Portal:Israel

More information List of selected articles, List of Good articles ...

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, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel's western coast lies on the Mediterranean Sea, its southern tip reaches the Red Sea, and to the east is Earth's lowest point near the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is the government seat and proclaimed capital, while Tel Aviv is Israel's largest urban area and economic centre.

The Land of Israel, also called Palestine or the Holy Land, was home to the ancient Canaanites and later the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and Hasmonean Judea. Located near continental crossroads, its demographics shifted under various empires. 19th-century European antisemitism fuelled the Zionist movement for a Jewish homeland, which gained British support with the 1917 Balfour Declaration. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine. British rule and Jewish immigration in the leadup to the Holocaust intensified Arab-Jewish tensions, which escalated into a civil war after the 1947 United Nations (UN) Partition Plan. (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 1An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 2Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 3Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 4Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
Image 5A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 6Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 7A 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 8"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 9David 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 10Northeast 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 11Dead 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 12Southern 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 13Reading 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 14An 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 15The 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 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 17Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.

edit

Did you know - show different entries

...that Motza (pictured), founded in 1859, was the first modern village established near Jerusalem?
...that Mickey Marcus is the only person buried at the United States Military Academy who died fighting under a foreign flag?
...that the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly has been resumed more times than any other?

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.

Topol in 1967

Chaim Topol (Hebrew: חיים טופול‎; 9 September 1935 – 8 March 2023), mononymously known as Topol, was an Israeli actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead character in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof. Topol estimated that he played Tevye more than 3,500 times on stage from 1967 through 2009, and he also portrayed the character in the 1971 film adaptation of the play.

Topol began acting during his Israeli army service as a member of the Nahal entertainment troupe. He later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His breakthrough film role came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati, by Israeli writer Ephraim Kishon, for which he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male. Topol went on to appear in more than 30 films in Israel and the United States, including Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and the James Bond franchise film For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was described as Israel's only internationally recognized entertainer from the 1960s through the 1980s. He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1971 film portrayal of Tevye, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor for a 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. (Full article...)

List of Good articles

Selected fare or cuisine - show another

Israeli salad (Hebrew: סָלָט יְרָקוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִי, romanized: salat yerakot yisra'eli, lit. '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

General images - show another

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

Image 1Aerial 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 2Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 3Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 4Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 5Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 6Masada fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, the location of a 1st-century Roman siege (from History of Israel)
Image 7Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 8Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 9David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 10Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 11Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 12First modern art exhibition in Israel at the Ohel Theatre 1926, organized primarily by the Histadrut art studio (from Culture of Israel)
Image 13Cultural 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 14Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 15Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 16Habimah Theatre in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 17Hasmonean coin of Antigonus II Mattathias, depicting the Temple menorah (from History of Israel)
Image 18Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 19A portion of the Isaiah Scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 20Remains of the Roman theatre in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 21Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 22Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent (from History of Israel)
Image 23Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 24A 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 25Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 26Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 27Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 28Skhul Cave (from History of Israel)
Image 29Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 30Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 31Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 32David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 33Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 34United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 35The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 36Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 37The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 38Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 39Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 40The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 41The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 42Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 43Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 44Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 45"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 46Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 47Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 48Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
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)
Image 50The Merneptah Stele, dated c. 1209 BCE, is the earliest textual reference to Israel (from History of Israel)
Image 51Illustration 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 52Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)

edit

Topics

edit

News

Read and edit Wikinews

7 May 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: Several explosions are heard at a port in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas in Iran's Hormozgan province. Israel denies any involvement in the explosion, while Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin says that the U.S. military was behind the explosions. Officials say that the explosions does not mean the restart of the war or the end of the ceasefire. (AA) (AFP via France 24) (Reuters); Israeli–Palestinian conflict; Azzam Al-Hayya, the son of Hamas Political Bureau chairman Khalil al-Hayya, is confirmed by a Hamas official to have been killed during a Israel airstrike last night. (Reuters)
6 May 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: Israeli attacks on the Lebanese health sector during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict

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.