The State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, transliteration: Mədinat Yisraʾel; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ اِسْرَائِيل, transliteration: Dawlat Isrāʾīl) is a country in the Middle East on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a parliamentary democracy and it is a Jewish state. Israel is the birthplace of Judaism in the 17th century BCE and Christianity at the beginning of the first century CE. The Israeli population is predominantly Jewish with a large non-Jewish minority, mostly comprising Muslim, Christian, and Druze Arabs. The territory Israel controls, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, borders the states of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt (listed clockwise from north to south). Israel shares the coastlines of the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Aqaba (also known as Gulf of Eilat), and the Dead Sea. The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one script into another script. ... Arabic is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... -1... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... This article is about the religious people known as Christians. ... The Druze ( Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ... The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ... The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in the Middle East, along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria and Israel. ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan, is a country in the Middle East. ... The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Miṣr or Maṣr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in north-eastern Africa. ... -1... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez(west), Gulf of Aqaba(east) viewed from Space Shuttle STS-40. ... Eilat or Elat (אילת), pop. ... The Jordan River flowing into the Dead Sea The Dead Sea ( Hebrew ים המלח, Arabic البحر الميت) is the lowest point on the Earths surface. ...

(Flag) (Coat of Arms)
National motto: n/a
National anthem: Hatikvah
Capital	Jerusalem1 31° 47′ N, 35° 13′ E
Largest city	Jerusalem
Official languages	Hebrew, Arabic
Government Prime Minister President	Parliamentary democracy Ariel Sharon Moshe Katsav
Independence  - Declaration	From the League of Nations mandate administered by Great Britain May 14, 1948 (Iyar 5, 5708)
Area  - Total  - Water (%)	20,770 km² (153rd) ~2%
Population  - July 2005 est.  - 2003 census  - Density	6,276,883 (100th) 6,780,000 302/km² (40th)
GDP (PPP)  - Total  - Per capita	2005 estimate $154,174 million (52nd) $22,944 (30th)
Currency	New Israeli sheqel (₪) (NIS)
Time zone  - Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (UTC) UTC+3 (UTC)
Internet TLD	.il
Calling code	+972

History

Main article History of Israel.

Main article: State of Israel. ...

Historical roots

Jews have long considered Israel to be their national home — as a Holy Land and a Promised Land. The Land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious obligations, including the remains of the Second Temple. It is the place where both Judaism and Christianity were born, and contains many other sites of great spiritual significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A series of Jewish kingdoms and states existed intermittently in the region for over a millennium until the failure of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire resulted in widescale expulsion of Jews from their homeland and beloved capital, Jerusalem (about 25% of the Jewish population, see Destruction of Jerusalem and in "Propyläen der Weltgeschichte", ed. Golo Mann). After crushing Bar Kokhba's revolt in 135, Emperor Hadrian renamed Provincia Judaea to Provincia Syria Palaestina, a Greek name derived from Philistine (Hebrew פלשת Pəléšeṯ). [1]  (http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_name_origin.php) The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... The phrase The Holy Land (Arabic الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah; Hebrew ארץ הקודש;, Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeš, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreṣ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta) generally refers to Palestine or the Land of Israel. ... According to the Bible, the Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisroel) was promised to the descendants of Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by God, making it the Promised Land. ... Artists impression of the Second Temple Destroyed The Second Temple was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 515 BC and 70 CE. During this time, it was the center of Jewish worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the korbanot. ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ... Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... In compiling the history of ancient Israel and Judah, there are many available sources, including the Jewish Tanakh (the Old Testament of the Christian Bible), other Jewish texts such as the Talmud, the Ethiopian book of history known as the Kebra Nagast, the writings of historians such as Nicolaus of... The Great Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE), sometimes called The first Jewish-Roman War, was the first of two major rebellions by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire (the second was Bar Kokhbas revolt in 132-135). ... The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). ... The Destruction of Jerusalem (specifically, the Second Destruction of Jerusalem) was the culmination of the successful campaign of Titus Flavius against Judea after an unsuccessful attack four years prior by Cestius Gallus. ... Bar Kokhba’s revolt ( 132- 135 CE) against the Roman Empire, also known as The Second Jewish-Roman War or The Second Jewish Revolt, was a second major rebellion by the Jews of Judea. ... For other uses, see number 135. ... Emperor Hadrian Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus (January 24, 76 - July 10, 138), known as Hadrian in English, was a Roman emperor from 117 - 138. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. ... See related article Occupations of Palestine. ... The historic Philistines (see note Philistines below) were a people that inhabited the southern coast of Canaan around the time of the arrival of the Israelites, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts. ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ...

• See also: Occupations of Palestine and Names of the Levant.

Occupations of Palestine have been known to occur for as long as the people of the Middle East have kept written records. ... Over recorded history, there have been many names of the Levant. ...

Caliphate, Crusades, and the Ottoman Empire

The Muslim Caliphate conquered the land from the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantines) in the seventh century and attracted Arab settlers. The local language, Aramaic, gradually disappeared. The Crusades marked a lengthy struggle between European Christians and Middle Eastern Muslims for control of the land. Throughout the centuries the size of Jewish population in the land fluctuated. Before the birth of modern Zionism, by the early 19th century, more than 10,000 Jews lived in the area that is today's Israel. (Dan Bahat, Twenty Centuries of Jewish Life in the Holy Land, 1976, pp. 61-63) A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph (  listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ... Arab (disambiguation). ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ...

Modern Zionism

Main article: Zionism.

Following centuries of Diaspora, the nineteenth century saw the rise of Zionism, the Jewish national movement, a desire to see the creation of a Jewish political entity in Palestine, and significant immigration. Zionism remained a minority movement until the rise of Nazism in 1933 and the subsequent attempted extermination of the Jewish people in the Shoah, or Holocaust, in which over six million Jews were murdered. In the late 1800's large numbers of Jews began moving to the Turkish and later British-controlled region (the British Mandate of Palestine). In 1917, the British endorsed a Jewish homeland in Palestine by issuing the Balfour Declaration. The Jewish population in the region increased from 11% of the population in 1922 to 30% by 1940[2]  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/78601.stm). A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ... The term diaspora ( Greek διασπορά, a scattering or sowing of seeds) is used (without capitalization) to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ... Main article: State of Israel. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article deals with the Nazi Holocaust. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust refers to Nazi Germanys systematic genocide ( ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II starting in 1941 and continuing through 1945. ... The British Mandate of Palestine was a swathe of territory in the Middle East, formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire, which the League of Nations entrusted to the United Kingdom to administer in the aftermath of World War I as a Mandate Territory. ... The Balfour Declaration was a letter of November 2, 1917 from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, to Lord Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

British Mandate

Main article: British Mandate of Palestine.

In 1937, following the Great Arab Revolt, the partition plan proposed by the Peel Commission was rejected by the Palestinian Arab leadership, but accepted tentatively [3]  (http://www.multied.com/bio/people/BenGurion.html) by Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion. This was notable, as Ben-Gurion showed a willingness to essentially accept about 1/3 of the land that would ultimately be won by Israel in the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli War. As a result, in 1939, the British gave in to Arab pressure because of support needed for World War II, abandoned the idea of a Jewish national homeland, and abandoned partition and negotiations in favour of the unilaterally-imposed White Paper of 1939, which capped Jewish immigration, and subjected it to review under further agreement with the Arabs. Its other stated policy was to establish a system under which both Jews and Arabs were to share one government. The policy was viewed as a significant defeat for the Jewish side, as it placed severe restrictions on Jewish immigration, while placing no practical restrictions on Arab immigration from surrounding Arab states. Due to these limitations, it was predicted that the proposed government would be dominated by the Arab side. As a result of impending world war, the plan was never fully implemented, but the White Paper of 1939 policy was implemented well into the end of WW2, and enforced even when refugees who survived Holocaust were fleeing from Nazi persecution. (See Struma article.) The British Mandate of Palestine was a swathe of territory in the Middle East, formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire, which the League of Nations entrusted to the United Kingdom to administer in the aftermath of World War I as a Mandate Territory. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... In 1936, the Arab leadership in the British Mandate of Palestine, led by Haj Amin al-Husayni, declared a general strike to protest the demographic and otherwise impact brought by Jewish immigration to Palestine. ... The Peel Commission of 1936, formally known as the Palestine Royal Commission, was a British Royal Commission of Inquiry set out to propose changes to the British Mandate of Palestine following the outbreak of the Great Uprising. ... David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion (October 16, 1886—December 1, 1973; Hebrew: דוד בן גוריון) was the first Prime Minister of Israel. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, called the War of Independence (Hebrew: מלחמת העצמאות) by Israelis and al Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, the catastrophe) by Arabs, was the first in a series of wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The White Paper of 1939, also known as the MacDonald White Paper after Malcolm MacDonald, the British Colonial Secretary who presided over it, was a policy paper issued by the British government in which the idea of partitioning the British Mandate of Palestine was abandoned in favour of Jews and... The White Paper of 1939, also known as the MacDonald White Paper after Malcolm MacDonald, the British Colonial Secretary who presided over it, was a policy paper issued by the British government in which the idea of partitioning the British Mandate of Palestine was abandoned in favour of Jews and... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust refers to Nazi Germanys systematic genocide ( ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II starting in 1941 and continuing through 1945. ... The Struma was a ship commissioned by the Revisionist Zionist organizations in Romania, especially Betar, to carry Romanian Jews as illegal immigrants to British-controlled Palestine. ...

Declaration of the Establishment of the State

See main articles: Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel and 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

In 1947, following increasing levels of violence by militant groups, alongside unsuccessful efforts to reconcile the Jewish and Arab populations, the British government withdrew from the Palestine Mandate. Fulfillment of the 1947 UN Partition Plan would have divided the mandated territory into two states, Jewish and Arab, giving about half the land area to each state. Under this plan, Jerusalem was intended to be an international region under UN administration to avoid conflict over its status. Immediately following the adoption of the Partition Plan by the United Nations General Assembly, the Palestinian Arab leadership rejected the plan to create the as-yet-unnamed Jewish state and launched a guerilla war. The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948. ... The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, called the War of Independence (Hebrew: מלחמת העצמאות) by Israelis and al Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, the catastrophe) by Arabs, was the first in a series of wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map showing the UN Partition Plan. ...

Ben Gurion pronounces the Declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 in Tel Aviv

On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed. Hoping to annihilate the new Jewish state, the armies of six Arab nations attacked the fledgling state. Israel captured an additional 26% of the Mandate territory west of the Jordan river and annexed it to the new state. Jordan captured about 21% of the Mandate territory (which became known as the West Bank), including parts of Jerusalem that included the old city and eastern environments and separated the city into West and East Jerusalem. Jordan's annexation of those territories in 1950 was recognized only by the United Kingdom and Pakistan. The Gaza Strip was captured by Egypt and came under its control. Caption: Source: jpg of Image:Declaration_of_State_of_Israel_1948. ... Caption: Source: jpg of Image:Declaration_of_State_of_Israel_1948. ... David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion (October 16, 1886—December 1, 1973; Hebrew: דוד בן גוריון) was the first Prime Minister of Israel. ... The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (, or Islami Jamhooriya-e-Pakistan, in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and is part of the Greater Middle East. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ...

Basis for the Arab-Israeli conflict

See main article: Arab-Israeli conflict.

After the war, 14-25% (depending on the estimate) of the Arab population remained in Israel, the rest fled during the war. The continuing conflict between Israel and the Arab world resulted in a lasting displacement that persists to this day; see Palestinian refugee and Palestinian Exodus for a discussion of the circumstances. Immigration of Holocaust survivors and Jews from Arab lands doubled Israel's population within one year of independence. Over the following decade approximately 600,000 Mizrahi Jews, who fled or were expelled from surrounding Arab countries, came to Israel, along with Jews from Iran and Europe. Israel's Jewish population continued to grow at a very high rate for some years, fed by further waves of Jewish immigration, most notably recently following the collapse of the USSR. Israel and the Arab League states The Arab-Israeli conflict is a long-running conflict in the Middle East regarding the existence of the state of Israel and its relations with Arab states and with the Palestinian population (see Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Palestinian refugee is a refugee from Palestine created by the Palestinian Exodus, which Palestinians call the Nakba (نكبة, meaning disaster). History Most of the refugees had already fled by the time the neighboring Arab states intervened on the side of Palestinians and continued after... The Palestinian Exodus is the name given to the refugee flight of some 520,000 (Israeli estimate) to 1,000,000 (Arab estimate) Arabs during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, called the Nakba by Palestinians. ... Mizrachi is also an organisation of the Religious Zionist Movement Mizrahi Jews or Oriental Jews (מזרחי eastern, Standard Hebrew Mizraḥi, Tiberian Hebrew Mizrāḥî; plural מזרחים easterners, Standard Hebrew Mizraḥim, Tiberian Hebrew Mizrāḥîm) are Jews of Middle Eastern origin; that is to say, their ancestors never left the Middle East. ... The Jewish exodus from Arab lands is the 20th century emigration of Jews, primarily Sephardi and Mizrahi, from Arab lands. ... Main article: State of Israel. ... The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)  listen; tr. ...

In 1957, at the UN, 17 maritime powers declared that Israel had a right to transit the Strait of Tiran. Moreover, the Egyptian blockade prior to the 1956 Suez War violated the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, which was adopted by the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea on April 27, 1958. The Straits of Tiran are the narrow passages formed by the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. ... The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Miṣr or Maṣr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in north-eastern Africa. ... (Redirected from 1956 Suez War) The Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War, Suez Campaign or Kadesh Operation was a war fought on Egyptian territory in 1956. ...

On May 23rd, 1967, Egypt again cut off the Straits of Tiran (Israel's main shipping route to Asia and other major places of trade) to Israeli shipping, and also blockaded the port of Eilat. Egypt ordered United Nations peacekeeping forces to leave the Sinai, and in their place, Egyptian tanks and troops were concentrated on the border with Israel. In accordance with international law (United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, (Geneva: UN Publications 1958, pp. 132-134.), Israel considered the blockade of its port a casus belli, and launched an attack on Egypt, especially the Egyptian Air Force. Hostilities came to include Jordan (after Jordan reluctantly chose to dismiss Israeli appeals for neutrality and undertook shelling of Tel Aviv in adherence to its defense treaty with Egypt), Syria, and the Iraqi air force. This was the Six-Day War (June 5 - 10, 1967), during which Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula. In 1978 Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt under the Camp David Accords, and in 1981 Israel annexed East Jerusalem. The status of the West Bank and Gaza, populated mostly by Palestinians with some Israeli settlers, is also undecided and has been the focus of several unsuccessful peace conferences (see Geography below for more). The Straits of Tiran are the narrow passages formed by the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. ... Eilat or Elat (אילת), pop. ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus Ad Bellum. ... Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ... The Golan Heights, previously known as the Syrian Heights, is a plateau on the border of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 The Sinai Peninsula (in Arabic, Shibh Jazirat Sina) is a triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and Red Sea (to the south). ... Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ... Anwar Sadat (left), Jimmy Carter (center), and Menachem Begin (right) shake hands in celebration of the success of the Camp David Accords The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... The article is about the Middle Eastern city. ...

The status of the Golan Heights is currently the subject of a territorial dispute between Israel and Syria who are still in a technical state of war with each other. The Heights, originally part of the French Mandate of Syria but administered by Britain until 1923, were officially annexed by Israel in 1981, although United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 deemed Israel's annexation "null and void and without international legal effect". The Golan Heights, previously known as the Syrian Heights, is a plateau on the border of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... The French Mandate of Syria was a League of Nations Mandate created after the First World War when the Ottoman Empire was split by the Treaty of Versailles. ... United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 calls on Israel to withdraw from Golan Heights. ...

Border wall to the West Bank

In the years since 1948, Israel and the United Nations have often suffered an adversarial relationship. The UN General Assembly passed the non-binding Resolution 194 in December 1948, granting a conditional "right of return" to Palestinian refugees - however, the resolution only refers to "refugees", arguably implying that it was intended for both Arab and Jewish refugee populations. UN Security Council Resolution 242 (November 1967), calls for "withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict" (Six-Day war); and UN Security Council Resolution 446 (March 1979), declared settlements on the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights to be "illegal". While most of the 65 Security Council and General Assembly resolutions passed against Israeli actions, and the 41 Security Council resolutions vetoed by the United States, have had near universal support in the UN (often with the United States and Israel near alone among the dissenting), supporters of Israel claim that the resolutions often misconstrue International Law, that their supporters selectively apply them, and that the assemblies themselves are biased. Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2666 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 2666 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Israel and the United Nations (as an organization) have had, since the states founding on 1948, very mixed relations. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 [1] was passed on December 11 1948, near the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... A right of return is a right, held by members of an ethnic or national group, to assurance of immigration and naturalization into the nation of their homeland. ... In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Palestinian refugee is a refugee from Palestine created by the Palestinian Exodus, which Palestinians call the Nakba (نكبة, meaning disaster). History Most of the refugees had already fled by the time the neighboring Arab states intervened on the side of Palestinians and continued after... United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242) was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967 in the aftermath of the Six Day War. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... United Nations Security Council Resolution 446, submitted March 22, 1979 was on the issue of the Middle East. ... For alternative meanings, see March (disambiguation). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Israeli settlements are Jewish communities in areas under Israeli control as a result of the 1967 Six Day War. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ... The Golan Heights, previously known as the Syrian Heights, is a plateau on the border of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. ...

Israel is the only state that is barred from joining any of the five geographical groupings that would make it eligible for Security Council membership according to accepted practice. It has indefinite temporary membership of the "Western Europe and Others" group but agreed to not seek UNSC membership on that basis. More than half of the UN's emergency meetings have been to respond to the regional crisis.

Related articles

• 1922 Text: League of Nations Palestine Mandate
• 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel
• 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel
• Ancient kingdom of Israel
• Anti-Semitism
• Arab-Israeli conflict
• Balfour Declaration 1917
• Camp David 2000 Summit between Palestinians and Israel
• Israeli Security Forces
• Jewish refugees
• Jewish State
• Land of Israel
• List of conflicts in the Middle East
• Proposals for a Palestinian state

The Palestine Mandate: The Council of the League of Nations: July 24, 1922. ... (Redirected from 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. ... (Redirected from 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel) The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially... The Kingdom of Israel (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yisraʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yiśrāʾēl) according to the Bible, was the nation formed around 1021BC from the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was given the name Israel, meaning Struggles With God. ... Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards Jews (not: Semites - see the Misnomer section further on). ... Israel and the Arab League states The Arab-Israeli conflict is a long-running conflict in the Middle East regarding the existence of the state of Israel and its relations with Arab states and with the Palestinian population (see Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... The Balfour Declaration was a letter of November 2, 1917 from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, to Lord Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation. ... The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. ... The Israel Security Forces (ISF) are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ... In the course of history, Jewish populations have been expelled or ostracised by various local authorities and have sought asylum from Anti-Semitism numerous times. ... The term Jewish state is sometimes used to describe the State of Israel and refers to its status as a nation-state for the Jewish people. ... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisrael) refers to the land making up the ancient Jewish Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. ... In the last 60 years, there have been a number of conflicts in the Middle East. ... Proposals for a Palestinian state vary depending on ones views of Palestinian statehood, as well as various definitions of Palestine and Palestinian (see also State of Palestine). ...

Wars

The refusal of Arab countries to recognize the establishment of the State of Israel, in 1948 has been a source of repeated wars and other conflicts with Arab nations such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The state of war between Egypt and Israel ended with the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty on March 26, 1979. The state of war with Jordan officially ended with the signing of the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace on October 26, 1994. Sporadic negotiations with Lebanon and Syria, Israel's remaining belligerent neighbours, have not as yet resulted in peace treaties. Israel is currently also embroiled in an ongoing conflict with Palestinians in the territories controlled since the Six Day War in 1967, despite the signing of the Oslo Accords on September 13, 1993, and the ongoing efforts of Israeli, Palestinian and global peacemakers. 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in the Middle East, along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria and Israel. ... The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan, is a country in the Middle East. ... The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Miṣr or Maṣr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in north-eastern Africa. ... The Republic of Iraq is a Middle Eastern country in southwestern Asia encompassing the ancient region of Mesopotamia at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. ... The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. ... The Israel-Egypt peace treaty was signed in Washington on March 26, 1979 as the first of the Camp David Accords (1978). ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan, is a country in the Middle East. ... The Israel-Jordan peace treaty was signed at the southern border crossing of Wadi Araba on October 26, 1994, and made Jordan only the second Arab country (after Egypt) to normalize relations with Israel. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in the Middle East, along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria and Israel. ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... Israel and the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... The Palestinian flag, adopted in 1948, is a widely recognized modern symbol of the Palestinian people. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially called the Declaration of Principles. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ...

Articles related to the wars

• 1948 Arab-Israeli War "The Independence War" (see also: 1949 Armistice Agreements) מלחמת העצמאות (גם מלחמת הקוממיות או מלחמת השחרור) י
• 1956 Suez War "Operation Kadesh" מבצע קדש או מלחמת סיני
• 1967 Six Day War מלחמת ששת הימים
• 1970 War of Attrition מלחמת ההתשה
• 1973 Yom Kippur War מלחמת יום כיפור
• 1982 Lebanon War "Operation Peace For Galilee" מבצע שלום הגליל
• 1990/1 Gulf War מלחמת המפרץ
• First Intifada אינתיפדה
• al-Aqsa Intifada אינתיפדת אל-אקצא The Israeli Defense Forces codenamed it "אירועי גיאות ושפל" ("Ebb and Tide events") but it is unofficially referred to as the Oslo War in some Israeli circles.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, called the War of Independence (Hebrew: מלחמת העצמאות) by Israelis and al Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, the catastrophe) by Arabs, was the first in a series of wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. ... (Redirected from 1956 Suez War) The Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War, Suez Campaign or Kadesh Operation was a war fought on Egyptian territory in 1956. ... (Redirected from 1967 Six Day War) The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... (Redirected from 1970 War of Attrition) This is about the Israeli-Egyptian War of Attrition For the military strategy, see war of attrition. ... (Redirected from 1973 Yom Kippur War) The Yom Kippur War (also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the October War and Ramadan War), was fought from October 6 (the day of Yom Kippur) to October 22/24, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Egypt and Syria. ... The 1982 Invasion of Lebanon, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee, began June 6, 1982, when the Israel Defence Force invaded southern Lebanon in response to the Abu Nidal organizations assassination attempt against Israels ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov. ... (Redirected from 1990/1 Gulf War) See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... The first Intifada was an uprising that took place from 1987 to 1991 or 1993 (see Intifada). ... The al-Aqsa Intifada is the wave of violence and political conflict that began in September 2000 between Palestinian Arabs and Israelis; it is also called the Second Intifada (see also First Intifada). ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... This article is about the term Oslo War, not about the object itself, which is described under its more common name, the Al-Aqsa Intifada. ...

Politics and law

Main articles: Politics of Israel and List of political parties in Israel.

The Knesset is the Israeli parliament, located in Jerusalem

Israel is a parliamentary democracy based on universal suffrage and proportional representation. Israel's legislative branch is a 120-member parliament known as the Knesset. Membership in the Knesset is allocated to parties based on their proportion of the vote. Elections to the Knesset are normally held every four years, but the Knesset can decide to dissolve itself ahead of time by a simple majority. Israels governmental system is based on several basic laws enacted by its unicameral parliament, the Knesset. ... Political parties in Israel lists political parties in Israel. ... The Knesset, Israeli parliament, Jerusalem File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Knesset, Israeli parliament, Jerusalem File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ... Alternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... Alternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). ... The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ... The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ...

The President of Israel is head of state, serving as a largely ceremonial figurehead. The President selects the leader of the majority party or ruling coalition in the Knesset as the Prime Minister, who serves as head of government.² President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... A figurehead is a person, usually in a political role, who may hold an important title or office yet executes little actual power. ... The Prime Minister of Israel is the elected head of the Israeli government. ... The head of government is the leader of the government or cabinet. ...

Judiciary

The Judiciary branch of Israel is made of a three-tier system of courts: at the lowest level are the Magistrate Courts. Above them, serving both as an appelate court and as a court of first instance are the District Courts. At the top of the judicial pyramid is the Supreme Court. Judges in Israel retire at the age of 70 and are appointed by a committee made up of representatives of the Knesset, Supreme Court justices and the Israeli Bar. The Israeli Supreme Court is regarded by many as Israel's guardian of civil rights, but by others as the most activist Supreme Court in the world [4]  (http://www.yaleisraeljournal.com/fall2003/courts.php).

Constitution

Israel has not completed a written constitution. Its government is based on the laws of the Knesset, especially by "Basic Laws of Israel", which are special laws (currently there are 15 of them), by the Knesset legislature which will become the future official constitution. The declaration of the State of Israel has a significance in this matter as well. Israel's legal system is a western legal system best classified as "mixed": it has a strong Anglo-American influence, but in some parts has borrowed heavily from civil law tradition. An organizations constitution defines its form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules. ... The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ... Basic Laws of Israel function as Israels uncodified constitution. The State of Israel has no formal constitution. ... The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948. ...

Religion

In the matter of Jewish religion versus secularism, the status quo achieved by David Ben-Gurion with the religious parties in the declaration of independence is still mostly held today. Religious authorities, which are comprised of the ministry of religion and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, have jurisdiction only in five distinct areas: marital and burial laws, Jewish status of immigrants, Kashrut and the Sabbath. They have no jurisdiction over human rights (other than those previously mentioned) criminal or commercial law, nor on education. Streets of Haredi neighborhoods are closed to traffic on Saturday, there is no public transport on that day and most businesses are closed; restaurants that wish to advertise themselves as kosher must certified by the Chief Rabbinate. Importation of non-kosher foods is prohibited, but there are a few local pork farms in kibbutzim, catering for establishments selling "White Meat" (the Israeli euphemism for pork, forbidden under Kashrut laws) due to its popular demand (especially after the waves of Russian immigration in the 1990's). Religion, a term sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices and institutions associated with such belief. ... This article concerns secularism, the exclusion of religion and supernatural beliefs. ... For the perennial British rock band, see Status Quo (band) Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present current, existing state of affairs. ... David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion (October 16, 1886—December 1, 1973; Hebrew: דוד בן גוריון) was the first Prime Minister of Israel. ... Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognised religious leader of that countrys Jewish community. ... Judaism considers marriage to be the ideal state of existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, are considered incomplete. ... By other animals Humans are not the only species to bury their dead. ... In Judaism, a ger (Hebrew: stranger or convert) or ger tzedek (righteous convert or convert of righteousness) is a gentile who has undergone religious conversion (giur) to Judaism by fulfilling the ritual requirements for such conversion accepting the obligations of Jewish religious observance. ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ... Shabbat, or Shabbos (Ashkenazic pronunciation) (שבת shabbāṯ, rest), is a day of rest that is observed once a week, from sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, by practitioners of Judaism, as well as by many secular Jews. ... Haredi Judaism, also called ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Judaism. ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ... A kibbutz קיבוץ (Hebrew, pl. ... A euphemism is a word or phrase used in place of a term that originally could not be spoken aloud (see taboo) or, by extension, terms which they consider to be disagreeable or offensive. ...

The other major religions in Israel, such as Islam and Christianity are officially supported via their own establishments which have jurisdiction over their followers. Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ...

The ministry of education manages the secular (largest) and religious streams of various faiths in parallel, with a limited degree independence and a common core curriculum.

In recent years, secular frustration with the status quo has strengthened parties such as Shinui, which advocate separation of religion from the state, without much success so far. For example, though an estimated 70% of Israelis (according to polls) support the enactment of civil marriage (not requiring religious affilation), it was blocked by religious parties (see below). Currently, civil marriages are only officially sanctioned if performed abroad. Local marriage licenses must declare to be Jewish, Muslim, Christian or any of the other officially recognized religions. For the perennial British rock band, see Status Quo (band) Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present current, existing state of affairs. ... Shinui (שינוי) is a Zionist, secular, liberal party in Israel. ...

Nevertheless, some breaches of the status quo have become prevalent, such as several suburbian malls remaining open during the Sabbath. Though this is contrary to the law, the government largely turns a blind eye for fear of strengthening its political rivals in liberal circles.

Coalition governments

Golda Meir, a former Israeli Prime Minister, joked that "in Israel, there are 3 million prime ministers". Because of its Proportional representation electoral system, coalitions in the Knesset can often be unstable and are usually made up of at least two parties. Coalitions can be difficult to form and hard to keep together because of the large number of political parties, many of whom run on very specialized platforms, often advocating the tenets of particular interest groups. The prevalent balance between the largest parties means that the smaller parties can have disproportionately strong influence to their size, due to their ability to act as tie breakers; they often use this status to block popular legislation or promote their own even contrary to the manifesto of the larger party in office. Golda Meir was the fourth Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir (pronounced gol-da meh-ir) (nee Mabovitz) (May 3, 1898 - December 8, 1978) was a founder of the State of Israel. ... Proportional Representation (PR) describes various multi-winner electoral systems which try to ensure that the proportional support gained by different groups is accurately reflected in the election result. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ...

Political parties

In the past thirty years, the largest parties have been the conservative Likud Party and the Social-democrat Labour Party. However, they do not attract sufficient support to govern without the help of smaller parties such as Shas, a Sephardi Haredi party which has a network of religious schools, and supports social spending; Shinui, a fervently secularist party that sees itself representing Israel's middle class and a foe of religious (particularly Haredi) parties, that works to reduce social spending; the National Union Party, a right-wing nationalist party advocating "voluntary transfer" of Palestinian refugees and their descendents for resettlement in Arab countries; the Mafdal - the National Religious Party, affiliated with nationalist religious Zionists (kipot srugot), who favor creating a Jewish constitutional theocracy in the entire Land of Israel; and Yachad (former Meretz), a democratic socialist party which is supportive of the Palestinian cause. Most governments have so far avoided forming a coalition with parties representative of the Israeli Arab minority, such as the Arab-Jewish communist Hadash party, the Arab-nationalist Balad party or the conservative-Islamic bloc United Arab List party Raam. Exceptions were the 'external' coalition agreements between Yitzhak Rabin's second government and Hadash and Raam, which were declared de facto coalition agreements by the Israeli Supreme Court. Likud party logo Likud or ליכוד literally means consolidation. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Labour (העבודה HaAvoda) is an Israeli political party. ... Shas may also refer to the Shisha Sedarim (six orders) of the Mishnah and Talmud. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal: ספרד, Standard Hebrew Səfárad, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄áraḏ / Səp̄āraḏ), or whose ancestors were among the Jews expelled from... Haredi Judaism, also called ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Judaism. ... Shinui (שינוי) is a Zionist, secular, liberal party in Israel. ... The National Union Party Israel (Ha ihud Haleumi) The National Union party was formed in 1999 by Rehavam Zeevi, the leader of the Rightwing Moledet (Homeland party) in alliance with the Tekuma and Yisrael Beitenu parties. ... Population transfer is a term referring to a policy by which a state forces the movement of a large group of people out of a region, invariably on the basis of ethnicity or religion. ... The grammar in this article needs to be checked. ... A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ... Constitutional theocracy is a form of government in which within the context of a modern democracy a particular religion is granted a central role in the legal and political system. ... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisrael) refers to the land making up the ancient Jewish Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. ... This is an article about the Israeli political party. ... Meretz (מרצ, Vitality) was an Israeli political party, considered to be on the left and secular. ... Democratic socialism is a political movement propagating the ideals of socialism within the framework of a parliamentary democracy. ... Hadash (חדש) is a left wing, largely Arab, anti-Zionist popular front group in Israel made up of the Communist Party of Israel and other left-wingers. ... Balad is a city 50 miles north of Baghdad in Israel, currently led by Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi. ... RAAM, is an attempt to create a global currency to eliminate world poverty, describing itself as the Global Development Currency of the Global Country of World Peace. ... Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (יצחק רבין) (March 1, 1922–November 4, 1995) was an Israeli politician and military general. ...

Parties of the Left dominated Israel's elections until 1974, when following the Yom Kippur War, the ruling Labour party began to lose popularity. On the Right, the Likud party was formed by a union of the Liberals and the nationalist Herut party. The beginning of right-wing dominance in Israeli politics began in 1977 with the ascendance of Likud's Menachem Begin as prime minister. With the exception of the Labour-Meretz coalitions between 1992-1996 and 1999-2001, the Likud continued to form most Israeli governments since 1977, sometimes in coalition with the Labour Party. In 2003, left-wing parties fared poorly in elections won by Likud government of prime minister Ariel Sharon. The Yom Kippur War (in Hebrew: Milchemet Yom HaKipurim, also known as the October War, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, and the Ramadan War), was fought from October 6 (the day of Yom Kippur) to October 22 and 24, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Egypt and Syria. ... This article is about the Zionist movement known as Herut. ... Prime Minister Menachem Begin Menachem Begin (August 16, 1913 - March 9, 1992) became the 6th Prime Minister of Israel in May 1977. ...

Recent Prime Ministers

The premiership of Ariel Sharon is one of the most controversial since Israel's founding, with hostility emanating from both Left and Right. In 1983, the Israeli Kahan Commission found Ariel Sharon "indirectly responsible" for the 1982 Phalangist-led Sabra and Shatila Massacre, leading to his dismissal as Defence Minister by Menachem Begin. Some of his military tactics, such as repeated assassinations of Palestinian leaders and military operations in the West Bank and Gaza, have come under fire from the Israeli Peace Now movement and associated left wing circles (also see Jews For Peace) along with sections of the international community, such as the European Union. On the Right, his acceptance in principle to establish a "state of Palestine" and his call for the evacuation of all communities in the Gaza Strip and some isolated outposts in the West Bank is opposed by nationalist organisations, the Orthodox religious parties and many in his own Likud party. Sharon's supporters see his strategy as having reduced the threat of Palestinian terrorism, and as laying the basis for a lasting peace in the Middle East by resolving the "Palestinian problem" with finality. 1983 is an integer and composite number that represents a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kahan Commission (וועדת כאהן), formally known as the Commission of Inquiry into the Events at the Refugee Camps in Beirut, was established by the Israeli government on 28 September 1982, to investigate the Sabra and Shatila Massacre (16-18 September, 1982). ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British... The Sabra and Shatila massacre (or Sabra and Chatila massacre) was carried out in September 1982 by Lebanese Maronite Christian militias in then-Israeli-occupied Beirut, Lebanon. ... Prime Minister Menachem Begin Menachem Begin (August 16, 1913 - March 9, 1992) became the 6th Prime Minister of Israel in May 1977. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... The article is about the Middle Eastern city. ... Peace Now (in Hebrew, שלום עכשיו - Shalom Achshav) is an extra-parliamental political movement in Israel, with the agenda of swaying popular opinion and convincing the Israeli government of the need and possibility for achieving a just peace and an historic conciliation with the Palestinian people and neighboring Arab countries... The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ... Israeli settlements are Jewish communities in areas under Israeli control as a result of the 1967 Six Day War. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Orthodox Judaism is one of the three major branches of Judaism. ... Likud party logo Likud or ליכוד literally means consolidation. ... Terrorism refers to the use of violence for the purpose of achieving a political, religious, or ideological goal. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Women in Israeli industry and politics

In 2002, women comprised 33% of director positions in government owned corporations, and 20% of managerial positions within the private industry (2005).

The 16th Knesset (2003) had 18 women parliament members (15%) and 3 Government ministers (13%). The first (and only, so far) woman as Prime minister was Golda Meir, from 1969 to 1974, who was also the second woman Prime Minister in the world, and the first one to be democratically elected. The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for assembly) is the Parliament of Israel. ... Golda Meir was the fourth Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir (pronounced gol-da meh-ir) (nee Mabovitz) (May 3, 1898 - December 8, 1978) was a founder of the State of Israel. ...

Military

Main article: Israel Defense Forces.

Israel's military consists of a unified Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known in Hebrew by the acronym Tzahal. Historically, there have been no separate Israeli military services. The Navy and Air Force are subordinate to the Army. There are other paramilitary government agencies which deal with different aspects of Israel's security (such as MAGAV and the Shin Bet). See further discussion: Israel Security Forces. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: חיל האוויר Heyl haAvir) is the Air branch of the Israel Defense Force. ... MAGAV (in Hebrew מגב ) is an acronym for Mishmar Ha-Gvul ( מישמר הגבול ), which in Hebrew means Frontier Guard. MAGAV is the combat branch of the Israeli Police and its composed from professional officers on payroll and field policemen redirected from the IDF (men at the age of 18... Shabak emblem Defender who shall not be seen The Shin Bet (in Hebrew, שבכ SHABAK an acronym of Sherut Bitahon Klali שירות ביטחון כללי), is the Internal General Security Service of Israel. ... The Israel Security Forces (ISF) are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ...

The IDF is considered one of the strongest military force in the Middle East and among the most technologically advanced in the world. It relies heavily on technology, training, and expert manpower, rather than possession of overwhelming manpower. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Much of Israel's heavy military hardware is bought from the United States (Aeroplanes, missiles) and Germany (Submarines, Ships). Many of the arms used by the IDF are Israeli-invented and Israeli-made, such as the legendary Uzi, Merkava tank, and advanced aerospace technologies such as IAI Ofek satellites. The IDF frequently enhances 3rd party equipment by Israel's own military industries, usually making the upgraded equipment stronger than that available on the open market. Israel's military doctrine aims to maintain a qualitative edge over all possible enemies. In recent years Israel has focused it's military R&D efforts on resources for fighting Low Intensity Conflicts and ballistic missile defense. The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... The Uzi is a compact, boxy, light-weight submachine gun. ... General characteristics Length: 7. ... IAI is an acronym for: International African Institute Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research Israel Aircraft Industries (Ha-Taasiya Ha-Avirit) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Most Israelis, males and females, are drafted into the military at the age of 18. Exceptions are Israeli Arabs, confirmed pacifists, and women who declare themselves religiously observant. Compulsory service is three years for men, and 20 months for women. Circassians and Bedouin actively enlist in the IDF. Since 1956, Druze men have been conscripted in the same way as Jewish men, at the request of the Druze community. Men studying full-time in religious institutions can get a deferment from conscription; most Haredi Jews extend these deferments until they are too old to be conscripted, although there has been some change in Haredi society, with a small group of single Haredi annually joining in to serve in various fields. The word draft (also draught) has multiple meanings: The draft is a synonym for conscription or peacetime national service. ... The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ... Pacifism is opposition to the practice of war. ... Circassian language is used in a number of ways: as a synonym for the Adyghe language; as a synonym for the Kabardian language; as a term for a distinct language that includes both Adyghe and Kabardian. ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic badawi بدوي, a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the eastern coast of the Arabian desert. ... 1956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. ... The Druze ( Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ... Haredi Judaism, also called ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Judaism. ...

Following compulsory service, Israeli men become part of the IDF reserve forces, and are usually required to serve several weeks every year as reservists, until their 40s.

Women in the IDF

Women were historically barred from battle in the IDF, serving in a variety of technical and administrative support roles, except during the 1948 war of independence, when manpower shortages saw many of them taking active part in battles on the ground. But after a landmark 1994 High Court appeal by Alice Miller, a Jewish immigrant from South Africa, the Air Force was instructed to open its pilots course to women (several served as transport pilots during the war of independence in 1948 and "Operation Kadesh" in 1956, but the Air force later closed its ranks to women fliers). Miller failed the entrance exams, but since her initative, many additional combat roles were opened. As of 2005, Women are allowed to serve in 83% of all positions in the military, including Shipboard Navy Service (except submarines), and Artillery. Combat roles are voluntary for women. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, called the War of Independence (Hebrew: מלחמת העצמאות) by Israelis and al Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, the catastrophe) by Arabs, was the first in a series of wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: חיל האוויר Heyl haAvir) is the Air branch of the Israel Defense Force. ... (Redirected from 1956 Suez War) The Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War, Suez Campaign or Kadesh Operation was a war fought on Egyptian territory in 1956. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

As of 2002, 33% of lower rank Officers are women, 22% of Captains and Majors, but only 3% of the most senior ranks.

450 Women currently serve in combat units, primarily in Magav (frontier guards) and other ground forces. The first female fighter pilot successfully received her wings in 2001. In a controversial move, the Army abolished its "Womens Corps" command in 2004, with a view that it has become an anachronism and a stumbling block towards integration of Women in the Army as regular soliders with no special status. After pressures from Feminist lobbies, The Chief of staff was persuaded to keep an "advisor for Women's affairs", however. MAGAV (in Hebrew מגב ) is an acronym for Mishmar Ha-Gvul ( מישמר הגבול ), which in Hebrew means Frontier Guard. MAGAV is the combat branch of the Israeli Police and its composed from professional officers on payroll and field policemen redirected from the IDF (men at the age of 18... An anachronism (from Greek ana, back, and chronos, time) is an artifact that belongs to another time, a person who seems to be displaced in time (i. ... Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ...

Nuclear arms

Israel is widely regarded as being an undeclared nuclear power — it operates nuclear facilities and is generally believed to be in possession of nuclear weapons. Because it is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Israel rejects international inspections of its purported nuclear facilities and maintains a public policy of "nuclear ambiguity". For further information, see: Israel and weapons of mass destruction. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a treaty, opened for signature on July 1, 1968, restricting the possession of nuclear weapons. ... Israel is very widely believed to possess a substantial arsenal of nuclear weapons and intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver them. ...

Regional cease fire status

Israel is formally at war with Iraq, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. A 1973 armistice agreement governs relations with its most immediate military adversary, Syria, and a de facto armistice persists with the other states as well. The chances for peace negotiations and/or full diplomatic relations with most Arab nations appear a more likely prospect once an independent Palestinian Entity is established. The Republic of Iraq is a Middle Eastern country in southwestern Asia encompassing the ancient region of Mesopotamia at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... Iran (Persian: ایران) is a Middle Eastern country located in southwestern Asia. ... The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. ... The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in the Middle East, along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria and Israel. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Geography

Map of Israel

Main article: Geography of Israel.

Israel, located in Southwest Asia, is a country whose exact territorial boundaries and borders are widely disputed. It is also considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called Cradle of Humanity. The total area—excluding East Jerusalem and other territories taken over by Israel in the 1967 war—is 20,770 square km; the total area—including the aforementioned territories—is 22,145 square km. Download high resolution version (330x715, 23 KB)A map of the state of Israel showing key towns and neighbouring countries. ... Map of Israel Map of Israel This article describes the geography of Israel. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... The 19th-century evangelical Protestants who invented the term Cradle of Humanity made generalized but undocumented claims that the term originated in Mesopotamia in the 2nd century, and that it was used by early Arab Christians to refer to a geographic area that falls within a 1,000 mile radius... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ...

The territories taken over by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israeli and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-controlled West Bank and Gaza Strip) to achieve a permanent settlement. These talks generated the Oslo Accords in 1993, which established mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO, and granted the new Palestinian Authority partial autonomy in areas of the Judea/Samaria and Gaza Strip. Talks were also held between Israel and Syria. On April 25, 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The Madrid Conference of 1991 was an early attempt by the international community to start a peace process through negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ... The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially called the Declaration of Principles. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with an intent to destroy Israel. ... The West Bank The Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) is a semi-autonomous state institution nominally governing the bulk of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which it calls the Palestinian Territories). It was established as a part of Oslo accords between the PLO and Israel. ... The Syrian Arab Republic or Syria is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 The Sinai Peninsula (in Arabic, Shibh Jazirat Sina) is a triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and Red Sea (to the south). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... The Israel-Egypt peace treaty was signed in Washington on March 26, 1979 as the first of the Camp David Accords (1978). ... The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan, is a country in the Middle East. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The Israel-Jordan peace treaty was signed at the southern border crossing of Wadi Araba on October 26, 1994, and made Jordan only the second Arab country (after Egypt) to normalize relations with Israel. ...

Administrative districts

Main article: Districts of Israel.

Six districts (mehozot; singular, mehoz) and 13 sub-districts (nafot; singular, nafa) See related article: List of cities in Israel. ...

• Jerusalem District (Mehoz Yerushalayim). District Capital: Jerusalem
• North District (Mehoz HaZafon). District Capital: Nazareth
  • Zefat S.D.
  • Kinneret S.D.
  • Yizre'el S.D.
  • Akko S.D.
  • Golan S.D.
• Haifa District (Mehoz Hefa). District Capital: Haifa
  • Haifa S.D.
  • Hadera S.D.
• Center District (Mehoz HaMerkaz). District Capital: Ramla
  • Sharon S.D.
  • Petah Tiqwa S.D.
  • Ramla S.D.
  • Rehovot S.D.
• Tel Aviv District (Mehoz Tel-Aviv). District Capital: Tel Aviv
• Southern District (Mehoz HaDarom). District Capital: Be'er Sheva
  • Ashqelon S.D.
  • Be'er Sheva S.D.

Jerusalem District of Israel includes: Bet Shemesh בית שמש Jerusalem ירושלים See also List of cities in Israel. ... North District, or Northern District, in Israel includes the following towns and cities: Afula עפולה Akko (Acre) עכו Bet Shean בית שאן Caesarea (Qesarriya) קיסריה Karmiel כרמיאל Maalot-Tarshiha Migdal HaEmeq מגדל העמק Nahariyya נהריה Nazareth נצרת Nazerat Illit נצרת עילית Sakhnin סחנין Shefa-Amr (Shfaram) שפרעם... This is about the Middle East city of Nazareth. ... Haifa District surrounding the city of Haifa in Israel includes the following towns and cities: Baqa al-Gharbiyye באקה אל-גרביה Hadera חדרה Haifa חיפה Nesher נשר Or Aqiva אור עקיבא Qiryat Atta קריית אתא Qiryat Bialik קריית ביאליק Qiryat Motzkin קריית מוצקין Qiryat Yam קריית ים Tirat Karmel טירת... For the Lebanese singer, see Haifa Wahbe Haifa (Hebrew חיפה; Arabic حيفا Ḥayfā) is the third-largest city in Israel, with a population close to 300,000. ... The Center District, or Central District, of Israel includes the following towns and cities: Hod Hasharon הוד השרון Kefar Sava כפר סבא Lod לוד Al-Lydd in Arabic[1] Modiin מודיעין Nes Ziyyona נס ציונה Netanya נתניה Petah Tiqwa פתח תקווה Qalansawe קלנסווה Raannana רעננה Ramla רמלה - not... Ramla (Hebrew רמלה Ramlāh; Arabic الرملة ar-Ramlah, colloquial Ramleh), is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. ... The Tel Aviv District of Israel includes the following towns and cities: Bat Yam בת ים Bene Beraq בני ברק Givatayim גבעתיים Herzliyya הרצליה Holon חולון Or Yehuda אור יהודה Qiryat Ono קריית אונו Ramat-Gan רמת גן Ramat Ha-Sharon רמת השרון Tel Aviv-Yafo תל-אביב - יפו See... Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ... The Southern District, or South District, of Israel includes the following towns and cities: Arad ערד Ashdod אשדוד Ashqelon אשקלון Beer Sheva (Beersheba) באר שבע Dimona דימונה Elat אילת Netivot נתיבות Ofaqim אופקים Qiryat Gat קריית גת Qiryat Malakhi קריית מלאכי Rahat Sederot שדרות Yerucham See also List... Beersheba or Beer Sheva ( Hebrew באר שבע; Arabic بئر السبع Biʾr as-Sabʿ) is a city in Israel. ...

Cities

• See List of cities in Israel.

Cities in Israel, by district Northern District Afula עפולה Akko (Acre) עכו Bet Shean בית שאן Karmiel כרמיאל Maalot-Tarshiha מעלות-תרשיחא Migdal HaEmeq מגדל העמק Nahariyya נהריה Nazareth נצרת Nazerat Illit נצרת עילית Sakhnin סחנין Shefa-Amr (Shfaram) שפרעם Tiberias טבריה Zefat (Safed) צפת Qiryat Shemona...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Israel.

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of fossil fuels (crude oil, natural gas, and coal), grains, beef, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains and beef. Diamonds, high-technology, military equipment, software, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, and flowers) are leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Israel possesses extensive facilities for oil refining, diamond polishing, and semiconductor fabrication. Israel has a diversified modern economy with substantial government ownership and a rapidly developing high-tech sector. ... Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon-containing natural resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. ... The term current account usually refers to the current account of the balance of payments (BOP) and contains the import and export items of goods and services. ... View of the Shell/Valero Martinez oil refinery An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into useful petroleum products. ... A semiconductor is a material that is an insulator at very low temperature, but which has a sizable electrical conductivity at room temperature. ...

Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the U.S., which is its major source of economic and military aid. A relatively large fraction of Israel's external debt is held by individual investors, via the Israel Bonds program. The combination of American loan guarantee's and direct sales to individual investors, allow the state to borrow at competitive and sometimes below-market rates.

The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR topped 750,000 during the period 1989-1999, bringing the population of Israel from the former Soviet Union to 1 million, one-sixth of the total population, and adding scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the economy's future. The influx, coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began slowing in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Those policies brought inflation down to record low levels in 1999. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)  listen; tr. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Soviet Union - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Cold War ( 1947- 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Israel.

At the end of 2003, of Israel's 6.7 million people, 81% were "Jews and others", and 19% were Arabs. By religion, 77% were Jewish, 16% were Muslim, 4% were Christian, 2% were Druze and the rest were not classified by religion.[5] (http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton55/st02_01.pdf) Download high resolution version (1024x1180, 21 KB)Created from Image:Wikipedia blue star of david. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... Etymology of the word Jew: The name for the Jewish people in Hebrew is Yehudim (יהודים). ... Judaism is the Jewish religion, but Jews, religious or not, also form an ethnic group or nation. ... Jewish leadership: Since 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem there has been no single body that has a leadership position over the entire Jewish community. ... Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews, or even those of religious Jews working in cultural areas not generally considered to be connected... Jewish ethnic divisions: The most commonly used terms to describe ethnic divisions among Jews presently are: Ashkenazi (meaning German in Hebrew, denoting the Central European base of Jewry); and Sephardi (meaning Spanish in Hebrew, denoting their Spanish and North African location). ... This article is about the Ashkenazi Jews. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal: ספרד, Standard Hebrew Səfárad, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄áraḏ / Səp̄āraḏ), or whose ancestors were among the Jews expelled from... Mizrachi is also an organisation of the Religious Zionist Movement Mizrahi Jews or Oriental Jews (מזרחי eastern, Standard Hebrew Mizraḥi, Tiberian Hebrew Mizrāḥî; plural מזרחים easterners, Standard Hebrew Mizraḥim, Tiberian Hebrew Mizrāḥîm) are Jews of Middle Eastern origin; that is to say, their ancestors never left the Middle East. ... Yemenite Jews (תֵּימָנִי, Standard Hebrew Temani, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānî; plural תֵּימָנִים, Standard Hebrew Temanim, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānîm) are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen (תֵּימָן far south, Standard Hebrew Teman, Tiberian Hebrew Têmān), a nation on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. ... The Bene Israel (Sons of Israel) are a group of Jews who, in the mid-twentieth century, lived primarily in Bombay, Kolkata, Delhi and Ahmadabad. ... The Beta Israel (or House of Israel), known by outsiders by the Ethiopian origin. ... The number of Jews in the world is difficult to calculate, especially given the constant debates of the definition of Jew. ... This article focuses on the history of Jews in the United States, which has the world’s largest Jewish population. ... Historical background As waves of anti-Jewish pogroms and expulsions from the countries of Western Europe marked the last centuries of the Middle Ages, a sizable portion of the Jewish populations there moved to the more tolerant countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Jews have lived in Germany and contributed to German culture for over 1700 years, through both periods of tolerance and spasms of anti-semitic violence, culminating in the Holocaust and the destruction of the Jewish community in Germany... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia The history of the Jews of France dates back over 2,500 years. ... The history of Jews in the Americas dates back to Christopher Columbus, who left Spain to cross the Atlantic Ocean on the same day by which Spanish Jews were forced to either abandon their religion or leave the country. ... This article is about the history of the Jewish people in England; also see the related Jewish history article. ... The following is a list of prominent Jews from across the Jewish diaspora, with one example from each country and a link to a list for that country. ... Jewish languages: The oldest and most treasured books of the Jewish people have been the Torah and Tanakh (i. ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... This article deals with the Judaeo-Spanish language. ... Dzhidi, or Judæo-Persian, is the Jewish language spoken by the Jews living in Persia. ... Judæo-Aramaic is a collective term used to describe several Hebrew_influenced Aramaic and Neo_Aramaic languages. ... The Judæo-Arabic languages are a collection of Arabic dialects spoken by Jews living or formerly living in Arabic_speaking countries; the term also refers to more or less classical Arabic written in the Hebrew script, particularly in medieval times. ... Jewish denominations: Over time, the Jewish community has become divided into a number of religious denominations, also called branches or movements. Each denomination has a different understanding of what principles of belief a Jew should hold, and how one should live as a Jew. ... Orthodox Judaism is one of the three major branches of Judaism. ... Conservative Judaism (or Masorti Judaism) is a denomination of Judaism characterized by: A positive attitude toward modern culture The belief that traditional rabbinic modes of study, and modern scholarship and critical text study, are both valid ways to learn about and from Jewish religious texts. ... Reform Judaism (also known as Progressive Judaism while in the U.K. Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism together make up Progressive Judaism) is a branch of Judaism characterized by: The belief that an individuals personal autonomy overrides traditional Jewish law and custom. ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a denomination of Judaism characterized by: The belief that an individuals personal autonomy generally overrides traditional Jewish law and custom, yet also holding that ones practices must take into account communal consensus. ... Karaite Judaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the Tanakh as the sole scripture, and rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmuds) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ... Labor Zionism (or Labour Zionism) is the traditional left-wing of the Zionist ideology. ... General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement. ... Revisionist Zionism is a right wing tendency of the Zionist movement. ... A Bundist demonstration, 1917 The General Jewish Labour Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, in Yiddish the Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in Lite, Poyln un Rusland (אלגמײנער ײדישער ארבײטרסבונד אין רוסלנד, ליטא אונד פוילן), generally called The Bund (בונד), was a Jewish political party operating in several European countries between... Jewish history is the history of the Jewish people, faith (Judaism) and culture. ... This entry contains a timeline of the development of Judaism and the Jewish people. ... Schisms among the Jews: First Temple era Based on the historical narrative in the Bible and archeology, Levantine civilization at the time of Solomons Temple was prone to idol worship, astrology, worship of reigning kings, and paganism. ... In compiling the history of ancient Israel and Judah, there are many available sources, including the Jewish Tanakh (the Old Testament of the Christian Bible), other Jewish texts such as the Talmud, the Ethiopian book of history known as the Kebra Nagast, the writings of historians such as Nicolaus of... The Jerusalem Temple (Hebrew: beit ha-mikdash) was the center of Israelite and Jewish worship, primarily for the offering of sacrifices known as the korbanot. ... The Babylonian captivity, or Babylonian exile, is the name generally given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. ... The Hasmonean Kingdom (pronunciation) in ancient Judea and its ruling dynasty from 140 BC to 37 BC was established under the leadership of Simon Maccabaeus, two decades after Judah the Maccabee defeated the Seleucid army in 165 BC. Origin of the Hasmonean dynasty The origin of the Hasmonean dynasty is... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Pharisees (from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate) were, depending on the time, a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 BCE–70 CE). ... The first page of the Talmud, in the standard Vilna edition. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Jews in the Middle Ages : The history of Jews in the Middle Ages (approximately 500 CE to 1750 CE) can be divided into two categories. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Islam and Judaism: This article is part of a series on Jewish history and discusses the history of Islam and Judaism, as they have interacted with other for 1200 years, from the seventh century up until the end... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Haskalah (from the Hebrew word sekhel, meaning intellect) was the movement among European Jews in the late 18th century that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing secular knowledge, Hebrew language, and... Hasidic Judaism (Hebrew: Chasidut חסידות) is a Haredi Jewish religious movement. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust refers to Nazi Germanys systematic genocide ( ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II starting in 1941 and continuing through 1945. ... Main article: State of Israel. ... Persecution of the Jews deals with various persecutions that the Jewish people have experinced throughout history. ... Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards Jews (not: Semites - see the Misnomer section further on). ... This is a partial chronology of hostilities towards or discrimination against the Jews as a religious or ethnic group. ... Main article: Anti-Semitism The term The New anti-Semitism was coined at the outset of the 21st century to describe waves of attacks around the globe directed at Jews, Jewish organizations, Israel, and Zionism. ... This article discusses the demographics of Israel. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Arab (disambiguation). ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... This article is about the religious people known as Christians. ... The Druze ( Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ...

Among Jews, 63% were born in Israel, 27% are immigrants from Europe and the Americas, and 10% are immigrants from Asia and Africa (including the Arab countries).[6] (http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton55/st02_21x.pdf) World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... The Americas (sometimes referred to as America) is the area including the land mass located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, generally divided into North America and South America. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

6% of Israeli Jews define themselves as haredim (ultra-orthodox religious); an additional 9% are "religious"; 34% consider themselves "traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish halacha) ; and 51% are "secular". Among the seculars, 53% believe in God.[7]  (http://www.geocities.com/demokratya/dat/shavit.htm) Haredi Judaism, also called ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Judaism. ... Halakha (הלכה in Hebrew or Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish law, custom and tradition regulating all aspects of behavior. ...

Of the Arab Israelis 82% are Muslim and 9% are Christian.[8] (http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton55/st02_01.pdf) The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ...

As of 31 December 2003, 224,200 Israeli citizens live in the West Bank in communities established before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and re-established after the Six-Day War, and in numerous towns and settlements. All but a few of these were new settlements, established after Israel took control following the Six-Day War in 1967, and assisted in their development by government funding and military protection. This number does not include Israelis in "East Jerusalem", which was captured by Jordan in 1948, and annexed by it from 1950 to 1967. About 7,500 Israelis live in communities built in the Gaza Strip. [9]  (http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2003/tab_1.pdf). December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... The West Bank is a territory in the Middle East constituting the area west of the Jordan River annexed by Jordan at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. ... Community is a set of people (or agents in a more abstract sense) with some shared element. ... The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, called the War of Independence (Hebrew: מלחמת העצמאות) by Israelis and al Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, the catastrophe) by Arabs, was the first in a series of wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Israeli settlements are Jewish communities in areas under Israeli control as a result of the 1967 Six Day War. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... East Jerusalem is that part of Jerusalem which was held by Jordan from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until the Six-Day War in 1967. ... The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan, is a country in the Middle East. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ...

Articles related to Arab-Jewish relations

• Immigration to Israel
• Anti-Semitism
• New Anti-Semitism
• Jewish refugees
• Balfour Declaration 1917
• 1922 Text: League of Nations Palestine Mandate
• 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel
• 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel
• Camp David 2000 Summit between Palestinians and Israel
• Proposals for a Palestinian state
• Arab-Israeli conflict
• List of conflicts in the Middle East
• Israeli Security Forces
• Land of Israel
• Ancient kingdom of Israel

Main article: State of Israel. ... Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards Jews (not: Semites - see the Misnomer section further on). ... Main article: Anti-Semitism The term The New anti-Semitism was coined at the outset of the 21st century to describe waves of attacks around the globe directed at Jews, Jewish organizations, Israel, and Zionism. ... In the course of history, Jewish populations have been expelled or ostracised by various local authorities and have sought asylum from Anti-Semitism numerous times. ... The Balfour Declaration was a letter of November 2, 1917 from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, to Lord Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation. ... The Palestine Mandate: The Council of the League of Nations: July 24, 1922. ... (Redirected from 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. ... (Redirected from 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel) The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO, acting as representatives of the Palestinian people) in 1993 as part of a peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially... The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. ... Proposals for a Palestinian state vary depending on ones views of Palestinian statehood, as well as various definitions of Palestine and Palestinian (see also State of Palestine). ... Israel and the Arab League states The Arab-Israeli conflict is a long-running conflict in the Middle East regarding the existence of the state of Israel and its relations with Arab states and with the Palestinian population (see Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... In the last 60 years, there have been a number of conflicts in the Middle East. ... The Israel Security Forces (ISF) are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisrael) refers to the land making up the ancient Jewish Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. ... The Kingdom of Israel (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yisraʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yiśrāʾēl) according to the Bible, was the nation formed around 1021BC from the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was given the name Israel, meaning Struggles With God. ...

Culture and religion

Main article: Culture of Israel

• Archaeology of Israel
• Music of Israel
• List of Israeli artists
• Science and technology in Israel
• Hatikva, the National anthem of Israel
• Judaism in Israel
• Unique Israeli Community Forms, see Kibbutz

Israeli culture is inseparable from Judaism which preceded it (i. ... The archaeology of Israel is a national passion that also attracts considerable international interest on account of the regions Biblical links. ... Modern Israeli music is heavily influenced by its constituents, which include Palestinians (see Palestinian music) and Jewish immigrants (see Jewish music) from more than 120 countries around the world have brought their own musical traditions, making Israel a global melting pot. ... List of Israeli musical artists, singers and bands A Acharit Hayamim (The Latter Days) Adam Adi Ran Almana Shchora (Black Widow) Alon Olearchik Alona Daniel Amir Benayun Amir Fey Guttman Amir Lev Anat Atzmon Antiloop Ariel Horowitz Ariel Zilber Arik Einstein Arik Lavi Arik Sinai Aris San Arkadi Duchin Asaf... Israeli contributions to science and technology have been significant, even strangely out of proportion for a country of roughly six million with continuous security challenges. ... Hatikvah (also Hatikva, The Hope) is the national anthem of Israel. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... The great majority of citizens in the State of Israel are Jewish; the great majority of Israeli Jews practice Judaism as their religion. ... A kibbutz קיבוץ (Hebrew, pl. ...

Gay rights

As of 2005, Israel (along with Turkey) is one of only two countries in the Middle East where homosexuality is not illegal or persecuted by the authorities. In Israel, same sex marriage is not officially recognized, but common-law marriage status has been established after numerous high court appeals. The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Homosexuality may refer to: A sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire exclusively or almost exclusively for members of the same sex or with the same gender identity (e. ... Persecution is persistent mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. ... There are two classes of interpersonal status known today as common-law (or common law) marriage. ...

Israel has an active gay community, with annual gay pride festivals held in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem since 1998. The World Pride Festival [10] (http://www.gay.org.il/joh/eng/WPJ.htm) is planned forJerusalem in August 2005, despite protests from religious groups of the three major religions. Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Holidays and events

This article is about the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. ... Yom Kippur (יום כפור yom kippūr, day of atonement) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת sukkōt, booths) or Succoth is an 8-day Biblical pilgrimage festival, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Tabernacles. ... Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת sukkōt, booths) or Succoth is an 8-day Biblical pilgrimage festival, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Tabernacles. ... Chanukah (חנכה ḥănukkāh, or חנוכה ḥănūkkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. ... Purim (פּוּרִים Lots, Standard Hebrew Purim, Tiberian Hebrew Pûrîm: plural of פּוּר pûr Lot, from Akkadian pūru) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Persian Jews from the plot of the evil Haman to exterminate them, as recorded in the biblical Book of Esther. ... Passover, also known as Pesach or Pesah (פסח pesaḥ), is a Jewish holiday (lasting seven days in Israel and among some liberal Diaspora Jews, and eight days among other Diaspora Jews) that commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt; it is also observed by some Christians to... Passover, also known as Pesach or Pesah (פסח pesaḥ), is a Jewish holiday (lasting seven days in Israel and among some liberal Diaspora Jews, and eight days among other Diaspora Jews) that commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt; it is also observed by some Christians to... Yom HaShoah (יום השואה yom hash-sho’āh), or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is a Jewish holiday that takes place on the 27th day of Nisan, in the Hebrew calendar. ... Yom Haatzmaut (יום העצמאות yom hā-‘aṣmā’ūṯ), Israeli Independence Day, commemorates the declaration of independence of Israel in 1948. ... Shavuot (Hebrew שבועות), ([seven] weeks) (pronounced: shah-voo-OH-t) is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals; it is a major Jewish holiday; it is also known as the Feast of Weeks. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• List of Israelis
• Cities in Israel
• Communications in Israel
• Transportation in Israel
• Military of Israel
• Foreign relations of Israel
• Israel and the United Nations
• Ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim - (often shortened to Mossad)
• Violence against Israelis
• List of Israeli newspapers
• List of universities in Israel
• Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange

This is a list of prominent Israelis (including Arab citizens of Israel). ... Cities in Israel, by district Northern District Afula עפולה Akko (Acre) עכו Bet Shean בית שאן Karmiel כרמיאל Maalot-Tarshiha מעלות-תרשיחא Migdal HaEmeq מגדל העמק Nahariyya נהריה Nazareth נצרת Nazerat Illit נצרת עילית Sakhnin סחנין Shefa-Amr (Shfaram) שפרעם Tiberias טבריה Zefat (Safed) צפת Qiryat Shemona... Communications in Israel: Telephones - main lines in use: 2. ... Railways: total: 610 km standard gauge: 610 km 1. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... Foreign relations of Israel deal with some of the following issues: In addition to seeking an end to hostilities with Arab forces, against which it has fought five wars since 1948, Israel has given high priority to gaining wide acceptance as a sovereign state with an important international role. ... Israel and the United Nations (as an organization) have had, since the states founding on 1948, very mixed relations. ... Ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim (Hebrew: המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks) is an Israeli intelligence agency, commonly referred to as Mossad. ... Many acts of violence and acts of terrorism were committed by individuals, groups and employees of the Palestinian National Authority against Israeli civilians in the last 4 years, since the failure of the Camp David talks in the summer of 2000. ... The following are some of the newspapers published in Israel. ... There are eight official universities in Israel, listed below (followed by their English acronym, if commonly used): Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) Tel-Aviv University (TAU) University of Haifa Bar-Ilan University (BIU) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Weizmann Institute of Science Open... The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) is a stock exchange in Tel-Aviv, Israel. ...

Footnotes

¹ Jerusalem is Israel's officially designated capital, and the location of its presidential residence, government offices and the Knesset, Israel's Parliament. Israelis often describe the city as "The Eternal Capital of Israel." However, many countries dissent this designation, and consider the status of Jerusalem as an unresolved issue, due to Israel's capture of the eastern half of Jerusalem (and subsequent reunification) from Jordan during the Six Day War. They believe that the final issue of the status of Jerusalem will be determined in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; Therefore, those countries locate their embassies in other major cities like Tel Aviv, Ramat-Gan, Herzliya, etc., instead, to avoid political sensitivities. Tel Aviv at night Dizengof Center Allenby Street Tel Aviv-Yafo (Hebrew תל אביב-יפו; Arabic تل ابيب-يافا Tal Abīb-Yāfā) is an Israeli city on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. ... Ramat Gan (רמת-גן) is a city in Israel, on the central coastal strip, just east of Tel Aviv, and part of the metropolis known as Gush Dan, in the Tel Aviv District. ... Herzliyya (הרצליה; unofficially also spelled Herzliya) is a city in Israel, on the central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, just north of Tel Aviv (about 15 minutes drive), and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in the Tel Aviv District. ...

Moreover, some of the dissenting countries do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, due to what they perceive as illegal Israeli action in designating the city to be its capital in the first place (1950), as well as Israel's capture of the eastern half from Jordan, in 1967. These states instead recognize Tel Aviv, the temporary capital for a time in 1948, when Jerusalem was under Arab siege, as the continuous legitimate capital, and as a result keep their embassies there. Other entities maintain that Jerusalem must be internationalized as originally envisioned by the United Nations General Assembly. See the article on Jerusalem for more.

² For a short period in the 1990s the prime minister was directly elected by the electorate. This change was not viewed a success and was abandoned. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM...

External links

General information

• Encarta Encyclopedia entry on Israel (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575008/Israel_(country).html#s1)
• BBC News Country Profile - Israel and Palestinian Territories (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm)
• Jewish Virtual Library Israel articles (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/israel.html), including information on history, economics, and military issues. From the American-Israel Cooperative Enterprise, an Israel-advocacy group.
• CIA World Factbook - Israel (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html)
• Library of Congress Country Study - Israel (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iltoc.html) data as of December 1988
• Open Directory Project - Israel (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Middle_East/Israel/) directory category
• Yahoo! - Israel (http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Israel/) directory category
• Ministry of Tourism (http://www.goisrael.com/)

Government

• Official Government Gateway (http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The President of the state of Israel (http://www.president.gov.il/defaults/default_en.asp)
• Prime Minister's Office (http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng)
• Bureau of Statistics (http://www.cbs.gov.il/engindex.htm)
• The Knesset (Parliament) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/)
• Israel Defence Force site (http://www.idf.il/)
• The Courts (http://62.90.71.124/eng/home/index.html)
• Basic Laws (http://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_yesod1.htm), legal code of Israel

• Israel Security Fence Project (http://www.seamzone.mod.gov.il/pages/eng/purpose.htm)

Israeli media

• Yedioth Aharonoth (http://www.ynetnews.com/) Israel's largest newspaper, centrist (English) (Hebrew) (http://www.ynet.co.il/)
• Maariv (http://www.maarivintl.com/) Second largest Israeli newspaper, centrist (English) (Hebrew) (http://www.nrg.co.il/)
• Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/), Israel's oldest English newspaper, conservative (English)
• Ha'Aretz (http://www.haaretz.com/) Israeli newspaper, liberal (English) (Hebrew) (http://www.haaretz.co.il/)
• Arutz Sheva (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/) news site representing the settler community, right-wing religious (English)
• Indymedia Israel (http://israel.indymedia.org/), primarily left-wing, mostly in Hebrew
• Jewish Telegraphic Agency (http://www.jta.org/), covers worldwide Jewish news, centrist (English)
• Yahoo! News Full Coverage - Israel (http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=israel) news headline links

The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ...

History

Please see main article History of Israel Main article: State of Israel. ...

• The birth of Israel (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/78601.stm) from the BBC
• Israel Museum, Jerusalem (http://www.imj.org.il/)
• Historical documents (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/7/Israel-s%20Foreign%20Relations-%20Selected%20Documents) from the Israeli Ministry of Public Affairs

Economy, science, and technology

• Globes Online: Business and technology news from Israel (http://globes.co.il/serveen/)
• Standard and Poor's Israel Economic Information (http://www.standardpoor.co.il/index.html)
• DUNS 100 (http://duns100.dundb.co.il/), the hundred largest companies in Israel
• Israel Science and Technology Homepage (http://www.science.co.il/)

Foreign relations and the current conflicts

For links on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, see Arab-Israeli Conflict: External Links Israel and the Arab League states The Arab-Israeli conflict is a long-running conflict in the Middle East regarding the existence of the state of Israel and its relations with Arab states and with the Palestinian population (see Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ...

• Israel21c: A focus beyond the conflict (http://www.israel21c.com)
• Le Monde diplomatique report on EU-Israeli relations (http://mondediplo.com/focus/mideast/r1276)
• European Union's relations with Israel (http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/israel/intro/)
• US-Israeli Relations (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ustoc.html) from the Jewish Virtual Library.

Society

• Israel Women's Network (http://www.iwn.org.il/iwn.asp)
• Gay Middle East - Israel section (http://www.gaymiddleeast.com/country/israel)
• Israeli Arabs and Israeli Society (http://www.fmep.org/analysis/ori_nir_israels_arab_minority.html), discussion with Ori Nir, correspondent for Haaretz and the Forward.
• Freedom of Religion in Israeli Society and Politics (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/freedom.html) by Prof. Shimon Shetreet, former minister of Religious Affairs.
• Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salaam (http://www.nswas.com) the Oasis of Peace, an experimental Arab-Jewish cooperative village.

The Oasis of Peace, known as Neve Shalom (נווה שלום) in Hebrew and Wahat al-Salam in Arabic is a village jointly founded by Israeli Jews and Arabs (Palestinians) in an attempt to show that the two cultures can live side by side peacefully. ...

Photos

• Israel Images (http://israelimages.com/) Searchable database of 20,000 images.
• Photographs of modern Israeli buildings and cities (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/co/?id=100066).
• Pictures of various holy sites and tourist destinations (http://www.trekker.co.il/english/israel-tour.htm).

File links The following pages link to this file: Abu Dhabi Abraham Lincoln Australia Adolf Hitler Animation Andorra Alaska Anatomy Asia Albert Einstein Asterales Automobile Aircraft Alexander Graham Bell Apple Computer American Civil War Ancient Egypt Asteraceae Alps Arches National Park Aarhus Almond Caesar Augustus Acacia Acropolis Acupuncture Amaranth Alexander... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free images, sound and other multimedia files. ...