On May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion, shown standing beneath a portrait of Theodor Herzi, one of the fathers of modern political Zionism, proclaims the State of Israel, establishing the first modern Jewish state. Â
Now, 67 years later, Israel remains the only nation in the middle east with a democratically elected government.
I have been privileged to visit Israel twice, in 1991 and 2000. Â I consider those visits significant highlights of my life.