Israel Flag

Israel is a country located in Western Asia, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. The country is also bordered by the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively. The capital and largest city is Jerusalem, although the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem.

The land now occupied by Israel has a long history, with some of the earliest human occupations outside of Africa and the earliest known sites of agriculture located within its borders. It has been inhabited by various civilizations, including the Canaanites, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the Achaemenid, Macedonian, Ptolemaic, and Seleucid empires, and the Byzantine Empire, Rashidun Caliphate, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and Fatimid Caliphate. In the 19th century, the Zionist movement began promoting the creation of a Jewish homeland in Ottoman Syria.

After World War I, the League of Nations granted Britain control of the region, known as Mandatory Palestine. Following World War II, the United Nations adopted the Partition Plan for Palestine, which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states, and an internationalized Jerusalem. This plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by Palestinian Arab leaders and the Arab states. In 1948, Israel declared independence at the end of the British Mandate, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel gained control of much of the former mandate territory, while the West Bank and Gaza were held by Jordan and Egypt, respectively.

Since its founding, Israel has been involved in several wars with Arab countries and has occupied the Golan Heights, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The country has effectively annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, though these actions have been rejected as illegal by the international community. It has also established settlements within the occupied territories, which are also considered illegal under international law. Despite ongoing conflicts, Israel has developed into a technologically advanced and economically prosperous country, with a diverse and vibrant culture. It is a member of the United Nations and various other international organizations, including the OECD, World Trade Organization, and Council of Europe.