But it also doesn ’ t mean allowing such issues to overshadow Israel ’ s remarkable achievements , accomplished , as I ’ ve said , under the most difficult of circumstances .
“ It is home to universities and research centers that have contributed to advancing the world ’ s frontiers of knowledge in countless ways , and won a slew of Nobel Prizes in the process .”
In a remarkably short period , Israel has established a thriving democracy , unique in the region , including a Supreme Court prepared , when it deems appropriate , to overrule the prime minister or the military establishment ( and even jail ex-presidents and prime ministers who have violated the law ), a feisty parliament that includes every imaginable viewpoint along the political and social spectrums , a robust civil society , and a vigorous press .
It now enjoys peace and normalization with five Arab countries , including Bahrain , Morocco , and the UAE , while also maintaining quiet ties with several others . The momentum to widen the circle of coexistence is undeniable , even as serious challenges obviously remain .
It has built an enviable economy increasingly based on mind-blowing innovation and cutting-edge technology , whose per capita GNP far exceeds the combined total of its four contiguous sovereign neighbors — Egypt , Jordan , Lebanon , and Syria . It has joined the OECD , become a global hub of research and development , attempted to land a spacecraft on the moon , and sent satellites into orbit around the earth , and is a magnet for foreign direct investment .
It is home to universities and research centers that have contributed to advancing the world ’ s frontiers of knowledge in
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