Dispatch from Jerusalem

War in Gaza

{image_1} In late December, a six-month truce between Hamas and Israel came to an end. Throughout the “truce,” Hamas continually launched missiles into southern Israeli communities. When Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stated that Hamas would not renew the truce and would continue the armed struggle, Israel decided it must deal militarily with the continued strikes against Israeli civilian targets.

Israeli Leaders Respond to Truce Collapse

{image_1} “That is a declaration of war, this is a declaration of intentions, that means that they are going to pursue bombings and rocket shootings and so on, and obviously there will be a reaction [by Israel].”

‘‘Leah’’ gives Birth

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“When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb” (Genesis 29:31).

What was written long ago about Jacob’s first wife is true of another “Leah” today—only this time it is a 30-year-old gorilla in the Ramat Gan Safari Park who was also rejected by other gorillas in her group. Leah gave birth to a healthy baby on December 14 and mother and baby are both doing well.

Salamanders Saved!

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Aviram Tzuk, KKL-Jewish National Fund regional director, noted that goldfish, recently introduced into pools and springs of freshwater by unknown hands, fed on the salamander eggs. The foresters removed most of the goldfish from these pools. After the first rains, the results were clear: there is now a noticeable increase in the number of salamanders!

Artificial Fibre Heals Wounds

{image_1} Plastics, sheep gut, silk, and metal wire—The materials that doctors have used to stitch wounds together on the battlefield and in the clinic have changed over time, but none of the solutions are perfect. Researchers from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have “spun” together something brand new, a kind of fiber, which can be applied like a dressing to help a body stitch together wounds.

New Discoveries at Herodium

{image_1} Professor Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced that his team, excavating at the Herodium fortress near Bethlehem, made some exciting new discoveries there. Among the finds were two carved and decorated white-limestone sarcophagi (large stone burial boxes), remains of a mausoleum, and a theater with a royal box.

Worst Water Crisis

{image_1} Israel is suffering through a brutal water crisis that, if not righted, could lead to permanent damage to the Sea of Galilee and possibly even to water rationing. Uri Schor, spokesperson for the Israel Water Authority, said, “If you take into consideration all the results that we have in [water in] Israel, then Israel was never in such a bad situation.”

Translating the Web

{image_1} Even though the Internet has democratized the way people communicate and receive news and product information, it remains Western-focused and ignores 70% of the world that can’t read English—about 1 billion people online. However, a new Israeli company Alfabetic is taking a major leap towards changing the way the non-English world consumes content, creating new business opportunities for content owners.

Sharia Compliant Finance: Deal or no Deal

{image_1} The economic crisis is devastating. Major governments have thrown multi-billion dollar rescue packages at the problem, and many have announced dramatic reductions in interest rates. This is meant to stimulate activity and resuscitate the ailing markets. Economists speak in billions and trillions, and sometimes the enormity of the problem seems to be insurmountable.

One innocent handshake

{image_1} There are two ways to shake hands in the Arab world. In the regular way, you quickly rub palms while shaking hands, yet, in the warmer way, you place both your palms on the hand you are shaking and hold them there for a long moment. The warm way is meant to symbolize intimate friendship and positive intentions, as well as close familiarity.