Israel

1
Israel

• Pg. 204 - 208

2
History

• Home to sacred sites for Judaism, Christianity,
  and Islam
  
• Hebrews established Israel 3,000 yrs ago
• 135 CE Romans forced Jews out and renamed
  region Palestine (Diaspora)
  
• Muslims conquered Palestine in mid-600s
• Christian Crusades captured Jerusalem in 1099

3
Israel History Contd

• After WWI, came under British control
• Zionism (a nationalist movement) began in late
  1800s
  
• 1947 UN divided Palestine into Jewish and Arab
  states
  
• Arabs rejected plan while Jews accepted it
• Arab armies invaded Israel but were defeated in 6
  days

4
Israel Today

• Government and Economy
• Prime Minister and Parliament
• Strong military (most men and women serve at
  least 1 yr)
  
• Economy is modern and diverse
• High-tech equipment and diamonds are exports
• Irrigate farmland to increase production
• Tourism is a large contribution

5
Cities, Diversity, and Language

• Most live in cities
• 80 are Jewish, rest are mostly Muslim
• Hebrew and Arabic are official languages

6
Culture

• Sabbath sunset Friday to sundown Saturday
• Yom Kippur celebrated in the fall
• Passover celebrates Hebrew escape from Egypt

7
Culture Cont

• Religious laws affect daily life
• Kosher Jewish dietary laws (no pork or
  shellfish)
  
• 100,000 Jews live in rural settlements called
  kibbutz (communal farm)

8
The Palestinian Territories

• During Six-Day War, Israel captured many areas
  from Jordan and Egypt
  
• Gaza Strip
• 1 million Palestinians live here
• No major resources except citrus fruit
• High unemployment

9
Palestinian Territories Contd

• West Bank
• Population of 2.4 million
• Rural but with 3 major cities
• Thousands of Jews settled there but are viewed as
  intruders by Palestinians
  
• Area of greatest tension

10

• East Jerusalem
• Divided by the 3 religions
• Palestine claimed as their capital
• Most foreign countries refuse to recognize the
  new Israeli capital of Jerusalem

11
End of Section Review

• Answer the following questions in complete
  sentences!!!
  
• How was Israel created?
• How might, or might not, giving land to the
  Palestinians help in achieving peace in Israel?