2008: Israel now

Palestinian boys play under Israel's separation barrier

ISRAEL TIMELINE Overview 1948: The State of Israel is founded 1956: The Sinai campaign 1967: The Six-Day War 1973: October War 1977-1979: Egyptian-Israeli peace 1982: Lebanon invasion 1987: First Intifada 1993: Oslo agreement 2000: Second intifada 2005: Gaza withdrawal 2006: Lebanon war 2008: Israel now

Sixty years after independence, Israel has established the national home for the Jewish people promised in the Balfour Declaration.

It is a democratic society with a high standard of living comparable to that in Western Europe, a vigorous free press and excellent educational and health facilities. It has a hi-tech industry and agriculture and the strong military, economic and diplomatic support of the United States and other Western states.

It has also established itself with important parts of the Arab world, with offers or hints of acceptance by others if there is a peace agreement.

But all its borders have not been fixed and, above all, it has not reached a settlement with the Palestinians.

It faces hostility from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and it fears that Iran is preparing one day to build a nuclear bomb, which makes it determined to hold on to its own nuclear weapons.

It is powerful but it is not at peace.