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Israel is part of southwest
Asia and the Middle East.
Population: 4.9 million
people
Geographic size: 8,500 square miles
Capital: Jerusalem
Major cities and population: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and
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| Israel is a small country in
the middle east. The central plateau, called the West
Bank, is the ancient Israel heartland containing
Jerusalem. To the north are the Lebanese mountains.
Israel
has been in a political and sometimes military battle
with its neighbors over its territory and very existence.
The Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean coast was once part
of Egypt. The West Band and East Jerusalem were part of
Jordan. The Golan Heights is still in dispute with Syria. |
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| To the south of the West
Bank is the Negev desert. The Negev desert represents
about 60% of Israel's territory. |
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| Israel is considered the
Holy Land of the Judeo-Christian religion. It is the spiritual
home to many Jews. This ancient Holy Land
attracts many people each year.
The Wailing Wall is the
focal point of Jewish worship. It is the remains of the
ancient temple destroyed by Titus and the Roman army in
A.D. 70. The western wall still stands. It is the place
of pilgrimage for devout Jews who come from all over the
world to pray beside it. |
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| Agriculture is a major
industry, making Israel almost self sufficient for food.
Natural
resources, such as diamonds and gems, are major exports.
Because of Israel's strained relationship with its
Arab neighbors, almost 25% of the national budget is
spent on the military. |
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| In the 1st century A.D.,
Palestine was part of the Roman Empire. The Jews
rebelled
against Rome, and the Roman General Titus invaded
Jerusalem. Titus destroyed Jerusalem's temple, the focal
point for Jewish worship. The Jews
then were exiled from
their land.
Until the late 1800s, there was no
organized movement for Jews to return to Palestine. In
the early 1900s, the Zionist movement was created to
establish a Jewish home in Palestine. By this time,
Palestinian Arabs had lived on the land for hundreds of
years. This caused conflict between the Arabs and the
Israelis, who both claimed the same land.
Adolf Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jews
in
Europe led to a sense of urgency to establish a Jewish
settlement in Palestine. |
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| After World War II, British
soldiers occupied Palestine. The United Nations
established a plan for two states -- one Jewish and one
Arab, to occupy the land. The Jewish state consisted of
56% of Palestine, with the remainder an Arab state.
Although the Jews accepted this plan, the Arabs rejected
the plan.
In 1948, when the British withdrew from
Palestine, both the United States and the Soviet Union
recognized the independent state of Israel.
The conflict between Israel and the Arabs continued.
Numerous Israeli and Arab wars kept changing the area's
political boundaries.
The conflict continues today. |
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| The vast majority of the
population, 83%, are of Jewish religion, with 14%
Muslim,
2% Christian and 2% Druze.
The Israeli people share a
rich ancient culture, language and religion. They are
very nationalistic and unified in defending their state. |
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| Israel has a
temperate climate, except in the desert which is hot and
dry. |
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