Posted: Tue, 17 Jun 2008
Despite rocket attacks and suicide bombers, there's some good news for Israel:
EU nations today agreed to strengthen relations with Israel. No one should doubt that if it were not for Arab oil, Europe would have strong economic ties with Israel. Hopefully someday the non-Muslim world will find a way to get off Muslim oil or render Islam powerless to wreak havoc in the civilized world.
Despite rocket attacks and suicide bombers, tourists are still flocking to Israel:
Perpetual conflict and the looming threat of terrorism might keep less adventuresome travelers away, but when it comes to Israel, the number of sightseers is rising fast. Nearly 1 million tourists arrived in the Holy Land during the first four months of 2008, an increase of 43% year-on-year, according to the Israel Tourism Ministry. The country hopes to attract 2.8 million visitors this year for its 60th anniversary; about the same number came in 2000 before the Palestinian intifada that began in late September of that year.
The fighting, which lasted until 2004, suppressed tourism, as did the war with Lebanon in the summer of 2006. But even during times of hardship, committed supporters—especially Christian pilgrims and Jews from the U.S. and Europe—have continued to flock to Israel. About 1 million visitors went there in 2002, during the peak of the most recent intifada.
Can you imagine the prosperity and wealth the Palestinians could enjoy if they were just peaceful in their own country? Sadly they turned down Nationhood in 2000. As an Israeli child's poem reads: "Ahmed and his friends could be wealthy and sunny, if only they wouldn't buy rockets with all their money." [
Stop Raping Israel]
Despite rocket attacks and suicide bombers, the Israeli Shekel is strong:
Even the powerful euro has had a hard time competing with what has become probably the strongest currency in the world since the beginning of 2008: the Israeli shekel.
Since the beginning of 2008 the shekel has made some serious gains against nearly all the major world currencies. The shekel has gained 15% against the dollar, slightly more against the British pound and the Canadian dollar, as well as 8% versus the Swedish kroner and 24% against the South African rand.
Despite rocket attacks and suicide bombers, Israel grows trees where no trees can grow. In the days of the patriarchs Israel was a land flowing with milk and honey. When Jews lost control of Israel it turned into a barren wilderness until Israel once again became a nation.
More on tree planting: We happen to be in the middle of the Hebrew year 5768 which is a sabbatical year during which the land has to rest and nothing may be sown or planted in the Land of Israel until Rosh HaShana 5769 (30th September 2008). Judaism is a religion so compassionate that it considers even land worthy of a year of rest.
The Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund runs the
Click to Plant website which will enable you to donate a tree now but will actually be planted by KKL-JNF foresters the following year, 5769. To date, KKL-JNF has planted more than 230 million trees throughout Israel. While Jews send money to make the Earth more green, Islamic charities fund death and destruction. You will never see an ad in Saudi Arabia asking for Dinars for D'Trees.
