JINSA Report #568 And So Does Israel

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May 3, 2006

JINSA Report #568

And So Does Israel

Israel’s Independence Day comes as a new governing coalition is formed -
one that departs from previous Israeli governments in important ways:
the Prime Minister is not a member of either the founding fathers nor
the historic leading families. The Defense Minister will be without
serious experience in defense or military matters. None of the historic
parties will lead the coalition - Kadima is a hybrid built to meet the
exigencies of the times. The coalition will be dependent on a number of
non-national parties, meaning those committed to a platform
(Pensioners), an ethnicity (if the Russian Yisrael Beiteinu joins) or a
religious mandate (Shas).

All of this happens as the underpinning of the Oslo Accords - the idea
that Israel has a Palestinian partner with which to negotiate a modus
vivendi, if not a peace - is finally crushed in the Palestinian popular
choice of a terrorist government committed to the destruction of Israel
and the furtherance of Islamic rule in the region. And as Iran moves
closer to nuclear capability at the upper reaches of the threat spectrum
and foments and pays for terrorism at the lower end. And as the region
comes to grips with President Bush’s understanding that the old bargain
of cheap-oil-for-illusory-but-temporarily-comforting "stability" is
really, truly over.

So, is this an awkward moment to celebrate Israeli Independence Day? No.
This is PRECISELY the moment to stop, recognize and applaud the miracle
that is Israel - an open, thriving economic and social system under
built under extreme threat conditions.

* Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world -
and the highest rate among women and among people over 55.

* Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly
Process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict
free."

* Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century
with a net gain in its number of trees; more remarkable because this was
achieved in an area considered mainly desert.

* Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized,
no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

* Israel developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits
inside a pill. It is used to view the small intestine from the inside
helping to diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

* Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in
the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over
70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany.

* Israel has the highest per capita number of home computers, museums
and university degrees in the world.

* Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right
behind the U.S. and, other than the U.S. and Canada, Israel has the
largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.

So, Happy Birthday Israel! And thank you for the example of what
determination and hard work can do in a country poor in natural
resources, but rich in free people.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3394

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