🇮🇱 HTCE @HtceOrg

Our final mention is a very current entry in the fight against cancer. May 2026: A Technion-Israel Institute of Technology research team has developed an original technology for treating breast cancer using nanoparticles that carry no drugs at all. The particles interact with the immune system, changing the rules of the game by delivering a biological message to the tumor microenvironment and to immune system cells. Globally, about 2.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. This results in about 670,000 deaths. This nanotechnology could save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Do you back up or transfer data using a USB flash drive (also known as a ‘disk on key’)? This technology was developed by the Israeli company M-Systems (now SanDisk) under the leadership of Dov Moran. Even though cloud storage has reduced the usage, hundreds of millions, probably billions, of people (including yourself) have used (and are still using) USB flash drives.

Did an emergency bandage save your life or the life of someone you love? This dressing combines a bandage and pressure device. Widely known internationally as the "Israeli Bandage”, it is standard equipment in the trauma kits of military, police, EMS, and disaster-response organizations around the world.

Do you or someone you love have a coronary stent which is extending their life? Chances are, it’s been designed by (or follows the advanced, coronary stent technology of) Medinol. Millions of patients have received stents based on technologies pioneered by Israeli developers. This has had a huge, positive effect on heart disease treatment worldwide.

Did your company’s firewall protect your organization’s essential data from hacking? You can thank commercial firewall technology developed by Israeli entrepreneur Gil Shwed and his team at Check Point Software Technologies. Virtually every large organization today uses firewall technologies descended from Check Point concepts and models.

Do you or a loved one need digestive tract images for medical purposes? No need for an invasive operation! Your medical team will probably use PillCam (invented in Israel): a swallowable camera capsule that photographs the digestive tract. It is the global standard for capsule endoscopy. Used in over 60 countries to help over 4 million people.

This week we look at 6 Israeli inventions that are saving lives and protecting digital safety worldwide. These inventions have no bias. They are available for use with anyone, anywhere.

Today is World Refugee Day. Today, we remember the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were expelled, pressured, or forced to flee Arab countries during the 20th century. Communities that had existed for centuries in Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and elsewhere were uprooted almost overnight. Homes were seized. Businesses were lost. Synagogues were abandoned. Families were left with almost nothing. This history is too often erased.

In Israel… People are free to worship (or not) as they please. And your religion has nothing to do with your personal and legal rights. It is our pleasure and honor to have many holy sites of various religions. Here are a few highlights of the non-Jewish ones: In Haifa, we have our beautiful Bahá’í Temple and Gardens. In Jerusalem, people of all religions make pilgrimages to the many churches and mosques, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and The Mosque of Omar. In the lower Galilee, we have the Druze holy place Nebi Shu'ayb: the traditional burial site of the prophet Jethro (Moses' father-in-law).

EGYPT: There are severe limitations on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) by enforcing laws, policies, and judicial decisions that repress non-Muslim and Muslim religious minorities. According to the reports, these groups continue to face various types of discrimination such as: restrictions on the building and operating of places of worship and burial sites acts of violence and sectarian attacks, including by armed groups [shoutout to the U.S. government]

IRAQ: The Iraqi Constitution has been in effect since 2005. It states: “Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, origin, color, religion, sect, belief or opinion, or economic or social status.” Also, that Iraqis are free in their “commitment to their personal status according to their religions, sects, beliefs, or choices, and this shall be regulated by law.” Unfortunately, there is still significant oppression, incidents of violence, and many social challenges. [shoutout to innov8]

SAUDI ARABIA: Although the situation has improved over the past 10 years, there are still severe limitations on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). If you do not follow the specific, state-sanctioned interpretation of Sunni Islam, there can be a severe impact on your personal and religious freedoms. [shoutout to the U.S. government]

IRAN: Putting aside the bad behavior toward its women, Iran treats its Bahá’í citizens poorly. Iranian Bahá’í face arbitrary arrests and legal discrimination, state-driven hate speech and anti-Baha’i propaganda, education and economic discrimination, property confiscation and cemetery destruction, and escaping trends in general persecution. [shoutout to the Bahá’í International Community website]

They say “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. Some of Israel’s neighbors have got a lot to say about us. This week, we look at how some of them are treating the different groups which make up their populations. Spoiler: Not so nicely! #religiousfreedom #humanrights

Lastly, in apartheid countries, the discriminated group does not have representatives in the government. In Israel, Arabs hold important political office. Let’s look at the recent years of 2025-26. (MK means a member of the Knesset - Israeli parliament). Alphabetical by first name… Afif Abed: Druze MK representing Likud in the 25th Knesset. Aida Touma-Suleiman: Senior Hadash MK and one of the most prominent Arab women in Israeli politics. Hamad Amar: Senior Druze politician and one of the longest-serving Arab members of the Knesset. Iman Khatib-Yasin: One of Ra'am's most visible parliamentarians. Mansour Abbas: Chairman of Ra'am (United Arab List), MK - The most influential Arab coalition-oriented politician;continues to advocate pragmatic participation in Israeli politics. Yousef Atauna: Prominent Bedouin representative in Hadash-Ta'al. Walid Taha: Senior Ra'am MK and influential internal party figure.

In addition, Israel works hard to be inclusive. Today is our annual Pride Celebration in Tel Aviv. This is the 28th time this parade takes place and marks one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in the world. + A bit of humor for your weekend pleasure

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And when people speak of “Arabs” in Israel, to whom are they referring? The Arab Israeli sector is made up of… Muslim Arabs: ¾ of the sector, most are Sunni Muslims. Bedouins: about 1/10 of Israel's Muslim Arabs. Christian Arabs: the second largest group. Druze: some 100,000 Arabic-speakers living in 22 villages in northern Israel. Circassians: some 3,000 people, are Sunni Muslims. While maintaining a distinct ethnic identity, they participate in Israel's economic and national affairs without assimilating either into Jewish society or into the general Muslim community. Each of these groups has equal rights in Israel (some of them even serve in the army).

This was the top of the New York Times last night. The first thing every reader sees the moment they land on the homepage of the most influential news outlet on earth. All three stories about Israel. There is a famous communications scholar named Maxwell McCombs who developed what is now called the "agenda setting theory." His core finding is simple: The press is not very good at telling people what to think. It is extraordinarily good, however, at telling people what to think ABOUT. And what the New York Times has decided you should think about, every single day, multiple times a day, forever and always, is Israel. You cannot saturate the most influential newsroom in the English language with relentless coverage of one small country and then act surprised when the public becomes similarly hyper-fixated with it. The animosity we constantly see is the predictable output of editorial selection, repeated daily, until it becomes the background music of how people think about the Jewish state.

Apartheid Criterion #3: There are restrictions on where different groups can live, unequal access to land ownership, forced removals or population transfers, and/or creation of separate geographic areas with unequal rights. DOES NOT APPLY: Arab citizens have the right to live where they wish. They can own land. There are no forced removals or population transfers. Neither are there special geographic residential areas with unequal rights.

Apartheid Criterion #2: The laws, policies, or practices are designed, at least in part, to preserve the dominant group's control and the subordinate group's status. DOES NOT APPLY: Arab citizens run the political and administrative affairs of their own municipalities and advance Arab interests through their elected representatives in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.