Today: September 6, 2010

Good News Israel 13/12/09

Posted: Sun 13th December 2009 3.54 PM | Author: GoodNews Israel

Quote for the Week
“We light these lights for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the victories that you made for our forefathers in those days at this season.”- From the liturgy for Hanukah, The Festival of Lights. The only time in the year when Israel has more oil than Saudi Arabia.

· Our bio-scientists have had a busy week. One of them, Professor Ada Yonath from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot made history by becoming the first Israeli lady to win a Nobel Prize and is receiving this, the most prestigious of awards, from the King of Sweden as we write and getting the full ‘Oscar’ treatment that she so richly deserves for her achievements. But usually these dedicated, brilliant men and women labor away in the relative obscurity of the laboratory working for the betterment of humankind and Israel has more than its fair share of these unsung heroes.

Israel's economy is, quote "ready to roar" unquote, according to Barclays Capital analysts [and who better than they to know?]. Finding that Israel passed through the global recession with only light damage, as we’ve been telling you, the analysts say the economy is ready to resume growing and we say that it’s already started. The economic indicators for the months of August to October 2009 point to a recovery, with exports, imports, production, the proceeds of the commercial and services industries and the consumer price index all rising over that period.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will award The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to two Israelis for helping to strengthen ties between Israel and Britain. Ms Sonia Feldman will receive the order for her services in strengthening science ties between the two countries during her years in the British Council and Mr C N Shevel, will receive his OBE for services rendered in strengthening bonds between Israel and England. ‘Tis the season for Israelis to get acknowledged by foreign royalty. How nice!

Like some ancient jigsaw puzzle, Israeli archaeologists have fitted bits of an ancient message etched in stone, together and the stele, or inscribed tablet, dated 178 BCE - 11 years before the Maccabean Revolt sets out instructions from the king of the Syrio-Greeks to his chief minister Heliodorus concerning the appointment of one Olympiodorus to begin collecting money from all of the temples in the region, marking the start of a significant, negative shift in Seleucid policy on Jewish autonomy. That shift culminated in a vicious Seleucid crackdown on the Jews of Judea and the looting of the Temple in 168-167 BCE, which prompted the Maccabean Revolt just as it’s recorded in the Book of the Maccabees. Living history? It certainly looks like it to us.