I & I Editorial BoardHamas didn’t invade Israel on Oct. 7 for its amusement. The barbaric sneak attack is a part of the pogrom intended to wipe out the Jewish state. It was a crime against humanity, and not just because of its savagery. We would all be worse off if Israel ceased to exist. The same cannot be said for Islamic terrorists.
Israel’s contributions to the modern world are momentous. When not dodging bullets, rockets, and homicide bombers, Israelis have since 1948 developed:
- Copaxone and Rebif, drugs that treat multiple sclerosis, and Exelon, which treats mild to moderate dementia in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients.
- The PillCam, “a minimally invasive ingestible camera in a capsule that allows visualization of the small bowel.”
- The water desalination process.
- The Sniffphone, “that can actually ‘sniff out’ diseases.”
- And SpineAssist, “the first-ever spine robot” that has the “ability to provide real-time intraoperative navigation.”
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, responsible for some of the inventions listed above, has also produced diabetes and flu vaccines, is using T-cells to treat damaged spines, and is a pioneer in industrial — and medical — uses nano materials.
Other impactful Israeli products include drip irrigation, a revolutionary microprocessor called the 8088, the NIR heart stent, voice-over-internet protocol, the USB flash drive, the Waze navigation app, ReWalk, “a commercial bionic walking assistance system,” and “the first commercially viable firewall software.”
Our own security has benefited from Israel’s labor and work ethic.
“Many Israeli innovations are present in upgrades to U.S. Air Force fighters and Army equipment,” says the international law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell. One important advance in particular is the helmet-mounted display system for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
So we have a country of 9.23 million, mostly desert, that is only 75 years old, is “surrounded by enemies” and in a constant state of war, which has “no natural resources,” yet “produces more start-up companies on a per capita basis than large, peaceful, and stable nations and regions like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and all of Europe.” It is the only nation outside of the U.S. that Warren Buffet invests in.
Have the Palestinians or Hamas, currently at war with Israel, done anything that compares to what the Israelis have achieved? More broadly, beyond the Allahista terrorist groups, what has Islam contributed to the modern world?
Not much.
Since 1901, Jews, who total 0.2% of the world’s population, have won 189 Nobel prizes for physics, medicine, chemistry and economics. Over that same period, Muslims, who make up nearly a quarter of the global population, have won four.
If it seems as Islamic groups, Hamas and Hezbollah prominent among them, are more interested in spreading nihilism, committing atrocities, and destroying civilization than making the world a better place, well, then there’s a good reason for it. That is exactly what the heroes of an increasingly large number foolish Westerners are aiming for.
Meanwhile, Israelis see themselves “as having a role in the world to repair the world,” says Chemi Peres, managing partner and co-founder of the venture capital firm Pitango, chairman of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, and son of the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
“We call it tikkun olam, and here at the Peres Center we have a mission statement, which is to introduce innovation and new ideas and new technologies, not only for ourselves but to solve the problems of the world.”
Islam is part of that world, but too many of its adherents live to do just the opposite.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Using these vague “policy violations,” Google is now threatening to demonetize us. It’s part of Big Tech’s effort to silence conservative voices.
As a Jewish-American (or less woke-ish, an American Jew) I’d probably shudder if there was no Israel. I was born in the same year as when Israel was created and recognized by the UN (I believe it was Truman who got the ball rolling).
Oct 7th was Israel’s Pearl Harbor. Just imagine how America would have reacted if any organization told it in 1944: “Hey. You’ve pummeled Japan and Germany enough. Let’s have a cease fire for a few days.”
It’s a difficult decision: Of course, one sympathizes with the hostages. But on the other hand, Hamas is a terrorist organization that’s already proved its savagery and wickedness, and its intent to practice it again.
So do you want to give what, in effect, is a Hamas (and homicidal) R&R . The decision shouldn’t be made in the US by Biden or by Congress. The decision should be made by Israel. They are the ones who have to live with it.
In addition to the purely humanitarian issues related to Israel, this is one of the best outlines of what Israel and its population has done to benefit the world, including the people across their borders who hate them so. I would most definitely prefer a world without hate, but if I can’t see that in my lifetime, I would prefer a world without serial haters.
Without Israel, western civilization falls.
It has been a bulwark against the advance of bloodthirsty Islam for nearly 1000 years.
That so many are all “rah rah Palestine” is simply mind-boggling and idiotic.
The arab world just dont care they just see israelis as squatters on arab lands. They want to kill israel really a lot.
Nazis!
Literally.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-mufti-and-the-f-uuml-hrer
In contrast, name one innovation or invention beneficial to humanity to come out of Islam since couscous…suicide vests do not count.
Good one
Duegello’s comment was very funny-and unfortunately so true.
You usually can tell the apex of a culture by following who its leader are. Today, they are the mullahs and fanatics who applaud beheadings and raping of their foes. These homicidal Islamic zealots appear to be at the pinnacle of today’s Islamic culture. And unfortunately this vanguard interprets to homicidal supporters what Islam is all about.
Unfortunately too, Islamists have a large army, since the Muslim religion has so many adherents all over the globe, of deranged useful fools and tools.
I’d also like to comment on “tikkum olam.” This is indeed a very important concept in the Jewish religion. I’m over 75 and this tenet was always one of the most important tenets and practices at all the synagogues I’ve been a member of (and there have been many). The only thing that, in many cases- takes precedence to “tikkum olam” is the Torah (the Jewish Bible which is believed to be written by God).
But it is interesting: Like the tenets practiced by the homicidal sects of Islamism (and there are indeed many Muslims who are peaceful and tolerant. Many, though, are very afraid of blowback and repercussions from the homocidal side of Islam) where the Koran is interpreted as justifying murder of non-Muslims and any Muslim who believes in the peaceful form of Islam, the interpretation of the Koran (the Muslim’s bible) is everything.
And the Islamists vanguard are doing the interpreting.
For example, if the Nazi’s had known Hebrew, I’m sure they would have said “tikkum olam” (ie. “repairing the world”) was exterminating and gassing all the Jews of the world. And I’d add to this Hamas’ treacheries and turpitude. They probably would assert, “…hey, our invasion of Gaza and raping and the murdering of parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents, was “tikkun olam.””
Like I said, “interesting.”