeli intelligence] chief said about his first “operation.” Yoram Hessel, now the director of Eye from Zion, wasn't talking about a secret operation for the Israel government. He was referring to sight-restoring cataract surgery that he had witnessed firsthand.

Investing Millions in Jerusalem

THE ISRAELI TOURISM MINISTRY is putting money behind their words with plans to invest 15 million shekels (US $4 million) in Jerusalem during 2010. According to a press release, the funds will go towards tourism infrastructure and tourism event promotion “in order to encourage domestic and incoming tourism…This is in line with the new work plan presented by the Tourism Minister which positions Israel as the Holy Land with Jerusalem at its center.”

Dare to Dream of a Rebuilt Temple

{image_1}On October 5, just prior to the traditional Priestly Blessing during the week of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), police limited the number of Muslim worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount as a precautionary measure against possible rioting. This is a normal procedure whenever a special event takes place at the Western Wall. This time, some 150 Arabs arrived at Lions Gate and began stoning police. The Islamic Movement made statements to purposely incite Arabs, and Hamas called for a new intifada (uprising).

Missiles: From Iran to Tel Aviv

{image_1}BEFORE THE DUST SETTLES from Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, the Islamic Republic will send its ballistic missiles into the very heart of Tel Aviv. This was spelled out by a deputy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative in the Revolutionary Guards, Mojtaba Zolnour.

Wireless Luggage Finder

{image_1}ISRAELIS LOVE TECHNOLOGY. They are early adapters and relentless innovators, always looking for ways to improve their lives. So, it's no surprise that some of the world's top gadgets were designed and developed in Israel.

Regenerating Lost Limbs?

{image_1}A 3D SCAFFOLD THAT CAN REPLACE missing bone while helping it regenerate, a biodegradable stent that releases drugs while keeping a weak artery open, a wound dressing that releases antibiotics and then magically disappears when the job is done… all this has been made possible by Meital Zilberman, an Israeli researcher at Tel Aviv University's Department of Biomedical Engineering, who has invented a series of drug-releasing fibers that dissolve over time.

Yemenites Spice Up Israeli Culture:  Zhug

{image_1}Israel is an amazing country in many ways, one of which is the diversity of its population. The “average Israeli” may have come from Asia, Africa, Siberia, or Florida, bringing along customs and cuisine as varied as the countries themselves. Each of these communities has contributed to the exciting cultural landscape of modern Israel, making it a true melting pot of nations. One such contributor is the Jewish community of Yemen.

A Cure for Leaky Pipes

{image_1}Curapipe, IN ASHKELON, has a new solution that can detect and repair a problem that hides below the radar of the water and gas industries. Tiny pinhole, almost undetectable leaks emit water, oil, and natural gas, costing the taxpayer money. The World Bank estimates that about 88 billion liters [23 billion US gallons] of water is lost through urban pipes every day.