Every week that passes, Israel increases
its reputation as a global provider of essential services. While BDS (Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions) crazies peddle only lies about the Jewish State, the Rest of the
World enjoys the benefits of Israeli innovations and shows clearly that it
wants more.
30,000 of Israel’s 3.5 million visitors in
2012 came solely to receive treatment
in Israeli medical centers. In addition, Israeli hospitals opened their
doors to a further 210,469
Palestinian Arabs. Medical
tourists seek Israel’s world-renowned expertise and value for money treatments
in numerous areas, including curing brain diseases, laser surgery, heart
bypasses and fertility treatment. One visitor was Dr. Jason Bodzin of West
Bloomfield, who had stem cell treatment for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Ironically, this is the same condition suffered by Professor
Stephen Hawking, who fell into a BDS black hole rather than attend Israel’s Presidential
Conference that focused on making a better tomorrow.
Israel’s medical innovations are highly
sought internationally. Brazil’s government was “honored”
that Israel’s Protalix Biotherapeutics will be supplying and producing its
Uplyso Gaucher’s
disease treatment to Brazilians. Over in the USA, many thousands of
women will want to take advantage of the fact that medical insurance now covers
IceSense3 from Israel’s IceCure Medical. The unique minimally invasive
cryo-ablation (freezing) system removes breast fibroids
and tumors.
We remain overseas where Israeli skills and
hi-tech are much in demand. India has
requested help from Israel’s MASHAV agency for International Development
Cooperation to set up 28 technology
centers in 10
Indian states to diversify its fruit and vegetable crops
and raise yields. In Nigeria, Israel’s
Solel Boneh has been contracted to re-build and widen an 84km section of the
Ibadan-Lagos highway in
southwest Nigeria. And children at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village
near Kigali literally sang the praises of Jerusalem-based Energiya Global,
which is building Rwanda’s
first solar field.
Billions of mobile phone users may want to
download the software developed by Israeli start-up VascoDe. In countries
where smartphones don’t work, VascoDe upgrades simple 2G phones so that
they can access email, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia etc over standard cellular
networks. The airways were also filled
with airline executives heading to the Paris Air Show, eager to see Israel’s
Elbit demonstrate how its Clear Vision system helps pilots to land
planes in any weather conditions.
The world cannot get enough of Israeli
start-ups and their skilled staff.
Following Waze’s billion-dollar takeover by Google, Fastcompany.com
listed its “6
Israeli Startups To Watch”.
Wix, Wibbitz, Powermat, Bizzabo, Roomer and Parko can certainly expect
much more interest in their products.
$10.95 million from the latest round of funding from the Binational
Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation will encourage fourteen
new joint
US-Israeli ventures. And you may
want to watch this new video from Israel’s Technion Institute that highlights
the possible rewards from this kind of funding.
Increasingly, multinationals are eager to
invest their own money in order to attract Israeli skills. Deutsche Telekom, for example is growing
its own Israeli start-ups by establishing a new incubator. Cisco, on
the other hand is recruiting up to 100 local staff directly for its new Israeli
development center. The
technology giant already employs 2000 staff in Israel.
UEFA president Michel Platini was overjoyed
with Israel’s recent successful sporting event - the U21 Euro
soccer tournament. "The stadiums were wonderful and
well-organized, the pitches excellent and the atmosphere in the stadiums was
great with many families with young children attending.” After the tournament, many visitors stayed
on to enjoy Tel Aviv’s beach – included by National Geographic Traveler in its
top ten choices for the best
beaches in the world.
Israelis have also been recognized for
their quality products. Exports of Israeli
foods and beverages to the United States reached a record $224 million
in 2012 – an increase of 50% in five years.
So it is not surprising that many
Israeli-Arabs relish the opportunity to support the Jewish State. Despite constant incitement by Arab
politicians, Israeli
National service by Arabs increased by 76 percent last year. As Arab Muslim graduate Boshra
Khalaila states, “I am a liberal free woman, with all the rights that I
could enjoy. I compare myself to other
women my age in Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, any Arab
country. They don’t have the rights
that I have.”
Finally, you may recall that in 1998, Miss
Israel - Linor Abargil from Netanya - became Miss World. But not so many will know that seven weeks
prior to winning the title Linor was brutally assaulted. A
new documentary film has just been produced telling Linor’s story. Following the contest, she went around the
world, speaking out about her ordeal, meeting with other women who had also
been attacked, working with survivors and those who help survivors.
Whatever the circumstances, Israelis are
not found wanting.
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
