With all their good will, and as great as this may sound to American ears, as an Israel I refuse to donate to campaigns such as Meir Panim's; they vitiate Israel by compensating for the state's mismanagement of funds and perpetuate the specious stereotype of an impoverished Israel. Instead, I will vote for politicians who pledge to distribute funds more fairly. I will protest, petition and donate to groups that aim to solve the problem at its root. It will be a painful process for society to undergo, but Israel must begin feeding hungry mouths, not ideological coffers.

At the age of sixty, Israel has already accomplished a lot. With bustling metropolises, developed infrastructures, excellent universities and a handful of wars under her belt (and currently on her belt), Israel has certainly gained a weathered maturity. But she hasn't hit her golden years yet; amidst Kassam rockets flying, never-ending peace talks and corrupt officials, Israel isn't having an easy start to her new decade. This practically begs the question: is it Israel? Or are the sixties, like the two's, just kind of terrible?