Israel Essay, Research Paper

Israel is a small country in southwestern Asia. It occupies a narrow

strip of land on the Eastern Shore of the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered

by Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Israel has four major land regions.

They are (1) the Coastal Plain, (2) the Judeo-Galilean Highlands, (3) the

Rift Valley, and (4) the Negev Desert. The Coastal Plain is a narrow strip

of fertile land along the Mediterranean Sea. The Judeo-Galilean Highlands

include a series of mountain ranges that run from Galilee-the northernmost

part of Israel- to the edge of the Negev Desert in the South. The Rift

Valley is a long, narrow strip of land in eastern Israel, which makes up part

of the Great Rift Valley. Israel’s driest region is the Negev Desert made up

of dry flatlands and mountains. The bodies of water bordering this nation

are the Sea of Galilee and the Red Sea to the North and south, and the

Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea to the East and west. The majority of

people living in this Biblical Holy Land include three main groups of Jewish

followers, the Ashkenazims, Sephardims, and the Orthodox Jews. The rest of

Israel’s population is strictly Arab Muslims whom follow the Islam religion.

This country has few natural resources and the majority of its’ population is

employed by Service Industries.

Israel’s government has changed dramatically since the new election in

May have 1999. The Israelis needed a change of face. They needed a new

Prime Minister who could promise them things they wanted to hear and make

these things happen. The old non-negotiating, thick headed ways of

governing, used by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the peace

process towards the Palestinians, Syria, and the religious conflicts within

the enormous Jewish population of this country stagnate. Netanyahu’s ways of

dealing with these extremely important situations weren’t cutting it with the

Israeli citizens. He basically did nothing to straighten out these

conflicts. They wanted and needed someone who would face these problems head

on and solve them quickly with strong, final decisions so that their country

could move on from these long, strung out disagreements. The Israeli’s

believed they had found their savior when they elected their most decorated

former army general, Ahud Barak as Prime Minister in May have this year.

Ahud Barak campaigned vigorously and strategically against then Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Barak used clever tactics and made bold

promises to the Israeli people to win over their beliefs and votes to capture

the election. Capturing the election is just what he did. He had to make a

big decision in the beginning of his new government, which would he deal with

first, peace with the Arabs, or peace among the Jews? He decided to make the

Shas instead of the Likud his main governing partner. This meant he was

going to deal with the Arabs peace negotiating first. His choice to do this,

along with his other political party supporters gave him the majority, 75 out

of 120 seats in the Knesset (Israeli parliament.) This meant that any peace

negotiations or any other decisions by him would pass right through the

Knesset easily and become a law. His planned strategy to have the majority

seats has worked so far. Yet, Barak has failed to discuss any agreements yet

with Yassir Arafat the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization

(P.L.O) in terms of giving up land for peace to the Palestinians.

Ahud Barak, although very different in many ways from Netanyahu, believes in

some of his ideas such as illiminating terrorism in the Middle East. Barak,

who is liked by President Clinton because of his openness to negotiations to

make peace, currently looks like a better fit in the Prime Minister role for

Israel because he does not object to negotiation, such as Netanyahu did. He

has a somewhat open mind and is interested in the benefit of not only Israel

but also the rest of its neighbors as well in terms of making peace with one

another. This is what Israel and the rest of its disputing; surrounding

countries need is peace. Ahud Barak looks like the man to solve these long

overdue problems in Israel and its neighboring countries. This is why the

Israeli citizens elected him with great expectations.