TERMS & NAMESZionismkibbutzLaw of ReturnOrthodox JewsRosh HashanahYom KippursecularIsrael’s current problems are rooted

in a long and complicated history.Peace in the region dependson peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

TEL AVIV, PALESTINE, JULY 14, 1921—

Newcomers from America arrived here

today after a long and difficult trip.

All have been active in the movement

to establish a Jewish homeland in

Palestine. Goldie Mabovitch and her

husband, Morris Myerson, born in

Russia, hope to join a kibbutz. Riots in

the port city of Jaffa delayed their

arrival. Palestinian Arabs are protesting

the immigration of Jews from America,

Russia, and other countries who plan

to settle in the land the Arabs consider

their own.

Israel TodayIsrael Today

Movement • Jewish immigrants from

Europe arrive in Palestine. Some took

Hebrew names; for example, Goldie

Mabovitch became Golda Meir. �

TAKING NOTES

History of foreign influence

Changes in world markets

ProblemsResultingProblems

Solutions

Use your chart to take notes about North Africaand Southwest Asia.

From Zionism to a Modern StateAfter A.D. 70, when the Romans destroyed the Templein Jerusalem, Jews no longer had a country of their own.They lived scattered around the world, but still consid-ered Palestine their homeland. Zionism was a Jewishmovement that encouraged Jews to return to that home-land, which many called Zion. In the late 1800s, Jewsbegan immigrating there and establishing colonies.

264 CHAPTER 9

Life on a Kibbutz Many new arrivals came from Eastern Europe,where Jews were often denied the right to be landowners. Seizingthe chance to own land, even in the desert, the newcomers formedcommunities called kibbutzim. A kibbutz (kih•BUTS; kibbutzim isthe plural) is a farming village whose members own everything incommon. Members share labor, income, and expenses. The peopleof the kibbutzim saw themselves as brave, hard-working pioneers.

Kibbutzim Today About 270 kibbutzim still exist in Israel today.Some manufacture and sell products or welcome tourists. Othersare still farming communities. Israel produces nearly all of its food.To improve the dry soil, Israelis practice drip irrigation. Tubes inthe ground deliver the exact amount of water each plant needs.

The People of IsraelIsrael was established in 1948 as a Jewishstate. Judaism is the state religion. Hebrewis the official language. The second officiallanguage is Arabic. In Jewish and Arabschools in Israel, English is a required lan-guage. Of its six million inhabitants, over 80percent are Jews. The Declaration of theEstablishment promised that Israel wouldtreat all its inhabitants equally. SomeIsraelis feel their country has not always lived up to that promise.

Palestinian Arabs About 20 percent of the people in Israel arePalestinian Arabs. Arab Israelis carry Israeli passports and vote,but they do not have to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).More than 90 percent of Arab Israelis are Sunni Muslim. In2003, Arab Israelis were elected to 8 of the 120 seats in theKnesset, the Israeli parliament. This was down from 11 seats in1996. Most Arab Israelis do not have as high a standard of livingas other groups in Israel. In 2000, the government announced a

North Africa and Southwest Asia Today 265

A VOICE FROM ISRAEL

The kibbutz would break new ground, literally; it would makethe parched earth bloom and beat back the attacks of maraud-ers who sought to destroy our pioneering lives.

David Ben Gurion

Place •A modernkibbutz sprawlsover a desertlandscape. �

A. AnalyzingMotives Whatwere the Jewishimmigrants’ main reasons for forming kibbutzim?

billion-dollar program to improve schools, housing,and job opportunities for Arab Israelis.

Some Palestinians are refugees from Israel who fledto the Gaza Strip and the West Bank after the 1948Arab-Israeli War. (See the map on page 245.) Israeloccupies these territories. Constant tension betweenArabs and Israelis often leads to violence.

Women in Israel Even before Israel was a state, itswomen were encouraged to work outside the home. Tofree mothers from child-care duties, children on kibbut-zim lived and slept in separate children’s houses and vis-ited their parents during evenings and weekends. AnAmerican-educated woman, Golda Meir (MY•uhr), was

the prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974.

The Law of ReturnSince 1948, Israel has taken in nearly 3 million Jewish immi-grants. The 1950 Law of Return states that Jews anywhere in theworld can immigrate to Israel and become citizens.

Recent Immigrants In 1987, the Soviet Union allowed Jewswithin its borders to leave. In May 2000, Israel welcomed its mil-lionth immigrant from the former Soviet Union. Many Sovietimmigrants are highly skilled.

Israeli society is increasingly diverse. Since the 1980s, about20,000 Ethiopians of Jewish origin have settled in Israel.Another 20,000 Ethiopian Jews were expected to move toIsrael in 2003. Immigrants from Eastern Europe and NorthAfrica have also arrived in the country. Many immigrant groups

266 CHAPTER 9

Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salem The cooperative community ofNeve Shalom/Wahat al-Salem was established in 1972 by Jews andPalestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. The village occupies 100acres of land halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Described as an "oasis of peace," Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salem is not con-nected with any political party. It is democratically governed andowned by its members. Through its School for Peace, the NeveShalom/Wahat al-Salem community sponsors dialogue betweenArabs and Jews in high schools and universities. It also conductstraining courses in conflict management.

Culture • Israeliwomen mustserve in themilitary fortwo years; menmust serve forthree. �

B. MakingInferences Whymight Jews inother countrieswant to emigrateto Israel?

publish newspapers in their nativelanguages. New arrivals fromNorth Africa and other countriesin the Middle East have broughtskills such as pottery making andweaving to enrich Israeli society.

Religion in Israel TodayOnly about one in four of Israel’sJews strictly follows Jewish law.They are called Orthodox Jews. These Jews believe that Jewish lawshould help form government policy. Orthodox rabbis have officialcontrol over marriage, divorce, and burial. They also limit whatIsraeli Jews can do on the Sabbath and holidays. Rosh Hashanah(RAWSH huh•SHAW•nuh) is the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur(YAWM KIHP•uhr) is the Day of Atonement, a day for fasting andreflecting on one’s sins. It is the holiest day in the Jewish year. Nogovernment employee can work on these Jewish High Holy Days.No newspapers appear on either holiday. Most of Israel’s Jews aresecular, meaning that religious practices play a less important rolein their lives. They are more interested in living a modern way oflife. Many resent Orthodox control of daily life.

North Africa and Southwest Asia Today 267

Write an interview you might have with a new immigrant to Israel. Include information on where theimmigrant comes from, the date and method of arrival, reasons for coming, and reactions to a new land.

SECTION ASSESSMENT

Using Graphics2. Use a cause-and-effect chart like

this one to write the reasons forJewish immigration to Palestine.

Main Ideas3. (a) Why did early Jewish settlers in

Israel establish kibbutzim?

(b) What have immigrants con-tributed to Israeli society?

(c) What are the major differencesbetween Orthodox and secularJews?

Critical Thinking4. Forming and Supporting

OpinionsIn what ways is Israeli societydiverse?

Think About◆ recent immigrants◆ non-Jewish citizens◆ variety of languages

Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) Zionism (b) kibbutz (c) Law of Return (d) Orthodox Jews

(e) Rosh Hashanah ( f ) Yom Kippur (g) secular

Movement •Jewish childrenfrom Ethiopiamake a newhome in Israel. �

Causes

Effect Jewish immigration to Palestine