A Brief Story of Israel

Israel is a new nation-state even in idea. It was the name of a bunch of tribes. They lived in Palestine. 

Some find it bizarre to register that Palestine belonged to Israeli tribes, who came to be known as Jews. Now, Jews live in a new country, created by the logic of power and force, carving out a major chunk of Palestine. 

A new Palestine is proposed, to be called the State of Palestine, on the remaining or leftover land of ancient or Jewish Palestine. This Palestine has and will have Muslims mostly. 

Jews and Muslims are fighting for their identities and beliefs that Palestine, irrespective of what name they use to address it, belong to them. 

Here's a brief story of Israel or a partial Palestine:

Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis after Israel pounded it with missiles, following a Hamas burst that killed hundreds of Israelis. 

Jews believe that Jerusalem was founded by legendary King Solomon, who founded the city of Jerusalem and built the famous Temple of Jerusalem. The primary sources of information about Solomon are the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. He was the son and successor of King David, who united all tribes of Israel into one nation. The hypothesised time of Solomon's reign is the 10th Century before Christ.

The Temple of Jerusalem remains the holiest place for Jews, the people who created Israel as a nation in 1948. In its history, characterized by the expansion of empires, Jerusalem faced several invasions from both Egyptian and later Roman forces, resulting in the assault on its holy temple. 

In 70 BC, the Romans razed a reconstructed temple situated in Jerusalem, prompting a mass exodus of Jewish people during these tumultuous centuries. An avid Jew would refer to this wave of expulsion of the jewish people from their homeland with passion.

In the seventh century, the  Islamic Caliphate led by the Ummayid rulers in the eighth Century seized control of Jerusalem, leading to the flight of the Jewish population for centuries. Europe, particularly in and around Germany, emerged as their favourite destination.

With the emergence and consolidation of nation-states across Europe in the late 18th and 19th centuries, there came pressure on the Jewish people to find a land for themselves. At that point of time, they belonged to the whole world or nowhere. 

The 19th Century saw the beginning of what is called the Zionist movement, which called for establishing a Jewish homeland in and around Jerusalem in Palestine, their ancient home. 

The Zionist movement consolidated over the two world wars, with German dictator Adolf Hitler playing a catalyst in the persecution of the Jewish people in Germany. Jews, aided by the US and the UK, flocked to Palestine in huge numbers. And with the British proposal in the United Nations after the Second World War, the Jews got a home for themselves in Palestine, naming it Israel — the nation promised by Solomon for those worshipping at the Temple of Jerusalem.

The fall of the Ottoman Empire — the Caliphate — after the First World War ended in 1919, the region on which Israel stands today became a British Protectorate. This helped the immigration of Jews from Germany and other places gain pace. The British supported the idea of a 'separate homeland' for Jews in Palestine. 

Jews consider this area as the land of their ancestors, while Arab Muslims also stake their claim. Tensions between the two communities intensified. In 1947, the United Nations stamped its decision to partition Palestine into two sections, one for Jews and the other for Arab communities.

Amid Arab opposition, on May 14, 1948, Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel, and the British departed. Immediately afterward, the first Israel-Arab war erupted, leading to the displacement of nearly seven hundred thousand Palestinians.

In the post-war settlement, Britain was given the mandate for Palestine and Trans-Jordan (areas including Israel, West Bank, and Gaza). Jewish immigration to Israel gained pace.

The struggle between Israel and the Palestinians has persisted. Israel's aim is to gain recognition as a Jewish state on the world stage, while Palestine continues to resist this.