Israel Overview

Israel OverviewChapter 2

Middle East

Winter 2007

Israel - the minority

• Only state in the world where Jews are the

majority

Only – non-Muslim state in the Middle East

Jews in Judah

• Most Jews lived in Judah up until about 2000 years ago.

• Babylonians conquered it in 586 BC

• Romans in 70 AD

• Destroyed the Temple both times.– (Western Wall remained standing)

Punishment

• Romans changed the name to Palestine - Jews spread out over the world – only a few remained in Palestine (Judah)

• This time period became known as the Diaspora – or the settling of Jews outside of Judah

Zionism

• In the late 1800s – Zionists planned for a mass return to Palestine

• In response to the Discrimination and persecution vs. Jews all over the World

• Bought land and set up settlements in Palestine

Another Generation of Pain

• WWII - 1933 – Adolf Hitler – 6 Million Jews were killed

• Many Survivors fled to Palestine

• Israel became an independent nation in 1948 (UN)

A “Jewish State”

• 83 percent• Jewish law affects everyday life.• Closed on Saturday – the Sabbath• Hebrew is the everyday language• Yiddish • Religious leaders have political influence• ….but it is a democracy – Jews have

special privileges.

Law of Return

• 1950

• any Jew from anywhere – can come to Israel and become a citizen immediately

Immigration

• Even prior to 1950

• Population doubled from 1948-1951

• Continues today

• Attempts to Unify a very diverse Jewish Population

• By 1992 – 75% were natural born

A Jewish “Melting Pot”

• Roots/traditions in 100 different countries

• Russian Jews vs. Ethiopian Jews

• One goal? A purely Jewish State

• HSL Centers

Ways of Life - Urban

• Israeli Life – most live in cities and towns - in apartments.

• A quarter of the population lives in the three largest cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa

• Very typical blend of Middle Eastern and Western influences.

Ways of Life - Rural

• Kibbutz – community jointly owned by the people who live there, mostly agriculture, work together, share the profits

• Moshav –cooperative community – live separate – farm together

• Share tools, pool crops for sale

Religion

• Freedom of Religion

• “Orthodox Jews” - Similar to Muslim faith in so much that Religion and Government are closely related

• “Israeli Jews” - A more modern “westernized” take on Judaism– Separation of Church and State

Arab Israelis

• (Muslims living in Israel)

• Live separately in villages or neighborhoods

• Face discrimination

• Sets up the Israeli Dilemma