Israel

The social situation in Israel, despite being surrounded by turmoil in neighboring countries, has remained relatively stable. This is especially considering that the nation is made up of not only a native Israeli Arab population, but also people of Jewish descent from all over the world. These have been able to form a relatively peaceful society with little frictions between them because of their shared heritage as well as their loyalty to their country. The result has been that Israeli society, in addition to being largely heterogeneous, has been able to avoid the internal social conflicts that often affect those countries that consist of individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds to such an extent that they might turn into armed confrontations. Israel has therefore been able to shift the focus of its population from their respective backgrounds to that of being part of the nation of Israel.

The political situation in Israel is relatively stable because of the steps that have been taken to ensure that it pursues a democratic system. The multiparty political system is one that takes into account the interests of the various social groups that are found within the nation. This is to such an extent that numerous political parties are elected into the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. No single party is able to form a government meaning that alliances between those with aligning interests are able to take power in Israel. This process means that even the most marginal parties in the state have an opportunity to take part in the governing process of the country.

The cultural development of Israel has for the most part been influenced by not only the Jewish identity, but also western culture. The result is that Israel is for the most part a secular state that has ensured considerable linguistic and religious freedoms for its people. However, one of the most significant challenges comes about due to the large number of immigrants who come to Israel from Jewish communities all over the world. These individuals may find it difficult to assimilate to the established culture of Israel; requiring that they receive considerable support from the government in order to adjust to their new cultural environment. The Jewish Agency, which is a statutory authority, has ensured that the process of cultural assimilation of new immigrants takes place smoothly. This is the main reason behind the relative cultural stability within Israel.

The economy of Israel is one of the most advanced in the Middle East and can be considered at par with those in the developed world. This economy has had to overcome numerous challenges including those of the natural environment and funding. These challenges have been effectively overcome to such an extent that as a major economy in the Middle East, Israel has been able to create jobs for most of its population in addition to providing work to a significant number of Palestinians living in the occupied areas. However, the main challenge that still has to be overcome is that while the economy in the cities tends to be for the most part highly developed, that in the periphery of the country remains quite underdeveloped, especially considering the relatively low population in the latter areas.