How do you write an article about how Israel became powerful and not mention Netanyahu, who I think it is fair to say is the most dominant figure in Israeli history (love him or hate him; I'm in the former category)?
Ben Gurion founded the nation; Netanyahu (as Obama would say) fundamentally transformed it - from a sclerotic Socialist state to "Start Up Nation" (fortunately, he transformed it in the direction opposite to that which Obama wanted to transform America). It is a tech power second only to the United States, which makes it indispensable even to fanatically anti-Semitic nations like Spain, Ireland and Norway which have found that they can't boycott Israel without damaging their own economies. Further more, Bibi enabled the development of the natural gas industry, which not only enables Israel to produce electricity without importing the energy needed for it, but even exports it to Arab nations.
Yes, Ben Gurion and the founders enabled Israel to survive. Netanyahu took it to the next level, making it a power to be reckoned with, even by those countries that hate it enough to want to wipe it out.
One of the reasons the left has turned on Israel with such venom and hatred is that in its early years Israel was more socialist. That all changed starting in the 80s and 90s where Israel pivoted to be more capitalist. Nothing more wrathful than a socialist scorned. Israel put a falsehood to the lie that societies can only grow and thrive under socialism, hence the unrelenting demonization of Israel began (along with expression of antisemitism that was tapped down after the Holocaust). Israel is also a testament to what a nation state, regardless of size can do when you allow individualism in business, engineering, medicine and technology but still bond people together with common goals.
The hatred of Israel really began on the left with victory in 1967, when the Soviets and the international left first accused it of occupation. By the time the Labor Party rule ended in 1978, this anti-Israel hate was already well advanced, with the Zionism = Racism resolution being passed in 1975
Netanyahu, looking at the AOC / Mamdani / Sanders wing of the Democratic party, and the Carlson / Owens / Fuentes wing of Republican Party, is implementing a plan to relieve Israel of dependence on US support.
And Israel will need to continue to remain innovative, as those that are jealous of her achievements, will continue on the path of self destruction of their own culture and nations, in a futile attempt to destroy the State of Israel.
A wonderful story that most people don't know. India's story is similar. Left by the British in dire poverty, and worked hard to become what it is today. One reason why the two countries, the only functioning democracies in their regions, are natural allies: https://ruthvanita452091.substack.com/p/recurrent-nightmares-and-strong-alliances
And the strength of the Hebrew language, proven by the fact that Hebrew is now spoken by The Jewish People who built a nation speaking New Hebrew based on the Hebrew Testament. Amazing. But the Hebrew language has been tested and found True.
Most people do not realize that the Israeli Airforce's first fighters were ME-109 build in Czechoslovakia! They were incomplete when overrun by Allied forces. They had no engines so the Israelis search high and low till they found a BOMBER engine that the plane could be modified to accept,
This is the type of ingenuity that made the small state of desperate Jews successful!
Deploy an all-volunteer force to support protesting Iranian freedom fighters to give them the opportunity to organize and put in place a free government of the Iranian people without Radical Islamic Terrorists.
This operation would be manned by an all volunteer force of US Army retirees and recently discharged soldiers. Manpower would not be an issue but we would need the support of the US Government to provide weapons and mobility equipment.
Reconditioned HMMV and/or Stryker vehicles would be used after an initial entry force would secure an airfield to allow AF Mobility command to transport the force in. From that point a two prong approach would be used to secure more airfields and to begin to protect the protestiung people who simply desire their freedom.
The first step would be gathering the volunteers to process and train them for the mission. Either NTC (National Training Center) or JRTC could be used. These forces would be configured in a Light Cavalry configuration. Much of this would evolve as the situation on the ground required.
Please forward your support to your representatives and repost as much as possible.
We, military members, have always fought for freedom. Here is the chance for us to bring success to a suffering country.
Much like many leftists in all western countries (the US, UK, Australia, Canada and continental Europe). They never see the good in their own countries and people.
Ben Gurion performed a miracle in bringing all the pre-Independence militias to join together and getting Palmach, Haganah, and Irgun to work together was, in my mind, a miraculous achievment because those groups didn't necessarily agree with one another. The other part of his miracle was to achieve subordination of the military to the civil authority which is a hallmark of US forces since George Washington an example of which is Truman firing MacArthur to maintain civilian rule of the military. Israel became strong economically and militarily because of unity. As I've said before, being a perpetual target does sharpen the mind.
Last night, I watched Tovah Feldshuh's portrayal of Golda Meir on Izzy TV. In monologue, Golda expresses a fact of life inherent to living in Israel. "Our enemies want us dead. We want to live. There is no negotiation between those two positions." 'Nuf said!
Golda Meir was a horrible PM who almost got Israel destroyed in 1973, when she ignored or dismissed information from King Hussein of Jordan that an attack was imminent.
Golda Meir did not ignore King Hussein's warning about the Yom Kippur attack when they met secretly in the runup to the war, in the presence of Mossad chief.
This is recounted in great detail in Abraham Rabinowitz' "The Yom Kippur War".
Mossad was convinced there would indeed be war, from this meeting and also from their secret Egyptian source who was Nasser's son in law.
But IDF Military Intelligence chief Eli Zeira was pushing the narrative that there would be no war. He carried weight because he had made the same call in May of that year and been proven right, hence IDF Chief of Staff David Elazar deferred to his judgement.
Only two days before the war Defense Minister Moshe Dayan overrode Elazar and ordered an additional tank brigade to the Golan, raising IDF tank strength there from 77 to 177 tanks, against what would be over 1400 Syrian tanks.
There is a difference between a preemptive attack and preparation for defense.
Had the warnings been taken seriously, specialist units could have been mobilized, tanks taken out of storage and fitted out for combat, Golan Heights and Sinai reinforced with additional units and air patrols flown over the country.
All of this without a preemptive attack that the US warned against but it would have helped greatly in the first 2 days of war. As it was, many tanks were driven into the Golan without having their gun sights adjusted for accuracy, something that could have been done in one day.
No it isn't, but that was a nice Progressive view of Israel's past that the present PM - Benjamin Netanyahu partially rejected and definitely rejects today.
If you read Bibi's biography, "Bibi" that I have read cover to cover - all 700+ pages - you realize he knew how to make Israel a powerhosue and it was by discarding the stupid policies that held Israel back by its Communist/Socialist Ashekenazi leadership class beginning with Ben Gurion who by the way detested Ze'ev Jabotinsky one of the three or four greatest Zionists - and it's not even close in that score. Bibi is the logical inheritor of Jabotinsky's thought processes and if you want to know more him then read the 2 volumes (over 1,800 pages) on him called "Lone Wolf." I loved the books.
Israel was headed down a path of going nowhere until Likud was elected. When they were elected they began to allow free markets, de-nationalization of key industries that the Left had destroyed, common sense tax laws instead of revenge seeking confiscatory tax policies, encouragement of technology companies and financial reforms, the ending of the corrupt Histadrut/Mapai labor policies that were strangling Israeli commerce and finally the drilling for oil and gas that the Left was opposed to and tried to sabotage even after the Leviathan discovery and so, so, so much more.
There is a reason Bibi is hated in Israel and it is almost exclusivley by its Communist/Socialist Ashekenazi leadership class. They can not forgive him or Likud for the necessary and obvious reforms going back to Begin. That is why you have these phony lawsuits against Bibi that totally mimic the Lawfare against Presdeint Trump. No wonder they admire and like each other so much. Both of them suffered by a crooked legal system and teh one in Israel is an abominatuiona nd a disgrace to the great nation of Israel.
I have no problem if you like Israel's Socialist past, but Bibi put it in the dustbin of history and I hope for Israel's sake it stays there.
One correction, however, John F. Kennedy was President between January, 1961 and November, 1963. Eisenhower, served from 1953 to 1961. Lyndon Johnson, his predecessor. his successor served from Nov. '63 to January '69. Truman, who recognized Israel in 1948, did not sell weapons to it. Eisenhower may have been moved toward feeling sympathy for Israel and the Jewish people based on his experiences in WW II and knowledge of the Holocaust. But that didn't translate to support. Kennedy and Johnson, however, understood the importance of a democratic ally committed to the rule of law in a region of totalitarian states committed to the rule of the man at the top.
How do you write an article about how Israel became powerful and not mention Netanyahu, who I think it is fair to say is the most dominant figure in Israeli history (love him or hate him; I'm in the former category)?
Ben Gurion founded the nation; Netanyahu (as Obama would say) fundamentally transformed it - from a sclerotic Socialist state to "Start Up Nation" (fortunately, he transformed it in the direction opposite to that which Obama wanted to transform America). It is a tech power second only to the United States, which makes it indispensable even to fanatically anti-Semitic nations like Spain, Ireland and Norway which have found that they can't boycott Israel without damaging their own economies. Further more, Bibi enabled the development of the natural gas industry, which not only enables Israel to produce electricity without importing the energy needed for it, but even exports it to Arab nations.
Yes, Ben Gurion and the founders enabled Israel to survive. Netanyahu took it to the next level, making it a power to be reckoned with, even by those countries that hate it enough to want to wipe it out.
One of the reasons the left has turned on Israel with such venom and hatred is that in its early years Israel was more socialist. That all changed starting in the 80s and 90s where Israel pivoted to be more capitalist. Nothing more wrathful than a socialist scorned. Israel put a falsehood to the lie that societies can only grow and thrive under socialism, hence the unrelenting demonization of Israel began (along with expression of antisemitism that was tapped down after the Holocaust). Israel is also a testament to what a nation state, regardless of size can do when you allow individualism in business, engineering, medicine and technology but still bond people together with common goals.
The hatred of Israel really began on the left with victory in 1967, when the Soviets and the international left first accused it of occupation. By the time the Labor Party rule ended in 1978, this anti-Israel hate was already well advanced, with the Zionism = Racism resolution being passed in 1975
Good point, but it really ramped up in Europe in the 80s as the academics and their media lapdogs piled on.
Exactly!
Netanyahu pushed free market reforms while Finance Minister which made possible Israel's high-tech boom.
Or the mention of Menachem Begin !
Netanyahu, looking at the AOC / Mamdani / Sanders wing of the Democratic party, and the Carlson / Owens / Fuentes wing of Republican Party, is implementing a plan to relieve Israel of dependence on US support.
And Israel will need to continue to remain innovative, as those that are jealous of her achievements, will continue on the path of self destruction of their own culture and nations, in a futile attempt to destroy the State of Israel.
A wonderful story that most people don't know. India's story is similar. Left by the British in dire poverty, and worked hard to become what it is today. One reason why the two countries, the only functioning democracies in their regions, are natural allies: https://ruthvanita452091.substack.com/p/recurrent-nightmares-and-strong-alliances
Terrific summary. Maybe that's why they hate us. Jewish brains and God-fearing nation can't be beat. Am Israel Chai
And the strength of the Hebrew language, proven by the fact that Hebrew is now spoken by The Jewish People who built a nation speaking New Hebrew based on the Hebrew Testament. Amazing. But the Hebrew language has been tested and found True.
Most people do not realize that the Israeli Airforce's first fighters were ME-109 build in Czechoslovakia! They were incomplete when overrun by Allied forces. They had no engines so the Israelis search high and low till they found a BOMBER engine that the plane could be modified to accept,
This is the type of ingenuity that made the small state of desperate Jews successful!
We cannot ever let this end!
Operation Iranian Freedom!
Deploy an all-volunteer force to support protesting Iranian freedom fighters to give them the opportunity to organize and put in place a free government of the Iranian people without Radical Islamic Terrorists.
This operation would be manned by an all volunteer force of US Army retirees and recently discharged soldiers. Manpower would not be an issue but we would need the support of the US Government to provide weapons and mobility equipment.
Reconditioned HMMV and/or Stryker vehicles would be used after an initial entry force would secure an airfield to allow AF Mobility command to transport the force in. From that point a two prong approach would be used to secure more airfields and to begin to protect the protestiung people who simply desire their freedom.
The first step would be gathering the volunteers to process and train them for the mission. Either NTC (National Training Center) or JRTC could be used. These forces would be configured in a Light Cavalry configuration. Much of this would evolve as the situation on the ground required.
Please forward your support to your representatives and repost as much as possible.
We, military members, have always fought for freedom. Here is the chance for us to bring success to a suffering country.
Operation Iranian Freedom!
Iran can be free; be part of the freedom!
Dan Dagovitz
US Army Retired
dwdagovitz@hotmail.com
It's an amazing story which makes me doubly annoyed with my leftist Israeli friends who can't find a single good thing to say about our country.
Much like many leftists in all western countries (the US, UK, Australia, Canada and continental Europe). They never see the good in their own countries and people.
They have been poisoned. I hope their brain, heart, soul damage is reversible.
Ben Gurion performed a miracle in bringing all the pre-Independence militias to join together and getting Palmach, Haganah, and Irgun to work together was, in my mind, a miraculous achievment because those groups didn't necessarily agree with one another. The other part of his miracle was to achieve subordination of the military to the civil authority which is a hallmark of US forces since George Washington an example of which is Truman firing MacArthur to maintain civilian rule of the military. Israel became strong economically and militarily because of unity. As I've said before, being a perpetual target does sharpen the mind.
Last night, I watched Tovah Feldshuh's portrayal of Golda Meir on Izzy TV. In monologue, Golda expresses a fact of life inherent to living in Israel. "Our enemies want us dead. We want to live. There is no negotiation between those two positions." 'Nuf said!
Golda Meir was a horrible PM who almost got Israel destroyed in 1973, when she ignored or dismissed information from King Hussein of Jordan that an attack was imminent.
Golda Meir did not ignore King Hussein's warning about the Yom Kippur attack when they met secretly in the runup to the war, in the presence of Mossad chief.
This is recounted in great detail in Abraham Rabinowitz' "The Yom Kippur War".
Mossad was convinced there would indeed be war, from this meeting and also from their secret Egyptian source who was Nasser's son in law.
But IDF Military Intelligence chief Eli Zeira was pushing the narrative that there would be no war. He carried weight because he had made the same call in May of that year and been proven right, hence IDF Chief of Staff David Elazar deferred to his judgement.
Only two days before the war Defense Minister Moshe Dayan overrode Elazar and ordered an additional tank brigade to the Golan, raising IDF tank strength there from 77 to 177 tanks, against what would be over 1400 Syrian tanks.
Wasn't it also because America warned Golda Meir against a preemptive attack?
There is a difference between a preemptive attack and preparation for defense.
Had the warnings been taken seriously, specialist units could have been mobilized, tanks taken out of storage and fitted out for combat, Golan Heights and Sinai reinforced with additional units and air patrols flown over the country.
All of this without a preemptive attack that the US warned against but it would have helped greatly in the first 2 days of war. As it was, many tanks were driven into the Golan without having their gun sights adjusted for accuracy, something that could have been done in one day.
What about Benjamin Netanyahu? How could you not mention and honor him??
"That is what makes Israel so powerful."
No it isn't, but that was a nice Progressive view of Israel's past that the present PM - Benjamin Netanyahu partially rejected and definitely rejects today.
If you read Bibi's biography, "Bibi" that I have read cover to cover - all 700+ pages - you realize he knew how to make Israel a powerhosue and it was by discarding the stupid policies that held Israel back by its Communist/Socialist Ashekenazi leadership class beginning with Ben Gurion who by the way detested Ze'ev Jabotinsky one of the three or four greatest Zionists - and it's not even close in that score. Bibi is the logical inheritor of Jabotinsky's thought processes and if you want to know more him then read the 2 volumes (over 1,800 pages) on him called "Lone Wolf." I loved the books.
Israel was headed down a path of going nowhere until Likud was elected. When they were elected they began to allow free markets, de-nationalization of key industries that the Left had destroyed, common sense tax laws instead of revenge seeking confiscatory tax policies, encouragement of technology companies and financial reforms, the ending of the corrupt Histadrut/Mapai labor policies that were strangling Israeli commerce and finally the drilling for oil and gas that the Left was opposed to and tried to sabotage even after the Leviathan discovery and so, so, so much more.
There is a reason Bibi is hated in Israel and it is almost exclusivley by its Communist/Socialist Ashekenazi leadership class. They can not forgive him or Likud for the necessary and obvious reforms going back to Begin. That is why you have these phony lawsuits against Bibi that totally mimic the Lawfare against Presdeint Trump. No wonder they admire and like each other so much. Both of them suffered by a crooked legal system and teh one in Israel is an abominatuiona nd a disgrace to the great nation of Israel.
I have no problem if you like Israel's Socialist past, but Bibi put it in the dustbin of history and I hope for Israel's sake it stays there.
Fascinating article, thanks.
One correction, however, John F. Kennedy was President between January, 1961 and November, 1963. Eisenhower, served from 1953 to 1961. Lyndon Johnson, his predecessor. his successor served from Nov. '63 to January '69. Truman, who recognized Israel in 1948, did not sell weapons to it. Eisenhower may have been moved toward feeling sympathy for Israel and the Jewish people based on his experiences in WW II and knowledge of the Holocaust. But that didn't translate to support. Kennedy and Johnson, however, understood the importance of a democratic ally committed to the rule of law in a region of totalitarian states committed to the rule of the man at the top.
What? For allowing October 7 to occur on his watch?