THE PROPHETS OF BANI ISRAEL (Children of Israel)

"O Children of Israel! Call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all others (for my Message) <Qur'an Baqara 2:47>

The history of Bani Israel is full of favors from Allah and their constant ungratefulness to Him. The Qur'an (sura Baqara 40-108) contains a huge list of charges of crimes from Allah against their misdeeds. They never fulfilled their covenant with Allah and so “disgrace and homelessness" was destined for them as a mark of punishment from Allah.

• Characteristics of the Children of Israel

The Children of Israel liked to spread mischief and corruption on earth and strived hard to accomplish this "...they (ever) strive to make mischief on earth. And Allah does not like the Mufsidun (mischief-makers)." <Qur'an Maida 5:65> They refused to carry out the orders of the many prophets sent to them because they were afraid of death and too attached to this world. "But they will never seek for death, on account of the sins which their hands have sent on before them" <Qur'an Baqara 2:95>

God mentions how the Children of Israel rebelled and disobeyed the Command of Allah, and how they became extremely arrogant.
They were people of indignity, disobedience and transgression as stated by God in the Holy Book: "Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men; they have drawn on themselves the Wrath of Allah, and destruction is put over them. This is because they disbelieved in the Ayats (evidences) of Allah and killed the Prophets without right. This is because they disobeyed (Allah) and used to transgress beyond bounds (in Allah's disobedience, crimes and sins)" 

<Qur'an Al-Imran 3:112>
 

They were people of cowardliness, dismay and weakness.

They have returned to mischief by disbelieving in the last Messenger, by covering his characteristics that are mentioned in their books, and by breaking their covenant with him and supporting his enemies, and many of their other hideous habits. They treated their prophets with no respect whatsoever. Their disbelief and rejection of the Message of Allah with utmost arrogance was the true nature of the Jews. They killed many prophets such as 

Zakariya (pbuh) and his son Yahya (pbuh). They also wanted to kill Isa (pbuh), but Allah elevated him before they could burn him. That is why no deviant nation has been cursed by Allah more than that of the Children of Israel.

As a retaliation for the utter disobedience to the Commandments of Allah and His prophets, over time they suffered many calamities as a result of this disobedience. Plague broke out and numerous people died miserably. In spite of all the past, the Jews could still have obtained God's forgiveness if they had not obstinately rejected the greatest of the Prophet also. But as they persisted in their sins, God's punishments also continued to visit them.
(source: A.Yousuf Ali, commentary of the Qur'an)