THE MIRACLE NATION: 75 reasons I love Israel as she turns 75
Come see Israel for yourself this fall with The Joshua Fund and me
(Jerusalem, Israel) — Never a dull moment.
That’s what it’s like to live and work in Israel.
Over the past week, terrorists in Gaza have fired more than 1,200 rockets at us. But they didn’t win.
Last year at this time, terrorists in Gaza fired more than 4,500 rockets at Israel. But they didn’t win.
The month that we moved to Israel – in August 2014 – terrorists in Gaza fired more than 4,000 rockets at the Jewish state. But they didn’t win.
And it’s not just attacks from the outside, and the grave and growing Iran nuclear threat, and Hezbollah’s 150,000 missiles pointed at us that make life challenging here.
It’s the severe and growing internal crisis, the bitter debates over judicial reform and the mass protests that have exposed deep and troubling rifts within Israeli society.
And the fact that so few of our fellow Israelis personally know the Messiah whom God sent to save us, bless us, redeem us, and transform us some 2,000 years ago.
That said, I love living here.
I love being an actual citizen of the State of Israel.
And today, 75 years after our first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, declared our independence, I want to share with you 75 reasons why I love this country.
May you find them interesting and encouraging – please share them with family and friends on social media.
Thanks, and may the Lord bless you as you bless Israel and her neighbors.
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I LOVE ISRAEL BECAUSE…..
1. The rebirth of the modern State of Israel – on May 14, 1948 – was one of the greatest miracles in the history of mankind and the fulfillment of ancient biblical prophecies that most people in the world thought were fairy tales, or lies, and would never come true.
2. The very existence of Israel today – and the survival of the Jewish people throughout human history, with so many people trying to destroy and annihilate us – is living proof of the existence of God and the Bible as His Holy Word.
3. God loves Israel – “The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3)
4. God calls Israel the “apple of His eye” – “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.’” (Zechariah 2:8)
5. God lives in Israel – “For the Lord dwells in Zion.” (Joel 3:21)
6. God chose Jerusalem – the eternal capital of Israel – as His very own city. “I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.” (II Chronicles 6:6)
7. God regards Israel – and our capital, Jerusalem – as the epicenter of the world. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with [the rest of the] countries all around her.” (Ezekiel 5:5, NIV) In II Chronicles 33:4, God says, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”
8. God chose to send the Messiah – Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) – to be born on earth in Israel to live as a Jewish man. (see all four Gospel accounts in the New Testament)
9. The most famous Israeli of all time — followed and beloved by more than 2 billion people worldwide at present — is Jesus of Nazareth.
10. When the Messiah returns to govern the entire world for 1,000 years, He will come to Israel and live in Jerusalem. (see Zechariah 12 and Book of Revelation)
11. The Hebrew prophet Daniel called Israel “the beautiful land – and he was right. (Daniel 8:9, 11:16, 11:41)
12. The State of Israel allowed my family and I to make aliyah, move here, and become citizens of this beautiful, miraculous country.
13. I have made some of the dearest friends of my life here in Israel.
14. Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, was right when he famously said, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”
15. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the number of Christians is increasing. The Christian population grew by 2% in 2021 and Christians make up 1.9% of the population of Israel.
16. Israel is the safest country in all of the Middle East and North Africa for followers of Jesus to live, work, and practice our faith.
17. Wonder Woman is an Israeli — Gal Gadot, who played the superheroine in the film that has raked in $821 million at the box office worldwide, was born and raised in Israel. Gadot (pronounced “Ga-DOTE”) is arguably the most famous Israeli in the world today, eclipsing the Prime Minister.
18. 81% of the nation’s citizens are proud to be Israelis, according to a new poll, and around 90% said they are happy with their lives in Israel.
19. 77% of Israeli Arab citizens feel a sense of belonging and sharing in the nation’s problems, according to a recent poll.
20. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.
21. Israel is the only country in the world to have more trees today than it did 50 years ago.
22. Israel’s three greatest exports are the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity.
23. Drip irrigation was invented in Israel — “Amazing to think that the huge worldwide industry of modern drip irrigation all began when Israeli engineer Simcha Blass noticed a tree growing bigger than its neighbors in the Israeli desert, and found that it was fed by a leaking water pipe. Today, Netafim, the company founded in 1965 to commercialize his idea, is recognized as the worldwide pioneer in smart drip- and micro-irrigation. It has revolutionized the agricultural industry, operating systems in 112 countries with 13 factories throughout the world and 2,400 employees.” (Israel 21c)
24. The world’s leading desalinisation system was invented in Israel — “Israel’s IDE Technologies is the leading company worldwide in desalination — the process of turning seawater into drinking water — with 400 desalination plants in 40 countries producing 2,000,000 cubic meters of water a day. IDE Technologies operates the world’s two largest desalination plants in Israel and is now building China’s largest and greenest desalination plant. The new plant uses runoff steam from a power plant to help run the desalination machinery — producing water for the power plant, drinking water for the community and salt to sell.” (Israel 21c)
25. Cell-phone technology was invented in Israel — “It was at Motorola’s Israel R&D center that Israeli engineers first developed original cell-phone technology. Most of the technology in your mobile phone can be traced back to Israeli engineering. From the tool that guards your mobile identity to a new keyboard solution, Israeli expertise keeps your phone from getting bigger yet staying cutting edge.” (Israel 21c)
26. Voice mail technology was invented in Israel.
27. The most impressive, state-of-the-art GPS navigation app – Waze – was invented in Israel. In 2013, Google bought the Israeli company, Waze, for a cool $1.15 billion.
28. Amazon’s Kindle e-book platform was invented in Israel — “The Java platform inside Amazon’s best-selling Kindle was developed in Israel. Some four years ago, Amazon contacted Sun, later acquired by Oracle, and asked the company to develop a customized platform to run the software in a new e-book reader device under design. Sun handed the project on to its Israeli R&D office in Herzliya, and it was designed and developed there. After several years, a prototype was created to Amazon’s satisfaction, and manufacturing began. Amazon is now the undisputed leader in the e-reader category.” (Israel 21c)
29. PlayStation was invented in Israel — “Circuit technology engineers at the IBM Haifa Development Lab played an integral role in developing the cell broadband engine chip controller that powers the Sony Playstation3 introduced in late 2006. The idea for the powerful chip came from Sony-Toshiba-IBM and was turned into an actual product through the collective efforts of 30 researchers working in Israel. The Playstation3 sold 197,000 units on the first day of its debut on the market, and one million within the first six weeks. IBM R&D Labs in Israel was established in 1950 and now encompasses about 1,000 employees at the Haifa Research Lab, the IBM Israel Systems and Technology Group Lab and the IBM Israel Software Lab. Locations include Haifa, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Rehovot and Jerusalem.” (Israel 21c)
30. The first USB flash drive was invented in Israel.
31. One of the world’s most advanced early microchips — the Intel 8088 — was invented in Israel.
32. The world’s first instant-messaging system was invented in Israel.
33. Two of Microsoft’s most important operating systems, NT and XP, were developed primarily in Israel. Microsoft has had a strong presence in Israel for many years and has two R&D centers in Herzliya that employ around 2,300 people. In 2021, Microsoft opened a new campus in Herzliya. It expects to employ around 4,500 people when it finishes current expansion projects.
34. Semiconductor chip maker Intel was one of the first multinationals to come to Israel. It set up a small chip design center in Haifa in 1974 — Intel’s first outside of the United States. Today, Intel Israel employs around 13,900 people, and is the corporation’s headquarters for global R&D for wireless technology. The 8088 processor was designed and developed here, as were important processors such as the 12th generation Alder Lake processor, powering millions of laptops worldwide. In 2021, Intel announced a $10 billion investment in manufacturing and R&D in Israel.
35. The Pill-Cam was invented in Israel — “Founded by Dr. Gavriel Meron in 1998, Yokneam-based Given Imaging revolutionized the world of gastrointestinal diagnosis by developing a miniature camera in a pill, called the PillCam, to visualize and detect disorders of the GI tract. The PillCam is now the gold standard for intestinal visualization and is sold in more than 60 countries around the world.” (Israel 21c)
36. The world’s leading collision prevention and driverless car-technology — MobileEye — was invented and created in Israel.
37. The game Rummikub was invented in Israel.
38. The game MasterMind was invented in Israel.
39. The United States was the first nation in the world to recognize the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 — and President Harry Truman, a devout Bible believing Christian, made his decision to stand with the Jewish state despite intense opposition within his own administration, including from his Secretary of State. Truman’s decision was announced to the world 11 minutes after Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion declared the nation’s independence.
40. Israel currently has diplomatic relations with 168 countries, an extraordinary development given thousands of years of anti-Semitism and the efforts of many in modern times to isolate and shun the State of Israel.
41. The current President of Israel’s Supreme Court is a woman — her name is Esther Hayut. The U.S. has never had a woman serve as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
42. Four of the 16 Israeli Supreme Court justices are women.
43. Khaled Kabub, an Israeli Arab citizen, became the first Muslim Israeli Arab to serve on the High Court. Previously, he served as vice president of the Tel Aviv District Court.
44. Ten Arab Israeli citizens currently serve as Members of Knesset, Israel’s national parliament, with 100 Arabs serving in the Knesset throughout the nation’s history.
45. Raleb Majadele — an Israeli Arab politician in the Labor Party — became the first Arab Muslim ever to be appointed an Israeli Cabinet Minister. In 2007, he served as Minister Without Portfolio. Then, in part of 2007 through 2009 he served as Minister of Science, Culture and Sport.
46. In 2022, 2.67 million tourists visited Israel. While below the pre-COVID high of 4.5 million, it is a dramatic increase from the previous year.
47. Approximately 50% of all tourists to Israel are Christians.
48. Of the 7,000 languages in the world, Hebrew is the only dead language in history ever to have been revived from effective extinction.
49. Today, there are over 10 million Hebrew speakers in the world today. Most of them reside in Israel.
50. The population of Israel in 2022 was more than ten times larger than in 1948 — 9.6 million, compared to 805,000 then.
51. Some 7.1 million Jews are citizens of Israel today.
52. Some 2.037 million Arabs are citizens of Israel today.
53. About 31% of Israel’s entire population are immigrants while the rest are “sabras,” born here in the Land.
54. Approximately 73,000 new immigrants came to Israel last year.
55. The international legal legitimacy for the modern State of Israel comes from U.N. Resolution 181, what is more commonly known as the “Partition Plan.” The resolution “was approved on Nov. 29, 1947 with 33 votes in favor, 13 against, 10 abstentions and one absent.” These are the countries who voted for the resolution, and thus for the creation of the State of Israel: Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian S.S.R., Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukrainian S.S.R., Union of South Africa, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., Uruguay, Venezuela.
56. On March 26, 1979, Israel signed an historic peace treaty with Egypt, following intense negotiations at Camp David in September 1978.
57. On October 26, 1994, Israel signed an historic peace treaty with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
58. On Sept. 13, 1993, Israel tried to make peace with the Palestinian people, signing an interim peace agreement with the Palestinians known as “Oslo I.”
59. On Sept. 28, 1995, Israel went even further in trying to make peace with he Palestinian people, signing a second interim peace agreement with the Palestinians known as “Oslo II.”
60. On Sept. 15, 2020, Israel signed the “Abraham Accords,” an historic peace and normalization agreement, with the United Arab Emirates.
61. On Sept. 15, 2020, Israel also signed the “Abraham Accords” with the Kingdom of Bahrain.
62. On Oct. 23, 2020, Israel and Sudan announced a dramatic and historic peace and normalization agreement.
63. On Dec. 10, 2020, Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco announced a dramatic and historic peace and normalization agreement.
64. Israel is the leading country for venture capital fund investment per capita, leading the United States.
65. In 2021, Israel was the No. 2 country worldwide in startup investment.
66. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship – and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 – in the world.
67. Israel recycles 90% of the wastewater it creates – more than any other country in the world.
68. More Jewish people live in Israel than any other country in the world, including the United States – in fact, 43% of the world’s Jewish population now lives in the State of Israel.
69. Israel ranked as the 4th happiest country of the world in 2022.
70. Fully eight-in-ten American Evangelicals believe that the Abrahamic Covenant that granted the Land of Israel to the Jewish people was a promise God made for all time, that it was unconditional, that it could not be revoked – a mere 5% disagree. (see Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem survey by LifeWay Research)
71. Fully eight-in-ten of American Evangelicals believe the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948 is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy – only 20% think it was merely an interesting geopolitical event but unrelated to God keeping His promises. (see Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem survey by LifeWay Research)
72. Nearly eight-in-ten Evangelicals (76%) believe that Christians should support Jewish people’s right to live in the sovereign state of Israel. (see Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem survey by LifeWay Research)
73. More than seven-in-ten American Evangelicals (72%) say they want to know more about what the Bible teaches about Israel’s future. (see Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem survey by LifeWay Research)
74. American Evangelical Christians are deeply concerned about the need for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace with one another. Indeed, 59% of Evangelicals believe Christians should do more to love and care for Palestinian people, and fully 66% of younger Evangelicals believe this. What’s more, 73% are concerned for the safety of Christians in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. And 41% agreed with the statement: “Jewish people have a biblical right to the land of Israel, but also have a responsibility to share the land with Palestinian Arabs.” Only 28% disagreed with this statement, while 31% said they weren’t sure. (see Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem survey by LifeWay Research)
75. One day, the Bible tells us that “all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:26)
Could I go on?
I absolutely could.
But 75 reasons seems sufficient for the 75th anniversary of the prophetic rebirth of the Jewish state.
Please don’t stop praying for Israel and her neighbors.
And never forget that the beautiful, miraculous story of Israel and the Jewish people is far from over.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
