Israel

The exact date is still in dispute. The synthesis of Archaeological, Historical, and Biblical
research by most scholars places the date somewhere between 1400 and 1300 BCE.
Through conquests, exiles, and foreign occupations, there has nevertheless been
some Jewish presence there continuously since then. The basis for the declaration
of the modern State of Israel was reaffirmed by the majority vote in the General
Assembly of the United Nations in November 1947, six months before the formal
declaration.

Answer:
When God promised it to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis ch.17).
There are many tens of such verses. Here is a partial list:

• Genesis 13:14-17 And the Lord said unto Abram... "Lift up your eyes, and look...northward and southward and eastward and westward. All the land which you see, to you I will give it, and to your seed forever...Arise, walk through the land..for unto you I will give it."
• Genesis 17:8,18,19 "And I will give unto you (Abraham), and to your seed after you...all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ...And Abraham said unto God: 'would that Ishmael might live in Your presence!' And God said: 'No; Sarah shall bear you a son; and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.' "
  
• Genesis 21:2,3,12 "And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son...And Abraham...named his son Isaac....And God said unto Abraham...'through Isaac shall it be called your seed.' "
  
• Genesis 26:1-3 "And Isaac went unto Abimelech...And the Lord appeared to him, and said...'Sojourn in this land...unto your seed I will give all these lands.' "
  
• In Genesis ch.25: Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 35:9-12 "And God appeared unto Jacob...and He called his name Israel...And God said unto him...'the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed.' "
• Exodus 3:7,8 "And the Lord said (to Moses): 'I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and ... I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land...unto the place of the Canaanites...' "
• Numbers 33:51-54 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say....'unto you I have given the land to possess it; and you shall inherit the land.' "

Israel specializes in a number of fields in industry and exports: Aviation and aerospace
computers; hi-tech; research and development
electronics
agriculture and processed foods
processing of diamonds
chemicals and petrochemical industry
software
communications
tourism
defense
medical equipment
pharmaceuticals
solar and geothermal energy
water technology
shipping
transportation
metalworking and heavy industry

See also:

More about Israel

Most people in Israel are normal, that's how. Most of us, Jews and Arabs, get along just fine. We patronize each others' stores, greet each other, etc etc.

More information

• While Jews are not permitted to live (or are severely restricted) in many Arab countries, Arabs in Israel are granted full citizenship.
• Israel is one of the most open societies in the world.
• More than 200,000 Arab children attend Israeli schools. At the time of Israel's founding, there was just one Arab high school in the country. Today, there are hundreds of Arab schools.
• Israel is the only country in the region that permits citizens of all faiths to worship freely and openly. Over two million Israeli citizens are non-Jewish. Each religious community in Israel has the right to found its own religious schools, councils, and courts; and is given jurisdiction to preside over matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. The religious sites are controlled by officials of their respective faiths, not by the Israeli government.
• Israel is a parliamentary democracy, with an active multiparty system. While the United States has only two major parties, Israeli voters typically have more than a dozen parties to choose from, representing a wide variety of political views. Arabs are granted full citizenship and have the right to vote in Israel. Arabs are also free to become members of the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). In fact, several Arabs have been democratically elected to the Knesset and have been serving there for years.
• Government-owned land can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or gender.
• Israeli law prohibits discrimination by both government and non-government entities on the basis of race, religion, lifestyle, political beliefs, or age.
• Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. Women are free to drive cars (unlike Saudi Arabia), and to dress without veils or other compulsory styles. Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse; and they participate in all walks of life, from homemaker to Prime Minister and Supreme Court President. Women comprise nearly 51% of all magistrate and district court judges; and more than 44% of all lawyers registered in Israel are women.
• All the freedoms and liberties that Americans have from their Bill of Rights and constitution, are equally protected in Israel. Israelis enjoy freedom of religion, freedom of speech and press, freedom of assembly, and the right to protest and to petition the government. Many major news outlets from around the world (including the BBC, CNN and Fox News) station their Middle East bureaus and correspondents in Israel. One reason is because Israel is so well-known for its freedom of speech and the press.
• Israel is smaller than the state of New Hampshire and has several neighboring countries who are hostile to her existence.

The exact exchange rate between any two currencies varies, depending on the date,

the amount exchanged, and where you make the exchange, among other factors.

Today (02-16-2012), the Bank of Israel is quoting USD1.00 = NIS3.77 .

At that rate, not including exchange fees, your $550 would bring NIS 2,073.50 .

Answer 1

In terms of Israel's political ascendancy, this was primarily due to the Israeli government's investment in internal infrastructure and support of the sciences coupled with freedom of speech. This led Israel to have massive economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, catapulting it into the First World. While it is true that Israel received funding from the Western Nations during this period, it was directed primarily at military acquisition, similar to the aid received by Arab States from the Soviet Union. Therefore, this could not have been what made Israel distinct.

It is notable that Israel survived during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9 not on account of Western Support (as the United States, United Kingdom, and France all imposed a regional arms embargo), but through Soviet arms delivered by way of Czechoslovakia. Additionally, the United States only assisted Israel in the post-Six Day War period, with Israel's primary allies being the United Kingdom and France prior to that point.

Answer 2

The US aids Israel with funding and equipment.

Germany also paid large amounts of war reparations.

Israel did NOT get this powerful on its own.

If it wasn't for the West, they would probably have been invaded by their neighbors quite fast.

1) King David authored/compiled the book of Psalms and gave it to us in its present form (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b). The Psalms (Tehillim), which we might call the soul of the Jewish people, express the yearning of King David and of the entire nation to be close to God. They are one of the foundations of our prayerbook to this day.
2) King David was the one who finally succeeded in subduing all of the surrounding nations (see 2 Samuel ch.8 and ch.10) plus the entire territory of Israel, something which no one else did previously or subsequently. He succeeded in all his endeavors (1 Samuel 16:18).

3) He secured from the prophet Nathan a promise from God that his (David's) son Solomon would build the Holy Temple (2 Samuel ch.7). The First Temple is actually considered the accomplishment of David himself (Rashi commentary, Berakhot 18a), since it existed in his merit ("Torat Chaim," commenting on Talmud, Shabbat 30a).

4) He set the blueprints, with Divine inspiration, for the Holy Temple (1 Chronicles 28:19). Together with the prophet Samuel, he located the spot where the Temple would be built (Talmud, Zevachim 54b); and he dug the foundations for the Temple (Talmud, Sukkah 53a).

5) He amassed vast amounts of material and precious metals for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles ch.29).

6) Together with Samuel, he instituted the 24 groupings of families of Kohanim and Levites (Talmud, Taanit 27a).

7) He served God all the days of his life (1 Kings 11:38); and God was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).

8) He was without peer in clarifying and applying the halakhot (laws) of the Oral Tradition (Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b).

9) King David serves as the archetype of the effectiveness of repentance (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b).

See also:

Why didn't David kill Saul?

About the Psalms

Jewish history timeline

More about the Hebrew Bible

This is a very controversial issue for many of people, not only are political and social feelings are involved but religious ones as well. Historically, there has been hidden animosity between the two ideological states, Pakistan and Israel. As a result you may have conflicting views between the parties.

Answer 1 - Pakistani Perspective

In the views of many Muslims including Pakistanis, Israel is a occupier of Palestine, and many view Israel to be "an enemy of Islam" and a "conspirator against Islam". Many also see Israel's long history of oppression, brutality, and torture against the people of Gaza and many of its Muslim neighbors. Some also painfully understand that Israel is a regional superpower that has been occupying and oppressing for 60+ years and presents a challenge to Muslim ambitions in the Middle East.

Pakistanis also note that Israel's MOSSAD has been engaging in operations, perhaps terrorism, sabotage within Pakistan and are trying to create balkanization within Pakistan, by supporting separatism. They also point out the Indo-Israeli axis that is highly Anti-Pakistani in it's underlying objectives.

In the views of many Jews including Israelis, Pakistan is a chance for them to establish better ties with Muslims. However, many Jews and Israelis view this ideological Islamic Republic Pakistan as a potential threat, not to mention Pakistan is the only Muslim Nuclear Power. The Israelis also remember that Pakistan sent it's PAF pilots during the 1967 War to support Syria and Arab fight against Israel, and resulted in the destruction of possibly 5-10 Israeli jets.

Probably you are not aware that King Abdullah of KSA had offered this plan to Israel in 2002. The plan as adopted calls for Israeli withdrawal from all territories occupied since 1967 and return of the Palestine refugees to Israel in return for recognition of Israel and normal relations.

King Abdullah's initiative consists of the following provisions:

1. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, to the June 4, 1967 lines.

2. The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Al-Qods (Jerusalem) as its capital.

3. Solving the Refugees issue in accordance with the international resolutions issued in this respect.

At the 14th Arab summit on March 27-28, 2002 in Beirut, King Abdullah laid out a peace initiative, based on Resolution 242's principle of "land for peace," and on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 which calls for a cease-fire followed by immediate implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 and negotiations between the parties "aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East." King Abdullah proposed that the Arabs put forward "a clear and unambiguous initiative" to the UN Security Council calling for full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, recognition of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees in exchange for normal relations and security for Israel.

Answer 2 - Israeli Perspective

The above answer rings hollow unless you also note the amount of Jew-hatred that also motivates non-recognition of Israel. Innocent Muslims are also being slaughtered in Xinjiang in China, southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan (admittedly by less-innocent genocidal Muslims), etc. but Pakistan has no issue establishing relations with these Muslim-killing nations. It is primarily out of solidarity with Arab Muslims and Islamic Anti-Semitism, that Pakistanis refuse to accept Israel as a country.

Please see the Related Link that discusses the evolution of the Israeli-Pakistani relationship.

Concerning Mossad's possible operation in Pakistan, this is part of the web of conspiracy theories that predominate in Pakistan to explain why their central government cannot control the entire country. In reality, there has been no evidence of any Mossad operations in Pakistan. No Mossad agent has ever been caught and no prisoner has ever claimed that he was working for Mossad. Pakistan is a country made of four major groups: Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis, and Pashtuns. The Balochis and Pashtuns have wanted separation since the day that the Punjabis and the Sindhis enforced martial law on them. They have been revolting all on their own and have not asked nor been provided Israeli support.

As for Israel's relationship with India, yes, Israel maintains a number of high-level defense contacts with India because the two countries see themselves in similar political situations: that they have violent Islamic Nations as neighbors who repeatedly engage them in armed conflict. India and Israel are also branching out to more and more civilian contacts since Israel has a number of technological solutions that India needs, like desalinization to give water to massive amounts of undernourished Indians, and India can provide the raw manpower to produce clothing and industrial production that Israel needs. Considering that Pakistan has admittedly fought against Israel and India has not, it makes much more sense for Israel to maintain a strong relationship with India and not with Pakistan.

As for the Saudi Peace Initiative of 2003, whose points were so graciously outlined, there are number of serious problems. The Arabs read provision (3) as saying primarily that every Palestinian refugee who came from what is Israel today must be permitted to return to Israel (even though there is no international consensus that this is the proper way to read UNGA Resolution 194). The reason that this is problematic for Israel is that there are millions of Palestinians in the Diaspora and the influx of these millions would make Israel a de facto Arab state, which is a violation of everything that Israel is. The Saudis know this and ingenously constructed an "unsignable" peace treaty to make it look like they were the gracious ones. Pakistan should understand this case uniquely. Imagine if there was an Indian-Pakistani peace where any Indian person who can trace historical origins to anywhere in Pakistan could return there, the Muslim to Hindu ratio would go berserk and you may find a Pakistan where there are nearly as many Hindus as Muslims, defeating the point of having an Islamic Republic.

To read more about why the Israelis reject the Saudi Peace Initiative of 2003, please see the Related Link below.

This is a very contentious issue. West Jerusalem is unquestionably in Israel, but for the entire city, there is more debate.

Legal Status (De Jure)

In 1949, the armistice lines between Israel and Jordan divided the city of Jerusalem into West Jerusalem (which was held by Israelis) and East Jerusalem, including the Old City (which was held by the Jordanians. In 1967, via the Six-Day War, Israel reunited the city of Israel under its control. However, according to UNSC Resolution 242, Israel must withdraw from territories occupied in the Six-Day War in return for a peace treaty with its neighbors. In 1994, Jordan, which was the country that had a legal right to Jerusalem, ceded that right to the Palestinian Authority and signed a peace treaty with Israel. As a result, Jerusalem contains both de jure Israeli territory (West Jerusalem) and the de jure non-Israeli territory (East Jerusalem) which is owed, theoretically, to the Palestinian State.

Current Status (De Facto)

Since 1967, Israel has controlled both West and East Jerusalem and in 1980 passed the "Jerusalem Law", which set up a unified municipal boundary for Jerusalem and annexed (illegally according to international law) East Jerusalem to Israel proper.