Today, well into the 21st Century, the State of Israel has been alive and kicking for 70-plus years, and has quickly become among the world leaders in technology, defense, medicine, agriculture, academia, security, and many other arenas.
In fact, Israel is the world’s only country that has more trees today than it had 50 years ago.
The IDF is a leader in saving people trapped by natural and man-made disasters. Israel is home to the world’s only theater company composed entirely of deaf and blind actors.
At 82 years, life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world.
Coffee and cafés are so good in Israel, it’s one of the few countries where Starbucks failed trying to break into the local market.
Israel tops the list of countries when it comes to the annual production of scientific papers per capita.
First launched in Israel in 2011, mini libraries at bus stops which offer free books have inspired similar initiatives in other countries.
Israel has more in-vitro fertilization per capita than any other country, and it’s free.
And despite the “tough” neighborhood we live in, numerous studies rank Israelis among the happiest people living in Western nations.
In nearly a decade of living in Israel, I’ve heard many theories about Israel’s exceptionalism in so many forms and fashions. These theories range from compulsory army service and impending military conflicts in the region, to the Holocaust and Jewish values (e.g. tikkun olam).
But I have a different theory. It’s a theory that you cannot quantify like you can startups, museums, and university degrees (all of which Israel ranks number-one, per capita, worldwide). It’s a theory that you can only see for your own eyes when you’re in Israel, immersed among the culture, people, history, and lifestyle. Immersed in what I call “the magic of Israel.”
My theory is that Israel has the most creators (and therefore creativity) per capita — people who make or produce something, to cause something new to exist, to cause a particular situation to exist, to cause something to happen as a result of one’s actions, to produce by using your talents and imagination.
Israel’s “creator mindset” is why Israelis created artificial intelligence to complete Beethoven’s tenth symphony from the fragments he left behind, developed the world’s most miraculous missile defense system, and built drip irrigation systems that are saving water-starved regions around the world.
You see, for all the hoopla surrounding terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, a nuclear Iran, and even Jewish settlements, Israel faces a much bigger problem: 99 percent of the world’s population will never step foot in Israel in their lifetime, which means they can never experience “the magic of Israel.” Because if they did experience such magic, they would think and feel about Israel in a completely different light, one based on intrigue, empathy, compassion, and fascination.
Yet even in its best tourism year to date, 2019, Israel welcomed 4.5 million visitors — likely the same amount of people who go in and out of my hometown of Los Angeles every day.
In Israeli startup fashion, I became hellbent on finding a solution to Israel’s growing pr-oblem. If we can’t bring 99 percent of the world to Israel, how can we bring Israel to them? How can we export “the magic of Israel” to people around the world, so they can experience a country bursting at the seams with creativity, talent, and imagination? And how can we get Israel to a place of being universally respected and appreciated, so that Israel can continue to make our world a better place?
That’s when IZZY was born.
The first order of business was to launch a worldwide streaming platform with unlimited Israeli movies, TV shows, and documentaries that you can watch on-demand — featuring Israel's top actors, actresses, directors, and writers.
Learn more about IZZY>>
If you love Shira Haas, then you’ll love Lost & Found. If you love Aviv Alush, then you’ll love Allenby. If you love Ania Bukstein, then you’ll love A Quiet Heart. If you love Fauda, then you’ll love Sabena Hijacking (same writer).
What’s fascinating is that the same “creator mindset” which drives Israeli technology, healthcare, defense, security, agriculture, and so on, drives the creators behind Israeli movies, TV shows, and documentaries — rooted in ingenuity, resourcefulness, and resilience — which drives the new Holy Cheeses cheese store that just opened on my street in Tel Aviv.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from this “creator mindset” since moving to Israel, it’s that creators understand that they are responsible for every success, as well as every failure. They take full responsibility for your present situation. They know that their success is a result of their own hard work, dedication, and attitude, in the same way that they take full responsibility for their shortcomings.
Creators learn from their mistakes and look for solutions to problems that affect their communities and others. They consciously make efforts to improve other people’s situation, and ultimately, lives.
If there’s anything I hope people around the world will learn from Israel, it’s the fortitude, the desire, the passion, to create.
For more information: IZZY