2008: Israel now

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.