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Israel Celebrates 62 Despite War, Terrorism, Poverty, Obama
By
Joel Leyden
Jerusalem ---- April 20, 2010 …. Millions of Israelis celebrated their 62nd birthday today with family trips to the beach, picnics in every park from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Sderot to Kiryat Shomona, Haifa and Ashkelon, and raising their smiling eyes to watch the IDF proudly showing its colors from a clear, blue sky. Against all odds, having fought in over 6 defensive wars since 1948, sustaining 22,682 dead and thousands of terror attacks - the Israeli remains proud, confident and stoic. But perhaps transcending bullets and bombs, the daily threats of annihilation from Iran, Hamas and Syria, being able to pay one's electric and gas bills remains the greatest challenge for the majority. According to Israel newspaper daily Haaretz, the average wage in Israel is NIS 7,922 - about 2,000 USD per month. For those living and working in Israel, for an overshadowing middle class, it is a challenging hand to mouth experience with the average bank overdraft hanging at 16, 000 NIS and unemployment at 10 percent. One in four children in Israel live below the poverty level. For this reason over 650,000 Israelis live abroad, with 450,000 of them in North America, says the Israel Absorption Ministry. This represents a severe brain drain, with over 90 percent of Olim heading back to the States within 5 years. But for those who remain in Israel. For those of us who awake to a blistering hamsin (desert winds), traffic jams (if you are lucky enough to afford a car) and reports of a pending earthquake, we eat our falafel and derive joy from our children's smile.
Nothing is more powerful than seeing our children happy and healthy. As they represent the future Israel, an insurance policy against another Holocaust as we build upon our ancient biblical homeland. Even taking verbal assaults from Barack Obama, as he attempts to seduce the Islamic world while telling the Jews in Jerusalem to stop building in their own ancient capital. It's a sad topic for us. There is no greater love and bond in democratic values in Israel than as expressed for the United States. But for Obama to request that Hamas and Hezbollah, who have sworn Israel's complete destruction, to take positions in or near Jerusalem - to destroy defensible borders and place all of Israel at risk of Gaza type terror rockets, goes beyond any rational logic. So we retreat into eating hot dogs, hamburgers, Chinese food and falafel. We sing old and new songs with very little alcohol or grass. We maintain eye contact, smile and carry on. As we have no other choice. We know what happened when the Nazis ruled Europe and we have collectively vowed: "never again." Standing on a grassy hill overlooking thousands of Israelis enjoying fireworks on Independence eve, I could not help but think what brave, stubborn and dedicated group of people we have here in Israel. It is just one aircraft away from making 3-4 times more money, avoiding daily banks threats, orders preventing one from leaving the country and even debtors prison for those who just can't pay the full amount for child support. I overheard a social worker telling one dad who works 7 days a week: "it's your problem and responsibility to pay child support." The dad, who works at a hospital as an orderly, wants to pay but can't, responded with two questions: "how much do you earn?" and "tell me how you can buy food, gas, clothes and pay rent as you pay child support for three children on your salary?" The social worker had no response. Just a smile to say: "I hear you, this is what we have here." So believe me, the average citizen in Israel is not fearful of Iran, Syria or Hamas. We have our submarines, satellites and weapons. Barack Obama lied to Israel but we will get over it. The UK and Sweden can boycott Israel until hell freezes over. The Palestinians and anti-semites can churn out more PR on the selling of human organs. When the big one comes - an earthquake no less powerful than what shook Haiti - Israelis will pick up the pieces, put on a smile and carry on. What the Israel government must now concentrate on after security and defense is a massive campaign to create the outsourcing of professional services to Israel. If India and China can do it, so can the much respected, creative hi tech Jews of Israel. Israel public relations and public affairs does not serve justice to the many proud accomplishments of this so tiny of state yet so powerful of entity. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israel Prime Minister's Office and the IDF sorely lack both the professionalism and manpower to get the job done. Whatever monies Israel has goes not to PR but to airborne defense systems, the Mossad, the Shabak and the bullets that our soldiers carry on the Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Gaza borders. A survey recently conducted in 28 countries on 29,000 people reveals that only Iran, Pakistan, North Korea have a more negative perception than Israel. Israel needs to secure the financial contributions of the global Jewish rich and place these monies into online, digital public relations. Potent public affairs campaigns which will highlight the many positive facts such as Israel's ongoing global humanitarian efforts as reflected by the IDF and Israel Flying Aid in Haiti.
That Israel
has the second-largest number of startup companies in the world
(after the United States) and the largest number of NASDAQ-listed
companies outside North America. That the world's leading companies
such as Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, HP, Texas Instruments and Google
rely heavily on their Israel development facilities. Israel is known throughout the world for its excellence in the field of medical innovation and technological entrepreneurship. Being at the cutting edge of international biomedical research. In 2008, Israel had the 50th highest gross domestic product and 31st highest gross domestic product per capita (at purchasing power parity) at $202.6 billion and $28,474, respectively. In 2007, Israel was invited to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which promotes cooperation between countries that adhere to democratic principles and operate free market economies. Public relations and public affairs have a direct impact on life on the ground. On present and future security and investment. While Israel's image continues to take a beating, those of us in Israel are keeping the fort strong. We know what would happen if we traded our small Daihatsu's and Fiat cars for Volvos and BMW's in New York or California. With leaders such Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoganand and US President Barack Obama, Israel remains our collective Masada and Gamla. The only difference, the Israelis of 2010 will not commit suicide, we will wear our rubber gas masks and fight and perhaps even implement the Samson Option if forced to. As in 1948, 1958, 2009 and today, as Israel strives for peace we repeat the words "Never Again" as we drop off our children at school, sip our morning coffee, check our online bank balance and click through Facebook. We were here 3,500 years ago, we will be here 3,500 years from now. Pass it on.
Share it on Facebook. Tweet it on Twitter. Illustrate it on YouTube. For Israel's very survival - pass it on.
The Israel News Agency, which is accredited by Israel Government Press Office, was the first on line news organization in Israel. The INA reaches up to 60 million readers through Google News and Internet social networking channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from New York, London, Moscow and Paris to Toronto, Los Angeles, China and India. Leyden is presently launching the United States News Agency using the INA as a successful working model.
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