Dispatch from Jerusalem

Saving the Med—Israeli Leads International Effort

{image_1}By Karin Kloosterman, ISRAEL21c

Over the millennia, the Mediterranean Sea has become much more than a transport hub for empires that control the region—it links nations, feeds countries, and its shores hold some of the world’s most expensive real estate and natural beauty.

A Palestinian Crisis of Expectation

{image_1}Many nations considered the appointment of Rami Hamdallah as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) a ray of hope for stability. Although he lacked any previous experience in government, he was lauded as a moderate. With some hope remaining that a national consensus government, comprised of both Fatah and Hamas loyalists, would be formed by the end of the year, many believed Hamdallah would create an interim atmosphere of cooperation that would make it possible for both the PA and Israel to deal with the many difficult issues facing Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) today. Remarkably, his term only lasted 18 days.

Developed in Israel! Top 12 New Fruit and Vegetables Species

{image_1}By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c

Since the first half of the 20th century, Israeli agricultural wizards have been bringing new fruit and vegetable varieties to the global market, from vividly colored squash to seedless peppers. Every year, Israel exports more than [US] $2 billion worth of produce—tomatoes are its fourth-largest commodity—and is among the world’s top developers of better-looking, better-tasting, disease-resistant, and more nutritious varieties.

Cool Globes Jerusalem

{image_1}An exhibit of 18 large globes of planet earth is on public display near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. Each of the globes, weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg), artistically portrays a solution to climate change—from solar power to rooftop gardens; green buildings to fuel efficiency.

Sleep Apnea Could Protect Heart Attack Patients

{image_1}By Viva Sarah Press, israel21c.org

Sufferers of breathing disorders such as sleep apnea are usually thought to be at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. A new study from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology scientists suggests that some heart attack patients with these conditions may actually benefit from mild to moderate sleep-disordered breathing.

Your Secret is Safe

{image_1}By Brian Blum, ISRAEL21c

When your bank outsources customer service to India, how can the financial institution ensure that your data won’t fall into the wrong hands? What if your HMO [Health Maintenance Organization] shares files with an outside pharmaceutical research firm and inadvertently reveals your chronic illness?

Moscow’s Motives—Why Russia Influences the Middle East

{image_1}It seems unusual that from the frozen lands of Siberia, and the snowcapped cathedrals in Moscow, Russia has reached its long arms into the desert sands of the Middle East. Yet, in the last seven decades, Russia has been selling weapons to Middle Eastern nations, playing politics with conflicts and peace talks, and even helping crazy dictators acquire weapons of mass destruction. But why? What is Moscow’s modus operandi for involvement in the Middle East? And what does that mean for Israel now…and in the future?

The Gabriel Revelation Stone

{image_1}The Israel museum will be displaying one of the most important artifacts to have been discovered since the Dead Sea Scrolls. The “Gabriel Revelation Stone,” discovered on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, sheds light on the spiritual life of the Second Temple period. The Stone complements the Herodian period, tracing the development of the story of the angel Gabriel during the early years of rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Written with ink on stone, in Hebrew, in the first person, the writer identifies himself as the angel Gabriel.

Outstanding Mosaic Find

{image_1}A spectacular 1500-year-old mosaic was discovered in a field in southern Israel. The mosaic which dates to the Byzantine period (4th–6th centuries AD) was exposed by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) prior to major road construction.

Second Temple Period Quarry Uncovered

{image_1}An enormous quarry from the time of the Second Temple (first century AD) was exposed in recent weeks in excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] is carrying out. A 2,000 year old key, pick axes, severance wedges, etc. were also among the artifacts uncovered during the course of the excavation.