Portal:Israel

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Welcome to the Israel Portal
מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It is situated in the Southern Levant of the Middle East; and shares borders with 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. Israel also has a small coastline on the Red Sea at its southernmost point, and part of the Dead Sea lies along its eastern border. Its 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 the Jews as the Land of Israel, synonymous with the Canaan region and the Holy Land. In antiquity, it was home to the Canaanite civilisation 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 galvanised 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 a proposed partition by the United Nations was rejected by the Palestinians. (Full article...)

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Aerial view of the Temple Mount

The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת, romanized: Har haBayīt, lit. 'Temple Mount'), also known as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, 'Haram al-Sharif'), and sometimes as Jerusalem's holy esplanade, is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a holy site for thousands of years, including in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The present site is a flat plaza surrounded by retaining walls (including the Western Wall), which were originally built by King Herod in the first century BCE for an expansion of the Second Jewish Temple. The plaza is dominated by two monumental structures originally built during the Rashidun and early Umayyad caliphates after the city's capture in 637 CE: the main praying hall of al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, near the center of the hill, which was completed in 692 CE, making it one of the oldest extant Islamic structures in the world. The Herodian walls and gates, with additions from the late Byzantine, early Muslim, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods, flank the site, which can be reached through eleven gates, ten reserved for Muslims and one for non-Muslims, with guard posts of the Israel Police in the vicinity of each. The courtyard is surrounded on the north and west by two Mamluk-era porticos (riwaq) and four minarets. (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 1A 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 2Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 3"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 4Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 5Reading 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 6Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
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 8David 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 9Dead 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 10An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 11Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 12Northeast 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 13The 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.
Image 14A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 15A 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 16An 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 17Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb

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...that the Palestinians consider the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber (pictured) as the site of their future capital?
...that the 1966–68 Liga Leumit season was played over two years in an effort to rid Israeli football of corruption and violence, which included riots on the field?
...that the American Palestine Line claimed that its ship the SS President Arthur was the first ocean liner to fly the Israeli flag when it began service in 1925?

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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.

Zion Square (Hebrew: כיכר ציון, romanized: Kikar Tziyon) is a public square in Jerusalem, located at the intersection of Jaffa Road, Ben Yehuda Street, Herbert Samuel Street, and Yoel Moshe Salomon Street.

The square is one of the vertices of the Downtown Triangle commercial district. Since the British Mandate era, Zion Square has been the focal point of the cultural life of downtown Jerusalem. The square is busy day and night with tourists, elderly immigrants, overseas students, local youth, street performers, and religious activists. In recent decades, the square has become a hangout for disaffected and homeless youth. (Full article...)

List of Good articles
Israeli cuisine Joseph's Tomb Kashrut Clal Center 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 Eilat Airport AIL Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Angel Bakeries Operation Pleshet Arrow (Israeli missile)

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Israeli wine is produced by hundreds of wineries, ranging in size from small boutique enterprises to large companies producing over ten million bottles per year.

Wine has been produced in the Land of Israel since biblical times. Wine was exported to Rome during the Roman period, but under the Muslim rulers the production was virtually wiped out. Under the Crusaders, winemaking was temporarily revived. (Full article...)

List of fare/cuisine articles
Challah Ancient Israelite cuisine Cholent Israeli salad Kreplach Israeli breakfast Jachnun Kugel Shkedei marak Jerusalem mixed grill 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 1Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 2Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 3Skhul Cave (from History of Israel)
Image 4Silver 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 5Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 6A 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 7Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 81949 Green Line (from History of Israel)
Image 9Cultural 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 10Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 11Aerial 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 12Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 13Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 14Avraham Adan raising the Ink Flag marking the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War (from History of Israel)
Image 15Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 16David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 17Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 18Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 19Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
Image 20Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 21Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
Image 22Illustration 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 23Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords (from History of Israel)
Image 24Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 25Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 26Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
Image 27Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 28Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 29Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 30143rd Division crossing the Suez Canal in the direction of Cairo during the Yom Kippur War, 15 October 1973 (from History of Israel)
Image 31The Merneptah Stele. According to mainstream archeology, it represents the first instance of the name "Israel" in the historical record. (from History of Israel)
Image 32Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 33Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 34Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
Image 35Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 36Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 37Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 38The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 39Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)
Image 40Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 41A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 42Yitzhak 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 43Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 44The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 45Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 46Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 47Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
Image 48The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 49Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 50United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 51Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 52Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
Image 53Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 54Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 55The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), as of June 2011^[update] (from History of Israel)
Image 56Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 57Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 58The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 59Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 60Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 61David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 62Gen. 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 63"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)

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20 February 2025 – Gaza war: Hamas release the bodies of Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz, who were all kidnapped from their homes in Nir Oz kibbutz, Israel, on October 7, 2023. (The Times of Israel)
20 February 2025 – 2025 Bat Yam bus bombings: Three empty buses explode in what is suspected as an attempted terrorist attack in Bat Yam, Israel. Devices planted on two other buses failed to detonate, according to police. No casualties are reported. (BBC News)
18 February 2025 – Gaza war, Middle Eastern crisis: Hamas accuses Israel of carrying out at least 266 attacks in the Gaza Strip since the agreed ceasefire on January 19, killing at least 132 Palestinians and wounding 900 others. (Newsweek)
18 February 2025 – Israeli invasion of Lebanon: Israel partially withdraws troops from Lebanon as the deadline for their withdrawal expires. (Reuters)

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