Portal:Israel

Welcome to the Israel Portal
מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel's western coast lies on the Mediterranean Sea, its southern tip reaches the Red Sea, and to the east is Earth's lowest point near the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is the government seat and proclaimed capital, while Tel Aviv is Israel's largest urban area and economic centre.

The Land of Israel, also called Palestine or the Holy Land, was home to the ancient Canaanites and later the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and Hasmonean Judea. Located near continental crossroads, its demographics shifted under various empires. 19th-century European antisemitism fuelled the Zionist movement for a Jewish homeland, which gained British support with the 1917 Balfour Declaration. After World War I, Britain occupied the region and established Mandatory Palestine. British rule and Jewish immigration in the leadup to the Holocaust intensified Arab-Jewish tensions, which escalated into a civil war after the 1947 United Nations (UN) Partition Plan. (Full article...)

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Magen David Adom worker dressed in protective gear walks beside a mobile intensive care unit in Tel Aviv

The COVID-19 pandemic in Israel was part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case in Israel was confirmed on 21 February 2020, when a female citizen tested positive for COVID-19 at the Sheba Medical Center after return from quarantine on the Diamond Princess ship in Japan. As a result, a 14-day home isolation rule was instituted for anyone who had visited South Korea or Japan, and a ban was placed on non-residents and non-citizens who were in South Korea for 14 days before their arrival.

Beginning on 11 March 2020, Israel began enforcing social distancing and other rules to limit the spread of infection. Gatherings were first restricted to no more than 100 people, and on 15 March this figure was lowered to 10 people, with attendees advised to keep a distance of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) between one another. On 19 March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a national state of emergency, saying that existing restrictions would henceforth be legally enforceable, and violators would be fined. Israelis were not allowed to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. Essential services—including food stores, pharmacies, and banks—would remain open. Restrictions on movement were further tightened on 25 March and 1 April, with everyone instructed to cover their noses and mouths outdoors. As coronavirus diagnoses spiked in the city of Bnei Brak, reaching nearly 1,000 infected people at the beginning of April, the cabinet voted to declare the city a "restricted zone", limiting entry and exit for a period of one week. Coinciding with the Passover Seder on the night of 8 April, lawmakers ordered a 3-day travel ban and mandated that Israelis stay within 100 m (330 ft) of their home on the night of the Seder. On 12 April, Haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem were placed under closure. (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 1A 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 2Northeast 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 3Dead 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 4An 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 5An aerial view of Masada in the Judaean Desert, with the Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance
Image 6A 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]
Image 7Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
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 9Southern 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 10Paratroopers at the Western Wall, an iconic photograph taken on June 7, 1967 by David Rubinger.
Image 11David 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 12Reading 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 13A view of Jaffa, from the beachfront of Tel Aviv
Image 14Ceramic tile on the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Image 15Young Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on a stone wall by the edge of Makhtesh Ramon in Mitzpe Ramon.
Image 16"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 17The 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.

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...that the Palestinians consider the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber (pictured) as the site of their future capital?
...that the 1966–68 Liga Leumit season was played over two years in an effort to rid Israeli football of corruption and violence, which included riots on the field?
...that the American Palestine Line claimed that its ship the SS President Arthur was the first ocean liner to fly the Israeli flag when it began service in 1925?

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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.

Joshua Prawer (Hebrew: יהושע פרַאוֶור; November 22, 1917 – April 30, 1990) was a notable Israeli historian and a scholar of the Crusades and Kingdom of Jerusalem.

His work often attempted to portray Crusader society as a forerunner to later European colonialist expansion. He was also an important figure in Israeli higher education, was one of the founders of the University of Haifa and Ben-Gurion University, and was a major reformer of the Israeli education system. (Full article...)

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An Israeli breakfast is a style of breakfast that originated on Israeli collective farms called kibbutzim, and is now served at most hotels in Israel and many restaurants. It is usually served buffet style, and consists of fruits, vegetables, salads, breads, pastries, dairy foods, eggs and fish. Meat is almost never included. (Full article...)

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

Image 1David Ben-Gurion proclaiming the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 2Remains of the Roman theatre in Caesarea Maritima (from Culture of Israel)
Image 3David dictating the Psalms. The practice of psalms is referred to as a philosophical and theological problem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 4Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Essenes (from History of Israel)
Image 5A portion of the Isaiah Scroll. One of the earliest known manuscripts of biblical literature (from Culture of Israel)
Image 6Supply convoy on its way to besieged Jerusalem, April 1948 (from History of Israel)
Image 7Illustration 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 8Tel Aviv Cinematheque (from Culture of Israel)
Image 9Skhul Cave (from History of Israel)
Image 10The Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the Roman triumph celebrating the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (from History of Israel)
Image 11Ecclesiastes is known for its incipit vanity of vanities; all is vanity and concepts of Vanitas (from Culture of Israel)
Image 12Simulated view of a black hole. Jacob Bekenstein predicted and co-discovered black hole entropy (from Culture of Israel)
Image 13Israeli breakfast (from Culture of Israel)
Image 14United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, 1947 (from History of Israel)
Image 15First modern art exhibition in Israel at the Ohel Theatre 1926, organized primarily by the Histadrut art studio (from Culture of Israel)
Image 16Menahem Zion synagoge, Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 17Aerial 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 18Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 2006 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 19Jewish symbols in Israeli artworks (from Culture of Israel)
Image 20Gal Fridman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal (from Culture of Israel)
Image 21Jewish workers in Kerem Avraham neighbourhood of Jerusalem (c. 1850s) (from History of Israel)
Image 22Breads in Mahane Yehuda market (from Culture of Israel)
Image 23Hiking near Lake Kinneret (from Culture of Israel)
Image 24Heraclius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, 15th-century painting by Miguel Ximénez (from History of Israel)
Image 25Tiles in the Bezalel style, 1920s (from Culture of Israel)
Image 26Jewish Brigade headquarters under both Union Flag and Jewish flag (from History of Israel)
Image 27The route of the exiles to Babylon (from History of Israel)
Image 28Neo-Assyrian Empire at its greatest territorial extent (from History of Israel)
Image 29Ofek-7 satellite launch through Shavit vehicle (from Culture of Israel)
Image 30The Bahri Mamluk dynasty 1250–1382 (from History of Israel)
Image 31Habimah Theatre in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 32Detail of the Siloam inscription (from History of Israel)
Image 33Sermon on the Mount. The New Testament was authored by Christian Jews during Roman-ruled Judea (from Culture of Israel)
Image 34Occupied Enemy Territory Administration, 1918 (from History of Israel)
Image 35Cultural 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 36Hasmonean coin of Antigonus II Mattathias, depicting the Temple menorah (from History of Israel)
Image 37The opening ceremony of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem visited by Arthur Balfour, 1 April 1925 (from History of Israel)
Image 38Obverse of Yehud silver coin (from History of Israel)
Image 39Tzofim Israeli scout movement fire ceremony in Tel Aviv (from Culture of Israel)
Image 40Jewish Yemenite bride in traditional bridal vestment, adorned with a henna wreath, 1958 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 41Hebrew ulpan in Dimona, 1955 (from Culture of Israel)
Image 42A 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 43The Merneptah Stele, dated c. 1209 BCE, is the earliest textual reference to Israel (from History of Israel)
Image 44Painting of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1099) (from History of Israel)
Image 45Intel core i7-940. Intel developed its dual-core Core Duo processor at its Israel Development Center in Haifa. (from Culture of Israel)
Image 46"Hezekiah ... king of Judah" – Royal seal written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, unearthed in Jerusalem (from History of Israel)
Image 47Silver 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 48Jewish Settlement Police members watching the settlement Nesher during 1936–1939 Arab revolt (from History of Israel)
Image 49Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem (from Culture of Israel)
Image 50Masada fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, the location of a 1st-century Roman siege (from History of Israel)

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Israel News

July 29, 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: Attacks on religious sites during the Israeli invasion of Gaza; Israeli forces strike a mosque in Gaza City in violation of the ongoing ceasefire, accusing Hamas of using it to store weapons. (The New York Times); Hezbollah–Israel conflict; Israeli forces accuse Hezbollah of launching a drone attack on its forces in the Ali al-Taher ridge of southern Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire. (AFP via Arab News); Israeli forces also claim that their 401st Brigade Combat Team and Yahalom Unit have destroyed a underground headquarters belonging to Hezbollah, located near a UNIFIL post. (Israel National News)

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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.