Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Chris Coons (D-DE) are launching a bipartisan effort to ween the U.S off of medical reliance on China and replace it, at least partially, with Israel. More specifically, the two senators have launched the initiative to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic in America. Both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are also seeking $12 million in order to “enhance partnerships between companies in the United States and Israel to develop innovative medical projects aimed at detecting, treating, and curing COVID-19.”
“I’ve long said that China poses the most significant, long-term geopolitical threat to the United States. Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic,” Cruz said in a tweet. “Israel is not only our friend and ally, but also a global leader in medicine with which we already cooperate on exactly those issues. I’m proud to push forward to ensure both American and Israeli companies can work together to develop cures and treatments to defeat COVID-19.”
Israel is not only our friend & ally, but also a global leader in medicine w which we already cooperate on exactly those issues. Proud to push forward w @ChrisCoons to ensure both American & Israeli companies can work together to develop cures and treatments to defeat #COVID19.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 16, 2020
Echoing Cruz’a sentiments, Sen. Coons said: “The United States and Israel are world leaders in the medical technology industry, and it is in the interest of all Americans, Israelis, and the rest of the world that we work together to fight COVID-19. This virus knows no borders, and our bill underscores the importance of international collaboration in the face of a truly global pandemic,” .
International collaboration in the face of this global pandemic is critical. @SenTedCruz and I are pushing for increased cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, world leaders in the medical technology industry, to fight #COVID19. https://t.co/A2liZOmF0Y
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) April 16, 2020
Israel’s medical industry has been on the front lines of developing both treatments and even vaccines in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Israel’s Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.’s treatment boasts a 100% survival rate in patients who have been reated. Additionally, researchers at MIGAL, a research institute located in Israel’s Northern Galilee, say that they’re on the path to developing a coronavirus vaccine.
