Brief Overview of the History of Modern Israel

The modern state of Israel was birthed in May of 1948. We will explore definitions of Zionism and what led to this moment in history. Why and how did it happen? Who was involved? After discussing these questions, we will take note of the wars, peace plans, and other events that have shaped modern Israeli history, also assessing relations between Jews and Arabs prior to 1948 and after. We will discuss some of the labels consistently applied to Israel, such as “apartheid” and “colonial settler state.” We will take note of the history of the Gaza Strip and then talk about the October 7, 2023, massacre and kidnapping of Israelis and other civilians by Hamas terrorists and the war between Hamas and Israel that followed. We will conclude by looking at the current ceasefire and its implications for both Israel and Gaza.