ISRAEL

JNF FORESTS
IN JERUSALEM'S HILLS

GEOGRAPHY

Israel was once called Canaan, Judea, The Holy Land and Palestine. It is incredible that it’s sacred to three -- one God -- religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Geographically seen Israel is a long strip of a country. On the West bounded by the Mediterranean Sea. On the east are the Great Syrian-African rift valley and the Red Sea to the south. It borders on Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

Most of the population live in the north and centre of Israel. It is divided into a costal plain in the west, the valley region in the east and in the centre of Israel the mountain range.

On the northern side is Israel highest mountain Mount Hermon, 2224m high. In the south are the deserts Negev a dArava.

Israel's climate is a dry, warm summer from April to October and mild winters. In hillier regions, such Jerusalem, have cooler and drier climate.

              

                                  KNESSET -- 
                        THE ISRAEL PARLIAMENT

CHURCH OF TRANSFIGURATION 
ON THE MOUNT TABOR

WILDLIFE

Due to these good climate conditions Israel has a great migrating bird’s population. In and around Eilat you can find honey-buzzards, white storks, sparrow hawks and spotted eagles. In the region of the Upper Galilee are white pelicans, storks, raptors and ibis flying around. The wildlife in the desert is stone curlews, sand grouse, jackals and gazelle. In the mountains of the north are redstart, rock nuthatch and hermon-horned lark.

ECONOMICS

Israel's main exports are mainly citrus fruits, vegetables, wheat and poultry. These get produced on kibbutzim special communities where everything is shared. 2.4 per cent of the population lives and works on kibbutzim.

Israel's major industries are medical electronics, telecommunications, agro-technology, computer hardware and software. However, the top industry is diamonds. Another important industry is tourism which amounts up to two million visitors each year.

THE WESTERN WALL AD DOME OF THE ROCK -- JERUSALEM

MASADA IN THE JUDEA DESERT -- A NATIONAL SYMBOL

HISTORY

After the Holocaust Jewish people were asking for a place of their own.

The UN split Palestine into two parts in 1947. One side for the Arabs and the other part for the Jews. However, the Arabs did not want to loose their homeland.

The British rules ended in 1948 and the Jews called their land Israel. It took only one day and the Arab armies from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt marched into Israel. A hard fought battled followed with many dead and 250,000 Arab-Palestinian fled the country. Eventually in 1949 a cease fire was declared. Israel gained more land as was allocated to them in 1947.

Israel joined in 1949 the UN and a Law was established that every Jews has the right to live in Israel. However, the conflicts between Arabs and Jews increased and the result was further major wars.

The first was in 1956 between Egypt and Israel over Sinai

The second war was in 1967 and latest six days after a blockade of the Tiran Straits by President Nasser.  A massive built up by Egypt and Syrian troops along the Israeli border. Nasser was aiming to destroy Israel. Israel defeated Egypt, Syria and Jordan gaining the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan. Also the Sinai Peninsular and Gaza Strip from Egypt.

Egypt and Syria invaded Israel in 1973 on Yom Kippur but were defeated again.

In 1979 Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in Washington, USA and with that ended a 30-year long war.

In 1989 Israel held out its hand to end all the wars with Arab states and recognizing their leaders. Also for the first time they had direct talk with the Palestinian leader. A great break-through came when Israel started to negotiate with Palestine and their leader Yasser Arafat. Israel recognized the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLO) and return Arafat guaranteed peace and security.July 1994, King Hussein of Jordan and Prime Minister Rabin of Israel shook hands on the lawn of the White House and which ended a 46 year long war between the two countries.