Israel

The 1947 UN partition vote. The war of independence, where Israel with a tiny army beat 5 Arab nations, the 1967 six-day war when, the reunification of Jerusalem, signing of the peace accord with Egypt, dsicovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

It was attacked by seven Arab nations.

On May 15, 1948, the day after Israel declared independence, the sovereign nations of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq all declared war on the State of Israel and advanced troops into the territory of the former Mandate of Palestine. Saudi Arabia and Yemen also sent military contingents to join the five armies. This declaration of war is considered the beginning of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9, which the Israelis term as the Israeli Independence War and the Arabs term as the Nakba or Great Catastrophe.

In ancient times (some 2500 years ago), King Cyrus of Persia proclaimed a royal decree inviting the Jews (who were in Babylonian exile) to return to Israel (Judea).

More recently (1300s-1800s) the Ottomans (and their Ayyubid and Mameluk predecessors) allowed some Jewish resettlement in Palestine (Israel). The arrivals bolstered the Jewish communities which had always existed there.

In 1917, under the British Mandate, the Balfour Declaration stated that the British government would view favorably a Jewish homeland in Palestine and promoted Jewish immigration until the 1930s. In 1950, the State of Israel passed the "Law of Return" which allows any Jew to come to Israel and be granted immediate citizenship.

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was a plan approved by the United Nations on November 29, 1947 to terminate the British Mandate of Palestine by August 1, 1948 and recommend the creation of two states, one Jewish and one Arab, in Palestine. The plan was approved by the United Nations General Assembly by 33 votes to 13, with 10 abstentions.

David Ben-Gurion

The Israelite prophets were extremely learned and pious individuals, men and women, whose superlative level of piety merited them with visions from God. They had to be humble, yet speak with authority. They had to love their people, yet not hesitate to rebuke with caustic words if commanded to by God.
The prophets were called upon by God to guide the people and to guide the king. While the king had authority in matters of state, and the Sanhedrin (Sages) had say in Torah-rulings and halakha (law), the prophets spoke in matters of ethics, belief, loyalty to God, and behavior. They rebuked the people at God's command, they predicted events which God revealed to them, they taught through Divine inspiration, and they provided optimism and hope with the prophecies of eventual Redemption.
Some of the prophetical chapters (or books) detail Israelite history, some exhort the people to improve their spiritual level, some predict events, or warn (especially concerning the First Destruction), some serve to comfort the nation, some speak of prayer and love of God, and some speak of life, experience and wisdom.

Israeli holidays, like Jewish holidays, are celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar which represents days from sundown to sun down.

This year (2010) Israeli Independence Day is on April 20th and will be celebrated from the night of April 19th (Independence Eve) to the night of April 20th (Independence Day).

Short answer: because they had been persecuted just about everywhere else they went. Slightly longer answer: because at the end of WW2, they were looking for a place to set up a Jewish State where people who hated them would leave them alone, and at the time, nobody wanted the land that is now Israel, so the Jews moved in. As soon as the Jews moved in, the other residents of the middle east decided that they would destroy every settler of Israel, and haven't given up since. Their problem was, the Jews didn't particularly want to be destroyed, and they have defended themselves, quite admirably I might add.

(Referring to modern Israel): Israelis.

(Referring to the Children of Israel of the Bible): Jews.

There is no branch of the Bank of America in Israel. The bank's customers complain and not satisfied.

That's IsrAel. Plains (Coastal), valleys (Jezreal), deserts (Negev), badlands (Judean Wilderness), rolling hills (Shefela), low mountains (Galilee), alpine (Mt Heirmohn), giant craters (Mitzpe Ramon). And more.

The Suez Canal is often considered to be the boundary between Asia and Africa.

The shortest distance between a point on Israel's southeastern boundary and a point on the Suez Canal is about 118 miles.

Of course, the distance covers a very wide range, depending on what points you choose. My brother's home in Netanya is something like 4,700 miles from the home of his good friend in Capetown, South Africa.

Many nations have attacked Israel, but only two nations ever destroyed it (temporarily):

Babylon

Rome

Degania Aleph was the first Kibbutz in Israel founded in 1909 by a group of Jewish pioneers.

The first religious kibbutz was Ein Tzurim, founded in 1946.

David eventually became king over all Israel, and he transferred his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 5:1-9)

Ancient Israelites traded clay pots and earthenware, beer and wine, elementary tools, olives and olive oil, and precious metals.

The Sea of Galilee, also known as the Lake of Gennesaret, Lake Kinneret, Sea of Tiberias or Tiberias Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately 53 km (33 miles) in circumference, about 21 km (13 miles) long, and 13 km (8 miles) wide.

Yes, but not at the same time. When Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's family lived

there, it was Canaan. After the slavery and exodus from Egypt, their descendants,

numbering millions by that time, returned to the land and displaced the Canaanites.

By both size and population - Jerusalem is the biggest city in Israel.

Jerusalem has 769,400 people and it's area is 125,156 dunham (according to the Israeli Central Bureau Of Statistics, June 2009).

Among others, and not counting household pets: Arabian Leopard, Sand Cat, Striped Hyena, 33 species of bats, Cheetah, Barbary Sheep, Polecat, Mongoose, Caracal, Arabian Oryx, Nubian Ibex, Persian Fallow Deer, Roe Deer, Cape Hyrax, gazelles, foxes, jackals, wolves, weasels, martens, badgers; dolphins, Fin Whales, otters, seals and dugongs (in local waters); Indian Porcupine, squirrels, mice and dormice, jerboas, rats, hamsters, voles, gerbils, jirds, hares, hedgehogs, shrews, wildcats, frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, turtles, 1700 types of fish, 30,000 types of invertebrates, and 500 types of birds.

Names of Israel:

Canaan - an ancient name from the Hebrew bible.

Kingdom of Judah, Kingdom of Israel - Jewish kingdoms in Israel from the Hebrew bible.

Zion - name for Jerusalem, used as a name for Israel by Jewish people who wanted to return.

Holy Land - Israel have a lot of places which are holy to the Muslims, Jewish and Christians.

Palestine - Arabic name to the area.

and Israel.

Israel has a long coastline, but the largest port is Haifa, in northern Israel. From Norfolk, VA, USA to Haifa Israel, the over-water distance would be approximately 5400 nautical miles.

The answer is the Dead Sea which is 40% salt The Dead Sea, Israel.

Syria and Lebanon are both countries, that are north of Jordan and south of Turkey. Syria is the only one that has a border as well with Jordan and Turkey.

Syria is about 300 miles (500 kilometers) from north to south. It is about 400 miles (600-620 kilometers) from east to west.