When the TV news is so boring that even corona is barely mentioned, and when somebody comes home with 3 weekend newspapers but you finish them in under an hour, perhaps you can believe that nothing too serious is happening right now in Israel.

I am sure that the defense establishment sees otherwise. Consider the instability of Lebanon, the impact of the enforced poverty in Gaza, or the deployment of Iran’s new air-defense missiles in several countries.

Personally, I noticed three separate news items that have received very little coverage, yet show just how rapidly the Israel is changing in 2021, despite corona.

ITEM 1: Microsoft

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that it is to open 5 additional centres in Israel, resulting in at least 2.500 job opportunities. This follows on from the AT&T decision to expand its Tel Aviv r&d centre from 500 to 600 employees. In a country already unable to fill over 10,000 jobs in the hightech, you are left wondering.

Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk, Corporate VP and GM of Microsoft’s Israel R&D Centre, provides an interesting approach. The new facilities will be looking at the fields of cyber and digital health, as well as a folding mobile phone. To make this happen, Microsoft will be recruiting from the ultra-orthodox sectors and the Arab sectors, providing terms of employment representative of their specific needs.

ITEM 2: The Arab Community

It has been a long time in coming. Non-Jews in Israel compromise over 20% of the total population, primarily but definitely not exclusively Muslim Arabs. These communities have been running of an empty tank for too many years, when it comes to social initiatives. And the key result? There have been around 100 homicides in these communities in the first 9 months of 2021 alone, a massive jump in numbers.

For much of the past two years, governments have mumbled about doing ….. well something. Finally, we are seeing some very deliberate moves. For example, yesterday, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced in a meeting with Druze and Circassian leaders that Mughar will become Israel’s first Druze city.

And earlier this week, the government approved a US30 billion shekel package (almost US$10 billion) over 5 years to invested in infrastructure projects. Notably:

• Developing employment – Increasing the number of courses for professions in demand in the economy. Activity in daycare centers will be expanded in order to encourage Arab women to enter the employment circle.

• Technological innovation and high-tech – The government intends to reduce the gaps in health services among the residents of minority communities throughout the country by at least 25% key areas such as women’s health, early morbidity, diabetes and obesity, mental health, smoking and lung ailments.

• Housing – Thousands of new residential homes will be built. Local authorities will be provided with resources to prevent flooding as well as providing youth clubs and similar after school facilities..

ITEM 3: And a word in the realm of geopolitics.

If you thought that the Abraham Accords was beautiful enough, the prepare for the big bang. It seems that Israel and Saudi Arabia are moving towards official mutual recognition. What that will do for international trade and business is almost impossible to calculate.

This finally rules out another 1973 war scenario! Does that eliminate the Iranian threat to regional instability? No.

There again, “Operation Blue Flag” has just entered its second week. “Along with the dozens of Israeli aircraft taking part, some 40 aircraft from Germany (six Eurofighters), Italy (five F-35 jets and five G550 planes), Britain (six Eurofighters), France (four Raphael jets), India (five Mirage jets), Greece (four F-16 jets), and the US (six F-16 CJ jets) are taking part.”

Coincidence? Training together for a strike against whom? Well, it warranted the President Herzog of Israel to host a delegation of “the commanders of the air forces of the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Greece, and Cyprus, as well as high-ranking generals from the United States Air Force and the air forces of India, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France.”

As Herzog said: “: “What you are doing here is anchoring stability in a tumultuous region faced by terrorists and Iran. We are confronting one coalition, a coalition of hatred, terror, and radicalization, led by Iran.”