Israel’s economy is rarely a straight forward case study to analyse. All observations are usually couched with the get-out phrase about the uncertainties of the geo-political context. True, but for almost two decades – and arguably longer, the country and its commercial system has punched higher than expected.

This week, Jews around the world celebrated their new year. Israeli industry ground to a halt, except for those selling ice cream on the beaches. And yet the great stats keep surging through.

• For the first time in some years, the fiscal debt compared to the GDP – an internationally accepted measure of an economy’s strength – is heading in the wrong direction. It may peak over 3%, but that is still far better than most of the world’s powerhouses.
• Foreign currency reserves – at over 30% of GDP – remain close to their all-time high.
• Unemployment has edge up to 4.3% in recent months, yet remains highly impressive for a country that has known far worse stats in living memory.

And as for the image of the ‘start up nation’, the success stories keep rolling in: –

• Just read this fascinating story of how Israeli tech is the backbone of a Chinese agricultural hub.
• Fivver, a platform for freelancers, is planning a US$1 billion IPO on NASDAQ.
• The next CEO of GitHub, the world’s leading software platform, was in the country last week. The assumption is that he is on the lookout for new software to capture.

The list of positives goes on. Yes, the downside is rarely far away. However, at this festive time of the year, it is worthwhile concentrating on the successes. Both Israelis and others can be proud, if not also thankful, for them.