The
Land of Israel (Hebrew:
Eretz Yisrael) is term used as a alternative to "
Palestine" to refer to the land occuppied by the ancient Kingdoms of
Israel and
Judah. This includes the modern
State of Israel, the
West Bank and the
Gaza Strip as well as parts of the modern Kingdom of
Jordan, south-western
Syria, and southern
Lebanon.
The term is also used by some Israelis to refer to the former territory of the British mandate of Palestine. However this usage is problematic, as it may have connotations of expantionist goals.
During the British mandate of Palestine, the name Eretz Yisrael (abbreviated Aleph-Yod), was part of the official name of the territory, when written in Hebrew.
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