Israel,
officially known as the State of Israel, is a Middle Eastern country on the
northern shore of the Red Sea and the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean
Sea. The official language in Israel is Hebrew. Jerusalem is Israel's largest
city and capital. Israel's 2018 population estimate stands at 8,907,480
inhabitants.
Israel
is a relatively small country with an area of about 20,770-22,072 km2. Reuven
Revlin is Israel's President, and Benjamin Netanyhau, its Prime Minister.
Israel's currency is the Israeli new Shekel (Israeli Shekel). Herewith the
most recent, verified and updated facts about Israel.
1.
Israel is the only country in the world to revive an unspoken language and
establish it as its national language. Hebrew is one of Israel's two recognized
languages (and Israel's official language). The second is Arabic. Arabic
stopped being an official language in Israel following the passing of a
controversial Jewish 'nation-state' bill by Israel's parliament on July 18,
2018.
2.
In 1967, Israel seized what is today known as the Occupied Palestine Territory
(OPT) in an act of war. Since then, Israel has persistently expanded its
illegal appropriation of Palestinian land and has built more illegal
settlements, greatly contributing to the rise in violence in the OPT.
3.
The lowest point on Earth - the Dead Sea - is found in Israel. The Dead Sea is
1,315 feet below sea level at its lowest point. The salt concentration in the Dead Sea is about 31.5%. The Sea's natural buoyancy makes it easy for anyone to float in it.
4.
Israeli bank notes have braille on them for easy identification by the
blind.
5.
Israel's capital city, Jerusalem, is a holy city for Jews, Christians, and
Muslims.
6.
Israel is the only country in the world that makes military conscription
obligatory for women.
7.
Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world. Israel
has more than 200 museums. The three largest museums in Israel are found in Tel
Aviv. The picture below shows Italian President Sergio Mattarella on a visit to Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, Israel on November 2nd, 2016.
8.
Israel is the per capita leader in the use of solar water heating systems.
Israel is closely followed by Cyprus and Greece. Ashalim Solar Thermal Power Station can be seen in the picture below.
9.
Israel's military is ranked 15th most powerful in the world (Business Insider,
2018 report).
10.
Albert Einstein was offered the post of President of Israel in 1952, an offer
he declined.
11.
The 2017 Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking placed Israel's Tel Aviv 6th in
terms of number of startups, with an estimated 3,000 startups active across
Israel in 2017, half of them located in Tel Aviv.
12.
The USB memory stick was invested by Israeli entrepreneur and investor, Dov
Moran.
13.
Israel, New Zealand and Britain are the only democratic countries in the world
that do not have written constitutions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau (L) and Alan Patterson (R) in the picture below.
14.
David Ben-Gurion, founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister
of Israel was an atheist. He developed atheism in his youth and described
himself as an irreligious person.
15.
Neturei Karta, a Haredi Jewish sect formed in 1938, supports Palestine (and
opposes Zionism) and calls for the peaceful dismantlement of Israel. Neturei
Karta strongly believe in what is said in the Mussaf Shemona Esrei of Yom
Tov, that the Jewish people went into exile from the Land of Israel because
of their sins. Additionally, they believe based on the Babylonian
Talmud, that any form of forceful recapture of the Land of Israel is a
violation of divine will. They believe that the restoration of the Land of
Israel should not happen via self-determination (human attempts) but only with
the coming of the Messiah.
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