Israel Turns 60

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel. Technically, Israel came to be on May 14, 1948. However, if you go by the lunar calendar it's May 8th. It's also worth noting that May 8th also marks the Allied victory in Europe (V-E Day). I've only been to Israel once and that was nearly twenty years ago. I plan to write in more detail about that in the very near future. The headlines in the news focus on Israel's "jitters" and "uncertain future". There is certainly something to that considering the longstanding objectives of the Muslim world to put an end to Israel and Iran isn't far off from being in a position to carry that out. That notwithstanding, I would argue that Israel has accomplished more as a nation in its first six decades than any other in human history, including the United States and Great Britain. Show me a country that has come as far in the arts, sciences, industry and medicine in its first sixty years of independence. That's astonishing enough but one must always consider that Israel rose out of the ashes of the Holocaust. Israelis, Jews in the diaspora and fair minded people the world over have plenty of reason to be proud.