CNET News has a rather interesting take on the State of Israel:
Maybe it’s the Israeli knack for compartmentalization, but the entrepreneurs and venture capitalists I’ve been meeting on this trip take the security question more in stride than do the outsiders. They continue to wax optimistic about prospects for the country’s high-tech industry, particularly in the area of clean technology. And even though most would agree with Eric Benhamou’s apercu that Israel is a 60-year-old start-up, one that’s often overlooked strategic aims in favor of the tactical, the “return on investment” is enviable. In 1950, Israel had average annual gross domestic product of $3,500. Last year, it was $22,500.
Never thought of Israel in those terms before, though the nation’s reputation for high-tech has grown dynamically with the rise of the Internet and clean industry.