After the War of Independence on December 1, 1947, the relationship between the Jews and Arabs remained hostile towards each another. With the amount of Jews increasing at a significant rate over the past century in Israel, it has not helped this relationship out. The formation of Israel's people in the simple demographic sense is still far from stabilized and may undergo far-reaching changes in the coming decade. The final settlement of the status of the occupied territories and their Arab population, and the opening of the gates of immigration to the Jews from the Soviet Union are two main factors on how Israel will be affected. Due to the increase in the population in Israel, the people have a more elusive sense of national identity and character. With the massive influx of immigrants in the post statehood period, they have loosened many of the bonds of prestateahood community, and precipitated a process of change in the character of people that is still going on today. However, with this entire change-taking place, the main concern is whether or not Jewish nationalism was ever established in the fight for their independence. "Was nationalism and its national expression, the pioneering ideology of conquering the land – first by means of a Jewish presence and Jewish labor and later by force; if necessary – in any way special? Did it have a universalistic, humanistic, and nationalistic basis? Did it ever have the potential to establish an...open society at peace with itself and its neighbors?"
             Immigration took place all over the world and it is unfortunate that this is still a problem today. Immigration dates back all the way to the 1880's and continued in to the early 1900's. "It brought to Palestine 25,000 Jews, mainly from Tsarist Russia, whose arrival doubled the Jewish population in the country. Nearly half of the previous inhabitants were Sefaradi and oriental Jews who we...