-
 The greatest show of the week, the month and the year was the arrival of President George Bush, the first serving President to visit us in more than a decade. He came, he was seen – certainly by every Israeli with a television set, and that’s just about all of us, and he conquered with his ever ready and winning smile. He said the right things, at the right time and in the right way. He lavished compliments on Israel and the Israelis, and in turn was assured of our people’s love for the US of A. And when it came to a meeting, President to President, our own first citizen was eloquent and the essence of charm and statesmanship. Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz described the whole affair as, quote, “pure schmaltz”, unquote but we at GN were left with a feeling of genuine international bonhomie. - Just to prove that it’s not only the President who loves us, a recent poll showed that more than 60% of the American people support us, up from a low point of 23% four years ago, with an increase of 10% since the end of 2006. So the trend is there and it’s upward which is GN.
- Really GN for home owners and for those of our friends from overseas who have invested in bricks and mortar in Israel is that property values continue northwards. Despite the edgy, nervous real estate markets in Europe, the UK and the US, people in the know are predicting that the frenzied pace of price rises will continue in 2008, with conservative estimates of at least a 15% increase this year.
- Once again Israeli doctors together with the Foreign Ministry’s Center for International Cooperation, have shown their mettle. Two ophthalmologists from Wolfson Medical Center, working in Africa’s Ivory Coast have restored the sight of over 60 people, young and old, suffering from cataracts and the results of traditional treatment, too horrendous to describe here. Besides being able to see their loved ones for the first time in many years, they regained their independence and their self confidence. So, these are two Israeli doctors who have fulfilled the prophecy of being a ‘light unto the nations’.
- Dickens’s character Wilkins Micawber counseled as follows: earnings £1, expenditure 19/6 result – happiness. Earnings £1, expenditure £1 and sixpence, result – misery, or words to that effect. But governments worldwide have never heard of him or his advice, and seem to spend money with gay abandon, with the exception of Israel that is. Our government has displayed exemplary fiscal discipline; with the result that the budget deficit at present is the lowest that it’s been for 20 years. Spending less and earning more (tax revenues in ’07 were NIS 14.5bn higher than planned) means that confidence in the country and it’s economy will be very high with those who count, and that will lead .to all sorts of benefits, that we won’t go into right now. But trust us. It’s GN.
- We reported last week on IBM’s take over of Israeli start up XIV at a cost of $350m. And now comes the news that one of IBM’s senior managers Andrew Monshaw, who visited here last week announced that the tech giant will be doubling it’s investments in Israel. This means more manpower, more intellectual property, more acquisitions and more cooperation.
-
 The London Sunday Times, a prestigious newspaper if ever there was one, has gone on record as predicting that, and we quote. “Israel’s stock market will be trust into the limelight this year. The newspaper asked a panel of experts where the smart money will be going in this time of investor uncertainty and they had no hesitation in selecting the TASE, and three others as being oases of financial tranquility in all the turbulence. - We have said it before and we delight in saying it again. Kibbutzim are no longer all about bananas, oranges and eggs, although the do a pretty good job with those too. An outstanding example of a highly successful industrialized communal enterprise is Kibbutz “Sasa” which has developed a large factory producing armor for military use. Their latest coup is a $200m contract to supply the United States Marines with 1500 mine – resistant, ambush protected armor kits for their new combat vehicles. The present contract follows three others, also with the Marine Corps for 3000 armor kits worth $500m.
-
 You may not be aware of the fact that Israel has its own equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Not quiet as famous – yet, the Wolf Prize is awarded every year to scientists and musicians who have made outstanding contributions in their fields. This year’s prize for medicine goes to two Israeli’s, Prof Howard Cedar and Prof Aharon Razin both of the Hebrew University, who will share the $100 000 for their work in cancer research and genetics. The prize for research in the field of agriculture will be shared by Prof Pickett of the United Kingdom and Profs Tumlinson and Lewis of the United States. The Wolf Prize has been awarded to two hundred and forty one scientists and artists from twenty two countries so far. - One of the accepted indicators of economic well being is the value of a country’s exports but almost as important is the amount that is spent on imports and in this regard Israel has hit an all time high in 2007, climbing seventeen percent over the previous year to reach $48.5b, and what’s more that excludes diamonds. Imports reflect the confidence displayed by industrialists, producers and consumers, in the future of the economy.
- While on the topic of what Mr and Mrs Israeli are spending their hard earned cash on another new record was set for the number of cars that were delivered in 2007. A total of 191,121 new vehicles arrived in the country which was twenty eight percent more than the total for the previous year. Mazda topped the list with Hyundai in second place. This jump in sales is created by the improvement in the economy as well as a welcome cut in the purchase tax.
- GN for Sderot. A city under siege but now one of the country’s leading hi–tech hot–spots following the launch on Tuesday by WIMAX of free internet access to all kindergartens and schools in the town and that includes the Sapir College.
- Here’s a heartwarming (literally) story to end with: “Is there a doctor in the house” is a cry that we’re all familiar with, though usually not at first hand and that in itself is GN. The scene is passport control at JFK Airport .An Israeli doctor and a ER Nurse have just disembarked to perform a mercy mission in NY, when suddenly a fellow passenger a US citizen, standing in line next to them collapses with cardiac failure. The Israeli medical team goes into immediate action and using some sophisticated equipment that they’ve brought with them they’re joined by another Israeli doctor and they resuscitate the patient to the cheers and applause of the crowd. A sad tale with a GN ending.
|
Quote for the Week