Dispatch from Jerusalem

Israel@60

A recap of the past 60 years in Israel.

Notable Quotes

{image_1}Theodor Herzl
Founder of modern political Zionism

“Were I to sum up the Basel Congress [First Zionist Congress in Switzerland in 1897] in a word…it would be this: ‘At Basel, I founded the Jewish State.’ If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. If not in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will know it.”

—Journal entry, September 3, 1897

Children: Victims of the Hate Industry

Young children and adolescents in the Gaza Strip are taught to kiss the corpses of terrorist-operative martyrs (in Arabic, shaheed or shahid), who died for the sake of Allah. This is part of the indoctrination to hate Israel and to promote the popularity of the shaheed cult in the Palestinian-controlled territories, although this practice is not founded in the Muslim tradition. A report issued by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center on December 6, 2007 says:

Israeli Cowboys in America

{image_1}A group of six Israeli cowboys will soon depart on a unique journey across the United States aimed at marking Israel’s 60th anniversary and raising awareness to the historic date in the American media. The six travellers will be riding on Israeli born-and-raised horses and carry Israeli flags with them. They plan to cross the country from north to south, possibly taking the Continental Divide National Trail, leading from the Canadian border to the Mexican one through the Rocky Mountains. On the way, they will stop over in Jewish and Christian Zionist communities.

New Outreach Center Opens in Karmiel

Showing God’s Love in the North

Israeli Technology “Revolutionary”

{image_1}Back in 2002, a leading global advisory firm wrote this astounding statement: “Without Israeli technology, the West will not develop. Many organizations throughout the world, including the American national infrastructure, will not survive for long without constant support from the revolutionary technology coming from Israel.” OnTarget Technology’s Web site affirms this same sentiment: “Israel is the source of highly innovative telecom technologies that consistently attract investments and acquisitions by US companies.” They also list the following outstanding achievements for this small, young country:

Water for a Thirsty World

{image_1}Israel isn’t the only country hurting for water. In Antarctica, the driest continent on earth, the scientists working on global warming need water. When the waves of the 2004 tsunami destroyed wells, the people of Maldives needed drinkable water, as well as the refugee camps of Moldova and Albania and 1.3 billion in China. A small Israeli company, based in the Galilee, has been offering its technology to all these countries and more—with portable desalination units.

Iran’s Space Program – Peaceful or Dangerous

{image_1}Iran says it has successfully launched a rocket capable of bringing a satellite into orbit. RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, reported that an Iranian spokesman said on February 5 the space technology efforts do not pose a threat to the rest of the world.

Wires and Cables Disappear

{image_1}Now that the electronic data revolution has hit home, cable “spaghetti” is starting to take over, but there is a way out of this tangled mess. Powermat, led by CEO Ran Poliakine, has developed a system whereby the electrical devices in your home or office will get their power not from a plug, but right off the table you’re working on. Electromagnetic waves are used similar to the ones used with popular Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, such as are used to keep track of endangered species in the wild with a chip. However, that technology has been limited to collecting or sending data—until now.

The Bridge of Strings—Jerusalem’s New Gateway

{image_1}Construction on the Bridge of Strings at the entrance to Jerusalem is expected to take another seven months. The NIS 135 million [US $36.5 million] bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, will be built on concrete supports covered in Jerusalem stone, above which will hang a steel and glass structure.