Yom HaAtzmaut Message

ISRAEL

Our Ancestra

staeri Ma Sea coas on e e was

Robert Sklar
Editor

W

e know the history. But it
bears repeating this week
as we celebrate Israel's
61st birthday as the Jewish state. Yom
HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day,
falls on 5 Iyar — this year April 29.
Rewind: On Nov. 29, 1947, the U.N.
General Assembly voted to partition the
British Mandate of Palestine and carve
out a Jewish state in the wake of the
Holocaust. On May 14, 1948, the people of
Israel declared the creation of the sover-
eign and independent State of Israel; the
U.S. government extended full diplomatic
relations with Israel. At long last, Theodor
Herzl's Zionist dream, conceived at the
First Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel,
Switzerland, was fulfilled.
The new state was rooted in the king-
dom of Israel, which was established in
Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel, 3,000
years ago. Jerusalem became its eternal
capital.
Jews have lived in the area comprising

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April 30 • 2009

an award-winning JIVOage degign tsee page A24).

the modern state for the last 2,000 years.
Since statehood, Israel has rebuilt a
biblical nation, piece by piece. It has
shaped a pluralistic, democratic society
with a unique friendship with America. It
has stirred a thriving economic, political,
cultural and intellectual life despite war,
terror and boycotts.
Fast forward to today: Israel is home
to major universities, an advanced high-
tech industry and significant research
and development in the field of renewable
energy sources. It has produced eight
Nobel Prize winners. It provides humani-
tarian aid, search-and-rescue teams,
mobile hospitals and other emergency
hospitals to help victims of disaster the
world over. It has absorbed millions of
Jews from countries around the world and
integrated them into Israel society.
When statehood took effect, Israel had
806,000 residents. Now, the population is
7.4 million — 75 percent of them Jews.
The rest are Arab, Druze or Bedouin.
Interestingly, 70 percent of all the Jews are
native-born Israelis as opposed to just 35
percent in 1948.

Since statehood, Israel
has shaped a pluralis-
tic, democratic society
with a unique friend-
ship with America.

In 1948, only one city had more than
100,000 residents — Tel Aviv/Yaffo. Now,
at least 14 cities boast that many dwellers.
Other notable Israeli statistics, courtesy
of the Jewish National Fund:
• The number of illiterate adults has
dropped from 16 percent in 1961 to 3 per-
cent now; the number of Israelis who have
finished 13 years of education or more has
increased from 9 percent to 42 percent;
• The gross national product increases
at a consistent average rate of 5-6 percent
per year;
• Imported consumer goods have
decreased from 26 to 13 percent since
1950;

• During the 1970s, export to Europe
made up 70 percent of all Israeli exports.
Now, export to Europe makes up just 36
percent. Exports to America and Asia have
climbed from 25 to 68 percent and from 1
to 18 percent, respectively;
• In 1950, Israel exports totaled $35
million of which 49 percent was agricul-
tural, 25 percent diamonds and 26 percent
industrial. Now, exports total $6 billion
— 3 percent agricultural, 47 percent
industrial and 23 percent diamonds;
• Since statehood, 60 million tourists
have visited Israel.
It's no surprise that America regards
Israel as a strong and trusted ally and an
important strategic partner.
Miracles indeed are part of Jewish his-
tory. And it's a miracle that Israel's demo-
cratic principles and practices have weath-
ered repeated Arab and Iranian attempts
to destroy Israel and murder Jews.
The message this birthday is simple:
We as diaspora Jews should savor the
moment, but speak and show our support
for our beloved ancestral homeland more
vigorously and passionately.

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