The "Holy Land" region was much fought over already by Late Bronze Age (IIRCs ca. 1500 BC onwards), due to being neatly between Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Hittites and to boot boasting both numerous minor kingdoms and city-states of its own as well as being home to certain types of wood needed for the construction of war chariots - a strategic resource. It was also the pathway of major land trade routes between the Mediterranean and the wastelands of the interior. Most of the major "chariot empires" usually as such directly ruled these region (already due to logistical considerations), but held the local minor powers at vassalage and extracted tribute from them - and the locals duly did their best to play these superpowers against each other.

Anyway, one gets the impression the Israelites carved themelves a niche there around the time of the "Sea Peoples'" migrations or soon after (ca. 1200-1100 BC), when the whole ancient Near East was in chaos and most of the previous major powers in ruins. It would certainly seem sensible enough that they made use of the general instability of the region and the relative weakness of the "Sea Peoples" settled there after being repulsed from Egypt, and the damage that had been done to the earlier occupants in passing.