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Surprising Facts About Israel


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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