For thousands of years, the Jewish people were persecuted in the Middle East and in Europe. The creation and existence of Israel is the culmination of efforts by Jewish communities around the world to escape instability and oppression. The Jewish people had been without a nation-state, or country inhabited by people who share a common heritage and culture, and persecuted for thousands of years. The Zionist Movement in the late 19th century. led by Theodor Herzl, encouraged the idea that Palestine should be the site for a Jewish nation-state. After the Ottoman Empire lost WWI, the British received a mandate to manage Palestine.
The British promised the Jewish people a country in the Balfour Declaration and also promised the Palestinians independence.
Israel declared independence in 1948 after the British handed their mandate to the UN. Israel has become a powerful military power in the region. While it has gained diplomatic recognition from many countries around the world, its relationship with its neighbors continues to be tense.