Israeli History/Israel Today< Israeli History
The Economic SituationEdit
Israel today is a thriving society, although facing great and formidable challenges. The state of Israel has survived the economic breakdown in the world's markets in 2008 and the Shekel came out as a strong currency. Stanley Fischer, the current governor of the Bank of Israel, is considered one of the greatest managers of central banks today, steered Israel's economy away from the crisis.
The Security SituationEdit
Israel Defense Forces (abbreviated IDF) is considered among the smartest armies in the world. The reason for this is the ongoing conflict with parts of the Arab world, which today are mainly Syria, Hezbollah (Islamic militant group based in Lebanon) and Palestinian militias. Also, Israel routinely has to deal with attacks inside the country, such as suicide terrorists on buses and public places, as well as external offensive, such as repetitive rockets on civilian population. All of which often lead to military operations.
Challenges for the futureEdit
In December 1966, before the West Bank was captured in the Six-Day War, Elad Peled authored a memo called "Jordan as a Military and Political Problem for Israel". In this memo, Peled argued that with the West Bank the Arab population of Israel would become a political majority between 2035 and 2050. The result, if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had not been resolved by that time, would necessarily be a disaster scenario. Arabs would attempt to give West Bank inhabitants the right to return or other privileges. Jewish groups would retaliate by depriving Arabs of political rights, causing a nationwide revolt. The end of the scenario would be a "police state". Thus, Peled recommended that Israel allow Jordan to keep the West Bank. Despite this recommendation, the West Bank was captured, but there has been nothing to prevent Peled's scenario from playing out. By 2030, it is probable that Israel will either collapse as a civil society or become a multicultural state.
Antisemitism is still a major issue today. Jewish people both inside and outside of Israel are wary of petty tyrants in all walks of life who scapegoat Jews for the world's problems and covertly or explicitly encourage hate crimes. For this reason, nearly all Jews hope that Israel will be able to retain Jewish political control in the future, creating a refuge for victims of racism and a nation where Jews can succeed in a global economy. If these freedoms are to be maintained in the 21st century, however, Israel must resolve the injustices towards both Arabs and Jews that plague its present situation. All mankind should hope for a peaceful Israel.