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Israel


Eilat by the Red Sea
Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, is a busy port and a popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea.
Image: israeltourism

 
Location map of Israel. Where in the Middle East is Israel
Location map of Israel


Flag of Israel
Flag of Israel

Israel in brief


Destination Israel, a Nations Online profile of the only Jewish country in the world. The Jewish state is located in a region regarded by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the biblical Holy Land.

The triangular-shaped country is part of the Middle East with a coast-line at the Mediterranean Sea, its southern tip connects it to the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Israel borders Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories (West Bank and the Gaza Strip), it also shares maritime borders with Cyprus.

The country covers an area of 22,072 km², making it slightly larger than half the size of Denmark, or somewhat bigger than the US state of New Jersey.

Israel's landscape features a populated coastal plain in the west, the sparsely inhabited Negev desert in the south, and the mountain ranges of the Galilee in the north, coastal Mount Carmel, and the basaltic plateau of the Golan. Situated in the Jordan Rift Valley is the Sea of Galilee, also known as the miraculous Lake of Gennesaret or Lake Tiberias, the world's lowest freshwater lake (-212 m (696 ft)). The Lower Jordan River connects the lake with the Dead Sea, the famous salt lake bordering Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. The surface of the Dead Sea and its shores are 430.5 m (1,412 ft) below sea level, making it Earth's lowest elevation on dry land.

Israel has a population of 9.15 million people (in 2020), spoken languages are Hebrew and Arabic. The largest and most populous city and designated capital of the country is Jerusalem. But Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem is internationally disputed. The country's financial center is Tel Aviv, which is also home to almost all foreign diplomatic missions and embassies in Israel.


State of Israel | ישראל
Yisrael, ישראל

The Name of Israel in Hebrew Character




Background:
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs.
Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides.
Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 war and subsequently administered those territories through military authorities.

On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai according to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved on the 26 October 1994 in the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.

In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement.

On 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

related countries: Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America

 

 

Country Profile


Official Name:
Medinat Yisra'el
short form: Yisra'el
int'l long form: State of Israel
int'l short form: Israel

ISO Country Code: IL, ISR

Time:
Actual Time: Sun-Mar-17  20:28
Local Time = UTC +2h
Daylight Saving Time (DST) April - Oktober (UTC +3).

Country Calling Code: +972

...show more




Official Sites of Israel

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Knesset building in Jerusalem
The Knesset building in Jerusalem, seen from the Israel Museum. The building houses the Knesset, Israel's parliament, the unicameral national legislature of Israel.
Image: Beny Shlevich



Political system

Israel's government system is based on parliamentary democracy with a multi-party system, consisting of a legislative, an executive and a judicial branch. Head of State is the president of Israel; the position has limited and largely ceremonial duties.

Head of Government (cabinet of ministers) is the Prime Minister. Executive power is exercised by the government.

Legislative power is vested in the Knesset (assembly). Israel does not have a constitution; the political system is based on the main principles set out in eleven Basic Laws.


Government
Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump
Brothers in Arms.
Photo by Haim Zach; Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs


 
At the moment, Israel has no government.

State of Israel
Israel's government website.

Knesset
The Israeli Parliament is the unicameral national legislature of Israel.

The Prime Minister
Israel's Prime Ministers office.

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Basic information about Israel and its people, offering material on the Israeli government and its policies.


Diplomatic Missions
Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations.

Embassy of Israel
USA, Washington D.C.

Israeli diplomatic missions abroad
List of Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad.

Foreign Missions In Israel
List of diplomatic missions in Israel.

Requirements for a Visa
Consular information for travellers.


The Geneva Accord
Text of the "unofficial" peace agreement of the Geneva Initiative drafted by moderate Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Statistics
Central Bureau of Statistics
Statistical Israel.

Weather
Israel Meteorological Service
IMS provides meteorological information for Israel.
Israel Weather
Israel Weather with seven days forecast. (in English and Hebrew)

 

 


 


Maps of Israel



Israel Map
Map of Israel (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org


Maps

Map of Israel
Political Map of Israel.

Administrative Map of Israel
Administrative Map of Israel.

profile Map of Countries of Western Asia
Political Map of Countries of Western Asia and the Middle East region.

Map of the Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula on a map.

Map of the Arabian Peninsula
The map shows countries of the Arabian Peninsula.

Map of the Red Sea
Political and topographic map of the Red Sea.

Map of the Mediterranean Region
Map of the Mediterranean Sea with bordering countries.

profile Map of Western Asia
Map of South Western Asia and the Middle East region.

Map of Northern Africa and the Middle East
Political Map of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East.


Google Earth Google Earth Israel
Map and satellite view of Israel.
Google Earth Google Earth Jerusalem
Map and satellite view of Jerusalem.
Google Earth Google Earth Tel Aviv
Map and satellite view of Tel Aviv.

Google Earth Google Earth Temple Mount
Annotated satellite view of Jerusalem's Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary.

More Maps of Israel
Israeli Security Barrier
Wikipedia article with maps, about the Israeli Security Fence, also known as the Israeli West Bank barrier.

Israeli settlement
Maps of Israeli settlements built on Israeli-occupied territories in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Historical maps of Palestine/Israel
Six small maps: From Palestine in Biblical Times until now.

More Maps of Israel
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection with maps of Israel.
 

 


News from Israel



Israeli newspapers, Newsstand


Online News from Israel


The Israeli media is free to express itself, which is rare in the Middle East. Nonetheless, despite the existence of independent media, journalists are exposed to open hostility from members of the government. Smear campaigns have been waged against media outlets and journalists by politicians with the help of their party and supporters, exposing the targets to harassment and anonymous messages and forcing them seek personal protection. [1]


Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JTA is an international Jewish news agency.


Arutz Sheva
Israel National News.
Globes
Israeli business paper in English.
Haaretz
Daily Newspaper - English Internet Edition.
Israel Hayom
National and international news.
Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post Daily Internet Edition.
The Jewish Chronicle
London-based Jewish weekly newspaper.
KolIsrael.com
A news portal for Israel and the Middle East.
Times of Israel
English-language online newspaper.
Ynetnews
English language online outlet for Yedioth Ahronot.


News in Hebrew
Maariv
Tel Aviv-based Israeli daily.
Walla!
Tel Aviv-based daily.
Yediot Aharonot
Tel Aviv-based Israeli daily newspaper.

 
International News sources
AP News Israel

BBC News
Israel Country Profile.

The Guardian (UK) - Israel and the Middle East
 

 


Arts & Culture of Israel


Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel
Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The famous shrine was built by caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān in the late 7th century. It is the oldest existing Islamic monument. The Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, is believed to have ascended into heaven from the site. In Jewish tradition it was here (at Mount Moriah) that Abraham, the first Hebrew patriarch, has prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac on a sacrificial altar.
Image: Martin Furtschegger



Arts & Culture



Breaking the Ice
Extreme Peace Mission, an Israeli-Palestinian expedition to Antarctica.

Design Museum Holon
The first museum in Israel dedicated to design.

The Israel Museum
Encyclopedic museum of art and archeology, Jerusalem.

Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space
Madatech is a science and technology museum in Haifa.

The Jerusalem Archaeological Park
5000 years of history.

The Jewish Virtual Library
Most comprehensive online Jewish encyclopedia in the world, covering everything from anti-Semitism to Zionism.

Kibbutz Movement
Official website of Israel's egalitarian communities.

Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod
One of the first art museums founded in Israel, located about 25 km south of Nazareth.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art
A comprehensive collection of classical and contemporary art.

Umm el-Fahem Museum of Contemporary Art
The first Arab museum of contemporary art in Israel.

Yad Vashem
The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.

 

 


 


Business & Economy of Israel


Port of Ashdod, Mediterranean Sea
The Port of Ashdod is a port at the Mediterranean Sea, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv; it is one of Israel's two main cargo ports.
Image: Amos Meron


Israel's economy
According to official sources, Israel is one of the most resilient and technologically-advanced market economies in the world. Its skilled workforce and concentration of venture capital allow the country to lead in innovative industries such as high-tech, cleantech, and the life sciences. [2]
Offshore gas discoveries in the Mediterranean place Israel at the center of a potential regional natural gas market.


Bank of Israel
The Central Bank of Israel was established in 1954.

Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce (FICC)
Business Opportunities from Israel.

Israel Export Institute
Information for doing business with Israel.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE)
The Bursa is Israel's only public stock exchange.


Israel's Top 10 Companies
List of major companies in Israel.


Transportation

Airlines
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd.
Israel's national airline.

Israel Airports Authority
Official website of Israel's airport authority, the public agency is responsible for Israel's main airports.

Ports
Israel Port Authority
The Israel Ports Development and Assets Company Ltd. (IPC) Ltd. is responsible for the development of Israel's three commercial seaports in Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat.

Railroad
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the state-owned railway company maintaining all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in the country.

The old port of Jaffa with Tel Aviv in the background.
The old port of Jaffa with Tel Aviv in the background.
Image: Noam.armonn

 

 


 


Tourism in Israel



Garden of Gethsemane seen from Mount of Olives,  Jerusalem
The Garden of Gethsemane, seen from Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. According to the New Testament, this was the place where Jesus prayed, and his disciples slept the night before his "death" by crucifixion.
Image: Koosg


Destination Israel - Travel and Tour Guides




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Discover Israel:
Cities: Jerusalem (Temple Mount), Tel Aviv (a major city on the Mediterranean coast, Jaffa Port), Haifa (port city at Mount Carmel, Hanging Gardens), Eilat (Coral Beach Nature Reserve), Old City of Acre (historic walled port-city from the Phoenician period), Masada
Lakes: Sea of Galilee (or Lake of Gennesaret, the lake Jesus walked on, the lowest freshwater lake on Earth), Dead Sea (the lowest saltwater lake on Earth), Beit Shean National Park (Roman theater)

Find accommodation, attractions, festivals, events, tours, and much more.


Israel
Israel's official tourism web site.

Israel Ministry of Tourism
Israel's even more official tourism web site.

Wikivoyage Logo Wikivoyage Israel
Wikipedia's travel guide to Israel in many languages.

Dead Sea
Guide to the largest "Natural Spa" in the world.

The Noble Sanctuary
A tour guide to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Western Galilee Tourist Guide
A travel and tourism guide to the Galilee region. (in Hebrew)


Al-Qibli Chapel, part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Old City of Jerusalem
The Al-Qibli Chapel, part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa is considered to be the third holiest site in Islam.
Image: Andrew Shiva


City Guides

Jerusalem
The Municipality of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Tourism
Official tourism information for Jerusalem.
Haifa
Municipality of Haifa.
Visit Haifa
Haifa official tourism information.
Nazareth
Nazareth city guide.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Jaffa official.

 

 


 


UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Necropolis of Bet She'arim, Israel
The Necropolis of Bet She'arim, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of a series of catacombs. In the 2nd century AD the catacombs were the primary Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem; the image is from Catacomb 4.
Image: © Tsvika Tsuk
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Israel
There are nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Israel, and 18 properties inscribed on the Tentative List, an inventory of those properties which a state party intends to consider for nomination. (see the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Israel)


World Heritage Site Old City of Acre
Acre is a historic walled port-city with continuous settlement from the time of the Phoenicians. Today's city is characteristic of a fortified town from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries with typical urban components such as a citadel, mosques, caravanserais, and baths.


World Heritage Site Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev
The four Nabatean cities of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta in the Negev Desert were located along important trade routes for incense and myrrh from southern Arabia. The towns had buildings such as fortresses and caravanserais, and they cultivated the landscape with sophisticated irrigation systems. The sites served as a stopover for the main trade route from Petra, the capital of the Nabatean Empire in Jordan, to Mediterranean ports.


World Heritage Site Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
Archaeological sites of historic settlement mounds, known as tels. Megiddo, Hazor, and Beer Sheba in southern Israel are representative of tels that contain substantial remains of settlements with biblical connections associated with events portrayed in the bible.


World Heritage Site Bahá'i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
The Bahá'i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee were inscribed for their spiritual meaning and the testimony they bear to the strong tradition of pilgrimage in the Bahá'i faith. The property includes the two most holy places in the Bahá'í religion associated with the founders, the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre and the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa.

 

 


Education in Israel



Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba
Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba.
Image: David Saranga; Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Israel Science and Technology Homepage
National database and directory of science and technology-related sites in Israel. The site provides links to Israel education institutions.


Al-Quds University
Palestinian university with campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis, and al-Bireh.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Internationally recognized institution of higher learning, established in 1970. The university has five campuses, located in Beersheba, Sde Boker, and Eilat.

Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII)
The GII was founded in 1957; it serves the Oil and Gas, Mines and Minerals, Sub-Surface Engineering, and Homeland Security industries.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Well established research and teaching institution.

Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities acts as a national focal point for Israeli scholarships in both the natural sciences and the humanities.

Technion
Israel's oldest and premier institute of science and technology.

Tel-Aviv University
Israel's largest university and the biggest Jewish university in the world.

University of Haifa
Liberal arts university in northern Israel.

Weizmann Institute
One of the world's top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions.

 

 


Environment & Nature


Gan HaShlosha National Park, Israel
Gan HaShlosha National Park is located near the Sea of Galilee between the kibbutzim Beit Alfa and Nir David; it has naturally warm springs where visitors can swim all year.
Image: Zairon


Several factors influence the ecological balance in Israel, the small size of the country, a high population density due to immigration, and significant natural growth, which, together with a semi-arid climate, lead to a negative water balance. There is a lack of water in Israel, and therefore there is an overpumping, resulting in depletion of water resources, wells become salty, and the country's water sources become polluted.


Government agencies
Ministry of Environmental Protection
Information on the ministry's activities, including prevention of air, land, and water pollution, protection of biodiversity, animal rights, and resources, hazardous materials, and more.


Other organizations

Jewish National Fund
Theodor Herzl initiated JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael) and founded in 1901 in Basel, Switzerland, to buy and develop land for Jewish settlement in then Ottoman Palestine. By 2007, it owned 13% of the total land in Israel. The organization planted trees, established parks, built dams and reservoirs, and developed more than 1,000 km² of land.


Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
SPNI works to protect and preserve the biodiversity of the land of Israel through environmental activism, education, and eco-tourism.


National Parks
Israel Nature & National Parks Protection Authority
Official site with information about Israel's national parks and nature reserves.
 

 


Israel History



Masada in the Judaean Desert
Aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau. Herod the Great 'King of Judea' built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified his residence between 37 and 31 BCE. Today Masada official website is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Andrew Shiva


The region of what is today the State of Israel is known as the Southern Levant. The area that includes parts of Sinai, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan has a long history and is one of the regions of the world most intensively investigated by archaeologists. It is considered likely to be the first place that both early hominins and modern humans colonized outside of Africa.


History of Israel
Events in Israel's History, a presentation by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israels History
From ancient to modern Jewish history by "The Jewish Virtual Library."

Jewish National and University Library
Collected materials of all types which reflect or represent the history of the Jewish people.


Dead Sea Scrolls - Qumran
The Dead Sea scrolls are a collection of Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts discovered in pottery storage jars in caves near Qumran in the Judaean Desert, between 1947 and 1956.

The Dead Sea Scrolls
The manuscripts at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Project
The Dead Sea Scrolls Project was established by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.

Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Established in 1995 as part of the Institute for Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Scrolls From the Dead Sea
The Library of Congress exhibition describes the historical context of the scriptures and the Qumran community from which they might have come.


Holocaust (International sources)
The Path to Nazi Genocide
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The 38-minute film examines the Nazis' rise and consolidation of power in Germany.

The Holocaust History Project
Archive of documents, photographs, recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including direct refutation of Holocaust-denial.

Holocaust Remembrance
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs collection of articles and documentations about Holocaust and Antisemitism.

Shoah Foundation
Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.

Yad Vashem
The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, Jerusalem.


Israeli-Arab Conflict
Wikipedia W Arab–Israeli peace projects
Wikipedia list of projects which promote peace and understanding between the Arab League and Israel in different spheres.

IPCRI
The only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank in the world.

Institute for Palestine Studies
Promoting research, analysis, and documentation on the Arab-Israeli conflict and its peaceful resolution.

The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict
The search for an equitable solution must come to grips with the root cause of the conflict.

Wikipedia W History of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Wikipedia article about the background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Judaism and Jewish Issues
Aish.com
See the world from a (Orthodox) Jewish perspective.

The Jewish Universe
Arutz Sheva's index of Jewish related sites.


Ruins of the ancient synagogue of Kfar Bar'am in Galilee.
Ruins of the ancient synagogue ("place of assembly") in Kibbutz Bar'am in Northern Israel. The ruins are located within the site of the ancient village of Kfar Bar'am, about three kilometers from the Lebanese border.
Image: MASQUERAID
 
 

 


Additional Information

Selected country profiles of Israel published by international organizations.


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Maven
The Portal Directory to the Jewish World, established in 1994.


Sources and additional Information on Israel


Amnesty International: Israel
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country profile: Israel
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

FAO: Israel
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Freedom House: Israel
The U.S. government-funded non-profit organization whose goal is to promote liberal democracies worldwide.

globalEDGE: Israel
The Global Business Knowledge Portal about Israel.

The Heritage Foundation: Israel
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Israel/Palestine
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

Library of Congress Country Studies: Israel
Library of Congress - Israel : a country study.

OEC: Israel
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Israel
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

UN Information System on the Question of Palestine
Collection of full-text documents relevant to the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East since 1946.

Wikipedia: Israel
Wikipedia's Israel page in many languages.

The CIA World Factbook -- Israel
The CIA World Factbook intelligence on Israel.
 

 



 
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