What an Amazing Turnaround
20/2/13
On Sunday, Jews across the world celebrate
the festival of Purim, which features arguably the most momentous reversal of
fortune in the history of the Jewish people since the Exodus. In the last two decades we have also been
witnessing the most miraculous period of change in fortune of the Jewish State
since Biblical times. Here are just
some of the head-spinning events of the past few weeks.
Recent Israeli medical innovations include
the ability to turnaround the deformities and blindness caused by ectodermal dysplasia,
which affects seven out of every 10,000 babies born in the world. Via in-vitro experiments a team including
researchers from Israel’s Technion has used a chemical substance called
PRIMA-APR246 to greatly improve damaged cells caused by mutant p63 genes. Israel is also reversing the effects of blood cancer. Israel’s Gamida Cell Ltd. reported success
in the Phase III clinical trial of its StemEx treatment for leukemia and
lymphoma. And what about this – an
Israeli hospital just down
the road from Armageddon. The
Emek Medical Center is just a few dozen kilometers from Megiddo – the site of
ancient battles and which gives its name to the place where some legends say
that the world will end. The hospital
treats 50% Jews and 50% Arabs.
In the past weeks, Israel has treated Syrians wounded
fighting Syrians in Syria. It
has also given
Turkey permission to build a Turkish-funded hospital in Gaza. Then in a week when 42,898
tons of goods and gas entered Gaza from Israel in 1,445 truckloads, the
latest
upside-down anti-Israel argument is that Israel supplies too much to
Gaza!
Contrary to claims to be a racist state,
Israel has become the destination of choice for Muslims fleeing persecution in
Arab and Muslim countries. Until
recently, Tel Aviv’s illegal migrants received medical care only from
volunteers. Now, Israel’s Ministry of
Health has stepped in to provide
emergency care via a staff of doctors, paid by the Ministry from rented
offices at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station.
And besides having 11 Arab members, the 19th Israeli parliament will
have a record
23 percent of women lawmakers – a larger percentage than in either the
US Congress (18 per cent) or UK House of Commons (22 per cent).
The joke that Moses took the Children of
Israel to the only country in the Middle East without energy resources has been
turned around completely with the recent discoveries off the Israeli
coast. Israeli firms have even signed
an agreement
with the Cypriot government to acquire a 30 percent stake in
exploration rights for gas and oil off Cyprus's southern shore. And from once relying on sparse rainfall,
Israel will shortly obtain most of its drinking water from desalinated
seawater. Water filters from Kibbutz
Amiad have been selected for the protection of ultra-filtration membranes at
the Mekorot Group’s new
Ashdod Desalination Plant which soon will be one of the largest such
facilities in Israel.
Following approval of the final section of
track, Israel will soon be able to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red
Sea via the new Tel Aviv-Eilat railway link, which is viewed internationally as
a possible replacement
for the Suez Canal. It will certainly provide a swifter passage of
goods to both Europe and Asia, strengthen international relations, improve
tourism to Eilat and significantly reduce air pollution levels. Meanwhile, some two-dozen international bird experts enjoyed watching
“a sea of
birds” spending their winter home in the Kinneret basin, the Hula
Valley and the Gamla Nature Reserve. Migratory routes changed permanently to
favor Israel, after Saddam Hussein set fire to the Kuwaiti oil fields during
the first Iraq war.
You may be surprised by some other news -
that an Israeli
company TIGI has won the top prize at Germany’s premier Cleantech
Conference in Munich. That Israel’s
Spacecom satellite AMOS-5 broadcast to the world the whole of the 29th Africa
Cup of Nations in South Africa – a country that boycotts Israeli
goods. That in Jerusalem (contrary to
sensationalist media reports) for the first time in history under Israeli
sovereignty, Jews, Christians, Muslims, secular, religious, young and old live
side by side in harmony.
Using innovative technology and skills
training, Israel has been turning famine-ravaged countries in Africa into major
agricultural exporters. One of those
innovators, Israeli biotech Rosetta
Green develops improved genetic strains of wheat, vegetables and other
plants such as cotton, bio-fuels and algae with medical properties. US giant Monsanto has recognized its success
and bought the Israeli company for $35 million. And on February 14th millions of Europeans
turned into romantics thanks to Israel’s exports of roses, orchids,
Bonsai trees and other flowers.
Consider the unbelievable turnaround that
has allowed such a tiny country as Israel to produce the
best cameras in the world, to be the global market leader
in Speech Analytics and make state-of-the-art 3-dimensional printers
that can print
your dentures.
As Israel’s Noa Furman said in her
statement to the UN Commission for Social Development. “We
have moved from cultivating apples to designing Apple Computers and
harvesting oranges to building Orange mobile phones.” Then she quoted the Torah - "You shall eat the fruit of your
own work and you shall be happy".
Well that’s a turn-up for the Books!
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly
newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to
michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
