Israel

Region: Middle East

Official language: Hebrew, Arabic

Population: 9,402,617 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Israeli(s) (noun), Israeli (adjective)

Land area: 20,330 sq km (7,849 sq miles)

Water area: 440 sq km (170 sq miles)

Capital: Jerusalem

National anthem: "Hatikvah" (The Hope), by Naftali Herz Imber/Traditional, Arranged By Samuel Cohen

National holiday: Independence Day, May 14 (1948); note - Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May

Population growth: 1.58% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +2

Flag: Reflecting the blue stripes on the Tallit (the Jewish prayer shawl), the Israeli flag features two horizontal stripes of blue, one on the bottom and one on the top against a white background. In the center of the flag is a dark blue Star of David, the symbol of Judaism.

Independence: May 14, 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws

Israel is located in the Middle East, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Jewish people, followers of Judaism, consider Israel their historical and spiritual homeland. The country occupies one of the most politically contested regions of land in the world.

Since its founding in 1948, Israel has been in a constant state of conflict with its Arab Muslim neighbors, many of whom do not recognize Israel as a legitimate state. Prior to the founding of Israel, the region was known as Palestine, and Palestinian Arabs have their own historical and spiritual claims over the land of Israel and more particularly, on the city of Jerusalem. The Arab-Israeli conflict is also rooted in land disputes involving the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the potential establishment of a separate Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Israel is bordered by Egypt to the southwest, Jordan to the east, Syria to the northeast, and Lebanon to the north. Established after World War II, Israel is the first Jewish state to exist in two thousand years. More than one-third of the world's Jews live in Israel.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The Jewish majority, accounting for approximately 73.5 percent of the population in 2022, has grown with successive waves of immigration since 1948. The three major strains of the Jewish population are the Ashkenazic Jews, who emigrated from Germany and other parts of central and eastern Europe, the Sephardic Jews, who come from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, and the Mizrahi Jews, who come from North Africa and the Middle East.

The Ashkenazim represented the first wave of Jewish immigration to Palestine in the late 1800s, followed in the mid-twentieth century by Jews from regions in Asia and Africa, who now constitute the majority. In addition, there was an influx of Russian Jews during the 1980s and 1990s.

Other sects of Judaism represented in Israel are the Karaites, who believe in a strict adherence to the Torah, and the Samaritans. Modern citizens of Israel dress in Western clothing and enjoy Western popular culture and entertainment.

Israel's HDI value for 2022 is 0.915— which put the country in the Very High human development category—positioning it at 25 out of 193 countries and territories.

Indigenous People: Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human activity in the region now known as Palestine that dates back 500,000 years. In addition, archaeologists and historians suggest that the region was home to various Canaanite city states during the Bronze Age (2300–600 BCE) and that these settlements traded with populations in Syria and Egypt. Although some scholars cite the Bible as evidence of the Philistine people have been engendered in the region of modern-day Israel and Palestine, others have suggested that the Philistines arrived in the region from Greece and the Greek Isles. Nonetheless, the ancient history of this region of the Middle East unfurled in a continual power struggle between various Israelite kingdoms and later Muslim caliphates. The debate over which group can lay historical claim to the region is one that continues to be contested among academics, historians, archaeologists, and religious scholars alike.

Nonetheless, the Arab population in Palestine strongly opposed the creation of Israel by United Nations decree in 1948. This was complicated by the fact that there was a large Arab minority within Israel's newly established borders. Although they were to be considered full-fledged citizens of Israel, they consider themselves Palestinians, and many do not recognize the Israeli government.

Another sector of the Arab community, the Druze, lives in Galilee and Mount Carmel. There is also a significant minority of Christian Arabs, mostly Greek Orthodox or Greek Catholic, living in Israel.

Education: Education in Israel is mandatory until children reach eighteen years of age. There is a variety of schools from which students can choose to obtain their secondary education, including secular, religious, and private schools, as well as schools that speak Arabic exclusively.

There are many universities in Israel. Three institutions formed in the early half of the twentieth century are the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, located in Haifa; the Weizmann Institute of Science, located in Rehovot; and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Other universities include Ben-Gurion University, the Open University of Israel in Tel Aviv (formerly Everyman's University), and the University of Tel Aviv.

Health Care: Israel has a low infant mortality rate and high life expectancy rates. It has a national health care system, overseen by the Ministry of Health, which also monitors private health care companies. There is national insurance as well as compulsory social insurance, welfare, and childcare programs.

Israel's infant mortality rate is 2.8 deaths per every 1,000 live births (2024 estimate). Life expectancy is 81.1 years for men and 85.1 years for women (2024 estimate).

Food: Israel is not known for its food, partly because of its dependence on foreign imports. In general, Israeli cuisine is Mediterranean in style and features pita bread, dates, lamb, falafel, and salads. Most recipes also include the staple olives and olive oils. The olive tree has been a staple of the region since antiquity.

Israel has begun to develop a more diverse cuisine. It now features some French and Italian influences mixed in with the more traditional Mediterranean and North African fare. One particular area of innovation is goat and sheep's cheese, a result of further development of the country's dairy industry.

Arts & Entertainment: Israelis enjoy a modern arts and entertainment culture that has seen a growing Western influence in recent years. Israel enjoys a vigorous, free press, although Reporters Without Borders has reported restrictions placed on Palestinian journalists in Israel. The country also has numerous radio stations, state-run television stations, and private cable channels. Part of the country's cultural vibrancy comes from the international flavor of its immigrant population.

Prominent Israeli writers include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966. Israel's national theater company, Habima, is well regarded both at home and abroad. Commercial theatrical productions, along with more serious dramas, are extremely popular throughout Israel.

Holidays: Israelis observe the major holidays of the Jewish faith, including Yom Kippur, the Hebrew day of atonement; Rosh Hashanah, the New Year celebration, also known as the Feast of Trumpets; and Passover. Since Israel does not use the Gregorian calendar, the dates of these celebrations differ from those observed by Jews in other parts of the world.

Israelis also celebrate Independence Day in April or May, and Holocaust Remembrance Day in April.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Israel is a relatively small country. Although it is similar in size to the American state of Vermont, it has a varied topography. The southern part of the country opens into the Gulf of Aqaba at Elat. This southern half of Israel is the widest, and its main feature is the flat, dry Negev desert. Sandstone hills also characterize this region.

The Jordan Rift Valley, through which flows the Jordan River, stretches up the eastern border of the country. This border is broken up by small bodies of water, such as the Dead Sea just south of Jericho. The Dead Sea has an incredibly high salt content and is the lowest spot on the earth, at 431 meters (1,414 feet) below sea level.

The Mediterranean coastal plain is in the center of the country. The narrowest part of Israel, the plain is only 25 miles wide at the southern edge. Farmland lies to the east, in the coastal plain, which has expanded since the 1967 war. The West Bank area is currently under Israeli control, and Jewish settlements there are funded by the government.

To the north are the mountains of Galilee. Israel's highest mountain, Mount Meron, is 1,208 meters (3,963 feet) high. The mountain range is divided by the Plains of Esdraelon, a fertile alley that stretches from the coast to the Jordan Rift Valley in the east.

Natural Resources: Israel's most important natural resource is its water supply, which is precarious. The most fertile area of the country is around Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee), which is a major water supply for the whole country. Water also comes from the Jordan River and the Yarqon River, as well as an underground water table tapped by wells. Nevertheless, the country has had to focus on drip irrigation techniques to maximize its limited resources.

Though it is not a good source for water, the Dead Sea has been an excellent source of minerals. It is rich in potash, magnesium, bromine, and salt. There is also some oil, mainly in the northern Negev desert and just south of Tel Aviv.

Plants & Animals: Despite its small area, Israel is home to a large variety of plant life. Vegetation is sparse in the southern Negev desert and is comprised mainly of scrub bushes. However, the northern mountainous end of Israel is covered in oak trees and conifers. The ancient Cedars of Lebanon have been depleted.

Animals commonly found in Israel include jackals, hyenas, and gazelles, as well as geckos and carpet vipers. There are also tiger weasels, badgers, and wildcats. The country is home to more than 380 different species of bird, some of which include cuckoos, desert larks, and sand grouse.

Climate: The southern section of Israel is hot and dry, with average temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer and 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter. However, temperatures in the coastal areas are much cooler, averaging 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer and 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter.

Israel's winter is generally cool and rainy and lasts from October until April, while the hot and dry summer season lasts from May until September. Precipitation amounts also vary with the terrain. In the south, there can be as little as 25 millimeters (1 inch) per year, while the northern part of the country could get as much as 1,120 millimeters (44 inches) of rain in a year.

Economy

Israel's economy relies heavily on foreign aid. This has come primarily from the United States, as well as from Jewish populations throughout the world. In its early years, Israel also received reparation payments from Germany for war crimes against Jews committed during World War II.

Because of ongoing hostilities with its neighbors, Israel relies heavily on the United States and the European Union as trading partners. Israel is also part of the World Trade Organization.

In 2023, Israel's gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was approximately $471.03 billion. The unemployment rate that same year was an estimated 3.39 percent.

Industry: In the Israeli economy there is a great emphasis placed on technology, education, and research and development, helped in part by the highly educated immigrants who arrived in Israel after 1948. The country's manufacturing focuses on electronics, aviation, and weapons, the market for which has grown since 1967. Other goods manufactured in Israel include fertilizers, drugs, and medical and industrial equipment.

Agriculture: The main crops in Israel include beets, peanuts, and cotton. In addition, there are citrus groves located near the center of the country. Israel has maximized its water supply in order to support agriculture and is working on ways to obtain more water. One agricultural advance was the conversion of the Hula Swamp in northern Israel into usable farmland in the 1950s. Dairy has also become increasingly important with the growth of Israel's burgeoning cheese industry.

Tourism: Given Israel's central religious significance to Jews, Christians, and Arabs, it is a popular destination for tourists, though tourist traffic slows during periods of violent conflict. Attacks by militant groups such as Hamas can make the country a dangerous place to visit.

There are many sites with biblical significance scattered throughout Israel, including the cities of Bethlehem and Nazareth, as well as the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. There is active archeological preservation and study underway related to the country's religious heritage. There are also popular resorts along Israel's Mediterranean coastline.

Government

Immigration to a Jewish homeland began in the late 1800s, when Jews began returning to Palestine, then a part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The road to statehood got a significant boost in the aftermath of World War I, when these "Zionist pioneers" persuaded the British government to aid the creation of a Jewish homeland in the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The League of Nations then placed Palestine under British control.

With the onset of World War II, Britain stopped Jewish immigration to Palestine for security purposes. By the end of the war, the Jewish population had reached over half a million. In 1947, amid international pressure and the revelation of the horrors of the Holocaust, Britain returned the Palestinian issue to the newly formed United Nations. The UN decided to divide Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. This idea was rejected by the Arab population.

As soon as the state of Israel was declared in 1948, it was invaded by its neighbors: Iraq, Egypt, Jordan (then Transjordan), Lebanon, and Syria. The war ended in the summer of 1949 with Israel gaining one-fifth more territory than was originally allotted by the UN. Since its creation, there has been a series of wars challenging Israel's existence and its borders, most notably the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, both of which were major Israeli victories against multiple attacking Arab states.

In October 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise assault into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of Israelis and wounding thousands in the worst attack on Israel since the Yom Kippur War. Israel immediately declared war on Hamas. This marked an escalation of the decades-long conflict between both factions over control of the region.

Israel is a parliamentary democracy, governed by a set of Basic Laws. In forming the government, Israel did not compose a constitution or a bill of rights. Instead, the composition of the Jewish state is constantly evolving, responding to changes in society and politics.

The country's legislative body is called the Knesset, composed of 120 members in a single chamber. The members serve four-year terms.

The executive branch of the government is headed by the prime minister, who assembles a cabinet. The members of this executive cabinet may be members of the Knesset, but it is not required. The Knesset elects a president every five years, though the office is mainly ceremonial. The president may appoint various government officials but possesses no veto power.

Israel is subdivided into six districts (mehozot), each with its own councils and elections. The minimum voting age is eighteen, though citizens cannot run for office until they are twenty-one. The division of the Knesset is a result of the proportion of votes each party receives. The prime minister is no longer elected by direct election—instead, the office is filled by the leader of the governing coalition.

The two main parties in the country are the conservative Likud Party and the more liberal Labor Party. The Labor Party held power until the Likud victory in the 1977 election. In general, the Labor Party is seen as socialist in spirit. The Likud Party, on the other hand, is more interested in privatization. Some of the parties' opposing views are illustrated by their contrasting treatment of the Palestinian territories gained in 1967.

In October 2023, HAMAS conducted a surprise ground assault from Gaza into Israel, supported by rockets and armed drones, killing more than 1,000 Israelis and foreigners living in Israel; the attack resulted in an IDF ground invasion of Gaza where fighting continued into 2024.

Interesting Facts

• Tel-Aviv is the home of one of the largest diamond-cutting and polishing operations in the world.
• The Dead Sea is almost ten times saltier than the ocean, making it very easy to float in the water; this makes it popular with tourists, and also a good source of minerals for skin-care products and other uses.
• At its widest point, Israel is only 85 miles wide.

Bibliography

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 2022, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

"Israel." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/israel. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

"Israel." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 20 Dec. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/israel/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

"Israel: Statistics." United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, data.unicef.org/country/isr/. Accessed 8 Jul. 2022.