Ten Things Students Need To Know About the Origins of Israel and Palestine. Footnotes. Volume 13, Number 4

This essay is based on the author's book, "The Palestine Mandate and the Creation of Israel." As the sixtieth anniversary of Israel's independence in May 2008 approaches, that country remains a focal point of world attention. Israel's origins do much to explain why the Arab-Israeli conflict has been so hard to resolve, but also provide a glimpse of the possibilities of peace. Luxenberg presents ten concepts for students to learn: (1) Nation vs. State; (2) Anti-Semitism and the Origins of Modern Jewish Nationalism, or Zionism; (3) Historic Connection to the Land of Israel; (4) A Land Without a People?; (5) The Thrice-Promised Land?; (6) The British Mandate for Palestine; (7) Establishment of the Jewish State; (8) The Altalena Affair; (9) Can Israel and Palestine Co-Exist?; and (10) Final Thoughts on creation of a democratic state by immigrants coming from overwhelmingly non-democratic countries. A selection of related media (articles, books, films, maps, and key documents) is included.