11 Reasons Why Israel is One of the Happiest Countries

Nerys Copelovitz for Kveller

It’s pretty unbelievable, but for the third time running the World Happiness Report says that Israel is one of the happiest nations in the world–11th to be precise. It’s easy to understand why peaceful, orderly, and affluent Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia are at the top of the smiley nations, but Israel?

What could Israelis have to be so happy about? Yes, we’re a bunch of Jews living the Zionist dream in Eretz Israel but–and it’s a ginormous but–that reality is tempered by war, terrorism, unstable governments, corruption, abuse of power, international condemnation, mandatory army service, high taxes, lack of affordable housing, crowded schools–should I go on?

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