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Palestinian Authority

(Encyclopedia)Palestinian Authority (PA) or Palestinian National Authority, interim self-government body responsible for areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Palestinian control. The terrritory is officially...

Arab League

(Encyclopedia)Arab League, popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. The original charter members were Egypt, Iraq, Jordan (then know...

Essebsi, Beji Caid

(Encyclopedia)Essebsi, Beji Caid bäˈzhē cäˈĭd əsĕbˈsē [key], 1926–2019, Tunisian political leader. A lawyer and ally of President Bourguiba, he held several posts in his and President and Ben Ali's gove...

Rishon Leziyyon

(Encyclopedia)Rishon Leziyyon rēˈshōn ləzīˈən, rēshōnˈ lətsēōnˈ [key], town (1994 pop. 160,200), W central Israel. It has one of Israel's largest wineries. Citrus fruits are an important product. Rish...

Omri

(Encyclopedia)Omri ŏmˈrī [key]. 1 King of Israel. He was a general in the army of Elah, and on the king's death at the hands of Zimri (1,) Omri proclaimed himself king. Soon after this Zimri killed himself. Omri...

Benhadad

(Encyclopedia)Benhadad bĕnhāˈdăd [key], in the Bible, kings of Damascus. 1 The son of Tabrimon, ally of Asa of Judah against Baasha of Israel. 2 Probably the son and successor of 1, leader of the coalition that...

Deuteronomy

(Encyclopedia)Deuteronomy do͞otərŏnˈəmē [key], book of the Bible, literally meaning “second law,” last of the five books (the Pentateuch or Torah) ascribed by tradition to Moses. Deuteronomy purports to b...

Aqaba, Gulf of

(Encyclopedia)Aqaba, Gulf of, northeastern arm of the Red Sea, 118 mi (190 km) long and 10 to 15 mi (16.1 to 24.1 km) wide, between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas; a part of the Great Rift Valley. The gulf, which...

Amos

(Encyclopedia)Amos āˈməs [key], prophetic book of the Bible. The majority of its oracles are chronologically earlier than those of the Bible's other prophetic books. His activity is dated c.760 b.c. The prophet ...

Nasrallah, Hassan

(Encyclopedia)Nasrallah, Hassan häˈsən näsräˈlä [key], 1960–, Lebanese political and religious leader. A Shiite Muslim cleric, he became politically active in the 1970s and joined the Amal militia. After I...