One of the most serious challenges Israel has faced over its history since independence was its economic and diplomatic isolation in the region and in the world. This isolation has eased dramatically in recent years. Israel has become a welcomed partner and is involved in economic and military collaborations with many new regional allies. While this reversal can be explained in part by changes in the geopolitical makeup of the region that opened up new opportunities, Israel's ability to fully exploit those opportunities reflects its successful pursuit of David Ben-Gurion's vision that the country's future would depend above all else on advances in its qualitative edge and cultivation of its human talent