Israel is a democracy and Jews turned the desert into a paradise, Israelis claim

 Israel is often referred to as a democratic country due to its political structure and practices. It is a parliamentary democracy, consisting of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Its institutions include the Presidency, the Knesset (parliament), the Government (cabinet), the Judiciary, and the State Comptroller

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. Israel is a multiparty democracy with strong and independent institutions that guarantee political rights and civil liberties for most of the population

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.However, the characterization of Israel as a democracy is not without controversy. Some argue that while Israel has democratic structures such as regular elections and separation of powers, it also has policies and practices that discriminate against non-Jewish citizens, particularly Palestinians

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. This has led to debates about whether Israel can be accurately described as a democracy, with some describing it as a "flawed democracy"

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.As for the claim that "Jews turned the desert into a paradise," this is a common narrative associated with the establishment of Israel. The idea is that Jewish settlers, through their ingenuity and hard work, transformed a barren and neglected land into a thriving and productive one

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. However, this narrative is also contested. Critics argue that it oversimplifies and romanticizes the history of the region, ignoring the fact that parts of Palestine were already cultivated and inhabited before the arrival of Zionist settlers

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.In conclusion, the characterization of Israel as a democratic country and the narrative of Jews turning the desert into a paradise are both subjects of ongoing debate, reflecting the complex and contested nature of the region's history and politics.