Seventy-five years young, thousands of years old

Next week, the world’s only Jewish state celebrates 75 years since her rebirth in 1948. We honour 75 years of Jewish self-determination and freedom in our ancient homeland. This remarkable and improbable, achievement shouldn’t go unnoticed. In spite of 14 wars against Israel, ongoing and daily acts of terror, countries bent on her destruction, international antisemitic boycott movements, delegitimisation campaigns, hostile United Nations resolutions, and a growing trend of worldwide antisemitism, Israel continues not only to exist 75 years on, but to thrive.

Only 600 000 Jews, representing 3% of world Jewry at the time, lived in Israel to celebrate her declaration of independence on 14 May 1948 alongside a population of 200 000 Arabs. By the end of 2022, Israel’s population had grown tenfold to more than 9.6 million, including 7.1 million Jews and 2.03 million Arabs. Almost 50% of the world’s 15.2 million Jewish people now live in Israel, and they are happy to be there. Nine-tenths of Israelis from all walks of life are satisfied with their lives, and Israel now ranks number four on the World Happiness Index (South Africa being a very distant 85), and 23 on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index (South Africa is at 44). Unemployment is very low, at 3.5% (compared to South Africa’s unemployment rate of 40.3%). The Jewish state’s gross domestic product $564.15 billion compared to South Africa’s $435.5 billion.

Israel is the embodiment of our tenacity as a people. Though she turns 75 years young next week, she also turns thousands of years old and remains the only democratic state and pillar of hope in the vast Middle East. The existence of a Jewish state, desiring to live in peace with its Arab neighbours in the Middle East, has required a long period of integration and normalisation. It took 31 years for Egypt to make peace with Israel, and 46 years for Jordan. In the past few years, peace between Israel and the Arab world isn’t a dream anymore, but a reality. The Abraham Accords, sprung out of aligned interests and common enemies, has effectively ended the Arab-Israeli conflict. A warm peace has been forged between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain in the Middle East, as well as Morocco and Sudan in Africa, with numerous other discussions taking place in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The Arab world’s infamous “Three Nos” in Khartoum of 1967 of “no peace, no negotiation, no recognition” has become the “Three Yes’s” – yes to peace, yes to negotiation, and yes to recognition. The African National Congress government’s “ostrichism” and self-declared hostility against Israel places our country at odds with this new reality.

Israel at 75 continues to be a technological powerhouse out of proportion to its size and challenges, and countries from the United States to India and China seek out its innovation and technology. It has more start-ups per capita than any nation on earth. The tiny nation in the desert has produced the most efficient desalination programme in the world which has enabled her to overcome crippling water shortages, become an exporter of water, and to provide assistance to other nations. In Africa, Israeli technology and innovation has resulted in the provision of a stable water supply to more than 3.5 million people across the continent, as well as half a million people in South Africa where our own government has failed to do so.

The South African Jewish community across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban will come together next week in their thousands to celebrate Israel’s Independence Day, as well as the unbreakable bond between our community and the Jewish state. We invite you to attend the celebrations and step inside events showcasing Israeli culture, food, entertainment, and fun for the whole family.

I’m optimistic about the future of Israel, and look forward to the next 75 years. May Israel make us closer, stronger, and prouder as a people.

• Rowan Polovin is the national chairperson of the South African Zionist Federation.