About Israel

The map shows Israel, (Hebrew ישראל Jisra'el), officially the State of Israel, a country in the Levant region, a historical geographical region in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to Israeli Basic Law, the country has been defined as the nation-state of the Jewish people. ^[1]

Israel borders Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories of West Bank and the Gaza Strip; it shares maritime borders with Cyprus.

The State of Israel occupies an area of 22,072 km²; this is about half the size of Switzerland, or slightly larger than the US state of New Jersey.

Israel's population is constantly growing; at the beginning of 2019, Israel passed the 9 million mark. ^[2] In 2024 the population of Israel consists of 7,247,000 Jews (73.2 %) and 2,089,000 Arabs (21.1 %) and other ethnic groups (5.7 %).

In 1980, Israel passed the Jerusalem Law, which declared that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel". The United Nations Security Council declared the law null and void in Resolution 478.

The country's most populous city is Jerusalem; the largest conurbation is Gush Dan around the Mediterranean metropolis of Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Spoken languages are Hebrew (official), Arabic (special status under Israeli law), and English (most commonly used foreign language).
Main religions are Jewish (73.5%), Muslim (18.1%) and Christian (1.9%).

More about Israel

The Founding of the State of Israel
The State of Israel officially came into being on 14 May 1948, when David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the state in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly's Resolution 181 from November 1947. ^{[UN Res. 181]} This resolution called for the partition of the British-ruled Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.

The founding of Israel was driven by several factors:

• 1. Zionist Movement: Beginning in the late 19th century, the Zionist movement advocated for the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This movement gained momentum due to the widespread persecution of Jews in Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe.
  
  
• 2. Balfour Declaration (1917): The British government expressed support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, which was under Ottoman rule at the time. This declaration laid the groundwork for Jewish immigration to Palestine during the British Mandate.
  
  
• 3. The Holocaust: The extermination of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II created an urgent humanitarian and moral need for a Jewish state where Jews could find refuge and security.
  
  
• 4. British Withdrawal and UN Partition Plan: After World War II, the British, who had governed Palestine under a League of Nations mandate, decided to withdraw due to increasing violence between Jews and Arabs and pressure from both sides. The United Nations proposed a partition plan in 1947, which was accepted by the Jewish community but rejected by the Arab states.
  

The declaration of independence in 1948 led to the Arab-Israeli War, as neighboring Arab countries invaded Israel immediately after its founding. Despite this, Israel survived and expanded its territory beyond the borders proposed by the UN partition plan.

The 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria ended the hostilities of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.


Israel-Egypt relations
Peace between Egypt and Israel had already lasted for almost forty years. However, full diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt were only established in January 1980. Since then, Egypt has had an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel an embassy in Cairo.

The ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict keeps relations between the countries subdued, and anti-Israeli incitement is prevalent in the Egyptian media. On the other hand, Internet incitement against Arabs in Israel is also on the rise. ^[3]

There are two official Isreal-Egypt border crossings, one at Taba in the south and one at Nitzana.


Israel-Syria relations
There are no diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israel and Syria have been in a state of war since the establishment of the State of Israel.
Syria has never recognized Israel and does not accept Israeli passports for entry into Syria.
Israel regards Syria as an enemy state and bans its citizens from visiting the country without permission.


Israel-Lebanon relations
There are no normal economic or diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israel treats Lebanon as an "enemy state." Israeli citizens are banned from visiting Jordan without permission. ^[4] Travelers who hold passports that contain visas or entry/exit stamps for Israel will likely be denied entry into Lebanon. ^[5]
As of October 2024, relations between Israel and Lebanon are highly strained, primarily due to escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. The conflict intensified after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in Israel conducting airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched rocket attacks into Israeli territory. This ongoing military conflict has led to significant casualties on both sides, with over 1,000 people killed in Lebanon alone, including civilians​.


Israel-Jordan relations
With the signing of the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994, the two countries began official diplomatic ties. The agreement normalized relations between Israel and Jordan and resolved territorial disputes.
Wadi Araba Crossing (near Aqaba) and Jordan River Crossing (near Beit She'an) are international border crossing between Jordan and Israel. The Allenby Bridge near Jericho connects the West Bank with Jordan; it is the only exit/entry point for West Bank Palestinians traveling abroad.