Friday, August 12, 2011

Be comforted, my people....

Tomorrow we read from Isiah: ... נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ, עַמִּי

"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people... He gives power to the faint; and to him that has no might He increases strength. ...they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary..."

This is a fitting antidote to the three weeks of mourning we have just concluded on Tisha b"Av.

Despite the Babylonian conquest and exile, the Hellenist desecration, the Roman destruction, the Arab dhimmitude, the Crusader orgies of cruelty, the expulsion from England, the Inquisition and expulsion from Spain, the pogroms through Europe and Russia, the Shoah and over 90 years of terrorism and genocidal Arab wars, the Jewish people, small in number (only 14 million in a world of 6 billion) lives and thrives with "with wings as eagles".

Israel has absorbed millions of refugees and created a vibrant economy on a desolate patch of earth that is one eighth of one percent of the area of the Arab nations surrounding it.

..."The secret to Israel's survival, despite all the great challenges it has faced, lies in democracy and respect for the worth of the [Israeli] individual.... Israel  [developed] manufacturing, industry, and invention. The [average] income there is double [the average income] in the neighboring Arab countries. [Israel] has rendered itself an inescapable fact. Throughout all stages [of its development], it drew its power from the honor it granted to its citizens, while its Arab neighbors trampled the [poor] creatures known as their citizens under military boots" '

Okaz (Saudi Arabian Press), June 7, 2011

Be comforted, my people....

"This year, Israel published numerous scientific studies that put it in first place worldwide in terms of the number of studies [published] per capita – 12 studies to every 10,000 people. America is in second place, with 10 studies [to every 10,000 people], followed by Britain, with nine. As for the Arab countries, they are all at the bottom end of these statistics.

... Today, there are 21 international science companies in Israel... It knows before everyone else the results of [these companies'] studies, reaping their fruits and using their scientific expertise to advance Israeli inventions.
"The Israeli strategy in science and technology is based on finding new approaches in scientific research and technological invention by training new generations of scientists – especially in physics, chemistry, and the natural and social sciences....

"Since 1949, Israel has established marine geology and nuclear physics institutes, as well as [institutes] for the study of desert regions and information technology. Israel makes use of scientific research and technological development to secure its coasts and meet its [other] strategic defense and security needs, and in order to protect the environment, discover and develop natural resources and use them before others, produce electricity, communications, and information technology, and research [alternative] energy..." 

Al-Watan (Saudi Arabian Press), June 7, 2011

Israel has the highest venture capital investment IN THE WORLD
  • 2 x the U.S.
  • 30 x Europe

Israel has the second highest number of companies listed on the NASDAQ
  • 2nd only to USA
  • more than all of Europe, India, and China combined

Israel has more start-up companies than Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK.

Israel is a leader in:
  • computers,
  • security,
  • communications,
  • medical device patents,
  • clean-technology and
  • biotechnology
Be comforted, my people....

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