What do you think about these Amazing facts about Israel?

Yep, all true. In many ways it is a powerful success story.

However, it has been a the expense of most of its non-Jewish population, who have been living as refugees since 1948/9, and under occupation since 1967/73.

The ultimate success story will be one that allows these refugees to return home and be full citizens. As Israel is essentially a Jewish state, albeit often very secular in character, it must become more secular so as to allow the Christian and Muslim population to feel at home in their own land. There are a range of ideas for doing so, including the oft-touted two-state solution, or a state of cantons, and the route to that won't be an easy one.

In many ways it is a Rhodesia with powerful friends. Many of the same successes could be attributed to Rhodesia, but it was still run by a minority, at least at the partial expense of most of the people. Rhodesia ultimately failed as it lacked international support and could not withstand the pressure of its opponents. Holding out against change as long as possible meant a sensible compromise was not achieved, and the ruthless dictator who took over the new Zimbabwe was able to run the country into the ground.

Israel has the USA, a superpower friend. It is under no real pressure to make the sort of compromises necessary to resolve the situation, and is still expanding into Palestinian land. The vast bulk of Palestinian refugees still own land in what is now Israel, but it will not even permit them to return, let alone recognise their property rights (including Ottoman and British Mandate title deeds). In many cases the old villages have been destroyed and redeveloped. This enforced exile is in contravention of international laws and the same UN resolutions that granted Israel recognition as a state.

With strength comes callous arrogance, and that breeds hatred and ruthless terrorism amongst the dispossessed. Terrorism is used as a reason to not let refugees return, rather than recognising it as a direct symptom of the dispossession.

If Palestinian refugees can be refused return, then that would also apply to Bosnians, Georgians, Western Saharans, Darfuris, etc, and one of the major principles by which we aspire to have a civilised world would go out the window. Ethnic cleansers like Radovan Karadzic could claim their methods were legitimate, and the results should remain. It would be ironic that a country that was founded in the shadow of the Holocaust was primarily responsible for enabling genocidalists to succeed.

So while it's a major success in some ways, it is a complete disaster in others. A proper solution is very much needed. In the meantime, we cannot admire one shiny side of the coin without recognising the less shiny other side.

Amazing Facts Israel

You might like to add these to the list.

1. Israel is the only nation that was called a nation before it became a nation in 1948.

2. Israel is the only people to inhabit the land and have it prosper, as no life was in the land before the Jew returned in 1948.

3. Israel is the only nation where by a blessing and a curse apply.

4. Israel is the smallest Great nation in the world.

5. Israel is the only nation that the world hates by and through secular peoples

6. Israel is the only nation blessed by God, and all those who support her.

Now you know why so many people want to kill the Jews. It's called "jealousy." I have often wondered about the curiously high number of geniouses and high level of intelligence are found in so many Hebrews. It couldn't be attributed to all those years wandering in the desert. You have to remember the promises God gave to Israel - provided they observe the Laws and did not follow any false gods. Their vinyards would always be full and their herds overflowing. I think there is something to it. It may be the way they educate their people and it may be an outgrowth of their cultural attitudes towards education. But producing people like Albert Einstein is unique. I think its in the DNA myself. I have, out of love for God, always been supportive of Israel - even though I was deeply dismayed that Israel decided to use white phosophorus on the Palestinians. I am hoping Israel will never again revert to such a thing - they should know better, after the SHOA! If anyone in this world understands what it is like to be discriminated against, to be hounded, to be murdered and killed and to be hated, it is the Jews who know.

If your intention was to educate the anti-Israel crowd, you will probably fail----these people don't want to be educated, they want to sling around words they can't even define in order to fuel their self-important attitudes (one must feel pretty self-important to be using words you can't define to comment on an issue you don't understand...). For many, the sweet, manufactured irony of calling "Jews" Nazis seems to make the libel a de facto statement, able to stand on its own without pesky things like 'evidence' or 'comparative skills'. Education would just burst their bubble. But, rant aside:

It's definately refreshing to see a more representative side of Israel than the non-stop war coverage*. I think the constant reporting of the conflict obscures Israel's tremendous accomplishments as a nation, especially in the face of great adversity.

*Although, for over 13 of us, this question was apparently about the conflict, even though it is decidedly not. Obsession, anyone?

Peace

How much Israel has affected the world?

all global graphs "shoot forth" at 1967, which

might have something to do with Yom Kippur,

and War, which Israel1 and Israel2 are about

Israel is now over 60?

60 years later, Israel is no better than

India/Pakistan also having border wars

60 years after Gandhi brought division

Israel being knowledgable?

having all knowledge accounts as "nothing"

without charity is what "never" fails, and we

all know Israel1 already failed, came to "0"

Israel re-establishing Horeb-bull?

Hebrews, still doing the milky way, are babies,

unable to discern law: good and evil: ends bad;

And when they ought to be teachers of grace,

have need to be taught the first principles of

the oracles of God said: let there be light

What does Amos 5 say to Israel?

The day of the LAW is darkness, and not light;

Woe to those who desire it. To what end is it?

What does James say to Scatter-brain Jews?

grace + law ought not come out same mouth,

since result is blessed + cursed = accursed.

I have always believed that Israel is the only middle-eastern country worth keeping around. Couldn't care less what happens to the rest of the countries surrounding it, they're still in the stone age, and get their a/s/ses handed to them by Israel, all at one time.

Good on'em. Hopefully the rest of the world, the United States included, will be willing to learn something about how some things are done.

And yes, I'm an American.

Just a few things that makes me proud I'm Jewish XD

I was enjoying this very much until you got to the bit about those poor cows.

EDIT: Do those four thumbs-downs indicate people who think cows should be exploited to the maximum to produce as much milk as possible regardless of welfare and well-being? To me that was a really jarring note among a list of things Israel can rightly pride itself on.