The Jewish people trace their ancestry to Abraham, who settled in the land of Canaan in 17th century BC. Once established there, the Jewish people maintained control of much of Palestine, despite occasional clashes with the neighbouring Assyrians and Philistines, until overrun by the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC. By AD 100 the country was under direct Roman rule. Palestine was subsequently occupied by Arabs, then retaken by the armies of the First Crusade (1096-1100). The Christians established several states, including the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which survived until the fall of Acre in 1291.
After 1291 the area fell under the domination of the Mamelukes and subsequently the Ottoman Empire. Following these conquests, the country entered a long period of decline, leading up to WWI. Meanwhile, the Jews had continued to spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (and later the Americas). Few countries today lack a community descended from Jewish settlers and few of those communities have not suffered some form of persecution over the centuries. As the Ottoman years ended and anti-Semitism grew throughout Europe and Russia, the country saw great numbers of Jews arriving to create a Jewish homeland.
The aspirations of the Zionist movement (their aim was to re-establish a separate Jewish nation in Palestine) were ultimately recognised by the British government in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which followed Britain's occupation of Palestine after defeating the Turks in the Middle East during WWI.
After WWI the League of Nations approved a mandate which entrusted Palestine to the British, who then granted Jews and Arabs the right to run their own affairs. However, the mandate laid the foundations of the modern Arab-Israeli conflict, as the British struggled to balance their commitment to the Jews against their parallel promises to the Arab population. After WWII and the slaughter of Jews in Hitler's concentration camps, the UN favoured the creation of a separate Jewish state carved out of Palestine. The Arabs refused to accept this, but the imminent expiry of the mandate and pressure, often violent, from Jewish immigrants - many of whom had moved to Palestine after the war - forced the British to withdraw. In May 1948, the same day the British Mandate ended, Israel declared independence, sparking the Arab-Israeli War.
Although neighbouring Arab states, notably Jordan, intervened on the Arab side, the Israelis took control of and held about three-quarters of Palestine. The remainder -– the largely Arab-peopled area between Jerusalem and the River Jordan known as the 'West Bank' was occupied by the Jordanian army. In 1964 the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was formed, and three years later the Six Day War saw Israel battle with Arab nations. Israel captured Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. In October 1973 the bloody Yom Kippur War between Israel, Syria and Egypt erupted, and although Israel was victorious, Sinai was eventually returned to the Egyptians in a later peace deal.
Most of the Palestinian population were now stateless refugees driven from their traditional lands. Many thousands ended up in squalid refugee camps in Lebanon. Others sought out relatives in Jordan. Others moved further afield: as with the Jews, Palestinian communities with many of the same attributes (a focus on education, business and professional skills) have grown up throughout the world.
Throughout the following decades Israel suffered multiple terrorist attacks leading to wars and revolts. A complex political picture emerged, with the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the formation of the Palestinian National Authority and the destruction of the PLO. In 1993 the signing of the Oslo Accords granted the PNA authority over Gaza and the West Bank but peace is yet to prevail in the region. Israel’s ongoing construction of a wall around the West Bank in response to repeated terrorist attacks, and the eruption of the 2006 Second Lebanon War show just how highly diplomatic tensions run throughout the region.
76% Jewish, 17% Muslim, with small Christian, Druze and other minorities.
Social conventions:Israelis are usually very informal but with the European style of hospitality. Israelis are typically blunt and direct in speech, which should not be misinterpreted as rudeness. Visitors should observe normal courtesies when visiting someone's home and should not be afraid to ask questions about the country as most Israelis are happy to talk about their homeland, religion and politics. The expression shalom (peace) is used for hello and goodbye.
Dress is casual, but in the holy places of all religions modest attire is worn. For places such as the Western Wall, male visitors are given a smart cardboard yarmulke (skull cap) to respect the religious importance of the site. Businesspeople are expected to dress smartly, or at least in smart casual style, although ties are often not worn. The most expensive of restaurants and nightclubs may expect a similar standard. If formal evening wear is required this will be specified on invitations.
It is considered a violation of Shabbat (Sabbath, on Saturday) to smoke on that day. There is usually a sign to remind the visitor of this, and to disregard the warning would be regarded as discourteous.
Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel. Other languages include English, French, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish. A large proportion of the population speak good English.
