One thing typical nations don't do is get dispersed for 2,000 years, suffer persecution over and over again, remain as an identifiable people and culture, and then return as an independent nation. Conquered people are absorbed and disappear.
But religions do get dispersed, yet remain identifiable. Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems have been dispersed over many nations, yet retain their culture, identities, and beliefs. (Hinduism might even be older than Judaism.)
The Israelite nation has disappeared. What remains is the Jewish religion, held by people who (after centuries of conversions back and forth, intermarriages) don't necessarily have much of a genetic link to the original Israelites.
and then return as an independent nation.
New nations are created all the time. Modern Israel is no more a continuation of ancient Israel than are modern Greece or Egypt a continuations of their ancient namesakes.