Israel is a modern country with a short history set into the lengthy story of Jewish history. A Brief History of Israel, Third Edition explores that history with an emphasis on the period since Israel's independence in 1948. It is a complex story of a people and their modern state, established thousands of years after the destruction of the old one. The story of the independent state of Israel is narrated against the backdrop of exile, anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Holocaust--all of which have helped shape the nature of the current state.

Table of Contents

• List of Illustrations
• List of Maps
• List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• From Biblical Times to the Ottoman Period
• The Prehistory of the State of Israel (ca. 1880-1948)
• Political, Economic, and Military Consolidation (1948-1967)
• From the Six-Day War to the Yom Kippur War and Its Aftermath (1967-1975)
• The Begin Earthquake and Peace with Egypt (1975-1979)
• From Peace with Egypt to the Palestinian Intifada (1979-1990)
• The Persian Gulf War and the Middle East Peace Process (1990-1996)
• The Netanyahu and Barak Governments (1996-2000)
• The al-Aqsa Intifada and Sharon's Ascent to Power (2000-2002)
• A New Perspective on Security (2002-2006)
• A Continuing Quest for Peace (2006-Present)
• Conclusion: Israel at Sixty-Three
• Appendixes
• Basic Facts about Israel
• Knesset Election Results
• Glossary of Political Parties
• Chronology
• Bibliography
• Suggested Reading