- Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Jews are the majority and the only non-Muslim state. Most Jews lived in the region of Judah until around 2000 years ago when it was conquered by Babylonians and Romans. - In the late 1800s, Zionism emerged to promote Jewish settlement in Palestine in response to discrimination against Jews worldwide. Israel became an independent nation in 1948. A Law of Return in 1950 granted citizenship to any Jew who immigrated. - Today, Israel has a diverse Jewish population with roots in over 100 countries. While most live urban lives, some reside in cooperative agricultural communities known as kibbutzim or moshavim. Religion and government remain closely linked for Orthodox Jews