Divestment - Harvard

HaModiah - 08-19-10

Harvard University has sold millions of dollars' worth of shares in Israeli companies, but denies that it is divesting from Israel.

University spokesman said that the sale was "purely an economic decision" because Israel has recently graduated from the status of emerging economy to that of a developed market.

While anti-Israel lobby groups claim Harvard's move was a political statement, economic analysts, even in Israel, are inclined to believe Harvard's version of the story.

Tel Aviv - Global City

HaModiah 08-19-10

Global Cities Index

American magazine Foreign Policy ranked New York as the top global city and Tel Aviv as #50.

Five of the top ten global cities are in Asia and the Pacific: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Seoul.

Others: Dubai - 27

Istanbul - 41

Cairo - 43

New Chareidi Neighborhood

HaModiah - 11-18-10

A new Chassidic neighborhood will be built in Har Yona, Upper Nazareth.

Deputy Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman said, "It's so beautiful here; the air is great and the view is stupendous. This neighborhood will be the mezuzah of Upper Nazareth."

Anti-Semitic Attack - Yaffo

HaModiah - 11-18-10

Rabbi Yisrael Ben Chaim, 83, veteran gabbai of a shul located on Yaffo's Yeffet Street, was beaten by an assailant trying to wrest the keys to the shul from him, so that he could enter and desecrate it.

Arab terror attack

Two soldiers, both 20, were killed last Thursday when a truck ploughed into a crowd waiting at a bus stop in Acco. At least 11 others were injured, three of them critically, in what police believe was a deliberate attack.

Acco has frequently been a flashpoint for violence between Arab and Jewish communities who share the northern coastal city.

There was no apparent nationalist or racist motive for the attack, which they wer enot treating as a terror incident, police said.

The driver appeared to have been distressed by a family dispute, although it was unclear waht led him to launch the attack.

(Question: The driver was distraught so he killed Jewish soldiers. If he was distraught, why didn't he kill folks on his own block?)

Miracle - 35 Children in Gan

HaModiah - 11-18-10

The ceilingin the main hall of a Beit Rimon kindergarten collapsed Tuesday, about a minute after the 35 children had moved into another room. Their teacher was still in the hall, and was slightly injured.

Gold Prices to Rise

HaModiah - 11-18-10

The price of gold has been steadily rising for two years, topping the $1,400 per ounce mark at the end of November.

Dollar to fall

HaModiah - 11-18-10

Goldman Sachs analysts predict the dollar will fall to 3.25 NIS in the next 12 months.Its low was 3.23 NIS in June 2008

Possible Hizbullah Coup in Lebanon

HaModiah - 11-18-10

IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi said that according to info from a UN panel probing the assassination of former Lebanon Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Hizbullah officials may be planning a coup d'etat in Lebanon.

Hamas Rockets Can Reach Tel Aviv

HaModiah - 11-18-10

A senior Israeli intelligence official warned Sunday that Hamas rulers in the Gaza Strip have rockets that can travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) - a longer range than previously reported, which would put the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv within range of its launchers.

The Israeli intelligence official said that Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007 is making "very great efforts to build up their military capabilities...and all of this is happening because of one important thing: the smuggling of weapons through Egypt to the Gaza Strip."

He said, "In many places we can show photos of Egyptian soldiers located less than 20 meters from the opening of a tunnel, and the tunnel is operating under his eyes, under his control, and nobody is doing anything about it."

New Weapons to Lebanon

HaModiah - 11-18-10

Russia will be giving Lebanon a free, unconditional gift of arms and military supplies to strengthen the Lebanese army.

Gift to include six Mi-24 attack helicopters, 31 T-72 tanks, 36 130-milleter artillery pieces and 500,000 shells to be used by existing Lebanese artillery.

Lebanon has 30 helicopters, 1950s jets from Britain.

Russia has coordinated the decision with Syria.

Meanwhile the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs lifted its ban on giving $100 million to the Lebanese army. (It is being debated again in January, because the Republicans are afraid the weapons will get into the hands of Hizbullah.)

Desalination Expansion

National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau ordered Water Authority head Uri Shani to run Israel's desalination plants 24 hours a day in response to the freshwater shortage.

Landau wants the plants in Ashkelon, Chadera and Palmachim enlarged.

The expansion would add 120 million cubic meters of water to the water supply by 2012.

Dolphins off Tel Aviv

HaModiah - 01-27-11

A pod of 15 dolphins spotted off the coast of Tel Aviv and Herzlia.

Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center says 181 bottlenose dolphins have been identified. They think there are between 300-400 off Israel's shoreline.

65 Kinds of Peppers in Israel

HaModiah - 01-27-11

Israel developed 65 new specials of pepper in 2010.They include a yellow pepper with vitamins and a red pepper resembling a tomato.

They're high quality and immune to viruses.

Eilon Gadiel, director of the Central & Northern ARava R&D station, said the peper specials being grown in the Arava are very popular in global markets.