The Birth of the Nation of Israel

May marks the 60th anniversary of the birth of the nation of Israel. The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel, a concept central to Judaism for over three thousand years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people."

In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Arab League rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion, its first Prime Minister, declared Israel an independent nation.

The new country's victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence that resulted in ongoing shifting of its borders. Israel has signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. Efforts are being made to reach a permanent accord with the Palestinians.

With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritan, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups.

Assign students to complete a report of 150-200 words that cites at least three resources. Or choose a PowerPoint report of about two to three minutes.

Pathfinder: Click the Topics Search tab > type "Palestinians and peace" > click Palestinians AND Peace > View Documents.

Students should address the following essential questions for critical thinking:

• What are the major points of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians?
  
  
• Why did past peace agreements fail?
  
  
• What are some new strategies for a peace agreement with the Palestinians?
  
  
• What can the U.S. and other major countries do to support a peace agreement?

Click here for a teacher's guide to written reports. Or, click here for a student PowerPoint report template.



CultureGrams & World Conflicts Today
Standards-Aligned Insight into Daily Life & Global Conflicts