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Israel

Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is the only Jewish-majority state in the world. It has a total land area of 22,072 sq km with an estimated population of approximately 7.7 million as of 2010.

6,421 Questions

Who made peace with Israel in 1994?

The Middle East Peace Process signed the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel on October 26, 1994.

As for the politicians in question: Bill Clinton, President of the United States signed on as a neutral arbiter, King Hussein of Jordan signed on behalf of his country, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel signed on behalf of his.

What are the religious beliefs in Israel today?

Israel is 75% Jewish. The basic beliefs of Judaism:

The philosophy of Judaism is that this world is a purposeful creation by God, in which all people are tested concerning their use of free-will. We possess a soul which lives on after the body dies and is held responsible for the person's actions. Anyone who is worthy, Jewish or not, can merit reward in the afterlife.
Here is a list of the most basic beliefs of Judaism, as codified by Maimonides:
1. God exists, and is the Creator.
This tells us that the world is not purposeless or chaotic. Life is the result of a deliberate, purposeful, intelligent and kind Creator; not a melancholy chaos or a string of fortuitous accidents.
2. God is One and unique.
This is the basis of all Western monotheistic belief, which was given to the world by Abraham and his descendants. This belief places God at the center of reality and the center of our world-outlook and thoughts.
3. God is not physical.
This includes the corollary that no person should be worshiped as God or as a god. Judaism has no god-kings, no demigods, no angel who flouts God's will, and no sports-idols, movie-idols etc.
4. God is eternal.
This includes the belief that God's ways are also eternal. God is not capricious, forgetful or fickle. Investing in a relationship with God is the only thing that will bear eternal benefits.
5. Prayer is to be directed only to God.
This teaches us that no person, government or institution is to be accorded blind trust. We pray directly to God, three times a day; and we recount our shortcomings, ask for our needs, and acknowledge our successes with happy thanks.
6. The words of the prophets are true.
The prophecies of the Hebrew Bible have been coming true throughout history. Even secular archaeologists (the unbiased ones) have stated that the Hebrew Bible is the most accurate of historical records, as the disdainful theories of Wellhausen and Bible-critics of his ilk have been shattered by the archaeologist's spade. A list of Bible verses which were called into question but later shown to be perfectly accurate would run into the many hundreds.
7. The prophecies of Moses are true; and he was the greatest prophet.
8. The Torah was given to Moses by God.
These two beliefs are the basis of our attitude towards the Torah: it is the center of our lives. Jews are keeping mitzvot (commands), saying blessings, praying, learning Torah and doing acts of kindness and charity all the time. The Torah is the single greatest thing that a Jew has; given to us to provide knowledge, guidance, inspiration, awe and reverence, advice, law, comfort, history and more. It is the basis of Judaism.
9. There will be no other Torah.
We Jews have been around for 3800 years. New fads, manifestos, beliefs or lifestyles which rear their heads are met by the Jew with a calm, seasoned eye and the proverbial grain of salt. The Torah doesn't change; and every new thing can be measured against the Torah's standards.
10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of all.
11. God rewards the good and punishes the wicked.
These two beliefs provide a vast incentive towards righteousness and, when needed, repentance.
They also form part of the basis of our belief in the afterlife, since this entire world wouldn't be enough to reward a Moses or punish a Hitler.
God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4); and all outstanding accounts are settled after this life.
12. The Messiah will come.

13. The dead will be resurrected.
Judaism is the only ancient religion which taught optimism; and a large part of that optimism was and is based upon the words of the prophets.

What is the rainfall percentage in Israel?

That varies widely from place to place. Eilat's average is 22 cm/year, while the area adjacent to the Elkosh forest averages 96 cm/year. Other areas are in between these two extremes.

See this page: Israel average rainfall

Why does Palestine belong to Muslims?

Answer 1

Because :

Ibrahim (Abraham)is Muslim

Dawood (David) is Muslim

Suleiman (Solomon) is Muslim

Musa (Moses) is Muslim

Isa (Jesus) is Muslim

All the prophets are Muslims because sent from the same and the Only GOD (Allah) who got the same Curriculum.

Answer 2

The typical Pro-Palestinian view centers on the idea that Israel is a modern colony in the Middle East (as opposed to a return of a people to their lost homeland). In the narrative, prior to 1900, less than 10% of the population of what would become Mandatory Palestine was Jewish and the Fellahin or Settled Arabs were the majority. There were also a large percentage of Turks, Circassians, Bedouin, and Druze, but the Settled Arabs were still the majority. Zionist Jews or those Jews who desired to create a Jewish State cleverly manipulated the Great Powers, especially the United Kingdom into giving them the right to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine in large numbers without consulting the rights of the Fellahin. Additionally, Zionist Jews purchased large swaths of land from Turkish nobility without consulting the Fellahin who lived on that land for centuries but did not properly own it. As a result, numerous Fellahin were forced off of their land during the Yishuv period, Yishuv being the word for a Zionist Jewish settlement in Mandatory Palestine. The Jewish population in Palestine continued to rise until 1939 when the Fellahin successfully petitioned the British government to close off Jewish immigration. The Fellahin, who now identify as the Palestinians, have a right to that country based on this history.

However, Islam fundamentally opposes this view. Israel is a unique case and the Qur'an actually says that Allah is behind the creation of Israel. These views are established in 5:20-21 where Allah commands Moses to take the Holy Land for his people, in 17:104 where Allah claims responsibility for gathering the Jews to Israel, and 26:59 where the Qur'an gives the Land of Israel to Jews as inheritance. There is no point in the Qur'an that even alludes to Muslim control or right to rule any place in the Levant region. Unfortunately, as many Muslims would like to advocate the argument in the first paragraph of this answer, they conveniently ignore what their own book says.

20And, when Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds. 21O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you and do not turn back [from fighting in Allah 's cause] and [thus] become losers."

AND

104And We said after Pharaoh to the Children of Israel, "Dwell in the land, and when there comes the promise of the Hereafter, We will bring you forth in [one] gathering."

AND

59Thus. And We caused to inherit it [the land] the Children of Israel.

Is Israel a strong country?

Not really, Hizbollah kicked them out of Lebanon during the war in 2006. Israel are hopeless at ground attacks, but are deadly from the air due to USA supplying them with missiles, helicopter gunships and fighter jets!

What Christmas traditions are observed in Israel?

Israel is a collection of people from all over the world so the rainbow of traditions is endless. On top of that, there are many traditions that have begun in Israel by Israelis in the last 60 or so years.

Who was the last prophet of bani Israil?

Believe it or not, the first person in the bible to receive the gift of prophecy is Enoch. However he only gets a brief mention. We know that Enoch was a prophet, because "God took him." He was so upright, "righteous" and moral, God told him "you don't belong there (the world of men), you belong in heaven with me, you don't need to die, your time is there is done." As a general rule, only prophets can enter heaven without dying, that is why beliefs within Judaism persist that Moses isn't really dead, like Enoch, Moses is still alive. Most of the patriarchs are dead, but none of the prophets are; they all reside in the "garden of the righteous." Enoch is not officially called a prophet, the first person in the bible actually considered a prophet was Moses, although, an earlier character (Joseph), made more predictions about the future than Moses did. Actually that I think of it, Moses did not make any predictions. All the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel had extreme longevity; Joseph's brothers in fact outlived him. Joseph died, when he was 112, whereas his brothers such as Judah, Simeon, Levi, Isachar and whoever else, lived to their 140's. My own Hebrew blood is pure; absolutely no European admixture. Why is it important to me? One of the things I'm scared of, is extreme longevity; I am afraid that I may end up outliving whoever it is I marry. Even to this day, Misrahi Jews produce a large number of centegenarians, more than any other group of Jews, being an Iraqi Jew, that means I will probably live to be 100 too, assuming no accidents, plagues, whatever. Besides the fact that I practice Tai Chi Chuan and Yoga, extreme longevity is in my blood; full, or nearly full blooded Hebrew people are prone to have long lives. Among Iraqi and Yemeni Jewish families, men and women who see their GREAT grand children are not uncommon. Ashkenazi Jews though, tend to die off early. Its one of the curses of being a semite; you need to prepare yourself mentally for being around for a very long time before you are finally given peace. One of the reasons I neglect my Tai Chi and Yoga training, is because I do not much care for reaching the age of 140, had I a choice in the matter I would want to die at the age of 80. If you yourself are an Arab, a direct largely unmixed descendant of Ishmael whose maternal line is predominantly all Arab women, no slave girls, that is you are an Arab largely on both sides, prepare yourself; Ishmael, I believe died when he was 160. A friend of mine from Saudi Arabia, told me that one of his uncles on his father side, or rather grand uncles, a Beduin, was a young man during the Lincoln administration, and he did not finally die until the 1980's. Prepare yourself; a lot of descendants of Abraham may end up cursed with extreme age. I personally don't see it as a blessing; this is an evil world.

What land does Israel possess today?

Israel possesses the holy land of Palestine, which is where the basis of the country is situated. In addition, Israel occupies the land of the State of Palestine, a neighbor who has been conflicting with Israel since Israel's formation in 1948.

The British Mandate of Palestine mostly became the Jewish State of Israel after World War II on account of the passage of UN Resolution 181, helped in no small measure by the sympathy for the Jews garnered because of the Holocaust. This was done so because Palestine is very holy to the Jews, among Christians and Muslims as well, and is described as the God given land to the Jews in the Torah.

Why did Israel take the Sinai Peninsula?

Israel took the Sinai Peninsula twice (1956 and 1967) and returned it twice (1957 and 1979-1982).

In both cases Israel took the Sinai Peninsula because Egypt was posing a threat to Israel and rather than fight a defensive war within Israeli borders, Israel decided to fight an offensive war. In both 1956 and 1967, Egypt declare a ceasefire without a resolution, meaning that the armistices (with the Sinai securely in Israeli hands) became the de facto borders. Israel withdrew in 1957 due to American pressure and withdrew in 1979-1982 due to a final, lasting peace treaty with Egypt.

When did the violence first start in palestine?

Conflict is a general term but if this refers to when did the Israel/Palestines begin fighting it all stems from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The war came after Arab rejection of the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine (UN General Assembly Resolution 181) that would have created an Arab state and a Jewish state. The State of Israel declared itself as an independent nation, and was quickly recognized by the United States, Iran, the Soviet Union, and many other countries. Over the next few days, approximately 1,000 Lebanese, 5,000 Syrian, 5,000 Iraqi, and 10,000 Egyptian troops invaded the newly-established state. Israel launched a series of military operations in order to drive out the Arab armies and secure the borders of Israel. On January 7th 1949 a truce was reached. In December 1948, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194 which declared (amongst other things) that in the context of a general peace agreement "refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so" and that "compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." However, parts of the resolution were never implemented, resulting in the Palestinian refugee crisis. Thus resulting in todays Gaza/Israel on going battle.

When did Israel attack Gaza?

Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005. It was becoming more financially and militarily cumbersome to maintain settlements and Israeli police in that territory than its desirability as part of the Jewish State.

Did Jews steal Palestine?

Issues of Moving Parts

This question has a number of moving parts, which makes it difficult to answer. For example, if I ask "Is the sky blue?" there are two things for which I need a definition. Thankfully the definitions for "sky" and "blue" are almost universally agreed upon, making the question answerable. The terms "steal" and "Palestine" are far more nebulous.

As for theft, theft requires proper ownership. The first view of ownership is the literal definition of possessing something. Therefore whatever persons, companies, organizations, or governments own something with proper title as viewed by recognized governments are those who have "ownership". (This is like any typical sale.) The second definition is the perceived Color of Right of Title, which is to say that a certain person, organization, or government should have proper title but does not have it on account of an illegal activity (such as theft). (This case would come for example if A owned a book and B stole it. While B has physical possession of the book, A still retains ownership since stealing, the act of transfer and acquisition, is illegal.) Understandably, most Israelis claim that no illegal act took place and therefore title properly belongs to them. Palestinians and their sympathizers often (but not always) argue that their land was stolen and therefore, they retain proper ownership.

This difference in opinion is very important to acknowledge. If Israel is correct in its assertion that it came into existence as an independent State with rights to the lands of that state, then there is no theft. If the Arabs are correct in asserting that the land was theirs originally and it was stolen, then the question stands.

As for "Palestine" this term is typically interpreted one of two ways. The first way is to refer to all of the land in the British Mandate of Palestine which includes the Modern State of Israel (except for the Golan Heights), the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. The second way is to refer to exclusively those territories which the Palestinian Authority claims will serve as a basis for a future Palestinian State: the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestinian Territories). Understandably, it changes the argument fundamentally if 78% of the territory in question is exempted from the discussion.

Legal Discussion

According to International Law, Israel exists as a legal and viable state with de facto borders along the 1949 ceasefire lines. The lands acquired in the Six Day War of 1967 are considered occupied-in-trust and should be devolved to Arab States as soon as a long-term peace deal is viable.

As for the 78% of Mandatory Palestine which is now the State of Israel, this came about through Israel's acceptance of UN Resolution 181 and its border defense against Arab aggression to counter international laws that they did not like. As a result, the acquisition in the 1947-1949 of war was not an illegal act since self-defense is not a criminal act unless it is grossly disproportionate to the attack and the war was a relatively balanced affair as well as being resolved at the moment that each Arab state was willing to engage in an armistice. Just to clarify, this means that the 1949 borders of Israel belong to Israel and since there was no act of theft it is impossible to say how an act of theft occurred in this instance.

As for the Palestinian Territories, there is more of a discussion to be had. There are two general ways that Israeli Jews have acquired land in the West Bank in contravention to International Law. The first is urban expansion of Jewish residences beyond the 1949 boundaries (especially in Jerusalem) and the second is the establishment of settlements in the West Bank and formerly in the Gaza Strip. Israel has maintained the West Bank for over 40 years, which was far longer than originally contemplated in UN Resolution 181. Therefore, there is a question about whether Israel has the ability to negotiate urban planning in cities that were wholly or partially divided due to the armistice. Unfortunately, some areas of a city may gentrify, populations move and reorganize, and it is natural for Jews and Arabs to live in areas that they did not live in 40 years ago. This has resulted in some Jews buying Arab houses in up-and-coming districts and re-zoning in order to accommodate changes in the city.

As for the settlements, these are usually taken by a legal showing that the Palestinians living there do not actually own the land that they live on and that the Israeli Jews were able to purchase the land and construct on it. This is probably the most indefensible of the Israeli positions. The International Courts have clearly ruled against such settlements.

What languages were spoken in the land of Israel during Jesus lifetime?

The Gentiles of Palestine spoke Greek. The Jews of Palestine generally spoke Aramaic. However, the Jews of the diaspora mainly spoke Greek in their daily lives.

What do they do in Israel?

There are huge amounts of things to do in Israel, and it really depends on the kind of thing you like.

For a religious holiday, obviously, give several days to Jerusalem. Tours around the old city, going to the various sites (church of holy sepulchre/dome of rock/western wall)

Also, you could go around the port of Jaffa which is very beautiful. A few days touring Tel Aviv is always good, as there are many beautiful Bauhaus-architecture buildings.

A day trip to the Negev to do a hike or a camel safari is always good, you can also go to the dead sea and the nature reserve called Ein Gedi (I particularly recommend this- it is absolutely fantastic). You can go white-water rafting on the river Jordan too.

In the north, you can go skiing in mount Hermon (seasonal), stay in a kibbutz for a few days, or hike around the Galil.

I have only given a few highlights. Your best bet is to get a guidebook.

What city in Israel has Christians Jewish and Islamic people?

Jerusalem.
The city is Jerusalem, in modern-day Israel/Palestinian territories.

This city is holy to the three different faiths for three different reasons.

  1. Jews: The tribes of Israel were united by King David, who ruled in Jerusalem, and for over a thousand years, Jerusalem was a seat of Jewish sovereignty.
  2. Christians: Jerusalem was the city in which Jesus (peace be upon him) was brought to as a child to be presented at the Temple and attend festivals, as recounted through the canonical gospel of Luke. Jesus also preached in Jerusalem, and the city of Jerusalem is mentioned over 650 times in the Old Testament of the Bible.
  3. Muslims: Jerusalem is significant for many reasons, the first being that it was the site of many prophets sent to the Jews, such as David, Solomon, Elijah, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). Jerusalem was also the first direction of prayer in Islam, before it was changed to Mecca. Also, Jerusalem was a place that Muhammad (S) visited on his journey to the heavens, and he prayed in Jerusalem. This story is mentioned in the first verse of Chapter 17 in the Holy Qur'an.

What year is it on the Jewish calendar?

It is 5774 (for autumn 2013 until autumn 2014).

(the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, falls in September or October, and that's when the year changes).

Is Palestine now Israel?

No.

Israel is Israel and Palestine is Palestine. Confusion occurs because both things refer to an extant piece of land with people living on it, a nationality, an ethnicity, and a prior piece of land which no longer exists.

Israel is a Jewish State that contains territory from the former British Mandate of Palestine. The remainder of the British Mandate of Palestine belongs to the modern Palestinian State. Israel is a majority Jewish population who returned from their Exile in Europe and the Middle East. Palestinians are a majority Arab population whose families lived in the region for centuries. Palestinians did not simply become Israelis (except for those who did not flee during the Israeli-Arab War of 1948-9) or vice versa.

In the time of Jesus what power controlled Israel?

Answer

strictly speaking, the nation of Israel did not exist, and had not existed since 722 BCE. In its place was the new province of Samaria, home of the Samarians or Samaritans. To the south of Samaria lay Judea, encompassing Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The Romans controlled all Palestine, including Galilee in the north, Samaria and Judea.

How does Israel make money?

Israel is considered one of the most advanced countries in the Middle East in economic and industrial development. The country has been ranked highest in the region on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index as well as in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report. It has the second-largest number of startup companies in the world (after the United States) and the largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies outside North America. Israel has the 53rd-highest gross domestic product and 37th-highest gross domestic product per capita (at purchasing power parity) at US$170.3 billion and US$26,800, respectively. In 2007, Israel was invited to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which promotes cooperation between countries that adhere to democratic principles and operate free-market economies.

What has been the effect of Israel's use of drip-irrigation?

Israel has been able to grow thirsty crops in desert areas which had been thought of as impossible for crop-growth.

What were the reasons for the creation of modern Israel?

There are two main categories of reasons why a Jewish State was created in Israel. The first derive from the inherent necessity of a Jewish State. The second derive from natural circumstances of Jewish History and Modern Zionism.

First Group:

There are two operative parts to the State of Israel, firstly the rationale behind the creation of a Jewish State and secondly its location and borders.

1) Why a Jewish State: Herzl explained quite well that the European concept of a nation-state was dependent on the idea that all of the people in any particular nation were of the same ethnic stock and heritage. Jews were branded by this system to be "the Other" and were regarded at best as possible equals and at worse as traitors, spies, thieves, and fifth columns. When the Dreyfus Affair turned out marches in Paris that said "Death to the Jews" on account of a kangaroo court against a particular guiltless Jew, it became clear that the Jew could not be integrated into Europe. After the Holocaust, the strongest proof that the Jew and the European Nation-State were irreconcilable, this view persists. In Europe, it is now directed at the Muslims since the Jews are not large enough of a threat to the European System. Unlike Muslims, though, which can return to their countries of origin if the discrimination becomes intolerable, the Jews did not have such a place. This is why the Jewish State is necessary. Since it came into existence it has accepted Jewish political refugees from over 50 nations and flown missions at its own expense to rescue Jews from at least 10 nations.

2) Why Palestine: Ahad Ha'am explains that the Jewish Soul is intrinsically connected to his history and in the same way that a German-American can never be as properly German as a German in Germany, the People of Israel can never be as properly Jewish if they are not in the Land of Israel. The relics in that land speak to a Jewish sensibility and character. There are also religious reasons as expounded by Rav Avraham Kook which posit that the development of a Jewish State in Israel hastens the arrival of the Messiah. There are additional political reasons why Palestine and not Europe. As explained above, the European Culture is strongly anti-Other and making a Jewish State there would have fostered much more contempt and alienation (ironically).

Second Group:

According to historical, religious, legal, and political grounds, the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine at least partially, if not entirely, belongs to the Jewish people.

1) Historically: The Jews have an undeniable presence in the land from at least 700 BCE until 70 CE and this is proven not only by the Biblical account, but from Assyrian Ruins, Babylonian documents, Hellenistic inscriptions, and Roman volumes. Jews had a continuous presence in the land from 70 CE until the present day (even though they were nowhere near the majority) even though they were forcibly deported from the territory. The fact that they survived, as opposed to the Arameans or Hittites who were similarly exiled does not illegitimate their claims. For more on the history, please see the Related Question.

In addition to the population-part of the historical claim, Jews have physical ruins and cities that are very sacred to them in the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish Bible. The city of Nablus used to be the Northern Metropolis of Shechem. Hebron was the first capital of Ancient Israel whence Saul ruled and David ruled until he conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Even more recent sites like Masada document the Jewish presence and struggle to persevere.

2) Religiously: The Jewish claim to have a connection to the land of the British Mandate of Palestine is firmly grounded in their religion. Jews as early as the Babylonian exiles wrote about returning to the land because God had promised it to them. According to the Pentateuch, God promised Abraham that piece of land. (This promise is even acknowledged in the Qur'an 5:20-21 and 17:104.) Many Jewish Holy Sites are in Israel such as the Kotel Hama'aravi (Western Wall).

3) Legally: By international law, the Ottoman Empire took the territory from the Seljuks and Abbassids by internationally recognized conquest. The territory was ceded to the British as a Mandate by the Ottomans as a term of surrender in World War I. (Even though the British had promised the territory to both the Arabs and Jews during the War, neither promise is legally binding.) According to the terms of the Mandate, even though the British were in control, the League of Nations had official jurisdiction. In 1947, the British gave direct authority to the League of Nations' successor, the United Nations, in accordance with the terms of their Mandate. The UN passed the 1947 Partition Plan that gave both a Jewish State and an Arab State the Right to Declare Statehood. The fact that the Arabs decided not to immediately declare such a state does not make the Israeli declaration any less valid. (It is important to note that Palestine did declare statehood on these grounds in 1988, which further cements the legality of this view.)

4) Politically: Jews invested a lot in building the political and physical infrastructure of the land even before they had control. Jews built farms, trained military brigades, created political parties, studied government, and defended themselves. This created a system that was able to repel the Arab Attacks in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9, secure expanded borders in the Six Day War of 1967, and hold those borders in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Israelis were actually able to exert control over this territory.

What was the British influence on Israel and Palestine?

Britain ruled Palestine. They called it the Palestine Mandate. Britain had agreed to hand Palestine over to Jews, mainly from Europe, but some Jewish terrorists bombed the King David Hotel and some other places to speed up the process. Britain withdrew, and the Jews took Palestine and began calling it Israel.