Today is the anniversary of a modern miracle, as Israel turns 64.
The country is a veritable contradiction in terms.
Israel is the only country whose creation was approved by the UN, and it's also the only country whose legitimacy is constantly attacked by the same body.Half of Israel’s population was created by Jews driven out of their ancient homes in the Arab world, yet it's the only country in history constantly called on to make concessions and give up territory to solve a refugee problem it had no part in causing.
It's the only country in the Middle East where Jews and Arabs actually co-exist as equals under the law, yet it's demonized as practicing 'apartheid' by the very same people who would not suffer a Jew to live among them under any circumstances, let alone equality.
It's a country in the Middle East that grew to maturity without the benefit of any oil wealth, yet it has by far the richest per capita income in the Middle East and the best standard of living, something that enrages its detractors to the point of madness.
Attacked from it's birth by surrounding Arab nations that outnumber it by 500 to one, it has not only been victorious in its wars but magnanimous in its attempts at peace.
In a region wracked by tribal, racial and religious conflicts, Israel remains a society where all religions have freedom of worship. In a region where Christians are becoming a memory, Israel is the only country where the Christian population is actually growing.
In an age of global recession, Israel's economy is growing, as a major source of state of the art high tech with exciting new discoveries of mineral wealth that will expand its horizons and prosperity. It's a leader in computer software and hardware, biotech, irrigation and solar technology among others.
In a region of dictatorships and curtailed liberties, Israel is a vibrant and fractious democracy.
In a region of controlled and failing economies, little Israel leads the western world in new business start ups, and has more companies listed on the NASDAQ than any country except the United States.
Singled out for threats and vilification like no other country, Israel literally has become the Jew among nations. Yet despite this adversity, the country is thriving. Nit a single anniversary of Israel's birth goes by without media pundits actively all but predicting its imminent demise, yet Israel has a birthrate per capita that is the highest in the Western world, a sign of how hopefully Israelis view the future.
This kind of success is not without growing pains in a nation so young. Israelis tend to disagree and pick dogfights on even the most trivial matters among themselves, and its factionalism in politics and othe rmatters is the stuff of legend. Yet, the country as a whole knows exactly what they're fighting for and what they have to lose. And because of that, they're unified like few other nations when it counts.
Unlike some other nations in the West, Israel already knows it has to fight to survive. Which is exactly why it will still be here sixty years from now and longer.
As a passing note, take a look at the masthead on the above newspaper from the time of Israel's miraculous rebirth (click to enlarge), today known as the Jerusalem Post.The term 'Palestine' always referred to the Jewish homeland, even when the British held the mandate...until the Egyptian Yasir Arafat appropriated it.
You might also look closely at the headline to see where the planes used by the Egyptians to bomb Tel Aviv less than 3 years after Auschwitz was liberated came from ...Spitfires provided by Britain.
My friend Snoopy over at Simply Jews has a little love note for for the descendents of some of these UK based Jew haters over at al-Guardian that bears reading
Thanks for the link, and Hag Sameach!
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