Abraham H. Foxman: Israel at 65: A Proud History and Bright Future

Abraham H. Foxman: Israel at 65: A Proud History and Bright Future HPFB.init();
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Abraham H. FoxmanNational Director, Anti-Defamation League

GET UPDATES FROM Abraham H. Foxman   Like 42 Israel at 65: A Proud History and Bright Future Posted: 04/15/2013 5:03 pm Follow   Judaism ,   Israel ,   Science , David Ben Gurion , Yom Ha'Atzmaut , Innovation , Israel-65th-Anniversary , Technology , World News
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As Israel celebrates its 65th birthday, we should pause to marvel at the many successes of the Jewish state. Democracies around the world, including the U.S., have taken centuries to achieve the type of political, social and economic advances that define Israel's existence today. It is worth reflecting on what Israel has accomplished in the country's short history.

When David Ben-Gurion declared Israel's independence in 1948, the country consisted of 650,000 people, many of whom had survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Together with Jews from around the world, they joined in committing to the goal of creating a viable and secure democratic Jewish state.

Jews arrived from all corners of the globe to start their lives anew in Israel. Holocaust survivors from Europe, Jews expelled from Arab countries and Ethiopian and Russian immigrants all came seeking a more secure and prosperous future for themselves and their families. Despite the difficulties involved in absorbing these different population groups, including major political, cultural and religious differences, Israel never succumbed to internal violent conflict.

In the early days of the state, Israelis faced daunting twin challenges -- growing the homeland while simultaneously protecting it from external enemies who sought its destruction. Accepting the responsibility of building up a poor immigrant nation, the Israeli government pursued socialist policies that sought economic equality for its citizens and allowed for the government to oversee the country's development. This approach facilitated the resettlement and absorption of new immigrants, helped build up cities, towns and Kibbutzes, and contributed to the remarkable cultivation of undeveloped ecosystems like the swampy Hula Valley and the arid Negev desert.

At the same time, Israel faced repeated attacks from outside enemies on each of its borders who sought to destroy the Jewish state. Israelis remained resolute and resilient, fighting for the country's survival while calling on its enemies to sit down and negotiate peace.

Indeed, over the years, Israel has made enormous sacrifices for the sake of peace, both in blood and in territory. Menachem Begin, Israel's sixth prime minister, ceded control of the Sinai to Egypt. Yitzhak Rabin's brave efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led to his assassination at the hands of a Jewish extremist. Ariel Sharon's disengagement from Gaza gave way to a deadly Hamas-led rocket campaign against Israel's southern cities and towns. Even today, despite repeated terrorist threats against Israel emanating from the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continue to actively pursue peace with the Palestinians.

Remarkably, even with the lack of complete peace, this country of eight million continues to grow as a nation. The Jewish state has come a long way, and is now recognized as an international leader in the hi-tech and scientific fields. In just the past eleven years, there have been six Israeli Nobel laureates, and major companies including Google and Microsoft have opened up facilities in the Jewish State. During President Obama's recent Israel visit, he underscored some of Israel's cutting-edge scientific and technological innovations, noting the important contributions Israelis were making towards improving the world.

What sets Israel apart from so many other nations is its desire and ability to help others in need. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Israel had one of the first rescue teams on the ground, and operated the only fully functioning field hospital in the country. Israeli doctors regularly treat Syrian rebels who have been injured in the country's civil war, and Israeli scientists operate agricultural programs in a number of developing countries, using innovative Israeli technology to assist in dealing with environmental concerns like climate change and food security.

After 65 years of independence, Israelis look back with well-deserved pride in what they have accomplished in such a short period. Israeli democracy, despite having endured many trials and tribulations, remains remarkably strong. Political debate can be heard throughout cafes and restaurants across the country. Israel's vibrant press carries news and opinions from all spectrums of society. The Knesset has become a setting for politicians from all walks of life to engage in meaningful and impassioned discussions about important legislative issues.

Israelis also look forward with optimism about their future. Yes, Israel is an imperfect state, and continues to grapple with many important issues. To be sure, security issues still loom large and likely will for the foreseeable future. Palestinian feet dragging has led to a peace process that is stagnating. Hamas continues to violently threaten Israel and Iran, which has repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map, is fixated on building nuclear weapons capable of doing so. The civil war in Syria has also raised serious concerns about the regime's chemical weapons falling into terrorist hands.

Yet these and other difficulties have not hindered Israel's ability and desire to continue building a strong democratic and prosperous Jewish state. Israelis know that the best way to counter those seeking to jeopardize its existence is to continue innovating and sharing ideas and creations with the rest of the world.

On Israel's 65th birthday, the Israeli people have expressed an unquestionable desire to build a better future for their country and for the world. While many challenges still remain for Israel and the Jewish people, as long as Israelis continue believing in and working towards achieving their country's potential, Israel will continue to be uniquely strong and vital for decades to come.

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Spring Cleaning Checklist For Getting Your Bathroom Bright With Stuff That's Sitting Around Your Kitchen (PHOTOS)

Bathrooms are gross for many a reason that we don't need to list here. But right at the top is how filthy they get--and how fast. Here's a handy little spring cleaning checklist to help make the most dreaded tasks fast and efficient. The bonus? You probably already have the products in your kitchen.

Start with the toilet. There are so many different ways to make the porcelain throne sparkle. If you've got rust stains, try scrubbing them away with a pumice stone. Then, pour a 20 oz. bottle of cola into the toilet. Be sure to coat the entire inside of the commode with the soda and allow it to sit there for 30 minutes. Then, take a scrubbing brush and scrub where there are obvious stains. Finally, flush and it should be stain-free.

Tackle the tub. Remove any bathmats and the shower curtain (if you have one). Then, cut a grapefruit in half and sprinkle it with salt. Next, wet the bottom of your tub with seasoning. You can use the fruit as a scrubber and run it along the surface and hardware. Finally, just rinse. Apartment Therapy has step-by-step photos. If you've got grout mildew, try mixing 16 ounces of baking soda with four tablespoons of liquid dish soap and a cup of warm water as per TLC's How Stuff Works.

Get a sparkling sink. Real Simple recommends wiping the area with a damp cloth and dishwashing liquid. Then, rinse completely and repeat those steps. You can also scrub down the faucet with cucumbers after you clean it, to restore its shine.

Have a mighty mirror. Just mix one to two teaspoons of dish detergent in a large bucket of warm water and wash down the mirror. Then, use a squeegee to wipe off the suds horizontally. You can either use a sponge or newspaper to dry the area: just be careful because smudging can occur due to the ink. Read how this works with windows as well.

Obtain a flawless floor. The first thing you'll want to do is vacuum or sweep the floor to remove any paper, dust and hair. Then, TLC's How Stuff Works recommends mopping the floor with one half cup of baking soda and warm water. You can add lemon juice to get a nice scent.

Get your shower curtain clean. If it's fabric, just read the label instructions. Most can be placed in a regular washing machine with your normal detergent. If it's vinyl, How To Clean Things has a full step-by-step way to tend to it.

For other amazing cleaning tips and tricks, click through our slideshow below. And be sure to check out our spring cleaning checklist for your kitchen.

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by dusting your lightbulbs.

to organize your hair ties.

by standing it upright with a binder clip.

to organize your bathroom.

using shower curtain hooks.

with these mail organizing tips.

to mark your keys and prevent losing track of them.

by lining the bottom of your trashcan with newspaper.

with these stress-free organizing tips by 'A Bowl Full Of Lemons' blogger.

clean out bottles with persistent odors.

water your plants.

a bar of soap.

make nifty magazine storage.

make your pillows fluffy again.

clean stainless steel appliances.

help you dust a ceiling fan.

remove rust stains from your toilet.

make your home smell like cookies all day.

as air purifiers at home.

to deodorize your home.

How often should you wash scarves, gloves and hats?

eliminate litter box odors.

keep dust baseboards clean.

eliminate litter box odors.

They're kind of gross.

protect floors from scratches when moving furniture.

polish forks between the tines.

using a hanging shoeholder.

remove paint stains on the floor.

Browse through these surprising bathroom items that have expiration dates.

clean your toilet bowls.

to clean your cheese grater.

It's one dirty little thing.

to remove sticky price tags.

as a garbage bin.

Check and clean your vacuum without making a mess.

clean your coffee grinder.

Don't let it ruin your New Year's Eve!

remove oil stains on cement.

remove ink stains from fabric.

make your fire smell even better this winter.

Make sure you aren't exposing your best friend to any harmful chemicals.

remove water marks from wood surfaces.

a Post-It note?

remove scuff marks from vinyl flooring.

It's the dirtiest part in your home, so make sure you're cleaning it thoroughly!

with plastic bags filled with ice

reduce static cling on your clothes.

with this beauty salon product.

fix scratches on CDs.

clean a dirty wall.

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