Jerusalem – Israel may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it is a global leader in technology. A ground breaking new book explains why and points out the implications for the United States.
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Just north of Tel Aviv in Herzilya is an area that some people call Israel’s Silicon Valley. Israel’s technology has become an economic powerhouse. A 2008 survey showed that Israel ranks second only to the U.S. in six key areas of technological innovation.
Concentrated Efforts
One reason — Jewish brain power is concentrated in the tiny nation of Israel.
Yoram Ettinger is a consultant on overseas investments in Israel’s high tech industry. He said that Jewish immigration to Israel from around the world is one of the reasons for Israel’s success in the field.
“Then we have the Jews from the former Soviet Union who have replenished the composition of high tech, science, technology in engineering in Israel. Then we have immigrants from the U.S.A., immigrants from Europe and then also ex-patriots, who have returned from the Silicon Valley, from Massachusetts, from Texas, from Washington, etc,” Ettinger said.
Israel developed the cell phone. The Intel Pentium processor in your computer was most likely made in Israel. Voice technology was developed in Israel, and the tiny country is making advances in solar power and contributing to medical and scientific breakthroughs.
It also produces cutting edge military technology. One prime example is the F-16.
“Over 600 modifications have been introduced by Israel into the current generation of the F-16, which is a symptom of the cutting edge technologies and capabilities you have in Israel,” Ettinger said.
The ‘Israel Test’
Despite its enormous contributions to the world, Israel remains one of the most hated nations on earth. What could be the explanation for this?
In his new book, The Israel Test author George Gilder said Israel is hated because it is successful, free, and good.
Jews throughout history have contributed to humanity disproportionately. For example, Jews make up a miniscule proportion of the world’s population but have produced more than 20 percent of the Nobel Prize winners, he said.
According to Gilder, anti-Semitism both throughout the ages and today is fueled by envy and greed, whether from last century’s Nazi Germany or today’s radical Islam.
Israel is the crucial battlefield of our time and stands at the crossroads of civilization and barbarism, Gilder said.
He contends that the U.S. and the West need to stand by Israel. “The Israel test” is a test we must pass – not only for Israel’s survival but for our own as well,” he said.
the smart gimora kup was all wasys and will all ways be hated with the west or with out the west to its side.
dear Malkah: “Gemora Kup” means we have a head for Gemara in the first place not that because of Gemara we’re smart. Our smartness is a gift from G-D, its up to you if you want to use it on Gemora, science or both.
#4 is a very good answer on #3!
to dear malkah the gimara sharpens ur brain
imagine all yidden would use out our noodles on the holy torah. instead of arguing why were smart use the smarts!
studies have shown that jews do indeed have the highest IQ scores from among the worlds nations. But you know who is runner up? Germany.
If you want to do take credit for our above “averageness” in being smart, than you have to acknowledge other peoples achievements as well.
Reply to #7 and #9 :
Jews currently make up 0.3% of the world’s population (that’s less than half of one percent). Now, seeing as Jews make up such a small percentage of the world’s population, it would be only logical to expect that Jews show up in a similarly low percentage among the world’s educational elite. Please take a moment to check out how many Jewish astronauts, doctors, lawyers, physicists, artists, architects (etc.) have achieved world renown. If you can name ANY, that would be quite an achievement for an ethnic group that makes up less than half of one percent of the world’s population; don’t you think?
How interesting that roughly 23% of all Nobel prize winners have been Jews… . Hmmm… 0.3% of the population manages to be awarded 23% of all Nobel prizes? It must be that the world has a history of favoring us (ha-ha).
Of course, I think Jews are blessed by God with an astounding educational work ethic, but you mentioned gene pool, so let’s look at that:
Throughout European history, a family might have been able to give one son, if he was intelligent enough and they had the financial means to support him, an education. This son would then most commonly join the church, never marry and have no children. Over and over again, the intellectual elite were removed from the gene pool.
Conversely, almost all Jewish men and most women received some level of education. The educational elite of the Jewish community often became rabbis and then had as many children as possible.
Talk about gene pool…
The Torah makes us wise!
It’s the ability to make something out of nothing that makes it seem Jews are so smart. Necessity is the mother of invention and Jews have needed to invent for ages. The art of greating comes from inside as much as the need to invent. It may be the inside part that comes from being Jewish. In any event we are probably hated not for being so smart, but for our exquisite Hebrew Heritage that puts us in the position of showing the world what is ‘just and correct’ when some do not wish to know. We become a threat to those who see the world as something to control for themselves. The hate comes from fear of the ” chosen Ones” . The ones chosen by G-D to show by ‘observing his teachings’ to the rest of the world not as some believe a superior people.
Technology is a fairly recent thing. Jew hating goes back to centuries, nay, millennia. When science and technology were not the fad, Jews were still hated.
The world should know by now that the effort to exterminate the Jews is futile. History eloquently bears this out. If you kill the Jews and leave just one, he will soon raise a nation.
While I do not at all believe that Jews are saints, I do see that they seem to have lived their corporate national life to impress the world that has hates them as relentlessly as they try to win the world’s love. Poor Jews!