“I am frequently asked if I have visited Israel, whereas yet, it is simply assumed that I have. Well, I don’t travel. I really don’t, and if I did, I probably wouldn’t visit Israel. I remember how it was in 1948 when Israel was being established and all my Jewish friends were ecstatic, I was not. I said: what are we doing? We are establishing ourselves in A a ghetto, in a small corner of a vast Muslim sea. The Muslims will never forget nor forgive, and Israel, as long as it exists, will be embattled. I was laughed at, but I was right. I can’t help but feel that the Jews didn’t really have the right to appropriate a territory only because 2000 years ago, people they consider their ancestors, were living there. History moves on and you can’t really turn it back. (#92 ff.)”
― Isaac Asimov, Asimov Laughs Again: More Than 700 Jokes, Limericks and Anecdotes
During the 20th century and on wards the Middle East have had many controversies. One of which resides between the Arab and Jewish population. In these years these two ethnic groups aimed to gain sovereignty for their people in the Middle East. As the growth of anti-semitism grew tremendously in Europe, Jewish peoples began to migrate to Palestine. This act of the Jewish movement began the embargo of Zionism that then resulted in the fall of Palestine, and the uprising of Israel. Israel has been known to be "a ghetto in a small corner of a vast Muslim sea" because of the past stories within Europe and the beliefs in Zionism. However, Israel is still a continuous developing country that is considered a ghetto.
Before WWII, the Jewish people were moving into number of cities in Europe due to the rising of anti-semitism. The lives of the Jewish people were turning for the worst and began the downfall of the Jewish population. Starvation and disease were factors for the people as the rising for hate followed after the Jews. During WWII, the word "ghetto" had a changed meaning. Jewish ghetto were being altered into death camps for execution of the final solution.
As the founding of Israel in 1948, the rising movement of Zionism began to take political issues at hand. This was the movement of the Jewish people obtaining the ancestors homeland once again. Israel began to become a isolated nation enclosed by other Arab nations. The land strived military winning and the allies that they were able to grow. Zionism states that "Israel must be totally free from any Arabs" (Azza, 2010). This explains that Israel needed to be an isolated nation and gain more power alone. Though the starting of the nation was a ghetto, it emerged into a dynamic state.
In recent years, Israel does not fit the stereotype of a "ghetto". A ghetto is considered an slum area with minority groups. Throughout the years, Israel had developed itself into a progressing nations. Areas that Israel has endeavoured in is through the economy and technological enhances. Not only has these factors helped Israel progress, but becoming a very educated population grows excessively. As Israel has strong aspects of a solid nation, the description to a "ghetto" should not be labelled upon Israel.
All in all, as Israel first evolved it was described to be a isolated nation. Anti-semitism forced the Jewish population into impoverished areas of Europe, and suffered many hardship along the way. As the years went along, they were able to grow strong factors to become a strong, independent nation. In that, the descriptor "ghetto" does not stand to be a true definition.