6 | MAY 11 • 2023 

1942 - 2023

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I

srael is celebrating 75 years of 
independence this month and has 
been deservedly defined as the 
innovation nation. Israel has the largest 
percentage of scientists and engineers 
per capita, with 135 per 10,000. There 
are thousands of startups, patents 
and companies, almost all developed 
through a need to feed, 
defend or help heal 
people. There is a plethora 
of inventions that deserve 
mention, but here are 
just a few from the past 
75 years that have made 
major global impact.

AGRICULTURE
Israel is a land that is two-thirds desert 
and, already in the pre-state years, the 
agricultural pioneers were developing 
ways to fulfill the vision of the nation’s 
first prime minister, David Ben-
Gurion, who said, “The Negev is where 
the creativity and pioneering vigor of 

Israel shall be tested.” 
When you eat a salad, note that 
Israel is sharing with the world the 
delicious cherry tomato. In the barren 
desert, the drip irrigation system was 
developed; it is manufactured by the 
Netafim company and controls 30% 
of the global market. Yet, the need for 
transferring water from the lush north 
to the arid south was evident in Israel’s 
first decade and, as a result, it created 
a massive water project known as the 
National Water Carrier. 
With growing water shortages and 
lack of access becoming a global crisis, 
Watergen has developed a machine that 
can create water from air, making it 
one of the world leaders in atmospheric 
drinking water devices.

MOBILITY
Israel has manufactured one car, 
the Sussita Carmel in the 1960s, 
a project that was not considered 
overly successful or profitable but 

has realized its potential in the smart 
mobility sector. Waze and Mobileye 
are considered two of Israel’s most 
successful companies. In 1999, 
Mobileye was launched to develop a 
technology aimed to warn drivers of 
potentially dangerous situations. Today, 
the systems are found in the vehicles of 
most major automakers. Purchased by 
Intel in 2017, it is Israel’s largest exit to 
date. 

Naomi Miller 

PURELY COMMENTARY

essay
Israel at 75: The Innovation Nation

continued on page 8

The 
PillCam

B’nai B’rith Great Lakes 
College Scholarship Program

Open enrollment for high school 
students entering college in 
the fall of 2023. We anticipate 
awarding three scholarships for 
the 2023-24 academic year in 
the amount of $5,000 each. It is 
our goal that these scholarships 
will inspire the honorees to 
pay our gift forward after 
graduation by serving as leaders 
in their communities and as 
ambassadors for the B’nai B’rith 
Great Lake Region’s College 
Scholarship program. Deadline 
for applying is May 19th.

41st Annual B’nai B’rith Great 
Lakes Region Stephen B. 
Zorn Memorial Golf Outing

Monday, June 12th 2023
Tam O’Shanter Country Club
5051 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield

Happy 75th Birthday Israel!

B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a 
staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate of behalf of senior citizens and 
a leader in disaster relief. For 180 years, wherever there is a need, there is B’nai B’rith.

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