Israel Cultural Essentials

• Land

Israel has a total land area of approximately 20,770 square kilometers. In addition to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it borders Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Its western boundary is the Mediterranean ...more

• History

The first true empire in world history emerged in the 24th century BCE, when a dynasty of Semitic rulers conquered all of Upper Mesopotamia, including Asia Minor and southeastern Arabia, dubbing itself ...more

• Today

In the summer of 2006, a 34-day war broke out between Lebanon and northern Israel, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand Lebanese people and a much smaller number of Israelis. The first attack consisted ...more

• Economy

Poor in natural resources, stymied by socialist inefficiencies, and hamstrung by the burdens of large defense expenditures and Jewish refugee absorption, Israel for years relied upon substantial financial ...more

• People

Of the 7.2 million residents in Israel, 76% are Jewish and 16% are Muslim; of the remaining 5%, about half are Christians. Most of these Muslims and Christians are Arabs. Many Israeli Jews are first- ...more

• Culture

Among Israelis, the standard introduction on the first meeting is “Shalom” followed by a handshake. Orthodox Jewish men are not supposed to shake hands with women; it is often the best policy for ...more

• The Arts

Israel has a rich literary culture, which draws both upon ancient biblical and post-biblical sources (such as the Mishnah and the Talmud) and modern themes. Modern Hebrew literature first started appearing ...more

• Holidays And Festivals

Arrange your itinerary with an awareness of holidays. Dates listed in this section are for 2010. In Israel, most businesses and public facilities close Friday afternoon for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath ...more