by Jonathan Arenson

Starting next week, Torontonians will be introduced to a new campaign aimed at promoting Israel in a positive light.

The new initiative, labeled Brand Israel will see the Israel Consulate of Toronto teaming up with various Jewish and non-Jewish business leaders within the community. The initial campaign, slated to last about eight to 10 months, will feature billboards and bus shelters showcasing various Israeli innovations.

(Example of new billboard and bus shelter advertisement)

I recently sat down with Amir Gissin, the Israeli Consulate General to discuss the upcoming campaign.

“Israeli’s are the most creative and passionate people in the world. That combination makes them interesting and attractive,” says Gissin.

(Amir Gissin)

These are virtues Gissin would like to come to mind when Canadians think of Israel. Unfortunately, according to Gissin, when people think of Israel, it is often through the lens of political and military conflict.

“Strong forces are trying to maintain Israel in the arena of the conflict. As long as we remain in this arena, we will not be able to change Israel’s image” says Gissin.

 It is through this new campaign that Gissin hopes people will begin to see all the positive aspects of Israel and Israeli society.

“It will not solve all the problems, but at least it will give people a more complete perspective of who we are,” says Gissin, adding “You can call is marketing, you can call it advertising, but at the end of the day, there is something good about us that people don’t know.”

To judge the success of the campaign, an opinion poll about Israel will be taken in six months and compared to an opinion poll that is being taken today. However, Gissin has his own bench mark for success.

“It will be a success even if one person will say ‘I didn’t know that. Israeli’s invented that?” says Gissin referring to Israeli technological advances.

Now, it is no secret that today, especially on university campuses, false anti-Israel propaganda is rampant. This has left me and many of my peers wondering two things. First off, when a campaign such as the Brand Israel initiative would be unveiled to combat these falsehoods, and secondly, why it had not been done sooner.

“Israel didn’t play ball,” says Gissin, adding “The Israeli establishment was to preoccupied with itself, with its security and internal problems. It took Israel some time to develop and grow up in the sense of understanding that our image is not less important than our military might.”

“When Israel took the lead on that issue, I believe it was much easier for the Jewish community, the pro-Israel community and for individuals to become a part of this process,” says Gissin.

According to Gissin, the campaign is modular and will continue to grow as more people step up to contribute. Gissin was recently approached by new perspective partners who want to bring the campaign to Toronto’s subway system, a forum that was not originally planned to be utilized.

With so many different Jewish communities around the world, I couldn’t help but wonder why Toronto was chosen for the pilot program.

“Because of the special nature of Toronto as a multicultural community, lessons that are being learned here are applicable in most of the United States’ cities and also in Europe,” says Gissin.

Gissin has been in Toronto for about a year now after working as a diplomat with many countries and with many other Jewish communities. The one thing that surprised him, as well as instilling a sense of pride and happiness is the strength, unity and self confidence found in the Toronto Jewish community.

“Jewish communities all over the world usually do not enjoy such a level of self confidence,” says Gissin.

However, Gissin believes that both the State of Israel and the Toronto Jewish community are not doing enough to expand beyond their own sphere.

“I would like to see more attempts to reach out to other countries in the case of Israel and to other communities in the case of the Jewish community in Toronto,” says Gissen.

I guess an oops is in order?

Hezbollah downed a Lebanese Army helicopter on Thursday in what Israeli officials believe was a case of mistaken identity: The Shi’ite militiamen apparently thought they were firing at an Israeli chopper.

The incident occurred as the helicopter flew over an area of southern Lebanon known to be a Hezbollah stronghold. The attack killed a navigator and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing, Lebanese officials said.

Details about the incident were sketchy, as the military quickly sealed off the area. But a Lebanese Army statement said the helicopter was on a training mission when it came under fire from armed elements and was forced down in the highlands of the Iqlim al-Tuffah province. The helicopter was apparently flying at low altitude.

The statement said 1st Lt. Samer Hanna, a navigator, was killed and that the aircraft was damaged. No one else in the crew was hurt and the army was investigating, it added.

Hezbollah declined to comment on the incident. The militant group has in the past condemned attacks against the military, with which it occasionally coordinates.

However, Israeli officials attributed the attack to Hezbollah, noting that the organization has recently been trying to improve its anti-aircraft capabilities with the goal of downing Israeli planes. They also said that Hezbollah has been on edge recently for fear of an Israeli attack.

And it’s not just Israeli officials. Al Arabiya quotes the Lebanese daily as-Safir as reporting it was Hizbullah thinking they were shooting at an Israeli helicopter.

A daily newspaper on Friday reported that the Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli.

The aircraft had landed and taken off again in a training drill. Hezbollah gunmen in the area “thought that there was an Israeli landing attempt (under way) and opened fire in the direction of the helicopter, hitting it”, Lebanese daily as-Safir said.

All this story is missing is the requisite finger-pointing at Israel.

Or is it?

A top Shi’ite cleric, Sheik Abdul-Amir Kabalan, urged the army to investigate swiftly. He suggested that a collaborator with Israel may have fired on the aircraft.

ShareThis

It seems like almost every week that we hear of Israeli Arabs being arrested on charges of planning terrorist attacks against Israelis.

This week is no exception.

Galilee region police have recently arrested two Israeli Arabs they believe belonged to a cell of Islamic Jihad operatives that planned to kill Israeli pilots, scientists and university lecturers.

News of the arrests, which took place during August, emerged after a gag order was lifted Thursday. Police claim that the network also planned shooting attacks on checkpoints in the West Bank, and that it attempted to make contact with Islamic Jihad’s leadership in Syria.

The Shin Bet security service was also involved in uncovering the cell, in which three Palestinians from the West Bank town of Ramallah are also suspected of being members. According to the police, the cell possessed weapons, held training exercises and was in the advanced stages of preparation for a shooting attack on an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint near Ramallah.

The two Israeli Arabs are Shfaram residents Anis Safori, 20, and Hussam Khalil, 19. Safori is a communications student at Ramallah’s Bir Zeit University; Khalil studies electronic engineering in Jordan.

Ok, so there’s nothing weird about some Israeli Arabs biting the hand that feeds them. But what piqued my curiosity were their targets - Israeli pilots, scientists and university lecturers. At first I thought that pilots were targeted because of their operational importance, but when considering the inclusion of scientists and university lecturers, I discounted this as the reason.

Then it hit me.

Only the best of the best are able to become IAF pilots. As for scientists and university lecturers, you have to be rather intelligent (although in some cases, one could wonder).

So here’s my theory: the terrorist cell were specifically targeting highly intelligent Israelis, in an effort to deal a blow to Israeli scientific achievment and accomplishments, since the palestinians are seemingly unable to accomplish or achieve anything themselves. Beyond sinking to new depths of depravity, of course.

In other words, since we can’t achieve, we’ll stop you from doing so.

Update: I just noticed..one of the arrested Arabs is named Anis.

That’s the second Anis we’ve seen this week.

ShareThis

Free Gaza Press Release from Tuesday:

(GAZA CITY, 26 August 2008) – The SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty will leave Gaza for Cyprus on Thursday morning at 9:00 am. Several Palestinian students who have been denied exit visas by Israel will travel to Cyprus on the boats. One Palestinian professor will finally be able to go back to teaching in Europe and one young, Palestinian woman will finally be reunited with her husband. Several of the Free Gaza international human rights workers will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring.

Free Gaza Press Release from today:

(GAZA CITY, 28 August 2008) - After having shattered the Israeli blockade of Gaza earlier this week, the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty will depart Gaza for Cyprus at 2pm today. Several Palestinians who have previously been denied exit visas by Israel will join international human rights workers on the journey. Among the Palestinians leaving are Saed Mosleh, age 10, of Beit Hanoon, Gaza. Saed lost his leg due to an Israeli tank shell and is leaving Gaza with his father to seek medical treatment. Also on board are the Darwish family, who will finally be reunited with their relatives in Cyprus.

“I can’t believe we’re finally able to leave for medical treatment,” said Khaled Mosleh, Saed’s father. “This is a miracle of God.”

Nine international human rights workers will remain in Gaza to do longer-term monitoring and accompaniment, and one, Dr. Bill Dienst of Omak, Washington, will attempt to cross over into Israel later today via the Erez crossing.

By freely traveling to Gaza, on Saturday, August 23rd, in two, small, wooden boats, the Free Gaza Movement forced the Israeli government to issue a fundamental policy change regarding their military and economic blockade of Gaza. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs publicly announced that humanitarian and human rights missions to Gaza will no longer be stopped or threatened by Israel. With the end of the Israeli siege of Gaza, Palestinians should be free to exercise their rights without fear of being stopped or killed by the Israeli military.

Yvonne Ridley, a journalist and member for the Free Gaza Movement, summed up her experience in Gaza by saying, “I missed the start of the Berlin Wall coming down by just a few days, but now I know how people felt when they tore down those first few bricks. This has been a huge victory of people over power.”

Since the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement will not be entering Israeli territorial waters, and since they will request an inspection from both the Gaza Port Authority when they depart, and the Cypriot authorities upon their return, they expect no interference on the part of the Israeli authorities when they leave Gaza. By Israel’s own admission, it has no authority to inspect the boats or the passengers when they leave Gaza.

With the collapse of the Israeli blockade, the Free Gaza Movement will quickly return to Gaza with another delegation, and they would like to encourage the United Nations, Arab League and international community to organize similar human rights and humanitarian efforts. The Free Gaza Movement will continue to work to ensure that safe passage between Gaza and the outside world will remain free and open.
###

PALESTINIANS LEAVING GAZA ON THE SS FREE GAZA & SS LIBERTY
Maha M.S. Darwish, mother
Omar Darwish, age 5
Sami M.J. Darwish, age 14
Ayman M.J. Darwish, age 17
Tawfiq M.J. Darwish, age 18
Khaled Mosleh, father
Saed Mosleh, age 10

Notice how in Tuesday’s press release, the Free Gaza tools promised to take out some of the Fulbright scholars who were denied entry permits by Israel due to security concerns, whereas there is no mention of them in today’s press release. If the reason is that Israel will not allow it, I am sure the Free Gazan tools would be jumping up and down, and would certainly have used their press release to criticize Israel.

No, there must be some other reason.

I am only speculating, but could it be that there is clear evidence linking these students to terrorists, that even Free Gaza does not want to get involved?

Update: Palestine News Network reports:

The expected students are not on board as they had no visas for Cyprus and as Angela Godfrey-Goldstein told PNN this afternoon, “No one wanted to turn them into refugees.”

Hmm..

ShareThis

A palestinian couple had reportedly locked up their disabled son and daughter for four decades because of shame.

A Palestinian couple locked their disabled son and daughter in two stinking, urine-stained rooms for four decades out of fear they would ruin the marriage prospects of a healthy child if discovered, police said.

The case has highlighted the shame felt by families who have children with disabilities in Palestinian society - made worse because of poor services and the practice of first-cousin marriages in Arab communities.

“This is sad, shameful and awful,” said Imad Abumohr, a disabled rights activist.

Few people in the rural town of Beit Awwa knew of 38-year-old Basam Musalmeh and his sister Nawal, 42. They were kept since they were children in two dank, crumbling concrete rooms that stank of sweat and urine behind their family’s house.

Police found the siblings during a raid late last night, searching for Hamas loyalists and criminals in the village, said an official who asked not to be identified because the Palestinian Authority publicly denies it cracks down on the militant group.

Palestinian police commander Samih Saify said while police were searching the house, they heard unusual noises below and went to investigate. He said they found Basam Musalemeh naked, while Nawal wore a flimsy nightdress. Police photographed them.

Their father was arrested, although it was not immediately clear if he was detained for keeping his children locked up or because of his suspected loyalty to militant group Hamas.

Today, following media attention, the siblings appeared to have been bathed and freshly dressed, and their rooms tidied - but the smell was still overwhelming.

The siblings have not been diagnosed with any specific mental illness, said their uncle, Mohammed Musalmeh. They do not speak or recognise other people.

An Associated Press reporter walked into Nawal’s room, where she sat still on her metal-frame bed wearing a dress. She did not appear to acknowledge the presence of the stranger.

The facing rooms share a small sunny square, but the area is surrounded by a high wall and cannot be seen from outside. A door links the rooms to the main house, but it was apparently opened only rarely.

Abumohr, the rights activist, said there was a shortage of institutions caring for the disabled in the West Bank.

He said the Musalmeh case was dramatic but not unheard of. He said last year they were called on to rescue a 17-year-old youth with mental disabilities who was thrown into a large garbage bin. Abumohr said the boy had scars on his stomach, neck, hands and feet where he’d apparently been tied up.

“I’m sure there are other cases of hidden people in the rural areas,” Abumohr said.

The siblings’ father, Ibrahim Musalmeh, married his first cousin decades ago and had eight children - five disabled children who died in childhood, Nawal and Bassam, and another son, who has since married.

Arab communities often favour marriages between first cousins as a way of keeping inheritances within the family. It is not considered incest, and there is little awareness that marriage between close relatives increases the chances of having children with disabilities.

The siblings’ uncle, Mohammed, said the family kept them hidden away to avoid bringing shame on the family. Many Arabs stigmatise disabled children and refuse to marry their siblings, fearing they, too, will bear children with disabilities.

Mohammed Musalmeh said they also did not want the children to be the target of cruel village mockery - all too apparent when an AP reporter asked for directions from a bystander, who mocked the siblings, describing them as “sheep.”

“If they go outside, people will laugh at them,” said their 67-year-old uncle.

Mohammed said they could not find long-term care for them.

It is unclear what will happen to the siblings now.

Abumohr said it was unlikely the two would find professional long-term care in the Palestinian territories. Saify said he hoped an Israeli institution could take care of them.

Clearly, a tragic story and my heart goes out to these two human beings treated like animals.

A number of observations:

• Being disabled brings shame to a palestinian family, yet being a “martyr” brings honor. Who has the mental illness here?
• I am actually surprised the couple did not just strap explosives to their son and daughter, send them to the nearest checkpoint and have them blow themselves up.
• Note the almost throwaway line “..said an official who asked not to be identified because the Palestinian Authority publicly denies it cracks down on the militant group.” If the PA are really Israel’s peace partner, why are they not openly and proudly cracking down on terrorist groups? Why should they publicly deny it? Of course, the answer is because the terrorist groups enjoy a groundswell of support, which is something the mainstream media would rather you didn’t know.
• Note how the police commander says he hopes an Israeli institution could take care of these unfortunate souls. Hardly the talk of someone who believes Israel is the devil.

Update: The corresponding palestinian Ma’an News Agency report reveals a number of discrepancies with the above report:

• The two were imprisoned for over 20 years, not four decades
• The two were imprisoned in two caves, not rooms
• The two were found during a security sweep for drugs and weapons dealers, not Hamas loyalists

Why the discrepancies, I do not know. What I do know is that Ma’an has a history of distorting the truth to promote the palestinian agenda.

ShareThis

My blog had some excitement yesterday, as a Free Gaza moonbat named Anis threatened to sue me for my song parody of his Free Gaza absurdity that Dave blogged about here. I responded to Anis thusly:

I’m considering a parody of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Richard Cory” as “Rachel Corrie,” calling her an idiot and a tool of terrorists. Would that pass your muster or would you try to find a reason to take that one down as well? Just wondering what your definition of “free speech” includes, Anis!

His response was “This is your level.” I think he meant it as an insult.

Anyway, the idea stayed in my head, so this morning I wrote the song:

“Peace and terror are the same” is the lesson that I taught
I told her that the underdog was right no matter what
Killing Jews in Israel is demanded by my god
The ISM is just another arm of my jihad

Yes I – recruit peacenik wannabes
And I brainwash them for terror
Teach them to hate Israelis
And I wish they all could be
Oh I wish they all could be
Yes I wish they all could be
Rachel Corries.

She learned to hate America, the freedom made her gag
She was thinking she was peaceful as she burned her country’s flag
The bulldozer came slowly but I’m glad she hadn’t fled
As good as Corrie was in life, she’s worth much more when she’s dead

And now she’s a propaganda factory
Her death has been the best thing since the SS Liberty
And I’m glad she didn’t flee
Her death was a victory
And I wish I had ninety
Rachel Corries!

If anyone wants to sing and record this, I will be happy to make an appropriate accompanying video.

ShareThis

..I certainly hope so:

Israeli kidnapped in Nigeria

Iran, Nigeria seeking to boost bilateral ties

ShareThis

It looks like Papa’s been smurfed.

Israeli pro-Palestinian activist Jeff Halper was arrested in Sderot on Tuesday for illegally entering Hamas-ruled Gaza, police said.

Halper reached Gazan shores on Saturday with dozens of Free Gaza Movement activists on two boats aimed at “breaking the siege” of the Strip.

Halper, who also heads the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, crossed into Israel via the Erez border crossing, police said.

He was questioned at Sderot’s police station, and will be charged for violating the IDF’s Southern Command Front order which forbids Israeli citizens from entering Palestinian areas without permission, a Lachish police spokesman said.

“Halper will be taken to court tomorrow,” the spokesman said.

No doubt he didn’t plan on showing solidarity with the besieged people of Sderot while he was there.

He just better hope he gets out of there before the next Qassam attack. After all, there is a lot of Jeff Halper. He’s not that easy to miss.

ShareThis

On Richard Silverstein’s anti-Israel blog Tikun Olam (link not provided, since he loves getting traffic), “Kane” asks a simple question in the comments:

# On August 26th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Kane said:

Richard,

I would be interested in hearing what you think of what Orgo said (Orgo had commented that there is no evidence connecting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to any terror attacks -ed.) Do you think Haniyeh is a terrorist or connected to terror attacks?

Thanks.

Silverstein responds:

# On August 26th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Richard Silverstein said:

@Kane: Haniyeh is less connected to terror attacks than Yitzchak Shamir was. Let me make clear that I’m no friend of Hamas. I wish there were another authentic, popular grassroots Palestinian political movement instead of it. I don’t like their politics or their willingness to embrace armed violent resistance. That being said, they ARE an authentic, grassroots popular movement. Until some other group can beat them in a legitimate election, they should be recognized as a legitimate government.

So there you have it, folks. Silverstein is clearly stating:

1. The leader of Hamas is less connected to terrorism than was a former Prime Minister of Israel.

2. Hamas engages in “resistance”, not terrorism.

ShareThis

From Iran’s ever-amusing Press TV:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has blasted some ‘Zionist drug cartels‘ that develop new diseases to sell their pharmaceutical products.

“Some multinational companies and Zionist cartels produce new kinds of diseases to export their drugs to other countries,” Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Iranian pharmacists arragned to mark the Pharmacy Day.

“Contrary to the commercial approach that is prevalent in the world drug markets, our approach towards the production and export of drugs is humane,” Fars news agency quoted the president as saying.

“We should try to produce drugs that are needed worldwide to help the humans,” he noted.

Earlier this year, Iran successfully mass produced Angipars, the world’s first herbal medication for the effective treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

So you see, the Jews - oh, sorry, Zionists - are creating diabolical new diseases just so these capitalist pig Jews - oh, damn, I meant capitalist pig Zionists - can profit from the drugs that only evil Jewish minds - evil ZIONIST minds - can develop antidotes to.

(I cannot find a single non-Iranian reference to Angipars on the Internet. Must be really popular amongst those humans that Ahmadinejad says he cares about.)

ShareThis

I was in Toronto earlier this month visiting family. Ahhh T.O. My kids loved the Ontario Science Centre so much they had to kick us out after closing. Even though the “coffee” machine and Hall of Communications are gone (I’m still heart-broken over that and can’t believe it), the Science Centre really is one of the world’s great museums. The science museums in Jerusalem and Haifa really do pale in comparison.
Bu I digress, since I’m actually talking about hitchhiking. Anyhow, one morning I was running to get to the subway (Eglinton West station, for those who want to know). And as I started running the six blocks to the subway station the thunder and rain started. My first thought was of Murphy’s Law. Of course I had no raincoat or umbrella.
Then I suddenly wished that Toronto was Israel, and I could just stick out my index finger (the Israeli equivalent of the North American method of sticking out your upraised thumb to hitch a ride) and one of the first few cars going by would stop and pick me up. In my student days in the 70’s you could still put out your thumb at a traffic light or bus stop and somebody would eventually pick you up - especially if you were wearing a school jacket. These days? In the three weeks I was in Toronto I didn’t see a single hitchhiker.
But in the few days that I’ve been back here in Israel, heck, hitchhikers are everywhere. Tens of thousands of people hitchhike every day. At the exit of any city or town and at most major traffic interchanges around the country there are special hitchhiking traffic bays. In the town of 8,000 people where I live kids as young as 10 hitchhike. Mothers with babies, old folks, high-tech workers, everybody hitchhikes. There are even wiki pages about hitchhiking in Israel.
Ever see a mother with a newborn and a toddler standing at Yonge and Steeles in Toronto hitching a ride downtown? In Israel you see it a lot. In Toronto the cops might stop and ask the mother what the heck she was doing.

Hitchhikers waiting for rides at a hitchhiking post leaving Jerusalem.

The dichotomy is bizarre. Canada is known world-wide as one of the safest places to be. Sure, there’s crime, but 98.579% of Canucks are polite, law-abiding and calm. And here’s Israel with it’s front-page news reputation of being the target for terrorism and wars.
So how is it that here in Israel it’s so safe to pick up strangers, where in Canada they’re so afraid of them it’s been almost written out of the modern lexicon? Could it be that Canadians are also afraid of the drivers? I remember that late broadcaster Gordon Sinclair lamenting the time he stopped at a bus stop during a driving storm to offer a ride, and nobody would get in.
There are 7 million Israelis compared to 33 million in the Great White North. Is it that Israel has fewer people so that we don’t have an extra 16 million strangers hanging around looking for rides? Israel is roughly the size of Lake Ontario (seriously!, Lake Ontario is 19,500 sq km and Israel is just a tad bigger at 20,700 sq km) so maybe Israel is small enough we still feel we know each other?
Canada is a member of the G8, NATO, the OECD, has the 9th largest economy in the world and an adult literacy rate of 99%. Large, powerful, smart, rich, but these days Canucks are too scared to give somebody without a car a lift.
I can’t figure out the hitchhiking thing on the Canadian side. Here in Israel I think the society is still primitive enough that we pick up hitchhikers. Yes, “primitive” in that we more or less trust our neighbours. Despite being black or white or in between, 80% of us are of the same tribe (Jews, that is, although I’ve given rides to and gotten rides from Arabs). Maybe it’s because we live in a dangerous neighbourhood and we don’t want to leave anybody out exposed longer than they have to?
Whatever the reason, I think it’s one of those small, poignant pluses that make Israel a special place in a positive way. So next time you see Israel on the news and think it’s “so dangerous” there, remember that it’s still safe enough for a 10-year-old to hitchhike home from the local community center.

Al Jazeera English has interviewed ISM founder/terror enabler Huwaida Arraf and former advisor to Ariel Sharon Dr. Ra’anan Gissin regarding the Free Gaza “mission” to Gaza.

I am posting this as an example of what Israel is doing wrong with its hasbara. While Dr Gissin raised some good points, this was undermined by his aggressive demeanor.

(I suspect this is the reason Al Jazeera chose Dr. Gissin to represent the Israeli side).

Note: I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr Gissin, and he is absolutely charming in real life. I just think his obvious passion is more of a liability than an asset when it comes to televised debates.

ShareThis

Shahar Zubari celebrates his bronze medal

Shahar Zubari captured Israel’s first medal at the Beijing Games. The 21 year old won a bronze medal in windsurfing on Wednesday. After the event, Zubari received congratulatory phone calls from Prime Minister Olmert, President Prerez and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

Canada’s Israel will continue to have coverage of Israeli medal wins over the next couple days. Be sure to check back often!!

Shahar Zubari with an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders

Click here for the Israel Olympic committee’s website.

(image credit: Jerusalem Post)

By Karin Kloosterman
Israel is known for its medical advances and expertise in agriculture. A new combination of the two, may give rise to a revolutionary new therapy to repair diseased hearts. The therapy, reports the UK’s Telegraph, has the potential to save thousands of lives –– a heart-warming solution for the thousands of Canadians at risk.

The Government of Canada reports that in 2003 heart attacks were a leading cause of death among Canadians, at nearly 50 deaths out of 100,000 people.
Now the healing properties of seaweed (thanks to Mother Nature) and Israeli scientists has been formulated into a biogel (BL-1040) to give heart disease sufferers a new lease on life.

The research, developed by Professors Smadar Cohen and Jonathan Leor from Ben Gurion University, is licensed by BioLineRx a company developing a number of pharmaceuticals. In animal models, the new formulation BL-1040 –– based on a common brown seaweed –– has been shown to dramatically strengthen weakened heart tissues. Experiments revealed that some 90 per cent of animals treated with the gel survived a heart attack. Among those untreated, only 40 percent survived.

Earlier this year, the first clinical human trials began, and will be tested over the next year in Germany, Belgium and Israel on 30 patients. If successful, reports SciAm, the trial will expand to America and could be available in Canada by 2011.
The scientists inject the formulation with a catheter inserted into the groin. When it makes contact with damaged heart tissue, the formulation “gels” and acts as a scaffold, enhancing mechanical support for heart tissue, allowing damaged heart muscles to regrow. A stronger heart is a healthier heart, lessening the risk of future heart attacks.

The company says that BL-1040 represents a “breakthrough approach to supporting cardiac tissue damaged as a result of acute myocardial infarction (MI), improving cardiac function and survival.”

The seaweed-based implant is resorbable and according to the company prevents “pathological enlargement of the left ventricle after the MI.” They add, “It is excreted naturally from the body within six weeks after injection, leaving behind a stronger, more stable heart muscle.”

BL-1040 is currently in Phase 1/2 testing, meaning that there are a number of rigorous tests the drug has to undergo before it is commercially available in Canada and elsewhere. While there are no reports yet from Canadian doctors on the promising new therapy, UK doctors believe that it could save 20,000 lives a year in the UK alone.

BioLineRx is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:BLRX). Its other main drugs in development include BL-1020 for treating schizophrenia (in Phase 2 clinical trials) and additional products for treating cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases.

Israelis Have a “Thing” for Seaweed

Not only is seaweed found to be “heart smart,” it could also be a promising new biofuel. A TIME Magazine most influential for 2008, Isaac Berzin from Israel, hopes to create biofuel from the slimy stuff, while sparing our atmosphere from greenhouse gases.

See: Looking For a Few Green Men on Forecast Highs.

There is also Seambiotic, an Israeli company with similar green dreams mentioned on EcoGeek.

While we’re on the topic, not long ago Canada’s Oceans Nutrition has partnered with Israel’s Noritech Seaweed to squeeze the most nutrition out of seaweed (thanks to CIIRDF which is looking to fund more joint developments between Israel and Canada).

::Scientific American

::Telegraph

(image credit: Scientific American)