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Theodor Herzl organizes the first Zionist Congress, held in Basel, Switzerland, unifying diverse Zionist groups into one movement. The meeting helped establish Zionist organizations in many countries that had large Jewish populations.
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During World War I, British forces defeated the Turks and gained control of Israel. The League of Nations granted the United Kingdom a mandate over Israel in 1922. The land had been controlled by the Turks for about 400 years.
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During the 1930s and 1940s, Jews in Germany endure intense persecution. About six million Jews died during World War II, It was a dark time in the Jewish world.
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Due to a program of state-sponsored extermination by Nazi Germany that targeted Jews and other groups of people. The pressure to re-establish a Jewish homeland becomes stronger.
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This is the first time in 2900 years that Israel is both a sovereign and united nation. Israel became a divided country about 2900 years ago. The southern kingdom became known as Judah and included the city of Jerusalem. The northern kingdom retained the name of Israel. Judah lost its independence about 2600 years ago. The Maccabean Revolt led to a time, from 164 BC to 63 BC
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Within hours of Israel's declaration of independence, the surrounding countries launch an invasion of Israel. The armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq attack Israel. The war becomes known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
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Israel survives the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9. During the war, Israeli forces capture more of the ancient Jewish homeland, expanding the size of Israel by about 50 percent.
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During the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel takes control of Jerusalem and other ancient Jewish territories. The war also is known as 1967 Arab-Israeli War or the Third Arab-Israeli War.
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The language largely dies out over time but is revived in the 1900s. In 1982, it becomes an official language for Israel. Hebrew and Arabic are currently official languages of Israel, but it is mostly Hebrew.
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During the late 1800s, many Jews returned to their ancient homeland of Israel, which also is known as Palestine. At that time, Palestine was under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire. It has been estimated that between 1882 and 1903, about 35,000 Jews, largely from Russia and Yemen, moved to Palestine.
