Good news from the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population.

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Israeli breakthrough in food allergies. For the more than 11 million Americans who suffer from food allergies, some news with a tantalizing aroma is emanating from Israel. Scientists from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology have found a way to neutralize a sesame seed protein that causes allergies and they believe the technique can also be used to eliminate allergens in milk, peanuts and other common foods. High-frequency sound waves were used by the scientists to pulverize the sesame seed molecules to create an allergy-free product. After identifying the allergenic part of the protein, known as an epitope, the Technion scientists targeted it with sound waves, using extremely high frequencies over very short periods. In 95 percent of the cases, the allergic qualities were completely neutralized.

Israeli embassy sends food to Kenyan village. Staff at the Israeli Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya departed Wednesday for the southern village of Mingini to distribute food to famine-struck inhabitants. The Israeli embassy is sending there 15 tons of food, including rice and beans. In addition, 2,310 children's lunches are being distributed in answer to a call by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki upon all foreign delegations to assist in the region.

Israeli wins bronze in judo. Arik Ze'evi brought home the first medal of the Athens Olympics, winning a bronze in the 100 kilo weight class. The 27-year-old Ze'evi won five matches by ippon, judo's equivalent of a knockout. "I've never competed in such an atmosphere, it was like a basketball arena," Ze'evi said of the local fans who had traveled to Athens to cheer him on. "The Israelis with the singing and the flags drowned out all the other fans in the hall." On the winner's stand, as the Hatikvah played and with the Israeli flag in the background, emotion overcame him, and tears streamed down Ze'evi's cheeks.

New Israeli Technology Detects Bombs and Deflects Rockets. International Technologies Lasers (ITL), has received an initial order from Israel's Ministry of Public Security for a system that can detect the explosives favored by suicide bombers. The technology, which makes the detection of explosives possible, is called laser spectroscopy and is based on the fact that each material in nature reflects light in a unique way. The system's computers sense the reflected light of various materials and match it with that of various substances, issuing a warning when a match with a dangerous material is identified. Another Israeli breakthrough in security technology was developed by Achidatex, a company in Upper Nazareth that manufactures bulletproof vests and car armor. It is a wall-covering that can shield a room from rockets and missiles, such as the Hamas-made Qassam rockets being fired from Gaza and Hizbullah's long-range missiles deployed on Israel's northern border.

Israeli HumanEyes Lite 3D Now Supported on Sharp 3D Monitors. HumanEyes Technologies Ltd., of Jerusalem, a leading innovator and provider of advanced and affordable 3D software solutions for easy 3D image creation and output, has entered into a partnership agreement with Sharp Systems of America. The HumanEyes Lite 3D software application, today optimized for Sharp, is now supported on Sharp's revolutionary 3D desktop displays and 3D laptops allowing true 3D viewing without the use of special glasses. HumanEyes Lite 3D software allows users to easily create consumer and production-quality, 3D images -- using ordinary digital cameras -- for display on the forthcoming Sharp 3D LCD Color Monitor, and existing Actius RD3D Laptops.

Israeli youngsters on a humanitarian mission to India. A select group of 12 Israeli youngsters, aged 16-18, will be leaving for Delhi this week on a unique humanitarian mission - to impart knowledge on maintaining personal hygiene, the use of first aid and the importance of health awareness among their Indian peers. The trip will be the third such journey to India under the auspices of Pirkei Refuah (the Israeli Medical Cadet organisation). The week-long visit starts this Friday. "The first two trips were a success in every aspect. The participants from all over Israel taught first aid courses to Indian children at various schools in New Delhi and surrounding villages, and there was great cooperation between the two cultures," said Pirkei Refuah director Koby Monovich. Udi Reich, who will be heading the group, said, "this will be the first visit when the participants will be staying with Indian families and I am looking forward to the wonderful experience where we will combine cultural exchange with learning".

Israeli Anti-Missile System Successfully Downs ‘Threat’ Over California Coastline. The skies over the California coastline witnessed history last week, as the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) successfully conducted the first “real-world” test of the Arrow Weapons System (AWS) interceptor, a joint program between the U.S. and Israel to develop a regional ballistic missile defense system. An Israeli Arrow 2 anti-ballistic interceptor lifts-off from San Nicolas Island, Calif. during a test conducted by the Israeli MDO and the U.S. MDA on July 29, 2004. The test, designed to reflect an operational missile defense system as closely as possible, was operated entirely by the same Israeli Air Force personnel who normally operate Israel’s two operational Arrow batteries. Given little information about the threat, the IDF/AF crew, operating within the BMC2 complex on the oceanfront, tracked an incoming SCUD ballistic missile surrogate and launched a single Arrow 2 interceptor missile from the launcher located 60 miles off the coast on San Nicolas Island. The Arrow missile arced into the sky, guided by telemetry from the ‘Green Pine’ radar and computer guidance from the ‘Citron Tree’ BMC2 facility until the interceptor kill vehicle (IKV) separated from the booster stage, at which time the on-board electro-optical guidance sensor acquired the inbound missile. The IKV continued towards the target missile, successfully destroying the incoming missile with the Arrow’s fragmentation warhead, followed milliseconds later by a body-to-body impact of the Arrow kill vehicle and the remnants of the simulated SCUD surrogate missile. This marks the sixth successful test of the complete Arrow system, but the first test conducted outside of Israel in order to capitalize upon the larger test ranges afforded by the geography of the United States.

Israel Saves the Environment, Produces Oil. Is it possible to both produce oil and save the environment at the same time? Israeli start-up BioPetrol Ltd. has developed a system to do just that. The company's breakthrough process produces usable synthetic crude oil from sewage sludge - reducing the garbage to only 5% of its original volume. Furthermore, ingredients in the biopetrol can be used in the production of petrochemicals. BioPetrol Ltd. thus offers wastewater treatment plants, for the first time, environmentally sound and cost-effective sludge conversion and a lucrative oil production system.

Israel Develops World's First Self-Flying Helicopter. Called the Steadicopter, company officials said it has both security and civilian uses. What is unique about this design is its total fully autonomous operational system and does not require piloting skills or experience. Anyone can take it out and use it.

Facts about the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population.


  • Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.
  • Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.
  • In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia to safety in Israel.
  • When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.
  • When the U. S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day - and saved three victims from the rubble.
  • Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.
  • Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.
  • Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."
  • Israel has the world's second highest per capita of new books.
  • Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.
  • Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.
  • Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.
  • Israel has the highest per capita ratio of scientific publications in the world by a large margin, as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.
  • In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).
  • Israel is ranked #2 in the world for VC funds right behind the US.
  • Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.
  • Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies
  • Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 is over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.
  • With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (apart from the Silicon Valley).
  • With an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16s, Israel has the largest fleet of the aircraft outside of the US.
  • Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.
  • The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola-Israel. Motorola built its largest development center worldwide in Israel.
  • Windows NT software was developed by Microsoft-Israel.
  • The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
  • Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.
  • AOL's instant message program was designed by an Israeli software company.
  • Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel
  • The city of Beer Sheva in Israel has the highest percentage in the world of Chess Grand Masters per capita – one for every 22,875 residents.
  • On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech start-ups
  • Israel has the largest raptor migration in the world, with hundreds of thousands of African birds of prey crossing as they fan out into Asia.
  • Twenty-four percent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees -- ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland -- and 12 percent hold advanced degrees.