A Brief Guide for the Perplexed 31
While public debate and media attention tend to focus on issues of war , violence , and terrorism in the region , there is another side to Israel which is too rarely discussed , except largely by those fortunate enough to visit the country and see it with their own eyes .
Israel is an unimaginably vibrant and dynamic nation . It is both ancient and cutting-edge . It is a country of Nobel Prize winners , of Olympic medalists , of concert pianists , and rap stars . There are more scientists and engineers in Israel per capita than anywhere else in the world . Newspaper readership and book publishing are also among the highest in the world . Tel Aviv is one of the most LGBTQ + -friendly cities on the planet . The number of high-tech , start-up companies and patents issued are astonishingly impressive for a country of just under ten million inhabitants . Medical advances , technological and communications breakthroughs , and agricultural innovations have not only benefited Israel , but also millions of others around the world .
Next time you enter a chat room , use a mobile phone or voice mail , require color imaging , depend on a Pentium processor chip , need a CAT scan or MRI , or see a farm blooming in the desert due to drip irrigation , there ’ s a good chance Israel has lent a helping hand .
Israel . The more you know , the more you understand .