"If you will it, it is no dream."

Theodor Herzl

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Diplomacy Division Information and Visual Media Department

1 • The wonder of comes from the essential drive • There is a lot to be happy about – so it is no wonder that Israel to build and improve; to consider constraints as ranks as the world’s 11th happiest country in the UN’s 2017 mere challenges to overcome; to extend a hand to World Happiness Report. others, and to be intellectually curious; to always seek creative solutions, and above all, to persevere – values that are deeply rooted in the millennia- old Jewish tradition. The wonder also stems from the unprecedented revival of an ancient language, Hebrew, and the re-establishment of an ancient nation, the Jewish people, in their indigenous homeland, Israel.

• Today, Israel is a thriving, open and culturally- In a Nutshell diverse democracy, one that continuously shares its innovative spirit with the world.

• In just a few decades since it was established (1948), Israel has grown dramatically from a developing nation into a robust economy leading the way in ICT, medical, cyber, space, water and agricultural innovation.

• With tenacity and an abundance of optimism (and, yes, the famous Israel hutzpa – audacity), and powered by the greatest resource of all – human ingenuity – the people of Israel have overcome security and political challenges, as well as social, economic and environmental hurdles to build the wonder that is Israel.

2 3 Israeli society, which is as young as its roots are ancient, Outstanding Israeli Women is home to a widely diverse population of over 8 million citizens from many ethnic, religious, cultural and social backgrounds - a mosaic of Jews, Muslims, Christians, , atheists and many others living together and contributing to its vibrant democracy.

Golda Meir Mariam Abu-Rkeek Ester Rada

Prime Minister, Founder of the first Singer-songwriter 1969-1974 cosmetic label in the world

Lucy Aharish Ada Yonath Miriam Naor

Television news Nobel Prize Current President of reporter and anchor Laureate in the Supreme Court Chemistry, 2009 The Sky is the Limit Sky The Arab Israeli students at Hebrew University

Life in Israel is anything but static. With a socio-economic mobility rate of over 70% – among the highest in the world – choose their own destinies, regardless of their background.

Yael Arad Kira Radinsky Adi Altschuler

Judoka; frst Israeli Computer scientist; Entrepreneur, Olympic medalist, on MIT Technology selected among 1992 Review’s 35 TIME Magazine’s Innovators Under 35 Next Generation Leaders

4 5 “The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice Israel is a parliamentary democracy in which citizens vote for their and peace… it will ensure complete equality of social party of choice in national elections. All Israeli citizens have the and political rights to all its inhabitants… it will right to elect and be elected, and they enjoy many rights, including guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, freedom of religion, expression and association, subsidized education and culture” education, national healthcare and many others.

(from Israel’s Declaration of Independence) Legislation protects the rights of minorities, children, the elderly and other groups. For example, over the decades the LGBTQ community gained rights and protection; today, is one of Key values in the Declaration of Independence the best gay-travel destinations in the world. It is also home to one of the largest pride parades in the world, drawing more than 200,000 people in 2017. Democracy

Freedom Equality regardless of Justice religion, race & sex

Safeguarding the holy Peace places of all religions

Family of Self- Nations determination

Election Day

Equality, human rights, and fundamental freedoms are the cornerstone of Israel’s democracy, both in law and in practice.

6 7 About 25% of Israeli citizens are not Jewish. The largest minority are the Arab Sunni Muslims, some 1.5 million, including the formerly nomadic Bedouin community. The Christian communities number about 162,000. Other minority groups include members of the Druze faith, the Baha’i faith – whose global center is in the city of Haifa – and the ancient communities of the Karaites and the Samaritans, as well as others.

Soccer team with Jewish, Arab and Druze children in Israel CIvil RIghts

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in

Equal Opportunities Case Study: Medical Students

54% Women

*The Arab 22% sector forms Arabs* 21% of Israeli society. Israel's first Arab Supreme Court justice, Salim Joubran

8 9 10 Civil Society Percentage oftheeconomically active population welfare, healthandmany others. equality, theenvironment, youth at risk,animalrights, a broad range ofissues, includinghumanrightsand 50,000 registered not-for-profit organizations, covering economically-active population. There are around the number of people it employs – some 12.7% of the country’s gross domestic product (13.5%ofGDP)and world interms ofthe contribution it makes to the Israel’s civilsocietysector isoneofthelargest inthe and internationally. and strive to improve thelives ofpeopleboth locally Many Israelis holdsocialactivismdearto theirhearts, working inthe not-for-profit sector Working for aGoodCause 12.7% Israel 10.0% Japan Australia 11.5% 8.9% France United States 10.2% many more NGOshave joinedIsrael’s environmental movement. hundreds ofthousandsIsraelis andtourists alike. Over theyears, to Southfor over 1,100 km(680miles) andhasbeenexplored by Israel National Trail, whichspanstheentire country from North Israel’s nature walking andcycling trails, includingthebeloved and guidednature tours. SPNIisalsoincharge ofmaintaining legislation andurbanplanning,to operating eco-tourism centres flora and fauna. SPNIisactive onalllevels, from advocating policy, since 1953, worked to protect Israel’s natural assets, landscapes, world, theSocietyfor theProtection ofNature inIsrael (SPNI)has, One oftheoldest environmental protection organizations inthe Teenagers volunteering onafarm inIsrael 11 12 Civil Society Building aSustainable Future 240 milliontrees planted inthe20thcentury Over 85%ofIsraeli householdsusesolarenergy Israel recycles over 86%ofitswater Israel recycles some 77.5% ofbottlesandcans Israelis plantingtrees intheBenShemenforest 3% ofthework force. are required to employ workers with disabilitiestotaling at least education system, whilecompanies withmore than100employees with specialneedsare integrated into themainstream public integrating peoplewithspecialneeds.InIsrael, 60%ofchildren Israel isalsoaworld leader whenitcomes to empowering and The late President Peres withspecial-needschildren 13 14 Aliyah – Immigration to Israel The vast majorityofIsraelis are alsofluentinEnglish. French, Amharic, Arabic, Spanish,andotherlanguages. country andyou willhearlively conversations inRussian, well as a multi-lingual country. Walk the streets of the America. Given itsdiversity, Israel isamulti-cultural as Soviet Union, butalso from Ethiopiaand North and South 1.2 millionJews cameto Israel, mainlyfrom theformer the 1990s,population ofIsrael againshifted asover East countries to buildtheirhomesintheHolyLand.In them refugees, cameto Israel from Europe andMiddle young country more thandoubled,asJews, many of In thefirst decadeofits existence, thepopulation ofthe and developing acompetitive economy. fighting defensive wars, overcoming economic hardships Kibbutzim (agricultural communities) inthe1920s, to challenges, from cultivating thelandandestablishing (Olim) from allover theworld. These Olimfaced many in 1948,Israel hasabsorbedover 2.6millionimmigrants Israel isacountry ofimmigrants. Since itwas established Israeli girls celebrating theJewish holiday ofShavuot the world: in Israel. The other22.4%ofIsraelis immigrated from allregions of 77.6% of Israelis are “Sabras,” the nickname given to persons born Diverse Origins 77 Israel .6 % Europe 14 % tends to besimilar. It issaidthat thecharacter ofmany Israelis the outsidebutsoftandsweet ontheinside. - itthrives inharshconditions andisrough on The Sabra isapricklypearindigenousto israel What isSabra?

N. Africa) East (inc. Middle 4.4% Place ofBirth Americas 2. 1%

Africa 1.2 % Oceania Asia & 0. 6% 15 16 The People of the Book case inwhichan ancientlanguagewas revived. Mandate in1922. Indeed,thiswas arare andspectacular language oftheLandIsrael undertheLeague ofNations Eliezer Ben Yehuda, andwas recognized asanofficial as aspoken languageat theendof19thcentury by study, prayer andwritten communication. Itwas revived For centuries, Jews used Hebrew mainly as alanguage of implement ideasisakey partoftheIsraeli DNA. questions, to challenge, to reevaluate, to improve andto Learning isafundamentalvalue for allIsraelis; to ask education andBiblestudy inJewish culture. they have always been literate, due to the centrality of for two reasons: they gave theBibleto theworld, and The Jews becameknown asthe‘People oftheBook’ A family celebrates thePassover holiday, which commemorates theBiblical Israelites’ exodus from andtheirreturn to theLandofIsrael ז ו ה ד ג ב א מ ל כ י ט ח ף פ ע ס ן נ ם ת ש ר ק ץ צץ ר ת State ofIsrael. Today, bothHebrew andArabic are officiallanguagesinthe Hebrew, thelanguageofJewish People All road signs inIsrael are written inHebrew, Arabic andEnglish 17 18 Innovation developing autonomous cars. Israeli history. Mobileye technology iscurrently inusefor by Intel for 15.3billion USD–thelargest tech exit in systems (ADAS) for collision prevention, was acquired that develops vision-basedadvanced driver-assistance recently in2017, Mobileye, anIsraeli technology company mergers andacquisitions inthepast decades.Most A hubfor innovation, Israel hasseenanumberofmajor from algae. or pioneeringways to harness cleanhydrogen energy food waste withtech that keeps produce fresher, longer, or paving the way to autonomous driving; by reducing world, for example, by derivingdrinkingwater from air, Every day, Israelis are drivingideasthat are changingthe Ziv Aviram, CEO, Mobileye International companies like Google, Nestle, Intel, Tata, andXiaomi have all chosento bepartoftheIsraeli hightech ecosystem. (by Country), 2015 Some 300Multinational Corporations withR&D Centers inIsrael development centers inIsrael Google, Facebook and Microsoft, have established research and Most oftheworld’s leadinghigh-tech companies, includingIntel, promote civicengagementandimprove thelives ofitscitizens. 2014 World SmartCitiesAward for high-tech developments that Index, whichrated 40countries’ cleantech startups, andwon the on NASDAQ. Italsoranked first onthe2014 GlobalCleantech Israel hasoneofthehighest numberofcompanies (94)listed

US

Germany Switzerland 4% 5% UK 6% 66%

13% France Other Canada 3% 3% 19 20 Innovation USB key andseveral microprocessors. used by people around the world every day include the of thebest known technologies developed inIsrael and nanotechnology, cyber, bigdata andmedicine. Some many makingmajorbreakthroughs inareas suchas Some 500new start-ups are established every year, Start-Up Nation. alone –Israel earnedthenamesSilicon Wadi andthe Silicon Valley –some3,000 intheTel Aviv metropolis With thehighest concentration ofstartups outside Israelis at anaccelerator inTel Aviv every eightgenericdrugssoldintheUnited States. drug manufacturer in the world, and is responsible for one out of Israel’s leadingpharmaceutical, Teva, isalsothelargest generic Development aspercent ofGDPintheworld. of engineerspercapita,andthesecond highest Research and in chemistry inunderadecade. Israel hasthehighest number just 8.5millionpeople. Sixofthemwere awarded aNobelPrize Twelve Israelis have beenawarded Nobelprizes, inacountry of innovation goingoninIsrael iscriticalto thefuture “It isnoexaggeration to say that thekindof Dr. MichalLeskes, DepartmentofMaterials andInterfaces, of thetechnology business” Technion Institute ofTechnology Bill Gates - 21 22 Water Wonder the highest percentage ontheglobe. country recycles 86%ofitswater for useinagriculture – Israel comes from desalinated orrecycled sources. The globe. Today, nearlyhalfofallwater consumption in drastically reduce water andfood scarcity around the a water-tech powerhouse, developing solutions that Once water-scarce, Israel hasgrown dramatically into 100% 40% 60% 90% 80% 30% 50% 20% 70% 10% 400 600 300 500 200 0% 100 0 2004 200520062007 20082009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 86% Israel Israel ranks first inthe world in The dramatic increase indesalination 17% Spain

(in millioncubicmeters) water recycling Australia 10% 8% Italy Greece 5% c.Europe 1% the Americas. world, inparticular, inotheraridregions across Asia,Africa and in Israel, like dripirrigation, have beenutilized throughout the desert, whichcovers 60%ofIsrael. Water technologies invented crop cultivation in hot arid regions such as the Israeli Negev Israel is constantly developing new methods of irrigation and The Shafdan water recycling plantincentral Israel Orchards inthearidNegev desert 23 Israel strongly believes that by sharing its know-how, MASHAV’s vision: people around the globe will be empowered to improve their own lives. “We envision a world in which those living in

Israel launched an international development poverty are empowered to improve their own lives.” cooperation program in 1957 with the aim of sharing with the rest of the developing world the knowledge and technologies which provided the basis for its own rapid development.

MASHAV (Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation) began as a modest program focused on grassroots human capacity building, at a time when Israel itself was a developing country. Since then, it has blossomed into an extensive program that promotes social, economic and environmental sustainable development around the globe. As of 2017, more than The GalMobile, a first of its kind, Israeli-made portable emergency water purification and 290,000 trainees have taken part in Mashav courses desalination system; it was deployed by MASHAV in the Marshall Islands in 2015 and projects in training centers in Israel and abroad. Development Cooperation Development

Growing lettuce in Senegal using drip irrigation, a technology developed Growing fruit trees in the highlands of Ethiopia in Israel to grow crops with less water

24 25 “I see an endless flow of new ideas being Israel is a popular choice for major international research. For example, Israeli and US institutions collaborate through the US-Israel generated here, and an ongoing parade of Binational Science Foundation (BSF) which supports collaborative foreign companies coming to Israel to find research in a wide range of basic and applied scientific fields. In 2012, India and Israel signed a $50 million Academic Research Pact the ones that meet their needs” to support collaboration in sciences, IT, technology, the humanities Serial entrepreneur, Yossi Vardi and agriculture. Tel Aviv University jointly runs an executive MBA program with

Israel is a global high-tech exporter, and enjoys strong Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and economic partnerships on every continent – including also runs the joint $300 million XIN research center focused on close ties with superpowers such as the USA, Canada, nanotechnologies with Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Major Chinese China and India. companies have already opened R&D centers in Israel, including Xiaomi and Huawei.

In 2010, Israel became the 33rd country to join the OECD President Qiu Yong of Tsinghua Unversity together with students International Collaboration Collaboration International

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