by KYW's Hadas Kuznits, reporting from Jerusalem

Israel celebrates its 60th independence day this week. The intensity of life in Israel makes the natives here who they are, says Marta Mozes (right), a Tel Aviv University student from Lower Merion, Pa.:

"I think because of the army, Israelis take advantage of life more."

Danny Aleksandrovitch (left), a seventh-generation Israeli, explains what he thinks makes the country unique:

"The history -- no doubt about it."

But as Yael Dayan (below right) -- deputy mayor of Tel Aviv and daughter of founding father Moshe Dayan -- says, in many ways Israel is just like any other country:

"The homeless and the drug addicts and the battered women. And the coexistence between the Arabs and the Jews.  All this is welfare, and I deal also with the foreign workers."

(Kuznits:)  "The social issues might not look exactly the same, but (Israelis) have the same issues that everybody else does."

(Dayan:)  "They certainly do."

But Israel has had more waves of immigration than your average young nation:

(Dayan:)  "From 600,000 (population) in 1948, to now 7-point-something million."

The influx of people has led to much development over Israel's 60-year lifetime, and Dayan believes the future has a lot more in store.

(Dayan:)  "Let's not wait another 60 years for the really good, important things to happen."

(Kuznits:)  "Like peace in the Middle East?"

(Dayan:)  "Between Israel and the Palestinians."

See Hadas Kuznits' personal video blog, and listen to KYW Newsradio 1060 all week long for more special reports as Israeli native Hadas Kuznits reports: "Her Homeland at Sixty."   

(Photos by KYW's Hadas Kuznits)