Bassem Fouli

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is situated in the Southern Levant region of West Asia, bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Its geography includes a Mediterranean coast, a southern Red Sea access, and the lowest point on Earth near the Dead Sea. The region, historically known as the Land of Israel, Palestine, or the Holy Land, has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was home to ancient Canaanites and later the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Its demographic and political landscape shifted significantly under various empires throughout history.

The modern State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948, following the end of the British Mandate. This event was preceded by the Zionist movement, fueled by 19th-century European antisemitism, which sought a Jewish homeland. The establishment of Israel led to conflict with neighboring Arab states and a persistent Israeli-Palestinian conflict, marked by significant events like the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Six-Day War in 1967, and various peace initiatives and ongoing territorial disputes. The country has a parliamentary democracy, a technologically advanced economy, and a culture that blends Jewish traditions with Arab influences.

The land now known as Israel has a history stretching back to archaic humans approximately 1.5 million years ago, with evidence of early modern humans found from around 200,000 years ago. The Natufian culture, predating agriculture, may be linked to the Proto-Afroasiatic language. By 2000 BCE, the region was inhabited by Canaanites, organized into city-states, with parts falling under Egyptian vassalage during the Late Bronze Age. The ancestors of the Israelites are believed to be Semitic-speaking peoples native to the area, who developed a distinct monolatristic and later monotheistic religion. While the biblical Exodus narrative is debated, historical evidence points to the existence of the northern Kingdom of Israel by approximately 900 BCE and the Kingdom of Judah by 850 BCE. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 720 BCE, and Judah later fell to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, with its elite exiled after the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple in 587/6 BCE.

Following the Babylonian exile, the region was incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire, with the Second Temple completed around 520 BCE. Alexander the Great conquered the area in 332 BCE, and it subsequently came under Ptolemaic and Seleucid rule. Cultural tensions arose from Hellenisation, leading to the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE and the establishment of an independent Hasmonean Jewish kingdom. Roman influence grew, culminating in Herod the Great's rule as a vassal and the region's annexation as the Roman province of Judaea in 6 CE. Jewish-Roman wars, including the First Jewish-Roman War and the Bar Kokhba revolt, resulted in widespread destruction, depopulation, and the renaming of the province to Syria Palaestina, with Jews expelled from surrounding areas of Jerusalem. During the Byzantine period, Christianity became dominant, leading to discrimination against Jews. Samaritan revolts also occurred, significantly reducing the Samaritan population.

The establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948 followed the Zionist movement's efforts to create a Jewish homeland, gaining momentum due to 19th-century European antisemitism. The end of the British Mandate saw the declaration of independence and subsequent invasion by Arab states. The 1949 armistice resulted in territorial changes, with Gaza under Egyptian control and the West Bank ruled by Jordan. The period was marked by the displacement of Palestinian Arabs (the Nakba) and a Jewish exodus from Arab countries. Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories following the 1967 Six-Day War, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, has been a central point of international criticism and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian self-rule, the conflict persists, with accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity leveled against Israeli actions.