Many, Many More

The only liberal democracy in the Middle East celebrated its 69th birthday yesterday. There are many countries that are far older, many that are far larger, and a few that match the moral values and freedoms of the small state, but none have accomplished so much in so little time while surrounded by Muslim countries that have waged (and lost) three major wars to eradicate it and continue to fund and propagate terror attacks on an almost weekly basis.

A tiny country with a land mass smaller than New Jersey and a population smaller than New York City, Israel has achieved much. P. David Hornik comments:

Israel’s growth is not, of course, merely quantitative; today it punches far above its weight in a wide range of fields. It was recently ranked the eighth most powerful country in the world. Compared to Israel’s 8.7 million people, the seven countries ranked above it have populations of: United States, 324 million; China, 1.37 billion; Japan, 127 million; Russia, 142 million; Germany, 81 million; India, 1.27 billion; Iran, 83 million.

Just some examples: Only the United States and China have more companies listed on the NASDAQ. Last year, a top Google official ranked Israel’s tech sector as second only to Silicon Valley for innovation. Israel also has “one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed” and “the 2nd highest publication of new books per capita.”

In the crucial field of desalination and water management, tiny Israel is the world’s leader. It’s also a “powerhouse in medical innovation.” And it’s a leader in disaster relief; last year the UN – which is generally hostile to Israel -- ranked its army’s emergency medical team as “No. 1 in the world.” Israeli agriculture, too, is exceptionally innovative, and feeds a considerable part of the planet’s population.

Because of its circumstances, Israel has had to excel not only in saving and sustaining life but also in protecting it. It has the world’s most technologically advanced army and is “rapidly becoming the world leader” in cybersecurity. The prowess of its intelligence agencies, particularly the Mossad, has an almost mythological status.

You'd think that with these and many other achievements, Israel would be an icon in the Middle East, a country that other countries in the region would emulate. Instead, most Middle Eastern counties work to destroy Israel out of viciousness and envy of its accomplishments, its people, and its freedoms.

You'd also think that Israel would be celebrated across the U.S. political spectrum as a shining light in the Middle East. You'd be very wrong. For decades the far-left has demonized Israel. Over the past decade, many progressives and some Democrats have followed their lead. As the Left rails against Israeli "oppression" of the palestinians, it exhibits a breathtaking level of historical ignorance, a astounding amount of outright hypocrisy, and a delusional view of the realities that exist on the ground in the Middle East. The Left applaud as the feckless and biased U.N. condemns Israel to the exclusion of dozens of counties that actually do have human rights violations. They demand that Israel return lands won in wars of aggression against it, disregarding the simple reality that dozens of victors over hundreds of years have never done that. They elected a U.S president in 2008 that was overtly anti-Israel. And of course, the trained hamsters in the main stream media predictably skew news stories to represent Israel in the worst possible light.

Israel's best revenge is success. The country lives and prospers. It survives and grows while all around it work for its destruction. So, as the Arabs and Iran work destroy Israel and as the Left continues its despicable strategy of boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS), Israel celebrates it birthday.

Hornik summarizes nicely:

But after almost seven decades at the front line of civilization, danger and hostility are not new to Israel. Despite the pressures, the aggressions, and the losses, Israel ranks -- perhaps surprisingly -- high in yet another, more subjective domain. This year’s UN Happiness Index ranked Israel 11th in the world; other surveys have placed it in the top 10.

Israel shines its light to the nations from a dark region, and its emergence as an incubator of optimism, vitality, and creativity is one of the great stories of our time.

Happy birthday, Israel. Many, many, more!