[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — The State of Israel is only 63 years old. About the size of New Jersey, 1/19th the size of California, it is the 100th smallest country in the world. It has less than 1/1000th of the population of the world, yet it has more people per square mile than India and Japan. In spite of its population density, it is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation in the world relative to its population and has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. Perhaps that is why it is so expensive to live here.
Many of Israel's Jewish immigrants fled to Israel from Arab countries and oppressive regimes such as the former Soviet Union. Over 22,000 Ethiopian Jews from Ethiopia and the Sudan were secretly airlifted to safety in Israel. Yet freedom, democracy (it is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East) and economic opportunity are not the only reasons Israel is so popular. For some like me who voluntarily choose to live here, as opposed to being forced to flee other countries for religious freedom or safety, there is the feeling of being “home” in the homeland of my ancestors who have lived in this land for thousands of years. Most importantly, I feel the presence of Hashem (G-d) at all times.
When speaking of economic opportunity, Israel has the largest number of start-up companies in the world, except for the U.S. But it comes in first with respect to proportion of start-ups to population. Per capita, Israel has the largest number of bio-tech start-ups. Other than the Silicon Valley in the U.S., it has the highest concentration of high-tech companies in the world. It comes in second to the U.S. for venture capital funds, and has the third largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies in the world. Also, it has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world. When it comes to entrepreneurship of women and people over the age of 55, Israel is No. 1 in the world.
Technically Speaking
Perhaps Israel has achieved so much because of its emphasis on education. It has the highest number of university degrees per person in the world. It also produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation as well as having one of the highest number of patents per capita. It leads the world with respect to the proportionate number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, equal to that of the U.S. and Japan combined.
All Israeli citizens, regardless of race, religion, creed, sex or gender, enjoy equal rights in Israel. In fact, the only distinction between Israeli Arabs and the rest of the population is the fact that the Arabs do not have mandatory military service. Even women in Israel must serve in the army. Israeli Arabs were exempt from military duty so that they would not have to fight their Arab brethren. However, Druze and Circassians requested mandatory military duty for their communities. Many Bedouins and other Israeli Arabs often volunteer, and they . have served in elite units.
It is not unusual to see Arabs attending classes at the most prestigious Israeli universities, Arab doctors working alongside Jewish doctors in the major hospitals, Arabs holding various governments posts such as Israel's Consul General, having seats in the Knesset (legislature), and sitting on the Supreme Court. All citizens have equal voting rights. Israel is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women have the right to vote and hold office.
Does this sound like apartheid to you? An Arab Israeli journalist, Khaled Abu Toameh, spoke at the 2009 Durban Review Conference. He criticized Arab Knesset members who claimed Israel was an apartheid state. He said, ” And then they come here to tell us that Israel is a state of apartheid? Excuse me. What kind of hypocrisy is this? What then are you doing in the Knesset? If you are living in an apartheid system, why were you allowed, as an Arab, to run in the election? What are you talking about?”
Despite wars, rockets and missiles launched at its civilian population, terror attacks, and other adverse conditions, and the stress of having to spend more money per capita for the safety, security and protection of its citizens than any other country in the world, Israel has achieved so much.
L'hitraot. Shachar.
