Israel Israel is a small but developed country

Israel • Israel is a small but developed country on land to the East of the Mediterranean sea. • It has its own religion –Judaism- and is a recently formed country-1948. • It is surrounded by Muslim (Arabic) countries on three sides-Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria. • It has a powerful friend in the USA. • There are major cities- Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv. • The land has a long history of war and bloodshed.

What is Israel? When was it created? Why was it created? What nations supported the creation of Israel? (p. 1284)What was the cause of the Suez War and how was it resolved? When and why was the Iran-Iraq War fought? Why did OPEC stop selling oil to the US in 1973? What effect did this have on the US? Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan? How long did this invasion last? Why did the Soviets pull out? p. 1401 - 1402 Why did the US continue to ally with Israel? Who are the PLO? Why was America in Lebanon in 1983? What happened on Oct. 23, 1983?

Jerusalem is an ancient city that has been fought over for thousands of years. Importance for Christians, Muslims and Jews.

So what is the problem? • The land called ‘Israel’ is also a land called ‘Palestine’. • British controlled land after WWI. • The local people of this land were Muslim Arabs. They were called Palestinians because the land was called ‘Palestine’. • After WWII, Jewish people stepping straight out from Hitler’s death camps from Europe sought refuge in the land of their ancestors- Judea. • Jewish people started to migrate to Palestine (Judea) in large numbers.

• The Jews claimed Palestine as their own territory by religious right renaming it ‘Israel’. • The Palestinian Arabs were pushed out of their land. They turned to their Muslim neighbors for help. • The Israelis turned to anyone who might help them- and found the USA sympathetic and willing to support.

• The two sides were now set up for war- and have been sparring ever since. • On one side is a well-equipped, modern, conventional Israeli army. On the other side is a modern, not so well-equipped but innovative Muslim terrorist army ‘Hamas’. • The fight claims military and civilian deaths regularly on both sides.

Hamas-the Arabic Palestinian terror army or Palestinian freedom fighters?

Bus bombers and sniper These people are in disguise so that they, and their families, won’t be targeted by Israeli security forces.

U. S. Dilemma • Israel being the largest recipient of US aid from 1976 to 2004 • Some in the United States question the levels of aid and general commitment to Israel, and argue that a US bias toward Israel operates at the expense of improved US relations with various Arab and Muslim governments. Others maintain that Israel is a strategic ally, and that US relations with Israel strengthen the US presence.