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In its incipient years, hundreds of thousands of Jews immigrated to Israel, most of whom were refugees from the Holocaust or from Arab-dominated countries. While the fledgling state began to absorb these new immigrants, some of whom had never seen such basics as indoor plumbing, its leaders also struggled to get the government, military, and economy up and running. Though some of the early problems have persisted and will seem ironically familiar, many others were met and solved with acumen that will both astonish and impress.

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