1. Israel Today ישראל היום

2. Israel Today There is no denying the complexity of Israel- what other middle-eastern country has a majority of Jewish citizens? There is certainly a long history behind that, but what about the Israel you can see today? Well, the one you could see if plane tickets weren’t about a million dollars. So why don’t you watch this-I can guarantee it’s a lot cheaper then buying that plane ticket.

3. Waging War In it’s more then 50 years of existence, Israel has never been at total peace. It was built on a foundation of fear, the countries that surrounded it rejecting it from the start. Even today, with their strong army and advanced weapons they cannot guarantee their citizen’s safety while praying or in public. The “peace” there, when it is in place is very unstable. (Frank, pgs.101-104).

4. Keeping It Strong One must agree that fear is a good seed for building a nation. Israel has managed to survive this long by several methods. One is their strong army, which every Israeli citizen (except deeply religious and Arab Israelis) must serve in. Another is their economy, and the fact that they’re considered a developed nation. They became very self-sufficient in the realm of agriculture, even though they have a lot of desert land and limited water, they put what they have to good use. Educated citizens and money should be considered weapons. (Frank, pg. 55).

5. Religion Divides Israel may be built on Judaism, but Judaism also divides it, as there are many different kinds of Jews from the secular to the deeply orthodox. For example, is it fair that super-orthodox Jews, (who like you know are excused from military service) serve in government and have a say in what kind of food restaurants serve? (Frank pgs. 96-97 and 106)

6. Politics Divide? There are many different political parties in Israel, from the center-left Labor Party to the National Religious Party (leading advocate of Jewish settlers in the Occupied Territories), and Shas (representing Jews of middle eastern descent). And that’s only a taste. Naturally, like any government you are going to have a certain amount of chaos when there is a diversity in power, but it may be interesting to note that Israel’s new prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (the Likud Party) formed a coalition government with other parties, including the Labor Party. (Makovsky, Kershner, Myre)

7. Still Interested? I know that you hear a lot of down stuff about Israel on the news, and to be honest I’m not really helping. But, it’s still a lovely country with many good accomplishments. So why are you still here? Go earn that plane ticket!

8. Credit Frank, Mitch. Understanding the Holy Land. 1. New York: Viking, 2005. Kershner, Isabel. "Netanyahu to Form New Israel Goverment." The New York Times 20 Feb 2009 1. Web.15 Apr 2009.. Makovsky, David. "Convergence of New Israeli Government." Real Clear World 30 Mar 2009 1. Web.15 Apr 2009.. Myre, Greg. "Sharon Close to Forming 3-Party Goverment in Israel." The New York Times 25 Feb 2003 1. Web.15 Apr 2009..