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)
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