Skip to content
Voykit

Country

Israelישראל

No trip line is published for Israel. Read your own government travel advice first; this desk does not plan around it.

More: share, save offline, report a correction

Key facts

Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Currency
New Israeli shekel (ILS)
Language
Hebrew (official)
Time zone
UTC+2
Month by month
Rules in force · 2Security advice in this region can change within a day
  • Middle East ↗Security advice in this region can change within a day; re-read your government's page before departure and again before any border or regional flight.
  • Middle East ↗Public drunkenness, public displays of affection and offensive gestures or online posts can lead to arrest in the Gulf states and Iran; dress modestly outside beaches and hotels.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…

Advice for Israel is set area by area. The US and Australia say reconsider travel, Canada says avoid non-essential travel, and the UK has no blanket warning for central Israel — but all four warn against all travel near the Gaza, Lebanon and Syria lines. Missile attacks linked to the 2026 Iran war and sudden airport closures can change a trip within hours. Voykit does not publish a trip line here. The West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza are covered on the Palestine page.

About Israel

Israel was declared in 1948 as a Jewish state in part of the former British Mandate of Palestine. It is a parliamentary democracy with a large Arab minority, a technology-heavy economy and a conscript army. Its borders with Lebanon and Syria are unsettled, it has held the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, and its conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran shape daily life and travel advice.

Official advice

No trip line is published

No trip line

Government advice varies by area and changes with the security situation; some areas near borders are subject to stronger warnings than others.

Missile and rocket fire, sudden airspace and airport closures, and area-specific restrictions can change a trip within hours.

GovernmentLevelWhat it saysSource
United States (State Department)Level 3 — Reconsider travelTerrorism and unrest. Do not travel: within 11 km (6.8 mi) of Gaza, the far north near Lebanon (north of Routes 85/90/87), within 2.4 km (1.5 mi) of the Egypt border except Taba. Reissued 26 Aug 2026 (check).Open ↗
United Kingdom (FCDO)Against all travel to partsAll travel: near the Gaza border and northern Israel and the Golan north of Routes 89/91 (check the exact lines on the map). No blanket warning for central Israel.Open ↗
CanadaAvoid non-essential travelIncludes Jerusalem. Avoid all travel within 10 km (6.2 mi) of Gaza, 5 km (3.1 mi) of Lebanon, and the Golan east of Highway 98.Open ↗
Australia (Smartraveller)Reconsider your need to travelDo not travel to border areas with Gaza, Lebanon and Syria; avoid the Golan east of Route 98.Open ↗

Levels as shown on each government's page in late September 2026 (UK updated 22 Jul, Australia 2 Sep). US level from the 26 August 2026 reissue reported by the US Embassy — check. Zone distances differ by government; read the map on each page.

Check first

  • Your own government's official travel advice for your passport, before booking anything.
  • The advice map: 'do not travel' zones near Gaza, Lebanon, the Golan and the Egypt border differ by government and by kilometre.
  • Whether Ben Gurion airport and your airline are operating, and your fallback via a Jordan land crossing.
  • Travel insurance terms: many policies exclude war, terrorism or areas under an advisory.

Voykit reopens this page only when official advisories ease and entry is open to independent travellers, and then only with verified data.

Entry situation

  • Visa-exempt visitors (including UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports) need an ETA-IL electronic authorisation before flying: ILS 25, valid two years, stays up to 90 days. Apply only on the Population and Immigration Authority site.
  • Ben Gurion airport issues a paper entry card instead of a passport stamp; keep it until you leave. Land crossings may stamp. Refusals are marked with a stamp crossed by two red lines.
  • Israeli evidence in a passport — including stamps from the Jordanian or Egyptian sides of Israeli crossings — can lead to refusal in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and some other states. Ask for no stamp; it is not guaranteed.
  • Anyone registered in the Palestinian Population Register, including foreign passport holders, may not use Ben Gurion and must travel via the Allenby crossing from Jordan.
  • Border officials can question travellers at length and can refuse entry to people who have called for a boycott of Israel or belong to organisations that do.
  • Some travellers have received 'Palestinian Authority only' stamps, which restrict movement; read the UK entry page if you plan to cross between Israel and the West Bank.
  • Israel does not recognise dual nationality for its own citizens: Israelis must enter and leave on an Israeli passport.

If you are already there

Protocol, in order
  1. 1Read your government's advice today and check the 'do not travel' zones against where you are staying.
  2. 2Install the Home Front Command app and switch on emergency alerts; learn the time you have to reach shelter where you are — from seconds near Gaza to about 90 seconds in the centre.
  3. 3Find your nearest protected room or public shelter in person on day one; do not rely on online maps.
  4. 4When sirens sound, go to the shelter, stay about 10 minutes after the last alert unless told otherwise, and keep away from fallen fragments.
  5. 5Register with your government's crisis service and keep your passport and ETA-IL details with you.
  6. 6Watch airport status: Ben Gurion has paused operations at short notice. Know the Jordan crossings (Allenby/King Hussein, Sheikh Hussein, Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba) and their visa rules as a fallback.
  7. 7Avoid demonstrations and checkpoints, and flashpoints in and around the Old City of Jerusalem on religious holidays.
  8. 8If detained, ask for your consulate; Israeli law limits consular access for dual nationals.

Insurance & payments

  • Cards and contactless payment work almost everywhere; ATMs are common. The currency is the new Israeli shekel (ILS).
  • Cash in shekels is still useful for buses in some areas, markets and on Shabbat, when many services stop.
  • Tourists can reclaim VAT on larger purchases at the airport (check current threshold).
  • Insurance: many policies exclude war, terrorism or 'do not travel' areas; confirm your policy covers missile attacks and medical evacuation before relying on it.

Consular access

  • United States: Embassy in Jerusalem, with a branch office in Tel Aviv; non-emergency staff departures were authorised in February 2026 (check current posture).
  • United Kingdom: British Embassy Tel Aviv for Israel; the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem covers East Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.
  • Canada: Embassy of Canada in Tel Aviv.
  • Australia: Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv.
  • Consular help near the northern and Gaza border zones is very limited, and none is available in Gaza.

Decide the trip

What the country is like, who it suits and how long to give it

Open Decide the tripClose Decide the trip2 partsUnderstand in one strip · Understand
Understand in one stripCapital · Population · Language · Currency · Government · Belief · Time zone · Emergency
Capital
Jerusalem as designated by Israel; its status is disputed and most embassies are in Tel Aviv
Population
About 10 million (check)
Language
Hebrew (official); Arabic has special status; English widely used
Currency
New Israeli shekel (ILS)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; the Knesset elects the government
Belief
Jewish majority about 73%; Arab citizens about 21%, mostly Muslim, with Christians and Druze (check)
Time zone
UTC+2; UTC+3 in summer
Emergency
100 police · 101 ambulance (MDA) · 102 fire · 104 Home Front Command

Understand

People, belief, history that matters on the ground

Israel was declared in 1948 as a Jewish state in part of the former British Mandate of Palestine. It is a parliamentary democracy with a large Arab minority, a technology-heavy economy and a conscript army. Its borders with Lebanon and Syria are unsettled, it has held the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, and its conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran shape daily life and travel advice.

People
Jewish Israelis of European (Ashkenazi), Middle Eastern and North African (Mizrahi and Sephardi) and Ethiopian descent; Arab citizens who mostly identify as Palestinian; Druze and Bedouin communities; about 300,000 Arab residents of East Jerusalem hold residency, not citizenship (check).
Belief
Judaism from secular to ultra-Orthodox (Haredi); Shabbat, from Friday sunset to Saturday night, stops most public transport and many shops. Jerusalem holds sites holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Politics
Coalition governments are the rule; judicial reform, the role of the religious parties and the war in Gaza have split society. Military service is compulsory for most Jewish citizens.
Economy
High-tech, defence, diamonds and services; high living costs.
Contested areas
Israel annexed East Jerusalem (1980) and the Golan Heights (1981); most states do not recognise either annexation.
History that still shows on the ground · 11 dates
WhenWhat happenedWhere you meet it today
1882–1947Zionist immigration; British Mandate from 1920; rising Arab–Jewish conflictThe roots of competing national claims to the same land.
1947UN partition planAccepted by Jewish leaders, rejected by Arab leaders.
1948Israel declares independence; war with Arab states; about 700,000 Palestinians flee or are expelled (the Nakba)Independence Day and Nakba Day fall days apart and are remembered very differently.
1967Six-Day War: Israel takes the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and the GolanThe territorial question at the centre of the conflict today.
1973Yom Kippur WarLeads to peace with Egypt (1979).
1993–1995Oslo Accords; peace with Jordan (1994); Prime Minister Rabin assassinated (1995)The Palestinian Authority and the West Bank's A/B/C areas date from Oslo.
2005Withdrawal of settlers and army from GazaHamas takes control of Gaza in 2007; blockade follows.
2020Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and SudanDirect flights to the Gulf.
7 Oct 2023Hamas-led attack kills about 1,200 people in Israel; war in Gaza followsTens of thousands killed in Gaza; hostages; the war defines current politics.
2024–2025War with Hezbollah in Lebanon; direct exchanges with Iran; twelve-day war (June 2025); Gaza ceasefire in October 2025 (check)Northern evacuations and missile alerts.
2026Israel and the US at war with Iran from 28 February; fighting with Hezbollah resumesMissile alerts nationwide and airport pauses; why advice tightened.

Read or watch before you go

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness — Amos Oz: a Jerusalem childhood around 1948.
  • Jerusalem: The Biography — Simon Sebag Montefiore: three thousand years of the city.

Cities

Regions, cities and the places between them

Open CitiesClose Cities1 partCapital and major cities

Capital and major cities

Basic guides
Samarcapital

Spend a half‑day in Samar for dunes, desert kites and the Hay Bar Yotvata nature reserve; skip overnight unless you bike the desert.

Jerusalemcapital

Check your own government's travel advice before planning Jerusalem; if conditions allow, give the Old City two to three nights and time your visit around Friday-afternoon-to-Saturday-evening closures rather than against them.

Abu Ghoshmajor city

Visit Abu Ghosh for a half‑day (≈4 h) to see the Crusader church, sample famed hummus, then continue to Jerusalem.

Afulamajor city

Skip Afula as a destination. Use it as a one-night base or bus/train hub for Megiddo, Mount Tabor and the Jezreel Valley.

Akkomajor city

Spend a half‑day in Akko's Old City to see the walls, citadel and market; add a night if you want beach time or a Baha'i visit.

Aradmajor city

Spend a half‑day in Arad for hiking trailheads and the Tel Arad National Park; add a night if you want a hostel base for Negev treks.

Ashdodmajor city

Spend a half‑day to a full day in Ashdod: beach, museum and a quick walk to Givat Yonah; add a second day only for sand dunes or night life.

Ashkelonmajor city

Spend a day in Ashkelon (6‑8 h): national park, beach, historic sites; stay overnight only for extra beach time.

Bat Yammajor city

Spend a day in Bat Yam for beach and quick shopping; stay one night only if you need a hotel near the promenade.

Beer Shevamajor city

Give Beer Sheva one full day plus a night: the Ottoman old town, the Bedouin market on Thursday morning and Tel Beer Sheva. Skip it if you only want beaches and nightlife.

Beit Shean Valleymajor city

One day is enough for the main sights; take a morning bus from Afula or Haifa and return the same evening.

Beit Shemeshmajor city

Spend 1 day in Beit Shemesh: explore Tel Beit Shemesh, visit the Biblical Museum of Natural History, and use city buses to get around.

Bnei Brakmajor city

Visit Bnei Brak for Haredi culture and Thursday‑night cholent; a half‑day suffices, otherwise skip.

Caesareamajor city

Spend a half‑day in Caesarea National Park (2 h walk) and a quick beach stop; add a night if you want golf or upscale hotel.

Dimonamajor city

Skip Dimona unless you have a specific reason to visit the Black Hebrew community or the Mamshit ruins: half a day is enough, and the town itself offers little else.

Eilatmajor city

Go for 3 nights if you dive or want winter sun; skip if you came for Israel's history — Eilat is beaches, reef and desert, 5 h by bus from Tel Aviv.

Givat Shmuelmajor city

Spend a half‑day in Givat Shmuel: walk the parks and HaGiva Mall, then catch a bus back to Tel Aviv (≈30 min).

Haderamajor city

Spend a half‑day in Hadera to see the river park, Orot Rabin Power Plant view and the Khan Museum; one night only if you need a base for nearby coastal trips.

Haifamajor city

Give Haifa two nights: one full day for the Bahá'í Gardens, German Colony and Hadar, one for the beaches and Stella Maris. Skip it as a day trip from Tel Aviv.

Herzliyamajor city

Spend a half‑day to a full day in Herzliya: beach, promenade, and a quick museum visit; no need to stay overnight unless you want luxury beach hotels.

Holonmajor city

Spend a half‑day in Holon for its design, children and comic museums; add a quick water‑park visit if you have extra time.

Karmielmajor city

Spend a day in Karmiel for parks and hikes; no need to stay overnight – use Haifa hotels if you need a bed.

Katzrinmajor city

Spend a half‑day to see the museum and winery; add a night at Golan Garden Hostel if you want a base for Golan Heights day trips.

Kfar Sabamajor city

Spend a half‑day (6–8 h) in Kfar Saba to see the water tower, park and museum; add a night only if you need a base near Tel Aviv.

Kibbutz Gevamajor city

Visit Kibbutz Geva for a half‑day stop when traveling the Jezreel Valley; one full day if you want to volunteer or explore nearby sites.

Lodmajor city

Spend a half day (4–5 h) in Lod: see Baybars Bridge, Lod Mosaic Museum and Well of Peace; no need to stay overnight.

Masadamajor city

Spend a half‑day for sunrise via the Snake Path or a half‑day using the cable car; one full day lets you see the site and the sound‑light show.

Mazkeret Batyamajor city

Spend a half‑day (4‑5 h) exploring the historic sites, then head to Tel Aviv; one night only if you want a quiet stay.

Mitzpe Ramonmajor city

Give Mitzpe Ramon one night, two at most: the crater rim is a half-day, the trails a full day, and the town itself runs out of things to do by evening.

Modi'inmajor city

Spend a single day in Modi'in, focusing on the central park, observatory and nearby heritage sites; no need to stay overnight.

Nahariyyamajor city

Give Nahariyya one night as a beach-and-base stop for Rosh Haniqra and Akhziv; two nights if you want a full beach day.

Nazarethmajor city

Give Nazareth one full day and one night: the Old City sights sit within a 15-minute walk, and most travellers pass through rather than stay longer.

Netanyamajor city

Spend a half‑day on Netanya's beach promenade and a night in a cliff‑edge hotel; longer stays only for beach relaxation.

Netivotmajor city

Skip Netivot unless you are visiting the Baba Sali hillula (January/February). Any other day: pass through on the train, no stop needed.

Petah Tikvamajor city

Spend a half‑day to a full day in Petah Tikva; it’s a quick side‑trip from Tel Aviv with easy light‑rail and bus links.

Ra'ananamajor city

Spend half a day in Ra'anana (3–4 h) to see the Founders Museum and the city park; no need to stay overnight.

Rahatmajor city

Half a day is enough to visit the market and eat; base in Beer Sheva and make a morning trip.

Ramat Ganmajor city

Spend a half‑day to a full day in Ramat Gan; see the Safari, Diamond Exchange tour and a mall, then head to Tel Aviv night.

Ramlamajor city

Spend a half‑day in Ramla: see the White Tower, paddle the Arches Pool and visit the Great Mosque – all within 15 min walk of the bus station.

Rehovotmajor city

Spend a half‑day to a full day in Rehovot; train from Tel Aviv takes ~25 min, walkable centre, so 1 day is enough.

Rishon LeTzionmajor city

Skip as a base: there are no hotels here. Come for half a day from Tel Aviv for the old colony, the winery and the beach, or sleep in Tel Aviv.

Rosh Haniqramajor city

Spend a half‑day (3‑4 h) at Rosh Haniqra; take the cable‑car, explore the grottoes and beach, then return to Nahariyya or Akko.

Rosh Pinamajor city

Half a day is enough to see the old quarter and a viewpoint; one night if you want a quiet dinner and a morning walk. Not a base for the Galilee.

Safedmajor city

Spend a half‑day exploring the Old City’s synagogues, museums and views; add a night if you want the artist‑colony vibe or Klezmer festival.

Sde Bokermajor city

Go for one night, not a base: Ben-Gurion's hut, his tomb and the Ein Avdat canyon are a half-day, and buses stop at about 21:00.

Sderotmajor city

Skip Sderot unless you have a specific reason to visit: one hour is enough to see the rocket memorials and the police station museum; no overnight needed.

Shefa‑Amrmajor city

Spend a half‑day walking the historic centre; no overnight stay needed.

Tiberiasmajor city

Give Tiberias one full day and two nights: tombs and the old town on foot, then Hammat Tiberias and a lake swim. Skip it as a base if you want nightlife.

Yeruchammajor city

Half a day to a full day: see the Large Crater, walk the lake, then move on. Not a base for the Negev.

Zikhron Ya'akovmajor city

One day covers the historic midrahov, Carmel Winery and Ramat Hanadiv park; add a half‑day if you want a beach stop.

Tel Avivmajor city

Check your own government's travel advice first; if you go, base yourself in Tel Aviv for the beach, nightlife and Jaffa's old port, and treat it as a flat, walkable city rather than one that needs a rental car.

Cost

What a day costs, and how to pay

Open CostClose Cost2 partsMoney at a glance · Money & passes

Money at a glance

Cash or card, ATMs, a day's spend, tipping

Currency and cash

New Israeli shekel (ILS)

Cards and phones almost everywhere

Cash or card

Cards work nearly everywhere; see Insurance & payments above for the insurance point that matters more.

Also

Shabbat closures change what is open from Friday afternoon to Saturday night.

Money & passesCard, cash or ATM: the cheapest way to payTipping calculator

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 1/5 (5 means cash for most things)

  • Cards work nearly everywhere; see Insurance & payments above for the insurance point that matters more.
  • Shabbat closures change what is open from Friday afternoon to Saturday night.

Before you fly: E-visa and entry · eSIM before you fly

Practical

Money rules, safety, holidays, health, phones and phrases

Open PracticalClose Practical3 partsSafety & health · Safety · Safety by region

Safety and health at a glance

Advice, risky areas, water, shots, numbers, scams

Government travel advice

  • United States (State Department): Level 3 — Reconsider travelOpen ↗
  • United Kingdom (FCDO): Against all travel to partsOpen ↗
  • Canada: Avoid non-essential travelOpen ↗
  • Australia (Smartraveller): Reconsider your need to travelOpen ↗

Levels as shown on each government's page in late September 2026 (UK updated 22 Jul, Australia 2 Sep). US level from the 26 August 2026 reissue reported by the US Embassy — check. Zone distances differ by government; read the map on each page.

Where to take care

  • high Northern border with Lebanon and the Golan · All four governments warn against all travel in the zones on their maps; active fire, closed military zones.
  • high Gaza periphery (western Negev) · All travel advised against within 0.5–11 km of Gaza depending on government; seconds to reach shelter.
  • medium Tel Aviv and the central coast · Missile alerts from Iran, Yemen and Lebanon; shrapnel from interceptions; occasional attacks on civilians. No UK blanket warning; US and Australia say reconsider.
  • medium Jerusalem (West) and the Old City · Tensions and clashes around holy sites, especially on religious holidays; checkpoints to the West Bank. Canada says avoid non-essential travel. East Jerusalem: see the Palestine page.

SafetyStay healthyEmergency cardScam spotterHealth check

Safety

  • Risk: Missile and rocket fire, sudden airspace and airport closures, and area-specific restrictions can change a trip within hours.
  • Register with your own government's travel notification service where one exists.
  • Home Front Command alerts (app and phone broadcasts) are the fastest warning; keep them on.

Not published. See the Middle East page for how the region's borders stand; the Palestine page covers the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

What four governments say

Comparison not available yet for this country

Read each government's own advice: US State Dept, UK FCDO, Australia Smartraveller, Canada Travel Advice.

Strikes and disruptions

Official notices for the next 90 days. Open the full calendar.

No official-source strike or disruption notices for the next 90 days

That is not a promise that nothing is planned. This calendar lists only what a government or a public authority has published. Check US State Dept, UK FCDO, Australia Smartraveller, Canada Travel Advice and the transport operator for your dates.

Safety by region

Risk to a careful visitor, not a crime index

Advice is set by area. Missile and drone alerts can reach any part of Israel; the gaps between areas are about proximity to front lines and time to reach shelter.

RegionRiskWhat to watch
Tel Aviv and the central coastmediumMissile alerts from Iran, Yemen and Lebanon; shrapnel from interceptions; occasional attacks on civilians. No UK blanket warning; US and Australia say reconsider.
Jerusalem (West) and the Old CitymediumTensions and clashes around holy sites, especially on religious holidays; checkpoints to the West Bank. Canada says avoid non-essential travel. East Jerusalem: see the Palestine page.
Haifa, Galilee and the north away from the bordermediumRocket and drone fire from Lebanon; short warning times; Haifa port and industry have been targeted.
Northern border with Lebanon and the GolanhighAll four governments warn against all travel in the zones on their maps; active fire, closed military zones.
Gaza periphery (western Negev)highAll travel advised against within 0.5–11 km of Gaza depending on government; seconds to reach shelter.
Negev, Dead Sea, Eilat and the Egypt bordermediumMissile and drone attacks on Eilat; US advises against the 2.4 km strip along the Egypt border except Taba.

Culture and food

Rules, manners, what to eat, where to sleep and what to buy

Open Culture and foodClose Culture and food1 partRules

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Check your own government travel advice for Israel before any booking; advice depends on your passport and changes without notice.
  • Entry rules, including any pre-arrival authorisation, depend on your passport and on the current border and security position; check the Population and Immigration Authority.
  • Confirm that your travel insurance and medical evacuation cover apply to Israel before you rely on it.
Why no trip line is published
Area-based warnings, missile alerts and airport pauses can change a trip within hours.
What to check
Your own government's advice map, ETA-IL, airline status and your insurer's war exclusions.
What would reopen it
Advisories easing, entry open to independent travellers, and verified data.

Deep dive

Questions, where next, photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive2 partsDeep dive · Sources

Deep dive

5 min read · 4 chapters

Background reading, not trip planning: advice for Israel is area-based and tightened during the 2026 Iran war. The four chapters follow one thread — a small, dense land claimed by two national movements and holy to three religions — and try to set out how Israelis live with it. Palestinian history and the West Bank are covered in their own deep dive.

1History in depth2 min

The land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River has been ruled by Canaanite city-states, the Israelite kingdoms of the Iron Age, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Hellenistic kings, Rome and Byzantium, Arab caliphates, Crusaders, Mamluks and, from 1517 to 1917, the Ottoman Empire. Jewish national memory centres on the kingdoms of David and Solomon and the Second Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by Rome in 70 CE; after the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135) most Jews lived in diaspora, though communities remained in Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias and Hebron.

Zionism, a national movement born in Europe in the 1880s in response to antisemitism, sought a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Britain's 1917 Balfour Declaration backed a 'national home for the Jewish people' while promising to protect the rights of non-Jewish communities; under the British Mandate (1920–48) Jewish immigration grew, Arab opposition rose, and violence escalated, especially after Nazi persecution drove refugees from Europe. The Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered, became central to the case for a state.

The UN proposed partition in 1947. Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948; neighbouring Arab states invaded, and by 1949 Israel held more land than the plan allotted. About 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled — the Nakba — and were not allowed to return; over the following years a similar number of Jews left or were driven from Arab countries, many settling in Israel. In the 1967 war Israel took the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights. Peace with Egypt (1979) returned Sinai; peace with Jordan followed in 1994.

The Oslo Accords (1993–95) created the Palestinian Authority but no final settlement; the Second Intifada (2000–05) brought suicide bombings, a separation barrier and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which Hamas took over in 2007. Settlement in the West Bank has grown to about half a million people, plus over 200,000 in East Jerusalem (check); most states regard the settlements as illegal under international law, which Israel disputes. On 7 October 2023 a Hamas-led attack killed about 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages; Israel's war in Gaza killed tens of thousands and destroyed much of the territory, and the International Court of Justice took up a genocide case brought by South Africa, which Israel rejects. War with Hezbollah (2024), direct exchanges with Iran and the 2026 Iran war followed (check the current state).

Ottoman rule ends
1917–18
Independence
14 May 1948
Six-Day War
June 1967
Peace treaties
Egypt 1979, Jordan 1994
7 October attack
2023
See itYad Vashem, JerusalemIndependence Hall, Tel AvivMasada, Dead Sea
2People and belief1 min

About three-quarters of Israel's roughly 10 million people are Jewish (check). Ashkenazi Jews came mostly from Europe, Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, and large waves arrived from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s and from Ethiopia. Religious observance ranges from secular Tel Aviv to national-religious communities and the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim), who are a fast-growing eighth of the population and long exempt from military service — a political fault line.

Arab citizens, about a fifth, are mostly Sunni Muslim, with Christian communities in Nazareth and Haifa and Bedouin in the Negev, many in villages the state does not recognise. The Druze, an esoteric faith that split from Ismaili Islam in the 11th century, serve in the army, while many Arab citizens identify as Palestinian and report discrimination in land, housing and budgets.

Shabbat and the Jewish holidays set the national rhythm: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in autumn, when the country almost stops; Passover in spring; Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day, marked by sirens during which traffic halts. Christian sites draw pilgrims to Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem, and Haifa is the world centre of the Baha'i faith.

Day of rest
Shabbat, Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall
Holiest day
Yom Kippur, when roads empty
Baha'i World Centre
Haifa and Acre
See itWestern Wall, Jerusalem Old CityBasilica of the Annunciation, NazarethBaha'i Gardens, Haifa
3Heritage sites1 min

Jerusalem's Old City, holding the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, is on UNESCO's list as a site proposed by Jordan, and its status is part of the conflict. Access to the Haram al-Sharif compound for non-Muslims is limited and changes with tensions (check).

Inside Israel's pre-1967 lines UNESCO lists Masada, the Old City of Acre with its Crusader halls, Tel Aviv's White City of Bauhaus-era buildings, the biblical tells of Megiddo, Hazor and Beersheba, the Incense Route cities of the Negev, the caves of Mount Carmel, Beit She'arim's necropolis and the Baha'i holy places.

Several sites lie in zones under current warnings — northern sites near Lebanon and Negev sites nearer Gaza — and some have been closed during missile alerts. Check opening before assuming access.

Bauhaus buildings
About 4,000 in Tel Aviv's White City
Lowest point on land
Dead Sea shore, about 430 m below sea level
See itOld City of AcreWhite City, Tel AvivAvdat, Negev Incense RouteTel Megiddo
4Daily life1 min

The working week runs Sunday to Thursday. Most Israelis serve in the army at 18 — three years for most men, two for women — and many remain reservists into their forties; the 2023–2026 wars called up hundreds of thousands, disrupting families and businesses.

Homes and offices built since the 1990s have a reinforced safe room (mamad); older buildings rely on stairwells and public shelters. Alert apps, school closures and cancelled flights have become part of ordinary planning, especially in the north and near Gaza, where many families were evacuated for months.

Food mixes Middle Eastern and diaspora traditions: hummus, falafel and sabich, shakshuka, Friday-night meals with challah, and many kosher restaurants that close on Shabbat. Conversation is direct; argument is a social sport.

Weekend
Friday afternoon to Saturday night
Safe room
Mamad, required in new homes since 1992
See itMahane Yehuda market, JerusalemCarmel Market, Tel Aviv
Read, watch, wordsReading · Watching · Glossary · Sources

Reading

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness — Amos OzMemoir of Jerusalem in the years around 1948.
  • Jerusalem: The Biography — Simon Sebag MontefioreThe city through its rulers and faiths.
  • Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn — Daniel GordisA sympathetic Israeli account.
  • The Iron Wall — Avi ShlaimA critical history of Israel's relations with the Arab world.

Watching

  • Footnote — Joseph Cedar, 2011A father-son rivalry among Talmud scholars in Jerusalem.
  • Shtisel — yes TV, 2013–2021Family life in a Haredi Jerusalem neighbourhood.

Glossary

TermLocalMeaning
ShabbatשבתJewish day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday night.
kosherכשרFood prepared under Jewish dietary law.
mamadממ״דReinforced safe room in a flat or house.
KnessetכנסתIsrael's parliament.
HarediחרדיUltra-Orthodox Jew.
aliyahעלייהJewish immigration to Israel.
Nakbaالنكبة'Catastrophe': Palestinian term for the 1948 displacement.

Sources

Ask about Israel

Loading…

Was this useful?