re: Can someone explain the Israel thing like I’m 5?

At least from my generation there is an admiration for a tiny nation, Israel, which survived and beaten those who tried to destroy it numerous times since 1948. It is the only actual democracy in the Middle East. It spent most of its first several decades as a socialist nation, then not quite 3 decades ago privatized almost all of its businesses.

I well remember the Six Day War as little kids who had never met a Jew in their life cheered listening to a transistor radio of how the Israelis were beating back the enemy on all fronts all with much more funding and much larger militaries with the latest Russia equipment, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq included.