KEY POINTS:
A special birthday is always a reason for celebration, and it is no different for Israelis and Jews around the world as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel tomorrow.
It is worth celebrating that the scattered and dispossessed Jewish people, suffering oppression and having emerged from history's worst genocide, accepted the newly formed United Nations Partition Plan and built a vibrant democracy in part of their ancestral homeland.
Had the Arab states accepted the UN's plan in 1947, we could all be celebrating the 60th birthday of both Israel and Palestine. Sadly, that didn't happen.
Security for Israelis is better now than in the dark days of 1948-9, 1967 and 1973, but still not good enough. There are peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, two of the five Arab countries which invaded the fledgling state in 1948. Most of the rest of the Arab world, and many other Muslim countries, still refuse to recognise Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and Iran's President has threatened to wipe her off the map.
Although the security barrier between Israel and the Palestinian territories has almost eliminated terror acts within Israel, only a final status peace agreement based on the two-state solution will end the violence between Palestinians and Israelis.
In spite of security and other major problems (such as trade boycotts) Israel - a country only a 12th the size of New Zealand and with meagre natural resources - has become a world leader in IT, medicine, science and technology, agriculture and water technology.
The Jewish National Fund has planted 240 million trees over the last 100 years to make the desert bloom, and reduce greenhouse gases. Israel recycles 70 per cent of its wastewater for re-use. In January this year, the Government announced its support of a plan to install the world's first electric car network in Israel by 2011, and the country has world-leading solar energy projects.
Through its own overseas aid schemes, and by contributing to United Nations multilateral programmes, Israel has extended humanitarian aid to more than 140 countries, including some who do not maintain diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
Some 2400 African refugees have crossed the border into Israel from Egypt since the beginning of 2008, making a total of about 6000 African refugees in the country at present.
Hebrew as a modern language has blossomed and there has been rich cultural revival, some of which we have enjoyed here in New Zealand from authors at the International Festival and Womad artists, to classical musical soloists and groups.
Israel, like all countries, isn't perfect. But that's no reason not to recognise and celebrate its 60 years of achievements.
But for New Zealand Jews and supporters of Israel there is a cloud over the celebration. They have a strong feeling that the present New Zealand Government is using a stated official policy of even-handedness to turn away from former friendly relations with Israel.
It was hugely disappointing in May 2003 to see Foreign Minister Phil Goff holding hands with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, at a time when Arafat had scuppered the Camp David peace talks and instigated the violence of the second intifada.
Israel did not help in her relations with New Zealand by closing the Wellington embassy in 2002. The attempt in 2004 by two Israelis to obtain New Zealand passports illegally strained relations further, but the New Zealand Government's response, which triggered the desecration of Jewish graves in two Wellington cemeteries, was not helpful.
Even after an official Israeli apology in 2005, which New Zealand accepted, the Government's attitude here remains cool.
The many ways that New Zealand has benefited up until now from Israeli invention and technology - such as drip and trickle irrigation, and 200MW of geothermal power generation with 100 per cent reinjection - surely point to future benefits as well, if the will were there to encourage co-operation.
Both Australia and China have water technology agreements with Israel. New Zealand, now likely to suffer future droughts, could well do the same.
Let's hope that as 60-year-old Israel moves towards peace with her neighbours, the relationship with New Zealand will also improve.
* David Zwartz is Honorary Consul of Israel in New Zealand.
