Portal:Israel

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Welcome to the Israel Portal
מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon and Syria to the north, the West Bank and Jordan to the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The country also has a small coastline on the Red Sea at its southernmost point, and part of the Dead Sea lies along its eastern border. Israel's proclaimed capital is in Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv is the country's largest urban area and economic center.

Israel is located in a region known to Jews as the Land of Israel, synonymous with the Palestine region and the Holy Land. In antiquity, it was home to the Canaanite civilization followed by the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Situated at a continental crossroad, the region experienced demographic changes under the rule of empires from the Romans to the Ottomans. European antisemitism in the late 19th century galvanized Zionism, which sought a Jewish homeland in Palestine and gained British support. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine in 1920. Increased Jewish immigration in the leadup to the Holocaust and British colonial policy led to intercommunal conflict between Jews and Arabs, which escalated into a civil war in 1947 after the United Nations (UN) proposed partitioning the land between them. Currently, Israel is the only country where Jews constitute more than 2% of the total population, and in which they are the largest demographic. (Full article...)

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Clockwise from top-left:

Israeli tanks crossing the Suez Canal
Israeli Nesher variant of the Mirage V fighter jet flying over the Golan Heights
Israeli soldier praying in the Sinai Peninsula
Israeli troops evacuating wounded personnel
Egyptian troops raising the flag of Egypt at a former Israeli position in the Sinai Peninsula
Egyptian soldiers with a portrait of Anwar Sadat

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. Most of the fighting occurred in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights, territories occupied by Israel in 1967. Some combat also took place in Egypt and northern Israel.^{[page needed]} Egypt aimed to secure a foothold on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal and use it to negotiate the return of the Sinai Peninsula.

The war started on 6 October 1973, when the Arab coalition launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, which coincided with the 10th day of Ramadan. The United States and Soviet Union engaged in massive resupply efforts for their allies (Israel and the Arab states, respectively), which heightened tensions between the two superpowers. (Full article...)

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This is a Featured picture that the Wikimedia Commons community has chosen as one of the highest quality on the site.

Image 1David Ben-Gurion's room at Ben-Gurion's Hut, the retirement home of Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and his wife Paula (Pola) from the years 1953 until Ben-Gurion's death in 1973.
Image 2"The Nile and the Sinai, to Israel and beyond. One sweeping glance of human history." Caption by astronaut Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.
Image 3Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 4A view of Jerusalem from southeast, showing the Walls of Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This image was taken sometime between 1900 and 1940.
Image 5Dead Tree in Sea of Life is an installation artwork from 2017 by Amiram Dora, a travel guide from the nearby city Arad. The work consists of a tree planted on a salt pile in the Dead Sea. The purpose of the work is to show that as opposed to its common name, the Dead Sea is actually a place of rich tourist activity, healing and relaxation.
Image 6Reading Power Station, built in Tel Aviv in 1938, was named for Rufus Isaacs, the 1st Marquess of Reading. Reading Light is pictured on the left.
Image 7Southern aerial view of the Temple Mount, a hill located in the Old City of Jerusalem that for thousands of years has been venerated as a holy site, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Image 8An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 9Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
Image 10Northeast exposure of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Considered to be the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.
Image 11Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 12A more recent section of the Israel-Egypt barrier fence, north of Eilat, June 2012. It is a border barrier built by Israel along its border with Egypt. It was originally an attempt to curb illegal migrants from African countries.^[1] Construction was approved on 12 January 2010^[2] and began on 22 November 2010.^[3]
Image 13An aerial view of Makhtesh Ramon, a geological feature of Israel's Negev desert. Located some 85 km south of the city of Beersheba, the landform is not an impact crater from a meteor nor a volcanic crater formed by a volcanic eruption, but rather is the world's largest "erosion cirque" (steephead valley or box canyon).
Image 14Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
Image 15A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 16Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 17The Jerusalem Railway Station c. 1900. The locomotive on the turntable is "Ramleh" (J&J No. 3), a Baldwin 2-6-0. The station was the terminus of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway until its closure in 1998. Today, the station is abandoned and suffering from neglect and vandalism, although it is one of 110 buildings selected for preservation in Jerusalem.

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...that the Jaffa Road (pictured) is one of the oldest and longest streets in Jerusalem?
...that the symbol of Fatima's hands, while widespread in Middle Eastern Islamic societies, is not officially condoned by Islam?
...that religious identity in Israel for Jews differs strikingly from that recognized in the Jewish diaspora?

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Israel – WikiProject Jewish history – WikiProject Judaism – WikiProject Jewish culture – WikiProject Hebrew

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Eilat Airport (Hebrew: שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה אֵילַת, romanized: Namal HaTe'ufa Eilat; Arabic: مطار إيلات (IATA: ETH, ICAO: LLET)), also known as J. Hozman Airport, was an airport located in Eilat, Israel. It was named after Arkia Airlines founder Yakov Hozman (Jacob Housman) and was located in the center of Eilat adjacent to Route 90 (The Arava Road). Due to its short runway and limited capacity it mainly handled domestic flights from Tel Aviv (Sde Dov Airport and to a lesser extent Ben Gurion Airport) and Haifa Airport, while Uvda International Airport, located some 60 km (40 mi) north of the city, handled Eilat's international carriers.

The airport was expected to cease operations on October 27, 2018, with the opening of the new Ramon Airport. However, the opening of the new airport was delayed until January 21, 2019. (Full article...)

List of Good articles
Israeli cuisine Joseph's Tomb Kashrut Clal Center Zion Square Black Hebrew Israelites Robinson's Arch Abergil crime family Chaim Topol Birket Israel Joshua Prawer Mamilla Schwester Selma Ir Ovot Downtown Triangle (Jerusalem) Haifa Western Wall AIL Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Angel Bakeries Operation Pleshet Arrow (Israeli missile)

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Jerusalem mixed grill (Hebrew: מעורב ירושלמי, romanized: me'orav Yerushalmi) is a grilled meat dish considered a specialty of Jerusalem. It consists of chicken hearts, spleens and liver mixed with bits of lamb cooked on a flat grill, seasoned with onion, garlic, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, olive oil and coriander.

The dish is said to have been invented at the Mahane Yehuda Market, with various restaurants claiming to be the originators. (Full article...)

List of fare/cuisine articles
Challah Ancient Israelite cuisine Israeli wine Cholent Israeli salad Kreplach Israeli breakfast Jachnun Kugel Shkedei marak Charoset Bamba (snack) Ktzitzot Khubeza Gefilte fish Hamantash Seven Species Matzah ball

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The following are images from various Israel-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 2Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 3Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
Image 4Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 5The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 6The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), as of June 2011^[update] (from History of Israel)
Image 7Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 8Silver coin (gerah) minted in the Persian province of Yehud, dated c. 375-332 BCE. Obv: Bearded head wearing crown, possibly representing the Persian Great King. Rev: Falcon facing, head right, with wings spread; Paleo-Hebrew YHD to right. (from History of Israel)
Image 9Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 101949 Green Line (from History of Israel)
Image 11The Merneptah Stele. According to mainstream archeology, it represents the first instance of the name "Israel" in the historical record. (from History of Israel)
Image 12Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 13The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 14Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 15Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 16David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 17United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 18Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 19Avraham Adan raising the Ink Flag marking the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War (from History of Israel)
Image 20Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
Image 21Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 22David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 23Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 24Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 25Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 26Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 27143rd Division crossing the Suez Canal in the direction of Cairo during the Yom Kippur War, 15 October 1973 (from History of Israel)
Image 28The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 29A Bookplate done for Martin Buber; The plate is adorned with the walls of Jerusalem in the shape of a Shield of David, viewed from above (from Culture of Israel)
Image 30Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 31Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords signing ceremony at the White House on 13 September 1993 (from History of Israel)
Image 32Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 3316th-century Safed rabbi Joseph Karo, author of the Jewish law book (from History of Israel)
Image 34Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
Image 35Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 36Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)
Image 37Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 38Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 39Illustration for the Song of Songs. Along with the Book of Esther, the ancient poem is an example of an ancient Israeli literature with no mention of God, and is traditionally read as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel (from Culture of Israel)
Image 40A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 41Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 42Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 43Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 44Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
Image 45Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 46Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 47Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords (from History of Israel)
Image 48Aerial view of the Temple Mount showing the Dome of the Rock in the center and the al-Aqsa mosque to the south (from History of Israel)
Image 49Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 50The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 51Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 52Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
Image 53Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 54Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 55Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 56Skhul Cave (from History of Israel)
Image 57Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 58Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
Image 59Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 60Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 61Gen. Uzi Narkiss, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, Chief of staff Yitzhak Rabin and Gen. Rehavam Ze'evi in the Old City of Jerusalem, 7 June 1967 (from History of Israel)
Image 62"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 63Cultural map of the world according to the World Values Survey, describing Israel as a whole at parity in "Rational-Secular Values" and also at parity in "Self-expression values". (from Culture of Israel)
Image 64Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)

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27 December 2024 – Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present): People are urged to seek shelter across southern and central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, as the Houthis launch ballistic missiles from Yemen. (The Times of Israel)
26 December 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Killing of journalists in the Israel–Hamas war; Five journalists of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al Quds Today TV are killed in their vehicle by an Israeli airstrike near the Al-Awda Hospital in Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza. (CNN) (The Jerusalem Post); Winter of 2024–25 in the Gaza Strip, Gaza Strip evacuations

Israel category at Wikinews

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Israel}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.