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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 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 financial, economic, and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally.

Israel is located in a region known historically as Canaan, Palestine, and the Holy Land. In antiquity, it was home to several Canaanite, and later, Israelite and Judahite states, and is referred to as the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition. The region was successively conquered by the Assyrian, Babylonian, Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine empires, Arab Caliphates, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans. The late 19th century saw the rise of Zionism in Europe, a movement seeking a Jewish homeland, which garnered British support during World War I. During the war, the Ottomans were defeated and the British Mandate for Palestine was set up in 1920. Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine increased considerably, leading to intercommunal conflict between Jews and Arabs. The 1947 UN Partition Plan triggered a civil war between the two groups, which saw the expulsion and flight of most of Palestine's predominantly Arab population. ( Full article...)

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The 69 "Hammers" Squadron is an Israeli Air Force squadron operating the F-15I Thunder out of Hatzerim. It was formed in July 1948 to operate three B-17 Flying Fortresses which the fledgling Israeli Air Force had acquired in the United States. The squadron flew the Flying Fortress, an aircraft credited with propelling the IAF into the realm of modern aerial warfare, during both the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and 1956 Suez Crisis. Disbanded in early 1957, 69 Squadron reformed in 1969 to fly the F-4 Phantom II.

69 Squadron operated the Kurnass (Sledgehammer), as the Phantom was known in Israel, for 25 years. Its Phantoms saw extensive action during the War of Attrition, Yom Kippur War, First Lebanon War and numerous engagements in between. The squadron often played a central role in IAF suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) efforts and took part in repeated battles against Egyptian and Syrian air defence. ( 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 1 Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
Image 2 Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 3A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 4An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 5 Reading 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 6A 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 7David 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 8Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 9Southern 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 10Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 11 Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
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 13Dead 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 14The 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 15"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 16A 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 17An 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).

Did you know - show different entries

...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 Zionist flag when it began service in 1925?

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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.

Itzhak Abergil, center, escorted by Israeli forces at Ben Gurion airport, Israel, 12 January 2011

The Abergil Organization is an Israeli organized crime syndicate that has been active since the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The organization was founded by brothers Yaakov and Avi Abergil in the city of Ramat Gan, Israel, in the 1990s. The Abergil Organization is involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and extortion.

One of the hallmarks of the Abergil Organization is its use of violence to maintain its position within the criminal underworld. The organization is known for its ruthless tactics, and its members are responsible for numerous murders and other violent crimes. ( Full article...)

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Israeli cuisine Joseph's Tomb Kashrut Clal Center Zion Square Black Hebrew Israelites Robinson's Arch 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 salad ( Hebrew: סָלָט יְרָקוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִי, romanized: salat yerakot yisra'eli, literal translation "Israeli vegetable salad") is a chopped salad of finely diced tomato, onion, cucumber, and bell or chili peppers. It has been described as the "most well-known national dish of Israel", and is a standard accompaniment to most Israeli meals. Salads following similar recipes, with different names, are widespread and popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.

It was adopted by Jewish immigrants to the Levant in the late 19th century, who found the locally grown Kirby cucumbers and tomatoes in popular local salad. It was popularized in the kibbutzim, where the Jewish farmers had local fresh produce at hand. ( Full article...)

List of fare/cuisine articles
Challah Ancient Israelite cuisine Israeli wine Cholent 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 1Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 2 Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 3The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 4Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 5 Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 616th-century Safed rabbi Joseph Karo, author of the Jewish law book (from History of Israel)
Image 7The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 8Cultural 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 9Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 10The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 11 Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
Image 12Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 13 Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 14 Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 15Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 16 1949 Green Line (from History of Israel)
Image 17Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)
Image 18 Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 19Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 20Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 21 Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 22The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), (from History of Israel)
Image 23 Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 24Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 25 Avraham Adan raising the Ink Flag marking the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War (from History of Israel)
Image 26Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 27 Yitzhak 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 28Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture 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 30 Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 31 Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords (from History of Israel)
Image 32 Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 33Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
Image 34Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 35A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 36 Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 37The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 38Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (from History of Israel)
Image 39Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 40Aerial 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 41 Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 42 Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 43Illustration 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 44 Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 45" Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 46A 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 47 Es Skhul cave (from History of Israel)
Image 48Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 49Gen. 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 50 David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 51Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 52 Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 53Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 54 Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
Image 55Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 56 David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 57Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 58Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 59Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 60 Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
Image 61 Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
Image 62The Merneptah Stele. According to mainstream archeology, it represents the first instance of the name "Israel" in the historical record. (from History of Israel)
Image 63Silver 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 64Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
Image 65 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)

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26 April 2024 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israel–Hamas war; Thirty rabbis and peace activists from the United States and Israel are arrested near the Gaza–Israel barrier protesting to bring awareness to the starvation in Gaza. (The New York Times); An 18-year-old woman is stabbed by an attacker in Ramla and remains in "serious" condition. (AFP via Yahoo News) (Jerusalem Post)
25 April 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip

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