(Jerusalem Post) Editorial - Ben-Gurion, whose original state contained a mere 600,000 Jews, would have hardly believed that in his own children's lives, this number would grow almost tenfold. He certainly would have been stunned to learn that Zion is only a few years from becoming home to the world's largest Jewish community, a status it has not had since the First Temple's destruction nearly two-and-a-half millennia ago. Israel's per-capita income is higher than half the European Union's, and the Jewish state has one of the world's most solid currencies and most envied technological industries. Demographically, while most other Western populations are shrinking, Israel's continues to grow, thanks to fertility rates that are higher, and marriage ages and divorce rates that are lower, than most other countries in the West. Most importantly, in a world where organic culture is often being overpowered by international commercializing forces, in Israel, Hebrew language and culture - which only a century ago hardly existed - are flourishing.
2005-05-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive