Israel's early history

Israel's early historyThe Hebrew Bible is the primary source for much of what is known about Israel's early history. According to the scripture, Israel's ancestry may be found in Abraham, who is regarded as the father of both Judaism and Islam (through his sons Ishmael and Isaac).

Abraham's offspring were supposedly held as slaves by the Egyptians for hundreds of years until migrating to Canaan, which is roughly the area of present-day Israel.

The Hebrew God in the Bible gave Jacob, Abraham's grandson, the new name "Israel," which is where the word "Israel" originates.

David and Solomon, two kings

Around 1000 B.C., King David governed the region. The first sacred temple in prehistoric Jerusalem is credited to his son, King Solomon. The region was split into two kingdoms around 931 B.C., Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

The Assyrians invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. The original temple was demolished by the Babylonians in 568 B.C., and a second temple was built there around 516 B.C

For the following many centuries, numerous peoples including the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Fatimids, Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, Egyptians, Mamelukes, Islamists, and others invaded and ruled the territory that is now known as Israel.

The Declaration of Balfour.

The Ottoman Empire dominated much of the Middle East from 1517 to 1917, including what is now Israel.

However, the geopolitical environment in the Middle East was significantly altered by World War I. British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a letter of intent in 1917, at the height of the conflict, proposing the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The formal statement, which became known as the Balfour Declaration, was intended to inspire support for the Allies in World War I.

The Ottoman Empire's 400-year rule came to an end in 1918 with an Allied victory, and Great Britain assumed control of what is now known as Palestine (modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan).

The British mandate over Palestine under the Balfour Declaration

Arabs and Jews are at odds.

Tensions between Jews and Arab Muslims have been present throughout Israel's lengthy history. The two groups have a long history of conflict that began when they both inhabited the region and revered it as a holy place in antiquity.

The holy city of Jerusalem is regarded as such by both Muslims and Jews. It has the Temple Mount, which houses sacred monuments including the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Who is in control of the following places has been at the heart of most of the fighting in recent years:

Gaza Strip: A region of territory wedged in between present-day Israel and Egypt.

Between Syria and present-day Israel is a rocky plateau known as the Golan Heights.

West Bank: A region separating a portion of present-day Israel from Jordan.

The Movement of Zionism

Zionism, an organized religious and political movement, first appeared among Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The goal of Zionism was the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Jews went in great numbers to the old holy land, where they established towns. About 35,000 Jews moved to Palestine between 1882 and 1903. 40,000 more people moved there between 1904 and 1914.

Many Jews from Europe and other parts of the world sought sanctuary in Palestine and adopted Zionism out of fear of persecution during the Nazi era. Following the Holocaust and the end of World War II, the Zionist movement concentrated mainly on establishing a Jewish state on its own.

Zionism was opposed by Arabs in Palestine, and hostilities between the two groups still exist. As a result, an Arab nationalism movement emerged.