The country of Israel has an extraordinary history and culture. Although the country did not become a modern independent state until 1948, its educational tradition reaches back to biblical times. It is probable that Hebrew tribes immigrated to the Israelite kingdom centuries before Moses led his people from Egypt. The culture and language of Israel are reflections of the diverse backgrounds of the people who have lived there over the past centuries; both Hebrew and Arabic are spoken throughout Israel, and the cultures of the inhabitants have meshed together to make an amazing country filled with a blend of people and traditions.

However, Israel is not a peace filled country. Military warfare, terrorism, and other painful acts have encompassed the country all through its history, and do not seem to be coming to a stand still. Since the times of the Canaanites to the modern world, Israel has been at war. The land has changed hands many times, and is now in the middle of yet another change of inhabitants. The Israelis and the Palestinians have had decades of violent conflict, and, even after a historic peace accord was signed in the United States in 1993, peace has not been achieved. At the signing of this agreement, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin decided on a plan, which allowed a limited Palestinian self-rule in certain Israeli-occupied territories. Two years later, this agreement was extended, allowing Palestinian self-rule in nearly all of the Palestinian towns and refugee camps in the West Bank.

However, even with this peace accord, Israel still has the right to send armed forces into Palestinian areas.

This, in itself, is the problem. Peace has not been reached, and war still threatens the nation. Palestinians live in fear of the Israeli government and the actions in Israel. So now, the country of Israel stands at a climax. It is unknown what will happen next. The country may continue on the path that was begun with the Canaanites in the third millennium BCE (Before Common Era), or, perhaps, peace will eventually bring the cultures together to allow a safe nation for the Israelis and the Palestinians.