By Dan Senor and Paul Singer, Special to CNN

Editor's note: Dan Senor is an author, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and an investor in Israeli companies. Saul Singer is an author and a columnist for the Jerusalem Post. They are co-authors of the new book, "Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle" (Twelve Books).

New York (CNN) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to Washington, D.C., Monday to address a conference of the American Jewish Federations at a time of concern in Israel that the U.S.-Israel relationship is adrift.

Dan Senor, left, and Saul Singer

Although Netanyahu has used each of his recent U.S. visits to make the case for confronting Iran and its nuclear ambitions, he might consider broadening the subject.

Israel's leader should speak to Americans not just about what threatens Israel, or what Israel's critics say, but also on what is unique about his nation's economy at a time of great economic uncertainty for Americans, when the unemployment rate here has just crossed the 10 percent threshold.

Israel has stood out among advanced economies as a place where the crisis hit softer, and may have passed quicker, than almost anywhere else. Israel's economic growth has not been based on easy credit or a real estate boom, but on the technology-driven productivity gains that economists believe is the key to sustained economic growth.

So what are the lessons for the U.S. economy? Read full article

Iraq's first DNA lab is helping Iraqis find missing loved ones. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports.

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According to The National newspaper, British group Virgin and Aabar Investments, owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, signed a deal giving the UAE capital exclusive regional rights to host space flights for tourists. Aabar has also committed to fund a launch station for satellites.

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Jieun Lee
Intern, CNN Dubai.

Dubai, UAE -  Just a few weeks ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice President of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, joined the global social networking site Facebook. With close to 50,000 fans, Sheikh Mohammed is one of a growing number of public figures, celebrities and politicians who have recently tapped the worldwide web to communicate with the public.

He has turned his “wall”, a space usually used between friends to leave tongue-in-cheek messages to each other, into a discussion forum on issues of public interest.

Recently Sheikh Mohammed asked "Should the new academic year start during Ramadan or after the Eid holiday?" After surveying the multiple Facebook comments and consulting other experts, the Ministry of Education decided to postpone the start of the 2009-10 school year, until after Eid. Sheikh Mohammed then updated his Facebook status thanking the public for their opinions.

While Sheikh Mohammed’s page also serves a more traditional purpose – carrying personal details about his family, hobbies and interests – as with most things in Dubai, his page isn't really about him. Rather, it signals the Emirate’s continued support for creative modern approaches to improved communication. It's another way to foster dialogue and promote a sense of community in this diverse, cosmopolitan place. And it's also a step toward a more accessible leader. One person commented "Wow-my first friend who is a leader of a nation!".

Facebook is not the only social networking site that Sheikh Mohammed has joined. Like Queen Rania of Jordan before him, he has set up a twitter account. In keeping with his facebook page his most recent tweet says "will be able to confirm in 10 days time, the date when Private and British schools will be reopening in the UAE."

I now wonder if Sheikh Mohammed also skypes?

Before starting her internship at CNN Dubai, Jieun worked for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and the United States. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations.

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