who owned israel before it became a country
History of Israel A Jewish national movement, Zionism, emerged in the late-19th century (partially in response to growing anti-Semitism) and Aliyah (Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) increased. After World War I, Ottoman territories in the Levant came under British and French control and the League of Nations granted the British a Mandate to rule Palestine which was to be turned into a Jewish National Home. A rival Arab nationalism also claimed rights over the former Ottoman territories and sought to prevent Jewish migration into Palestine, leading to growing Arab–Jewish tensions. Israeli independence in 1948 was marked by massive migration of Jews from Europe, a Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries to Israel, and of Arabs from Israel, followed by the Arab–Israeli conflict.[2] About 43% of the world's Jews live in Israel today, the largest Jewish community in the world.[3]