The CoronalL initiative

The CoronalL initiative is a good example of values ​​of patriotism, mutual responsibility and helping our fellow man.

During these trying times of the coronavirus crisis, we have repeatedly seen good people devoted to supporting others in their hour of need.

For some, saving lives is their craft. Not just the doctors and nurses, but the entire hospital staff, from the attendants and National Service youth to the lab and administration employees. These days, the entire Nation of Israel owes a debt of gratitude to these people.

But the medical teams aren’t the only ones taking part in the national battle against the “invisible threat,” as political leaders and medical experts have termed the coronavirus. We have witnessed professionals from a variety of fields stop everything and join the endeavor.

People like the high-tech entrepreneurs who organized in the CoronaIL group and worked tirelessly for weeks on end to help the country with life-saving tasks such as purchasing respirators, monitors and protective equipment.

It’s important to understand that with the global spread of the virus, international markets for essential medical equipment have engaged in fierce competition, with each country taking every step possible to acquire the means necessary for treating its population, and more and more nations around the world are prohibiting the export of life-saving devices.

CoronaIL personnel leverage their experience, relationships, and knowledge of international purchasing processes to help locate and order life-saving equipment. Some joined medical procurement agencies in the Ministry of Defense and the joint government mission, toiling days and nights to locate reliable suppliers and quality equipment instead of spending that time with their families. They assisted not only in procurement, but also in other essential assignments such as improving the state’s ability to conduct tests, helping it fund and advance scientific research, and assisting various populations meet their constantly-growing needs.

These high-tech professionals didn’t do this to make a living. In fact, they didn’t gain anything by doing it–except, of course, the right to take part in the national effort to save lives and protect the country from the coronavirus. They enlisted in the mission at hand out of the realization that their unique ability to operate at the head of a startup – quickly, flexibly, and in a changing reality—was of great value to the State of Israel in its time of need.

The CoronaIL initiative is a good example of the values ​​of patriotism, mutual responsibility and will to give help to others, that reverberates among Israelis. Thanks to these values, we have been able to celebrate 72 years of national independence, and will overcome the challenge presented by the coronavirus, as well as others that lay in our path.

This initiative is also a good example of the desired connection between the private and public sectors. Government offices and public bodies hold many advantages, but these mechanisms tend to be slow and rather cumbersome, and find it difficult to adapt to a reality in flux. In such cases, the private sector is the one most capable of operating at the required speed. Therefore, the state must encourage and cooperate with such initiatives, and act to remove the bureaucratic barriers in their path.

On behalf of myself and the citizens of Israel, I would like to thank and acknowledge the CoronaIL staff, and all those who have contributed to the national mission of battling COVID-19. I pray that even as we begin to return to our routine, we will continue to see more and more examples of individuals going the extra mile to address the social and national challenges facing the State of Israel.