Israel 2018 - Ten Years, Five Scenarios
Israel 2018 or 5778, what will the future of Israel look like 10 years from now? With the continuing rise of Islamist terrorism followed by pressure on Israel to continue appeasing the terrorists, it's a difficult five futures that we look toward Israel 2018.
1. Annihilation - Whether through nuclear devastation or being overrun by its enemies, Israel has ceased to exist. It has happened before in Jewish history and without vigilance it can happen again. Whatever survivors remain are in exile, the land itself is in the hands of Israel's enemies and is a disaster area in line with the worst of Afghanistan and has been annexed to one of the neighboring Arab countries.
2. Things Go On - Most countries don't come to a spectacular end, they simply continue going the way they have with things steadily getting worse and worse. In this scenario by 2018, Israel has failed to arrest its current course over the last 10 years. Its territory has shrunk, the Arab and Islamic terrorist groups operating on its soil have grown more vigorous and Israel looks more like Yugoslavia than a functioning state. Political corruption and international pressure continues to keep the Israeli government too corrupt and weak to do anything to preserve the state.
3. Medinat Yehuda - Settlers in Yehuda and the Shormon succeed in carving out a border West Bank state after they are abandoned by the government. Israel once again consists of two mutually unfriendly countries living side by side. Israel is characterized by a strong Secular-Haredi split, technocracy and political corruption. Medinat Yehuda is characterized by a Spartan dedication to the force of arms, a devotion to the agricultural values of the farmer and the rancher and a strong Religious Zionist component. Like its biblical namesake, Medinat Yehuda may be smaller but more likely to outlive Israel.
4. Japan - Innovative technological solutions allow Israel to carve out a secure state maintaining its borders and independence from Western patrons. Like Japan, Israel becomes a home not only for technological solutions, as it already is, but an active and vital exporter of technology as Israeli industrialists harness their national talent to build a powerful technocracy. Innovative solutions are used to maintain security and export technology around the world.
5. Yehu or Hizkiyahu - A leader rises capable of resisting the corruption of the system and reviving the national imperative to settle and protect the land of Israel. Gifted with leadership abilities and a certain amount of charisma, he successfully battles the dominant Labor agenda and corrupt politicians and media to clean up the country at least to some extent. He wages an aggressive war against terror, reclaiming the West Bank and Gaza, and destroying Hizbollah while dealing with the Iranian threat. He is not perfect but he is what we need in a dire hour and he manages to summon Israelis to use their talents to overcome most obstacles. The aftermath isn't perfect, but Israel has a new lease on life now.
Israel 2018, innovation or disaster, exile or triumph. Different scenarios are possible and the difference is in our hands. We can't predict what the future will bring, we can only work to make sure that it will be the best of all possible futures.