The German standard of living in the early 1940s was a great irony one of the things that enabled Israel to survive those early economic challenges. I wrote this book about Begin and everybody knows when you write about Begin the Begin children all three of them are thank God still alive, they don't get involved. The Begin the father was their person, Begin the public figure they leave to whoever. And so it really if German reparations got us off the ground. There were no buildings here that were taller than three or four stories because you couldn't build them. It's worth pointing out how does the whole tech revolution in Israel start? At a certain point we're going to build our own jet
As Israel turns 75, has it fulfilled the promise of its founders? Daniel Gordis of Shalem College talks about his book, Impossible Takes Longer, with EconTalk's Russ Roberts looking at the successes and failures of Israel. Topics discussed include the history of Zionism, the plight of the Palestinians, the Jewishness of the Jewish state, and the current debate in Israel over judicial reform.