Israel - Light onto Nations is an initiative, not a media watch organization. It is web-based and does not involve fundraising.

Israel - Light onto Nations endorses various Canadian media-watch organizations, such as: CLIC - Canadian Light on Israel Coverage, Honest Reporting (www.honestreporting.ca) and The Media Action Group (info@mediaactiongroup.com).

Did You Know?

Israel engineers are behind the development of the largest communications router in the world, launched by Cisco.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Israel sets up ‘field hospital’ to treat injured Syrians


IDF field hospital on Golan Heights
IDF field hospital on Golan Heights

Officials confirm ‘military field hospital’ built at IDF outpost in Golan Heights amid growing number of injured Syrians arriving at border

In light of the steady increase in the number of wounded Syrians Israel has been treating, the IDF has set up a “military field hospital” at army outpost 105 in the Golan Heights, AFP reported Thursday.
Israeli officials confirmed that the hospital was set up to treat injured Syrians near the border fence and avoid having to evacuate them to hospitals inside the country.
In the past month, several Syrians who were injured in the fighting between rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar Assad have been treated in northern Israel hospitals. According to AFP, eight of them were repatriated and three have remained in Israel for further treatment.
On Wednesday a number of injured Syrians made their way to the border with Israel. Two of the Syrians, who were critically wounded, were evacuated to Israeli hospitals with the authorization of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.

Happy Passover! From the IDF & Technion



Click To View Video

Watch a special holiday greeting from our soldiers in honor of Passover. Chag Sameach!

For more from the IDF:
http://www.idfblog.com/
http://twitter.com/idfspokesperson/
http://www.facebook.com/idfonline/
http://www.idf.il/english/





Click To View Video

Drunk with Freedom, Technion students show you how to cross the Red Sea, and pour the wine for the Passover Seder. Dr. Bob's TechnoBrain engineering challenge (supported by Dr. Robert Shillman): to devise a machine that could cross a pool of water -- symbolizing the Red Sea -- fill a glass of wine to capacity and place it on the "Passover Seder table," all without human intervention.. Happy Passover to all!
Follow this link to learn more about Technion:http://pard.technion.ac.il


Israeli wins European women’s science competition


Winners of the Israeli competition of the L'oreal-UNESCO Women In Science event, held last July. Left to right: Professor Hagit Yaron-Meser, Chairperson of the Open University; Prize winners Osnat Zomer-Penn, Dr. Efrat Shamah-Yaakovi, and Gili Bisker; and Ruth Arnon, director of the Israeli Academy of Sciences (Photo credit: Lamm and Velich Photo Studio)
Winners of the Israeli competition of the L’oreal-UNESCO Women In Science event, held last July. Left to right: Professor Hagit Yaron-Meser, Chairperson of the Open University; Prize winners Osnat Zomer-Penn, Dr. Efrat Shamah-Yaakovi, and Gili Bisker; and Ruth Arnon, director of the Israeli Academy of Sciences (Photo credit: Lamm and Velich Photo Studio)

Dr. Osnat Zomer-Penn, researching genetic origins of autism, is the third Israeli in a row to win the L’Oréal -UNESCO prize

For the third year running, the Israeli winner of the L’Oréal-UNESCO “Women in Science” prize has gone on to take the winning title for all of Europe. Dr. Osnat Zomer-Penn, who was one of three Israelis chosen to compete in the finals, received the European award in a ceremony at the Sorbonne in Paris on Thursday.

European Reporter Questions South African Member of Parliament on Israeli Apartheid Charge



Click To View Video

www.iiacf.org - A European reporter questions South African Member of Parliament, Kenneth Meshoe on the charge that Israel is an apartheid state. MP Meshoe provides a very clear picture of why there is no comparison between the Palestinians and the South Africans in this issue. The exchange took place at a press conference on October 31, 2011 during the IIACF Chairman's Conference in Budapest Hungary.

Low Cost European Airline Increases Flights to Israel Due to Surge in Popularity


EasyJet

Low cost European airline EasyJet is increasing the number of weekly flights from London to Tel Aviv from 9 to 11 due to popularity. The carrier also announced that its Tel Aviv-Manchester flight route will begin to operate year round.

According to Globes, “EasyJet began the Luton-Tel Aviv route in 2009 and the flights proved popular so that the seven weekly flights were increased to nine last November. The carrier also operates four weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Geneva and four weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Basel, while Tel Aviv-Manchester flights began last November.”
EasyJet’s UK and Israel commercial manager Hugh Aitken said, “EasyJet is a strategic committed partner of the Israeli tourism industry and we are pleased to bring more visitors to Israel. We aspire to expand our service from Tel Aviv with more European destinations, once the Open Sky agreement is implemented.”
Source: Algemeiner.com

Sunday, March 24, 2013

President Peres Honors Obama with President's Medal



Click To View Video

Perfect Match – Bar Refaeli’s Big Kiss! | Official GoDaddy.com Commercial


Bar Refaeli

Danica Patrick watches “sexy meet smart” as supermodel Bar Refaeli experiences #TheKiss in this GoDaddy.com 2013 Big Game commercial.




Danica Patrick watches "sexy meet smart" as supermodel Bar Refaeli experiences #TheKiss in this GoDaddy.com 2013 Big Game commercial. Get your #PerfectMatch of a Domain Name and Website at http://www.GoDaddy.com

Japanese Town Inaugurates Statue to Honor Israeli Aid


Japan

Two years after a tsunami devastated the eastern seaboard of Japan, the people of Minamisanriku,  inaugurated a statue Tuesday honoring the assistance Israel provided the city following the tragic event.

Titled “Rebirth and Resurrection,” according to website Israel Today the statuewas produced by Israeli artist David Susanna, and was installed in front of the municipal offices and temporary Israeli hospitals established in the city. The new sculpture is meant to symbolize Israeli solidarity with the suffering of the Japanese people.
Israel was one of the first countries to offer its help to Japan in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. The IDF sent an aid delegation to Minamisanriku that erected a field clinic featuring a pediatrics ward, a surgical ward and a pharmacy among other offerings. The clinic’s first patient was the mayor of Minamisanriku, who was injured during the tsunami.
Source: Algemeiner.com

Ofer Blutrich – AGAINST ALL ODDS – Videographer: Eyal Gamili


Ofer Blutrich

Eyal is currently working on a new project whose goal is to help Ofer Blutrich, an Israeli rock climber and one of the top rock climbers in the world. Eyal wants to provide Ofer a little bit of financial support for his endeavors in Israel and around the world




Eyal is currently working on a new project whose goal is to help Ofer Blutrich, an Israeli rock climber and one of the top rock climbers in the world. Eyal wants to provide Ofer a little bit of financial support for his endeavors in Israel and around the world.

Ofer has made a name for himself in the rock climbing world by scaling some of the toughest mountains and crags in Israel and Europe. He's a clean-shaven, no-nonsense type guy who enjoys endurance training and non-contact sports like running, biking, surfing, and swimming, but doesn't shy away from the party scene either.

With four years of combat army service behind his back, Ofer feels he has plenty of great feats to accomplish, many interesting people to meet, and mountains to scale. Ofer also wants to give back to the country and people he loves most while reaching his personal goals.

Ofer wants people to know that Israel is a one-of-a-kind place to be; a place that welcomes everyone, and allows individuals to fulfill their dreams. It's the capital of four world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha'i). Israel is home to the world's most prominent high-tech industry, and stands at the forefront of international medical research. The Israeli government is behind relief projects to areas stricken by natural disaster, as well as sending its astronauts to the moon.

Together, Eyal and Ofer, the brilliant videographer and the talented, young rock climber have teamed up to bring you some wicked shots of Israel's nature at its best. They're currently filming an exciting documentary about Ofer's rock climbing exploits.

Eyal and Ofer have centered their attention on the Keshet Cave (also known as the Rainbow Cave or the Arch Cave), found in the Galilee. It's one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Israel. It's located a short distance from the Israel-Lebanon border, a few kilometers from the Northern town of rosh Ha'Nikra.

We hope you benefit from our efforts to bring you an eagle's-view of the Keshet Cave and other destinations in Israel, and facilitate Israel rock climbing and tourist industries.




Videographer: Eyal Gamili
Music: Gscomber_-_I_know

New health minister urges rethink of ban on blood donations by gays


Yael German

In first move as minister, Yael German instructs professional staff to consider lifting a blanket ban on blood donations from gay men.

In her first move as Israel’s new health minister, Yael German (Yesh Atid) instructed the ministry staff to reconsider the ban on accepting blood donations from gay men.
The form filled out by every blood donor in Israel states that gay men who have had sex with other men are prohibited from donating blood.
People who have tested positive for HIV, used drugs or been exposed to mad-cow disease, among other constraints, are also prohibited from donating blood.
After the Passover holiday, a Health Ministry advisory committee on intravenous medicine headed by Professor Noga Mani, formerly the head of the Hadassah blood bank, will convene to discuss the issue revisited by German, formerly the mayor of Herzliya.
“The committee will call on relevant professionals as well as the leaders of the gay-lesbian community, hear their opinions and examine the possibility of changing the clause,” the ministry stated yesterday.
Magen David Adom, the emergency-services organization responsible for Israel’s blood banks, began to monitor and limit gay donors in the 1980s following the discovery and spread of AIDS. In the questionnaire given to donors, any man who has had sex with another man since 1977, the year HIV was first discovered in humans, is disqualified.
Many other countries also limit blood donations from gay man. The U.S. Red Cross disqualifies would-be donors who had sex with another man even before 1977, while New Zealand does not accept blood from men who have had sex with other men during the previous five years.
In many countries, including the UK, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, a one-year time frame is enforced. In South Africa the time limit is six months, while several countries including Italy, Spain and Mexico have no limitation whatsoever.
Israel’s LGBT community raised the issue back in 2004. The last debate on it was held a year ago, at the behest of Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich and gay activists in the Labor party, but the staff at the Health Ministry opted to leave the clause unchanged.
Health Ministry and MDA officials continue to define gays as a high-risk group for HIV infection, especially since the rise in recent years in HIV infection in the local gay community.
In recent years, an average of four blood samples out of a total of 300,000 donations per year have been found to be infected with HIV. Last year, 13 blood samples were found to be HIV-positive.
The Labor party’s gay organization welcomed the move, calling it a positive step, while noting that a number of Health Ministry committees had already examined the subject in the past, and that they had all eventually decided to leave the clause untouched.
“We hope that this time the committee will decide to set a time limit for [the clause], if not to cancel it altogether, similar to the trend in enlightened states,” the group said.
Source: Haaretz.com

Arab-Israeli belts to #1 on ‘The Voice Israel’


Lina Makhoul

19-year-old Lina Makhoul from Acre takes home crown of Israel’s top vocalist after battling it out on season two of “The Voice.”

After battling it out for nearly three months on live television, talented contestants from The Voice Israel’s second season have been competing to be crowned this year’s top vocalist. This year’s winner? An Arab-Israeli.
19-year-old Lina Makhoul from Acre out-sang her competitors on Saturday evening’s season finale, and will be awarded a record deal, as well as a scholarship to attend music school.
While accepting her victory on Saturday’s live television broadcast, Makhoul admitted to being a victim of racism throughout the filming of season 2 of The Voice Israel.
In Makhoul’s final performance, she belted out a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, and proved her talent was deserving of a top place in this year’s competition.
This year’s final four was entirely female: Rudy Beinsin, Dana Tzelakh, Ofir Ben Shitrit, and Makhoul. The finale consisted of two rounds, the first being a series of solos performed by final four contestants, and the second round included each finalist singing a duet with their “mentor.” The “mentors”, Shlomi Brakha and Yuval Banay of popular Israeli rock band Machina, Mizrachi artist Sarit Hadad, rock-star Aviv Geffen, and Shlomi Shabbat, were to help advance their team members to the final round, however only Makhoul and Ofir Ben Shitrit survived the sudden death round.
Last year’s winner, Kathleen Reiter, a native-Canadian, has taken tremendous steps in her career since placing first in The Voice Israel, and has recently released her first single since her victory, Klum Lo Ozer Li (Nothing Helps Me).
Source: Jpost.com

Israeli Chief Rabbi Greets Newly Arrived Bnei Menashe Immigrants



Click To View Video

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman to compete in Maccabiah


Alexandra Raisman

The Jewish-American gymnast, who performed her gold-medal winning floor exercise routine to ‘Hava Nagila’ at the 2012 London Olympics, will compete in the 19th Maccabiah Games this July.

Cue “Hava Nagila,” Aly Raisman is coming to Israel.
The Jewish-American gymnast, who performed her gold-medal winning floor exercise routine to the tune of that traditional folk song at the 2012 London Olympics, will compete in the 19th Maccabiah Games this July, organizers announced Monday at a news conference at the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan.
Maccabiah chairman Amir Pered said that Raisman will be honored during the opening ceremony, which will take place on July 18 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.
“We are very happy that an athlete like Aly Raisman, who is at the top of her game, will be coming to take part,” Pered said. He noted that she will be joined by her famously anxious parents.
Raisman’s triumph in the floor exercise at the London Olympics helped the U.S. women’s gymnastics team clinch their first Olympic gold medal since 1996. She also claimed an individual bronze in balance beam.
But it was her song choice and comments about the massacre of Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympics in Munich that endeared her to Jews around the world.
The 2012 games marked the 40th anniversary of the massacre, in which 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were murdered by Palestinian terrorists from the group Black September. The International Olympic Committee decided not to hold a moment of silence for the victims during the Games’ opening ceremony, over protests by Israel and other countries. Raisman weighed in on the controversy after her floor exercise victory.
“If there had been a moment’s silence, I would have supported it and respected it,” the 18-year-old native of Needham, Massachusetts was quoted as saying.

Formula 1 Jerusalem



Click To View Video

Monday, March 18, 2013

Israeli Scientists Develop Microscopic Robot That Detects Disease Inside Cells


red-blood-cell-in-the-human-heart-460x250

A tiny robot that swims around the circulatory system, detecting illnesses and treating them on the spot, sounds like something straight out of an overly imaginative sci-fi movie. But fiction might soon become reality as researchers from the Weizmann Institute in Israel are working on a medical “nanobot” and achieving promising results.

For such a robot to work, it would need to be smaller than a human cell, yet sophisticated enough to communicate with them. To achieve this, the researchers needed to create a computer that is based on the body’s own building blocks – DNA.
The Weizmann Institute scientists were able to create a genetic device that operates autonomously inside bacterial cells. Despite this being a major breakthrough, the researchers still have a way to go in order to apply this technology for nanobots that operate inside human cells, which are more complex than their bacterial counterparts.
Many diseases in the human body cause some genes to be modified inside the cells. The microscopic device “scans” the cell to see if all genes in it are expressed as they should be, since a malfunctioning molecule will cause a disruption in gene-expression. For instance, cells affected by cancer express a malfunction in genes related to cell-growth, causing them to expand rapidly and creating tumors.
Making damaged cells self-destruct
The device is pre-programmed with information about the cell and if the information it finds inside the cell matches its programming, it creates a protein that emits green light. The researchers, Prof. Ehud Shapiro and Dr. Tom Ran of the Biological Chemistry and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments, say that in the future, the light emitting protein could be replaced with one that can cause cells to self-destruct if the cell is diagnosed as damaged.
Full story via No Camels

Israel to get major exposure at Expo 2015


Israeli pavilion at Expo 2010
Israeli pavilion at Expo 2010

Italian organizers say Jewish state considered one of 15 leading countries set to participate in world fair focusing on fighting famine

Israel has signed a cooperation agreement in Milan with the administration of the Expo 2015 world fair, scheduled to take place in the Italian city in two years.
The Jewish state is set to receive major exposure and present its technological knowledge at the universal exposition,
which will be held under the theme, “Feeding the planet, energy for life.”
The Italian organizers stressed that Israel was considered one of the 15 leading countries among the 150 participants, and was seen as a key tool for presenting measures for food protection under tough conditions.
Source: Ynetnews.com

Israel's Young Engineers



Click To View Video

'It was an Israeli idea to use LEGO to inspire young people to develop an interest in engineering.'

When Amir Asor was laid up for seven months with an injury five years ago, he didn't just lie in bed. He came up with the idea for Young Engineers, a startup that in 2011 won him the Youth Business International Entrepreneur of the Year award from Britain's Youth Business International non-profit organization.

As Asor describes here, Young Engineers school-based clubs give children an opportunity to use LEGO and K'NEX construction toys to grasp arithmetic principles related to machinery and software engineering.

"Children participating in the Young Engineers programs achieved higher grades within the scientific subjects that are taught in schools," says Asor. "Elementary school students obtained the knowledge to succeed when it comes to tackling the more complex scientific curriculum which taught in higher educational settings."

Young Engineers has branched out, with thousands of children around the world using the program in Israel, Switzerland, Singapore, Nigeria and China.

Visit the MFA's Social Media Channels:

Facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/IsraelMFA
http://www.facebook.com/IsraeliVibe

Twitter -
http://www.twitter.com/Israel
http://www.twitter.com/IsraelMFA

Find us on Instagram:
@IsraelMFA - http://instagram.com/israelmfa
@StateofIsrael - http://instagram.com/stateofisrael

Add us on google+
https://plus.google.com/+Israel

Have you subscribed to your channel yet? please do!http://www.youtube.com/Israel

Please credit the MFA for any use of this video.