All countries are literally defined by their borders, but few have had their history, society and national mindset shaped by their frontiers as much as Israel.
Most residents of Israel, a narrow strip of land surrounded by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian territories and the Mediterranean Sea, live within a short drive of a frontier. The longest drive an Israeli can take without encountering a border takes about eight hours.
What is located on Israel’s borders is perhaps the most dominant single feature of the country’s landscape.
