Israel (/ˈɪzriəl, ˈɪzrəl/; Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيل‎), also known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip[20] to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest. The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.[21][22] Israel’s economic and technological center is Tel Aviv,[23] while its seat of governmentand proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state’s sovereignty over Jerusalem has only partial recognition.[24][25][26][27][fn 4]

Israel has evidence of the earliest migration of hominids out of Africa.[28] Canaanite tribes are archaeologically attested since the Middle Bronze Age,[29][30] while the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah emerged during the Iron Age.[31][32] The Neo-Assyrian Empire destroyed Israel around 720 BCE.[33] Judah was later conquered by the Babylonian, Persian and Hellenistic empires and had existed as Jewishautonomous provinces.[34][35] The successful Maccabean Revolt led to an independent Hasmonean kingdom by 110 BCE,[36] which in 63 BCE however became a client state of the Roman Republic that subsequently installed the Herodian dynasty in 37 BCE, and in 6 CE created the Roman province of Judea.[37] Judea lasted as a Roman province until the failed Jewish revolts resulted in widespread destruction,[36] the expulsion of the Jewish population[36][38] and the renaming of the region from Iudaea to Syria Palaestina.[39] Jewish presence in the region has persisted to a certain extent over the centuries. In the 7th century CE, the Levant was taken from the Byzantine Empire by the Arabs and remained in Muslim control until the First Crusade of 1099, followed by the Ayyubid conquest of 1187. The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt extended its control over the Levant in the 13th century until its defeat by the Ottoman Empire in 1517. During the 19th century, national awakening among Jews led to the establishment of the Zionist movement in the diaspora followed by waves of immigration to Ottoman Syria and later Mandatory Palestine.

In 1947, the United Nations (UN) adopted a Partition Plan for Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem.[40] The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency, and rejected by Arab leaders.[41][42][43] The following year, the Jewish Agency declared the independence of the State of Israel, and the subsequent 1948 Arab–Israeli War saw Israel’s establishment over most of the former Mandate territory, while the West Bank and Gaza were held by neighboring Arab states.[44] Israel has since fought several wars with Arab countries,[45] and since the Six-Day War in 1967 held occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip (still considered occupied after the 2005 disengagement, although some legal experts dispute this claim).[46][47][48][fn 5] It extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank.[49][50][51][52] Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is the world’s longest military occupation in modern times.[fn 5][54] Efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in a final peace agreement. However, peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have been signed.

In its Basic Laws, Israel defines itself as a Jewish and democratic state and the nation state of the Jewish people.[55] The country has a liberal democracy (one of only two in the Middle East and North Africa region, the other being Tunisia),[56][57] with a parliamentary system, proportional representation, and universal suffrage.[58][59] The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature. With a population of around 9 million as of 2019,[60] Israel is a developed country and an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member,[61] and has the 31st or 32nd-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product (GDP). Israel has the highest standard of living in the Middle East,[19] and ranks among the world’s top countries by percentage of citizens with military training,[62] percentage of citizens holding a tertiary education degree,[63] research and development spending by GDP percentage,[64] women’s safety,[65] life expectancy,[66]innovativeness,[67] and happiness.[68]

 

Photo Credits:

Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash
Photo by Roxanne Desgagnés on Unsplash
Photo by Sammy Leigh Scholl on Unsplash

Mon March 25th

En

Gershon Alon · HP Print OS · HP PreDrupa...

In the second interview with Gershon Alon, we go a little deeper into what Production Beat is. One of the most important changes is that Production Beat is vendor-agnostic. You can add any machine to Production Beat and measure everything - machines with HP technology and even legacy hardware, as HP offers readers and sensors. Super cool!  

Mon March 25th

En

Gershon Alon · HP Print OS · HP PreDrupa...

In the first of two interviews with Gershon Alon, we ask him what differentiates the normal interpretation of workflow/automation, and how HP sees it. This interview is supposed to lead up to our second interview, where we talk about Production Beat, but also to understand the four pillars Bob Raus explains in the interview we did with him - also from the HP PreDrupa event in Indianapolis. Dig in!

Mon March 25th

En

Anat Ruhrberg · HP · HP PreDrupa Event...

At the HP PreDrupa event, the new HP Indigo 120K was released - a machine offering high quality and higher productivity than previous generations. 6,000 B2 sheets an hour, and many new AI features built into the machine, making it even easier to operate. Anat Ruhrberg and I have a walk while we talk about the 120K and the new 18K - two impressive machines targeting two different markets. Jump in :-)  

Mon March 25th

En

Nimrod Cohen · HP · HP PreDrupa Event

The Tech Fair is a tiny yet important corner of the DSCOOP hall, where HP's PreDrupa event also took place. HP's Nimrod Cohen allowed us to learn what Tech Fair is about, and in short, this is where new products and ideas are shown. The examples at the PreDrupa were direct print on aluminum cans, HP Indigo transfers, Conductive print, and much more, but listen to what Nimrod Cohen shared with us in this video!

Mon March 25th

En

Eli Mahal · HP · HP PreDrupa Event

At the HP PreDrupa event in Indianapolis, HP revealed products to be seen at Drupa. Eli Mahal works with HP's labels/flexible products, so we talked about the Indigo 200K, continued to the 35K, and ended with the Indigo V12. The V12 is, by the way, almost out of beta and broadly available - but listen to Eli Mahal - a great walkthrough :-)

Mon February 5th

En

Atomyx Launch Event · Enabler · Tim Webs...

Tim Webster is the head of Demand Creation at Kornit, one of the people who decided to come and learn about Atomyx. In this interview, you will learn why Kornit believes Atomyx could be a solution for them and their customers!

Fri December 15th

En

Unboxing AGFA SpeedSet 1060 · Roy Oomen ...

At the AGFA Unboxing event, we met Roy Oomen from Highcon - and as both Highcon and AGFA deliver solutions for digital packaging as such, not a huge surprise - A growing partnership is on its way, and Highcon even presented their finishing solutions to the audience - but listen to what Roy Oomen has to say in this interview Cambridge.

Wed November 1st

En

Shlomo Nimrodi · CEO · Highcon

In this LONG (45 minutes) conversation between CEO Shlomo Nimrodi and Editor Morten B. Reitoft, you'll learn about Nimrodi's background, his visions, and how he believes Reitoft was wrong in his evaluation of what is needed for a successful Highcon. We talk about the IPO, the cash burn rate, and how Nimrodi sees the future of Highcon. It is a super personal, open, and honest conversation that we are certain you will enjoy!

Fri September 15th

En

Christian Menegon · HP Indigo · Labelexp...

Christian Menegon, HP Indigo’s global business development manager who joined Indigo in 1995, has been at the forefront of digital technology’s evolution in the label industry for nearly three decades. He discusses HP Indigo’s new V12 and 200K presses.

Fri March 3rd

En

Scodix · Eli Grinberg · Hunkeler Innovat...

Personal interview with Eli Grinberg, CEO & Co-Owner of Scodix. We consider them one of the rising stars in the embellishment scene as they are growing their business fast. Serving customers in both digital printing and offset printing, they have found good momentum for their solutions. Here at HID23, they show their latest innovation in the B1 format, and with the samples, we have seen, it looks like a winner is stepping up the game (again). Enjoy.

Fri February 3rd

En

Hunkeler Innovationdays · Scodix · Franz...

Scodix is probably the first company in the world that introduced digital-embellishment on a big scale, and today the company has more than 400 installations globally. Franz Repp was recently appointed President of Scodix EMEA and is not responsible for pushing even more machines to the market. In this INKISH interview, Repp talks about the added value, the business opportunities, and why digital embellishment makes sense when producing in offset. At Innovationdays, the newest 6000 edition with many new options will be shown - and it's great - we saw it at PRINTING United, but this is a Europe-wide premiere!

Sun January 30th

En

Gershon Alon explains how HP PrintOS off...

This is one of the things we like the MOST about the industry - passion! Gershon Alon is the Head of HP PrintOS, and when we asked Gershon Alon a question, it became the longest answer on INKISH ever - and into an episode of its own. Gershon Alon talks about how PrintOS, being vendor agnostic, enables PSPs and developers to integrate any API/SDK allows software into the heart of PrintOS, which is excellent. This is an opportunity for PSPs and other software suppliers to utilize services through the HP eco-system. Still, it also allows you to offer your customers services that would require more user interfaces and, eventually, more complex work. But listen to this exciting answer - and make up your mind yourself!

Fri December 10th

The Potential with Indigo exceeds Inkjet...

Golan Landsberg is the Head of Product Development at HP Indigo, and in this film, we meet him in the V12 lab. Interesting to see the iterations of machines but also the openness to a world now known by most. In the film, Golan Landsberg explains why he believes HP Electro ink, known from the Indigo machines, is superior in quality and speed. Interesting perspectives and we are excited to give you this story! A huge thank you to the HP Indigo team for opening your doors in Israel!

Tue December 7th

En

More, Shorter, Customized Jobs · Gershon...

Visiting vendors is always fun, and when we went to Israel, we got two great opportunities: to speak with Gershon Alon and Golan Landsberg - straight from the HP V12 lab outside Tel Aviv in Israel. In this short interview with Gershon Alon, we get his view on how HP PrintOS supports the industry's megatrends - and yes, the trends are also what we see wherever your hardworking INKISH team is! More jobs, shorter jobs, and more customized jobs. The trend is apparent within almost every segment of the industry. HP PrintOS is a great software that enables printers to optimize print production, and as Gershon Alon explains, the software is vendor agnostic. Vendors like Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, EFI, and Kodak already integrates with HP PrintOS. Enjoy!  

Mon November 29th

En

Plastic Free Packaging made of Cellulose...

In a small company in the suburbs of TelAviv in Israel, you'll find a company called MibaStar. For years, the company has been researching and developing bread bags and food packaging materials that look and feel like plastic - but it's not. MibaStar, today part of the global packaging group PolyStar, has invented a product that has similar properties to the know mixed paper/plastic products used daily worldwide, but without the use of plastics. The journey has been quite interesting and with quite some a-ha experiences. Today CEO Itzhak Yoffe and his team can deliver finished products for bread, fish, and other products, and raw material for other printers to use. The story is amazing and shows how innovation and craftsmanship, hand in hand, can develop solutions to almost every problem defined! This is a very important step in the right direction - enjoy! LinkedIn Profile

Wed November 10th

En

Redefine Meat · Eshchar Ben-Shitrit · CE...

Is it at all possible to print "meat"? Most probably disagree that it is possible; nevertheless, this is precisely what Redefine Meat is all about! Think of meat as layers of complex structure crafted from muscle, fat, and blood, and if you can recreate the structures and replace the animal components with plant-based, you get something that not only looks like meat but have taste, texture, and feel like meat. Take that from a meat-lover. Redefine Meat is a successful startup in Tel Aviv founded by Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, supported by venture capital, and with Alon Bar-Shany as chairman, a new success is established. We got the chance to visit the lab/office in Tel Aviv and neighboring Stratasys, HP, and many other Israeli tech companies; we believe that Redefine Meat not only redefines the meat industry but how we will see food in the future! LinkedIn profiles: Eshchar Ben-Shitrit Alon Bar-Shany

Thu February 4th

De En Es Fr Nl Pt

The Vacuum After a Lifetime with HP Indi...

Alon Bar-Shany has by all means been one of the most influential persons in the global printing industry in his role with HP Indigo for more than 25 years. It was a surprise to most when he left HP, and becoming Chairman of the Board for Highcon was equally a surprise, we believe! Bar-Shany talks about everything from vacuum, suits, music, and being an entrepreneur in this session. We are sure you will like this conversation! We apologize for the video quality; Alon Bar-Shany has promised to give us a new interview next time we meet in person!

Wed October 28th

De En Es Fr Nl Pt

Eli Grinberg · Over The Skype · Scodix

In this Over the Skype episode, CEO Eli Grinberg from Scodix talks about how Scodix got started and the ambitions of replacing analog enhancement technologies. Of course, we also got the chance to talk about how Scodix sees the current market situation and why they are launching six new machines. I have known Eli Grinberg for many years, but this was the first time we finally got time to sit down and talk - GREAT - enjoy!

Tue July 28th

De En Es Fr Nl Pt

Over The Skype · Aviram Vardi · Twine So...

In this 'Over the Skype' session, you can hear more about Twine Solutions. Twine is an Israeli company that has specialized in digitally coloring yarns that can be be used for almost any applications thinkable. Product Marketing Manager Aviram Vardi explains very well the amazing opportunities and why this still is just the tip of the iceberg in digital print. Great conversation - enjoy!

Wed July 1st

En

Textile Print in the Center of the Mega-...

Kornit is one of the leading suppliers of DTF and DTG. In this film, which we did in Israel (as you can see from the drone shots in the beginning), we talked to VP & General Manager, Direct to Fabric, Danny Gazit, about how this at all is possible. But see and listen for yourself. Great insights!

Thu April 23rd

En De Es Pt

Leading the Way to a Sustainable Textile...

Though Kornit is a twenty years old company, the company has over the past years got more attention than before. One of the reason is their amazing Direct to Fabric machines, that enable digital print directly on a long-range of types of textiles. This does not only lead to considerably faster turn-around time, but also to way more sustainable fabrics. In this INKISH interview VP & General Manager, Direct to Fabric, Danny Gazit gives us a tour in the factory, in the showroom, and openly explains why Kornit for sure seems to be on the right track. Amazing technology and a great company to visit.

Tue April 21st

En

Franz Repp · Over The Skype · Scodix

Franz Repp is responsible for the Scodix sales in the DACH countries (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria), and with a broad background in the printing industry and an always positive go-to- strategy I think he is one of the reasons why Scodix is successful. In this film, we talk, of course, a little about the coronavirus, how Scodix helps the customers to increase customer value and therefore also profit. As with all our 'Over the Skype' interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

Sun November 17th

En

Conversations – Aviv Ratzman · CMO...

Ten years ago, Highcon was founded. When the company was founded, it was among the very first companies who believed in the idea of doing digital finishing using lasers - and the very first using 3D print to create creases. Highcon has taken off and is today considered one of the leading companies when it comes to digital finishing - and of course, the use of lasers. The Highcon family of products have, of course, since then developed, and rather than ONLY showcase fine, almost, out couture Highcon has moved to be an industrial workhorse. Founder Aviv Ratzman in this conversation talk with editor Morten B. Reitoft about the past, the present, and unfortunately less of the future. However, with drupa around the corner, who knows, maybe there are new things in the pipeline. Great conversations and important as part of our executive documentation series.

Tue April 16th

En

Scodix See Themselves as an enabler for ...

Whenever you see a Scodix at work, you immediately understand that this machinery is unique. The output may look like conventional embellishments but with an ever-increasing demand for shorter runs, customization and more - most understand the need for digital is vast. At every tradeshow where Scodix exhibits you see some of the most beautiful print samples on the planet, and they do understand how vital the "look" is to both print service providers and brand-owners. In this film, we are talking to the relatively new CEO Adina Shorr, and her approach to the market is great - it's not only about the right look but maybe even more about changing packaging and print from being functional to being a marketing communication piece at the same time. Listen to her and get great insight about Scodix and how they see whether Scodix sees themselves as a replacement or a complimentary to the existing line of embellishment equipment in the market. GREAT!

Tue November 20th

En

Our Goal is to Convert Analog to Indigo ...

At Scanpack 2018 our friends from Visutech organized an interview with GM Alon Bar-Sharny from HP Indigo. In this open-minded interview, Alon Bar-Sharny shares his view on competition, toner vs Inkjet and other technologies, and why Israel is such an innovative place for printing equipment. Enjoy the 12 minutes interview and remember to like and share.

Tue July 10th

En

Highcon on the future of packaging · Eit...

Highcon is one of the many Israeli companies in the printing industry that keeps re-inventing not only the print industry but the very change in how we see the market. In this film, we talk to Executive Vice President Eitan Varon and Product Manager Limor Elias about the market in general and of course laser-die-cutting and Highcon in particular. Enjoy.