Israel is a land of contrasts--of modern hotels and ancient olive trees; of young girls in slacks and elders with traditional beards. It is a country of harsh desert, lush farmland, sandy beaches, and sun-dappled seas. Israel is the common homeland of the Jew, the Christian, and the Muslim. It is a nation with a living history, a memory of violence and pain, a hope for the future, and a promise in its people.