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 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 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
Click here for all of this week’s Good News from Israel.
