Israel - 以色列

Israel(Hebrew: מדינת ישראל; Arabic: دولة إسرائيل) is locatedmiddle East, It's northLebanon, The northeast neighborSyria, ToyoJordanIt borders the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Palestinian territories (to which the State of Palestine claims sovereignty, but is partly controlled by Israel) living in the east and west, while the southwest isEgypt. Its territory is small, but its terrain and climate are quite diverse. Since 1967, Israel has controlled most of the West Bank (usually called "Judea and Samaria" in Israel) and the Golan Heights. Israel also controls East Jerusalem and the Golan, but most countries protest its control and believe that these areas and the West Bank (Israel does not control these areas, and Israeli laws do not apply to this area) are illegally occupied. Wikivoyage does not represent the political stance of any party, but it needs to be pointed out that currently visiting these places requires an Israeli visa.

Israel was founded in 1948 and is a gathering area for Jews, but besides Jews, there are many other ethnic groups in the area. Israel is considered part of the Holy Land (others include Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian territories). The four religions, Bahá’í, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all originated here, or have a great relationship with this. These religious relics left over from the sacred history are the places that many tourists and pilgrims yearn for. .

80% of the Israeli population are Jewish, 19% are Arabs, and 1% are other ethnic groups. Most Jews are descendants of Olims (“returnees” from the Jewish diaspora), and the Russians, Germans, Moroccans, Yemenis and Ethiopians who migrated here also influence the culture of Israel.

In sharp contrast to the long ancient history, Israel is a highly urbanized and economically developed first world country. Unfortunately, it is still in conflict with Palestine and some other Arabs. Sometimes you will see this tense situation, but you will hardly be in danger (some places like the West Bank still need to be cautious). Although geographically in Asia, due to the hostility of Arab countries, Israel has joined regional organizations in Europe rather than Asia.

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Origin of the name

The word "Israel" is Hebrew, meaning "wrestling with God".

Location

Israel borders Lebanon to the north, Syria and Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel has a coastline connected to the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Gulf of Eilat (also known as the Gulf of Aqaba) to the south.

history

Israel originally referred to a nation rather than a place name. The earliest record can be found in 1211 BC. In the past 3000 years of history, the Jews regarded the land of Israel as the core of their national and spiritual life, calling it the "Holy Land" or "Promised Land." Israel has a special meaning in Judaism, including temple ruins and related religious rituals, which are important foundations of modern Judaism tradition. Since 1200 BC, a series of Jewish dynasties have existed in this area for more than 1,000 years.

After experiencing the rule of ancient countries such as Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Jews gradually declined in this area and were expelled. Especially after the failure of a large-scale uprising in 132, the Roman Empire expelled the Jews from this area and changed the place name to "Syria-Palestine". Despite this, a small number of Jews have remained in Palestine for thousands of years, but the main Jewish population has moved from southern Israel to northern Israel. The two most important books of Judaism, the Mishna and the Talmud, were also written during this period. In 638 AD, Muslims seized control of the area from the Byzantine Empire. After that, several Muslim countries ruled the area; including the Umayyad dynasty, the Abbasid dynasty, as well as the Khwarazmo and Mongolia, in 1260 It was ruled by Mamluk from 1516 to 1516, and then became a province of the Ottoman Empire in 1517. For centuries, many Jews in exile have been trying to return to Israel. In the 18th century, there were several small waves of return, ranging from hundreds to thousands of people. In 1878, Petah Tikva appeared the first large-scale Jewish farm colony. The first large-scale wave of return began in 1881. In order to escape persecution, Jews scattered in other parts of the world began to return to Palestine, the ancient Jewish state. The Jews purchased land from the Ottoman Empire and the Arabs and settled. As the Jewish population increased, the relationship between them and the Arabs became increasingly tense.

In 1896, the Viennese journalist and playwright Theodor Herzl launched the Zionist Movement (also known as the "Zionist Movement"), calling on Jews from all over the world to return to their homeland and restore their own way of life. On August 29, 1897, in Basel, Switzerland, he convened the first "World Zionism Congress", which resolved to establish "a home (or country) recognized by the public and guaranteed by law". Corresponding institutions such as the "Jewish National Fund" and the "Palestine Land Development Corporation" were established to help Jews from all over the world immigrate to Palestine.

The development of the Zionist movement promoted the second wave of return (1904-1914), and about 40,000 Jews returned to settle. In 1917, the British Foreign Minister Balfour issued the "Belfort Declaration": "His Majesty's government agreed to establish a Jewish national home in Palestine and will do its utmost to promote its realization." In 1920, the League of Nations commissioned Britain to govern Palestine. In 1922, the United Kingdom divided the trusteeship into two parts: the east (now Jordan) was the residence of Arabs, and the west was the Jewish residential area.

area

Israel has many different regions, and your eyes may switch between coasts, mountains, valleys and desert landscapes. Except for towns and cities, every region in Israel has its own unique attraction. The two big cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have their own personalities; from north to south, the regions of Israel are as follows:

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• Jerusalem -Religious and cultural holy places.

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Language

Israel hasHebrewwithArabicTwo official languages. Hebrew is the main and highest priority national language and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by Arab ethnic groups and Arab Jews. Many Israelis can communicate well with others in English, because many TV programs are broadcast in English, and English has been taught from the lower grades of elementary school. Israel has a large number of immigrants, so many languages ​​can be heard on the street. Israel has a large number of immigrants from the Soviet Union and Ethiopia (about 130,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel), so many people sayRussianwithAmharic. Between 1990 and 1994, Russian immigration to Israel increased by 12%. From 1990 to 2004, more than one million Russian-speaking people immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union. Approximately 700,000 Israelis speakFrench, Most of them are from France and North Africa. Other languages ​​used include Yiddish, Ladino, Romanian, Polish, Italian, Dutch, German, Persian and Aramaic. Popular TV programs from the United States and Europe are also widely broadcast in Israel, and newspapers in various languages ​​around the world can also be found.

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Safety

Especially when there is no war on the border between Lebanon and Gaza, it is quite safe to travel to Israel, and the crime rate is much lower than most other Western countries. Having said that, buses and bus stops have been targets of Palestinian terrorists since the early 1990s, but this situation became unusual after the construction of the West Bank security barrier began in 2005. For example, some Palestinians deliberately drove cars or other vehicles into the crowd waiting for the Jerusalem light rail. However, from a statistical point of view, the probability of a traffic accident is much higher than the probability of an attack. It is best to keep abreast of developments before and during your stay. Especially in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip (especially the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon, which were attacked by rockets from the Gaza Strip), special care should be taken. If you see anyone behaving suspiciously, or find an unattended package, notify the police. In addition, do not leave the bag unattended in public areas, as it may be suspected of being a bomb. The Israeli police wear light blue or very dark navy uniforms with flat-headed caps, while the Israeli border police (similar in function to the gendarmerie) wear dark gray uniforms and green berets or police caps. It is not uncommon for many soldiers (sometimes civilians) to carry guns (military rifles and pistols) in public. Most soldiers left their bases. Soldiers have no power over civilians, except in specially designated areas near the border or military base, where they can detain you until the police arrive. In terms of typical crime, Israel is a very safe country and one of the lowest crime rates in the world. You can walk around the town fearlessly at night, because robbery and drunk violence rarely happen. Single women should still be taken care of late at night, but the risks here are much lower than anywhere in Europe and the United States.

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