By Steve Kramer
ALFE MENASHE, Israel — This week, Israel is celebrating its 66th year of independence as the Jewish State. The accomplishments of Israelis throughout this period and in the years leading up to Israel’s independence are unequaled. What other nation has achieved its freedom despite being surrounded by countries unalterably opposed to its existence? What other nation has seen its population grow by a factor of 10 in such a short time, a population which includes many Holocaust survivors and Jews who were forced to flee from their birthplaces in Arab countries?
Nevertheless, despite its successes, Israel still faces difficulties. As Middle East pundit Martin Sherman wrote in the Jerusalem Post: “It is a reverse racism that pervades the subtext of the discourse on Israeli policy toward the Palestinians: The victims of racist hatred [Israelis] are condemned as racist for fending off their racist attackers [Arabs].”
Ironically, Israel is termed by some people an “apartheid” state, in a region of racist states which forbid Jews to even reside in them and which make the sale of land to a Jew a capital crime. (Even Secretary of State John Kerry has conflated Israel and apartheid, not to mention former President Jimmy Carter.)
Israel, where Arab citizens have more rights than in any Muslim nation, has been trying to reach a peaceful compromise with its Arab adversaries since 1949. Yet the Palestinians, who only began to negotiate for their own state in 1993 (Oslo Accords), proudly and emphatically declare that their State of Palestine will be Judenrein!
Israel’s diplomatic situation aside, there are many good things that are happening here in spite of the strictures that hamper our efforts. Israel, in nearly all aspects, is thriving, while its neighbors are not. In the Middle East, there is calm only in Israel.
Egypt is on the brink of economic collapse, surviving on the largesse of oil-rich Gulf states, while its autocratic government fights off the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. Lebanon is constantly in the throes of civil strife among its religiously divided population. Syria is a complete disaster. Iraq is going backwards into Iran’s welcoming embrace. Iran, though supposedly engaged in negotiations to stop its progress towards achieving nuclear weapons capability, grows ever closer to threshold nuclear status. All the while, Iran’s restive population is devastated economically and kept under control by the authoritarian rule of the mullahs and the IRG (Iranian Revolutionary Guards).
Israel, on the other hand, has gone from success to success. Despite its tiny size, Israel is a powerhouse of innovation. In many of the fields critical for success, Israel has found solutions which the world needs. Countries throughout the world are hiring Israeli companies, or receiving technical, governmental assistance from Israel. Israel excels in the fields of agriculture, Internet security, water recycling and desalination, medical research, hi-tech technology of all kinds, pharmaceuticals, weapons technology, computer services, software and R&D, and more.
Israel’s assets are utilized throughout the world, but not in the Arab/Muslim world, except surreptitiously. The Arab countries are the poorest and least developed in the world, with the exception of sub-Saharan African countries. However, the latter are among the relatively fastest-growing countries, so the Arabs may soon find themselves at the bottom of the list.
The EU is currently the largest importer of Israeli goods, while America is Israel’s largest, single trading partner. However, Israel continues to cast a wide net for its exports, especially in Asia, which will soon surpass America as Israel’s second largest market for exports. Current sales trends also point to sub-Saharan Africa as an increasingly important market. Both African and Asian countries are less interested in Israel’s political situation and more interested in the unique solutions that Israel can provide to a hungry, thirsty, insecure world.
With intra-Arab violence escalating, the region will take decades to recover, if and when the strife diminishes. The oil-rich Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, are the only strong economies in the Arab world. However, they are not immune to political strife, nor can oil, the basis of their riches, be counted on forever. With new methods of oil and gas extraction, countries the world over are discovering energy assets which will fulfill their own needs and even lead to exports to Arabia’s current customers. America, for example, is expected to be energy independent within this decade. America and other countries, including Israel, are entering the international energy market, reducing Arab clout.
Rapid fertility decline is a big problem for many Arab and Muslim countries. While there are some exceptions, most Arab counties (and non-Arab Turkey and Iran) are experiencing a rapidly aging population, which will lead to a huge calamity, similar to the situation in Europe, when there are not enough workers to pay the pensions of the elderly population. Iran’s situation is the most dire in the region, a factor which may impact its already radical diplomacy, making Iran even more unpredictable.
Nearly everywhere, as women become more educated, the birth rate drops precipitously. This is true of Israeli Arab and Palestinian Arab women. Israel, on the other hand, is the most fertile developed country, exhibiting an opposite trend to the customary one. The fertility rate of Israel’s Jewish women has been increasing for many years. Muslim and Jewish women currently have about the same number of children, about three per family. However, the Arab birthrate has been declining for decades while the Jewish birthrate has been increasing. The trend is predictive of fewer Arabs in the general population, confounding the popular misconception that the Arab “womb” will defeat Israel.
In the broadest terms, Israel is fabulously successful and appears to be heading for more success. Even the unexpected has occurred: off-shore energy discoveries. The vast income to the state from energy development will be placed in a sovereign wealth fund, boosting Israel’s economic prowess.
Of course, Israel is not problem free. Two large segments of the population lag behind in economic productivity: Arab women and Ultra-Orthodox men. The latter are not only a drag on the economy, they currently disdain sharing the defense burden, enlarging the rift between them and the rest of the population, who generally serve in the army and the reserve forces. There is also the fact that the cost of living in Israel is extremely high, especially in housing, while salaries are low. One hopes that our elected officials will work effectively to minimize these problems.
And, there are diplomatic areas that need a more proactive approach. The BDS movement (boycott, divestment, sanction), is led by the Palestinian Authority and enabled by anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic governments and non-governmental organization (NGOs). The non-profit groups include many “useful idiots” who further the racist campaign against Israel, whether they intend to or not. But there are means to counteract this destructive campaign.
The 2012 Levy Report was prepared by a distinguished group of legal scholars, citing diplomatic and legal facts which give legitimacy to Israel’s claims of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Yet the government is reticent about using the report, hesitating to take a proactive stance to confront Israel’s enemies.
In conclusion, Israel has much to look forward to as it approaches its 67th year of independence, based on an unbelievable record of achievements. The big picture shows Israel very well placed to extend its success, especially if it builds on the attributes that have propelled its economic and social accomplishments. Happy Independence Day, Israel!
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Stephen Kramer is a freelance writer based in Alfe Menashe, Israel. His works may also be read on the website, www.encounteringisrael.com