By Adira Singer, Hasbara Fellowships High School Intern
Over the past seventy-three years, since Israel’s establishment as a state, Israelis have made many incredible inventions, transforming the way people around the world live their lives. Many people are aware of the very popular Israeli-made app,‘Waze,’ that allows anyone from all over the world to navigate themselves. There are many other popular and classic Israeli inventions, such as cherry tomatoes and the Iron Dome, however there are also many amazing inventions that most people are not aware are Israeli-made.
Israel has a very strong and innovative medical field. It has greatly contributed to the modern-day medical technology that is used by many countries all over the world to help people get the proper care that they need. One such example is the PillCam, invented by Israeli electro-optical engineer Gavriel Iddan. He was inspired to create the PillCam while he was in Boston and a neighbor of his, an Israeli gastroenterologist, began to suffer from severe stomach pain which was left undiagnosed. Mr. Iddan worked on the PillCam for just under twenty years and has been extremely successful. It is essentially a small camera that can be swallowed without causing any bodily harm. The invention’s goal is to treat and diagnose difficult and hard-to-see illnesses, such as intestinal infections and digestive cancers. After being swallowed, the PillCam transmits the data from the camera into a receiver, which then helps the doctors understand what is going on inside the body. It has been FDA-approved and is ready to help save lives with the ability to reach difficult areas and assist in the diagnostic process.
Another innovative Israeli invention is Netafim. Netafim is a drip irrigation system invented by Simcha Blass in the early 1960s. He was observing some adjacent trees when he noticed that one was distinguishably larger than the other, despite growing right next to each other. Simcha decided to investigate the matter further, and discovered that the larger tree was close to a damaged water pipe that regularly dripped water onto that tree. The small but consistent water caused an extreme amount of growth and development. After doing further research on the matter, Mr. Blass developed Netafim in 1967, shortly after his initial discovery. Because of Netafim, crop yields have escalated by over 70% in Israel. Soon after, the technology spread around the world, boosting global crop yields.
An additional incredible Israeli invention is the Mobileye. Developed by Amon Shashua in 1999, the Mobileye completely changed people’s outlook on the making of cars and their safety from then on. The Mobileye is a system of extremely small cameras that are placed in different areas of a car and alert the driver when potential hazards come to view. It is now used by over 25 different automobile manufacturers around the world. Mr. Shashua wanted to revolutionize car technology during the duration of his career, and that is exactly what he accomplished. His invention has increased the amount of knowledge that a driver has about his surroundings, saving numerous lives.
Israelis continue to surprise the world everyday with their brand new innovative ideas and modern inventions which change lives for the better. These are only a few of the incredible Israeli inventions that are currently being used in the world around us. As an Israel advocate, it is important to know about how Israelis have helped advance the world and what contributions they have made. This knowledge allows advocates to show people how Israel helps them, and give them a personal connection with the country. Most people may not know or care much about Israel, but everyone benefits immensely from it. An appreciation for and connection to Israel can be fostered through this lens, showing everyone why they should care about Israel’s right to exist.
