1. “Israelis are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average,” according to the OECD’s (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) annual “Better Life Index.” Only Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland ranked ahead of 5th place Israel, among the 34 OECD members, as well as Brazil and Russia. The rating is based on 22 variables, such as education, health, life expectancy, average income, housing and general satisfaction. Israel’s high ranking defies its geo-political neighborhood, but is a derivative of its inherent state of mind: optimism, patriotism, family and communal responsibility and attachment to roots (Israel 21st Century, June 10, 2015).
2. “Israel was rated by expats as the most dynamic country in the world,” according to “InterNations,” the largest network for people who work and live abroad (The Huffington Report, June 12, 2015).
3. The June 15, 2015 issue of the Economist Intelligence Unit praises Israel’s economic performance, expecting a 3.4% growth in 2015 and rising in 2016, declining unemployment [currently at 5%], steady inflation (1.3%), an export surge in 2015, a narrowing 2015 trade deficit and a 2019 trade surplus, larger natural gas production/export, robust private consumption and expanding current account surplus (3% of GDP in 2014, 5.2% – 2015 and 7.4% -2019).