Now add this: That same year, the country faced a direct confrontation with its archrival—the regional superpower—and endured hundreds of ballistic missiles raining down on its cities.

So tell me, how would you expect that country’s economy to look at year’s end?

This thought experiment sounds facetious, I know. But only because we’ve all grown used to the economic miracle that is Israel. So let’s take a moment to appreciate the small wonders.