Israel Hayom..
01 April '15..
H/T Martin Sherman..
1.
In honor of Israel's 67th birthday, here are a few remarkable facts about the economic wonder that is the State of Israel. Our sages taught us that it is important to give thanks for what we have. On Independence Day, my Facebook friend, the gifted writer Galit Distal Atbaryan, mentioned Louis C.K., who spoke about the way people complain about flying. People "soar through the clouds, impossibly; partake in the miracle of human flight. Sitting in a chair in the sky like a Greek god" and complain about the chair not reclining far enough. That is exactly our attitude toward the state in which we live. "Israel is nothing short of a miracle, like a plane that slices through the sky," she wrote.
Indeed, the complaining and desperation over the "situation" began with Israel's birth, when the Israelites were led out of Egypt. Masses of slaves who were just recently freed yelled at Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?" (Exodus 14:11).
They didn't stop at that. They continued to accuse him of destroying their relationship with the Egyptian empire and the pharaohs. "Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.'" (Exodus 14:12). After that came the crossing of the Red Sea, but even the miracle that Moses performed -- splitting the sea and ushering the Israelites through it on dry land -- was not enough to stop the complaints. Since then and to this day we enjoy complaining.
So for us complainers, here are a few reasons for optimism. Of course there is plenty to improve on, but it would serve us well to take a look at where we were 30 years ago and where we are today. The following data was compiled by Dr. Adam Reuter and his company Financial Immunities Ltd.
2.
Well, in 1984, the population of Israel was 4.1 million. Thirty years later, the population doubled to stand at 8.2 million. The average number of rooms per person increased by 37% during that time. In 1984, the number of vehicles per 1,000 people was 157. Last year there were 364 vehicles per 1,000 people. Today, the gross national product is $307 billion, but 30 years ago it was a mere $30 billion. That is an increase of more than 900%! In 1984, the GNP per capita was $7,000, and in 2014 it climbed to $36,000 -- an increase of more than 400%.
In 1984, Israel's foreign currency reserves amounted to $3 billion. Thirty years later, our reserves skyrocketed to $90 billion -- an indication of financial stability. The national debt was 280% of the GNP in 1984, but by 2014 it had dropped to 66% of the GNP.
Security expenditure comprised 20% of the GNP then, and only 5% today, and it stands to be even less in the future. The tax burden was 45% and has gone down to 32%. American aid was 10% of the GNP and is now only 1%!
In 1984 Israel's exports were valued at $10 billion, and 30 years later they are valued at $96 billion -- that's an 860% increase. In 1984 high-tech exports were valued at $1 billion, and at $37 billion in 2014 -- a 3,600% increase. Not bad. The national deficit made up 17% of the GNP in 1984 and today only 3% -- an 82% decrease.
In 1984, the public sector employed 75% of the working public, while today that figure is only 43%. Employment of women was 34% and by 2014 it had risen to 54%.
Government regulation of capital markets declined from 85% then to 27% today. Annual interest was 770% and inflation was 450% in 1984, but in 2014 the annual interest rate settled at 5% and annual inflation at a mere 1%. Incidentally, national expenditure on research and development has risen by more than 220% over the last 30 years.
In 1984 we did not have independent sources of energy, but today, 38% of our energy comes from our own sources, and we are on our way to complete energy independence. We did not have desalinated water in 1984 and today more than 40% of our water consumption comes from the desalination plants that we built.
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