Israel lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Egypt on the west, Syria and Jordan on the east, and Lebanon on the north.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period. Israel’s economy and technology centre is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government, and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state’s sovereignty over East Jerusalem is not recognized internationally. The country is a parliamentary democracy.
At the second quarter of the 20th century, Jews from all over the world immigrated to Palestine. The increased persecution of Jews worldwide and subsequent Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany became the reason for the huge migration. This vast influx of Jewish immigrants into the region, however, caused tension with the native Palestinian Arabs, and violence flared between the two groups, leading up to the United Nations’ plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors, and Israel’s ensuing declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period.
