Video Of The Week -Israel Innovations Saving Humanity - https://tinyurl.com/y6xl5spf
JPost, Full Article, By Yonatan Freeman
9-1-2021, go to; https://tinyurl.com/y3wsoycx
Whether through an icon
such as Gal Gadot, or increased interest in her country’s battles against COVID-19,
there has been an explosion of those in the US and around the world wishing to
better understand Israel’s culture and values. Israel’s soft power is booming.
Historically, the
concept of soft power, the ability a country has to project its value and
appeal through ethics, legitimacy and culture, has infrequently been seen as an
integral feature of Israel’s democracy, whether by its decision-makers or the
international community. This has now changed.
· Israel is no longer
viewed as a liability by foreign actors but rather a reliable power worth
copying and mimicking. Countries in the Arab and Muslim world, which have
historically been distant, hostile or silent towards Israel, are even
rethinking their policies and betting on Israel to give them solutions when it
comes to challenges such as the novel coronavirus. It is no longer “Palestine
First,” but rather Chad, UAE and Sudan first.
There are many possible
reasons for the growing positivity of Israel. Some point to the financial
benefits of doing business with a strong economy not dependent on a natural
resource, while others point to Jerusalem’s ability to face threats such as
Iran. Nevertheless, perhaps what the world is more and more coming to terms
with is Israel’s resilience in dire or changing times. The current battle
against COVID-19 is one of those crucibles.
The war against the
coronavirus is global. And undoubtedly, it may be the first world war that
Israel is experiencing since its independence. But unlike previous wars, there
is still uncertainty as to who the enemy is, how he works and how he kills.
That is why mistakes are
still being made, even in Israel. That is also why it isn’t yet possible to
proclaim who has succeeded or failed in the fight. After all, what constitutes
being successful against the coronavirus? How can one make conclusions when the
global fight isn’t yet over?
Some point to the
inability to stop the spreading of the virus as being a failure. Still, to what
extent can one know for sure how to protect against an agent known and studied
for less than a year? Others point to economic hardships as being a measure of
failure. But is there really a country that has been financially less affected
due to this pandemic? Even if a country could have stopped the spread of the
virus, there may have been a continuing economic impact resulting from the
increase in government spending to weaken its advance, the slowdown of
international trade and travel and the increasing fights between the US and
China. Although vaccines are coming off the assembly line, the implications of
the war against the coronavirus may be far from over.
This isn’t the first
time that Israel has needed to adapt to a new threat. When buses or missiles
began blowing up in her midst, many around the world feared coming to the
country. It was argued that it wasn’t safe. In time, Israel proved that, sadly,
the more it experienced attacks, the more there was a strengthening of her
ability to defend against them.
As these words are
written, Israel is racing to gain more knowledge about the contagion, using
available vaccines to curb its lethality, and investing resources to develop a
vaccine of its own. It is precisely at these moments that Israel has an edge.
The world is thus well
aware of Israel’s resilience and wants to learn more about the tools at her
disposal. They are betting on her to lead the fight to win this present war,
because Israel’s capabilities have been molded and strengthened by emergencies
of the past. Even in the face of threats, boycotts and immense changes, Israel
has always been able to strengthen its economic, diplomatic and military might.
That is what many see in
Israel during these times. World actors see the potential that Jerusalem and
her values have in making a difference in the global fight against the
coronavirus, all while finding the right balance between security and liberty.
These are the sort of times that cause friends, as well as current and past
foes, not to write Israel off. They are well aware that if they did, they would
be writing off one of the world’s best hopes for beating the virus.
The writer holds a
doctorate, is an international relations expert and a lecturer in the
Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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