Why was FactsOfIsrael.com created?

My name is David Melle and I decided to create this site after realizing that although many people are passionate about the Israeli/Palestinian/Arab conflict, many are also clueless about the history, stats, and even the basic facts on Israel and the Middle East.

I lived in Israel for 10 years, from 1987 to 1997. In December of 1997 I moved to San Francisco, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers, Giants, and where hundreds of technology companies innovate every day in the Silicon Valley.

An Israeli solidarity demonstration with the U.S.
after the heinous attacks of 9/11.

I made many friends: bright, educated, and simply fun people to be with. My problem, and the reason for this site to exist, is that a few times I ran into some folks who hated Israel with a passion. They fully supported the Palestinian/Arab cause no matter what happened in the past or in the present, and some didn't even acknowledge the right for the State of Israel and its people to exist!

I entered into many arguments with my friends, and after much fear, anger and anxiety, I realized that some didn't know anything about the conflict. They had seen a few headlines that mentioned the occupied territories or the settlements, or they had been reading an anti-Israeli magazine such as "The Economist", and now they felt that they were experts on the issue, and the world would be a better place without the State of Israel and Israelis.

If you hate Israel so much that the above lines already made you angry, stop here - you are probably not interested in facts and you'll dismiss this site as Israeli fascist propaganda anyway. But if you are looking for some basic facts on Israel and the Middle East, continue on.

Please note that the amount of information on the State of Israel and the Middle East is enormous. There are many sites out there and dozens of books that will go into far more details than what you'll find at FactsOfIsrael.com.

I took my best shot at presenting what I felt was important and relevant for someone that wishes to better understand the conflict. These pages are made of facts: facts about the State of Israel, facts about people and armies, facts about the borders and the political structure of the Middle East.

Although this site covers facts, FactsOfIsrael.com is subjective. It is my point on view on how and which information should be presented. I tried to make this site consise and to the point, similar to an "Israel for dummies" book if such a book existed. I built this site from what I knew on Israel and the Middle East and from additional research, but please let me know if you have any remarks on the facts listed here (be sure to back up your claims with links or books).

Whenever I could, I linked back to a site or book that would confirm the fact. Use the menu on the left to access any of the sections included in FactsOfIsrael.com. Here's a quick overview of what is covered:

Please note that FactsOfIsrael.com is not affiliated with any government, company, or institution. This is simply a personal attempt to give information on Israel and the Middle East.