Israel - Izrael

Israel

location

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Main information
Capital city	Jerusalem
Political system	parliamentary democracy
Currency	Israeli new shekel
Surface	22 072
Population	8 238 300 (2014)
Tongue	Hebrew, Arabic, English
religion	Judaism

Code	972
Internet domain	.loam
Time zone	UTC winter: 2 summer: 3
Time zone	UTC winter: 2 summer: 3

Israel (Hebrew יִשְרָאֵל, Jisra'el, arab. إسرائيل, Isrā'īl) - country on Middle East located on the eastern shore Mediterranean Sea. It borders in the north with Lebanon, in the northeast with Syria, in the east with Jordan and in the southwest with Egypt. It also sticks to it Palestinian Authority, that is West Bank and Gaza Stripwhose external borders are controlled by the Israeli authorities.

Characteristic

Despite its relatively small area, Israel is geographically diverse. Of the population of 8.24 million, the majority are Jews (75.5%), the second largest group are Arabs (20%), and the Samaritans are a smaller ethnic group. In terms of religion, Israel is very diverse - apart from Jews (Judaism), it is also inhabited by Arabs (mainly Muslims), Christians and Druze, as well as other smaller religious groups.

Geography

Israel is a small country, yet it has a very diverse makeup. It is an upland-mountainous country with a narrow strip of lowlands on the Mediterranean Sea and a depression on the Dead Sea. In the north of the country, in the Galilee region, there is a mountain range with the highest peak Hermon, 2814 m above sea level In the south of the country is the Negev Desert (about 50% of Israel's territory). The country has a long coast on the Mediterranean Sea and access to the Red Sea with the port of Elyat.

Climate

In the north, along the Mediterranean coast and the Dead Sea, the climate is subtropical, humid and maritime. The south and center of the country are desert and highlands; it is very dry and hot there, and there is practically no rainfall. In winter - January, February - heavy rains fall (mainly in the north).

History

Policy

Israel is in constant conflict with most Arab states. The Israeli stamp in the passport prevents entry into many Arab countries (e.g. Libya, Syria, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Oman). Recently (2015), Israel's border services do not stamp passports, replacing them with computer-inserted confirmations. Democracy index: 30 Israel 7.79 Defective democracy Parliamentary democracy, unicameralism

Economy

Visas

For tourist stays of up to 90 days, Polish citizens do not need a visa. Israeli border services do not stamp passports. Instead, they print cards with personal data and a photo confirming entry and exit. There is an obligation to have funds for residence, but it is not strictly enforced. You should take into account the possibility of talking with border services about the purpose of the trip, your funds, and if you have stamps from Arab countries in your passport - the need to provide information about your stay in these countries.

Drive

By car

Israel has a very well developed network of roads and highways. You can only get there by sea or by Egypt - also only by ferry (it is impossible by land, because we will be withdrawn from the border if we have Arabic stamps / visas in our passports; it does not apply to Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco).

By plane

Israel's main airport is Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport. It supports flight connections from Warsaw (LOT, WizzAir, El Al, Ryanair (to Modlin), Katowice (WizzAir), Krakow and Wroclaw (Ryanair) and a number of charter routes from these ports. David Ben Gurion Airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 is intended for the so-called low-cost airlines, Terminal 3 for regular connections. It should be added that Terminal 1 has a very poor infrastructure. Both terminals are connected by a free shuttle bus. Its timetable is available on the airport's website.

The alternative is to fly to Egypt / Jordan and get to Israel by land, but you have to take into account strict border controls. It is also worth remembering about the airport in Eilat Ovda - which is the base of low-cost airlines. You can fly here from many Polish cities, often below PLN 200 in both directions.

By train

There are no rail connections with neighboring countries.

By bus

By ship

There are no permanent passenger ferry connections. Many cruise ships land at Israeli ports.

An administrative division

Israel

Districts of Israel

Northern District

Northern District (Mechoz ha-Cafon). District capital: Nazareth.

Subdistrict:

   Safed Tiberiada Jezreel Akko Golan (not recognized by the United Nations as Israeli territory)

Haifa

Haifa District (Mechoz Hejfa). District capital: Haifa

Subdistrict:

   Haifa Hadera

Central District

Central District (Mechoz ha-Merkaz). District capital: Ramla.

Subdistrict:

   Sharon Petach Tikwa Ramla Rechowot

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv District (Mechoz Tel Aviv). District capital: Tel Aviv. Jerusalem

Jerusalem District (Mechoz Yerushalayim). District capital: Jerusalem. South District

Southern District (Mechoz ha-Darom). District capital: Beer Sheva.

Subdistrict:

   Ashkelon Beer Sheva

Cities

According to official data from 2011, Israel had over 70 cities with a population of over 20,000. residents. The capital of the country, Jerusalem, was the only city with over 500,000 inhabitants. residents. Tel Aviv-Yafo is in second place and, together with other 12 cities, it had a population of 100,000 to 500,000. residents; 14 cities with a population of 50,000 ÷ 100,000; 32 cities with a population of 25,000 ÷ 50,000 and the rest of the cities below 25,000 residents.

Interesting places

Objects from the UNESCO World Heritage List

The White City Tel-Aviv - international style
Palace-fortress Masada
Incense trail and cities in the Negev desert
Bible stories in Megiddo, Hazor and Beersheba
Historic complex Akko

Transport

Train

The rail network connects to most towns in Israel. The trains are modern and air-conditioned. Ticket prices very moderate. Antiterrorist control must be taken into account at railway stations.

Important, on the Sabbath, i.e. from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, and on Jewish holidays, trains do not run.

Main rail connections:

Nahariyya - Haifa-Tel Aviv-Ber Shewa
Nahariyya-Hafjfa-Tel Aviv-Modi'in
Binyamina-Tel Aviv-Ashkelon
Tel Aviv-Jerusalem
Yvane-Tel Aviv-Hod HaSharon
Tel Aviv HaHagana-Rishon Le Tsiyyon HaRishonim

Bus

Intercity buses are not always punctual. Like trains, buses do not run on Shabbat. A search engine for most bus connections is available here.

Car

According to regulars, visiting Israel individually by car is the most effective way of traveling. The roads are good, the road network in the northern and central parts of the country is dense. Road signs are in three languages - Hebrew, Arabic and English.

Driving style is different from what we deal with in Europe. The two main differences are:

frequent use of sound signals (horns) with reluctance to use direction indicators,
not yielding to other vehicles when changing lanes or when joining the road.

Young women are especially aggressive here, their driving style is attributed to the fact of obtaining a driving license during military service.

Paid parking spaces in cities are marked with yellow stripes on the curbs.

All the world's car rental companies work. Cars are not rented to drivers under the age of 25. Access by car from the rental company to the area of the Palestinian Autonomy is forbidden as cars are not insured in this area. The exception is the section of road No. 1 in the Palestinian Authority and the section of road No. 90 along the Dead Sea, also in the territory of the Autonomy, as these roads are under the control of the SOI Israel Defense Forces.

The Hertz company offers (2015) as navigation tablets iPad mini with pre-installed navigation, although the rental staff recommends the use of Google navigation, which works perfectly. In addition, the tablet has an unlimited connection to the Internet via the GSM cellular network, which completely solves the problem of lack of Internet access. The cost of renting this device is approximately NIS 80 per day.

Highway 6 is the only toll road. Toll collection is automatic. It occurs through the identification of car plates. The fee is payable together with the car rental fee. In the same way, fines from numerous speed cameras also pay off.

Plane

Tongue

The official languages of Israel are Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is used widely, while Arabic is spoken mainly by the Palestinian and Arabic minorities. Since he is taught English in schools from the first grade, his knowledge is common among Israelis, even though it is not an official language in Israel. On the other hand, it is more difficult to communicate in English with the Palestinians.

Often you can also hear the Russian language, associated with a large emigration from the territory of the former Soviet Union.

The Polish language, so popular in the 1940s or 1950s, has almost completely disappeared.

Shopping

Prices in stores in Israel are significantly higher than those in Poland. The alternative is to shop in shops run by Arabs or at marketplaces. It is also worth being interested in a chain of very cheap cafes - Coffix.

Classic souvenirs are objects of religious worship from places associated with the Christian tradition. In addition, local Israeli products such as sweets or wine.

Gastronomy

What we can meet during our stay in Israel are two cuisines: Jewish and Arabic.

Jewish cuisine means following the rules of kosher and not any specific dishes. Although almost half of the inhabitants of Israel declare themselves religiously indifferent, almost all follow these rules by custom, believing it to be healthy. What does it mean? The products used to prepare the dishes are kosher, the dishes were prepared in a kitchen arranged in accordance with the principles of kosherness, and these principles were also followed when cooking. In practice, this means that in Israel we will not meet pork, seafood or fish without scales or well-developed fins. However, when it comes to what we associate with Jewish cuisine - such dishes as cholent or goose pipki, these restaurants serve in Krakow's Kazimierz, not in Israel. You may be surprised by the pizza or other similar casseroles that are commonly found in the restaurant's menu. Besides, the menu does not differ from the popular European one. An interesting fact may be the existence of kosher McDonalds which we recognize by the dark background of the signs.

The prices in restaurants are high, more or less two three times higher than in Poland. The same goes for alcoholic beverages. Beer, 0.4 liters, costs from 20 to 25 NIS (2015). Prices for a bottle of wine start at 75 NIS, but not something to recommend. Relatively good Israeli wines cost over 150 NIS.

A cheaper alternative is Arabic gastronomy, in places where it occurs.

Accommodation

The accommodation base is very extensive. There is no problem with finding accommodation. However, the prices in both hotels and hostels may surprise you unpleasantly. For hotels, you should take into account the minimum prices of NIS 400, and for hostels 100 NIS. An alternative is cheaper accommodation in the Palestinian Authority, especially in Bethlehem.

Security

Israel is in constant conflict with part of the Palestinian population. Palestinians carry out terrorist attacks on a regular basis. Their main targets are Orthodox Jews and uniformed services. Sometimes also Jewish settlers from enclaves in the West Bank. Attacks on tourists are sporadic. Nevertheless, they should be taken into account. The conflict zones are the Old City and the Eastern Arabian Quarter of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and South Jaffa. It is not advisable for an individual tourist to travel in the areas of the Palestinian Autonomy. It is not uncommon to see armed officers or female officers of various formations and private security companies. In the event of control by patrols of uniformed services, it is necessary to follow their recommendations. Do not try to argue or try to joke. However, it should be added that tourist checks are rare, and patrols are friendly towards them.

Driving through the West Bank on roads 1 and 90 is considered safe and car rental companies do not prohibit it. However, they do not allow entry to other areas of the autonomy.

The rest of Israel is only threatened by common crime - pickpocketing or car theft. That is why you should not leave anything on the seats in the cars.

Outside of Jerusalem's old city and Arab neighborhoods, sexual minorities do not arouse emotions. Same goes for single women.