How is life in Israel?

How would quality of life in Israel be if it didn't invest its resources so heavily in defense?

• Some context: I live in Israel, and today I can't even go to work because rain is causing floods in Tel Aviv. The amount of rain seems moderate by European standards. The largest component of Israel's budget goes to defense expenditures, while infrastructure is clearly lacking. So what I'm asking is how things would be here if defense constituted for a more average percentage of the total government expenditure? Not just in infrastructure, but in overall quality of life. Note: this isn't meant to spark a political debate. I don't care who's right or wrong about the conflict in the Middle East (in my book everyone is wrong). EDIT: made a good point in the comments that such a reduction in Israel's defense expenditure might negatively affect its outstanding high tech industry. So just to clarify, I'm asking how things might change for better or for worse given this assumption.

• Answer:

  Life in Israel would be grand if there was less defense spending. Really grand. For about five minutes. Or maybe a day. Or maybe a week. Then it would be very, very messy. You see, the size of Israel's defense budget is not a function of the aggregate egomania of the general staff (well, not entirely). It's a function of the threats that Israel faces. Real military threats, every day. Smaller defense budget means less training for conscripts and reservists. It means shoddier equipment that doesn't get replaced and upgraded. It means poor logistics in the field and missing medical supplies when they're needed. It means the "luf" that those armored corps guys are cooking on their tank is from the 1980s instead of fresh and delicious. And for those who care, it means fewer non-lethal options for putting down rioters. If you think the enemy won't be watching and waiting to take advantage, you are very wrong. Look elsewhere for an explanation for why Israel's infrastructure is lacking in some areas. You can blame the military for why civilian shit don't work a lot of the time, but the basic fact is that shit don't work because it's the middle east, and it's a country full of eight million middle easterners who are mostly content with the way shit don't work. And the ones who can't tolerate it end up leaving.