Israel – A Land and a State Beyond Conflict

There is so much more to Israel – a country that may be bantam in size but punches like a heavyweight.

By Rolene Marks, Lay of the Land

Israel is a tiny sliver of land in the Middle East, barely the size of Kruger National Park in South Africa or New Jersey in the US, yet seems to enjoy a disproportionate amount of coverage in the media – often focused on the conflict with the country’s Palestinian neighbors.

A disproportionate amount of airtime and column inches is dedicated to coverage (and I use that term loosely because often fact and context are the first victim of headlines), and more often than not Israel is portrayed as the aggressive Goliath to the more passive Palestinian David. In the court of public opinion it could appear that Israel is nothing but a country perpetually mired in conflict.

There is so much more to Israel – a country which may be bantam in size but punches like a heavyweight.

Israel is a leader in so many fields. Let’s look at some of this tiny country’s greatest achievements:

A Helping Hand – Humanitarian Assistance

Wherever disaster strikes, be it natural or man-made, Israeli is one of the first to respond – even to countries with which there are no formal bilateral ties.

Even though hostile relations exist between Syria and Israel, and between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Israeli humanitarian aid continues to be dispensed. The IDF ( Israel Defense Force), at great risk to the soldiers, embarked on Operation Good Neighbor during the height of the Syrian civil war and brought thousands of wounded Syrian adults and children into Israeli hospitals for medical treatment.

Every day, under the supervision of the IDF body called COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), thousands of tons of aid are sent into Gaza from Israel.

Recently, Israel sent assistance to the hurricane-struck Bahamas by sending portable water purifiers along with the other aid, including post-trauma counselling.

Israeli NGO IsraAid is ever ready to be deployed, along with the IDF, to parts of the world where humanitarian assistance is most urgent.

Today, while Turkish forces engage in conflict with the Kurds  Israel has not only dispatched humanitarian aid to displaced Kurdish refugees but has also provided medical care for Kurd refugee children in its hospitals.

Army of the People

Israel’s army  is so much more than a sophisticated defense machine. It is a citizen army and is as widely inclusive as possible. While conscription is compulsory for Israel’s Jewish citizens who are able to serve, many Arab, Druze and Bedouin citizens in fact volunteer for service. In the last few years, these numbers have increased.  The army tries to be sensitive to the cultural boundaries of these communities.

But minority communities are not the only sectors of society that the IDF includes.

The IDF has introduced a program called Special in Uniform in conjunction with JNF-USA and Lend-a-Hand to a Special Child, which helps to integrate people with mental and physical disabilities into the army and enable them to make meaningful contributions to the country. Special in Uniform includes a three-month course on occupational skills to teach disabled young adults how to function independently and contribute to society in a positive way.

Soldiers who have participated in these programs have gone on to have bright and better futures. We salute them!

Where the Prophets Walked

Israel is home to the three Abrahamic religions, Israel is the place where Judaism, Christianity and Islam meet.

Where else but in Jerusalem can you hear the Imam calling the Muslim faithful to prayer while church bells peal and the melodic Hebrew incantations at the Kotel (Wailing Wall) sound out?

Israel is also home to the Bahá’í World Centre – the name given to the spiritual and administrative centre of the Bahá’í Faith. The World Centre consists of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, the Shrine of the Báb and its gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, and various other buildings in the country.

Even though Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, freedom of religion is enshrined in the Israeli Declaration of Independence. While it is sometimes a complex issue, the right to worship as you choose is protected.

Whether it is intoning ancient prayers or meditating in downward dog, all faiths are welcome. Perhaps this is why Israel is the Holy Land?

Innovation Nation

Living in a neighborhood where there is perpetual threat can turn one into the master of necessity.  As a result, Israelis have had to be innovative. As Israel’s first Prime Minister, David ben Gurion once said, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

Israeli innovators do not only believe in miracles – they create them! Israeli innovation is attracting billions of dollars of investment and acquisition. From life-saving diagnostic tools, to the Re-Walk exoskeleton that helps paraplegics walk again, to hi-tech inventions like firewalls and communications technology and many, many more including WAZE, low drip irrigation, Mobileye, Israeli know-how is changing and improving the world on a daily basis.

Climate change is having very serious repercussions on global weather patterns. Many countries that in the past enjoyed high levels of rainfall are now severely drought-stricken. Today, water has become the most sought after commodity and wars have been started over access to sources.

Israel, being a desert country knows only too well the challenges that come with having no water.

Israeli start-up, WaterGen has developed a machine that can literally create water out of thin air! It has been so successful that it has been deployed to desperate communities around the world and even played a role in humanitarian efforts. In 2018, WaterGen machines were sent to northern California to provide clean drinking water for US police and firefighters battling major fires.

Water is not the only area in which Israel is helping to preserve the environment. The country is a leader in breeding programmes for endangered species such as rhinoceros, re-forestation, recycling of plastics, pursuit of natural gas,  high percentage of vegans and so much more.

Golda Would Kvell – Women’s Rights

Famous for her razor sharp wit, Israel’s first female prime minister, the formidable Golda Meir, would be quite proud of Israel’s current record on the status of women – and that we continue to work for this to be improved.

In a neighborhood where women’s rights are often eroded, Israel stands out. Apart from being one of the first countries in the world to have a female head of state, women in Israel are not only active in society but are leaders in their fields that include politics, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, minority communities, social welfare, education, the military, arts and culture, science, medicine and technology and so much more.

We can vote, drive, and own property and business. We can make decisions that govern our bodies and our communities and if we want to, raise a little hell.

Women in other parts of the Middle East are not as free as their Israeli sisters. In this part of the world, girls are often married off before they reach puberty or are killed because they have ‘dishonored” their families. Gender Apartheid is rife.

Israeli women lobby and work hard to continue to elevate the status of women not just in our country; but in the region. Golda would kvell – I think she would raise her glass and toast L’Chaim to Israel’s women.

Entertainment and Books

I am not talking about the news – that is enough to raise anyone’s blood pressure.

Did you know that some of your favourite TV shows are based on shows created in Israel? The award winning “Homeland” and “In Treatment” are just two of Israel’s stellar small screen offerings and have been followed by international hits like “Fauda”, “Shtisel”, “The Spy” and so many more.

Even our gal, Gal Gadot, has become a box office sensation! We always knew she was Wonder Woman; but now the world knows as well.

Israel has more books published per capita than any other country. And while we may be the people of the book, we are also the people of the book week. Israelis love reading – whether it is for pleasure or knowledge. Israel can boast one Nobel Laureate for Literature, Shmuel Yosef Agnon, and award-winning authors Amos Oz and David Grossman are just some of our writers who enjoy international support.

We are also now the people of the Facebook. Social media giant, Facebook has acquired several Israeli start-ups to increase their service and technology offering to users.

The Sky is Not the Limit

Israelis dream big. There is no such saying as the sky is the limit – we believe in pushing beyond that and reaching for the stars. And we did! In April 2019, Israeli NGO, SpaceIL, sent an unmanned spacecraft called “Beresheet” (Hebrew for Genesis) to the moon.

Israelis epitomize the tenet; if at first you don’t succeed, try to outdo what you did the first time. The universe, not the sky, is our limit!

This is just a mere glimpse into the achievements that Israel continues to pursue. When the father of modern Zionism, Theodore Herzl, envisioned a Jewish State that would live up to the tenet of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) and would be in a position to help others.  Looking at what the 71-year-old Jewish State has achieved, I think he would be proud!

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