Israel
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. This issue has been at the heart of Middle Eastern conflicts for the past half century. The creation of Israel was the culmination of the Zionist movement, whose aim was a homeland for Jews scattered all over the world following the Diaspora. After the Nazi Holocaust, pressure grew for the international recognition of a Jewish state, and in 1948 Israel came into being.
Much of the modern history of the region has been one of conflict between Israel on one side and Palestinians, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Israel's Arab neighbors on the other. The Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides.
Palestinians in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967. The settlements that Israel has built in the West Bank are home to around 400,000 people and are deemed to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Israel evacuated its settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and withdrew its forces, ending almost four decades of military occupation.
In 1979 Egypt and Israel signed a peace agreement, but it wasn't until the early 1990s, after years of an uprising known as the intifada, that a peace process began with the Palestinians. Despite the handover of Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control, a "final status" agreement has yet to be reached.
The main stumbling blocks include the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlements.
Ehud Olmert, from the centrist Kadima party, leads a four-party coalition which includes the center-left Labor party and the ultra-orthodox Shas party. As deputy premier, Olmert assumed the powers of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when the latter suffered a major stroke in January 2006. Elections had been called before Sharon became ill; Kadima won a slim majority in parliament. Olmert faced his first real test in July 2006, when Israel waged a weeks-long military campaign against Hizballah guerrillas in Lebanon. Political opponents alleged shortcomings in the conduct of the war. The prime minister said the offensive had destroyed much of Hizballah's weaponry and infrastructure.
Olmert says he wants to fix permanent borders for Israel. This would involve a withdrawal from parts of the West Bank and the absorption into Israel of several big Jewish settlement blocs in the occupied territories. The plan would be implemented with or without a deal with the Palestinians.
Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the candidate of the Fatah faction, won the January 2005 poll to replace the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Abbas had already succeeded Yasser Arafat as leader of the PLO. In January 2006, the militant Islamic movement Hamas unexpectedly won Palestinian parliamentary elections. Since then, tensions between Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah party have erupted into gunbattles in Gaza. Civil servants, including police officers, have also held strikes and violent protests to press for salary arrears.
Until the 2002 upsurge in political violence, Israel's economy had been improving and seemed set for solid growth despite the "intifada.” Now faced with potentially years of bitter relations with it neighbors, economic sanctions from several sectors (including the European Union) and strained relations with the United States, the current economic situation seems less hopeful.
Nevertheless, besides a booming high-technology sector, Israel had undertaken important structural reforms (such as privatization and reduced controls on foreign currency exchanges and profit remittances by foreign companies), and apparent progress in peace negotiations was helping to attract tourists and foreign investment.
Ongoing violence has caused numerous civilian deaths and injuries, including expatriate personnel and visitors. The potential for further terrorist acts remains high. The situation in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank remains extremely volatile with continuing attacks and clashes. In the Palestinian Authority, there are tensions not only regarding Israel and its supporters, but also between the Hamas and Fatah factions. Visitors and expatriate personnel should review their personal security situations and to take those actions they deem appropriate to ensure their well being, including consideration of departure from these areas.
As a result of ongoing military activity in the West Bank and Gaza, sections of those areas have been declared closed military zones and have been subject to intense shelling and firing. In some instances, Americans have been wounded and their property damaged. Because of the closures and fighting, provision of medical and humanitarian care has been severely delayed in those areas. In addition, dual Palestinian American citizens may encounter difficulties entering and/or departing the West Bank and Gaza during times of Israeli closures in those areas. Travelers who enter or travel in Gaza or the West Bank should expect delays and difficulties at checkpoints located throughout those areas, and should exercise particular care when approaching and traveling through checkpoints. Travelers should also be aware that passage through the checkpoints may be denied.
Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank have been the scene of violence clashes and should be avoided at all times. Drivers have been shot at on the Modi’in road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and also on the Ramallah-Nablus road, in some cases with fatal consequences. Roadblocks and sporadic firing remain a hazard throughout the West Bank. Road travel should therefore be avoided.
The risk of terrorist bomb attacks in Israel and the Occupied Territories is high. Likely terrorist targets include crowded public areas and public transport. Car and suicide bombs have been used against both types of target in the last several years. These attacks are not aimed at expatriates, but they pose a threat to visitors due to their unpredictable and indiscriminate nature.
Foreign journalists are sometimes kidnapped in Gaza, but are usually treated well and released unharmed after several days.
From time to time the Israeli authorities issue warnings of specific threats. Visitors should take seriously any such warnings and act on any advice they offer.
