National Security is irreversibly linked to good economic growth; the curious case of Israel

A nation’s security being up to the mark means the citizens getting a good night’s sleep and being free to carry out their daily activities. Only a secure area, with no threat of war or conflict, can prosper economically.

World’s largest economy, the USA has the tightest national security. Its defence budget is more than the combined budget of the top ten spenders on defence, a whooping $598Bn.

It maintains 800 military stations in over 70 stations to support and protect its economic and political interests. It is also seen that a good economy ensures procuring state of the art defence equipment, training facilities and manpower management. This ensures businesses to flourish and the economy booms up.

Whereas in war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Syria, businesses don’t flourish, the economy is in rags, FDI is almost nil, human growth takes a toll and there is a high level of uncertainty.

A good example of a country whose sole existence is a threat is surrounded by enemies on all sides. However, it is among one of the most advanced countries. It has utilized the limited resources of the nation to the fullest.

Israel has the second-largest number of startup companies after the USA. It is the second-largest spender on R&D, companies like Intel and Microsoft have their R&D centers in Israel. It comes second in the number of listed companies in NASDAQ.

Science and Technology have been a forte for Israel, with having world-class technicians and scientists, out of every 10000 people 120 are scientists. It is called silicon valley of the east.

It is an export-driven economy, goods flowing in all across the globe.

How does Israel all this prosperity to take place? Because of its strong national security.

Having a meagre population Military training is compulsory for all citizens which provides manpower for defence and trains civilians to safeguard themselves if any adversity arises. The buildings are made bombproof and bunkers are present everywhere: homes, offices, schools and in places of interest for safety.

Being surrounded by adversaries on all sides Israel is prone to airstrikes, which is taken care of by the “Iron dome” air defence system which destroys rockets in the air itself. To combat suicide bombings and terror attacks Israel built the west bank barrier, a huge wall spanning 500 km.

Israel is the best example of a country that has prospered facing all odds with its tight security measures, management, optimum utilization, and determination. Its strong security ensures a healthy economy and vice versa. Hence it can be said economy and national security is directly proportional to each other.

Article Submitted By:
Havi Joshi