Dispatch from Jerusalem

Secular or Religious

Israel is a unique place, where the secular and the religious mix at all levels of society, often causing cultural clashes. There are rifts in Israeli society between the two groups, who don’t agree on a wide variety of issues affecting everyday life. Israel has a mainly secular government, but the chief rabbis and the rabbinical court control many aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, burial, and conversion to Judaism. There is not a clear separation of Church and State in Israel like in many western countries.

Iranian TV encourages boycott of zionist products

The Iranians have called for a boycott on “Zionist” products. Household brand names like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Calvin Klein, and Nestles have been listed as pro-Israel companies with Zionists among their biggest shareholders. Viewers were told PEPSI stands for “Pay Each Penny to Save Israel.” Also on the Iranian TV hit-list are McDonalds, Timberland, Revlon, Garnier, Hugo Boss, and L’Oreal.

Negev Algae For Bio-Fuel

Everyone is searching for affordable, alternative energy sources to take us into the next century. Israeli scientists are well acquainted with the energy-producing capacity of algae and are applying that knowledge to fuel the future.

Over 150 species of algae are used commercially to provide food for humans and livestock, serve as thickening agents in ice cream and shampoo, and ward off disease in pharmaceutical drug form. Unaltered, algae encompass different groups of living organisms that capture energy through photosynthesis, converting inorganic substances into simple sugars.

Water in the Desert

After several years of lying idle, excavations have resumed at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and have yielded significant results. Ramat Rachel is located southeast of Jerusalem between the Old City and Bethlehem. Burial caves, a Byzantine church, a palace from the Judean Monarchy period, and pottery from the post-Babylonian exile period were found in previous digs.

Freeze-Dried Blood for Soldiers

An Israeli firm is developing a small product with big implications: personal packs of freeze-dried blood which soldiers can carry into battle for their own medical care on the field. The packs will look like the freeze-dried coffee you find in the supermarket, according to Lieutenant Colonel Amir Blumenfeld, head of the IDF Medical Corps’ Trauma Unit. The little packs will be included in each soldier’s mandatory personal kit.

Monitoring Diabetes Painlessly

Doctors agree that the most essential way to treat diabetes and prevent long-term health complications is for every patient to manage their disease carefully by testing glucose levels regularly. But the majority of diabetic patients are doing no such thing.

The problem is the test itself––a painful pin pick of blood from the finger. Now an Israeli company, OrSense, has come up with a solution––a non-invasive glucose monitor that allows a diabetic patient to test his or her blood glucose levels without spilling a drop of blood.

The Hizbullah Threat-  Unresolved

The shooting war with the Hizbullah has come to a temporary end, but the parties have continued with the war of words. Both sides are claiming victory. An examination of the war, the cease-fire, and the future will shed light on the winners and the losers of this conflict.

Arab Journalist To Palestinians- Recognize Israel

While Israel continues its incursions into the Gaza Strip, which it had unilaterally evacuated 10 months ago, some Arabs recognize a new reality on the Israeli-Palistinian conflict.

One letter was written by senior Egyptian journalist Youssef Ibrahim and published in the New York Sun. Ibrahim served for 24 years as a senior reporter for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and had interviewed almost every Arab leader during those years. Since 2001, Ibrahim serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in New York.

Children uncover a Mosaic

Just before the summer break, a group of Jewish and Arab fifth and sixth graders unearthed a mosaic floor as part of a year-long archaeological enrichment program, sponsored by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Israeli Water Know-How in China

China and Israel will work together to introduce Israeli water technology into the world’s most populous nation under a cooperation agreement reached with China’s Ministry of Water Resources during the recent Water Expo in Beijing.