A few years back, a highly experienced businessman was visiting Israel. When faced with a request  from his audience for a change in policy, his response indicated that he would try but was sceptical if it could work out. At which point, somebody jumped in and reminded the traveller that he was currently sitting in the country of miracles.

This week, Israel celebrates her 64th birthday party. Born in 1948, the only country to be created by the UN and the promptly invaded by some of its members, Israel has long moved on for being noted for Jaffa oranges and religious tourist sites.

A utube clip released this week shows Israel’s contribution to hightech, the arts, the world community and more.  USB plug ins, Intel chips, desalinsation plant tech, Soda Stream, top TV soap operas – they are all featured in the four minute show.

And since the making of the film? It was announced that XtremIO’s flash array tech is likely to be bought by EMC. Objet’s 3D print technology, based south of Tel Aviv, is about to become part of an American conglomerate. So it goes on.

I was struck by an item in today’s “Calcalist” (translation – Economist) newspaper. It featured 8 Israeli companies. Mostly unknown twelve months back, today they are generating tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually in the field of “toolbars”. Yup toolbars, the thing that annoys many of us on our computers.

The leader of the pack is Conduit, which J.P. Morgan recently valued at well over US1 billion. The explanation on their own website is very simple – their tech helps to drive traffic to the website of their clients and thus generate extra revenues. Sort of important, no?

iMesh had sales of US$70 million last year, basically taking over where Napset et al failed. Sweet IM has its “smileys”. After Download, Volonet, Iron Source, Dealply and others are not far behind, all with their main offices in Israel. The revenues generated are simply large and growing geometrically.

Where to next? Who knows what another 64 years will bring, as the word “impossible” is challenged and redefined in Israel on a near daily basis.