what does eretz mean as in 'eretz Israel'?
544386
Eretz Israel does not mean "Greater Israel". Eretz is simply the Hebrew word for "Land". The term Israelis of the right wing would use is "Eretz Israel HaShlema", ie the "whole" or "complete" Land of Israel. This term is not applied by Israelis to the land grant to Abraham, from the Nile to the Euphrates. Nor is it applied to the rather smaller area said to have been occupied by King David or King Solomon. Solomon's kingdom stretched through modern Syria to the banks of the Euphrates, covering and area vastly greater than the modern State of Israel. The western boundry of these kingdom's ran barely further to the west of modern Israel, and thus did not approaching the Nile but did reach near the "Brook of Egypt".
1137121
Short answer to a hard question to answer:\n\nThe kingdom of Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. However, this was approximately 1200 BCE, and since that time many other nations have laid claim to the land, effectively expelling the Jewish people from the territory, scattering them among the ancient lands. Although the Jews attempted to return to Israel often, they were usually met with hostility. Over time, and until the last few centuries, Muslims were the primary inhabitants of the this region, forming the nation that would eventually be known as Palestine, though it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century.\n\nWhen the British occupied the land after World War I, they encourages a movement that had been gaining popularity in Europe - the resettlement of the Jewish people in their ancient homeland. Although these mass migrations happened in waves, it caused tensions between the Jewish and Arab peoples who occupied this nation, not only due to religious and cultural differences, but to claims of land ownership. The Jewish people had not controlled land in this region for thousands of years, but were given land that had once been controlled by Arab people. Being forcably displaced from their homeland, the fighting between the Jews and Arabs escalated.\n\nDuring World War II and the rise of Nazism, the Jewish people were driven from Europe or slaughtered by the millions. After the fall of Germany, ending the war in Europe, many thousands of displaced Jewish people found themselves without a home. Thus is was decided to place them into Palestine. Hostilities between Jewish and Arab peoples in the country increased, eventually leading to the withdrawl of Great Britain from the region. \n\nIn 1947, Israel was carved out of Palestine, and given its own sovereign status. This erupted in war in region, as many Arab nations refuse to recognize the country of Israel, created, rather arbitrarily, by world powers, effectively isolating the Palestinian (Arab) occupation that had existed for over a millenia. A series of miliary conflicts and occupations of land resulted in the current tensions we hear about today.
602480
It's "bar mitzvah," and it IS Hebrew. It means, Son of the Commandment. It's the ceremony that Jewish boys have when they are 13. For girls, it's called a "bat mitzvah."
1151250
Israel is a country in the middle east that was created by an UN declaration in 1947, and which declared its independence in 1948.\n\nThere has never been a country called Palestine- the omans renamed the province of Judah to Palestina after the Bar Kochba revolt to punish the Jews- since they knew from Jewish history that the philistines had been a foe of the Jews.  The are passed through various hands- sometimes retaining the name, at other times being renamed.  During the time of the Ottoman Empire it was acually divided into numerous administrative districts and had no single name.  \n\nAfter the British displaced the Ottomans- the area was known as the Trans-Jordan and ruled by a British mandate.  The area of Transjordan included Syria, Lebonon and Jordan, as well as the are then xcalled British Palestine.\n\nThe UN mandate divided the area into two states- one for the Jews, the other for the native Arabs who had taken the label "Palestinians" around 1920 or so.  Unfortunately- when Israel was declared five Arab armies invaded Israel- and when unsuccesful in destroying Israel occupied the land set aside for the Palestinians and turned them into refugees.\n\nIn the modern era Israel has active Peace Treaties with Egypt and Jordan- and the active conflict in the region is between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that has been given limited control over the Gaza and Westbak, and which will be the government of a future Palestinians state.
687540
israel is jewish land, and has been since 3300 years ago. long before arab/muslim occupiers came to the area. End of story.
328447
In hebrew it means beloved
330749
Old Testament = Torah.\nTorah = Unchanged.\nTorah = Jewish.\n\nHope that answers your question.
248348
Kadima or Forward in Hebrew .. This is Aron Sharon new center-right party formed 6 months ago. This party have won 28 Seats in the 28 March Election and are No. 1 party at the Israel Kennest - followed by Labor party  & then Likud the former party of Sharon >> Israel for the first time have  three main parties
731529
israel has frequently been nicknamed the 51st state
942641
Try to translate this I cant figure out how but this is supposedly the only way.\nThat damn guy was talking bout the jewish website well I found it.
378669
It was something to do with Germany, in WW2.  I believe it was the official name for the law that made the Jews leave German territories.
938548
Israel DOES belong to the Jews!
778907
The map of Israel and Palestine says it all:-\n\nhttp://zionismexplained.org/map/landmap1.jpg
1087515
There are two different schools of thought in the Arab world regarding Israel (on a large scale, I'm sure there are individuals who don't ascribe to either).\n\n1) Hamas, et al- Destroy Israel all at once.\n\n2) Fatah, et al- Through diplomatic means return to pre- 1967 borders, then destroy the rest of Israel.  (The "doctrine of Phases")\n\nThis was never a secret.  Fatah officials repeatedly stated that this was their view openly, on the radio, for many years.\n\nAfter a while, they realized that if they kept saying it openly, they would never get the diplomatic concessions that they were seeking, so they stopped saying that they would use the return to pre- 67' borders as a stepping point to destroy Israel, but continued to insist on being given such a concession.
118251
Isreal use to be Palestine. It was given back to the Jewish people after WWII because the Allies felt they should do something for them since so many were killed by Germany.
989089
To summarize:\n\nMiddle Eastern countries never accepted the UN resolution which authorized the creation of the country of Israel.  A bunch of Palestinians left or were forced out of the Israeli territory during the 7 day war in the 60's when 5 middle eastern countries attacked Isreal and lost.\n\nNow the Palestinians are living in ghetto's.  They essentially want to kick Israel off the Map and take their land.  There are still daily killings of both Palestinians and Israeli's 40 years later.\n\nThere are hundreds of reference books to read on this topic, so i tried to make it concise.
271044
Jews have always been in the area now known as Israel.\n\nA short allegory of Israel:\n\nPretend that Israel is an apartment building.\n\nSome jews live there, some Arabs (Jordanians). Many empty nasty apartments.\n\nThe Health Department says you Jews need a place to live. Take these places, fix them up, live here.\n\nTired Jews move into vacant apartments, in spite of the hatred and attacks and murders by the Arabs (Jordanians).\nThem fix up the apartments, live quietly, and protect themselves.\n\nHealth Department comes by and says, good job, you can keep the apartments and the building itself.\n\nJews now own the building. Arabs (Jordanians) say "Oh my God, they will murder and kill and rob and rape us simply because we murdered and killed and robbed and raped them, how unfair!!"\n\nArabs (Jordanians) run away leaving vacant apartments.\n\nAbandoned apartments become property of the landlords (Jews) and are turned over to other settlers who move in.\n\nArabs (Jordanians) go to all other Arab countries and whine about reparations and poverty. Other Arab Countries kick them out.\n\nArabs (Jordanians) decide that they need a new image.\n\n"Hey!!! We're Palestinizers now! Palestinites? Palestonians? Palesturgers??? (Gets out Liberal Arab Talking Points Crib notes) Oh! Palestineans! Right. These mean thoughtless cruel non burkah wearing Jews have DRIVEN us from our ancestral lands in Palestan. Wait!! Palestine. Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo (are the cameras still on me?) Hoo. We are peaceful people so murder them, rape their women, crush their children, blow up their weddings, funerals, cafe's, busses, wait - don't hurt the furniture, we'll need that!"