israeli (6do encyclopedia)



Israel, officially known as the State of Israel, is a small country located in the Middle East, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. As a country rich in culture and history, Israel has been central to many of the world’s major religions, and its diverse population reflects this.

History
The history of Israel dates back thousands of years and is complex and rich in diverse cultural elements. The area saw numerous invasions, foreign rule, and conflicts throughout its history, and many empires have claimed the area as their own. Israel has been ruled by various empires, such as the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Empire, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and the British Empire, which had a significant impact on the region’s culture, architecture, and way of life.

More recently, Israel emerged as an independent state in 1948 following a United Nations resolution, and since then, the country has rapidly developed into a prosperous and democratic nation. However, its history is also marked by numerous conflicts with its neighboring countries, most notably the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which remains highly charged and contentious to this day.

Geography
Israel has a diverse geography and landscape, with a mixture of coastal plains, mountains, and desert, making it a unique and fascinating destination for visitors. The country is situated on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, with a shoreline extending for approximately 273 km (170 miles). The Negev desert, which covers much of southern Israel, is sparsely populated, while the northern part of the country is more densely populated, and the Haifa region includes lush, fertile land.

Climate
Israel has a warm, sunny climate, with mild winters and hot summers. The climate is also influenced by the country’s geography, with coastal regions experiencing more temperate climates, while inland areas are typically much drier and hotter. The winter season, between November and April, is generally mild, with occasional rainfall and cooler temperatures, while summers are long, dry, and hot, with temperatures frequently exceeding 38°C (100°F).

Culture
Israel is a melting pot of religions and cultures, with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities living alongside one another. The country’s diverse and rich cultural heritage is reflected in its art, music, literature, and architecture. Israeli cuisine is renowned for its Mediterranean flavors, with dishes such as falafels, hummus, shakshuka, and salads being popular. Additionally, Israel is home to many festivals and celebrations, with Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah being the most significant Jewish holidays.

Tourism
Israel is a popular destination for tourists who come to explore its rich history, culture, and traditions, as well as its breathtaking natural landscapes. The country boasts an impressive array of historical, cultural, and religious sites, including the Old City of Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea, all of which are steeped in history and significance.

The holy city of Jerusalem, in particular, is a significant pilgrimage site for many religious groups, with the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock, all being significant religious sites. Additionally, the country is home to numerous scenic locations, such as the Golan Heights, the Ramon Crater, and the Ein Gedi nature reserve.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Israel is a small country with a complex and rich history that has significantly influenced its cultural, architectural, and religious heritage. Its diverse population reflects this and makes Israel an exciting and unique destination for visitors to explore. From its beautiful coastline to its stunning desert landscapes, the country’s geography is also a significant attraction for tourists. Overall, Israel is a fascinating destination that offers visitors a wealth of different experiences, all in one small but diverse nation.


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Pales­tine’s Ab­bas calls on UN to ‘sus­pend’ Is­rael as Nak­ba marked

Al Jazeera

23-05-16 04:54


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the United Nations (UN) to suspend Israel’s membership of the international organisation unless it ends its conflict with Palestine, and recognises UN resolutions defining the two state’s borders and calling for the return of refugees from Palestine. Speaking at the first official UN commemoration of the Palestinian exodus from Israel in 1948, he argued that Israel had failed to comply with previous UN resolutions regarding its conflict with Palestine, and had never fulfilled its obligations to the body. Over 760,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes when Israel was created.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/16/palestines-abbas-calls-on-un-to-suspend-israel-as-nakba-marked
UN accused of ‘rewarding’ Iran as it gives ambassador leading human rights role

Telegraph

23-05-16 12:33


Iran has been accused of human rights abuses following a decision by the United Nations to appoint Iranian ambassador Ali Bahreini as chairman of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum 2023. Critics noted that the announcement followed Iran’s execution of two men on blasphemy charges and its continuing crackdown on anti-regime protesters. The appointment was “shocking” and showed “ethical blindness”, a spokesman for the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said. A spokesman explained that the Social Forum 2023 was merely a two-day event.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/05/16/un-accused-rewarding-iran-hangings-ambassador-human-rights/
An Israeli missile worsens the adversity of five disabled siblings

Reuters

23-05-16 12:29


An Israeli missile hit the Nabhan family’s residential block in Gaza leaving 45 people homeless; a family with five disabled members among those affected. Every morning, relatives carry out the five siblings, three of whom are on wheelchairs and all five of whom suffer from physical disability. According to officials from Hamas, the Israeli air strikes have destroyed 15 residential blocks, containing more than 50 apartments, since 9 May, and have left behind 49 beyond repair. The Gaza enclave has suffered from several wars and the 16-year-old Israeli-led blockade which has worsened the ailing economy.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/an-israeli-missile-worsens-adversity-five-disabled-siblings-2023-05-16/
A rare, endangered seal named Yulia basks on Tel Aviv beach

The Toronto Star

23-05-16 10:43


An endangered Mediterranean monk seal named Yulia has been spotted sunbathing on a beach in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers. With as few as 350 mature specimens estimated to exist in the wild, the Mediterranean monk seal is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Yulia is believed to have visited the shores of Israel from Turkey and Lebanon. Israel’s Nature and Park Authority has dispatched volunteers to monitor the seal, which is being allowed to rest and shed its winter coat on a fenced-off section of the beach.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/middleeast/2023/05/16/a-rare-endangered-seal-named-yulia-basks-on-tel-aviv-beach.html
Biden to mark Jewish American Heritage Month with Broadway stars, speak out on antisemitism

The Independent

23-05-16 09:19


President Joe Biden will mark Jewish American Heritage Month at a White House reception featuring performances from the stars of the Broadway revival of “Parade.” Alongside celebrating the contributions of Jewish Americans, Biden plans to highlight his administration’s efforts to combat rising antisemitism, including his appointment of America’s first ambassador-level special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, inter-agency group establishment, and convening of a White House summit on combating hate-fueled violence.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-ap-broadway-washington-white-house-b2339682.html
Minister: 2 major gas companies keen on Israel-Cyprus plan for pipeline, gas processing facility

Associated Press

23-05-16 16:22


Israeli-Cypriot plans to build a pipeline that will transport natural gas has attracted two major international gas companies so far. The pipeline will carry gas from both countries to Cyprus where it will then be liquified for export. Once Israel and Cyprus have agreed upon the project and energy companies have come on board, a tender process will open for the construction of the pipeline and processing facility. Some of the gas conveyed to Cyprus will be used for domestic power generation so as to reduce energy costs for consumers. This move offers European markets another option as they are currently primary targets for Israel’s gas.

https://apnews.com/article/cyprus-israel-gas-pipeline-57176025a20c7d78a8c0ac9946a62b25
Israel tech firms to continue job layoffs in 2023 -report

Reuters

23-05-16 15:25


High-tech firms in Israel have put a halt to hiring and many continue to lay off employees, according to a report by the Israel Innovation Authority and the Start Up Nation Policy Institute. The organisations found that a quarter of companies have stopped recruiting new employees and another quarter plan more layoffs, with many of them planning to let go 5% of their workforce. Israel's tech sector accounts for 15% of economic output, 10% of jobs, more than half of exports and 25% of tax income. Slow growth in 2021 has acted as a key drag on the sector, with tech firms raising $15bn last year, down from a record $27bn in 2020.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/israel-tech-firms-continue-job-layoffs-2023-report-2023-05-16/
US skips UN Nakba event marking dispossession of Palestinians after Israeli campaign

CNN

23-05-16 13:21


The United States and several European nations declined to attend an event marking the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, the Palestinian name for what the Israeli state refers to as its War of Independence, citing concerns of anti-Israeli bias. Roughly 700,000 Palestinians were threatened, paralysed or killed after they fled their homes, as Israel was founded in 1948, prefiguring what remains a continuing dispute between the Jewish state and the Palestinians over their right to self-determination. Monday's commemoration urged the United Nations to make 15 May an annual commemoration of “the Palestinian plight, which is a plight and a tragedy for humanity as a whole”. UN websites largely avoided mentioning Israel, rather focusing on the suffering of the Palestinians.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/middleeast/us-palestinian-nakba-un-boycott-intl/index.html
Where Vegetarians Are Always Welcome

NY Times

23-05-16 20:00


Restaurants that don’t only cater to vegetarians, but which make vegetarian and non-meat dishes on par with meat dishes are becoming increasingly popular in New York City, according to a recent article. Writer Nikita Richardson lists several restaurants that excell in creating vegetable- and non-meat-based dishes that do not feel like a compromise, including Misi in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Superiority Burger in the East Village; and Israeli eatery Miriam, with locations in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and on the Upper West Side. Middle Eastern and North African restaurants also receive high praise for their produce-focus cuisine.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/dining/where-vegetarians-are-always-welcome.html?searchResultPosition=2
White House wants to improve access to opioid overdose reversal medication

Reuters

23-05-16 17:34


The Biden administration is seeking to meet with the makers of the life-saving medication naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses in an effort to increase access and reduce cost. The Office of National Drug Control Policy plans to have conversations with manufacturers to share the principle that the easier it is for people to access naloxone, the more lives can be saved. This is part of the administration's wider efforts to ensure naloxone is both accessible and affordable to everyone who may need it. Naloxone is seen as a key tool to help someone survive an opioid overdose.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/white-house-eyes-drugmaker-meeting-overdose-reversal-medication-2023-05-16/
Executive course opens doors for Arab Israelis

Financial Times

23-05-17 04:21


Israel’s Edmond de Rothschild Foundation is behind a programme aimed at increasing the number of Arabs represented in senior roles in business. The Al-Mada executive empowerment initiative, created with support from philanthropic group Kav Mashve, offers participants part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) studies and training with the Institute for Quality Leadership, as well as an executive education course at Cambridge University. The first beneficiaries of the programme have already been promoted to senior roles within large multinational firms including Microsoft, Intel and KPMG.

https://www.ft.com/content/863da1a1-c3f5-4d99-b9c6-c5918ba4cbf9
'Israel gave us five minutes to evacuate our home'

BBC

23-05-17 04:03


Last week's fighting in Gaza and Israel have reportedly left more than 1,200 Palestinians displaced, according to the UN. With Israel's ceasefire holding but tensions remaining high, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are listed by Israel and the West as terrorist organisations. Human rights groups have condemned the attacks on residential buildings, destroying entire apartment blocks, as a violation of international law. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bids to burnish his reputation for security in the face of unprecedented domestic unrest and growing pressure from religious-ultranationalist extremists in his coalition. Many Palestinians in Gaza feel abandoned by an international community that still talks about a political future for the region - a two-state solution - which is outright rejected by both Israel's nationalist government and the Palestinian armed groups.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65608282
What is ‘flag day’ in Jerusalem and why is it so con­tro­ver­sial?

Al Jazeera

23-05-17 09:03


A nationalist march in Jerusalam is likely to provoke tensions and trigger unrest as right-wing Israeli groups plan a parade to mark Jerusalem day. The day celebrates what is referred to as the "reunification" of Jerusalem after it was captured and occupied in 1967 and is marked on 22 May. Days before the march, tensions are still high after a ceasefire reached between Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel, following a four-day Israeli bombardment that left 33 Palestinians and one Israeli dead. Thousands of young Orthodox Jewish men are due to parade through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, a provocation that has led to attacks against Palestinians.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/17/what-is-flag-day-in-jerusalem-and-why-is-it-so-controversial
‘I only operate:’ A Ukrainian trauma surgeon has an all-consuming task during Russia’s war

The Toronto Star

23-05-17 06:27


The lead surgeon of a military hospital in Ukraine, Petro Nikitin, has described how he treats the “highest numbers of traumas” on "people with damaged legs, chests, stomachs and arms all at once" owing to the war in Ukraine, which has seen an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian troops killed or wounded since 2014. While the Ukrainian military has refused to confirm figures, Western sources suggest over 650 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded or killed in fighting this year alone. Nikitin explained that the hospital is defined as a top-level trauma centre, and as such receives the more complex cases where a field hospital is unable to carry out the required surgery. The main injuries that he and his team work to heal, are damage to soft tissues, bone and the structures that bind nerves and veins.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/europe/2023/05/17/i-only-operate-a-ukrainian-trauma-surgeon-has-an-all-consuming-task-during-russias-war.html
Analysis: Why Hamas was not Israel's target in Gaza airstrikes - this time

Reuters

23-05-17 16:36


Israel avoided targeting Hamas, its main enemy, in its recent airstrikes against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Instead, the missile attack targeted the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad, killing six senior commanders. This shows the complexity of Israel's relationship with Hamas, which has run Gaza since 2007, despite being sworn enemies. While Israel maintains a strict blockade against Palestine, almost 20,000 Palestinians are allowed to leave the enclave to work in Israel or the West Bank in jobs that provide about $3m a day in wages to a territory where around half the population is out of work.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/why-hamas-was-not-israels-target-gaza-airstrikes-this-time-2023-05-17/
Be­fore Flag Day, Hamas warns ten­sions turn­ing more re­li­gious

Al Jazeera

23-05-17 16:04


Hamas has warned that provocative “flag day” marches and attempts to Judaise the Palestinian part of Jerusalem risk further violence and a religious conflict, according to Dr Basim Naim, former minister of health and current head of the Council on International Relations for Hamas. He said Hamas is “ready to invest all we can, to sacrifice all we can to prevent any more steps towards Judaisation of the city and freedom for Palestine” and warned that such steps could lead to “explosions not only inside Palestine but in a lot of other countries.” Naim also stressed that protesters disregarded universal values by focusing on human rights within the Jewish community but not as a universal value for all human beings.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/5/17/before-flag-day-hamas-warns-tensions-turning-more-religious
Hamas calls on Palestinians to confront Israeli victory parade in Jerusalem

Associated Press

23-05-17 14:33


Hamas has called on Palestinians to confront a planned parade by Jewish nationalists through the main Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem's Old City, which is scheduled to mark "Jerusalem Day." The group's comments threaten to re-ignite fighting between Israel and Gaza just days after a ceasefire took hold. The parade is typically accompanied by anti-Arab racist chants and violence towards Palestinians. It comes amid concerns among Palestinians that Israel is trying to alter the status quo regarding visits and prayer at the Temple Mount, which Jewish groups say is the holiest site in Judaism.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-aqsa-jerusalem-parade-a972bb1b00c10bace199b74851b1131c
Tunisia president pledges safety for Jewish citizens after synagogue attack

Reuters

23-05-17 19:49


Tunisian President Kais Saied has pledged to ensure the safety of Jewish citizens and their temples following an attack at a synagogue that left two visitors and two policemen dead. Speaking after holding talks with the country's chief rabbi, Saied extended a "historical message" of coexistence and tolerance to representatives from the Muslim and Christian faiths. Last week, the president said the attack on the synagogue had been carried out by "criminals" seeking to undermine the country's tourism sector.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/tunisia-president-pledges-safety-jewish-citizens-after-synagogue-attack-2023-05-17/
In Haifa, Is­rael sells Pales­tin­ian homes as lux­u­ry real es­tate

Al Jazeera

23-05-18 07:13


The Israeli government is selling the few Palestinian buildings left standing in Haifa, a city in northern Israel, a move that campaigners say is part of an ongoing effort to gentrify the area. Following the Nakba (“catastrophe”) in 1948, in which Zionist forces expelled more than 95% of the Palestinian population from Haifa, many of the city’s historic buildings were flattened. Today, Palestinians own just 20% of the homes that existed in pre-1948 Haifa. The remainder were transferred to the state under the Absentees’ Property Law, which meant that all Palestinian-owned properties whose owners became refugees were taken over by Israel—and later sold or sometimes used to house Jews. In the past two decades, the government has been selling what Palestinian buildings remain to real estate companies. These may demolish and rebuild or renovate as luxury residences for the Israeli market.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/5/18/in-haifa-israel-sells-palestinian-homes-as-luxury-real-estate