Israel (Creation of the Modern Middle East)

Officially established by a 1948 United Nations mandate, which divided the area known as Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, the nation of Israel has remained steadfastly resilient in its short but tumultuous history. UN partition greatly reduced the land held by the Palestinian Arabs and set in motion a series of conflicts between Israel and its border countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Although Israel signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan in 1979 and 1994, respectively, its relationship with neighboring Lebanon and Syria continues to be strained due to those countries' ties with the Islamic political party Hezbollah.

Series introduction author Chuck D redefined rap music and hip-hop culture as leader and cofounder of legendary rap group Public Enemy. His music addressed weighty issues about race, rage, and inequality with a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence rarely heard before. A musician, writer, radio host, television personality, college lecturer, and activist, Chuck D is also the creator of Rapstation.com, a multiformat online resource for the global hip-hop community.