Israel is a nation located in the Middle East. It originally started when the Hebrews migrated from Egypt out of slavery. It is the location of Jesus' birth and many other major Biblical events.
Israel was a powerful nation in the Middle East from about 1000 to 900 B.C.
It was conquered by the Romans in 200 B.C. In 1948, it once again became a sovereign nation largely due to terrorist tactics by groups like the Irgun and Stern Gang, predecessors to the current Israeli government. Palestinian Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, were driven from their homes and have yet to be allowed to return. In some cases women and children were mass murdered by the Jewish invaders, the most famous example being in the village of Deir Yassin.
Today Israel is the location of intense territorial disputes between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel has illegally transported over 400,000 of it's citizens to colonies (settlements) on the West Bank and surrounding Jerusalem. This is a direct violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. There are over 70 UN resolutions against Israel for various war crimes, including the settlements and other violations of international law but because the Israeli lobby (AIPAC) is very powerful in America, the US does not allow any resolutions against Israel to be enforced. The last 30+ resolutions against illegal Israeli aggression have been vetoed by the US on the security council.
Israel is given over 6 billion dollars annually in US taxpayer dollars. Roughly half of it is considered 'economic aid' and the the rest is 'military aid'. In addition, the US provides Israel with an abundance of military hardware making it the 4th largest military in the world.
Israel's illegal west bank settlments continue to expand, at the expense of the native Palestinian Christian and Muslim population. Israel now controls over 68% of the West Bank land, and has broken up the west bank into several enclaves that prevent Palestinians from having freedom of movement.
Hundreds of Israeli checkpoints are scattered throughout the West Bank and many Palestinians have died when refused passage for medical reasons. Over 90 babies have been born by the roadside when their mothers were refused passage to hospitals, a high percentage of these babies and their mothers died as a result. In addition many Palestinians are denied access to schools or work.
Israel has been accused of collective punishment by every recognised human rights organisation. Demolition of family homes are routine for no reason other than the suspected membership of even a distant family member in a 'terrorist' organisation. Cities are put on curfew for months at a time. Hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed by Israeli forces including a disproportionate number of children. Entire villages and refugee camps are routinely shelled in retaliation for the actions of a Palestinian freedom fighter attempting to strike back against the Israeli attacks on their homes.
Palestinian homes and shops are routinely looted and demolished by Jewish settlers or by the Israeli army.
Palestinian christians, largely living in and around Bethlehem are also targets of Israeli aggresion. Their land and homes are routinely confiscated and demolished and several innocent Christian children have been shot and killed by Israeli forces.
Israel has many racist laws that give preference to Jews. Public schools, for example, must have a 95% majority of Jewish children attendees. If a non-Jewish child needs to attend school and the 95% Jewish majority is not met, the non-Jewish child will be denied entry. Also, a Jew can immigrate to Israel after conversion to Judaism or if they can show that their maternal lineage is Jewish, even if the person, nor their ancestors, have ever been in Israel. A Palestinian, on the other hand, who was born there is not allowed to return to their homes. In addition, a Jewish Israeli citizen can marry and bring their families to live with them in Israel but an Arab is prevented from doing so.
The Israeli supreme court has ruled that the Israeli army does use Palestinian children as human shields and has made it illegal to do so. There is video evidence, however, that the IDF continues to use Palestinian children as cover to protect themselves during their illegal military invasions into Palestinian villages and refugee camps.