Israel

מדינת ישראל Medīnat Yisrā'el دولة إسرائيل Dawlat Isrā'īl State of Israel
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Hatikvah ("The Hope")
Capital	Jerusalem 31°47′N 35°13′E
Largest city	Jerusalem
Official languages	Hebrew, Arabic
Government	Parliamentary democracy
- President	Moshe Katsav1
- Prime Minister	Ehud Olmert
- Knesset Speaker	Dalia Itzik
Independence	from the League of Nations mandate administered by the United Kingdom
- Declaration	14 May 1948 (05 Iyar 5708)
Area
- Total	20,770 km² (151th) 8,019 sq mi
- Water (%)	~2
Population
- December 2006 estimate	7,100,0002 (98th)
- 1995 census	5,548,523
- Density	324 /km² (34th) (787) /sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$177.3 billion (47th)
- Per capita	$26,200 (28th)
HDI (2006)	0.927 (high) (23rd)
Currency	New Israeli Sheqel (₪) (ILS)
Time zone	IST (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	(UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.il
Calling code	+972
1 Has temporarily relinquished power (February 2007). 2 Includes Israeli population living in the West Bank, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

The State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat Isrā'īl) is a country in the Western Asian Levant, on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon on the north, Syria and Jordan on the east, and Egypt on the south-west.

Israel declared its independence in 1948. With a diverse population currently exceeding seven million citizens of primarily Jewish background and religion, it is the world's only Jewish state. Jerusalem is the capital city and seat of government. Israel is the only country in the Middle East considered to be a liberal democracy, having a broad array of political rights and civil liberties present. In addition, Israel is considered the most advanced in the region in terms of economic competition, business regulations, freedom of the press, and overall human development.

Name

The name "Israel" is rooted in the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 32:28, where Jacob is renamed Israel after successfully wrestling with an angel of God. The biblical nation fathered by Jacob was then called "The Children of Israel" or the "Israelites".

The modern country was named State of Israel, and its citizens are referred to as Israelis in English. Other rejected name proposals included Eretz Israel, Zion and Judea. The use of the term Israeli to refer to a citizen of Israel was decided by the Government of Israel in the weeks immediately after independence and announced by Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok.

History

Historical roots

The first historical record of the word "Israel" comes from an Egyptian stele documenting military campaigns in Canaan. Although this stele which referred to a people (the determinative for 'country' was absent) is dated to approximately 1211 BCE, Jewish tradition holds that the Land of Israel has been a Jewish Holy Land and Promised land for four thousand years, since the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). The land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious obligations, encompassing Judaism's most important sites (such as the remains of the First and Second Temples of the Jewish People). Connected with these two versions of the temple are religiously significant rites which stand as the origin for many aspects of modern Judaism. Starting around the eleventh century BCE, the first of a series of Jewish kingdoms and states established intermittent rule over the region that lasted more than a millennium.

Under Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and (briefly) Sassanian rule, Jewish presence in the region dwindled because of mass expulsions. In particular, the failure of the Bar Kokhba's revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE resulted in a large-scale expulsion of Jews. It was during this time that the Romans gave the name Syria Palaestina to the geographic area, in an attempt to erase Jewish ties to the land. Nevertheless, the Jewish presence in Palestine remained constant. The main Jewish population shifted from the Judea region to the Galilee. The Mishnah and Jerusalem Talmud, two of Judaism's most important religious texts, were composed in the region during this period. The land was conquered from the Byzantine Empire in 638 CE during the initial Muslim conquests. The Hebrew niqqud was invented in Tiberias during this time. The area was ruled by the Omayyads, then by the Abbasids, Crusaders, the Kharezmians and Mongols, before becoming part of the empire of the Mamluks (1260-1516) and the Ottoman Empire in 1517.

Zionism and immigration

State of Israel Not to be outdone by Iran, it's Israel's turn. The bill is a "landmark effort to establish the same type of strategic partnership between the U.S. and Israel to help solve the energy crisis as has been so successful in addressing military matters. "Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." A record number of Jews converting to Islam last year prompted the Shas Knesset faction Tuesday to propose a bill that would jail missionaries who proselytize to individuals in Israel. The new bill would punish missionaries who attempt to draw any Israeli away from his faith, be that faith Judaism, Islam or Christianity. A shipment of predator wasps arrived in Israel two months ago to take on the gall wasp pests that have been ravaging Israel's eucalyptus trees. The predator wasps have already successfully routed one pest species, Ophelimus maskellis. "We had real concerns about the threat of extinction for Israel's eucalyptus groves," said David Brand... Related links Links: Link Privacy Policy | CSS and XHTML © Copyright 2012 http://www.globat.es/