Ten Years

When I made Aliya from the UK 10 years ago, Israel was far different from where it is today.  It suffered from lack of water, few energy resources, a weak economy, high unemployment, low currency reserves, low tech and international isolation.

Now Israel has built desalination plants, recycles 90% of its wastewater and discovered huge natural gas deposits. It has become the Startup Nation, with the world’s 3rd most stable economy. It is at the forefront of medicine and cybersecurity. Together with its humanitarian activities and global development programs, Israel has now raised its profile on the World stage and is especially appreciated in the USA, Africa, India and China.

Just a few weeks into my eleventh year and this progress continues to amaze me.  Israeli ground-breaking medical research has just discovered a molecule that can restore damaged hearts and micro RNA that reduces susceptibility to epileptic seizures. Potentially life-saving treatments include an anti-rabies vaccination, transplants using lab-grown bone, and the curing and prevention of melanoma.

Dozens of innovative Israeli medical devices have been launched or announced recently, e.g. spectacles that read text to the visually impaired; a system that gives mute, “locked-in” patients the power of speech; a minimally invasive implant to treat congestive heart failure; a one-second per year treatment for glaucoma; hyper-MRI scanners to detect cancer; bandages that stop massive bleeding in 40 seconds; and a soft suit exoskeleton to allow stroke patients to walk again.

Recent Israeli global humanitarian activities include disaster relief for USA, the Caribbean and Mexico;  expanding the free treatment for wounded Syrians; aid for South Sudan and Sierra Leone; firefighting in Montenegro; free surgery for children in Ghana and Fiji; plus renewable electricity and clean water for Ugandan schoolchildren.

Latest technological breakthroughs include advanced systems for driverless cars and buses, wave energy systems for China, India, Chile, Gibraltar and now Mexico.  Israeli companies make water purification systems that utilize ultraviolet light and hybrid biofilters. Israelis developed hyperspectral imaging for amazingly detailed photos and video, including on a new Israeli satellite that monitors the environment. Israeli start-ups plant solar trees; use 3D printing for facial surgery and prosthetics; construct high-tech fish farms and produce smart pesticides to combat fruit fly and rootworm infestation.  

Israelis even beat their swords into ploughshares with unmanned drones delivering purchases to customers and military training systems being adapted for tennis, basketball and soccer.

Israel’s economy goes from strength to strength with international trade and exports on the rise.  Israel’s 300 cybersecurity companies exported $6.5 billion last year. Tourists visit Israel in record numbers and unemployment is at a record low. Massive foreign investment in Israeli start-ups means that they no longer have to make early exits, but grow to become Unicorns (over $1 billion in value).

Far from being isolated, Israel is the “go-to” place for international organizations, politicians, companies and celebrities.  The World Health Organization has just appointed the first Israeli for 21 years to its Executive Committee. Israel’s Prime Minister has been feted in Latin America. Visiting Prime Ministers include from Georgia and the Ukraine plus the first-ever visit from a Quebec Premier.   Recent delegations to Israel include business leaders from Iowa, Chicago and Australia; Massachusetts police, French doctors, Indonesian Muslim leaders and Jordanian Sheikhs.

Barely a week goes by without the announcement of another airline’s new service to Tel Aviv or Eilat. In the same week Air Canada and Air Transat began separate services from Montreal, Canada. China’s Hainan Airways has launched its direct flights to Shanghai.  El Al and Aerolíneas Argentinas are soon to begin scheduled flights from Buenos Aires and Ryanair will be flying in from Rome.

Israel’s OurCrowd has just launched OurNetwork to link at least 25 multinationals to Israeli start-ups.  Visa just became the 73rd international R&D center to open in Tel Aviv - nearly double the number five years ago.  Skoda is opening an Israeli technology office.  Intel are to open another microprocessor factory.  Many multinationals are promoting new Israeli startups by setting up incubators – the latest are Merck and Renault-Nissan.

Israeli technology is in much demand globally.  10,000 delegates attended Tel Aviv’s 5th annual DLD (Digital Life Design) Conference – Israel’s largest tech conference.  Israel’s Technion and Cornell Tech opened their joint New York campus. It’s a sign of the times that Israeli-made detection kits for explosives have been sold recently to the UK, the US and France.  And a dozen Israeli companies presented their solutions at a UK cybersecurity conference to counter the latest global cyber-attacks. Even UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Israel and saw Israeli technology at first hand. 

Israel’s popularity is not always so serious.  London’s “foodies”, for example, have been flocking to Israeli restaurant The Barbary – number one on TimeOut’s list. And for the first time in its 101-year history, Italian cycle race Giro d'Italia will begin outside of Europe when it has its first 3 stages in Israel next year.  Meanwhile, celebrities visiting Israel this summer included Conan O’Brien, Britney Spears, Guns N’ Roses, Radiohead and the Pixies, with Cliff Richard lined up for October.

Finally, my Aliya came just at the time when Israel was beginning to benefit from the million Russian immigrants who kick-started the Start-up Nation.  Since then I’ve seen the arrival of more Ethiopian Jews, Ukrainian Jews, Bnei Menashe from India, thousands from Europe - especially from France, and a steady stream from the USA thanks to Nefesh b’Nefesh.  The latest wave is from Venezuela.  We look forward to welcoming many more Jews in the next ten years who decide to make Israel their home and join all those who are making the world a better place.

A Very Happy New Year from VeryGoodNewsIsrael.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Israeli achievements you cannot Pass Over

The Hebrew nation have come a long way since escaping Egyptian slavery.  Today’s oppression comes from those, such as in the BDS movement, who are still in “de-Nile” about this amazing people.  Here are some phenomenal examples from the last two weeks, that I have put into a sequence (Hebrew = “Seder”). They parallel the Biblical events we recall during the forthcoming Jewish festival of Passover.  If you are hosting or attending a Passover Seder this year, you may like to share this article with the other guests.

The Exodus from Egypt was preceded by ten plagues.  Today, Israelis have transformed the very essence of many of these plagues for the benefit of mankind.

The Nile was turned into Blood

A researcher at Israel’s Ariel University, has discovered that Gallium Nitrate can rapidly halt bleeding from deep wounds, without causing dangerous blood clots.  Next, in recent trials, 38% of “no-hope” patients suffering from the blood cancer acute myeloid leukemia went into complete remission after just two cycles of the treatment BL-8040 from Israel’s Bioline Rx.  Then Magen David Adom received its largest ever donation - $25 million - to build a new blood services center in Ramle.  We also heard that surgeons from Israel’s Save A Child’s Heart returned to Tanzania in March to perform more life-saving operations on the blood-pumping hearts of African children.  And finally, whilst Israeli doctors in Haifa were repairing the heart of a wounded Syrian girl, they discovered she had blood cancer.  Israeli secret services then located a relative with matching bone marrow from “an enemy state” and smuggled him into Israel.

The Plague of Boils.

There have been several recent breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of many disfiguring diseases.  First, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers can now identify the source of fragmented DNA caused by cell death. In tests on 320 patients they have identified pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, diabetes, traumatic brain injury and MS.  Then Israel’s Eximo successfully used its laser system and unique catheters to cure 20 patients of peripheral artery disease (PAD) without having to resort to leg amputations.  Meanwhile, esearchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Israel’s Technion have developed an enhanced micro-emulsion liquid that protects the skin (and other organs) against free radical damage.  Finally, the focused ultrasound brain surgery of Israel’s Insightec has been used for the first time in Israel to cure an Israeli Parkinson’s sufferer of her uncontrollable shaking.

The Plague of Lice

This was the first plague that Egypt’s magicians couldn’t emulate, because lice were just too small.  Size doesn’t matter for today’s Israeli scientists.  Israel’s Tracense has developed nanotech odor technology that can detect explosives, narcotics, stashed cash, banned metals and toxic liquids.  Israel’s Nano Dimension is a leader in the area of minute 3D printed electronics and has just listed on NASDAQ.  Meanwhile, Israel’s XJet has just received a $25 million investment to help fund its unique nanotechnology to 3D print metal parts without the need for expensive molds or lasers.  Finally, Israeli start-up Phresh has unveiled a non-toxic organic powder, which dissolves into the atmosphere to triple the shelf life of fruit and vegetables    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkLXa_Zuf-U

The Plague of Locusts

One of the recent winners of Grand Challenge Israel was Israeli startup BioFeed, which uses odor to attract insects to poison that eliminates the Zika virus carrier without spraying crops.  Admittedly, the insect Aedes aegypti which carries the virus is a mosquito rather than a locust, but BioFeed’s technology can eradicate many species of insect.

The Plagues of Wild Animals and Pestilence

Israelis today are more concerned with saving wild animals than eradicating them.  Israeli scientists have helped isolate the tilapia lake virus that is killing both wild and farmed tilapia fish - an important global food source and essential for freshwater quality.  Even when building roads, Israel tries to protect its wildlife. It is constructing an eco-bridge over Highway 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv so that jackals and hyenas can cross in safety.  And the bond between man and animal could not be closer at the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding School, in Israel’s Arava desert, where therapists, volunteers and 22 beautiful horses each week give 200 special needs children and adults increased control of muscles whilst helping their emotional development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFzcMqacuyk

The Plague of Hail

In contrast to the destructive power of Biblical hail, Israeli water technology is now sought worldwide.  And no wonder, thanks to the un-mistakable fact that Israel’s wastewater recycling, desalination and conservation allowed it to escape the eastern Mediterranean area’s worst drought in 900 years.  Israel’s agriculture minister Uri Ariel recently opened India Water Week in Delhi, which featured eleven innovative Israeli companies specializing in irrigation, desalination, water purification, measurement and management for municipalities and farms.  Even the United Nations is hearing about Israeli water technology from Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon.  And for the second consecutive year, Israel’s Desalitech has reached the finals of Global Water Intelligence’s Global Water Award for Breakthrough Water Technology.

The Plague of Darkness

The fog in Egypt was so thick that Pharaoh and his people couldn’t see the hands in front of their faces.  Today, Israel’s threshold for the six most carcinogenic or toxic substances listed in the Clean Air Law are more stringent than European and US standards, making Israel one of the most advanced countries in terms of environmental regulation.  Overseas, meanwhile, Innovation: Africa has connected 104 rural villages in Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, DRC and Ethiopia to electricity.  It has brought solar energy to hundreds of thousands of people.  But some Israeli scientists don’t need the sun in order to see.  As with those working for Israel’s Opgal, the inventors of NDTherm and its Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) solution that uses thermal imaging to see faults in machinery and infrastructure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFxkFNse-nA

Splitting the Sea

It would be interesting to imagine how Israelis today would react to seeing thousands of Egyptian soldiers washed up on the shores of the Sea of Reeds.  First of all, the Israel Defense Forces would set up a functioning field hospital within 12 hours of arriving at the site.  Israel would have likely prevented many from drowning by previously training them in water-safety.  The Egyptians would probably also have been equipped with smartphones containing the unique emergency video app supplied by Israel’s Magen David Adom.  But the most fascinating aspect of this Biblical event is that an Israeli has replicated it in a very small way.  Professor Lilac Amirav of Israel’s Technion, has just developed a nanotechnology and solar energy system to split water into hydrogen and oxygen with 100% efficiency.  Moses would have been proud! 

40 Years in the Wilderness

The Children of Israel’s marathon 40-year journey from Sinai to Jericho would probably nowadays take the 70,000 Jerusalem and Tel Aviv marathon runners just a few days – even without Waze.  With the 3D printers from Israel’s Stratasys, they can even print their own running shoes!  Certainly the 150 Israel startups in the field of Smart Transportation would be able to cut the travelling time even more.  But the fastest time would be achieved in any vehicle using the hydrazine thrusters built by Israel’s Rafael Industries for the Mars landing module of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission which blasted off from Kazahkstan on 14th March. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r7qqK5E7fU

And finally

3,500 years after the Hebrews built storehouses for Pharaoh, Israelis are still building in Africa.  Ghana’s State Housing Company has just signed a contract with Israel’s IDM International to build 20,000 housing units. The project will ease the massive housing problems facing Ghanaians.  And it took an Egyptian - journalist Ramy Azizto - to publicly praise Israel’s freedom, in that it has built the only true democracy in the Middle East and is open and accepting of religious and ethnic minorities.

There is nothing that can compare with the plague that finally convinced Pharaoh to release the Hebrews – the killing of the firstborn of Egypt.  But if anyone wonders about the plague of frogs, I left that to the end with this short video that shows the indispensability of Israeli technology.  It will really make the BDS idiots hopping mad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Rkjp0rU-o

Happy Passover!

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com