Israel’s military capability expands as Western Europe’s declines
April 17, 2011
By Lloyd Levy
Lloyd Levy
LONDON — With all the incessant media coverage about Israel , one easily loses sight of the broader picture. Yet I have been reading a respected annual publication called “the Military Balance.” Not necessarily everyone’s chosen reading material, but it throws a fascinating insight into the miracle that is today’s Israel.
By extracting the various data, it becomes clear what a phenomenal economic and military success the Jewish State has become, even compared to large European States.
When looking at the figures, what is even more remarkable is the fact that Israel has only existed for 60 years or so, whereas these other States that I compare it to , are all European Nations that stretch way back into ancient history. They have not had an existence interrupted by 2000 years. All figures are for 2010, in US Dollars.
Let us consider the average income per head of population, (per capita income). In Israel the figure for 2010 was 30,100 US dollars. In Poland and Hungary, it is only 12,000 and 13,000 respectively. Israeli per capita income is virtually the same as in Spain, and not far behind United Kingdom at 36,400, or Belgium 39,800. The USA for comparison is 46,000.
So what I am trying to illustrate, is that Israel’s standard of living is almost three times that of Eastern European States, and not far short of those of Western European States, Indeed one could conjecture that Israel is rapidly going to catch up with Western Europe, due to the recession and standard of living in much of Europe having been hit by the current financial crisis.
For a country to achieve this status, from a non existent situation, in the space of 60 years or so, must be unprecedented in History.
As far as the Military comparisons are concerned, the results are just as remarkable, or even more so. I understand that many people will not be impressed by military strength, especially in Europe where the population appears to believe that military force is redundant and irrelevant nowadays. Thus when Britain and France find that they want to impose a “no-fly zone” over a bunch of tribesmen in the North African Desert, they are largely inadequate to the task. Despite that political jibe, the figures are remarkable. Israel can field 3,500 tanks (including those for reservists), compared to 325 in UK, and 254 in France. Belgium has 40, and Spain 447.
In combat aircraft, Israel can muster 460. The UK had 334 , France 328, Belgium 88, and Spain 179. This is before the savage cutbacks announced by UK in its defence forces in recent weeks.
What is more, Israel has various missile systems that can shoot down anything from a mortar shell to a ballistic missile. Probably the only country in the world to be able to do so, apart from perhaps the USA. Israel’s dislocation of Iran’s nuclear programme by the Stuxnet virus, has been compared to the arrival of a stealth fighter over the First World War trenches- in other words an unimaginable advance in technology.
As stated above, many people will not be impressed by military prowess, but let us consider the background. 120 years ago, the Jewish Nation was subjected to many pogroms in Russia against which they were helpless. Just over 60 years ago, European Jewry was largely exterminated in Europe, being completely defenceless. Today Israel has one of the most potent militaries in the World. This is exactly what many of the original Zionist founders had striven for, and they have been successful beyond their wildest dreams. They wanted “muscle Jews”, and that’s exactly what they have got.
Therefore we should celebrate the miracle of what has been achieved by modern Israel in such a very short period of time. It is arguably just as much a miracle of return to the Promised Land, as was the Pesach Exodus from Egypt 3500 years ago.
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Lloyd Levy is a freelance writer who divides his time between England and Israel. He may be contacted at lloyd.levy@sdjewishworld.com
