Portal:Israel

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

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 to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, the Red Sea to the south, Egypt to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Palestinian territories – the West Bank along the east and the Gaza Strip along the southwest. Tel Aviv is the country's financial, economic, and technological center. Israel's governmental seat is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although recognition of Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is limited internationally.

Israel is located in a region known historically as Canaan, Palestine, and the Holy Land. In antiquity, it was home to several Canaanite city-states, and later, Israelite and Judahite kingdoms, and is referred to as the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition. Situated at a continental crossroad, the region subsequently came under the rule of many different empires. The late 19th century saw the rise of Zionism in Europe, a movement seeking a Jewish homeland, amid rising antisemitism in Europe, which garnered British support during World War I. During the war, British occupation led to the creation of Mandatory Palestine in 1920. Increased Jewish immigration, combined with British colonial policy, led to intercommunal conflict between Jews and Arabs. The 1947 UN Partition Plan triggered a civil war between the two groups. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

The Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan (commonly known as the Safari Ramat Gan) in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel, is the largest collection of wildlife in human care in the Middle East. The 250-acre site consists of both a drive-through African safari area and a modern outdoor zoo. The African animal park opened to the general public in 1974. In 1981, the zoo was established in the middle of the park to replace the Tel Aviv Zoo, which had closed down.

Ramat Gan Safari houses 83 species of mammals, 92 species of birds and 23 species of reptiles. Among other outstanding groups of animals, it has white rhinos, hippos, lions, African and Asian elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and a Komodo dragon. The animals are seen in open air enclosures amid subtropical gardens. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Featured picture - show another

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

Image 1Dead 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 2David 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 3Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 4Northeast 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 5The 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 6Southern 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 7An 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 8Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 9Reading 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 10A 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 11Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 12Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
Image 13A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 14"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 15An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 16A 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 17Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb

edit

Did you know - show different entries

...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?

More did you know...

edit

Related portals

edit

WikiProjects

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

Good article - show another

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

Angel Bakeries (Hebrew: מאפיות אנג'ל Ma'afiyot Anjel), also known as Angel's Bakery, is the largest commercial bakery in Israel, producing 275,000 loaves of bread and 275,000 rolls daily and controlling 30 percent of the country's bread market. With a product line of 100 different types of bread products and 250 different types of cakes and cookies, Angel sells its goods in 32 company-owned outlets nationwide and distributes to 6,000 stores and hundreds of hotels and army bases. It also exports to the United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Denmark.

Founded in 1927 in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine by Salomon Angel, Angel Bakeries introduced to the Israeli market the first sliced bread, plant-based emulsifiers, and new baking technologies. It has always been family-run, at first by Salomon with his brothers and sons, then by Salomon's grandsons, and today by Salomon's great-grandsons. The company, Salomon A. Angel Ltd., is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with a turnover of $180 million in 2008. (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 Eilat Airport AIL Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Operation Pleshet Arrow (Israeli missile)

Selected fare or cuisine - show another

Peanut-butter-flavored Bamba

Bamba (Hebrew: במבה) is a snack made of peanut-butter-flavored puffed maize manufactured by the Osem corporation in Kiryat Gat, Israel. Bamba is one of the leading snack foods produced and sold in Israel. It was introduced in 1964. Bamba makes up 25% of the Israeli snack market.

Similar products from other domestic manufacturers include "Parpar" (Literally "Butterfly", Telma, since 2000 a subsidiary of Unilever), "Shush" (Strauss-Elite), and "Smoki" (Štark). Osem named the snack "Bamba" because it sounded like baby talk. (Full article...)

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

General images - show another

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

Image 1Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 2Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 3David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 4United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 5Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 6Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 7Es Skhul cave (from History of Israel)
Image 8Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 9Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 10Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords (from History of Israel)
Image 11Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 12Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 13Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 14Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 15Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 16Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 17The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 18Yitzhak 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 19Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 20Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 21Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 22The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 23Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 24Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 25Illustration 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 2616th-century Safed rabbi Joseph Karo, author of the Jewish law book (from History of Israel)
Image 27Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
Image 28"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 29143rd Division crossing the Suez Canal in the direction of Cairo during the Yom Kippur War, 15 October 1973 (from History of Israel)
Image 30Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 31Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
Image 32The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), (from History of Israel)
Image 33David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 34Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 35Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 36Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 37Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 38Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 39Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 40Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
Image 41Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 42Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 43The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 44Gen. 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 45Aerial 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 46Avraham Adan raising the Ink Flag marking the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War (from History of Israel)
Image 47Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 48A 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 49Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (from History of Israel)
Image 50Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 51Cultural 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 52Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 53The Merneptah Stele. According to mainstream archeology, it represents the first instance of the name "Israel" in the historical record. (from History of Israel)
Image 54Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
Image 551949 Green Line (from History of Israel)
Image 56Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 57Silver 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 58The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 59Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 60Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 61Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
Image 62A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 63Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
Image 64Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 65Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)

edit

Topics

edit

News

Read and edit Wikinews

2 June 2024 – Syrian civil war: Israel's role in the Syrian civil war; Syrian state media reports that a number of people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes near Aleppo. (Reuters)
31 May 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: A medic is killed and another is injured in an Israeli airstrike against an ambulance in Naqoura, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
31 May 2024 – France–Israel relations: France bans Israeli defense firms from exhibiting at the Eurosatory weapons expo convention. (Al Jazeera)

Israel category at Wikinews

edit

Featured content

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.