ISRAEL ON IT'S SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY

In April, the modern State of Israel celebrates its seventieth anniversary having achieved unimaginable success. The Israelis have come a long way since the fifteenth of May 1948 when the United Nations divided the British mandate between them and Palestine. The fact that that their ragbag army, laboring under an arms embargo, triumphed against the combined Arab armies of the region was nothing short of a miracle. Since then population of Israel has grown ten fold to eight and a half million and Israel has made remarkable progress but still faces many challenges, internal and external that threaten its survival.

In addition to being the military powerhouse in the Middle East, with a nuclear arsenal and near invincible army, they now have a flourishing economy with an unemployment rate of 3.7%. Outside of the Gulf States they have the highest GDP per capita in the region and there is a gradual international acceptance of their nation status which has been strengthened by alliances with the Sunni Muslim States- a circumstance that could never ever have been in the calculations. The common enemy is Iran which supports Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and any faction whose objective is to obliterate Israel of the map. 

There is great jubilation by the Netanyahu Government at what appears to be Trump America’s unconditional acceptance of their military and political objectives. However peace can only be effected by the Israelis and Palestinians themselves. It requires leadership and as Israel are currently in the pound seats the initiative will have to come from them. This requires statesmanship which Israel has been so blessed with in the past. Sadly, it has been singularly lacking in the extended Netanyahu reign who has concentrated his energy on retaining power within the Israeli internal situation. 

IMMIGRATION AND CONSTRUCTION

There is construction everywhere as new suburbs spring up to cope with the growing immigration. Over the past decade France has lost twenty percent of its Jewish population as a 100,000 French Jews have upped and entered the promised land. French appears to be the second language in the towns on the West Coast. A typical example of the prodigious construction is noted just outside Tel Aviv where seventeen thousand apartment units have just been completed. They are gradually being occupied so as to simultaneously provide the infrastructure for the well over a hundred thousand souls that will inhabit them. The skyline is becoming one continuing string of high rises.

The million and a half Russians that immigrated in the nineties have profoundly impacted the country politically, culturally, economically and professionally. They made their presence felt immediately in the political arena moving the country further to the right. If French is the unofficial language in Netanya outside of Tel Aviv then Russian is now the most spoken in the country after Hebrew. The Russians bolstered every section of the economy. Their medical professionals allowed the Health Care System to continue to provide first class  comprehensive coverage and their engineers took their place in the burgeoning new information and start up sector. 

ISRAELI BOASTS

Israel boasts several achievements that are the envy of every emerging economy. Their population growth amongst the secular stratum is three per family. It is calculated that in order to replace those dying just over two children per couple are needed, an objective most Western Countries fail to meet. The ultra orthodox average eight progeny per family keeping up with their religious Israeli Muslim counterparts who are incidentally decreasing in number as that group becomes more secular. The latter factors have scotched any possibility that the ratio of Jewish Israelis to Arab Israelis will change from the four to one it currently is.

The water shortage has been ameliorated by a number of strategies. First and foremost is the desalination program which is responsible for fifty percent of the country’s needs. Forty percent of water needs are obtained from water purification and recycling while the remainder is obtained from conventional sources - the Sea of Galilee and rain. Israel is the sole country that has more trees growing than they had at the time of the country’s independence. From day one, as part of turning the desert green, tree planting has been an obsession. 

The economy has slowly graduated from agricultural to an information based and industrial endeavor. It is generally recognized that Israel’s silicon valley is second only to the United States.  While the private sector expands the needs of all are met by government programs that, inter alia provide free health care and schooling and low cost State University Education.

TOURISM

The sophisticated tourist industry has become a major factor in the Israeli economy and at the same time provides a window to the Israeli happening to the world. In 2017 there was an increase of twenty - five percent in the number of visitors - three and a half million. The estimated percentage of its contribution to the GDP was eight and a half percent. Tourism is regulated and to be an official guide requires a two and a half year training with examinations. There are an arms list of sites, scenic, biblical, historical and archeological in a country with a four millennium history. Jerusalem is the main objective and snakes of tourists trace the origins and landmarks of the three monotheistic religions. The large tourist buses dominate the Jerusalem streets as visitors branch out in all directions. A must is the modern Museum of Israel that boasts the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is one of the few facilities open on the Sabbath.

Tel Aviv and the West Coast generally is in stark contrast to the staid orthodox Jerusalem. The miles of idyllic palm and restaurant lined beaches are every bit as good if not better than those in the Mediterranean. Down the length and breadth of  the famed Ben Yehuda and Dizengoff Streets are open air restaurants where revellers cavort till the early hours of the morning. 

Public transport is easy, comprehensive and cheap. However food and accommodation is pricey with Jerusalem and Tel Aviv being two of the ten most expensive towns on the planet. A big plus is that this is a tiny country everything is nearby. The whole State could fit into Lake Michigan and is about the size of Vancouver Island.

INTERNAL POLITICS

But before elaborating further there are several pieces of the puzzle remaining to make the hard earned success permanent such as stabilization of the internal politics of the country and peace and security on the borders. Then there is the problem of integration of the populations from various countries as well as the fact to this day there is virtual separation between the indigenous Arab population and the Jewish Israelis. There is the growing political influence of the ultra religious groups who currently hold the balance of power forcing Netanyahu to accede to their demands to create a theocracy in a milieu where the majority of the population is secular. Netanyahu’s legal woes add to the problems as there is no obvious successor in sight. 

Governing Israel with it’s multiparty proportional representative system to say the least is a challenge. In addition the philosophical divide is exacerbated by the waves of massive immigration the country has experienced that regularly change the balance of interests. Then of course there are the various religious sects to add to a mix in country that is both fiercely religious and secular. Israel’s democracy is under strain and not unlike the American one is reliant on the checks and balances of the media and the Judiciary. 

The issue du jour is the resistance of the ultra orthodox sect, the Haredi, to army service, which is compulsory for all youth male and female. While their number enlisting has increased over the years the hardline attitude has been even to refuse to apply for exemption. This group is generally less educated in secular subjects and poorer than the average Israeli and are recipients of Government aid. Netanyahu who couldn’t govern without them passed legislation which would have maintained the status quo with regard to conscription. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in that it was discriminatory against the non Haredi. The matter is far from resolved and the Haredi are resorting to street protests. This sect, which now numbers a million and is forecast to become a much greater percentage of the Israeli population in the twenty first century by virtue of their fertility, has evoked resentment from a growing sector of the population. The latter claim that they are not only not doing their bit but are responsible for the heavy Israeli taxation. 

In some ways as Israel grows the division between the Haredi and the rest is cementing into a culturally split nation with differing capitols - the former in Jerusalem and the latter in Tel Aviv with its bikini clad beaches and its crowded night life where the tattooed youth spill over into the main streets. This is an issue that needs resolution as the politically powerful Haredi seek to impose their belief system via legislation. 

Another burning issue is the status and involvement of the twenty percent of Israelis that are Arab and Muslim. There are constant accusations of prejudice in spite of the fact that this group has full citizenship. They are now active politically and take an aggressive anti government stance regardless of whoever is in power. Anyone who has visited Israel outside of an organized tour realizes that they are here to stay. The fact that there is no integration whatsoever does not bode well for the future. It is very clear that they are not about to give up their citizenship and join the outside struggle. They are being pressured by Hamas and the Palestinians to deliver and sooner or later are going to have to choose. As in most Israeli disputes there is enough blame to go around and hopefully accommodations can be made that will result in their contribution furthering the State of Israel. 

Overhanging all of this are the deepening criminal investigations into the Netanyahus and the growing acceptance that indictments will happen sooner rather than later. While Bibi hasn’t been as successful as Trump at smearing the probe as a political witch hunt whatever the outcomes immediate and subsequent, they are bound to create even more divisions. 

THE SETTLEMENTS

A burgeoning issue on the international scene are the Israeli settlements which are situated in territory conquered in the Six Day War but in terms of the Oslo accords should be up for negotiation. While Israel did dismantle a number of these in the past the West Bank developments largely remain. It is not an exaggeration to assess the current status as a static. While the outposts are being consolidated there is very limited new settlement development. Again if one visits the area and views the vast tracts of vacant land a solution should be attainable by well meaning parties. At present Bibi who has never shown leadership on this issue one way or another is not really looking to negotiate. Even if he was with whom? - on the surface Hamas is not remotely interested and in a total shambles while Abbas does not have the backing to really do anything. 

At the end of the day the moves will have to come from the Israelis. Most of the suggestions for talks seem to emanate from the retired security and military brass. Efraim Halevy a former head of Mossad believes the time has come to talk to Hamas with the Gaza strip on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. He has a history of thinking in and out of the box. He refers to behind the scene approaches from Hamas. Letting the status quo drag on just means more and more deaths. As an Israeli reflected to me - forty years ago when she immigrated she prayed that her children would not have to bear arms and now she has just witnessed her grandchildren signing up. 

AT THE END OF THE DAY

Modern Israel has seen an influx of European immigrants at a time when anti semitism is witnessing a resurgence. Unlike the earlier settlers many are educated and established and can afford the pricey accommodation while adding to the economy. Like in America each wave stimulates the economy and adds to the melange of cultures. However there is a need for an end game to the seventy years war. Many are resigned for the conflict to continue till the Messiah comes. Ironically this is primarily the view of those who aren’t fighting the battle.