From among the 80 countries ranked, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Israel as the 8th most powerful country in the world. Citing Israel’s technological and military prowess, the ranking was a new record for Israel, outdoing countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, South Korea and Canada, who ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th. The ranking lists the countries who project their influence on the world stage the most.

According to the Report, “Israel, the only Jewish nation in the world, is a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors.”

The report further states that “Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and pharmaceuticals among its major exports. The country is very highly developed in terms of life expectancy, education, per capita income and other human development index indicators. But the country also has one of the most unequal economies in the Western world, with significant gaps between the rich and poor.”

The report also gave a lot of importance to the immigration or Aliyah factor. “While the culture of Jewish Israelis and the Arab minority have remained fairly separate, the country has been influenced by Jewish immigrants from all over the world, many of whom have gone on to make significant contributions to science, politics and the arts.”

The report compared the country’s military spending to that of the U.S. and other countries in the top 10 of the list. “The United States, which is perceived to be the most powerful country, has the world’s largest economy and biggest military budget, spending over $600 billion on military hardware and personnel in 2016. Israel and Saudi Arabia, who took eighth and ninth spots, respectively, spend a higher percentage of their GDP on military spending than the U.S.”

Israel ranked 30th in the best countries category which is the same spot it ranked a year prior.

Compared to other countries, Israel is the 100th country in size of population and 152nd by size of land, but it is the 8th(!) most powerful country in the world due to its military, economic an and diplomatic power.

A great achievement for a great yet small country. So proud. pic.twitter.com/jZW5ZSRTjT

— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) July 9, 2018

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)