While the OECD’s recent economic report indeed heaps a great deal of praise upon Israel, that is only half the picture, points out Amiram Barkat in this brief but powerful article from Israeli business news hub Globes. Rather than praiseworthy or successful, though, it would be more accurate to describe Israel’s economy as bipolar, encompassing opposite extremes: hi-tech vs. the rest of industry, the center vs. the periphery, the general population vs. Haredim and Arab Israelis, and the list goes on. At least—Barkat offers somewhat in jest—all sectors of the population are unified by « high housing costs and intolerable road congestion. »