# Why was the state of Israel established.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-state-of-israel-established/364618>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-state-of-israel-established/364618 "2006-07-15T15:38:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-state-of-israel-established/364618/1 "2006-07-15T15:38:32Z")

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If this is a debate question, please move it, though I am wondering if there is a factual answer. Due to the recent escalations lately between Israel and Lebanon I wanted to learn why there is so much conflict happening in Israel. I have learned (I think) that it all goes back to the founding of the state in 1948. My question is, why did the Jewish people all of a sudden get their own state. I read that a bunch of them had been moving there for awhile, essentially purposefully increasing their population in the region to get their cause noticed. But did that give them a right to have a nation formed? Are there other reasons beyond the historical/cultural?

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**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-state-of-israel-established/364618/2 "2006-07-15T15:50:33Z")

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There will be no shortage of informative answers to this question by some pretty knowledgebale folks, but a good place to get some baseline info is Wiki:

[History of Israel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_israel)

[Land of Israel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Israel)

[History of Palestine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Palestine)

Bear in mind, however, that when speaking of history, opinion and various interpretation of facts will always enter the equation - especially so with this particular subject.

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**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-the-state-of-israel-established/364618/3 "2006-07-15T16:06:22Z")

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Barbara Tuchman wrote a great book that deals with this question called “Bible and Sword” that I highly recommend to all who are interested in this topic.

> **[Bible and Sword: England and... by Tuchman, Barbara W.](https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Sword-England-Palestine-Balfour/dp/0345314271)**
>
> Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour \[Tuchman, Barbara W.\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour