HISTORY - Israel: An Introduction - page 78

with Israel until Israel is destroyed. The new enemies have developed three new tactics to use
against Israel: Hamas and Hizballah fi re massive numbers of rockets at Israeli civilians and
cities; Iran has undertaken a drive to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that
might be used against Israel; and various governments and nongovernmental organizations
try to delegitimize Israel. Israelis have ample reason to believe both that the attempts to injure
or destroy the nation will continue and that Israel will continue to meet the challenges.
AN ALTERED BUT STABLE SOCIETY
Having fi rmly established a government and a society — and having weathered war, terror-
ism, and confl icts of every description in the process — the State of Israel evolved beyond its
heroic phase. Austerity and socialist-oriented policies were replaced by more individualistic,
materialistic policies with the same characteristics, but now the aspiration was, not to achieve
a utopian society, but to be successful in other ways. Preservation of Israel as a Jewish and
democratic state remains the core objective. Indeed, despite erosion over time, a remarkable
70 percent of Israeli Arabs —who have seen rising Islamism and instability in the surround-
ing region — also accept a defi nition of Israel, in the polling question's words, as a “Jewish and
democratic state, in which Jews and Arabs live together.”
Certainly, there is deep concern about the volatility of the Middle East, Iran's growing
power, and the burgeoning strength of Islamist insurgent movements on Israel's northern and
southern borders. Israelis, with their ever-active self-criticism, also fi nd much in society about
which to complain, especially political corruption and government ineffi ciencies. There is a
cynicism toward ideology that undercuts past idealism but equally dilutes tendencies toward
intolerance and fanatical certainties.
Yet Israelis generally have a positive belief that their lives are good and will get better. In-
deed, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 stood at $28,400 per capita, about
the same as Italy's. Living standards have improved for most Israelis over the years, as has the
national infrastructure. The country is far more united both socially and politically than at any
time in the past half-century.
Today, almost one-half of the world's Jews are Israelis, compared to only 10 percent when
the state was founded. Israel, which was predominantly agricultural at fi rst, has become a
world leader in a number of fi elds, including medicine, science, and agricultural and military
technologies and high technologies of various kinds. What was a beleaguered garrison state
with an uncertain future is now a stable democracy with a diverse culture, a solid postindus-
trial economy, and a creative, thriving citizenry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ajami, Fouad. Dream Palace of the Arabs: A Generation's Odyssey. New York: Vintage, 1999.
Arens, Moshe. “Consequences of the 2006 War for Israel.” MERIA Journal: The Middle East Review of
International Affairs 11, no. 1 (March 2007). http://www.gloria-center.org /meria/2007/03/arens
.html.
Begin, Menachem. The Revolt . New York: Nash Publishing Co., 1977.
Ben-Aharon, Yossi. “Negotiating with Syria: A First Hand Account.” MERIA Journal: The Middle East
Review of International Affairs 4, no. 2 (June 2000). http://www.gloria-center.org /meria/2000/06/
ben-aharon.html.