[0x49fa98]

and where do most Israelis live?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel#Density

[dagav]

Population centers are only one concern when you are building a nation. For example, where do you grow your food?

[0x49fa98]

ok, lets see what the Israeli government says

https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Maps/Pages/Israeli-Agricu...

looks like the country being 55% desert factoid is irrelevant

[dagav]

I said it was hard to develop a nation in the desert, I didn't say it was impossible. Israel is a world leader in agricultural technology [1] precisely because of this problem.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Israel