Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It occupies the Palestinian territories of the West Bank in the east and the Gaza Strip in the south-west, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights in the north-east. 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 Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv is its largest urban area and economic centre.
Israel is located in a region known as the Land of Israel, synonymous with the Palestine region, the Holy Land, and Canaan. 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 to establish a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine and gained British support with the Balfour Declaration. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine in 1920. Increased Jewish immigration in the lead-up to the Holocaust and British foreign policy in the Middle East 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. (Full article...)
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Operation Bayonet was a covert operation directed by Mossad to assassinate individuals they accused of being involved in the 1972 Munich massacre. The targets were members of the Palestinian armed militant group Black September and operatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Authorised by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the autumn of 1972, the operation is believed to have continued for over twenty years. While Mossad killed several prominent Palestinians during the operation, they never managed to kill the mastermind behind Munich, namely Abu Daoud.
The operation was depicted in the television film Sword of Gideon (1986) and Steven Spielberg's film Munich (2005). (Full article...)
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Image 1Southern 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.
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Image 2Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
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Image 3An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
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Image 5Young Nubian ibex ( Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
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Image 6An 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).
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Image 7The 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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Image 8Dead 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.
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Image 9A 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]
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Image 10"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.
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Image 11Reading 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.
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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.
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Image 13A 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.
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Image 14David 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.
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Image 15Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
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Image 16Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
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Image 17A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
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.
Joseph's Tomb (Hebrew: קבר יוסף, Qever Yosef; Arabic: قبر يوسف, Qabr Yūsuf) is a funerary monument located in Balata village at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, 300 m (980 ft) northwest of Jacob's Well, on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus. It has been venerated throughout the ages by Samaritans, for whom it is the second holiest site; by Jews; by Christians; and by Muslims, some of whom view it as the location of a local sheikh, Yusef al-Dwaik or Dawiqat, who died in the 18th century.
The site is near Tell Balata, the site of Shakmu in the Late Bronze Age and later biblical Shechem. One biblical tradition identifies the general area of Shechem as the resting-place of the biblical patriarch Joseph and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Multiple locations over the years have been viewed as the legendary burial place of Joseph. Post-biblical records regarding the location of Joseph's Tomb somewhere around this area date from the beginning of the 4th century CE. The present structure, a small rectangular room with a cenotaph, is the result of an 1868 rebuilding action, and does not contain any architectural elements older than that. While some scholars, such as Kenneth Kitchen and James K. Hoffmeier, affirm the essential historicity of the biblical account of Joseph, others, such as Donald B. Redford, argue that the story itself has "no basis in fact". (Full article...)
Jahnun served with oven-baked egg, fresh grated tomato and zhugJachnun or Jahnun (Hebrew: גַ'חְנוּן, Hebrew pronunciation: ['d͡ʒaχnun], ['d͡ʒaħnun]) is a Jewish pastry, originating from the Adeni Jews, and traditionally served on Shabbat morning, with resek agvaniyot (a freshly grated tomato dip), hard-boiled eggs, and zhug (a type of spicy green herbal condiment).
Jachnun has become popular in Israeli cuisine, where it is served in homes (usually on Shabbat), as fast food at roadside stalls, and in restaurants, events, and dining halls. (Full article...)
The following are images from various Israel-related articles on Wikipedia.
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Image 4The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), as of June 2011 (from History of Israel)
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Image 7Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
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Image 9The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
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Image 10Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
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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)
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Image 12Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
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Image 13Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 14A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 15Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
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Image 16Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 18Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
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Image 19Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 20Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)
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Image 21Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords signing ceremony at the White House on 13 September 1993 (from History of Israel)
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Image 22Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
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Image 23Cultural 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)
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Image 24Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
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Image 26Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 27Aerial 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)
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Image 28Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
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Image 29First modern art exhibition in Israel at the Ohel theatre 1926, organized primarily by the Histadrut art studio (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 30Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
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Image 34Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
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Image 37143rd Division crossing the Suez Canal in the direction of Cairo during the Yom Kippur War, 15 October 1973 (from History of Israel)
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Image 38The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
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Image 39Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 41Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 42Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 43Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
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Image 44Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
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Image 45David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 46Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 47Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 48Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 49Silver 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)
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Image 50A 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)
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Image 52Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 53Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 54Gen. 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)
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Image 55Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 56Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
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Image 57Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
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Image 58Illustration 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)
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Image 59The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
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Image 62Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
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Image 64" Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
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Israel Buildings and structures in Israel Organizations based in Israel
- 8 July 2025 – Israeli invasion of Gaza
- Six Israeli soldiers are killed and ten others are critically injured during a Palestinian military operation. Palestinian forces detonated explosive devices on Israeli soldiers and later opened fire on Israeli forces evacuating their injured soldiers in Beit Hanoun, Palestine. (Palestine Chronicle) (The Times of India)
- 7 July 2025 – Middle Eastern crisis
- Israeli attacks on Yemen
- The Israeli Air Force strikes three ports and a power plant in Houthi-controlled Yemen in response to recent ballistic missile attacks on Israel. (ABC News) (Reuters)
- 6 July 2025 – Middle Eastern crisis
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
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