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The State of Israel, an independent nation
in southwest Asia, is located between the eastern shores of the
Mediterranean Sea and the head of the Gulf of AQABA, an arm of
the Red Sea. Israel was established on May 14, 1948, as a Jewish
state. Israel is considered the Holy Land for Christians, Jews,
and Muslims.
The State of Israel was created in the Land
of Israel which was promised to the People of Israel according
to Jewish tradition. It was where Jesus, the Christian Messiah,
was born and the place where Mohammed, the Moslem Prophet,
ascended to heaven. The meeting place of three continents and
two seas, the country is a skein of cultures, customs and
traditions, a country that was home to many people, cultures and
changing religions. On the crossroads of ancient routes of
commerce, the land also saw waves of conquering armies: the
Canaanites, Hebrews, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans,
Arabs, Crusaders Ottoman Turks and the British made this
much-desired small country into a battlefield where they strove
for eminence, built fortifications, castles and royal palaces.
History
While the current State of Israel is a relatively new
country founded in 1948, the Land of Israel has a long and often
very complex history stretching back thousands of years to the
very beginnings of human civilization. It has been invaded by
virtually every Old World empire including the Persians, Romans,
Ottomans and British. (Even the Mongols once raided cities on
what is now Israeli soil.) It is also the birthplace of both
Judaism and Christianity. Jerusalem is also a sacred city for
Muslims.
Israel has been inhabited for tens of
thousands of years, with Neanderthal remains from the region
dating back 50,000 years. Its strategic location serving as the
gateway from Asia to Egypt and Africa had made Israel an ideal
target for conquerors through the ages. The first nation to have
influence was the great Egyptian civilization. Approximately
1000 B.C, an independent Judean Kingdom was set up under King
Saul. The land lay to the south of Phoenicia. After intermittent
civil war, the land was conquered by the Assyrians and Persians
and in c. 330 BC by Alexander the Great. A newly independent
Jewish state, ruled by the Maccabees, was conquered in 63 BC by
the Romans. Around 30 CE, Jesus of Nazareth began his ministry
in the Galilee.
Following a Jewish revolt against the
Romans in 70 CE, the Israelites were expelled from Jerusalem by
the Romans, creating a substantial Jewish diaspora throughout
the world. However, many Israelites did remain in the Land of
Israel outside Jerusalem for a few centuries, although
persecution gradually eroded at whatever Israelites population
was left in their homeland. The area was captured by Muslim
invaders in the 7th Century. In the middle ages, European
Christians invaded in a period known as the Crusades and
established a small kingdom, but after a few centuries were
expelled. The land was then ruled for many years by different
Muslim empires, culminating in the Ottoman Empire.
During WWI, Palestine, as it was known, was
captured by the British. In order to gain support of the Arabs
who were siding with the rising Nazis, the British designated
the eastern two-thirds of Palestine as the country of
Transjordan in the 1920's (now known as Jordan). The British
agreed to support the idea of European Jews returning to their
ancestral homeland in the remaining third of Palestine. During
the 1920s and 1930s there was mass migration of Jews into
Palestine, many of them European Jews fleeing from anti-Semitic
riots (caused by political movements in Germany) which would
eventually lead to the Holocaust. By 1939 the population of
Palestine was one-third Jewish (by comparison, in 1917 the
population was only 10% Jewish), but after the end of WWII in
1945, the British did not allow any further Jewish immigration
into Palestine.
The Jewish nationalist movement was
strengthened significantly because of the events of World War
II. Many major powers, including the Americans, endorsed Jewish
independence in Palestine as the only way to ensure the survival
of the Jewish people. The British were more hesitant, however,
as they worried about a possible Arab revolt. The Jewish
nationalists, emboldened by support from the Americans and the
French, grew impatient with the British delay in granting
independence and started several armed uprisings of their own
against British rule.
After two years of growing violence, in the
fall of 1947 the British decided to withdraw their troops from
the remaining western third of Palestine. The UN recommended
that the territory of Palestine be partitioned into two states:
A Jewish state, and an Arab state. The Jews accepted the plan,
but the Arabs firmly rejected it. Nonetheless, half a year
later, on 14 May 1948, the British withdrew and the Jewish
nationalists immediately declared independence as the State of
Israel. The Arabs responded with a military invasion of the
nascent State of Israel, and thus no Arab State in western
Palestine was ever established. The Israelis won a decisive
victory in their War of Independence. Over the course of the
war, approximately 600,000 Arabs in Palestine fled from the
territory of the newly proclaimed Jewish state. To this day, it
is hotly debated whether Israel forcibly expelled these people
or they moved out on their own, but probably both occurred.
Following the establishment of Israel in May 1948, there was a
surge of immigration of refugees survivors of the European
Holocaust which had not been allowed to enter Palestine under
the British Mandate government. At the same time the surrounding
Muslim countries expelled most of their Jewish populations, and
Israel experienced a further surge of immigration of these
Sephardic Jews from countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia,
Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. To this day a large
proportion of modern Israelis are the offspring of these
refugees from those Arab countries. Following the fall of the
Soviet Union in 1991 there was a further large wave of
immigration of Jews from former Soviet countries and Russian has
now became a common language heard in Israel.
After the establishment of Israel in 1948, further fighting
continued over the next few decades, and the Israelis won
another decisive victory against the Arabs in the June 1967
Six-Day War. Following this victory and again in the Yom Kippur
War of 1973, a slow movement towards peace and reconciliation
began. In 1979, peace was concluded between Israel and Egypt,
and in 1994, a peace treaty was signed with Jordan. Both
agreements have held to this day. Attempts to create similar
treaties with Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian-Arabs have
failed, and in 2000 violence resurfaced when Palestinian-Arabs
launched a violent insurrection against Israel, the so-called "intifada".
This has tapered off. There have been occasional flare-ups over
the past decade of missile attacks into southern Irael from the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip (from which Israel withdrew totally
in 2005) or into northern Israel from Hizbollah-controlled
southern Lebanon, but for the most part the vast majority of the
country enjoys a quiet peace.
Language
The official language of Israel is Hebrew. English is widely
used as a second language, and recently Russian has become
commonplace.
Religion
Freedom of religion and the inviolability of the holy places
and centers of worship for all religions are guaranteed by law.
For the Jewish population, supreme religious authority is vested
in the Chief Rabbinate, made up of a chief rabbi . from the
Ashkenazim and one from the Sephardim, along with the Supreme
Rabbinical Council.
Israel's Mediterranean Coast
From the Rosh Hanikra grottoes in the North; (and moving
southwards): the resort city of Nahariya; the walled Crusader
city of Acre; Haifa; Caesarea, a Roman and (later) Crusader
city, site of a reconstructed Roman amphitheatre and home of
lsrael's only 18-hole golf course; Netanya, one of lsrael's
major seaside resorts; Herzliya; with its new marina and deluxe
hotels; Tel Aviv-Jaffa; Bat Yam and Ashkelon, two seaside resort
cities.
Climate
Israel's climate is Mediterranean in the north and arid in
the south. In summer the entire area is dominated by a
subtropical high that brings cloudless skies and no
precipitation. In winter, the southern half of the country
remains under the subtropical high, but weather in the northern
half is influenced by cyclonic depressions that pass over the
Mediterranean, bringing moderate rainfall. Precipitation in the
north averages 700 mm (28 in), falling primarily from October to
March. Rainfall amounts diminish rapidly to the south. Beyond
BEERSHEBA and GAZA desert conditions predominate.
Temperature
Average summer temperatures range from 18 degrees to 32
degrees C (65 degrees to 90 degrees F) over most of the country.
Winters are mild, with temperatures averaging 14 degrees C (57
degrees F) along the coast and 9 degrees C (48 degrees F) in the
mountains. The Rift Valley is about 9 C degrees (15 F degrees)
warmer than the rest of the nation in winter. The Dead Sea area
is the lowest place on the planet and the climate is one of the
hottest regions in the world.
Places
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, often called "the city that never stops," was the
first modern Jewish city built in Israel, and is the country's
economic and cultural center. Tel Aviv's important historical
sites include Bialik House, Ben Gurion House, Dizengoff House,
the old cemetery on Trumpeldor Street, and Reuven House. Nature
lovers can visit the garden at Abu Kabir, HaYarkon Park, and the
Botanical Gardens near Tel Aviv University. Tel Aviv is Israel's
center for culture and entertainment. The city has more than 20
museums, the most important of which are the Land of Israel (HaAretz)
Museum and the Tel Aviv Art Museum. Other Tel Aviv museums
include the Museum of the Diaspora the Israel DefenseForces
History Museum, the Etzel Museum, the Haganah Museum, the
Palmach Museum, The Lekhi Museum, and the Nachum Guttman Museum.
The city hosts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Israeli
Opera Company, as well as most of the national dance and theater
companies. Tel Aviv is also the national center for night life
and entertainment and is filled with night clubs featuring music
of all types, dancing, restaurants, pubs, coffee houses,
discotheques, movie theaters, auditoriums, and concert halls.
Ashdod
The best place to begin your visit to the vibrant port city
of Ashdod is at Givat Yonah, the towering hill the traditional
site of the tomb of the sea-faring Jonah the prophet, who was
swallowed by a whale. A wonderful overview of Ashdod awaits you
here: You'll see Israel's busiest cargo port, where over 100,000
tourists also enter and leave the country. Givat Yonah is also
an archaeological mound, which makes it the best place to
appreciate how this city, which started out in the Bible as a
Philistine town, has expanded--thanks to its port, industries
and its energetic new immigrant community.
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is the southernmost city on the Mediterranean
shoreline. In recent years, its 12 kilometers of beautiful
beaches have attracted both Israelis and foreign tourists.
Ashkelon was named after an ancient city whose remains can be
found on Tel Ashkelon in theAshkelon National Park. The city is
mentioned in the Bible several times. But the main stories
connected to it are about Samson and the fact that Goliath the
Philistine was "a man of Ashkelon". The city has been inhabited
throughout the ages, but has had its ups and downs. It has been
settled and abandoned, bloomed, prospered and then fallen. Its
location on the coast has often made it an important port city.
Beersheba
The capital of the Negev, the Old City, the university, the
Turkish railway station, and the Bedouin market represent only a
part of the colorful mosaic offered by the city of Be'er Sheba,
a city full of life and proud of itself, as you will be told by
any of its 185,000 inhabitants. The Jewish city was established
in 1949. It developed and turned into the center of the south
and became the capital of the Negev. Today, it has museums, a
zoo, historical sites, one of the largest universities in
Israel, and on Thursdays - the famous Bedouin market.
Massada
Massada is one of the most exciting and frequently-toured
places inIsrael, and relates a story of perseverance and power,
faith and surrender, ambitions, and a tragic end. Massada is
extremely high, and can be ascended on foot by the winding
"snake path" or by a cable car that runs from the tourist center
at the feet of Massada to the top. A visit to Massada is a
thrilling and exciting experience. The chilling story and the
archeological remains contribute to the special atmosphere of
the site, and preserve its magnificent past.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city of overwhelming emotions, a city that
promises a religious and spiritual experience, excitement and
pleasure, interesting tours and entertaining adventures. Here,
alongside Jerusalem's fascinating historic and archeological
sites, there are amazingly modern tourist attractions for all
lovers of culture, the arts, theater and music, architecture and
gastronomic delights. At Jerusalem's heart is the Old City,
which is surrounded by a wall and divided into four quarters -
Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim. Inside the walls are
the important holy sites of the three major religions: the
Western Wall, which is holy to the Jews, the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher, and the Dome of the Rock on theTemple Mount.
Jerusalem is also very important to Christianity, as Jesus
Christ lived and died here. The Christian quarter alone houses
some 40 religious buildings (churches, monasteries and pilgrims'
hostels). One of the most prominent and important sites in the
Christian quarter is the Via Dolorosa, the "Way of Sorrows,"
Jesus' final path, which according to Christian tradition led
from the courthouse to Golgotha Hill, where he was crucified and
buried. Apart from the holy places throughout the Old City,
there are several charming sites that are well worth visiting.
There is the wonderful market, which is one big sensual
celebration. Here you can buy Armenian-style decorated ceramics,
beautiful strings of beads, authentic clothing, embroidered
cushions, colorful wool carpets, candles and amazing glassware,
and countless different souvenirs. The construction of the new
city's Jewish neighborhoods began in the late 19th century. Some
of the neighborhoods have retained their original picturesque
charm, and wandering among the houses is a real pleasure.
Jericho
Jericho is a green oasis in the Jordan Valley which lies 7
km west of the River Jordan, 10 Km north of the Dead Sea and 30
Km east of Jerusalem. It lies 250 meters below sea level and
thus it is considered to be the lowest city in the world.
Jericho is the oldest city in the world. The ruins of the oldest
civilization discovered in Jericho are 10,000 years old. There
are a lot of important and beautiful historical places to visit
in Jericho, such as Old Jericho, River Jordan where Jesus Christ
was baptized, Mount of Temptation, Hisham Palace, Ein Al-Sultan
(Elisha) spring, Sycamore tree, Monastery of Saint George (Wadi
Kelt), Hasmoneans (Herod) Palace,Monastery of Dier hajlah,
Kumran Caves, Dead Sea, and a lot more.
Tiberias
Tiberias (Tverya) is synonymous with vacations in Israel.
Here one can enjoy a variety of activities in a city that offers
wonderful opportunities to mix relaxation with nature, history
with contemporary attractions, serene quiet with active water
sports, and pilgrimage sites with unique tourist attractions. In
the 2nd-10th centuries, Tiberias was the largest Jewish city in
the Galilee, and the political and religious hub of the Jews of
Palestine. According to Christian tradition, Jesus performed
several miracles in the Tiberias district, making it an
important pilgrimage site for devout Christians. Tiberias has
historically been known for its hot springs, believed to cure
skin and other ailments, for thousands of years.
Bethlehem
The cradle of biblical history, Bethlehem is located five
and half miles from Jerusalem no town in the world has such a
glorious history or exalted status as Bethlehem. It is
birthplace of Jesus Christ, is three times holy, being revered
by the followers of the three heavenly religions. It contains
the shrine of Rachel, it is here that the Prophet Muhammad
prayed on his way to Jerusalem. He is reported as having said,
When I was taken on the Midnight Journey to Jerusalem, Gabriel
took me to Bethlehem, saying, 'Alight and pray two raq'as,for
here is the birthplace of your brother Jesus, peace be upon
him', and then I was taken to the Rock.
Beit Shean
A tour of Beit She'an is like a walk through time. Among the
residential buildings, modern public buildings, and modern
shopping centers are ancient buildings that were once public
institutions, archaeological sites and impressive ruins. Beit
She'an is one of the most ancient cities in the country. It is a
historical gem that unfolds the fascinating story of a rich
period full of changes, climaxing in the National Park of Beit
She'an to the north of the city.
Nazareth
Nazareth, or Natsrat as its name is pronounced in Hebrew, is
the cradle of Christianity, the city where, according to
tradition, the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive
by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the place where Jesus spent
his childhood and youth.Nazareth, in the lower Galilee, is
located in the heart of a valley surrounded by mountains that
embrace several of the most important Christian sites in the
world. This is a city of religion and faith, of spirituality and
holiness, but also a city with a rich history, fascinating
archeology, modern culture and Middle Eastern charm.
Acre
The waves from the Mediterranean Sea crash against the walls
ofAcre's old city, washing the steep, thick sandstone walls that
have survived the centuries. The walls, fortresses and
strongholds of the city bear the marks of many nations that left
impressive buildings behind them, beautifying Acre to this day.
Thanks to these buildings, UNESCO declared Acre a World Heritage
Site in 2001.A visit to Acre is part of the Israeli experience.
The city is a meeting place for East and West, new and old,
beauty and ruins, all adding to its uniqueness. The variety of
tourism sites make Acre a bustling city full of cultural events,
and there is another interesting adventure or attraction around
every corner.
Haifa
Israel's third largest city and one of its prettiest, Haifa
has a lot to offer visitors. It has the country's largest port,
a particularly active beach and is the home of the World Center
of the Bahai Faith. Surrounded by abundant nature sites, the
city contains an interesting mix of modern neighborhoods and
older districts; churches and mosques; mountain and sea.
Eilat
Eilat is a desert resort on the shores of the Red Sea -
Israel's southernmost town. Theastonishing fish and corals of
the temperate gulf waters areunique in their color and
variety.Twice yearly, millions of birds fly over Eilat on
migration between Europe and Africa, above the stunning red
mountains andazure waters of the Red Sea Gulf. The many natural
wondersand attractions of this area, theinviting beaches,
crystal seas and sunny climate, make friendly Eilat a choice
holiday destinationfor travelers from all over the world.
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