Israel at 60

Part II

By Tesfu Telahoun

The establishment after a long hiatus of a sovereign Jewish state was a struggle that participated millions. However, Theodore Herzel, a humble Austrian writer born in Hungary in 1860, occupies a special status for helping to found the Jewish ‘renaissance’ known as the Zionist movement. The dream of a Jewish homeland was given intellectual weight by his seminal book, ‘The Jewish State’ (1896) in which he articulately advocated the resettlement of Jewish people in a state of their own. Sadly, Theodore Herzel passed away in 1904 before he could see the completion of his great dream – just 44 years later in 1948. In the early 1880’s, Herzel had tried to win the support of various Ottoman rulers and the German Kaiser. Herzl sought the cooperation of these unlikely allies for the sake of practicality.
The land, known as Palestine after being renamed by the Romans (see Israel at 60 p.I ), was occupied by the Ottomans with the Germans as their main European ally. However, the Ottoman Turks and the Germans refused Herzel’s request to establish a Jewish homeland. In his consummate belief that the establishment of a Jewish state was critical to the survival of his scattered people, Herzl was even forced to attempt this anywhere – Uganda in Africa and Argentina in South America were considered briefly and discarded for reasons of Judaic law, history and feasibility.
In a telling sign of the Jewish tradition of the plurality of opinions – (picture the exciting maelstrom of current Israeli politics), the Zionist movement, though firmly united in purpose, exhibited differing avenues toward the attainment of a Jewish state.
Israel Today
Israel is fondly referred to as Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) by its citizens and world Jewry. The map of Israel has undergone several changes pursuant to military confrontations and subsequent facts on the ground. However, Israel proper is considered to be the areas mandated by the 1947 U.N. decision to partition Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state, as well as the lands re-possessed after the 1967 war.
The State of Israel is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea along its western rim, Lebanon on the north; Syria, West Bank and Jordan on the east and Gaza and Egypt in the south west. Israel’s 20,770 square kilometers are part of the Fertile Crescent of antiquity. The areas bordering the extensive (in Israeli terms) Mediterranean coast are fertile, high production agricultural lands. The coastal plain is one of the best watered regions of this small country that also boasts the Negev, a semi – arid area stretching north from the beaches on the Gulf of Aqaba to just south of Beersheba (well of Sheba), the capital of this vast area which borders on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. Central Israel’s main geographic feature is the historic Judean Plateau. Eastern Israel borders the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and forms part of the northernmost reaches of the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from northern Malawi to southern Syria. The Jordan Rift Valley contains the Sea of Galilee – actually a freshwater body also known as Lake Tiberias, and the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface at 1300 feet below sea level.
Although Israel is generally regarded as an arid country, perseverance and ingenuity have enabled it to make the ‘desert bloom’ as is oft quoted. The nation utilizes every single available drop – then uses it again. Drip irrigation, contained agriculture and select seeds are a few of the agri-tech areas Israel excels in, among other spheres.
Religion
Israel is the only Jewish majority nation state. 76% of its citizens practice Judaism. Muslims (16%) and Christians (2%) are the two other main religions. However, dozens of faiths and sects thrive in officially secular Israel.

Judaism is a world religion and it is estimated to have been an established faith since before 2000 BCE. Jews identify the Gregorian calendar with C.E. (Common Era) and BCE, before Common Era – the era being Anno Domini. Judaism accommodates a wide spectrum of often different views and practices, making it one of the oldest yet dynamic of faiths.
Language
Hebrew, Arabic and English (in that order) are the main languages used in Israel with the first two also official languages. Hebrew is a language of Old Testament times. The script is derived from Phoenician and has undergone changes over the millennia. However, it became standardized as of the late 19th century.
Hebrew is written from right to left. There are 22 letters – all consonants as Hebrew, like Amharic, does not have active vowels (as English does) but are formed by adding a system of dots and strokes. Again demonstrating Hebrew’s many similarities to Ethiopic grammar is that Hebrew has masculine and feminine forms of ‘you’.
Economy
Israel is a first world island in a sea of developing or emerging economies. Small in land area, it is not endowed with any significant mineral resources and arable land is scarce. Despite this, Israel has developed a high end, high value economy that last year generated 42.9 bln US dollars of exports.
Israel is a big player in information technology as this networked nation (3 million phones and 2 mln internet users among 6.5mln inhabitants) devotes billions to annual research and development. The energy driving Israel’s economy is graphically illustrated by the level of electricity production, which at 46.9 bln kwh, is one of the closest energy to people ratios in the world.
Israel has a diverse economy. Agriculture involves just 1.8% of the labor force. Other sectors are manufacturing (15.7%), construction (5.3%) wholesale and retail (12.9%), transport and communications (6.3%), business and finance (16.9%) and services (personal, public, other) 30.1%. The official monetary unit is called the New Shekel (ILS) and at last count, traded at 4.09 to one US dollar.
Government
Israel is a republic constituted under six districts. It has a president who is a head of state with largely ceremonial powers. The real authority resides with the powerful post of a prime minister who is the head of government. The current president of the State of Israel is highly respected elder statesman Shimon Peres, elected to office on July 15, 2007. President Peres has served in various high level positions including stints as P.M. Taking up the prime ministership after the tragic illness of national hero, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert has been Israel’s P.M since April 14, 2005
The Israeli parliament is known as the Knesset and has 120 seats. Governments in Israel can not, by design, consist of one party holding a majority of seats. This high level of democracy, while ensuring fair representation of all players on the political spectrum, requires that broad based coalition cabinets are the norm.
Transport and communications
Travel distances are modest in Israel and it is possible to drive through a large swathe of the country in less than a day. Public transport is efficient, readily available and cheap. Israel has about 900 kilometers of railway, over 2 million vehicles and thirty airports with a combined 7.7 billion passenger miles. The ports of Ashdod, Haifa (Mediterranean) and Elat (Red Sea) are important outlets.
Israeli media is boisterous and a rich mosaic of all sectors of the society. The internet has become so main stream that nearly 2 million users are registered. Electronic media, represented by a multitude of radio and television stations, is monitored by an average of 328 TV sets and 524 radios per 1000 population, respectively.

Chronology

1967 In the third week of May, Egypt re takes the Gaza Strip and imposes a naval blockade on Israel’s Red Sea port of Aqaba (now Elat) On June 5, Israel launches retaliatory and pre-emptive strikes by land, sea and air. Five days later, Israel captures large swathes of Arab territory including the entire Sinai Peninsula as far as the Suez Canal, East Jerusalem, Jordan’s West Bank and Syria’s Golan Heights. UN cease fire on June 10. The conflict came to be known as the Six Day War.

1970 Anwar Sadat replaces Gamal Nasser, who died Sept 20, 1976, to become Egyptian president. Egypt and Syria amass gratis weaponry supplied and airlifted by Soviet Union. United States responds with airlift to a besieged Israel.

1973 October 6, Yom Kippur, the most solemn of Jewish holy days. Egyptian forces suddenly cross Suez Canal. Syria launches attack on Golan Heights. Israeli counter offensive repels invasion, crosses Suez and encircles Suez City. Ceasefire brokered by UN signed on October 24.

1974 Under a January 18 agreement, Israel withdraws from Suez Canal ‘s west bank.

1975 Another agreement returns Sinai oil fields to Egypt. Relations between Egypt and Israel start to improve dramatically.

1976 Arab and German terrorists hijack Air France plane with 103 (mostly Iisrael) hostages and land in Entebbe, Uganda. Israeli special forces rescue all passengers, on July 3.

1977 Israeli politics turns conservative with the first ever election of the right wing, led by Menachem Begin.
Egypt’s Anwar Sadat makes historic and ground breaking visit to Jerusalem.

1979 Egypt and Israel sign formal peace treaty at Camp David, United States.
1981 June 7. Israeli air force destroys nearly complete Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq.

1982 Israel returns the whole of Sinai to Egypt. June 6. Israel crosses into Lebasinon in pursuit of PLO bases and infrastructure.

1989 First Intifada (Palestinian uprising) in West Bank and Gaza begins.

1991 Israel resists pressure by a Scud missile firing Iraq to join the first Gulf War.

1992 Yitzhak Rabin of the Labor Party wins elections on June 23.

1993 Extensive behind the scenes dialog produces the historic Oslo Accord between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.