Is Israel a country?

Israel as the country of the Jewish People

To answer the question: Is Israel a country, one must go back to the story of Abraham. Jewish people who belong to the state of Israel trace their origin to a patriarch called Abraham. He was the first to instill the belief that the creator of the universe is God. His son Isaac and grandson Jacob are known as the patriarchs of the Israelites. They lived together in Canaan which was later called Israel. Their wives were buried in Hebron. 

The name Israel was taken from the name that was initially handed over to Jacob. His sons were seeds of 12 tribes that formed the Jewish nation. The word Jew was derived from the word Judah who was one of the sons of Jacob. So the name Israel, Jewish or Israeli refers to people who come from the same origin, 

Abraham’s descendants crystallized into a nation. Soon, Moses who saved the Israelites from the tyranny of the Egyptians transmitted his people to the emerging nation. After 40 years, Moses then took them to the land of Israel, the land that was promised by God in the Bible to the people of Israel. 

Modern-day Israelites tend to have the same culture and language that was shaped with Jewish religion and heritage passed through several generations. Jews have been present for more than 3,300 years.

A few words about Zionism

Zionism is described as a movement that was used to create the Jewish presence in Israel for a second time. The word Zionism comes from the name Zion which is seen as a Hebrew term in Jerusalem. Jews have always seen a few areas within Israel as sacred, long time before Christianity and Islam.

The Jewish religious texts, the Torah depicts several stories of ancient prophets who were told by God to go back to their homeland. Even though the Zionist movement’s philosophies have existed for many years, Zionism did not become official until it was the 19th century. At that time, Jews everywhere faced anti-Semitism. 

Zionism is described as Israel’s national ideology. Those who believe in Zionism also believe that Judaism is not just a religion but also a nationality where Jews can have their state within their homeland that has existed for decades. Just like French people deserve to live in France and the Indian people in India, followers of Judaism deserve to live in Israel. Zionism is that one thing that brought Israelites back to their homeland. 

How Israel became a country?

Israel was officially recognized as a country after a long and arduous battle between the Jews and the Muslim Arabs. The newly established Israeli army defeated the Arab armies and Arab fighters gangs who lived within the territory of Israel. Arab armies invaded the State of Israel with the aim of destroying the Jews who lived in the territory of the young state.

Their confidence in their victory led them to call on all the Arab inhabitants of Israel, to leave their homes and return to them at the end of the war after the Jews were defeated. To their great sadness, this did not happen, the State of Israel was not destroyed, and those who fled were no longer allowed to return.

This was the price of trying to destroy the State of Israel that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. The UN partition promised approximately 56% of Israel towards the Jewish state. By the end, Israel had approximately 77% of it, except for the Judea and Samaria and the whole eastern section of Jerusalem along with the Gaza Strip. 

How strong is Israel as a country?

The defense force in Israel is one of the strongest in the world. It has been ranked 8th among all the militaries of the world. According to NATO, it is the second-largest military. Israel has several modern tanks, airforces, weapons, electronics and capable Special Forces. The countries that have an equal defense that Israel, has 170 times more people than the entire country does, and still Israel manages to do a stupendous job each time!

Is Israel a safe country to live & work?

In general, Israel is a very safe country to live and work in. True, this statement contradicts what is implied by listening to the media but actuality, Israel is a country that is safe to live in. Life security consists of a number of factors, inter-country conflicts, crime, violence, abductions, the nature of health care.

There are many countries in the world that are not in war and security in some areas is extremely poor. For example, in Paris, there are large neighborhoods that even the police fear to enter. Is Paris safer than Tel Aviv? In most cities in the United States, no parent will let their children walk alone on the street to a school or a friend because of fear of kidnapping. In Israel, however, children walking alone on the streets are a very common sight. Is the US safer?

In Israel, there are sometimes security tensions stemming from Arabic-Palestinian violence and the fact that in the Gaza Strip, residents chose a terrorist organization to lead them, but that is part of the cost of Israel’s existence in the Middle East.

Is Israel a safe country to visit?

The number of tourists in Israel breaks records every year. Many international have R&D centers in Israel. Israeli industry is booming. Many foreign workers live and live in Israel. All of this happens because Israel is safe and able to keep itself safe despite some non-simple challenges.

If you are looking to travel to Israel anytime soon, be assured to have a great time because the country is safe and is very friendly towards visitors, especially female visitors. Violent crimes against tourists hardly exist. Still, there are typical things about Israel that you should be aware of before visiting the country. We recommend reading the article we have published here in the past about the list of things not worth doing in Israel. Here are some of the things you have to keep in mind:

1. Hotel safes are always available and can be used. No valuables should be left unattended, especially on the beach,
2. Be very careful when it comes to visiting border regions, especially those that are close to Lebanon and Syria. 
3. Stay away from violent demonstrations in Judea and Samaria.
4. Do not cross minefields in the Golan Heights.  

Economic Growth in Israel

Apart from having one of the best defense forces in the world, Israel is also technologically advanced. It has a high concentration of venture capital that flows into the country and an excellent workforce that has worked towards the advancement of cleantech, high-tech and life sciences. Israel has ranked high in terms of technological readiness. It also has the best research organizations.

The country ranks 1st when it comes to its engineers and scientists. They also have a maximum number of startups and venture capital investments. Israel has experienced a great rate of growth in the past couple of years. It also was recognized as one of the world’s most developed economies recently. 

Science and technological growth in Israel 

Israel is also growing in terms of science and technology. The country spends more than 5 percent of its GDP on scientific development and research. Israel was also marked as one of the most innovative countries across the globe in the year 2019. When it comes to scientific output, Israel had secured the third spot.

In the year 2014, several scientific articles were published across the world and it turned out to be much higher than the entire population. As of now, Israel has over 140 scientists in every 10,000 employees. Its high technology industry has also benefited from the skilled workforce, brilliant research centers, and high-tech firms

Quick Facts about Israel 

1. Israel has two official languages- Hebrew and Arabic
2. It has the longest life expectancy across the world. As of now, it is 82 years, which is much higher than the USA and UK.
3. It has more Nobel Prizes than the USA, Germany, and France. It has more laureates than China, Spain, and India.
4. Coffees and cafes are always populated in Israel. This is the only country where Starbucks failed to make a mark. Shocking, isn’t it?
5. Israeli cows produce more milk than any other cow from across the world. 
6. Israel has one of the largest air forces in the world. 
7. This is the only country that has free trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, the USA and other countries that fall in the European Union. 
8. It is the only nation to have women in their military.
9. Passengers on El Al, Israel’s national airline always clap for their pilots when the flights touch down near Tel Aviv. 
10. Despite having the toughest of neighborhoods, Israel is ranked as one of the top happiest countries in the world. 
11. Israel is the only country that revived an unknown language and made it the official language of the country. 
12. The mount of Olives in Jerusalem is one of the oldest cemeteries that is used to date.  

Is Israel a state or a country?

Located in southwestern Asia, the state of Israel is a country found in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It gained complete independence in the year 1948 after which it was officially declared as a country. Israel is officially the only Jewish country where Jews from across the world consider as their homeland. The Jewish population in Israel is vast and dense. In 2019, it was 9.1 million out of which 6.7 million are Jewish.

Besides the Jewish majority, the rest are Muslims, Druze and Christians. The biggest city in Israel is Jerusalem although most countries keep all their embassies in Tel Aviv. In terms of size, Israel is quite small. It has deserts, valleys, shores, plains, and mountains. The climate tends to get hot during summers while it is rainy and cool in winter. However, it rarely freezes in Israel. 

Where is Israel country located?

Israel has desert conditions towards the South, while in the north, it is filled with snow-capped mountains. Israel is found towards the eastern section of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a part of Western Asia. Israel is surrounded by Syria on the northeast side, Lebanon in the north, Jordan in the east and Egypt in the southwest. Click here to find more details about Israel Map.

Which country does not accept Israel as a country?

30 UN countries do not recognize and accept Israel. The names include United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Malaysia, Libya, Indonesia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq, Comoros, Brunei, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria, Bhutan, Brunei and more. You can easily see that this is a very dubious list of countries. A mixture of racist, dictatorial regimes and human rights suppressors.

Is Israel illegal?

The first international decision regarding the State of Israel was made at the San Remo Conference in 1920 after World War I. Following the Balfour Declaration, the victorious powers of the First World War made the first, legally valid international decision on the right of the Jewish people to build their national home on the territory that includes today’s State of Israel, Judea and Samaria (mistakenly called “West Bank”), and all Jordan’s flat.

In 1921, contrary to the legal decision made at the San Remo Conference, Britain decided to tear up the part of Eretz Yisrael to establish the Jewish home and grant it to Abdullah, who headed the Hashemite dynasty, for helping the British in their war against the Turks.
The second significant decision was made in November 1947, the decision (UN 181) on the partition plan of Israel.

The Jews accepted it, the Arabs refused it and went to war with the aim of destroying the young state and eliminating its inhabitants. A plan to eliminate Jews in Israel has already been prepared by Haj Amin al-Husseini, who was the Mufti of the Arabs of Jerusalem, together with Hitler. What prevented the plan from being implemented was the defeat of the Germans at the battle of El Alamein in Africa.

After the victory of the State of Israel in 1967, additional UN resolutions were adopted 242 and after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, another UN resolution was passed, 338. Both resolutions 242 and 338 called for the withdrawal of the State of Israel from the Occupied Territories during the Six-Day War.

Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in a peace treaty signed with them in 1979. In 2006, Israel left the Gaza Strip and left it under the control of the Palestinian Arabs who have since chosen a terrorist organization to head them.

The Golan Heights

The Golan Heights were officially annexed to Israel and will never be returned to Syria despite a UN decision that does not recognize the State of Israel’s annexation action. Today, tens of thousands of Jews and Druze reside in the Golan Heights. , There are currently more than 650,000 Jews (including East Jerusalem). There is no feasibility of evacuating so many people.

In the Golan Heights, there was an ancient Jewish settlement, which preceded Islam and Syria. Beyond historical justice, during the brief period when the Syrians held the Golan Heights, they took advantage of being geographically dominating the Hula Valley (within the State of Israel) and used to bomb the kibbutzim and villages sporadically.

They threatened to destroy Israel and attacked the State of Israel by surprise during the Yom Kippur War. Since 1973, Syria has not dared to start a direct war again (other than fighting in Lebanon and supporting Hezbollah) against Israel.

Judea and Samaria

Judea and Samaria never belonged to a Palestinian people that never existed anyway. Judea and Samaria land is the cradle of the Jewish people. Most of the Bible stories took place in the Judea and Samaria area. Besides the historical and religious theme, Judea and Samaria is a hilltop area that dominates the entire center of the State of Israel.

Any constellation of Islamic Arab rule over the nerve center of the State of Israel (Tel Aviv metropolis) will end in disaster for the State of Israel. This is not a theory, the Gaza Strip is a living example of the Islamic threat posed by Arabs of Judea and Samaria. In 2005, Israel moved out of the Gaza Strip, demolished the Jewish settlement established there, evacuated all the settlers, and turned Gaza into an area without any Jews.

Billions of dollars have flowed from Western and Gulf countries into the Gaza Strip with the aim of building Singapore there, without taking into account the different cultural aspects. In a local election in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas terrorist organization was chosen to lead Gaza residents. A terrorist organization that has set its goals for the war in the State of Israel and the destruction of all Jews in the State of Israel (as detailed in the Covenant of Hamas).

‘[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility.’ (Article 13)

‘The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’ (Article 7)

The State of Israel will not be able to afford a similar scenario in Judea and Samaria. It’s pretty clear that no sane state can afford to take such a big risk and give up control of its destiny, for a signed paper sheet and meaningless guarantees from superpowers or international organizations. No UN decision can force the State of Israel to step to its end.

Why is Israel a developed country?

The current economy of Israel is highly advanced. It is a knowledge-based economy and also takes the top spot among 20 other countries across the world. According to experts, Israel has been marked as a highly developed country where a high standard of living is common. Most people in Israel have a better standard of living than those living in many Western Countries.

The reason behind Israel’s quick development is its infrastructure; it is a high technology sector that is always at par with Silicon Valley. Israel also has many start-up companies and has high tech multinational corporations such as Google, Facebook, Cisco Systems and Motorola. The GDP of Israel has been ranked between 25-29 countries across the world. It is much higher than Italy, Spain and South Korea. 

In all statistics on Israel, there are poverty statistics that seem almost far-fetched and for those who are unfamiliar with life in Israel, they are misleading. One example that dramatically affect poverty statistics related to the Ultra-orthodox community. The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector numbers more than one million people. Each average family has more than seven children.

Many of the ultra-Orthodox men attend Yeshivot (religious educational institutions). They have no formal education and no orderly work. In many of the ultra-Orthodox families, women are the main breadwinner and men receive low tuition scholarships. It is quite clear that a multi-child family, with one main earner (the woman), is doomed to poverty.

This is not the kind of poverty that exists in Africa, but statistics are definitely poverty. The ultra-Orthodox religious society is a very cohesive and very supportive society. Within the ultra-Orthodox society, there are countless aid organizations that help and support anyone who needs help.

In this way, even when there is poverty, it is not the poverty of families living on the street. The ultra-Orthodox Jews consciously choose this way of life and their choice dramatically impacts the State of Israel’s poverty statistics and creates a false and misleading image as if poverty in Israel is the result of government policy.

Is Israel considered a western country

Since the term western country does not necessarily refer to the actual geographical location. Japan, for example, is called ‘western because of its quick development. South Africa is also called western only because it is massively under the cultural influence of Europe.

The word Western itself means several things. Generally, people who use it vaguely use it to describe the European economy, politics or culture. Israel is aligned with Western countries. and mainly with the United States, the leader of the free world. If you compare the economy, then Israel can again be called Western.

With its religious aspect, Israel can also be called Western because of its Judeo-Christian concept.  Economically, culturally, militarily, politically, Israel is not only a part of the Western world but a representative of the ideal that underlies the Western world. Israel is the symbol of the fight against radical Islam and Iran, the two largest forces that today threaten the free world peace and its very existence.

While Western European countries are demographically and religiously relinquishing the narrative that led them to their greatness and wealth, in favor of abstract universal ideals, the State of Israel is growing demographically and economically and remains true to its identity and culture. In this sense, the State of Israel today is a beacon for the countries of Western European countries, even if they do not understand or recognize it.

What you should know about Israeli people?

Since Israel is predominantly the only Jewish nation, it is a home and residents to most of the Jewish people in the world today. About 75% of Israel’s residents are Jewish. There are different religions and religious beliefs practiced amongst Israelites. The other twenty-five percent of the population is mostly Arabs. There are Christians, Druze and Circassians people as well.

Hebrew is the official language of the State of Israel and Arabic is a language of special status (officially). In addition, close to a million people speak Russian, many speak English at various levels. Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews speak Yiddish and tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews speak Amharic.

It is very easy for tourists and expats to get along in Israel. Apart from languages, Israel has special cultural characteristics that you should recognize. The Israelis are very warm and painfully direct. The Israelis do not like to walk around the issues. They like to speak directly and honestly and say what they think directly. Israelis do not like to stand in line.

They will be happy to shorten it in any way, even if it often annoys those present. Israelis have a lot of ideas and they always find another way to do things. Israelis love to improvise and think they know better than others what to do at any given moment. It has negative sides, but it also has very positive sides. This way of thinking is the foundation of Israel’s start-up industry, people who see existing technology solutions and think they can come up with a better solution.

The Israelis are very generous, love to help, even if they are not asked. They will always be happy to know who you are, what you do, what you think about them, how much you earn, etc … Israelis love to travel as much as possible and especially abroad, India, Thailand, Europe, the United States, South America, and more… They love life, value them greatly but will not be afraid to fight to protect their country.

Recreation in Israel

Being rich in culture and heritage, Israel is filled with religious and historical sites you can go and take a visit at. There are several places to explore in Israel. Jerusalem has dozens of thousands of tourists and pilgrims each year. Hiking and camping are also quite popular and several Israelities indulge in athletic activities along with other sports like Judo, gymnastics, basketball and soccer.

Israel is rich in cultural events, shows, museums, lectures and performances, urban and desert and rural activities, marches, mass competitions, running or biking, food markets, shopping, movies, local and international conferences. Tel Aviv is, of course, the undisputed capital of entertainment and nightlife, but there are other very good options in Jerusalem, Haifa, southern Israel and north.

Culture and Tradition that only exists in Israel

Before most of the Jews returned to their homeland, they were spread across several countries. Because of this, Israel has a culture that is unique as most of the traditions and norms have been influenced by those who lived here previously. Israel is described as a country that is diverse, creative, adventurous where you can meet people from different cultures. 

The diverse culture is evident in almost every aspect of life, in the cultural creation, in the diverse families, in the differences in tradition, in the various cuisines, in music and in access to life.

FAQ

Why is Israel considered to be a rich country?

Israel is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world. It is a start upcountry with some of the greatest entrepreneurs and hi-tech successes. Billionaires are also found here in chunks. They do also get financial support from the United States. Israel also has the biggest diamond market in Tel Aviv. It has gas fields that are a tremendous source of money and power. Israel also receives massive donations from evangelical and Jewish Zionists.

How old is Israel as a country?

The birthplace of all Jewish people is the holy land of Israel. The country has existed since the 13th Century and even beyond that. The Bible speaks of Israel and Israelities to have existed since Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And even during dispersion, Jewish people seemed to have never forgotten the bond they have had with Israel as their homeland. The state of Israel, however, officially established in 1948 where Jewish independence that was lost over 2000 years ago was renewed. 

Israel is a country of which religion

Religion places an important role in shaping the lifestyle and culture of Israel. Most of Israel’s history is circulated religion. Israel is described as the only country with the largest number of Jews. Studies have also revealed that 75 percent of people in Israel are Jews while the rest are Arab or from other minority groups. Apart from the Jewish faith, other dominating religions include Christian, Muslims, and Druze. Israel also holds the fifth rank in terms of social hostilities related to religious norms. 

How big is Israel’s country?

Israel’s area is 27,784 square kilometers, including the Golan Heights, Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem. The area of Judea and Samaria is 5,860 square kilometers and the Golan Heights area is 1,800 square kilometers. The area of the Middle East is 7,207,575 square kilometers. That is Israel has 3 thousandths from the Middle East.

The rest of the area is populated by Muslim Arabs. And yet, even this area is probably too much because Israel is being requested for taking another part of the 3 thousandth it has in the Middle East and giving it to form another Islamic Arab state, in addition to the 22 Arab-Islamic countries that already exist. Which of course will bring “peace.”

Israel is a country in which continent?

Geographically, Israel is located in the Asian subcontinent. The bordering countries include Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. The Asian content also covers multiple regions that range from Turkey and go west into Russia, Japan, Indonesia and down south. In short, Israel is geographically found on the far left side of Asia. 

Is Israel considered a first world country?

Israel might be a small country in size but it has one of the highest human development indexes around the world. In the Human Development record, it scored number 18 and secured a better spot compared to Austria, Russia, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Finland and all the other states located in the Middle East.

It also ranked no 8 out of all the other 183 countries in terms of life expectancy. It is also well known for being a democratic and Free State. Among 61 popular countries, Israel was placed 31 when it comes to the quality of life. In short, Israel is a remarkable country when it comes to development. 

What is Israel’s country code on the phone?

Israel country code is +972