The Indispensable Nation-ISRAEL*

It will seem to many a contradiction in terms when there is so much around us in the media world decrying the existence of Israel, so much in the media regarding its impact on world affairs, so little information regarding this nation, just turned 75 years old, is available in the media about its contribution to the welfare of humanity. It may be the time to spread a little light around about that.

Born as an independent nation on a tiny scrap of land with roughly 650,000 Jewish inhabitants, in May 1948, it now has ten times that of Jewish population. Its total population is almost ten million. It survived three wars and invasion by its neighbors aimed at stifling it at birth. It has succeeded in capturing about twenty percent of the territory of the British Mandate that was established for the creation of a Jewish National Home in 1921 by the League of Nations, but only by force of arms.

Israel has gone from strength to strength and is now recognized as the ultimate secure harbor for any Jew, dispersed as the Jewish people were for over 2000 years, who might find their habitation no longer a welcoming one. The experience of the Holocaust during World War II, denied entry almost universally when help was most needed, underlined for the whole world how crucial the creation of Israel was for the survival of the Jewish people. What has come into view, however, is evidence of how much the entire world has benefitted from its creation.

Let me count the ways.

Shall I talk about fighting disease?

Advances in the treatment of Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, hypertension, Cancer (and Cancer detection,) Alzheimer’s, Leukemia, a radiation shield to protect vital organs during treatment, cognition assessment to manage mental illness, improved bone implants, hospital monitoring systems, the Emergency Bandage to stop blood loss when far from medical care, non-invasive intubation, freezing tumors, and ultrasound treatment for tumors, to avoid surgery, breathalyzer tests for detection of Cancer and other diseases, precise drug delivery systems, an exoskeleton enabling the crippled to walk, a pill camera for non-surgical internal examination, among other things.

How about agriculture and water management, to help feed the world?

Natural pollination and biological pest control, desalination of waters in over 40 countries, non-pollution fish-farming, drip irrigation practices worldwide for efficient water-use, water recycling methods, (in Israel a reported seven times,) harvesting drinking water out of the air, pest control using solar heat, reforestation methods, printing meat using 3D technology, among other things.

How about renewable energy?

Commercial-size solar energy using colored dyes ( instead of solar panels) even in sunless environments, gas turbine solar power 24 hours per day, silent sculptured high-efficiency wind turbines, solar energy windows, solar-powered water heaters, among other things.

How about technology and innovation?

Computer translation; car phones; fax, text and voice calling voicemail systems, DNA computing machines, Drones, Facial Recognition software, Cyber Protection firewalls, Instant Messaging software, Iron Dome anti-missile protection, and other technical developments, to tailor protection for homes, vehicles, ships, planes and countries, the first Personal  Computer, Mobileye that revolutionized driver-assist in 100 million vehicles, artificial vision and audio  devices for the blind and deaf, Smartphone cameras, placing a tiny camera on a micro-chip so it would fit in a phone , VOIP- telephone calling at no cost, Waze- your phone can direct you efficiently to destinations in cities around the world, among other things.

Israeli scientists and researchers are creating marvels for us every day that become the things we cannot do without in our lives. In this world of 8 billion people, they are changing how we live every day. Leaders are beginning to appreciate that ignoring opportunities to improve the lives of their citizens through access to tiny Israel’s technical advances will negatively affect their quality of life.

*“Remarkable Contributions To The World”

ROOTS, September, 2023, JNF Canada