Druze saves Israeli fans in Amsterdam
Quick-thinking by a Druze-Israeli fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv saved fellow Israeli fans from being beaten by Arabs in Amsterdam. Malham Asaad shouted in Arabic to distract the attackers. He then urged the Israelis to hide all identifying symbols.
Rare monk seal returns to Israel
Despite the war, Maya - a rare Mediterranean monk seal - has returned to Israel’s shore at Rosh Hanikra near the Lebanon border. It is Maya’s 6th visit since 2010. In 2023 another monk seal, affectionately named Yulia, made two long visits to Tel Aviv’s beach in 2023 (see previously).
Where spinning technology began
12,000-year-old spindle whorls have been unearthed at Nahal Ein Gev in the Upper Jordan Valley. They provides the earliest known evidence of fast-spinning technology in the Levant, predating previously known textile tools by 4,000 years.
25,000 cranes fly to Israel
At the beginning of the annual bird migration season, 25,000 cranes arrived at the Agmon reserve in the Hula Valley in the Upper Galilee. Serving as a critical migration stopover, the park hosts more than 390 bird species twice a year. Amazing video at 2nd link.
Exposing disinformation
Israel’s Cyabra (see previously) has exposed a fake video campaign in Japan that advocates the independence of Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost region that hosts several US military bases. Cyabra’s tools revealed that protest videos were compilations of unrelated events.
Screening baggage at Las Vegas airport
The AI-based baggage security screening system from Israel’s SeeTrue (see previously) has been undergoing trials at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid airport. These were managed by the Department of Homeland Security together with the Transport Security Administration.
Samaria governor saves PA Arab’s life
Binyamin Regional Council Governor Yisrael Ganz came upon the scene of a car accident involving a Palestinian Arab vehicle and an Israeli vehicle. Just before the Arab vehicle caught fire, Ganz pulled the Palestinian Arab passenger out of the vehicle and saved his life.
Israelis with disabilities display art in Houston
The Shalva Art Exhibit highlights the experiences, hardships, and resilience of Israeli individuals with disabilities. The exhibit is currently in Houston at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, having previously been in Korea, Hong Kong, Sweden, England, and Israel.
Scientist, dancer, teacher and mother
Dr. Anastasia Braginsky, PhD graduate of Israel’s Technion Institute, teaches computer systems at the Technion, is a professional dancer, a ballroom dance instructor, and a mother of two. She also works full-time in Israeli hi-tech, now at Red Hat, having been previously at IBM and Yahoo!
1.1 million Gazan children vaccinated
The latest polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has been completed, with some 1.1 million vaccines administered and a vaccination rate among children of over 90 percent. 211,170 children were vaccinated in northern Gaza; 379,361 in central Gaza; and 517,070 in southern Gaza.