Looking Ahead to 2048: Historian Michael Oren Charts Israel’s Future at Age 100

JERUSALEM, Israel – As Israel celebrates its 75th anniversary, one key leader is already looking ahead 25 years to focus on how the nation can prepare for its 100th anniversary. 

Historian, author and Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren recently introduced his latest book, titled 2048: The Rejuvenated State. Oren hopes the book will encourage a conversation or debate such as the one that took place prior to Israel’s birth in 1948. 

“Before this country was created,” Oren told CBN News in an interview, “there were 60 years between 1880s and 1940s, where Jewish thinkers around the world thought about the future of this state. And by the way, a number of Christians as well thought about whether this country would be a secular country, religious country, capitalist, communist, pro-western, pro eastern. Many of those debates proved influential in ensuring Israel’s success, our first success of our first century.”

At the book introduction event, Oren outlined his thinking concerning the conversation about Israel’s future.  

“This is my vision,” he said. “There are 21 chapters in here that cover just about every major field of Israel’s future. It’s educational policy, social policy, foreign policy, Israel/Diaspora Jews, Israel/Palestinians, Israel/Israeli Arabs, everything; gender issues, environmental issues. It’s all there.”

He continued, “And the idea is to get readers here (in Israel), and to a large extent in the diaspora as well, to engage with my vision. Get angry at it. Throw the book at the wall. But engage with it and let us stimulate and facilitate on what kind of future for our grandchildren.”

Oren says that even with the challenges Israel faces, it’s important to remember how far the nation has come in 75 years.    

“It’s one of the great stories, if not the greatest story in modern history – of the people that survives the Holocaust, three years later to declare state with no allies, no natural resources, 600,000 Jews in this country,” Oren marveled. “And we turned around and we made a country that has an army that’s more than twice as large as the British and French armies combined. Seven of the world’s leading universities. One of the few countries, by the way, Chris, (that) has never known a second of non-democratic governance along with the United States, Britain, Canada – just a powerhouse of a country. Extraordinary, extraordinary story,” 

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