Israel became a nation in 1948 after being under British control. A 1931 British census found the population to be between 700,000-1,000,000 Jews, Arabs, Bedouins and others. Gaza is located in the lower left of Israel and is where many original Palestinian homes and farms were located. It is now jointly ruled by Palestinians including Hamas and Hezbollah. Many Palestinians immigrated to the US after the establishment of Israel and wars, with over 750,000 leaving from a population of 1.3 million from 1948-1966. Both Israelis and Palestinians continue to face challenges around ongoing conflict over land and politics.

1. Israel and Gaza
Atty Garfinkel Ethst. 101

2. Israel became a nation in 1948, prior to that it was under British protectorate/colonial
status called the British Mandate and prior to the end of WWI it was part of the Turkish
Ottoman empire along with Trans-Jordanian Palestine (you may know it as Jordan), Syria
and Lebanon. Under the Ottoman rule there were no reliable census records to tell us
how many people lived in the land.
The British conducted a censes in 1931 that is thought to be the most reliable and it puts
the population at between 700,000 and 1 million Jews, Arabs, Bedouin and others. The
population was made up of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and even some Buddhists.

3. To the left you see the nation of Israel. Notice the ear shaped land
outlined with a broken line. That is the West Bank and part of the
proposed location of a new Palestinian state. In the lower left
hand corner you will see Gaza. This is where the vast majority of
the original Palestinian homes and farms were. It has been
sectioned off and is under the rule of Palestinians including
Hezbollah and Hamas jointly. The majority of Palestinian refugees
fleeing to the US come from this region.
Israel, including the West Bank, is smaller than New Jersey and is 9 miles
wide between Tel Aviv and the West Bank.
Notes: Percent distribution; data based on sample. "Other Arab" (9.6 percent)
includes Yemeni, Kurdish, Algerian, Saudi, Tunisian, Kuwaiti, Libyan, Berber, Emirati
(United Arab Emirates), Omani, Qatari, Bahraini, Alhuceman, Bedouin, Rio de Oro,
and the general terms Middle Eastern and North African.
Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000 special tabulation.

4. PUSH/PULL FACTORS FOR IMMIGRATING AWAY FROM THE “PROMISED LAND”
We have been at war since our nation was reborn. We are not at war with an unseen foe, but
with our neighbors, our countrymen and yes, even our own cousins. Why do we fight? We
fight for our lives and our land. Why do they fight? They fight for the same. God help us all.
– Gold Meir First Female Prime Minister of Israel
While many Jewish Americans still immigrate to Israel (or make Aliyah), many Israeli’s
immigrate to America for a variety of reasons. Among these are family ties, employment
opportunities and to escape the terrorist attacks and the compulsory military service.
Some misunderstand and think the war is over religion. Both Judaism and Islam tell us to
respect each other and get along. The war is over racism, land and politics.
US STATE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY TO AMERICANS PAGE
-Two U.S. citizens were murdered in separate incidents while walking in the woods in the
Beit Shemesh area near Jerusalem in the last 18 months. Israeli authorities characterized
the murders as terrorist attacks.
-A bomb blast near the Central Bus Terminal in Jerusalem on March 23, 2011 injured
several U.S. citizens.
-In the Golan Heights and West Bank, there are live landmines in many areas and visitors
should walk only on established roads or trails.

5. Palestinian Push/Pull Factors
The establishment of Israel and the war that ensued resulted in the
immigration of over 750,000 Palestinians, from a population of a presumed
1.3 million. From 1948 until 1966, only 80,000 Arabs officially immigrated to
the United States. Of these 80,000, the majority were ethnic
Palestinians while the second largest group was made up of Egyptians.
This new group of immigrants differed greatly from their predecessors, most
markedly in their religious backgrounds. 90 percent of all first wave Arab
immigrants professed Christianity as opposed to only 40 percent in the
second wave. Moreover, this group tended to be better educated, the
majority of males having college degrees, and in much better financial states
than the first wave immigrants.
Wikipedia Arab immigration
America offered the potential for a new start and work that these educated
people could use to provide for their families, here and abroad.

6. THE PEOPLE IN ISRAEL,
BOTH ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN
Population (2010 est.): 7.59 million.
Annual population growth rate (2009 est.): 1.7%.
Ethnic groups: Jews 76.2%; Arabs 19.5%; other 4.3%.
Religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Druze, Other.
Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic (official), English, Russian, French, Swahili.
Education: Years compulsory--11.
Literacy--96.9% (female 95.6%; male 98.3%).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2009 est.)--4.22/1,000 births.
Life expectancy at birth--80.73 years; female 82.95 years, male 78.62 years.
Work force (3.02 million; Central Bureau for Statistics, 2009):
Agriculture--2.1%; manufacturing--16.2%; electricity and water supply--0.8%; construction--5.4%; trade and
repair of motor vehicles--3.6%; accommodation services and restaurants--4.3%; transport, storage, and
communication--6.5%; banking, insurance, and finance--3.3%; business activities--13.4%; public administration-
-4.7%; education--12.7%; health, welfare, and social services--10.7%; community, social, and personal services--
4.6%; services for households by domestic personnel--1.6%.