Back in late February when I contributed my last editorial for \u2018The Advocate\u2019 the world was a different place. Back then I wrote about the cooperation which exists between Jewish, Christian and secular organisations which support Israel, in New Zealand \u2013 and noted that our strength lies in our unity of purpose.<\/p>\n
Seven weeks on and I\u2019m writing this editorial from inside my Wellington \u2018bubble\u2019 and reflecting on the fact that my opportunities to even leave my home are limited, far less my ability to travel to Auckland where many of my pro-Israel colleagues reside. Indeed, one of the lasting impacts of Covid 19 will be the way in which it has forced us all to review our priorities as we seek to find our place in the \u2018new normal\u2019 and redefine what we mean by \u2018unity\u2019 in an environment where physical contact may be severely curtailed for a long time to come.<\/p>\n
Yet even in this strange time, Israel is still very much in the international public eye. The nation faces coronavirus challenges of its own, mandating lockdown restrictions similar to those here in New Zealand \u2013 and for the first time in Israel\u2019s modern history, Passover was observed remotely as the Government ordered a strict four day closure over this traditionally communal time.<\/p>\n
But, as always, Israel is also leading the way in the fight against this pernicious new threat. One\u00a0organisation<\/a>\u00a0has ranked Israel as the safest country in the world in respect of its response to the virus \u2013 an accolade which reflects it\u2019s early decision to impose a lockdown, to ban travel from virus \u2018hotspots\u2019, and to impose quarantines on all those who crossed its borders. Israel has also been a leader in the use of technology to detect breaches of quarantine and is carrying out more tests, per person, than any other nation in the world \u2013 with tens of thousands of tests, per day, being conducted so that anyone who needs a test gets one.<\/p>\n And how do Israelis know if they need a test? Well, there\u2019s an app for that.\u00a0HaMagen<\/a>\u00a0records the places that infected people had visited \u2013 so you can know if you came into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. Another Israeli company \u2013\u00a0Vocalis<\/a>\u00a0– has developed an app that can detect deterioration in Covid patients by detecting fluid accumulation in the sound of their voice!<\/p>\n