Israel History
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In other languages: עבריתGeneral History
Israel's history dates back thousands of years, with its earliest roots in ancient civilizations that inhabited the region. The area, known historically as Canaan, saw the rise and fall of various empires and kingdoms. Over centuries, the region has experienced significant cultural and religious developments, becoming a focal point for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
From 1517-1917, Israel was under control of the Ottoman Empire as part of a broader territory known as Greater Syria (modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine) with diverse cultures and ethnic groups making up its population, including both Arabs and Jews. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the movement for the establishment of a Jewish homeland gained momentum, influenced by the broader context of nationalism and the plight of Jewish communities in Europe. This led to increased Jewish immigration to the region. Tensions between different communities in the area grew, leading to various conflicts and negotiations. Following the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its collapse after WWI, the UN divided control of Greater Syria into European Mandates, with the British in control of the area of Israel/Palestine. The British mandate lasted from 1920-1948.
In 1948, the State of Israel was officially declared, following a United Nations plan to partition the territory. This event marked the beginning of a new chapter in the region's history, characterized by ongoing efforts to establish peace and stability amidst complex political and social dynamics. The creation of Israel also led to the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians, a significant and ongoing aspect of the region's history. The subsequent decades have seen numerous conflicts, peace treaties, and efforts at reconciliation, reflecting the region's intricate and multifaceted history.[1]
Timeline
1516 - Palestine was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and it remained under Turkish rule until the end of the First World War
1882 - 1903 The First Aliyah is a term used to describe a major wave of Zionist immigration to Palestine. Jews who migrated to Ottoman Palestine in this wave came mostly from Eastern Europe and from Yemen
1904 - 1914 The Second Aliyah some 40,000 Jews settled in Palestine
1919 - 1929 The third and Fourth Aliyahs brought an additional 100,000 Jews to Palestine
1947 - By the end of World War II, the Jewish population of Palestine had increased to 33% of the total population
1948 - 1970 Approximately 1,150,000 Jewish refugees relocated to Israel
1973 - The Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack against Israeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights, that opened the Yom Kippur War. That took 10–35,000 lives in about 20 days
1990 and 1994 Immigration from the post-Soviet states increased Israel's population by twelve percent
1985–2000 The South Lebanon conflict or the Security Zone conflict in Lebanon refers to 15 years of warfare between the Lebanese Christian proxy militias with military and logistic support of Israel Defense Forces against Lebanese Muslim guerrillas led by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, within what was defined as the Security Zone in South Lebanon
References
- ↑ History of Israel, Wikipedia, updated 11 November 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Israel.