Israel – Home Of Innovation

This essay does not suggest appearing arrogant for any critic to object to it; however, the remarkable fact is that this tiny country where the major population centers are squeezed between the green line and the sea, slightly smaller than New Jersey or Lake Michigan, has in just 61 years, in spite of unrelenting defensive wars and terrorism, succeeded to be a major player in the world in high tech, biotech, genetics, medicine, agriculture, solar energy, and more, and has produced startling technological and scientific achievements. This writer wonders why a country that is contributing so much to the world relative to its size be the object of so much demonization and scrutiny. In truth, what Israel lacks in natural resources it makes up for in innovation and brainpower, and even depends on God’s good auspices to send its yearly rain.

In proportion to its population, except the U.S., Israel has the largest number of high tech start-up companies in the world, some 3,500, and the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies. Venture capitals around the world are cognizant of this fact and invest billions of dollars in these companies. Giant companies such as Google, Microsoft, Kodak, Cisco, HP, Motorola, Intel and many more have large scale research and development centers in Israel. I do not know how many of you are aware that AOL instant messenger originates from Israel? That your computer’s major parts of Windows’s operating system were developed in Israel? That Motorola’s commercial cell phone was developed in Israel? And the list goes on and on.

In the medical field, just recently, utilizing the science behind nanotechnology, the Weizmann Institute of Technology has developed a molecular biocomputer to assist in cancer research. Moreover, this university also uncovered new findings that may have implications in delaying and slowing down cognitive deterioration of old age and they have also developed a method that allows bone marrow cells to be transplanted into leukemia patients from non-compatible donors – greatly increasing the possibility of effective treatment. You should also know that Israel also produced state-of-the-art surgical lasers, fully computerized no-radiation diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer, an intelligent medical sensor that can be used to track and direct instruments to an exact three-dimensional location in the heart or other organs via a real-time virtual image, the fully flexible waveguide fiber for endoscopic surgery, unique computerized monitoring systems for critical care patients, pain relieving trans-cutaneous devices and a revolutionary autoclave design to combat AIDS and other infectious diseases, and of course let’s not forget the camera in a pill. And the list goes on and on.

In military technology, Israel produced the Uzi gun and the advanced anti-ballistic defense system like the Arrow (with the US) and is one among a small group of nations in the world that launched a satellite into orbit. In agriculture, Israel is known as a worldwide leader on agriculture innovations and reuses almost 70 percent of its waste water each year for agriculture. This knowledge is also used to assist hundreds of thousands of people in developing countries. Recently, Israel developed a device that enables plants to send a text message when they need water.

The above Israel’s contributions are just a drop in the ocean and are too many to list. All of this while fighting terrorism on the one hand and placating the suicidal impositions from the Western world on the other. Could one imagine what additional stellar contributions might be made if Israel lived in peace?