COUNTRY PROFILE

The division of the former British mandate of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel in the years after the end of World War II have been at the heart of Middle Eastern conflicts for the past half century.

OVERVIEW 

The struggle between Jewish and Arab interests over the area has origins stretching back hundreds of years, with religious tensions centering on the city of Jerusalem - sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. The creation of Israel was the culmination of the Zionist movement, whose aim was a homeland for Jews scattered all over the world following the Diaspora. After the Nazi Holocaust, pressure grew for the international recognition of a Jewish state, and in 1948 Israel came into being. Much of the history of the region since that time has been one of conflict between Israel on one side and Palestinians, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Israel's Arab neighbors, on the other. Thousands of Palestinians were displaced, and several wars were fought involving Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In 1979 Egypt and Israel signed a peace agreement, but it wasn't until the early 1990s, after years of an uprising known as the "intifada", that a peace process began with the Palestinians. Despite the hand-over of parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to Palestinian control, a "final status" agreement has yet to be reached. 

FACTS 

Population: 6.1 million 
Capital: Jerusalem - in dispute 
Major language: Hebrew 
Major religion: Judaism 
Form of government: Republic 
Monetary unit: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot 
Main exports: diamonds, chemicals, textiles and clothing, agricultural products, metals 
Internet domain: .il 
Time zone: gmt+2 
International dialing code: +972 

PALESTINIAN FACTS 
Population: 2.8 million 
Intended capital: East Jerusalem 
Major language: Arabic 
Major religion: Islam 
Form of government: Interim administration 
Monetary unit: 1 Jordan dinar = 1,000 fils, 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot 
Main exports: citrus 
Internet domain: .ps 
Time zone: gmt+2 
International dialing code: +970 

LEADERS


Prime minister-elect:
Ariel Sharon

His friends and supporters never dared believe it could happen. His enemies earnestly hoped and prayed it never would. But the most loved and hated right-wing hawk in Israel, Ariel Sharon, has proved them all wrong, by not only refusing to be ousted from politics but also positioning himself for and taking the very top job in it. Sharon was born in Palestine in 1928, when it was a British mandate. As a young man he joined the Jewish underground military organization Haganah and fought in the Arab-Israeli war in 1948-49 after the creation of the Jewish state. His controversial visit last year to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem, a site which is also holy to Jews, was the spark for the second Palestinian intifada (uprising). Cynics say Sharon knew the visit would trigger violence and gambled on the Israeli public turning to a tough leader like him, who would know how to handle it firmly. Once again, Sharon is not interested in what cynics or anyone might say. In the recent election campaign he said he was prepared to make peace with the Arabs, but not under threat. Above all, he would do nothing that undermined "the rights of Jews to live safely in their own land".


Palestinian leader:
Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat, also known as Abu Ammar, was born in 1929 and graduated as an engineer in Cairo. He has played a leading role in Palestinian affairs ever since the early 1950s. On July 1, 1994, after 27 years in exile, he returned to Gaza to take up the post of President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to which he had been elected by the PLO Central Committee in October 1993.

MEDIA

Israel's military censorship regime has been liberalized over recent years but is still applied over issues threatening to harm defense interests. This affects all media in Israel. All newspapers are privately owned and managed and several are available on the Internet, including Ha'aretz - and Jerusalem Post. 

Television

The Israel Broadcasting Authority, set up along the lines of the BBC, is responsible for radio (Kol Israel) and television (ITV), and is funded mainly by license fees on TV sets. The multi-channel, satellite television market is open to competition. 

Radio

Galei Tzahal, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Radio, the military radio station set up in 1950, provides 24-hour news, music and talk shows. Listeners are now mainly civilians. Arutz 7 (Channel 7), formerly Voice of the Gazelle, promotes the views of ultra-orthodox groups and Israeli settlers in the occupied territories. There is a proliferation of unlicensed radio stations. The first such station, the Voice of Peace, started in 1973 and was similar to pirate stations in Europe. 

Internet

Israel has long been noted for its burgeoning IT industry and boasts one of the world's most technologically literate populations. 

PALESTINIAN MEDIA

Palestinian authorities limit freedom of speech and the security services have regularly shut down media outlets, banned publication or broadcast of material, and harassed or detained journalists. As a result, self-censorship by journalists is widespread. 

Radio

The official Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) operates the Voice of Palestine (VOP). It broadcasts mainly in Arabic but also has news bulletins in English and Hebrew. Voice of Palestine's main studios are in Ramallah. Dozens of privately-owned radio and TV stations operate in the West Bank and Gaza. 

Television
The PBC operates Palestine TV from Ramallah and Gaza.
The PBC also operates Palestine Satellite Channel. 

Private TV stations include: 
Al-Quds Educational TV
Al-Mahd TV
Al-Majd TV
Al-Nawras TV
Al-Sharq TV
Amwaj TV
Bayt Lahm TV
Shepherds TV
Watan TV. 

Internet

About 23,500 people were connected to the Internet in October 1999, according to data from Bir Zeit University. 

Palestine Times
The Alternative Information Centre
Jerusalem Post
Israeli Foreign Ministry