FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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How a tiny, young nation used its brains to outwit enemies  

How a tiny, young nation used its brains to outwit enemies  

Re: “At the Dawn of Mossad”, The Nation Weekend, March 9-10.

This article, a book review, also presents an opportunity to discuss this exciting topic. It highlights how a small, young nation could survive against all the odds surrounded by hundreds of millions of hostile Arabs. Intelligence requires brains, and Israel did not have any other resources in 1948 or indeed later. The article also pertinently recognises the contribution of Mizrahi (Sephardi) Jews to the nation’s survival.
Talk of intelligence in this context reinforces a common stereotype about Jews, but how else can one explain Israel’s 12 Nobel prizes or its current status as one of the world’s hi-tech superpowers?
Albeit far from perfect, the Mossad deserves kudos for its contribution to Israel’s achievements.
Andy Leitner

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