Israel — the world’s most innovative economy

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

MICHAEL Breen’s letter (January 18) outlining why he thinks Israel isn’t an appropriate economic model for Ireland to imitate is ridden with the flaws typical of the many in this country who cannot separate politics from economics — never mind understand the Middle East conflict.

Ciarán Cleary’s letter (January 8) simply pointed out the ingenuity of many of Israel’s economic policies and suggested they may be of instructive value to a country whose leadership seems unable adequately to deal with the current economic turmoil.

Mr Cleary’s well-reasoned opinion has also been made in the past by David McWilliams, among others. For a country smaller than Munster, Israel has somehow managed to float 71 companies on the NASDAQ, compared with our seven, and this is all against the backdrop of a near constant threat of obliteration from almost all of its neighbouring countries.

Israel also has the proud distinction of the highest per capita start-up rate in the world, also making it the most innovative society on the planet. Mr Breen’s long rant about the "occupation" and the Palestinians shows that Mr Cleary’s well-made point was lost on him — that Israel’s economic success, carved against the unfortunate backdrop of ongoing warfare, is ingenious and of instructive value to any developed country.

Daniel O’Carroll
Israel Solidarity Campaign
Tivoli
Cork

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, January 26, 2010