State of Israel - Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestineal-Asifa, al-Fatah, Fatah - a Palestinian political and military organization founded by Yasser Arafat in 1958 to work toward the creation of a Palestinian state; during the 1960s and 1970s trained terrorist and insurgent groups; "al-Fatah carried out numerous acts of international terrorism in western Europe and the Middle East in the 1970s" Fatah Tanzim, Tanzim - a terrorist group organized by Yasser Arafat in 1995 as the armed wing of al-Fatah; serves a dual function of violent confrontation with Israel and serves as Arafat's unofficial militia to prevent rival Islamists from usurping leadership Kach, Kahane Chai - a terrorist organization founded for Jewish defense; fights antisemitism and hopes to restore the biblical state of Israel 15 May Organization - a terrorist organization formed in 1979 by a faction of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine but disbanded in the 1980s when key members left to join a faction of al-Fatah kibbutz - a collective farm or settlement owned by its members in modern Israel; children are reared collectively moshav - a cooperative Israeli village or settlement comprised of small farms Haganah - the clandestine military wing of the Jewish leadership during the British rule over the mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948; became the basis for the Israel Defense Force A'man - the Israeli military intelligence which produces comprehensive national intelligence briefings for the prime minister and the cabinet Mossad - the Israeli foreign intelligence agency; "the primary focus of the Mossad is on Arab nations" General Security Services, Shin Bet - the Israeli domestic counterintelligence and internal security agency; "the Shin Bet also handles overall security for Israel's national airline" country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" Middle East, Mideast, Near East - the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization" Accho, Akka, Akko, Acre - a town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean West Bank - an area between Israel and Jordan on the west bank of the Jordan river; populated largely by Palestinians Galilee - an area of northern Israel; formerly the northern part of Palestine and the ancient kingdom of Israel; the scene of Jesus's ministry Gaza, Gaza Strip - a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt; "he is a Palestinian from Gaza" Golan, Golan Heights - a fortified hilly area between southern Lebanon and southern Syria; "artillery on the Golan Heights can dominate a large area of Israel" capital of Israel, Jerusalem - capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel; a holy city for Jews and Christians and Muslims; was the capital of an ancient kingdom Caesarea - an ancient seaport in northwestern Israel; an important Roman city in ancient Palestine Sodom - (Old Testament) an ancient city near the Dead Sea that (along with Gomorrah) was destroyed by God for the wickedness of its inhabitants Gomorrah, Gomorrha - (Old Testament) an ancient city near the Dead Sea that (along with Sodom) was destroyed by God for the vice and depravity of its inhabitants Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Jaffa - the largest city and financial center of Israel; located in western Israel on the Mediterranean Haifa - a major port in northwestern Israel |