At 70 – where we’ve been, and where we’re going

To honor the Israel that was, what it has become, and where it is headed, The Jerusalem Post is launching a series of in-depth features leading up to Independence Day on April 19

By DAVID BRINN
The Jerusalem Post (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Jerusalem Post
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
From a tiny country born kicking and screaming for survival in 1948, Israel has not only survived but flourished beyond anyone’s imagination. Through more wars than any country deserves, complex challenges of absorbing millions of immigrants from around the world, and continued efforts to question and fight its legitimacy, Israel has become perhaps the world’s most astounding success story of the last 70 years.
In medicine, science, technology, global humanitarian outreach, we hit way out of our league – Start-Up Nation is not a myth. Our military prowess, born out of necessity, is legendary, but Israel is also known around the world for its food, TV shows and LGBT-friendly society. Sure, we have plenty of internal problems – what robust, messy democracy doesn’t? – but the strides Israel has made in its first 70 years are remarkable.
To honor the Israel that was, what it has become, and where it is headed, The Jerusalem Post is launching a series of in-depth features leading up to Independence Day on April 19. We’ve asked our talented journalists to look at subjects that reflect the country’s evolution and provide perspective on the changes that have taken place and might possible be still to come.
Last month in our Friday Magazine, Sarah Levi traced the roots of the uniquely Israeli institution, the kibbutz, and its unlikely evolution after 70 years. In tomorrow’s Frontlines section, Amy Spiro dishes on how Israeli cuisine has evolved from the Jaffa orange to gourmet shakshuka.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be looking at the changing relationship between the Supreme Court and the Knesset, the vast population changes from a country of 600,000 to one of eight million and the challenges that come with it, Israel’s diplomatic inroads, and the evolution of Israeli TV and nightlife, among many other subjects that exemplify the breadth and scope of the Israel experience in this landmark year.
Join us as we celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday, with a nostalgic look back, a realistic look at the present, and an insightful glance at where we might be in another 70 years.