The successes are simply astounding. But survival is not assured
There are not that many miracles in this world. Israel, which by the Hebrew calendar celebrates 77 today, is one of them. It is no exaggeration to say that Israel’s very existence — and especially its success across many fields — runs counter to historical expectations. It’s worth taking a moment to take stock.
This is, without question, one of the darkest chapters in Israel’s history. The country is led by a criminally indicted prime minister presiding over a government many consider the most extreme and openly anti-democratic in its history. It is locked in a devastating war in Gaza that has left tens of thousands dead, brought international condemnation, and seen its own leaders targeted by war crimes allegations. At home, the population is bitterly divided and beset by grief, fear, and political dysfunction. Israel faces existential questions not just from its enemies, but from within: about the future of its democracy, the soul of Zionism and the viability of its existence.
And yet—against this bleak backdrop, there is a story that is one of the most amazing and inspiring on earth. A people exiled from their land for two thousand years, nearly annihilated, mixed together with other nations somehow did not vanish — but instead managed to regroup and build a modern and thriving state on land they were once expelled from. And they did it under constant threat, with a difficult geography, without significant natural resources.
At a time when questions of national identity dominate the discourse — from Ukraine to the United States and many places in between — Israel’s experiment of uniting Jews from around the world is, or at least should be, a source of inspiration. The Jews are not just a religion with a state, as some detractors claim, but an ancient civilization with a religion for those who want it and with a shared history and identity for all. The result, despite its flaws, stands as a fascinating model of how different cultures can merge into (roughly) one.
Today, Israel’s per capita GDP is about $53,000 per year — higher than that of Britain, France, Spain, and Italy; comparable to Germany; more than double Greece; nearly triple Turkey; and about 13 times that of Egypt. Israel boasts one of the world’s most stable currencies, among the lowest inflation rates, and one of the highest foreign currency reserves per capita.
Israel is a true leader — no caveats — in tech innovation, attracting venture capital investments on a scale absurdly disproportionate to its size. In some years investment in Israeli startups ($26 billion in 2021) reached about half the total invested in the entire European Union (despite a population 40 times larger). Israel created global breakthroughs: USB drives and flash memory, internet telephony, Waze, Mobileye, desert agriculture, and advanced medicine. In many fields — from defensive and offensive cyber to smart agriculture — Israel is not just participating but setting the tone and pace.
