Portal:Israel

Welcome to the Israel Portal
מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. Situated in the Southern Levant of the Middle East, it shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It occupies the Palestinian territories of the West Bank in the east and the Gaza Strip in the south-west. Israel also has a small coastline on the Red Sea at its southernmost point, and part of the Dead Sea lies along its eastern border. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv is the country's largest urban area and economic center.

Israel is located in a region known as the Land of Israel, synonymous with the Canaan region and the Holy Land. In antiquity, it was home to the Canaanite civilisation followed by the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Situated at a continental crossroad, the region experienced demographic changes under the rule of empires from the Romans to the Ottomans. European antisemitism in the late 19th century galvanised Zionism, which sought a Jewish homeland in Palestine and gained British support. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine in 1920. Increased Jewish immigration in the leadup to the Holocaust and British foreign policy in the Middle East led to intercommunal conflict between Jews and Arabs, which escalated into a civil war in 1947 after the United Nations (UN) proposed partitioning the land between them. (Full article...)

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Blumenfeld in 2010

Amir Shmuel Blumenfeld (/əˈmɪər ʃmuˈɛl ˈbluːmənfɛld/; Hebrew: אמיר שמואל בלומנפלד; born January 18, 1983) is an Israeli-American comedian, actor, writer, television host, and member of the American comedy duo, Jake and Amir. Born in Israel, he moved to Los Angeles when he was two, and was hired by the New York City-based CollegeHumor in 2005. As well as contributing to its books and articles, he has written and starred in original videos for the comedy website—appearing in series such as Hardly Working and Very Mary-Kate—and was a cast member on its short-lived MTV program The CollegeHumor Show.

Amir first came to national prominence in 2004 when he was a semi-finalist during Yahoo's inaugural national IM Live contest, losing to the eventual champions. Now, he is best known for appearing in the web series Jake and Amir with Jake Hurwitz, in which he plays an annoying and exaggerated version of himself. Originally made by Hurwitz and Blumenfeld in their spare time, the series was then produced by CollegeHumor. Blumenfeld's acting in the series gained him a Webby Award for Best Individual Performance in 2010. (Full article...)

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This is a Featured picture that the Wikimedia Commons community has chosen as one of the highest quality on the site.

Image 1Dead Tree in Sea of Life is an installation artwork from 2017 by Amiram Dora, a travel guide from the nearby city Arad. The work consists of a tree planted on a salt pile in the Dead Sea. The purpose of the work is to show that as opposed to its common name, the Dead Sea is actually a place of rich tourist activity, healing and relaxation.
Image 2A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 3Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
Image 4Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 5Southern aerial view of the Temple Mount, a hill located in the Old City of Jerusalem that for thousands of years has been venerated as a holy site, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Image 6A view of Jerusalem from southeast, showing the Walls of Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This image was taken sometime between 1900 and 1940.
Image 7"The Nile and the Sinai, to Israel and beyond. One sweeping glance of human history." Caption by astronaut Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.
Image 8Diving tourism site on the southern coast of Eilat, around a horseshoe-shaped reef. Many animal species are found in the area, including dolphins.
Image 9Reading Power Station, built in Tel Aviv in 1938, was named for Rufus Isaacs, the 1st Marquess of Reading. Reading Light is pictured on the left.
Image 10Northeast exposure of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Considered to be the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.
Image 11The Jerusalem Railway Station c. 1900. The locomotive on the turntable is "Ramleh" (J&J No. 3), a Baldwin 2-6-0. The station was the terminus of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway until its closure in 1998. Today, the station is abandoned and suffering from neglect and vandalism, although it is one of 110 buildings selected for preservation in Jerusalem.
Image 12Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 13An aerial view of Makhtesh Ramon, a geological feature of Israel's Negev desert. Located some 85 km south of the city of Beersheba, the landform is not an impact crater from a meteor nor a volcanic crater formed by a volcanic eruption, but rather is the world's largest "erosion cirque" (steephead valley or box canyon).
Image 14David Ben-Gurion's room at Ben-Gurion's Hut, the retirement home of Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and his wife Paula (Pola) from the years 1953 until Ben-Gurion's death in 1973.
Image 15An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 16Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 17A more recent section of the Israel-Egypt barrier fence, north of Eilat, June 2012. It is a border barrier built by Israel along its border with Egypt. It was originally an attempt to curb illegal migrants from African countries.^[1] Construction was approved on 12 January 2010^[2] and began on 22 November 2010.^[3]

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...that the first postage stamps of Israel (pictured) were issued on May 16 1948, within 48 hours of the independent republic being proclaimed?
...that the most famous accomplishment of the Israeli Engineering Corps is breaching the Suez Canal during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War?
...that Israel is the world's largest recipient of United States overseas military assistance?

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WikiProject Israel – WikiProject Jewish history – WikiProject Judaism – WikiProject Jewish culture – WikiProject Hebrew

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Birket Israel

Birket Israel (trans. Pool of Israel) also Birket Israil or Birket Isra'in, abbreviated from Birket Beni Israìl (trans. Pool of the Children of Israel) was a public cistern located on the north-eastern corner of the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem. The structure is believed to have been built either in the Late Roman or the Umayyad period for use as a water reservoir and also to protect the northern wall of the Temple Mount. Hackett attests that Arab locals knew it by this name in 1857.

By the mid-19th century it had gone out of use as a reservoir; being partly filled with rubbish and reused as a vegetable garden. In 1934 it was filled in and is now known as el-Ghazali Square. It is currently in mixed use for shops, as a car park, and as a transshipment point for refuse. (Full article...)

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Israeli cuisine Joseph's Tomb Kashrut Clal Center Zion Square Black Hebrew Israelites Robinson's Arch Abergil crime family Chaim Topol Joshua Prawer Mamilla Schwester Selma Ir Ovot Downtown Triangle (Jerusalem) Haifa Western Wall Eilat Airport AIL Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Angel Bakeries Operation Pleshet Arrow (Israeli missile)

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Matzah balls or matzo balls are Ashkenazi Jewish soup morsels made from a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and a fat, such as oil, margarine, or chicken fat. Known as knaidel in Yiddish (Yiddish: קניידלעך, romanized: kneydlekh pl., singular קניידל, kneydl; with numerous other transliterations), they resemble a matzah meal version of Knödel, bread dumplings popular throughout Central European and East European cuisine.

Matzah balls are traditionally served in chicken soup and are a staple food on the Jewish holiday of Passover. However, they are not eaten during Passover by those who observe a prohibition on soaking matzah products. (Full article...)

List of fare/cuisine articles
Challah Ancient Israelite cuisine Israeli wine Cholent Israeli salad Kreplach Israeli breakfast Jachnun Kugel Shkedei marak Jerusalem mixed grill Charoset Bamba (snack) Ktzitzot Khubeza Gefilte fish Hamantash Seven Species

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The following are images from various Israel-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 2Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 3Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 4Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 5Remains of the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 6Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords signing ceremony at the White House on 13 September 1993 (from History of Israel)
Image 7Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 8The Merneptah Stele. According to mainstream archeology, it represents the first instance of the name "Israel" in the historical record. (from History of Israel)
Image 9Avraham Adan raising the Ink Flag marking the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War (from History of Israel)
Image 10Patriot missiles launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud over Tel Aviv during the Gulf War (from History of Israel)
Image 11Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 12Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 13Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 14Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 15Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 16Israeli paratroopers dig in near the Mitla Pass, 31 October 1956 (from History of Israel)
Image 17Silver coin (gerah) minted in the Persian province of Yehud, dated c. 375-332 BCE. Obv: Bearded head wearing crown, possibly representing the Persian Great King. Rev: Falcon facing, head right, with wings spread; Paleo-Hebrew YHD to right. (from History of Israel)
Image 18Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 19Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 20Menachem Begin addressing a mass demonstration in Tel Aviv against negotiations with Germany in 1952 (from History of Israel)
Image 21143rd Division crossing the Suez Canal in the direction of Cairo during the Yom Kippur War, 15 October 1973 (from History of Israel)
Image 22Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 23Protest in Tel Aviv on 6 August 2011 (from History of Israel)
Image 24The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 25Gen. Uzi Narkiss, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, Chief of staff Yitzhak Rabin and Gen. Rehavam Ze'evi in the Old City of Jerusalem, 7 June 1967 (from History of Israel)
Image 26Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 27Dedication ceremony of the Embassy of the United States in Jerusalem in 2018 (from History of Israel)
Image 28Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 29David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 30Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 31Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords (from History of Israel)
Image 32"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 33Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 34Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 35Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 36Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 37Jewish youth dancing the Horah in the kibboutz Ein Harod in 1936 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 38Visual History of Israel by Arthur Szyk, 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 39Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 40Cultural map of the world according to the World Values Survey, describing Israel as a whole at parity in "Rational-Secular Values" and also at parity in "Self-expression values". (from Culture of Israel)
Image 41The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 42A portion of the Isaiah scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 43A Bookplate done for Martin Buber; The plate is adorned with the walls of Jerusalem in the shape of a Shield of David, viewed from above (from Culture of Israel)
Image 44Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 45Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent. (from History of Israel)
Image 46Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 47Aerial view of the Temple Mount showing the Dome of the Rock in the center and the al-Aqsa mosque to the south (from History of Israel)
Image 48Skhul Cave (from History of Israel)
Image 491949 Green Line (from History of Israel)
Image 50Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 51Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 52Illustration for the Song of Songs. Along with the Book of Esther, the ancient poem is an example of an ancient Israeli literature with no mention of God, and is traditionally read as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel (from Culture of Israel)
Image 53Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 54Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 55Nahal Brigade soldiers returning after the 2006 Lebanon War (from History of Israel)
Image 56Buchenwald survivors arrive in Haifa to be arrested by the British, 15 July 1945 (from History of Israel)
Image 57David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 58Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 59The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 60The Gaza–Israel barrier route built (red), under construction (pink) and proposed (white), as of June 2011^[update] (from History of Israel)
Image 61United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 62The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 63Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)

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23 May 2025 – Israel–United Kingdom relations: British Minister of State for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard says that the UK "does not recognize" the comments made by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, where he accused British prime minister Keir Starmer, along with French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney of "siding with Hamas" and being on "the wrong side of humanity". (Sky News)
23 May 2025 – 2025 killing of Israeli Embassy workers in Washington, D.C.: The suspect in the killing of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, D.C. two days ago, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder along with other charges both federally and locally. (NPR)
22 May 2025 – Gaza war: Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip; At least 80 Palestinians are killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera)

Israel category at Wikinews

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Israel}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.