Processes That Shaped Sports in Israel During the 20th Century.

Historical, social, cultural, and demographic factors have shaped sport in Palestine and the state of Israel throughout the 20th century. Since Theodor Herzl's 1897 call for a Zionist state, the activities of Jewish political parties such as Histadrut and Likud and the effects of several waves (Aliyahs) of Jewish immigration from various parts of Europe (with different sports backgrounds) have created diverse forms of sporting activity in Israel. After 1948, international opposition, especially from Arab states and the Soviet Union, restricted Israel's worldwide sports opportunities, but that situation is now improving.