AS Australia's federal parliament passes a historic resolution congratulating Israel on its 60th anniversary of independence, Israel continues to battle for its right to live in peace and security as witnessed by the daily escalating missile barrage from Gaza and the recent unspeakably barbaric slaughter of rabbinical students.

While many media outlets unfairly distort the world's picture of Israel, this complex, stimulating and thriving society continues to flourish.

Israel is quite simply a modern marvel.

In the anti-colonialist era following World War II, European masters began the process of returning lands to their original inhabitants.

What distinguished the Jews from other such people was that they had been expelled and forced to live in exile while the land they had lived in for 1500 years endured occupation for two millenniums. Their lives dependent on the whims of their rulers for countless years, they had shed tears in little European or North African villages when concluding the Passover service with the phrase "Next year in Jerusalem". But no longer: they were finally able to return and so did many Holocaust survivors and other persecuted immigrants.

Yes, the Jewish people's return to their ancestral homeland was an unprecedented event. But even this miracle pales into insignificance when compared with the accomplishments of this tiny, embattled country in six short decades.

While other post-war countries remained mired in corruption, authoritarianism, violent fundamentalism and poverty, Israel accumulated a range of achievements in the political, economic, cultural and social spheres that are truly mind-boggling.

Israel is a true liberal democracy, with numerous political parties representing the wide range of Jewish and Arab interests, together with a fiercely independent and activist judiciary that often intervenes to protect the rights of Israel's Arab minorities and disadvantaged citizens.

Israel is the only country in the world that entered this century with a net gain in its number of trees, an even more remarkable feat achieved in an area that is mainly desert.

Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin, one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed and more start-up companies than any other country except the US.

Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East and the third highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world.

Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.

And all of this without knowing a day free of war or terror and being the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth.

What Israel is not is perfect, and in that it is hardly alone. Yet this is the basis of the criticism levelled against it. But not, interestingly enough, from Australians. Australia and Israel share a great friendship. Political, economic and cultural interchange is common and Australia, since its significant role in supporting the establishment of the state of Israel in 1947, has proved itself a staunch ally in international forums. As the parliament's bipartisan resolution demonstrates, our main political parties are united in their support of Israel.

Certainly, Australia and Israel may appear very different to the casual observer. Australia is still a predominantly Christian country, albeit with a significant mix of other faiths and cultures, while Israel is of course Jewish, although it is also home to many religious and ethnic groups.

We are on opposite sides of the world and our languages, even alphabets, are totally dissimilar. Australia is the world's largest island, with a land mass similar to that of the continental US. In contrast, Israel is a tiny state significantly smaller than Tasmania.

Yet, on closer examination, our two nations have much in common, indeed so much so that it is no wonder we enjoy such close bonds. Australia and Israel are both vibrant democracies that respect the rule of law and freedom of the press, despite being situated in regions where democracy is not necessarily the accepted order. We both inhabit ancient lands with a variety of climates and vegetation, lands where water, life's essence, is scarce. Both countries have demonstrated universally acclaimed success in agriculture and hi-tech industry. Australia and Israel have been remarkably enriched by the arrival of people from diverse cultural origins. And, perhaps most tellingly, Israelis and Australians reject extremism and pretension and believe in the fundamental freedom of the individual.

Israelis may continue to face a missile barrage from Gaza and further violent terrorist attacks aimed at defenceless civilians, a tragic continuation of the violence facing Israel since independence and which highlights the Palestinians' and broader Arab world's inability to accept the right of the Jewish people to their own homeland as part of a two-state solution. Yet Israel knows it has every moral and legal right to defend its people - Jews, Christians and Muslims - against attack and will continue to act resolutely, as would any other country faced with these violent threats.

In its struggle to find a peaceful and just solution, Israel is strengthened by the enduring and principled friendship of Australia's parliament and people.

Long may it continue.

Philip Chester is the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia

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