Tuesday marks the end of the first year of the formation of Israel's 33rd Knesset Government. The Prime Minister's Office summarized the year in a short two minute video, presenting the advances of the Jewish state in terms of technology, infrastructure and security.
"Today, we are marking exactly one year since the government was formed," remarked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. "We have built up Israel's security in the face of regional turmoil, and the Israeli economy has continued to grow more than the economies of the world which are still dealing with an economic crisis."
Speaking about the security situation in Israel's south, which was peppered by over 100 rockets from terrorists in Gaza last week, Netanyahu noted that in 2013, "in the wake of Operation Pillar of Defense, quiet – of a kind unknown in a decade – has prevailed" in the south.
Netanyahu added "there will be no trickle of rockets. My policy is clear: Any firing of rockets will be met with an immediate and sharp response."
Among the achievements highlighted in the video is the investment of 12.8 billion shekels ($3.7 billion) in national transportation infrastructures, the sealing of Israel's Sinai border to totally block illegal infiltration, a 3.3% GDP growth which ranks among the highest in the world, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world at 6.2%.
Indeed, a recent comprehensive research study measuring various factors ranked Israel the tenth most powerful nation in the world.
Two weeks ago, Netanyahu signed a cooperation agreement with the state of California. At the signing he called for a direct airline route connecting San Francisco and Tel Aviv to link "silicon valley and silicon wadi (valley)," which he praised as "the most powerful hubs of innovation on the planet."