Israel: A Light To The Nations
ICEJ Australia
Despite wars and trauma, Israel and its citizens demonstrate amazing…
Resilience
Right from the beginning, life was hard:
Malaria Eradication
Before Israel gained modern Statehood, while under the British Mandate, Jacob Klieger, a microbiologist, contributed greatly to the eradication of Malaria, which helped increase the Arab population by making places that were previously uninhabitable suitable for living.
Resources
From a country with seemingly no natural resources – except its people – Israel has become a global energy leader beginning in 2013 with the discovery of gas fields. From being almost completely dependant on imported and polluting fuels, Israel is able to supply basic energy needs in a clean and economic way.
Water Out Of Thin Air!
“My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” – Psalm 63:1
Israel and her neighbours do not have water in abundance. However, Israel has long made it a national mission to stretch existing sources of water by developing non-conventional water sources, while promoting conservation. These efforts have focused on several key areas: reclaiming wastewater effluents, intercepting runoff and promoting artificial recharge, using cloud seeding for artificially induced rainfall, and desalination.
Not only have these efficient ways of conserving water become well established in Israel, but now Watergen has developed technology straight out of Sci-Fi, allowing water to be condensed out of thin air.
Developed in the late 2000s, Watergen’s generators cool and liquidise the air vapor, producing up to four litres of water for every kilowatt-hour of electricity they use.
Today, Watergen can be found in many disaster zones around the world, and it is hoped it will be rolled out even further abroad to provide drinking water for millions of people.
Digitally Speaking…
People of the Book – Jews are often referred to as ‘People of the Book’, and it’s not just the Book of Books they are connected to; they have a love affair with all books.
In an era of increasing digital book consumption, it is remarkable that Hebrew Book Week continues to attract a huge number of visitors who appreciate printed, physical books. Even during a time of war, a staggering 34 million books are sold annually to a population of 9.9 million people in Israel. Almost 7,000 new titles are published every year, and revenue from book sales reached $227 million last year.
But eBooks are also popular, and it is therefore understandable that one of the most popular items from Amazon is the Kindle, which was largely developed in Israel.
The Digital World
Mobile Phones –
What would we do without them? But the cellular phone would still look like an oversize brick if it weren’t for Israeli know-how in mobile technologies. It was at Motorola’s Israel R&D centre that Israeli engineers first developed original mobile-phone technology.
In fact, most of the technology in your mobile phone can be traced back to Israeli engineering.
Instant messaging communications – We love all things instant now, so in November 1996, five young computer geeks from Israel developed ICQ, which is an acronym for “I Seek You,” an instant messaging program.
Two years later, the company was acquired for $407 million by AOL. At that time, it was the highest price ever paid to purchase an Israeli technology company. (SOURCE Israel 21C)
Scientifically Speaking…
A New Form of Matter – Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman experienced disdain and ridicule when he discovered Quasicrystals, a “new” form of matter that had been considered not only non-existent, but impossible.
However, his discovery eventually vindicated and earned him the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Nonstick cookware benefits from applications of Quasicrystals, and more importantly, they provide superconductive and super insulative industrial materials.
Aeronautics and Astronautics – Prof. Alon Gani, Professor Emeritus at the Technion Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, received the prestigious Wilde Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 2025! It’s one of the most prestigious awards in the world, and a huge honour for groundbreaking scientific work that has led Israeli research to international acknowledgement.
The “God Particle” (2012) – Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider produces the Holy Grail of physics – the Higgs Boson, or “God Particle,” a subatomic particle that accounts for the existence of matter and diversity in the universe. A team from Israel’s Technion was charged with building and monitoring the collider’s elementary particle detectors, without which the discovery of the Higgs Boson would have been impossible.
Nvidia’s Israel-1 AI supercomputer – The Israel-1 AI supercomputer has emerged as a technological marvel, completing its initial construction phase in a record-setting 20 weeks, nearly two months earlier than anticipated. Envisioned to be one of the world’s fastest AI supercomputers and the leading system in Israel, this achievement signals a paradigm shift in supercomputing. The Israel-1 AI supercomputer signifies a significant step forward in making powerful AI more accessible, showcasing the potential for innovations that could positively impact various aspects of our daily lives and industries on a global scale.
Medical Matters…
Military Standard Dressings – An Israeli dressing that quickly staunches haemorrhaging from injuries caused by traffic accidents, workplace accidents, home injuries, GSW, stab and other assault wounds was used by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
The First Care Military & Civilian Wound Dressing – (TACMED) raises haemorrhage control to the next level, consolidating numerous pieces of treatment equipment into a single, effective and easily applied unit – now a ‘standard’ issue for major military organisations worldwide
Save a Child’s Heart – This wonderful organisation saves the lives of critically ill children suffering from heart disease in countries where access to paediatric heart care is limited or non-existent. Through bringing children to Israel for medical care, performing missions abroad, and training medical personnel, this amazing Israeli humanitarian organisation is transforming paediatric cardiac care around the world.
This organisation was founded at the Wolfson Medical Centre Jerusalem in 1995. There is a weekly free clinic to screen, diagnose and follow up with children from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza. Each week, around 20 to 25 Palestinian children are screened.
Volunteers have been crucial for providing care and emotional support to the kids and their families during their stay in Israel, pre- and post-procedure. They provide transport, organise activities and provide friendship for the families during their stay in Israel. “It is incredibly rewarding to see the doctors we trained in Israel now leading life-saving missions and building sustainable cardiac care programs in their home countries” – Director of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Centre
Safety First
Mobil Eye – This vision-based car safety system was invented in 1999 by Professor Amnan Shashua and Ziv Aviram. It provides advanced optical systems to car manufacturers to increase safety and reduce traffic accidents.
And From the Road To The Skies...
Iron Dome – The Iron Dome is a short-range missile defence system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in 2011. It revolutionized military, civilian and border defence in conflict zones worldwide by providing the ability to intercept short-range missiles for the first time. The system has saved countless Israeli lives by intercepting rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon, boasting an impressive accuracy rate of around 90%.
David’s Sling – David’s Sling is another missile defence system developed by Rafael, in collaboration with Raytheon, designed to intercept medium and long-range missiles from countries as far as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The system has been operational in Israel since 2017, becoming an important complement to the Iron Dome.
Israel’s air defence systems are stationed throughout the country and are prepared to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Not All Work And No Play
Rummikub – For many homes, this has become a household staple. Recognized and cherished around the world for its blend of strategy and luck, the iconic tile game has become synonymous with social gatherings and relaxed evenings.
Rummikub was invented by Ephraim Hertzano, a Romanian-born Jew who emigrated to Israel after World War II. [2] He hand-made the first sets with his family in the backyard of his home. Hertzano sold these sets door-to-door and on a consignment basis at small shops. Over the years, the family licensed it to other countries and it became Israel’s best-selling export game. Now reaching fans in over 70 countries and translated into 28 languages, the game has achieved more than just casual recreation — it’s also evolved into a competitive sport. Rummikub tournaments and championships are held internationally, attracting skilled players who vie for titles and prizes.
Extending a Helping Hand to the World… USA
How the IDF Helped Save LA From Wildfires – As devastating wildfires raged across California, a specialised unit of young Israeli soldiers working from the Home Front Command headquarters provided vital data analysis that proved instrumental in saving lives and protecting property. The global time difference between Israel and the USA transformed into a strategic advantage: during American nighttime hours, Israeli analysts conducted comprehensive data processing and prepared detailed operational assessments for the next day’s firefighting efforts.
The Operations Branch, established in 2018 comprises several dozen soldiers, predominantly between 18 and 21 years old. They represent Israel’s technological vanguard in data analytics, employing artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies to support field operations.
“We developed a specialized daily portal for all American forces in the field,” Captain Keren who heads research and data at the Home Front Command’s Operations Branch explained. “We successfully integrated extensive data sets – consolidating all wildfire information in a single platform. This included detailed mapping of fire zones, educational facilities, and power infrastructure. When the Israeli firefighting delegation arrived on site, they presented American forces with the comprehensive collected data, enabling strategic decision-making.”
While the United States possesses significant technological capabilities, the crucial elements of emergency decision-making, information accessibility, and inter-force coordination remain challenging for many international emergency organizations,” Captain Keren explained. “They haven’t yet reached the technological frontier where Israel excels and has valuable expertise to share.”
The unit implements an innovative dual-team approach – combining frontline personnel who identify immediate needs with a sophisticated command centre team that analyses data and develops solutions. “We deploy to various emergency scenarios, from pandemics to floods, building collapses, and hurricanes,” Lieutenant Colonel Salem head of data at the Home Front Command explained. “
“The Home Front Command’s mission is to protect civilians in crisis situations, both in Israel and globally,” Captain Keren concluded. “We are trailblazers with significant capabilities to share.”
Africa – Innovation Africa has brought solar technologies to provide electricity and pump clean water to 5 million people in over 1,000 villages across ten African countries. The impact has been profound: schools now have lights, leading to higher attendance and graduation rates. Medical clinics are also equipped with lighting and refrigeration, attracting donors, improving health and providing small business opportunities for local women. Israeli Sivan Ya’ari discovered extreme poverty in Madagascar after completing her army service. She undertook university studies to equip her in instigating this amazing project which began in 2008. Village by village, working with the communities, the transformation slowly took place.
Albert Einstein
Not only from within Israel but also as the Jewish people have been scattered throughout the world, they have blessed their adopted countries and, at many times, the whole of mankind. Albert Einstein, one of the most famous and influential scientists to have ever lived, is a prime example of this. The man who drastically altered our understanding of how the universe works greatly contributed to the disciplines of physics, mathematics, and education.
Without Einstein, so many things we have today would be effectively impossible.
For example, lasers. Without lasers there would be no internet because we could not fire signals down the optic fibres that we need to give the massive data transfer rates that we’ve got today.
And GPS systems would be impossible without Einstein’s work on relativity. Those signals on the ultra-accurate clocks on satellites run us at different speed to the clocks down on earth, and the signals need to be adjusted.
Then there’s electronics, which is essentially in every device you own. Electronics would essentially be a black art if it wasn’t for the field of quantum mechanics.
Adolph Frank from Germany
Every year globally, more than 30 million tons of potash are produced. The main ingredient of which is potassium, potash is one of the most crucial artificial nutrients in agriculture. Who do we have to thank for discovering that potash could be a fertilizer that could help feed humanity? Adolph Frank, an unheralded but hugely impactful German Jewish scientist. Additionally, Frank also invented a way to extract bromine from salt mines. Bromine has served humanity well—as a flame retardant, a pesticide, and a sedative.
Fritz Haber
His work included the development of the processes to make nitrogen fertilizers. This has been one of the most significant advances in agriculture and food production. To make proteins, plants need nitrogen compounds such as ammonia or nitrates. These have been very scarce in nature and has limited crop yields for millennia. It is estimated that about half of the nitrogen in the protein in your body comes out of a factory that depended on the word of Haber. Billions of people are now alive who could not have come into existence without this Jewish genius.
About half the people in the Middle East surrounding Israel owe their existence to Haber.
A Modern Miracle
Israel, the Unicorn Nation : Excerpt from a presentation to the ICEJ’s International Leadership Conference.
The current regathering of the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel is a miracle of biblical proportions. It supersedes the Exodus of Egypt to the extent that God says in Jeremiah 16:14 and again in Jeremiah 23:7 – that the day is coming when He will no longer be called the God who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but the God who led back the descendants of Israel from the North and from all the countries where He had driven them. The first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, said “in order to be a realist in Israel, one must believe in miracles.”
The current regathering of the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel is a miracle of biblical proportions. It supersedes the Exodus of Egypt to the extent that God says in Jeremiah 16:14 and again in Jeremiah 23:7 – that the day is coming when He will no longer be called the God who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but the God who led back the descendants of Israel from the North and from all the countries where He had driven them. The first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, said “in order to be a realist in Israel, one must believe in miracles.”
See, looking at the miracle of Israel, it is so irrational, so illogical, it defies every law of nature and history. It is the greatest miracle we can point to today to show this generation that there is a God in heaven. A God who can choose a nation and say this people will be in this land and be blessed. No matter what the UN says, or the EU says, or what BBC or CNN or Al Jazeera say, this is going to happen. This has been important to me. The thing that’s kept my faith firmly grounded in the Bible, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is stepping out of my front door every day and seeing a miracle of epic proportions that I have no way of explaining. This is an important story.
