Israel

At A glance

Capital City: Jerusalem

Land size: 21,497 sq km

Population: 8,914,885 (2022 est.)

Official language: Hebrew

Currency: New Israel Shekel (₪ / NIS)

UNESCO properties and sites:

• Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
• Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
• Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves
• Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev
• Masada
• Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal
• Old City of Acre
• Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves
• White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/israel/


Israel's story spans thousands of years, and it comes alive as you explore its ancient ruins, sacred sites, and vibrant cities. Begin your adventure in the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv, with its modern art scene, lively markets, and golden beaches. Then, discover the timeless wonders of Jerusalem, where ancient history and religious significance converge, creating a spiritual and cultural crossroads.
Israel’s diversity offers a wealth of experiences, from exploring ancient archaeological sites to savoring the vibrant nightlife and sampling the flavors of its melting-pot cuisine.

Israel's historical treasures, natural wonders, and vibrant equestrian culture offer endless opportunities for unforgettable horseback riding experiences. Ride into the picturesque landscapes of the Galilee, riding along verdant hills, quaint villages, and fertile valleys. Explore the breathtaking beauty of the Negev Desert, with its vast sand dunes and unique rock formations, creating a captivating setting for horseback riding adventures.

 

Brief History

The State of Israel was established in 1948. The UN General Assembly had proposed to partition the British Mandate for Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state. Arab states rejected the UN plan and were subsequently defeated militarily in the 1948 war that followed the withdrawal of the British on 14 May 1948. Israel was admitted as a member of the UN in 1949 and saw rapid population growth, primarily due to migration from Europe and the Middle East, over the following years. Israel and its Arab neighbors fought wars in 1967 and 1973 and Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the course of the 1967 war, and subsequently administered those territories through military authorities. Israel and Palestinian officials signed interim agreements in the 1990s that created an interim period of Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The most recent formal efforts between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate final status issues occurred in 2013-2014.

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/israel/

 

Cultural Insights

Jews are bound by a set of dietary laws called kashrut , which, among other restrictions, forbid the consumption of pork and shellfish, as well as the consumption of both meat and milk products at the same meal. Not all Israelis observe these rules, but many restaurants do.

Food plays an important role in nearly all Jewish celebrations. The Sabbath, observed on Saturday, is ushered in on Friday evening with a family meal including an egg bread called challah. At the Jewish New Year the challah is baked in a circle, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life. Hamentaschen are traditionally served at Purim, the celebration of Queen Esther's triumph over the evil Haman, who was trying to annihilate the Jewish people. These are cookies filled with lekvar (prune preserves) and baked in the shape of a triangle. During Passover, Jews abstain from eating all leavened foods (bread, pasta, etc.). Instead they eat matzoh ,a flat, crackerlike bread. This is in memory of the Exodus from Israel, when the Jews could not wait for their bread to rise, and so carried it on their backs to bake in the sun. Passover also is observed with a ritual meal called a seder. Four glasses of wine, representing God's four promises to Israel ("I will bring you out of Egypt;" "I will deliver you;" "I will redeem you;" and "I will take you to be my people"), are drunk throughout the evening. On Shavuot in the late spring, dairy-based treats are served. Because cooking is forbidden on the Sabbath, a traditional Saturday meal is cholent, a thick stew that is left in the oven to simmer overnight.

Israelis are very informal in social interactions. Their standards would, in many other countries, be considered rude. For example, store clerks do not act at all solicitous or even acknowledge a customer's presence until the customer approaches. "Please" and "thank you" are not uttered lightly. Despite this apparent brusqueness, touching and eye contact are common in social interactions.

Religious etiquette dictates that women dress conservatively when visiting holy sites (shorts are not acceptable for either gender) and that men cover their heads with a yarmulke.

Arabs are physically affectionate people, but in Arab society, men and women are often separated socially and there is less physical contact between men and women in public. It is customary to remove one's shoes before entering an Arab household.

Source: https://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Israel.html

 

Transportation

By Air
Ben Gurion International Airport, named after Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, is Israel’s main airport. It is located in the heart of the country, some 40 kilometers from Jerusalem and around 15 kilometers from Tel Aviv. The airport was built by the British Mandate authorities in the 1930s.
In the late 1970s, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) was established as a statutory corporation and since then, the airport has been developed and thrived as passenger and air traffic has seen a consistent increase in volume.
In the 1990s, IAA management realized that the old Terminal 1 could no longer accommodate the increasing passenger traffic and together with the then Minister of Transportation Israel Keisar, a decision was made to build a new terminal, Terminal 3, with the capacity to take Ben Gurion Airport into the category of international airports with a volume of over 25 million passengers.
Ben Gurion Airport is the gateway to the State of Israel and as such serves citizens flying overseas and international visitors. It is a modern airport equipped with some of the most advanced technology in the world, with operational flight facilities meeting international standards, it provides accessible services for passengers in need of assistance, and provides high level passenger services and special VIP services. Safety and security at the airport are among the most stringent in the world and air safety is top priority.

Source: https://www.iaa.gov.il/en/airports/ben-gurion/about/

 

Money

There are ATMs in Israel and Jerusalem that accept international cards. There are fewer ATMs in the West Bank and Gaza.
Post offices and banks in Israel and Jerusalem close from midday on Friday to Sunday morning. In the West Bank and Gaza they are usually just closed on Fridays.

Unlimited sums of local and foreign money may be brought into Israel as cash, travelers’ checks, credit cards or State of Israel bonds. Foreign currency of all kinds may be exchanged at the airport, banks, post offices, most hotels or licensed exchange agencies in large cities. A passport is required when exchanging travelers’ checks. The rates vary from place to place, and banks charge a commission.

It is recommended, though not obligatory, to carry a small amount of US dollars, since certain tourist sites, especially in the Old City of Jerusalem, take payment in dollars.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel
https://canadavisitisrael.com/israeli-currency/

 

Health

Modern medical care and medicines are available in Israel. Some hospitals in Israel and most hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza, however, fall below Western standards.

Healthcare in Israel is not free and medical treatment can be expensive. Hospitals will insist on payment and may take legal action to delay departure until bills are met. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 101 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.
Ambulance services are widely available in Israel. Ambulance services in the West Bank are available but training and availability of emergency responders may be below U.S. standards. The U.S. government does not have knowledge of ambulance services in Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) operates in the West Bank and Gaza.

Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription. Check with the Israel Ministry of Health to ensure the medication is legal in Israel.
Pharmaceuticals, both over the counter and requiring prescription in the United States, are often readily available for purchase with little controls. Counterfeit medication is common and may prove to be ineffective, the wrong strength, or contain dangerous ingredients. Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments.

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/IsraeltheWestBankandGaza.html?wcmmode=disabled
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel

 

Electricity

Israel operates on a 230V supply voltage and uses type H plugs.

The Type H plug is unique to Israel and has two flat pins in a V-shape as well as a grounding pin. It is however currently being phased out in favour of a round-pinned version. The holes in Type H sockets are wide in the middle so as to accommodate the round-pinned version of the Type H plug as well as Type C plugs.

Source: https://www.iec.ch/world-plugs

 

Communication

Time zone in Israel: Israel Standard Time (GMT +2)

International country code – 972

Israel has developed a robust telecoms sector. LTE services are almost universally available, while the August 2020 multi-frequency bands also enabled the MNOs to provide services based on 5G. 5G will be supported by moves to close down GSM and 3G networks in stages through to the end of 2025, with the physical assets and frequencies to be repurposed for LTE and 5G use. 

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/israel/


Phrasebook

English	Hebrew
Hello!	Shalom
Goodbye	Lehitra'ot
Good morning	Boker tov
Good evening	Erev tov
Good night	Layal tov
Please	Bevakasha
Thank you	Toda
Yes	Ken
No	Lo

Source: http://www.nemolanguageapps.com/phrasebooks/hebrew

 

Entry Requirements

All visitors to Israel must hold a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date they are departing the country.

Visitors are entitled to remain in Israel up to three months from the date of their arrival, in accordance with the conditions of the visa issued to them.

Israel no longer stamps passports at airports and most Land Crossings. Nonetheless, because at times technical difficulties arise, and at times, the border control must revert to back to the method of stamping passports, we recommend that tourists continuing from Israel on to Arab countries officially request that an Israeli stamp does not appear on their passport. The tourist must notify the clerk of this request before documents are stamped.

In accordance to section 13 of the law regarding entrance to Israel of 1952, an official inspector or police officer can request identification and proof of legal status in Israel. With this in mind, at a press of a button the Border Control station will print a card including the principle details of the traveler as in the first page of the passport. The card will also depict the date of arrival and visa information. This card is called The “Electronic Gate Pass” and it is a new and modern technological system instrumental in meeting the needs of the various Immigration, security, Airport and Tourism authorities as well as providing the tourist with the credentials necessary to prove his visa status. The “Electronic Gate Pass” replaces the system whereby passports were stamped. At the airport, this card allows the traveler to exit the arrival terminal without further delays.

Many countries have a Visa Waiver Program with Israel, which allows their citizens to visit Israel without a visa arranged in advance. Before embarking on a trip, visitors desiring to stop in Israel on their way to other destinations must check if they need a prearranged tourist visa. The list of countries in the following link specifies from which countries tourists are required to present a prearranged visa.
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ConsularServices/Documents/VisaRequirements-Tourists.pdf

All Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine-readable passport at the port of entry in order to enter Israel without a prearranged visa; otherwise, a visa is required. This applies to tourists arriving with a passage card from countries with a Waiver Program.

Source: https://canadavisitisrael.com/passports-and-visa/

 

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem
14 David Flusser Street
Jerusalem 9378322
Phone: 972 (2) 630-4000


Embassy of Canada in Tel Aviv
Canada House, 3/5 Nirim Street, 4th Floor
Tel Aviv 6706038
Phone: 972 (3) 636-3300

Representative Office of Canada in Ramallah
12 Elias Odeh Street
Ramallah, West Bank
Phone: 972 (2) 297-8430

Source: for USA https://www.usembassy.gov/
For Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/embassies-consulates

 

UNESCO Sites

Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
The Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee are inscribed for their profound spiritual meaning and the testimony they bear to the strong tradition of pilgrimage in the Bahá’i faith. The property includes the two most holy places in the Bahá’í religion associated with the founders, the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in Acre and the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, together with their surrounding gardens, associated buildings and monuments. These two shrines are part of a larger complex of buildings, monuments and sites at seven distinct locations in Haifa and Western Galilee that are visited as part of the Bahá’i pilgrimage.




Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
Tels (prehistoric settlement mounds), are characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Lebanon, Syria, Israel and eastern Turkey. Of more than 200 tels in Israel, Megiddo, Hazor and Beer Sheba are representative of those that contain substantial remains of cities with biblical connections. The three tels also present some of the best examples in the Levant of elaborate Iron Age, underground water-collecting systems, created to serve dense urban communities. Their traces of construction over the millennia reflect the existence of centralized authority, prosperous agricultural activity and the control of important trade routes.

Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves
The archaeological site contains some 3,500 underground chambers distributed among distinct complexes carved in the thick and homogenous soft chalk of Lower Judea under the former towns of Maresha and Bet Guvrin. Situated on the crossroads of trade routes to Mesopotamia and Egypt, the site bears witness to the region’s tapestry of cultures and their evolution over more than 2,000 years from the 8th century BCE—when Maresha, the older of the two towns was built—to the time of the Crusaders. These quarried caves served as cisterns, oil presses, baths, columbaria (dovecotes), stables, places of religious worship, hideaways and, on the outskirts of the towns, burial areas. Some of the larger chambers feature vaulted arches and supporting pillars.

Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev
The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev Desert, are spread along routes linking them to the Mediterranean end of the incense and spice route. Together they reflect the hugely profitable trade in frankincense and myrrh from south Arabia to the Mediterranean, which flourished from the 3rd century BC until the 2nd century AD. With the vestiges of their sophisticated irrigation systems, urban constructions, forts and caravanserai, they bear witness to the way in which the harsh desert was settled for trade and agriculture.

Masada
Masada is a rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army, in 73 A.D. It was built as a palace complex, in the classic style of the early Roman Empire, by Herod the Great, King of Judaea, (reigned 37 – 4 B.C.). The camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircle the monument constitute the most complete Roman siege works surviving to the present day.

Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal
Consisting of a series of catacombs, the necropolis developed from the 2nd century AD as the primary Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem following the failure of the second Jewish revolt against Roman rule. Located southeast of the city of Haifa, these catacombs are a treasury of artworks and inscriptions in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew and Palmyrene. Bet She’arim bears unique testimony to ancient Judaism under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch, who is credited with Jewish renewal after 135 AD.

Old City of Acre
Acre is a historic walled port-city with continuous settlement from the Phoenician period. The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries, with typical urban components such as the citadel, mosques, khans and baths. The remains of the Crusader town, dating from 1104 to 1291, lie almost intact, both above and below today's street level, providing an exceptional picture of the layout and structures of the capital of the medieval Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem.

Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves
Situated on the western slopes of the Mount Carmel range, the site includes the caves of Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad and Skhul. Ninety years of archaeological research have revealed a cultural sequence of unparalleled duration, providing an archive of early human life in south-west Asia. This 54 ha property contains cultural deposits representing at least 500,000 years of human evolution demonstrating the unique existence of both Neanderthals andEarly Anatomically Modern Humans within the same Middle Palaeolithic cultural framework, the Mousterian. Evidence from numerous Natufian burials and early stone architecture represents the transition from a hunter-gathering lifestyle to agriculture and animal husbandry. As a result, the caves have become a key site of the chrono-stratigraphic framework for human evolution in general, and the prehistory of the Levant in particular.

White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement
Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s, based on the urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic planning principles. The buildings were designed by architects who were trained in Europe where they practised their profession before immigrating. They created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the Modern Movement in a new cultural context.

Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/il/