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.

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.