Israel Test : Why the World's Most Besieged State Is a Beacon of Freedom and Hope for the World Economy

"Gilder's originality, plus the sheer force of his enthusiasm for the extraordinary virtues of the beleaguered Jewish state, sweep away the prevailing vitriol and make for a book that is nothing less than thrilling to read."
--Norman Podhoretz

In this timely and courageous book, George Gilder demonstrates that the widespread antagonism toward the state of Israel is based - as is anti-Semitism itself - on self-defeating envy and resentment of its superior accomplishments and moral leadership.

Israel's stunning rise as a world capitalist and technological power, he argues, stems in part from the Jewish "culture of mind" and in part from Judaism itself, which encourages intellectual curiosity and rational analysis while providing a rigorous moral framework for entrepreneurial creativity. Israel's critics throughout the Middle East and in Western Europe - all facing socialist decline - have failed the "Israel Test" because they seek to destroy Israel's capitalist success rather than to emulate it.

America's continued support for Western Civilization in the Middle East will define our future survival as a nation. "If Israel is destroyed," Gilder predicts, "capitalist Europe will likely die as well, and America, the epitome of productive and creative capitalism spurred by its own Jewish citizens, will be in grave moral and economic jeopardy."

At a time when ignorant students and overtly anti-Semitic politicians champion Israel's murderous enemies and rush to abandon Israel, Gilder's clarity of vision makes The Israel Test required reading not only for college students, but also for policy-makers in Washington, and throughout the world.

George Gilder's bestselling books have sold more than two million copies worldwide. In Wealth and Poverty, one of the most influential books of our time, Gilder made the moral case for capitalist creativity. With The Spirit of Enterprise, Microcosm, Telecosm, and Life After Television, Gilder achieved renown as a stunningly accurate prophet of the direction of technology development and enterprise, including Israel's world-beating contributions. A contributing editor to Forbes magazine, Gilder has produced the annual Gilder/Forbes Telecosm Forum since 1997, offering leading edge forecasts and analysis from the top technology firms and research centers around the world. Gilder also heads Gilder Technology Associates, a venture capital fund focusing on breakthrough technologies. In 1986 President Ronald Reagan presented Gilder the White House Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. Gilder is a founding fellow of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, a contributing editor to Forbes, and writes frequently for national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Wired, National Review, and The American Spectator