The article skirts one major (and politically incorrect) contributing factor to Israel’s rapid ascension in military know-how: a population with a much higher than average IQ. Imagine if it were to occupy 20X it’s current land and have greater access to vital natural resources.
I don’t know, most of the countries in Asia that have thrived since the Second World War have been poorly resourced. Think Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan. What has oil done for the people of Saudi Arabia (other than the elite)?