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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

What are the causes and effects of the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

There are a vast number of effects of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The list below is not exhaustive.

Israel

  • The existence of the State of Israel is a direct result of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
  • The Israeli War Budget and Compulsory Military Service
  • The Expansion of Israel from the 1947 UN Resolution Boundaries to the 1949 Armistice boundaries to the the 1967 Six-Day War boundaries to the 1973 Yom Kippur War boundaries.
  • The Contraction of Israel in 1982 (giving up Sinai)
  • The Israeli Occupation of Southern Lebanon (1981-2000) and the two Israeli engagements in Lebanon.
  • The Israeli Alliance with Iran (1948-1979), Turkey (1949-2010?), Egypt (1979-Present), Jordan (1994-Present), and the United States and Western Countries.
  • The Lack of major Israeli-Arab trade even though they are neighbors.
  • The Annexation of East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the city of Ghajar.
  • The Military Occupation of the West Bank and Blockade of Gaza
  • The Relinquishing of Gaza and portions of the the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority

Palestine

  • The lack of existence of the State of Palestine as a fully sovereign and internationally recognized state is a direct result of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (both by Israel and by Jordan and Egypt)
  • The Palestinian Exodus from the former British Mandate of Palestine
  • The Palestinian Refugee Displacement and Diaspora
  • The Arab-Palestinian Conflict (typically refugee camp disputes that became massacres)
  • Jordanian and Egyptian Annexation of Palestinian territories (1949-1967) and denial of Palestinian self-rule up to the Israeli conquest of those regions.
  • The formation of the PLO and the numerous police actions brought against it by Arab States
  • Around 18% of Israelis being ethnically Palestinian.
  • The first Intifada and the Israeli Recriminations
  • The Relinquishing of Gaza and portions of the the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority
  • The second Intifada and the Israeli Recriminations
  • The Palestinian Civil War of 2007 that separated Gaza (under the control of democratically-elected Hamas) from the provisional West Bank territories (under the control of Western-supported Fatah)
  • Constant belligerence between Gaza and Israel since the Palestinian Civil War and Operation Cast Lead
  • The pervasive loss of land due to Israeli Settlements in the West Bank and formerly (they were removed by Israel in 2005) in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt

  • The Rise of Arab Socialism and Nasserism were indirectly a result of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Nasser provided a new way to deal with Middle East policy for Egypt)
  • The loss and recovery of Sinai from Israel twice (1956-1957, 1967-1982)
  • Normalization of ties with Israel (1979) after bitter defeats or stalemates in previous wars
  • Military Alliance with Israel in the aftermath of the Peace Treaty and especially after the Palestinian Civil War
  • Palestinian Refugee Camps in Egypt
  • Assassination of President Anwar Sadat and one of several reasons for popular dissatisfaction with President Hosni Mubarak (the economy was a bigger issue)

Jordan

  • Massive influx of Palestinians in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9
  • Gave citizenship to many Palestinian refugees, making 60% of Jordanian citizens ethnic Palestinians
  • Lost the West Bank to Israel in 1967
  • Suppressed the Black September Palestinian Uprising in 1970
  • Made peace with Israel in light of the Oslo Accords of 1993 conditioned on further negotiations with the Palestinians and dropped its claim to the West Bank
  • Fruitful trade and peace with Israel (1994-Present)
  • Assisted negotiations between Israel and Fatah

Syria

  • Massive influx of Palestinians in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9
  • Loss of the Golan Heights in 1967 and the Syrian internal displacement (Syrians fleeing the Golan to the remainder of Syria)
  • The establishment of the UNDOF demilitarized zone in 1973
  • The tragedy of the Syrian Druze (some are in Israeli-occupied territory and some are in Syria, but they cannot travel)
  • Headquarters of Hamas and Hezbollah in Damascus
  • No diplomatic relations between Syria and Israel

Lebanon

  • Massive influx of Palestinians in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9
  • Numerous conflicts and massacres between Lebanese and Palestinians in Lebanon
  • Israeli, PLO, and Syrian participation in the Lebanese Civil War
  • Israeli Jewish and Lebanese Christian Alliances and the assassination of Gemayel
  • Israeli and Syrian occupation of Lebanon from 1982 until 2000 and 2007 respectively
  • 2006 War between Israel and Hezbollah destroyed South Lebanon
  • No diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Israel and no person with an Israeli passport stamp is allowed in Lebanon

Turkey

  • Allied with Israel as early as 1949 against the Arab States
  • Placed Turkey in an interesting position as one of the few Muslim-majority countries allied with Israel
  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict causes much turmoil and controversy in Turkey
  • The Mavi Marmara Incident which cooled Israeli-Turkish relations

Iran

  • Strategic anti-Arab Israeli-Iranian Alliance (1948-1979) which resulted in large petroleum commerce between Iran and Israel
  • The resentment of the Iranian population towards Israel on account of the war and the above-mentioned alliance being connected to the Shah
  • Since 1979, an attempt by Iran to use the Arab-Israeli Conflict to create alliances with other Arab states and spawn several militant organizations.
  • Iranian-Syrian Shi'a Alliance (1979-Present)
  • Iranian support and backing of Hezbollah (1980s to Present)
  • Iranian desire for nuclear weapons to counter Israel's arsenal and all of the sanctions and international ostracism that comes from that desire

United States

  • Alliance with Israel (1949-1967), Top-Level Alliance with Israel (1967-Present)
  • The United States was able to use the Arab-Israeli Conflict to reposition itself as the strongest power in the Middle East after 1956 (removing the United Kingdom from that position)
  • Military, diplomatic, technological, economic, and other trade increasing between Israel and the United States
  • United States Aid to Egypt in the wake of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Peace treaty
  • Aid to a number of Arab countries due to their poverty.

Soviet Union/Russia

  • Initial Alliance with Israel (1948-1953) which was rescinded when it became clear that Israel would not be a Communist country
  • Arms supplier to the Arab States and the dumping ground of many ex-Russian military devices such as machineguns, missiles, tanks, and fighter planes.
  • Soviet/Russian attempts to prevent Western intervention in the Middle East

What are the historical reasons for the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948?

There are two operative parts to the State of Israel, firstly 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).

The Jews had 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.

Where did the Zionists want to create a homeland for the Jews?

Zionists only want one thing: to be a free people in their own land (Israel). Zionism is the belief that the Jews have a right to a state in the historic homeland of the Jewish people. It is no different than German nationalism (which holds that Germans have a right to a state in the historic homeland of the German peoples) or Turkish nationalism (which holds that Turks have a right to a state in the historic lands of the Turkish people).

What are political differences between Israelis and Arabs?

Palestinians Arabs like Syrian Arabs, Lebanese Arabs etc... were Arabized during the 7th century during the Islamic conquest of the area. Therefore it can be said that although all Arabs share the same Islamic culture history and heritage they also have their own distinctive history culture and heritage. In the case of the Palestinians the history of the prophets, the Greeks and Romans is also their history. Their culture is therefore slighly different from say the Syrian Arabs or Lebanese Arabs etc...

What date did the modern state of Israel come into being?

There are two operative parts to that question. There is the implicit question as to whether a Jewish State is something that should exist. There is the explicit question as to whether the geographical location chosen for this Jewish State is proper for its mission.

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).

What was the impact of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War on Jordan's economy?

All of the various Arab-Israeli Wars have been detrimental to Jordan's economy, making the region generally less stable and attractive to foreign investors. The Six Day War was especially bad for the Jordanian economy since the West Bank (which it had occupied prior to the current Israeli occupation) had nearly half of Jordan's agricultural land and nearly half of its residents and workforce.

What role did Zionism play in establishing the state of Israel?

The Zionists were the ones who led the creation of the State of Israel. Without them, there would be no Jewish State. It was their idea and their actions that brought the state into existence and sustained it throughout the years.

What is the difference between Zionist and Sephardic Jew?

Answer 1

Zionism is the Jewish desire to live in our ancestral homeland. Although there is a secular/political variant of zionism, religious zionism is a part of Judaism so there is no difference.

Answer 2

Zionism is the belief that the Jews should have political self-sovereignty and is the patriotic sentiment behind the Establishment of the State of Israel. It is entirely political in nature and largest number of Zionists are Christians.

Judaism is a religion that recognizes the Torah as its holy book and follows traditions of Divine Origin that are established and interpreted by Rabbis. Judaism has both a religious and ethnic component.

What is wrong with Israel?

Israel has a number of problems, just like any country. There are arguments over the budget, the power of the military in public affairs, the Palestinian Issue, welfare expenditures, urban planning problems, etc.

How many Palestinians have been killed in Israel?

Between the various wars and Intifadas, around 16,000 to 19,000 Arabs identifying as Palestinians have died either as a result of Israeli military action, Israeli civilian action, or from blowing themselves up in Suicide Bombings during the Intifadas.

The number decreases to 6,000-7,000 if the Palestinian Suicide Bombers in the Intifadas are removed from the calculation.

In terms of other countries that have also killed Palestinians.

Jordan: 10,000-20,000
Lebanon: 4,000-7,000
Syria: 500-1,000
Egypt: 500-1,000

What is the Arab state which was the victim of the Arab-Israeli conflicts in 1970s and torn apart by civil war?

There are two viable answers:

Jordan: In 1970/1971 The P.L.O actually tried to overthrow King Hussein of Jordan. This bought about a war in Jordan (called Black September) that ended with the P.L.O being expelled from that country and 15,000 Palestinian deaths.

Lebanon: The Lebanese Civil War began in 1975 as the PLO had turned Southern Lebanon into its own micro-country and repressed the endemic Shiite Lebanese population. This Palestinian violence towards the Lebanese Shiites was one of many reasons why the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1991) broke out.

How did Israel win the Arab-Israeli War of 1973?

Answer 1
Israel won the 1948 war because they were desperate to survive as a viable country in an area surrounded by vicious enemies.

Answer 2

There are several factors underlying Israeli victory in the 1948 War.

Much More At Stake: Since the Israelis knew that a loss in this war would mean that their state would be extinguished as opposed to the Arabs who had little to lose, the Israelis were more strongly motivated to win.

Unified Command Structure: Although at the beginning of the war, the Israeli militias functioned independently, by mid-1948, the Haganah and Palmach united under a central command structure: the IDF. The Arabs by contrast were bitterly divided. The only thing they could agree on was that they wanted to remove Israel from the map. Nearly all of the border countries (but Jordan most strongly) wanted to annex the territory to their own countries. With seven national armies and two distinct Palestinian Militias, the lack of of information-sharing led to numerous locations being over-defended or under-defended.

Military Expertise: While many of the Arab Generals had never commanded a modern army, several of the Israeli Generals had experience in World War II. This gave them an incredible advantage, especially when it came to taking the Galilee from Syrian and Lebanese forces, who did not know how to move artillery in mountainous and hilly terrain.

What started the Arab-Israeli War of 1956?

The Arab-Israeli War of 1956 (Commonly called the Suez Crisis) began when British and French forces, which were jointly controlling the Suez Canal were forced out by Gamal Abdel Nasser during his attempt to nationalize the Canal. The British and French were not interested in losing the canal to the Egyptians and neither were the Israelis. The British and French motivation was to avoid having to pay tolls and worry about crossing easily. The Israeli motivation was to be allowed to continue crossing between the Mediterranean and Red Seas as Egypt did not recognize Israel at the time.

Britain and France incentivized Israel (and joined with Israel) to attack Egypt and take the Suez Canal back. Israel successfully conquered all of the Sinai Peninsula and even landed a foothold on the west bank of the Suez Canal (which meant that they effectively controlled it). The United States, however, intervened and requested that Israel withdraw to the 1949 boundaries under the condition that Egypt return the Canal to British and French joint control.
Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, which angered the British and the French.

Where does the Israel airforce rank in the world?

Top 10 Air forces During World War 2:

1-U.S.A2-Soviet Union

3-Germany

4-England

5-Japan

6-France

7-Subcontinent

8-Italy

9-China

10-Ottoman Empire.

Where is a great place to visit in Israel?

Tel Aviv - A great city that lives 24/7. Lots of dance-bars, pubs, nightlife, great restaurants.

Jerusalem - A Must Have! Visit the old city of Jerusalem, the lovely Mahane Yehuda Market, and of course the Wall.

If you're looking for a holiday to sit back and relax, try the city Eilat, with its great hotels, beach and sun!

When did the Israeli-Palestinian conflict start?

Which Palestinian conflict is the question referring to?

Is it the Arab-Palestinian Conflict? -- 1948, but became much more violent in the 1970s and 1980s, killing between 5,000-25,000 Palestinians depending on the estimates used.

Is it the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict? -- 1920s, but became much more widespread in 1947 with the Jewish-Arab Engagement and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9. Approximately 13,000 Palestinians have died in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Is it the Palestinian Civil War? -- 2006, but most violence took place in 2007 with approximately 600-1000 deaths.

Please see the the Related Questions to read about all three of these wars.

Who controls Israel's economy?

The problem with questions like this is that they are seldom what they appear to be. On the surface, it looks as if the question is asking something like this: '1. How big is 'the economy' (American, European, global, by the way?) and 2. what percentage of it is controlled or owned by Jews?' This assumes a simple small-town setup, and one where everyone is either Jewish or non-Jewish.

Things are not like that, however. Major corporations are owned by shareholders, and the majority of shares are owned by institutions, such as pension funds and so on.

There is another serious problem with the question. Although such questions may be asked naively, there is a nearly always a sub-text, along the lines of: 'Do Jews (however defined) control the economy conspiratorially?' In other words, 'Do they put their heads together in order to run the economy in such a way as to further 'Jewish interests', 'Israeli interests'? etc. The question is not what it appears to be.

It is really a question about a conspiracy theory, and where broad conspiracy theories of this kind are concerned people usually believe what they want to.

Many asking such questions tend to want cast-iron disproof, but of course one cannot prove a negative. Worse still, the moment one lays one ghost, so to speak, another appears: people tend to widen the scope by claiming that more and more people are Jewish or of Jewish origin: and there is no way that anybody can prove online that so-and-so doesn't have a Jewish grandparent or great grandparent. The moment they come across someone in a corporation who has what looks to them like a Jewish name they start leaping up and down with excitement.

Perhaps the biggest 'giveway' that this kind of question isn't really what it appears to be is the fact that you almost never read or hear questions like 'Do the Italians (or Hungarians, Poles, etc) control the economy?' It's almost invariably about the Jews.

In what year was Yad Vashem built?

It aws built in 1953Type your answer here...

Where did Israel and Palestine take place?

Israel is involved in several conflicts and numerous wars, most of which took place in Israel or in the bordering countries.

Why did Israel fight the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 or Six Day War?

Note on "Winning"

It's important to note beforehand that Israel did not "win" the territories on two counts. Firstly, Israel fought and shed blood to gain those territories, they were not just awarded or gifted to Israel. Secondly, no one can "win" territories without a formal peace treaty awarding territories to one country or another. The Arab-Israeli Conflict has only had partial treaties and none of them have awarded territory conquered during the Six Day War to Israel. (1979 Peace with Egypt returned the Sinai to Egypt and confirmed follow-up discussions on the Gaza Strip and 1994 Peace with Jordan required Israel to cede the West Bank to a future Palestinian State.)

In addition to the new territories, Israel also gained a fundamental shift in Middle Eastern policy. It would now be negotiating with Arab countries from a position of strength, being able to return tracts of Arab land to the Arab States for peace as opposed to merely just asking for peace. This is the main reason that Egypt and Jordan eventually were willing to sue for peace even though no other Arab country has done so.

Territories

To see the list of territories for which Israeli occupation was legitimated subject to a future peace treaty according to UNSC Resolution 242, see the list below:

East Jerusalem: Considered by many Israelis to be the greatest success of winning the Six-Day War, Israel was able to unite the city of West New Jerusalem with the Old City and East New Jerusalem to create a united municipality and capital (although unrecognized internationally as such). Of the territories here considered it is the smallest and most controversial as Palestinians want East Jerusalem and the Old City to be part of their eventual capital city.

West Bank: From 1949-1967, this area was a province of Jordan and included all areas within the Mandate of British Palestine along the Jordan River which Israel did not control prior to 1967. It represents roughly 18% of the total area of the British Mandate of Palestine, making it the largest Palestinian territorial acquisition in the War. It is home to many Ancient Jewish and Christian sites/cities like Nablus (Shchem), Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jericho.

Gaza Strip: This is a very small strip of territory that Egypt held from 1949-1967. It remained under Israeli military control until 1993 when it was given to the Palestinian Authority as part of the Oslo Accords.

Sinai Peninsula: Easily the largest piece of territory (60,000 km square) that Israel acquired during the Six-Day War, the Sinai Peninsula is larger than the entire British Mandate of Palestine. It was used by Israelis as a resort area and for its oil reserves until the territory was returned to Egypt over the course of three years (1979-1982) for peace and a continuous stream of oil.

Eastern Bank of the Sea of Galilee: This is the smallest peace of land (5 km square) that Israel recaptured and is the only territory from the British Mandate of Palestine that the Palestinians have never explicitly claimed. From 1949-1967, Syria held this piece of land, giving Syria direct access to a small portion of the Sea of Galilee and thus Israel/Palestine's main water source.

Golan Heights: This is a Syrian Mountain Range just north of western Jordan. This territory is small, but strategic, giving Israel a position where Syria cannot take military advantage of it. Currently, UNDOF monitors the border between the Golan Heights and Syria.

What is problem between Muslims and Jews in Israel?

Jews and Muslims in Israel have equal rights and responsibilities with one exception, Muslim Israelis do not have to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces whereas Israeli Jews do.

Unfortunately, Israel is not a perfect country and as a result, a number of Muslim communities in Israel are underfunded and under-resourced. Some have compared Jerusalem to Washington DC where the Jewish communities live in relative affluence or as Middle Class and the Muslim communities are much more impoverished. This does create issues in trying to make sure funds are allocated between communities properly. There are also certain tracts of land held in reserve for Jewish settlement in Israel that Muslims cannot purchase or develop in order to keep certain areas of Israel in Jewish hands. Muslims and Liberal Jews are fighting to bring equality to these issues.

If the question is referring to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (which is beyond the borders of Israel and into the Occupied Palestinian Territories), the causes of the conflict are outlined in the Related Question below: What are the causes of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict? It is worth noting that not all Israelis are Jews and not all Palestinians are Muslims.

How many Jews died in the Israel war?

During the Holocaust between 6.9 and 7.2 Million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.