Israel

This chapter is the companion to Palestine. The two describe one land and one conflict from opposite sides, and each stands on its own, including its own distinct culture and cuisine. Read together, they are meant to leave you holding both narratives at once, which is the only honest way to understand the place. As before, this book documents and attributes rather than judging.

TL;DR. Israel is the world's only Jewish-majority state, founded in 1948 as the realisation of Zionism, the modern movement for Jewish self-determination in the Jewish people's ancestral land, intensified by centuries of persecution and the Holocaust. It survived a war at its birth and several more, made peace with Egypt and Jordan, and built a prosperous, high-tech democracy. It also governs millions of Palestinians without citizenship in territories captured in 1967, the unresolved core of its conflict with the Palestinians and much of the Arab and Muslim world.

Key takeaways

• Israel is rooted in the ancient and continuous Jewish connection to the land, and in modern Zionism as a response to antisemitism and the Holocaust.
• 1948 (founding and survival) and 1967 (the territories and occupation) are the hinge dates.
• Its central alliance is with the United States; its central modern threat, in its own view, is Iran and its allied movements.
• It is a real democracy for its citizens and a diverse society, while also controlling Palestinians who are not citizens, two facts that must be held together.
• Read alongside the Palestine chapter.

Main events at a glance

The deep past and the Jewish connection to the land

Jewish history is rooted in this land. Ancient Israelite and Judean kingdoms existed here, with Jerusalem and its Temple as the religious center. After revolts against Rome, the Temple was destroyed (70 CE) and most Jews were dispersed into a long worldwide diaspora. Yet a Jewish presence in the land continued in every century, and the hope of return remained central to Jewish prayer and identity for nearly two thousand years. This unbroken attachment is the foundation of the modern Israeli claim. (The shared ancient history of the land itself is told in the Palestine chapter.)

Zionism: why a modern state

Modern Zionism arose in late-19th-century Europe, above all as a response to relentless antisemitism: pogroms in the Russian Empire, the Dreyfus affair in France, and the conviction, voiced by Theodor Herzl, that Jews would be safe only with a state of their own. The movement chose the ancestral land of Israel, then Ottoman (later British) Palestine. Waves of Jewish immigration (aliyah) followed. The case became overwhelming, in Zionist eyes and to much of the world, after the Holocaust, in which Nazi Germany murdered about six million European Jews.

Don't be confused: Zionism, Judaism, and Israel are not identical. Judaism is the religion. Zionism is a modern political movement for Jewish self-determination in this land. Israel is the resulting state. Most Jews support Israel's existence, but Jews hold a wide range of views on its policies, and some religious Jews historically opposed Zionism. Criticism of Israeli government policy is not by itself the same thing as antisemitism, though the line is hotly debated.

1948: independence and survival

When the UN proposed partition in 1947 (accepted by Jewish leaders, rejected by Arab leaders), war followed. On 14 May 1948, Israel declared independence; the surrounding Arab states invaded. Israel survived and expanded beyond the partition lines in what Israelis call the War of Independence. The same events are the Nakba for Palestinians, who suffered mass displacement, as the previous chapter details.

A parallel displacement followed in the other direction: in the years after 1948, most of the roughly 800,000 Jews of Arab and Muslim countries left or were forced out, and the majority resettled in Israel. Israel today is in large part a country of refugees and their descendants from both Europe and the Middle East.

The wars and the alliances behind them

Israel's wars each had clear coalitions. Who stood with whom:

The 1967 victory is the origin of the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, the central issue with the Palestinians. The 1973 war shocked Israel and opened the door to peace with Egypt. The 1982 war is a striking example of how alliances here cross religious lines: a Jewish state allied with Lebanese Christian militias against Palestinian and Syrian forces (see the Lebanon chapter).

From war to (partial) peace

• 1979: the US-brokered Camp David accords brought peace with Egypt, the first between Israel and an Arab state, returning Sinai. Egypt's president Sadat was later assassinated by extremists for making peace.
• 1993 to 1995: the Oslo Accords with the PLO created mutual recognition and the Palestinian Authority, the peace process's high point. In 1994 Israel made peace with Jordan. In 1995 prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to the accords, a severe blow.
• 2005: Israel withdrew its settlers and soldiers from Gaza; after Hamas took over in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade, and repeated wars followed.
• 2020: the US-brokered Abraham Accords normalised relations with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, a major shift, though they did not resolve the Palestinian question.

Iran, Hezbollah, and the security view

From the Israeli perspective, the central modern threat is Iran and its allied armed movements, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the so-called "axis of resistance." Israel sees itself as a small country surrounded by hostile forces, some sworn to its destruction, which shapes its emphasis on military strength and deterrence. Critics counter that this framing can be used to justify the occupation and actions that harm civilians. Both points belong in the honest picture. The Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023 and the ensuing Gaza war, plus a 2024 war with Hezbollah, are covered from the Palestinian and Lebanese sides in their chapters; for Israelis, October 2023 was a national trauma, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust in many people's eyes.

How people lived: daily life and lifestyle

Israeli life is shaped by diversity, religion, and the rhythm of the Shabbat (the Saturday day of rest, when much of the country pauses). Society spans secular Jews, modern-religious Jews, the rapidly growing ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) communities who live a deeply traditional life, and Arab citizens, each with very different daily worlds. Early Zionists built kibbutzim, collective farming communities that became a national symbol, though most have since privatised. Nearly all young Jewish (and Druze) citizens do military service, a shared formative experience. Hebrew, a language revived for daily use barely more than a century ago (a project linked to Eliezer Ben-Yehuda), is now the living tongue of the country. Modern Israel is intensely urban, café- and beach-loving around Tel Aviv, spiritually charged in Jerusalem, and globally famous as a high-tech "start-up nation."

Music, literature, and the arts

Israeli culture fuses traditions from the many places Jews came from. Early Hebrew folk songs (Shirei Eretz Yisrael) built a national repertoire; Mizrahi music, with Middle Eastern scales and instruments brought by Jews from Arab and Muslim lands, is now the country's most popular sound, with stars like Zohar Argov and Sarit Hadad. The singer Ofra Haza, of Yemeni-Jewish background, won international fame. Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest several times. In literature, S. Y. Agnon won the Nobel Prize in 1966, and writers like Amos Oz and David Grossman are read worldwide. The Israel Philharmonic is a celebrated classical institution.

Notable people

• Theodor Herzl, the founding visionary of political Zionism.
• David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister and founding leader.
• Golda Meir, prime minister during the 1973 war, one of the era's few women heads of government.
• Yitzhak Rabin, soldier-turned-peacemaker, assassinated in 1995.
• A long roster of scientists and Nobel laureates relative to the country's small size.

Religion, coexistence, and minorities

Israel is a parliamentary democracy and the only country in this book with a Jewish majority, ranging from secular to ultra-Orthodox. About a fifth of citizens are Arabs, mostly Muslim, with Christian and Druze communities; they hold citizenship and vote, sit in parliament, and serve as doctors, judges, and academics, but report real inequalities in funding, land, and opportunity, and live with a divided identity across the conflict.

• The Druze of Israel hold a distinct status: many serve in the military and are generally well integrated, a contrast with their kin across the borders.
• The Bedouin of the Negev desert are among the poorest citizens, with long disputes over land and unrecognised villages.
• Israel also hosts the world center of the Baha'i faith, in Haifa, and small ancient Christian and other communities.

Holding two facts together is essential and uncomfortable: Israel is genuinely democratic and argumentative for its citizens (in 2023, huge protests erupted over a government plan to weaken the judiciary), while it also controls the lives of millions of non-citizen Palestinians, a situation critics, including some Israelis and major rights groups, describe in severe terms, and the government rejects.

Food: Israel's own table

Israeli cuisine is its own distinct fusion, built from the foodways Jews carried home from a hundred countries, blended with Mediterranean ingredients. Its character is exactly this mixing of Jewish diasporas:

• Ashkenazi (European Jewish) dishes: challah (braided Sabbath bread), matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, and schnitzel, which became a national favourite.
• Mizrahi and Sephardi (Middle Eastern and North African Jewish) dishes, now central to the table: shakshuka (eggs poached in spiced tomato, of North African Jewish origin), sabich (a pita of fried eggplant and egg brought by Iraqi Jews), and jachnun and malawach (rolled and fried doughs brought by Yemeni Jews).
• Couscous from North African Jewish communities, often served on Friday nights.
• Local street foods like falafel in pita were widely adopted, and the Israeli breakfast (a spread of eggs, salads, cheeses, and bread, a kibbutz-era tradition) is a signature in its own right.

Everyday life: relationships, family, and home

How people meet and form families varies widely across Israeli society. Among secular and many modern-religious Jews, dating looks much like in other Western countries, with apps, nights out, and university or army friendships leading to relationships. In more traditional religious and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) communities, matchmaking (with a matchmaker, or shadchan) and family introductions are common, and dating is focused on marriage. One legal fact shapes everyone: civil marriage is not performed inside Israel, so marriage runs through recognized religious authorities (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze). Couples who cannot or prefer not to marry that way, including interfaith couples and same-sex couples, often marry abroad (Cyprus is a frequent choice) and have that marriage registered at home.

Family is central, and Israel has high birth rates by developed-country standards, highest in Haredi and some Arab communities but notably high among secular Jews too. Children are generally raised in a warm, indulgent, sociable style, and extended family gatherings are important. A near-universal shared experience for most Jewish citizens (and Druze) is military service after high school, which strongly shapes friendships, networks, and adult life. The weekly rhythm centers on Shabbat, from Friday evening to Saturday night: many shops, buses, and offices close, families share a Friday night meal, and the observant rest and attend synagogue, while secular Israelis may simply use it as a beach, hiking, or family day.

Israel, especially Tel Aviv, is famously pet-friendly, with a strong dog culture: dog parks, dog-friendly cafes, and high rates of dog ownership. Homes and customs differ across groups: a secular Tel Aviv apartment, a settler family home, a Haredi household in Bnei Brak, and an Arab town in the Galilee can feel like different worlds in dress, language, food, and the place of religion in daily life.

School, work, and the economy

Schooling is generally free and compulsory, and the system is split into separate streams: state (secular), state-religious, ultra-Orthodox, and Arab schools (taught largely in Arabic). The working and school week runs roughly Sunday to Thursday or Friday, with Shabbat off, so Sunday is a normal workday. After school, most Jewish (and Druze) young people enter military conscription, which delays university and is itself a major life stage.

Work culture, especially in the high-tech sector, is fast, informal, and high-pressure, part of Israel's image as a "start-up nation." First names and blunt feedback are normal, hierarchy is downplayed, and quick improvisation is prized. The economy is advanced and high-income, strong in high-tech and software, defense and cybersecurity, medical and agricultural innovation, and water technology (drip irrigation and desalination are Israeli specialties). Alongside this wealth sit real problems: high cost of living (especially housing), and inequality, with lower average incomes among Haredi and Arab citizens.

Language, idioms, and words to know

The main language is Hebrew, an ancient language revived for everyday modern use just over a century ago, an unusual success story among languages. Arabic has a special recognized status and is the first language of Arab citizens; English is widely understood. A few useful words:

• Shalom: hello, goodbye, and peace, all in one word.
• Toda (and toda raba, thank you very much): thank you.
• Yalla: let's go, come on (borrowed from Arabic, used constantly).
• Beseder: okay, fine.

Israelis are known for informal directness, sometimes summed up by the word chutzpah, which means bold nerve or audacity (it can be admiring or critical depending on context). Conversations can sound blunt to outsiders but are usually meant warmly. Rather than invent sayings, it is safe to note that Hebrew daily speech is rich with phrases from the Hebrew Bible and from Jewish tradition, which many Israelis quote in ordinary conversation.

Famous places to know

• Jerusalem: the contested holy city, whose walled Old City holds sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.
• Tel Aviv: the modern, secular, coastal hub, known for beaches, nightlife, and the Bauhaus "White City," a UNESCO-listed collection of 1930s modernist architecture.
• The Dead Sea: the lowest place on Earth's land surface, so salty that swimmers float; visitors coat themselves in its mineral mud.
• Masada: a dramatic desert fortress on a clifftop, site of an ancient last stand against Rome and a powerful national symbol.
• The Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret): a freshwater lake in the north, important in Jewish and Christian history and a key water source.
• Haifa: a mixed Jewish-Arab port city on Mount Carmel, famous for the terraced Baha'i Gardens around the faith's golden-domed shrine.

Fitting in: visiting, impressing people, and being a good citizen

Israeli etiquette is informal and direct: people skip small talk, speak frankly, and will happily debate, which is friendly rather than rude. Hospitality is warm, and being offered food and drink is common. Respect the huge variety of religious observance: keep Shabbat in mind (some places close, and in religious neighborhoods driving or phone use on Shabbat is unwelcome), and dress modestly at holy sites (covered shoulders and knees, and head coverings where asked, such as at the Western Wall). Security awareness is part of daily life, with bag checks at malls and stations that are routine, not alarming.

To make a good impression, learn a few Hebrew (and Arabic) words, ask questions, accept hospitality, and engage honestly while staying sensitive about the conflict. Tourism is well developed, with good infrastructure, but the regional conflict affects safety and access, sometimes sharply and at short notice. Always check official sources for current entry rules, visas, and travel advisories before a trip. This is general information, not legal advice.

Suggested reading, news, and links

Books

• Fiction and essays by Amos Oz, one of Israel's best-known writers, including his memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness.
• Novels by David Grossman and A. B. Yehoshua, widely translated.
• For history, the works of Anita Shapira, a respected historian of Zionism and modern Israel. For a fuller picture, read Israeli and Palestinian historians together.

News

• International: the BBC and Reuters for broad coverage.
• Israeli outlets, which differ in perspective: Haaretz (left-leaning, liberal), The Times of Israel (centrist, English-language), and The Jerusalem Post (centre-right). Reading more than one gives a fuller view.

Links

• BBC country profile (search "BBC Israel country profile").
• Britannica entry on Israel for a reference overview.

Today, and how to talk about it

Israel in the mid-2020s is a prosperous, militarily powerful, internally divided democracy, shaped by the trauma of October 2023, the ensuing war, and the unresolved conflict with the Palestinians.

If you talk with Israelis: for many, safety and survival are not theoretical, given family histories of the Holocaust and of wars, and the events of October 2023. Acknowledging that fear, while not erasing the Palestinian reality from the previous chapter, is the respectful stance. The single most useful habit in any conversation about this conflict is to resist the urge to pick a team, and to recognise that two peoples have real and painful attachments to the same land.

From the most contested land we move north to the most intricately balanced country in the region: Lebanon. 👉