srael is a small country in the middle of the Muslim countries of the Middle East. Britain left Palestine on May 14, 1948, and the Jews declared their own state of Israel. Since then the State of Israel has not only survived, but has expanded its scope. In the last 75 years, as Israel has grown stronger as a state, it has caused headaches for the Arab states.
Israel is the only nuclear powered country in the Middle East. They are the only countries that grant citizenship directly on the basis of religion alone, be it Jews of any part of the world.
In 75 years, Israel has built a strong position in the world in terms of science, technology, economy or military. Several factors worked to make this possible, said Michael Freund, the founder and chairman of Shavei Israel, an organization assisting hidden Jewish communities in returning to Zion. An ordained rabbi, he has lived for the past 25 years in Israel where, for over a decade, he has contributed the column “Fundamentally Freund” to the Jerusalem Post. He was born in New York and remains a loyal New York Mets fan.
Western aid
Analysts believe that the Western world, especially America, has a big contribution behind Israel’s strength. Israel has been the largest recipient of US foreign aid since World War II.
Israel has been supported by Britain, France and America since its birth.
The British colonized Palestine after World War I, ending 400 years of Ottoman rule. France was also in the middle, although the region was ruled by Britain on a compromise basis.
The idea of the Jews having their own territory came primarily from the British government.
At that time, Jews from different countries of the world began to come in groups to the territory of Palestine. Due to this, the conflict between Arabs and Jews started to increase . In addition to Muslims, Christians also lived in Palestine.
The Arabs became angry in the context of Jewish settlements. To suppress this protest, Britain also tortured the Arabs. Later, even after the declaration of the state of Israel, France and Britain were with them directly and indirectly.
“Among the countries of the Middle East, only Israel was able to establish democracy and that democracy was supported by France and Britain,” said the University of Malaya professor Dr. Syed Mahmud Ali.
The United States, on the other hand, was the first country to recognize Israel. America recognized the state of Israel on the same day it was established.
According to the United States government’s ‘Office of the Historian’, Harry S. Truman declared his support for the Jewish state in 1946, shortly after becoming president of the United States.
And although the state of Israel was declared in 1948, Britain and France had more influence in the region. But relations with America became stronger in 1956 in the context of the Second Arab-Israeli War. When Israel attacked Egypt with the help of the West, the Soviet Union showed interest in helping the countries that supported Egypt, and the United States took the position of British troops to prevent the Soviet Union in the Middle East.
“Israel was born mainly with the great support of the superpowers, which has played a big role in Israel’s empowerment,” said a teacher and Middle East researcher at the Middle East Institute under the London School of African and Oriental Studies to Syed Ali Alavi.
In addition, it is also believed that the educational, cultural, and scientific aspects of the Jews are different from the Arabs, which is why Israel is considered as a Western country in the Middle East. And from the 70s, the way of Israel’s reconciliation with the Arab states started to be created by the initiative of America.
Military and technological development
The rise of Israel could not be prevented despite the fact that Israel’s neighbors – Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine – were enemies. Israel has fought three full-scale wars (1948, 1967 and 1973) and several smaller wars with its neighbors.
Dr. According to Mahmud Ali, the struggle for survival has made Israel stronger. Although Dr. Alavi believes that Israel’s military and technological dominance has been made possible by the West. For example, Iran’s technological development has evolved almost opposite America’s, and Israel’s has evolved from America’s friend.
But in the case of Israel, the skill level is different. Israel has focused on modern weapons, cyber security, air defense, missile systems and intelligence operations.
A report by the US Congressional Research Service says that the US has influenced Israel’s technological modernization. The US Congress has approved $520 million in joint military projects in fiscal year 2023, including $500 million for missile development.
Strategic ties and investments with the US have benefited Israel militarily and economically, according to Turkish expert Bushra Nur Özgüler Aktel, who studies Israel and the Middle East. Miss Aktel is currently pursuing her PhD at Georgia State University, USA.
Ms Aktel told Odyssey News that this is how Israel earned its reputation as a ‘start-up nation’.
As a state, Israel has sought to be militarily strong from the beginning. Because it was the only way for them to survive in the midst of the Arab states. Israel has also developed its military force strategically and with foresight in mind.
The country has compulsory military service for all citizens after the age of 18, except for the sick and special exceptions. But it is only binding on Jews. Military training is 32 months for men and 24 months for women.
The country became nuclear power from the 60s. Dr. Mahmoud Ali told Odyssey News that France helped Israel’s nuclear weapons program.
Israel has proceeded with its nuclear program in great secrecy. America was determined to prevent other Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East from acquiring nuclear power.
The British media The Guardian in a report on January 15, 2014 noted that the US and Britain have largely turned a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear program. Western countries have pretended not to know about it.
Development of science
Not only in the military, but equally in other fields as well. One of Israel’s surprising successes has been its agricultural sector.
When the state of Israel was established by expelling the Palestinians, there was a shortage of water and fertile land.
Israel has transformed from an agrarian-based state to a high-tech economic system. The country has shown success in growing various types of crops in the desert through modern irrigation management.
Israel’s food processing industry is constantly innovating, according to the US International Trade Administration.
Israel’s food processing industry generated $19 billion in revenue in 2020 and continues to grow.
Israel has influence in terms of cutting-edge technology. The number of start-ups working on cutting-edge technology in the country is over lakhs.
leadership
Israel has shown leadership prudence from the start, which has contributed significantly to their progress.
The country’s leadership has long-term thinking in military, agriculture, education, innovation and international relations.
According to Ms. Aktel, their leadership style and policy setting are slightly different.
“They prioritize long-term goals and international relations in decision-making,” said Miz Aktel.
The Jews of Israel originally came to the region from overseas, especially Europe.
Dr. According to Mahmud Ali, part of the great development of knowledge in Europe from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century was the Jewish intellectuals who established Israel as a highly intelligent, modern, educated nation.
“They came to the territory of Israel in the 30s and 40s and with their help Israel became a highly educated scientific state. In the Middle East, where poverty, inequality and lack of education were widespread, Israel emerged as a different society and polity,” said Dr. Ali.
But no matter how modern or powerful, according to Miz Aktel, their violation of international law, occupation of Palestinian land and violence against people cannot be ignored.
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