It’s clear from recent anti-Israel
resolutions that the United Nations doesn’t care what happens in the Middle
East. In contrast, Israel continues
unfazed to perform the good deeds that a caring world really should be cheering.
Another two
wounded Syrians were brought in for emergency care last week at the
Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poriya near Tiberias in Northern Israel. One of the injured, a 17-year-old, was
treated for shrapnel wounds. Israeli
doctors have cared for thousands
of Syrians wounded in the endless civil war across the border. Meanwhile, Israeli surgeons in the South of
the country saved the life of Yara - a 4-year-old
girl from Gaza - after doctors serving the Hamas government amputated
Yara’s leg but allowed necrosis to set in.
Israeli doctors took care of the injury and fitted a prosthetic leg that
meant she could walk again.
I almost choked when Kenneth
Roth of Human Rights Watch showed that he could not care less when he
mocked Israel for sending medical teams to Nepal. I strongly urge him to read this
article, from Israel’s Dr Giora Weiser, who saved many lives whilst
witnessing the appalling devastation and trauma. Fortunately the local
Nepalese have been far more grateful
than HRW for Israel’s care and support.
Anyone with even an ounce of care and compassion knows that Israel will go far beyond the call of duty to save innocent lives. East Timor just became the 50th country to send child patients to Israeli charity Save A Child’s Heart, whose surgeons successfully repaired the congenital heart defect in baby Lisa. SACH doctors have saved over 3,500 children’s lives.
Israelis care for the disadvantaged in
society far more than any other country.
Where but in Israel would the government appoint a Minister
for Minorities in order to oversee that pensioners, students, women and
the young are sufficiently cared for.
And here are three recent features about organizations that care for
specific disadvantaged sections of Israeli society. First is the Alon Center
in Kibbutz Alonim, which caters for the needs of teenagers of normal
intelligence with emotional
and/or behavioral issues who have been unable to successfully integrate
into the regular school system. Second
is ALEH Negev that cares for the severely disabled – founded by Maj
Gen Doron Almog, who gave up his army career in order to establish the
village. Finally, here is an amazing
video from ESRA that highlights what the English Speaking Residents Association
is doing to help the 30,000 plus Ethiopian community in my home city of
Netanya.
Israel is well known for its innovative devices that enhance the medical care of patients and the disabled. One of the most famous of these is the ReWalk exoskeleton that gives paraplegics the ability to walk upright. And a newly discovered positive side effect is that users become healthier physically and mentally, as the device exercises their body and boosts their self-image. You would expect mothers to care for their children, but in Israel this goes further. Israel’s Debby Einatan invented the Upsee harness in 2014 because her son couldn’t walk unaided. Thanks to her, over 6000 disabled kids can now walk tall with their parents. The harness can even normalize the child’s hip joint and improve head control.
Care for the elderly is another Israeli
priority. Israel’s EarlySense makes
sensors that detect when the vulnerable are at risk of falling
from beds or chairs and has just announced a strategic cooperation
agreement with Japanese giant Mitsui that will help launch the distribution of
EarlySense products in Japan. On a much
larger scale, Korean giant Samsung and Israeli startup Mybitat together are to
develop an innovative smart home
solution aimed at helping the elderly stay safe while at home. It combines cloud-based software, advanced
sensors and behavior analytics to monitor seniors' daily routine and
wellness.
But even a low-tech solution provides
adequate care for the majority of seniors.
Which is why Israeli charity Yad Sarah distributed emergency
beepers to 20,000 people who live alone. Users can contact Yad Sarah, relatives or the emergency services
at any time using a button on a bracelet.
No matter how careful you are, accidents
can happen, often with painful results.
Israel’s MedaSense Biometrics has
developed a monitor to help in the management of pain. It uses a finger sensor to record vital
signs and a unique algorithm to measure pain mathematically. MedaSense won the title of most
innovative medical startup at the IATA Biomed exhibition in May.
To conclude, here are two examples of the
uniqueness of Israeli’s caring attitude to the more vulnerable.
When a student’s baby started crying in one
of the Organizational Behavior lectures of Professor Sydney Engelberg, the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor picked up the baby, calmed it down and
continued the lecture whilst
holding the baby.
And finally, Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport
halted international flights for 30 minutes when a nest with five hatched
falcons was discovered in a navigational antenna. As the worried adult birds
circled overhead, the baby falcons were carefully
removed and taken to the nearby Ramat Gan Safari to be raised and then
returned to the wild.
Israel – where everybody
cares.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly
newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to
michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
