With all the negative spin about Israel that pervades much of the discourse on the Middle East, it’s always good to spotlight the positive. According to the 2012 National Power Index, released by the Foundation for National Security Research, a New Delhi-based think tank, Israel is among the top ten most powerful nations in the world.
The NPI ranks countries in terms of their ability to influence global events. The ranking is based on a statistical comparative analysis of a country’s economy, military, diplomacy, technology, and population.
The NPI ranks Israel’s military capability as sixth in the world (and the strongest in the Middle East). In technology it is ranked fourth. Its economy is ranked twenty-fifth. In addition, Israel is considered a world leader in technology and science.
Significantly, the study notes that Israel ranks fifteenth on the UN development index, a reflection of the high quality of living enjoyed by Israelis.
Think about it. Modern Israel was created after 2,000 years of Jewish homelessness and powerlessness and on the heels of the systematic murder of six million Jews. And after just six and a half decades of existence it is at the forefront of national achievement – an international force to be reckoned with.
What a stark contrast to the centuries of persecution and the devastations of the Holocaust, when Jews had no place of refuge. And what an illuminating reminder of the necessity for a safe and secure Jewish homeland.