The earliest known mention of the name 'Israel', probably referring to a group of people rather than to a place, is the Egyptian Merneptah Stele dated to about 1211 BCE. For over 3,000 years, Jews have regarded the Land of Israel as their homeland, both as a Holy Land and as a Promised land. The land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious obligations, encompassing Judaism's most important sites — including the remains of the First and Second Temples, as well as the rites concerning those temples. Starting around 1200 BCE, a series of Jewish kingdoms and states existed intermittently in the region for more than a millennium.

After a massive influx of Jews around 1920, the British Foreign Secretary (British liberated parts of the middle east in WWI from the Ottoman empire therefore according to them, it was under their control) Arthur J. Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration that "viewed with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". Balfour promised the Jews a santuary although people (Arabs but as well as Jews) had already settled there. The area can be related to that of the earlier bedouin tribes in the Sanai peninsula.

Although there may not be a Palestine country per say, but the name was given to the area by the Roman empire. It was not fake infact it was spelled Palaestine.

The State may have an extremely powerful (for it's size) army, but it has been aided by the United States throughout its existance. Also credit going to the country as a whole for being as successful as it is, but once again there would not be an established government without the United States' support.

And to respond to Blue_blooded Israel's GDP is ranked 53rd on the list of countries in the world, the United Kingdom, which is otherwise known as England is ranked 6th. The standards of living may be closely related, but the GDP is no where near the standard of the United Kingdom.

Although when it is all said and done today Israel is an established state that is supported by the United States and also a prolific nuclear superpower. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless the United States realizes that Democracy will never survive in a radicallly islamic part of the world.

a country the size of your fingernail that gets 10% of all international media coverage and has more trouble than half the rest of the world.

Israel is a country located in the middle east. Its capital city is Jerusalem. it has about 6,500,000 inhabitants. 81.5% of the population are jews, 17 % arabs and the remaining are christians, druze, circassian and other small communities.
Hebrew and arabic are the official languages of israel.

Something everyone wants, but has no oil (see Chanukah).

Antonym: See Saudi Arabia for 'something no one wants, but has oil.'

1. The place to go if you want incredible falafel or shwarma, gorgeous wrap-around skirts, an abundance of kosher restaurants, camels and stray cats at every turn, and the most wonderful, breathtaking hikes you could possibly imagine.

2. Kind of like Teaneck, only less expensive.

A really tiny country surronded by countries that either hate it or do not like it very, very much, but they have held on to that same stip of land for thousands of years.

A legal and internationally recognized state created by the United Nations in 1948 as a result of the 1,878 year old documented history of extreme and senselss hatred against the Jewish people following the Roman destruction of their capital, Jerusalem, in 70 AD.

1. Battlefield since 5000 BC.
2. Home of Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
3. Gets more media coverage then any other country.
4. A place that the rest of the middle east, and probably half of the world, want to blow up.
5. A country with really hot girls.