Israel(Hebrew : יִשְרָאֵל , Yisra’el , Arabic : إسرائيل, ‘Israil ), officially State of Israel ( מְדִינַת יִשְרָאֵל , Medinat Yisra’el , Arabic دولة إسرائيل, Dawlat Israil ), is a country in East East located on the southeastern bank of the Mediterranean Sea . Bordered on the north by Lebanon , east by Syria , Jordan , West Bank , on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and the Gaza Strip , on the southwest by Egypt and the south by the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea . With a population of about 7.6 million people, 4 the majority of whom are Jews , Israel is the world’s only Jewish state. 6 is also home to Arab Muslims , Christians , Druze and Samaritans , and other groups religious and ethnic minorities. The capital, seat of government and largest city is Jerusalem , the main economic and financial center is located in Tel Aviv and the largest industrial center located in Haifa. The modern state of Israel identifies its download free ringtones now roots to the ancient Land of Israel ( Eretz Yisrael ), a concept central to Judaism for over 3,000 years. 7 After the First World War , the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intention of creating a “national home for the Jewish people.” 8 In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. 9 On May 14th of 1948 the State of Israel declared its independence , which was followed by the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 with the neighboring Arab states, who refused to accept the UN plan. Successive victories in a series of wars later confirmed their independence and expanded the boundaries of the Jewish state beyond the provisions of the Partition Plan of the United Nations. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries , with several decades of wars and violence that continue to this day. 10 Since its founding, the borders of Israel and chiropractic seminars even the right to exist of the state itself has been subject to controversy, especially among its Arab neighbors. However, Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan , and efforts are being made to reach a permanent agreement with the Palestinian Authority . 11
Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage . 6 The Prime Minister acts as head of government and the Knesset as a legislative body of Israel. In terms of gross domestic product , its economy is located at position 43 according to the International Monetary Fund . In turn, Israel is highly situated between the Middle Eastern countries in human development , 12 freedom of expression , 13 and economic competitiveness . 14
During the last three thousand years, Israel has identified, in common usage and in the religious, both the Land of Israel ( Eretz Israel ) as the entire Jewish people , 15 who has continued to refer to the above as their homeland, the Holy Land or the Promised Land , even though the Romans later changed the name of the territory of Palestine Syria after crushing the rebellion of Bar Kochba .
The noun comes from a passage in the Tanakh , the Hebrew Bible, where the patriarch biblical Jacob provoked the admiration of an angel after defeat in a battle that lasted all night, he blessed him and changed his name to Yisrael . 16 Confederate Tribes were recognized as descendants of Jacob called themselves ” Children of Israel “or” Israelites . ” In terms of archeology , the earliest mention of the name is called Israel other than a personal name is an epic tale recorded in the wake of Merenptah of ancient Egypt , dating from 1210 to. C. , where it is used as an adjective , designating a people or group of people not associated with a particular geographic location. 17
With the establishment of new Jewish state in the mid- twentieth century , were considered several names for it, as ” Eretz Israel “,” Zion , “” Judea “and” New Judea ‘, which were eventually dismissed. 18 The modern name adopted country was Medinat Yisrael in Hebrew and Dawlat Israil in Arabic , the two official languages, with the same meaning of “State of Israel.” The inhabitants of the country where Spanish is Israel and its plural Israelis , 2 adopted by his government just weeks after independence. 19 The term Israelite is often used in Spanish in reference to the ancient inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel , but also used as synonymous of Jewish or Hebrew , and even erroneously Israel . 20
History
Timeline
Main article: History of Ancient Israel
The ancient land of Canaan , located southwest of the so-called Fertile Crescent , was from the old, and land transit point between the burgeoning civilizations of the Tigris and the email lists Euphrates , on the one hand, and the valley of the Nile on the other. The region was divided into small city-states or local independent kingdoms, such as Moab , Edom , Judah , Israel , Aram and Phoenicia , which had to deal with the successive invasions of both neighboring empires ( Egypt , Assyria or Babylon ), as Arabic or nomadic Sea Peoples and the Philistines . In this land came to light two of the biggest milestones of Western civilization: the Semitic alphabet , origin of many alphabets , ancient and modern, and monotheism from which the Abrahamic religions , extending both achievements throughout the West. He also was born the first cities in the world (like Jericho ), seven thousand years raspberry ketones ago, in the middle Neolithic revolution , and one of the first ports of the world, the old Jaffa .
The twelve tribes of Israel .
The Land of Israel is holy to the Jewish people since times biblical , hosting the holiest sites of Judaism . According to the Torah , was promised by Yahweh to the three Patriarchs of the Jewish people as their homeland, 21 22 some scholars have placed this period in the early second millennium. C. 23 In times of Akhenaten (c. 1350 BC. ) there were many Hebrew tribes located on the east bank of the River Jordan , trying to cross and settle in the fertile lands of the West Bank. In the last days of Ramses II , with Canaan divided between the Egyptians and Hittites , new Hebrew tribes came to the Jordan. Several of them joined forces to invade Canaan, making this coalition as tribal , identifying themselves as the descendants of the sons of Jacob , Yisra’el , grandson of the patriarch Abraham , so they called themselves the children of Israel .
These Hebrew tribes, which had the same origin as the Amorites and spoke a dialect of the same Semitic language that was spoken in Canaan and crossed the Jordan River around the year 1240 to. C. and conquered Jericho , from where it spread throughout the mountainous regions of the area, adopting the Semitic alphabet and many other aspects of Canaanite culture. According to the traditional version in the late eleventh century. C. Saul established the first of a series of Israelite kingdoms in Canaan, which the govern intermittently for the next thousand years. 24 By the year 1000. C. established two kingdoms, Israel and Judah , who came to form a united monarchy in military opposition to the Philistines and other neighboring towns. According to traditional history based on the Scriptures, this unified kingdom was ruled by kings David and Solomon before his final separation (in 924 BC.), the Tel Dan stele is generally accepted as the oldest (and only to date) archaeological evidence for the existence of the dynasty of David . 25
Later, under successive foreign domains Assyria , Babylon , the Achaemenid Empire , Macedonia and the Seleucid Empire , the presence of Jews was substantially reduced as a result of the successive expulsions they suffered. The people of Israel became independent only three times after the Babylonian exile, the first occasion was during the Seleucid rule, when did the Hasmonean dynasty , an oligarchy composed of the priestly family of the Maccabees . The Hasmonean dynasty Seleucid yoke got rid of the Jewish people and ruled over a century, from the year 164 a. C. up to 63 a. C. , when the country was subject to Rome by Pompey . The second stage occurred independently during the First Jewish-Roman War ( 66 – 73 ), when the Jews revolted against Rome for the first time (already instituted rule ). During this war was the conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple and the death of more than one million Jews and the origin of the exodus of many survivors.
The last moment of full independence of the Jewish people was the brief period of the Bar Kochba rebellion . For three years ( 132 – 135 ) Jewish forces resisted the Roman Empire, until finally the revolt was crushed by the Emperor Hadrian . The failure of the revolt led to the expulsion of the Jews in the country and the rebuilding of Jerusalem as a Roman colony under the name of Aelia Capitolina . Once destroyed the Jewish state and exiled most of its population, the Romans changed the name of the country intentionally, which was renamed Syria Palestine or just Palestine, a name derived from the former adversaries of the Jews, the Philistines . Curiously, the Mishna and the Talmud , two of the most important texts of Judaism, were written in exile from this time. 26
Middle and Modern Ages
Conquest of Jerusalem during the First Crusade
After the split of the Roman Empire, Palestine was under the rule of Byzantium until 639 , when there was the Arab conquest. The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750), despite the many problems that the social and ethnic complexity that dominated territory posed no major problems recorded or national (inter-ethnic empire, especially among Arabs and others) nor clashes between religious communities, or among non-Muslims and the central power. 27 28 The Abbasid caliphate (750-1258), also known as the Baghdad Caliphate , Umayyad succeeded, eventually being replaced by the Seljuk dynasty (1071).
Between 1096 and 1244 motivated by religious fervor, Byzantine power loss to Kansas City carpet cleaning the Turks and the impossibility of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the European nobility promoted several Crusades . The First Crusade took place in 1099 and ended with the conquest of Jerusalem and the establishment of four Crusader States in the Middle East, including the Kingdom of Jerusalem . During the taking of Jerusalem the crusaders made a bloody slaughter, did not respect Jews or Muslims. 29 Over the following decades of Christian rule was the settlement of European colonists, especially Italians and francs and a remarkable increase driven business the maritime republics . The city of Jerusalem was conquered in 1187 by Saladin , who founded the Ayyubid dynasty , at that time Sultan of Egypt and Syria . The Third Crusade allowed the survival of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but was confined to a narrow strip of land near the coast. The Ayyubid dynasty was replaced by that of the Mamelukes in 1250, who with the capture of Acre in 1291 ended the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
In 1517 the region was subjected by the Ottoman Empire , whose domination lasted four centuries (until 1917), during which he was part of the vilayet Damascus-Syria, one of the many Ottoman provinces. Nevertheless, he always remained a tiny Jewish community, which fluctuated considerably over the centuries. In 1881 , for a total estimated population of 470,000 inhabitants, living in the area from 20,000 to 25,000 Jews, with a major presence in Jerusalem , where by 1884 was one of the ethnic majority, to become in 1896 an absolute majority.
Diaspora and immigration
After several revolts, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and forced nearly all the Jews to flee Israel, beginning a long period of exile known as the Diaspora . The Diaspora Jews longed to return to Israel for centuries. http://www.insuranceforcriticalillness.co.uk/ For example, in 1141 the Sephardic Yehuda Halevi issued a call to the Jews to return to Eretz Israel , making himself the return to Zion, where he died. A century later, the Spanish rabbi Nahmanides emigrated to Jerusalem and has since maintained a constant presence of Jews, especially in Jerusalem. The Sephardic also Yosef Caro immigrated to the large Jewish community of Safed in 1535 . Waves of migration took place, for example, in the period 1209-1211. He was also famous the ” aliyah of the Rabbis of France and England “to Acre in 1258 and 1266. In 1260 Jehiel of Paris emigrated to Acre with his son and a large group of followers. Small Jewish immigration waves occurred during the eighteenth century, as the Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and 300 of his followers, Judah he-Hasid and about 1000 pupils and 500 pupils (and their families) of the Vilna Gaon known as Perushim . Waves of rabbinical students immigrated in 1808-1809, settling in Tiberias , Safed and then in Jerusalem.
In 1860 , the ancient Jewish community of Jerusalem began to build housing estates outside the walls of the Old City. In 1878 , they founded the first modern agricultural settlement in Petah Tikva . 30
Zionism and Aliyah
See also: Zionism and Aliyah
Theodor Herzl , the father of the Jewish State
The first great wave of immigration to Palestine, known as aliyah , began in 1881 as a result of the persecution they were subjected the Jews in Europe and the ideas of Moses Hess , a Zionist-Socialist who advocated land redemption considered as the Jewish homeland. The Jews bought land from the Ottoman authorities and the Arab landowners, thus emerging the blu cig first agricultural settlements. It is at this time can be seen the first tensions between Arabs and Jews.
The rise of Zionism, founded by Theodor Herzl , led to the second Aliyah (1904-1914) during which immigrated to Israel some 40,000 Jews. In 1909 a group of Russian Jews who came after the failure of the revolution of 1905 , founded Degania , the first kibbutz .
In 1917, the British Foreign Minister, Arthur James Balfour , issued a statement which promoted the idea of establishing a homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people Richard Barry (the so-called Balfour Declaration ). In 1920 , Palestine was awarded to United Kingdom for administration as Mandate of the League of Nations .
The third (1919-1923) and the fourth wave (1924-1929) of Jewish immigration came after the First World corporate reputation management War .
Between 1916 and 1929, there were several attacks by Arabs against the Jewish and Christian residents and pilgrims to the Holy Land . The most important were those of 1920 and 1929 in Safed and Hebron (see Hebron Massacre ). runescape gold Even before 1919 the Christians had been harassed by the Arabs, angered by the sale of land of the Christian from Jerusalem to Jewish buyers.
In 1920 Arab attacks were met with surprise answer, not the British who ignored the intentions of the Arabs to attack the Jewish community, but advocacy groups founded by Jews, among others, Ze’ev Jabotinsky . He was born in that year when the Haganah .
Many of the attacks against Jews were promoted by Amin al-Husayni . Al-Husayni, antisemitic main militant Palestinian leader for decades, years later would become the main Arab ally of the Third Reich . 31 32
The advance of Nazism in 1933 led to the Fifth Aliyah . The Jews in Palestine increased its population from 11% in 1920 to 30% in 1940 and owned 6% of British Mandate territory (including modern Jordan) in 1943 . 33 The Holocaust , along with the refusal of the Western powers to open its borders, caused another wave of immigrants to Palestine, bringing their number to 600,000 Jewish inhabitants.
In 1939 , the British abandoned the commitment to encourage the creation of a Jewish state and the partition of Palestine, advocating a single state in the region. Furthermore, took steps to limit Jewish immigration and land purchase restricted by the Jews (see White Paper ). Nevertheless, the outbreak of World War II the Zionist leaders strongly supported Britain. The British, however, maintained the ban on Jewish immigration to Palestine throughout World War II. Many Jews were intercepted and returned to the Nazi-dominated Europe, although many could enter the country clandestinely.
lift kit The refuseniks
Main article: Refusenik
During the Cold War , Soviet Jews were often seen as traitors and spies, under this pretext was performed once again the official anti-Semitism by the Soviet authorities. Many Jews tried to leave the USSR , but few achieved the permission to emigrate. The single visa application, a serious risk, as often implied the loss of their jobs, confiscation of their property and even ostracized by the whole family. 34 After the 1967 war , the situation of the Jews who they refused the visa, already known as refuseniks , became a permanent subject of complaint by Western human rights groups. Some, like Natan Sharansky , were confined in gulags for years.
With the policies of glasnost and perestroika , and in recent years of the Soviet Union and once achieved the coveted right of refuseniks to emigrate, hundreds of thousands of Jews decided to leave the USSR. Only between 1987 and 1991, more than half a million Jews left the USSR, of which 350,000 went to Israel and 150,000 in the United States. 35
This great wave of migration (among the seven hundred thousand and one million people for a total population of six million Israelis), which lasted for about 10 years, greatly influenced the demographic balance and the economic development of Israel, causing a jump also positive by the number of new immigrants with good academic standing in all branches of science and technology. 35
To this day, continue to arrive in Israel Jewish immigrants and descendants from around the world, despite recent conflicts such as the Second Lebanon War , and came making aliyah that year Jews from countries like the U.S. and France by the Law of Return .
The State of Israel
Main article: History of Modern Israel
In 1947 , after the outbreak of violence by militant Jews and Arabs and the impossibility of reconciling the two populations, the British government decided to withdraw from Palestine and turned over to the UN resolution of the conflict. Following the report of the Peel Commission, an international commission that evaluated the situation on the ground, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted on 29 November 1947 a plan that divided Palestine into two states , giving the Arabs and the Jews a similar extent of land (54% of the Medical Billing total for Israel, but included the desert of Negev , which in turn represented 45% of its land area.) 34 Jerusalem would remain an international city administered by the United Nations. The UN did not take any steps to implement the Plan and, just two weeks later, at a public meeting held on 17 December, the Arab League adopted another resolution that exhaustively rejected the UN and in which he warned that to avoid implementing the UN plan, employ all means at its disposal, including armed intervention. 34
Ben Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, in a museum in Tel Aviv , under the portrait of Theodor Herzl (May 14, 1948).
On May 14th of 1948 , hours before the expiry of the British Mandate over Palestine , the State of Israel was proclaimed in the territory granted by the United Nations plan, as a first step abolishing anti-immigration laws that prevented British for years the legal entry of new Jews to Palestine. 34
There was no attempt by the UN armed intervention to prevent the Arab League had announced months ago 36 and, the day after the declaration of independence, the five neighboring Arab countries declared war on the nascent State of Israel and tried to invade. In the intermittent warfare that took place during the next 15 months (with various UN-sponsored truce), Israel conquered 26% of additional land to the former term, while Transjordan occupied areas of Judea and Samaria , now known as West Bank payday loans and Egypt occupied the territory corresponding to the current Gaza Strip .
After the war , an Arab population estimated by the UN in some 711,000 people were deprived of their homes in areas controlled by Israel. 37 In the terminology of the UN itself, only a third are technically ” refugees , “those who found refuge in neighboring Arab countries and the rest, those who settled in the Gaza Strip and West Bank are “displaced” within the country. 38 On the other hand, a significant number of Jews left in Arab territory and were equally expelled, including some Jewish communities in Palestine since ancient times, among which that of East Jerusalem .
The immigration of the survivors of the Holocaust and the Jewish refugees who lived in Arab countries, in some cases before the Arabization and Islamization, doubled the Jewish population in Israel the year after the country declared independence. Over the next decade approximately 600,000 Mizrahi Jews , a figure equivalent to that of Palestinian refugees fled or were expelled from Arab lands, in which some Jewish communities had lived for nearly 2,000 years, and took refuge in Israel (in addition some 300,000 Jews emigrated to France and the United States, leaving a tiny Jewish population in Arab countries, mainly in Morocco and Tunisia). 34 In total some 900,000 Jews became the “other refugees” mentioned in UN Resolution 242) . (See Jewish Exodus from Arab countries )
The 1956 Sinai War
Main article: War in Sinai
The Sinai war broke out following the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt and attacks by fedayeen suffering Israel. France and Britain established a secret military alliance with Israel, and attacked by surprise and in a coordinated way to Egypt, dismantling completely destroying the Egyptian army and air force. In just one week, Israel captured the entire Sinai Peninsula, including strategic areas such as Sharm el-Sheikh , which is key for access to the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba, which is essential to release to the sea from the get your ex back port Israeli Eilat . If the objectives of Israel were a military success for France and the United Kingdom was quite the opposite; recent failures of the former colonial powers in decline.
The Sinai war represented a military defeat for Egypt , but a moral and political victory. Joint diplomatic pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, according unusually off the surprise maneuver London and Paris who sought to recover the Suez Canal, forced Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip that is, had to return to the pre-war situation that had led him to conquer 60,000 square kilometers in just one week. After the cease-fire declared by the UN, Egypt accepted the peacekeeping force the UN at the border ( UNEF , an ‘Emergency Force “created for this purpose), to maintain the demilitarization of the region and prevent border incidents. Israel is giving up the huge cost gains made in this blitzkrieg, but in exchange for the withdrawal got the Egyptian border infiltrations quedase guerrilla protected, thanks to the deployment of the multinational force, and won it nine years of peace.
The consequences of the war of 1956 left the region in an unstable situation, with an apparent border peace (although the Arab states still did not recognize Israel), but with a rise of pan-Arab Nasserism is the Palestinian cause as a mobilizer. Syria, aligned with the Soviet bloc , began sponsoring terrorist attacks in Israel in early 1960 as part of their “liberation war” in order to divert attention from domestic opposition to the dictatorship of Baathist . 39
The National Water
Main article: Israel’s National Water
The Jordan River forms the border between Israel and Jordan in some sections.
In September and October 1953, Israel began diverting the waters of the Jordan River , leading to serious tensions. 40 In 1964, Israel began to operationalize the diversion, drawing water from the Jordan River for its National Water Carrier . From 13 to January 17, occurs the Arab summit in Cairo , where Arab leaders affirm their opposition to the diversion of the waters of the Jordan River by Israel 41 The following year, the Arab states began construction of Fun Water Plan Header . When completed, would divert water from the Banias Dan to not enter Israel or the Lake Tiberias , but flowed to a retaining wall located in Mukhaiba for Jordan and Syria. Also divert water from the Hasbani to the Litani River in Lebanon . The diversion would have reduced the transport capacity of water to Israel in about 35%. Despite the detour, yet in 1990 the water availability per capita in Israel was 470 cubic meters, while in neighboring Jordan was 260 cubic meters to 45% less than in the Israeli case. 42 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked the project in Syria in March, May and August 1965, perpetuating a prolonged series of acts of border violence that directly contributed to the events that led to war. 43
In 1996, under the peace treaty Israel-Jordan, Israel, Jordan agreed to provide 50 million cubic meters of water annually.
For the UN, water scarcity in the region, characterized by arid and semiarid , is increasingly considered a crucial issue for the welfare of their countries and peoples. 44 The Palestinian Territories , especially the raised areas of the West Bank , have an abundance of water sources in comparison to the rest of the Middle East. 45 However, severe restrictions on the drilling of water, planting and watering that Israel has imposed on Palestinians remained at a low level the amount of water available for the Palestinian population. The UN says Israeli policies ensure that the majority of West Bank water to seep underground to Israel and Israeli settlers have preferential access to water resources. As a result, a water crisis caused by man undermines the living conditions of the Palestinian people. Water is one of several issues being discussed at the talks, while a broad and fair allocation of water resources in the basin of the River Jordan , the West Bank and the aquifers of Gaza has not yet been negotiated by the parties relevant.
Six-Day War
Main article: Six-Day War
The Six Day War was an armed conflict that took place in the Middle East in the year 1967 . Warned by the withdrawal of peacekeepers from the border of the Sinai , the blockade of the Straits of Tiran and the movements of troops from Egypt , 46 Syria and Jordan on the other side of the border, with the concentration of Iraqi and Kuwaiti units and from other Arab countries, Israel decided to go on the offensive to avert which was an imminent aggression and attacked Egypt . Although the Arab media promised destruction and annihilation of the entire Israeli population, 47 returning to the fore memories of the Shoah , other sources questioned, after which the Arabs were really to attack Israel. 48
During the conflict, Israel conquered Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal , after initiating a plan of colonization of the peninsula. In 1973 Egypt regained the east bank of the Canal, during the so-called Yom Kippur War , while Israeli troops, recovered from the initial surprise, crossed the Channel, stopping 101 kilometers from the Egyptian capital, Cairo . Following this action lightning, Egypt was the only (besides Jordan) Arab country to sign peace with Israel, 48 formalized in the peace accords at Camp David , which had the most marked results in the return of the Sinai Peninsula (except Gaza Strip ), recognition of Israel by Egypt, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel first and one of its 4 neighboring countries, including exchange of ambassadors.
Also during the war of 1967 Israel conquer the territories of the West Bank with East Jerusalem , then under the administration of Jordan and occupy the Golan Heights , territory Syria . In October 1973 , during the Yom Kippur War, Syrian troops attacked Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, while Egypt was fighting along the Suez Canal. After the initial conquests in Syria, Israel expelled the Syrians from the Golan Heights and advanced to within 32 kilometers of Damascus . Following the ceasefire agreement signed between Syria and Israel in May 1974, established a demilitarized zone between Syrian and Israeli positions. Israel joined the Golan Heights to its administrative system in 1981 , in the Northern District , but has not formally annexed.
Given the high population density of all these Arab territories, Israel has never favored the annexation of them (except East Jerusalem ), maintaining its military presence to the present.
War and occupation of southern Lebanon
Main article: 1982 Lebanon War
Finally, Israel has remained under military occupation for nearly twenty years a strip of land in southern Lebanon , Israel’s so-called “security zone” due to continued attacks from southern Lebanon against the cities occurred in northern Israel by Palestinian armed groups. In 1978 the Tsahal made the call Operation Litani , in order to liquidate the Palestinian bases from which they were carried out guerrilla infiltrations into Israel.
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which began on June 6, 1982 after the assassination of Israeli ambassador to Britain, Shlomo Argov , in the hands of members of Abu Nidal , provoked the flight of the PLO to Tunisia, occupying its empty the armed group Hezbollah supported by regimes Syrian and Iranian . Israel unilaterally withdrew from the area on 24 May 2000 , accepting Resolution 425 Security Council of the UN free ipad in 1978, due to the campaign promise of Prime Minister Ehud Barak to seek a compromise peace with both Syria and with Lebanon , peace proposal that was subsequently rejected by the Syrian regime, which maintained its presence in Lebanon until 2005 and its military support to Hezbollah .
In July 2006 , following the murder of eight Israeli soldiers in an ambush at the border and the kidnapping of two more by Hezbollah guerrillas, Israel called it an “act of war” and triggered the Israeli-Lebanese crisis, 2006 .
Status of Jerusalem
Resolution 303 of the UN General Assembly of December 29, 1949, said: “The city of Jerusalem was established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations. ” However, the war that immediately after the Declaration of Independence triggered the Arab countries against Israel made that decision inapplicable. In 1950, after the armistice , Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as the capital of their new state. This statement of capital only affected the western part of the city, which was administered by Israel, while the other party (including the Old City) was held by Jordan .
In the Six Day War (1967), Israel also conquered the eastern part of the city (so-called East Jerusalem ). Immediately segregated from the West Bank and annexed de facto to the rest of the municipality. In July 1980, by Act of Jerusalem , Israel brought its national legislation in both parties in a single municipality, proclaiming as its “eternal and indivisible capital.” 49
Only a month later, as a punishment for the annexation, the UN advised its Member States trasladasen their embassies to Tel Aviv . The last to adopt this measure as Costa Rica and El Salvador : the first announced the relocation of headquarters on August 16, 2006 and the second was made by August 25, 2006. However, Paraguay and Bolivia maintain their own in Mevaseret Zion , a suburb pop up display of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the U.S. passed a law in 1995 declaring that “Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel” and, according to the law, plans to move back its embassy to Jerusalem, 50 but not yet performed yet.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Israel
The Knesset , Israel’s parliament
Israel is a parliamentary democracy with a multiparty system and separation of powers with universal suffrage . 3 The Israeli political system is formed by the legislature , the executive and judicial . Her most important institutions are the president , who serves as head of state , the Knesset (the parliament chamber in the country), the prime minister and his Cabinet , which form the government and the judiciary, whose highest court is the Court Supreme and its independence is guaranteed by law.
Israel is governed by 120 member parliament, known as the Knesset . The Knesset is based on proportional representation of political parties . 51 Parliamentary elections are held every four years, but the Knesset can dissolve the government at any time for a question of trust . The Basic Laws of Israel function with an unwritten constitution . In 2003, the Knesset began to draft an official constitution based on these laws. 3
Office of the President of Israel , (2007).
The Israel Judicial System consists of a three-tier system. The lowest level courts are the magistrates , located in most cities around the country. Above them are District Courts , which act as courts of appeal and courts of first instance , which are located in five of the six districts of Israel . The third vehicle insurance and highest level of the Supreme Court of Israel , settled in Jerusalem . Serves a dual role as Supreme Court justice and as the High Court . In the latter role, the Supreme Court lays down rules as a court of first instance, which allows people, both citizens and noncitizens, file a petition against the decisions of state authorities. 52 53 Israel’s legal system combines the Law English of common law , civil law , and Jewish Law . 3 is based on the principle of Stare decisis (precedent) and is an adversarial system, where parties to the dispute must provide evidence in court. In court cases are decided by professional judges rather than juries. 52 Marriage and divorce are under the jurisdiction of religious courts: Jewish , Muslim , Druze and Christians . The election of judges is conducted by a committee of Knesset members, Supreme Court judges, and members of the Israel Bar Association. 54
The degree of respect for political rights and civil liberties make it the only country in the region considered “free” according to the assessment made Freedom House . 55 The level of civil liberties can open criticism in matters of State part of groups such dental assistant as B’Tselem , an organization of Israeli human rights intellectuals highly critical of the government’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as anti-Zionist or anti-Israeli groups that operate legally in Israel.
political-administrative organization
Main article: Subdivisions of Israel
Districts of Israel .
The territory of Israel is divided into 6 districts or mejozot (מחוזות), led by a commissioner appointed by the Ministry of Interior. They are: Central , Haifa , Jerusalem , Northern , Southern and Tel Aviv .
In turn, the districts are divided into fifteen sub-districts known as nafot (נפות), which are in turn divided into fifty natural regions . 56 The natural regions are not administrative units used by the Government of Israel to statistical issues and population census .
Districts are a legacy of the Ottoman Empire and among its duties are to develop the local legislation, control taxation and local budgets, approve public works projects and grant loans to local governments.
As for the territories occupied during the Six Day War , the Golan Heights are integrated administratively in the Northern District and the West Bank is part of the Judea and Samaria District , only recognized by Israel. The Gaza Strip was no longer administered by Israel following its withdrawal in 2005 .
For statistical purposes, the country is divided in three metropolitan areas: Tel Aviv and Gush Dan (population 3,150,000), Haifa (population 996,000 a), and Beersheba (population 531,600). 57 However, the city Israel’s largest, both in population and area, 58 is Jerusalem , with 732,100 inhabitants in an area of 126 square kilometers. Tel Aviv, Haifa and Rishon Lezion are among the most http://www.insuranceforincomeprotection.co.uk/ populated cities in Israel, with a population of 384,600, 267,000 and 222,300 respectively. 59
Borders
The State of Israel borders Lebanon in the north, border officially recognized by the UN after the Israeli withdrawal from south of the country, with Jordan in the east and Egypt to the no no hair removal reviews south, both recognized borders after the peace agreements signed with both countries.
Israel has yet to set its borders with Syria and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, although in this respect the international community generally regarded as a border the Green Line , the line of armistice between Israel and its Arab neighbors worked as a border of facto to the Six Day War . Israel also maintains large blocks of settlements close to the line and beyond, especially around East Jerusalem and the Etzion Bloc, and the city of Ariel in the West Bank . In September 2005, Israel completed its unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to the ‘Green Line’.
Foreign relations
In 2007 Israel had diplomatic relations with 161 countries and available 94 diplomatic missions around the world. 60 Three members of the Arab League have normalized relations with Israel, Egypt and Denver congregation Jordan , signed peace treaties in 1979 and 1994 respectively and Mauritania , who opted for full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999 . Since 2003 relations with Morocco are in constant increase and the Foreign Minister of Israel has visited the country. 61 Under Israeli law, the Lebanon , Syria , Saudi Arabia , Iraq and Yemen are enemy countries and Israeli citizens can not visit without permission from the Ministry of Interior. Since 1995 Israel is a member of the Mediterranean Dialogue , which fosters cooperation between seven countries in the Mediterranean Basin and the members of the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty . 62
Spain recognized the State of Israel on January 17, 1986 decision of the Council of Ministers chaired by Felipe González , while at the same time, in The Hague, capital of the Presidency of the European Union, representatives of both governments signed record of establishing relationships. 63
United States , Turkey , Germany , UK and India are among the closest allies of Israel. United States was the first country to recognize the State of Israel , followed by the Soviet Union . You can think of Israel as its main ally in West Asia , based on shared political and religious values. 64 Although not establish full diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel until 1991 , 65 Turkey has hebrew research center cooperated with the state since confirmed recognition of Israel in 1949 . However, Turkey’s ties with other Muslim-majority nations in the region have sometimes led to pressure from the Arab States to moderate its relationship with Israel. 66 Strong links between Germany and Israel include scientific and educational cooperation and States maintain solid ties both in economic and military. 67 68 India established full diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992 and has fostered strong ties with the country in both the military and the culture ever since. 69 The United Kingdom , which has maintained full diplomatic relations with Israel since its formation, has made two visits by the head of state in 2007. Relations between the two countries were consolidated under the government of former Prime Minister Tony Blair for his efforts to find a resolution to the two states. The UK is seen as a “natural” relationship with Israel on account of the British Mandate of Palestine. 70 Iran had diplomatic relations with Israel under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty , 71 but withdrew its recognition of Israel during the Iranian Revolution. 72
In 2009, both Venezuela and Bolivia broke diplomatic relations with Israel following the conflict in the Gaza Strip from 2008-2009 . 73
In the case of India , Israel has diplomatic relations with that country since 1991 . Before that time India had a more pro- Arab and pro- Soviet , even voting against the founding of Israel in the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 , arguing that he opposed the creation of countries based on the religion (as in his opposition to the founding of Pakistan Islamic and Khalistan Sikh ), but it is possible that the detachment was due more to geopolitical reasons. In any case, a number of factors led to the rapprochement between India and Israel from 1991 , including the dissolution of the Soviet Union (which had strong ties with India), the declaration of the Organization of Islamic Conference that Kashmir was rightfully the territory of Pakistan in 1986 , and criticism of the organization against India on human rights of Muslims in 2001 , which separated India from the Islamic world . The coming to power of Likud in Israel, Ariel Sharon in front, and the Bharatiya Janata Party in India, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee , also had its influence, as both the Likud party and the BJP are conservative , groups linked to nationalist religious of Jews and Hindus respectively and that promote a tough policy against Islamic terrorism .
Ariel Sharon’s visit to India in 2003 was marred by angry protests against Sharon staged mainly by Muslims, where he was accused of genocide and war crimes in banners. Jaswant Singh was the first foreign minister of India to visit Israel in 2000 . Although diplomatic relations between Israel and India remained normal even with the change of government at the center-left Hebrew translator Indian National Congress , India’s Muslims remain largely pro-Palestinian. 74
In 2010 the official recognition of the Palestinian territories as an independent state (in its borders of 1967 ) made up of four South American nations; 75 76 77 Argentina , Brazil , Bolivia and Uruguay provoked angry criticism from the Israeli government. In the case of Bolivia , the country also has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Human rights
Main article: Human rights in Israel
Regarding human rights , about membership in the seven agencies of the International Bill of Human Rights, including the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Israel has signed or ratified:
Status of major international human rights . 78
Israel International treaties
CESCR 79 CCPR 80 CERD 81 CED 82 CEDAW 83 CAT 84 CRC 85 MWC 86 CRPD 87
CESCR CESCR-OP CCPR CCPR-OP1 CCPR-OP2-DP CEDAW CEDAW-OP CAT CAT-OP CRC CRC-OP-AC CRC-OP-SC CRPD CRPD-OP
Membership
Signed and ratified, signed but not ratified or signed or ratified, without information, has agreed to sign and ratify the organ in question, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications by the competent bodies.
Geography
Topographic map of Israel.
Main article: Geography of Israel
Relief
In Israel there are three regions geomorphology , from west to east: the Mediterranean coastal plain, the central mountains and the valley of the Jordan (the depression deeper than the Earth). These three regions, we must add that of the Negev desert , plains and mountains of limestone, situated south of Israel. Arid regions occupy more than half the territory of Israel.
Even as much desert land in the valleys abound lilies , and trees like pine , eucalyptus , olive and acacias . The broom grows sporadically in the Negev desert. There are initiatives of reforestation that are conducted throughout the country, especially in the mountains where the pines, oaks , green smoke coupon cypresses and laurels rooted successfully.
Climate
Located between the deserts of Africa and Asia on the one hand, and the Mediterranean Sea , warm and humid, the other, Israel is at a crossroads of climatic influences that have allowed to distinguish forty different types of climate in such small size. The thermal regime varies significantly with altitude and continentality, especially in winter: from west to east it passes from a typical Mediterranean climate with a continental. The mountainous regions are often very cold, windy and sometimes snowy. The peak of Mount Hermon is covered with snow most of the year and Jerusalem usually receives at least one snowfall each year. 88 coastal cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa , have a typical Mediterranean climate with cold and rainy, with long winters and very hot summers. In the far south in the Gulf of Eilat , the climate is dry tropical.
The highest temperature of Asia (53.7 ° C or 129 ° F) was recorded in 1942 in Kibbutz Tirat Zvi , northern Jordan Valley. 89
In general we see a dry season (April to October) and rainy (from October to November to April). From May to September, the rains are rare in Israel. 90 91 The highest percentage of rainfall is reached between mid-January and early March. The rainfall increases from south to north and from east to west.
With scarce water resources, Israel has developed various and varied technologies to save water, including drip irrigation . 92 The Israelis also take advantage of the considerable sunlight available for solar energy, making Israel the leading nation in use per capita of solar energy . 93
Economy
Main article: Economy of Israel
The main business district is located in Ramat Gan outside Tel Aviv, where the District of the bag of diamonds .
Israel is considered the most advanced country in southwest Asia on the economic and industrial development. The country has ranked the highest in the region by the Ease of Doing Business Index of the World Bank , 94 and in the Global Competitiveness Index of World Economic Forum . 14 has the second largest number of startup companies in the world ( after the United States ) and the largest number of companies listed on the stock NASDAQ outside North America . 95 In 2007, Israel occupied the 44 th highest position of the Gross Domestic Product and 22 th highest GDP per capita ( in purchasing power parity ) with U $ S 232.7 billion dollars and U $ S 33.299, respectively. 96 In 2007, Israel was invited to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , 97 which promotes cooperation between countries that adhere to democratic principles and exploit economies of free market . 98
Despite limited natural resources, intensive development of agriculture and industry in recent decades made Israel virtually self-sufficient in food production. Major imports to Israel, with a total of U $ S 47.8 billion in 2006, are the fossil fuels , raw materials and military equipment. 3 Major exports include fruits, vegetables, pharmaceuticals , software, chemicals, military technology and diamonds , Israeli exports in 2006 reached 42.86 billion. 3 Israel is a world leader in water conservation and geothermal energy , 99 and development of cutting edge technologies in software, communications and life sciences have evoked comparisons with Silicon Valley . 100 101
The Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, symbol of the country’s economic dynamism.
Intel 102 and Microsoft 103 built their first foreign centers of research and development in Israel. Also other high-tech multinational companies such as IBM , Cisco Systems and Motorola , have opened technology centers in the country
In Israel it is grown cotton of long fiber of high quality and there are farms specialized in rearing trout , carp and other fish. It also has become notorious in the field of fashion and as a destination resort . Tourism, especially religious tourism, is another important industry in Israel, with a temperate climate, beaches, archaeological and historical sites and unique geography also drawing tourists.
In 1998, the magazine Newsweek ranked Tel Aviv among the ten most influential cities in the technological world. Already in the 90 Arab Israel proposed to transform the Middle East neighbor in one of the most important technological and financial centers of the world.
Currency
Since 1985 the currency of Israel is the new shekel (שקל חדש; NIS; Symbol: ₪). Its origin dates back to Mesopotamia , where it was used as the unit of measurement, but it was not until the 80′s when the shekel replaced the pound as currency of Israel.
A new shekel is divided into 100 agorot (singular agora ). There are notes of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 NIS. Regarding coins, there is 1 new shekel, 5 and 10 shekels, and 10 and 50 agorot. The Bank of Israel is the institution responsible for issuing currency. On their website you can consult a catalog of coins and bills since 1948.
Allowed to enter Israel with an unlimited amount of foreign currency cash, travelers checks, letters of credit, etc.. While most payments can be made in euros or U.S. dollars , the change will be delivered in NIS. To exchange money must go to the banks, exchange offices, post offices and some hotels.
Tourism
Tourism is a major industry in Israel. Be located in the Holy Land offers a variety of religious, historical and important archaeological sites. It also has modern resorts on the beaches and areas for ecotourism . It is important to note the growing importance of tourism of sun and beach, located mainly in the Dead Sea area. In this area there are also many resorts and spas.
Science and education
Main article: Science and technology in Israel
The particle accelerator of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot .
Israel has the highest school life expectancy in southwest Asia, and is adjacent to Japan with the second highest school life expectancy on the Asian continent (after South Korea ). 104 Israel also has the highest rate of literacy in Southwest Asia according to the United Nations. 105 The State Education Law, passed in 1953, established five types of schools: state secular, state religious, ultra-Orthodox, community schools and Arab schools. 106
Education is compulsory in Israel for children aged between three and eighteen. 107 108 The studies are divided into three levels – elementary school (grades 1-6), middle school (grades 7-9) and High school ( grades 10-12) – culminating in the certificate examinations Bagrut . Basic subjects such as math , Torah, Hebrew language , Hebrew literature and general English , history and civic education are necessary to receive a Bagrut certificate. 109 schools in Arab, Christian and Druze, the review of studies of the Torah is replaced an examination on Islam , the Christianity or capital Druze , respectively. 110 In 2003, more than half of all Israelis approved the twelfth grade by obtaining the registration certificate. 111
The eight public universities in Israel are subsidized by the state. 109 112 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , the oldest university in Israel, houses the National Library of Israel , the largest repository of books on Jewish themes in the world. 113 in 2006 Hebrew University was considered 60 th 114 th and 119 115 among the best universities worldwide. Other major universities in the country include the Technion , the Weizmann Institute of Science , the University of Tel Aviv , the Bar-Ilan University , the University of Haifa , and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev . The seven research universities in Israel (excluding the Open University) have been ranked among the top 500 in the world. 116 Israel ranks third in the world with the number of citizens who have college degrees (20 percent of the population). 117 118 During the 1990s, an influx of a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union (forty percent of whom are university graduates) have pushed Israel to stimulate high-tech sector. 117 Four Israelis have won the Nobel Prize in Science. Biologists Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2004. The American-Israeli psychologist Daniel Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics . In 2005 Robert Aumann of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , also won the Nobel in economics. 119 Israel leads the production of scientific publications per capita in the world, one of the first states in the ranking, in a 2006 air mattress reviews study dealt the third world, with 1018 articles per year and 1,000,000 people. 120 121 also boasts one of the countries with more patents registered per capita . In 2003, Ilan Ramon became the first astronaut Israeli , who acted as a specialist of STS-107 , on the fatal mission of Space Shuttle Columbia .
Israeli contributions to science and technology have been very important especially if you consider its small size. Since its founding, Israel has devoted considerable efforts to science and engineering . Israeli scientists have made significant contributions to genetics , the computer , the electronics , the optics and other high technology industries. tria laser hair removal Israeli science is well known for its cutting-edge military technology. Israel has also pioneered in advanced agricultural technology. Israel has a high reputation in theoretical physics and is also appreciated its developed medicine .
Israel ranks third in spending on research and development , the eighth in technological readiness (according to their companies’ spending on R & D , the creativity of its scientific community, the number of personal computers and the Internet penetration rate) , the eleventh in innovation, the sixteenth in high technology exports and the seventeenth in technological achievement in the Nation Master list of countries in the world by economic standards.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Israel
Israel is a small country with a population of 7.6 million inhabitants ( 2010 ), of which 80% are Jews , and 17% Arab . In the territories of Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank ) and East Jerusalem , in 2005 the population was 2.3 million. According to the Israeli Interior Ministry estimated 200,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements established in the Palestinian territories.
Beach Tel Aviv at sunset
Demographic trends
In September 2005, when Israel launched the disengagement plan from Gaza Strip , which came to be administered by the Palestinian Authority . The process of withdrawal from the territory involved conflicts within Israeli society, due to the withdrawal of nearly 8,000 Jewish settlers living in the Gaza Strip, compared with a population of 1.4 million Palestinians.
In 1948 , the birth of the new state, Israel’s total population was 914,700 inhabitants, 156,000 of them non-Jews (mainly Arabs). Between 1948 and 1960 the Jewish immigrant population increased by 1.1 million people, immigrants from Muslim countries, for fear of reprisals by the foundation of the new State of Israel, and Algeria (150,000). Also migrated to the new state the tiny Jewish community in Europe after the Holocaust , less than a quarter of a million people. Other subsequent immigration flows have occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union , after which many Jews from Russia , Ukraine and Belarus decided to immigrate to Israel and many Jews in Argentina after the severe economic crisis in this country during the decade of 2000 . The population Sephardic in the State of Israel is now about 500,000 people.
Currently the population is unevenly distributed across the territory, being the central region and the Mediterranean coast the most populated, with rates exceeding 300 inhabitants per km ². In the south the average does not exceed 55 persons per km ².
Metropolitan areas
We observe a double occupation of the territory: first cities ( Jerusalem , Tel Aviv , Haifa , Beersheba and Eilat are the main ones), and moreover a rural occupation as a kibbutz , a farm with a form of exploitation of land and communal living.
In 2006, the Central Bureau of Statistics Israeli defined three metropolitan areas : Tel Aviv (3 million), Haifa (980,600) and Jerusalem, the capital (706,368).
See also: List of cities in Israel
Culture
Main article: Culture of Israel
Hebrew Book Week in Jerusalem (2005)
The culture of Israel is inseparable from the history of Judaism and the Jewish people that precede it. The cultural diversity of Israel derives from the diversity of its population: Jews from around the world brought their cultural and religious traditions with them, creating a melting pot of customs and beliefs of Jewish culture. 122 Israel is the only country where life revolves around the Hebrew calendar . Work and school holidays are determined by the Jewish holidays , and the official day of rest is Saturday, the Sabbath . 123 The large Arab minority in Israel has also left its imprint on Israeli culture in such areas as architecture, 124 music, 125 and kitchen. 126
Literature
Main article: Literature of Israel
The Israeli literature is primarily poetry and prose written in Hebrew , as part of the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language since the mid-nineteenth century, although a small space of literature published in other languages, including Arabic and English. By law, two copies of all printed matter published in Israel must be deposited in the National Library of Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem . In 2001, the law was amended to include audio and video recordings as well as other non-print media. 127 In 2006, 85 percent of the 8000 books transferred to the library were in Hebrew. 128 The Week Hebrew Book (in Hebrew : שבוע הספר ) is celebrated in June with features book fairs, public readings and appearances by Israeli authors around the country. During the week, the major literary prize in Israel, the Sapir Prize , is given. In 1966 Shmuel Yosef Agnon shared the Nobel Prize in Literature with German Jewish author Nelly Sachs . 129 writers like Amos Oz , David Grossman , Abraham B. Yehoshua , Aharon Appelfeld , Meir Shalev and the poet Margalit Matityahu (who writes in Hebrew and Ladino ) have been considered the leading representatives of contemporary Israeli literature. 130 131
Music and dance
Main article: Music of Israel
Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv
The Israeli music contains a variety of influences from the Diaspora , music Yemenite, Hasidic melodies, Arabic music, Greek music, jazz and pop rock and are all part of the music scene, while making good use of elements of culture modern. 132 133 The national folk songs, known as car insurance שירי ארץ ישראל ( Eretz Israel Shirei or “Songs of the Land of Israel” ), recount the experiences of the pioneers in building the Jewish homeland, Eretz Israel . 134 Between Israelis world-famous 135 is the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , which is in business for over seventy years and today performs more than two hundred concerts each year. 136 Israel has also produced many notable musicians, some achieved international stardom. Noa , Itzhak Perlman , Ofra Haza and Pinchas Zukerman are among the musicians born in Israel internationally acclaimed, also highlight Mayumana or Dana International . In another development, Israel has participated in the Festival Song Contest nearly every year since 1973 , winning certified nursing assistant the competition three times ( 1978 , 1979 and 1998 ) and twice hosted Jerusalem of it. 137 Eilat has organized its own international music festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival , every summer from one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven. 138
Originating in Israel are also some players who are becoming more relevant today as Oren Lavie .
Theatre
Continuing the tradition of Yiddish theater in Eastern Europe , Israel maintains a vibrant scene. [ citation needed ] Founded in 1918 , the Habima Theater in Tel Aviv is the oldest repertory theater company and theater. 139
Museums
Tel Aviv , Haifa , Herzliya and Jerusalem have the most important museums of art, and many towns and kibbutzim have smaller museums. The Israel Museum in the capital, Jerusalem , is one of the most important cultural institutions in Israel, 140 which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls 141 along with an extensive collection of Jewish religious and folk art and European art. 140 The National Museum the Holocaust , Yad Vashem , is the largest housing-related files world of information about the Holocaust. 142 The Beth Hatefutsoth (Diaspora Museum), on the campus of the University of Tel Aviv , is an interactive museum dedicated to the history of Jewish communities around the world. 143 Apart from the major museums in large cities, there are very high quality of art spaces in many towns and kibbutzim. Mishkan Le’Omanut in Kibbutz Ein Harod Meuhad is the largest museum Art in the north. 144
Sports
See also: Israel at the Olympic Games
Ramat Gan Stadium , Israel’s largest stadium
Israel is widely practiced in various sports: from swimming , football , basketball and tennis , to gymnastics , hockey , rugby , judo , chess , athletics , volleyball and handball . To date, Israel has won six Olympic medals since its first victory in 1992 , including a gold medal in windsurfing at the 2004 Athens Olympics . 145
While football and basketball are the most popular sports, Israel has achieved success in other sports such as handball and athletics .
With 50,000 licensed divers, Israel has the highest global rate of divers per capita. An incentive for diving is provided by the fascinating tropical marine life in the Red Sea. Other popular water sports include windsurfing, water skiing and sailing, and beach sports like beach volleyball and the “racket”, a game developed locally which is a kind of “Beach Tennis”.
Despite being geographically located in Asia, Israel participates in international competitions stood for sports federations ( UEFA , EHF ) or European competitions ( Eurobasket ). Probably the most internationally known Israeli club is the Maccabi Tel Aviv , which has won five European titles in basketball (including two Euroleague in 2004 and 2005). 146 This is due to rejection of the Arab countries, along with some Africans and Asians, Israel participate in sporting events. FIFA world since 1970, decided to include Israel in the UEFA to prevent Arab countries to withdraw en masse. 147
Beersheba has become a national center for chess and home to many chess champions from the former Soviet Union . The city hosted the computer chess world champion in 2005, and the city is taught chess in kindergarten. 148 Two years later, in 2007, Boris Gelfand Abramovich took second place in the World Chess Championship . 149
Religion
Main article: Religion in Israel
There are three main religions practiced in Israel, Judaism (76%), Islam (16%) and Christianity 2.1%). There are also some other minorities such as Druze , Baha’is , and even Buddhists . The Israeli law explicitly guarantees equal rights to all citizens irrespective of their religion or ethnicity. However, the law gives preferential treatment in certain respects to those individuals who meet the criteria of the Law of Return , which is controversial because the Act differs from the religious criteria on who meets the Jewish status. 150
Religious and commemorative
M
Although the Israeli Interior Ministry recognizes civil marriages celebrated outside its borders, it is forbidden within the territory of Israel. In July 2011 the Knesset rejected a proposal to legalize civil marriage for 40 against and 17 votes in favor. 152 153
Hebrew for the beginner
An astonishing realization has recently gripped the Christian world: “Jesus Christ” was not a blond-haired, blue-eyed Gentile. Yeshua of Nazareth was raised in an observant Jewish family in a culture where the Torah (five books of Moses) was the National Constitution. Yeshua’s teachings, which supposedly form the basis for Western Christianity, are now filtered through 2000 years of traditions born in ignorance of the land, language, and culture of the Bible. The issues over which Yeshua wrestled with the Pharisees are simply not understood by modern Christians; nor are his most important instructions followed by those who claim to be his disciples. Former Pharisee, Nehemia Gordon, a Dead Sea Scrolls scholar and Semitic language expert, explores the ancient Hebrew text of the Gospel of Matthew from manuscripts long hidden away in the archives of Jewish scribes. Gordon’s research reveals that the more “modern” Greek text of Matthew, from which the Western world’s versions were translated, depicts “another Jesus” from the Yeshua portrayed in the ancient Hebrew version of Matthew. Gordon explains the life-and-death conflict Yeshua had with the Pharisees as they schemed to grab the reins of Judaism in the first century, and brings that conflict into perspective for both Jew and Christian alike.
Presenter: Nehemia Gordon
Duration : 2:2:55
Conquistador performed by Procol Harum, with Hebrew translation titles.
Original Lyrics:
Conquistador your stallion stands
In need of company
And like some angel’s haloed brow
You reek of purity
I see your armour-plated breast
Has long since lost it’s sheen
And in your death mask face
There are no signs which can be seen
And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind
Conquistador a vulture sits
Upon your silver shield
And in your rusty scabbard now
The sand has taken seed
And though your jewel-encrusted blade
Has not been plundered still
The sea has washed across your face
And taken of it’s fill
And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind
Conquistador there is no time
I must pay my respect
And though I came to jeer at you
I leave now with regret
And as the gloom begins to fall
I see there is no, only all
And though you came with sword held high
You did not conquer, only die
And though I hoped for something to find
I could see no maze to unwind
Duration : 0:4:8
This haunting setting of the prayer Modim Anachnu Lach was composed by the great Israeli-American composer, Aminadav Aloni. Aminadav Aloni (1928 – 1999) was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He studied at the Haifa Institute of Music primarily as a pianist. After arriving in the United States he attended both the Juilliard School of Music and New York University. He began composing exclusively secular music at first, but in 1970 he started writing Jewish music. He received numerous commissions for works on Jewish themes, ranging from religious services to full symphonic scores. Mr. Aloni made his permanent residence in the Los Angeles area, where he composed for television, films, and theater. His foundation publishes his music. This was recorded in the main sanctuary at Rodef Shalom Congregation, Pittsburgh for our Rosh HaShana evening service.
Cantorial Soloist: Rowna Sutin
Organist: Don Megehan
Photo is of a meandering stream and its surrounding greenery in Burgundy, France.
Duration : 0:2:44
http://learnhebrewconversation.com Learning to speak Hebrew has never been easier! Live conversions+ PDF’s transcripts, the most effective way to learn to speak modern Hebrew, go to http://learnhebrewconversation.com and speak modern Hebrew 30 days from today!
Duration : 0:5:15