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Population & Culture
Israel, given its extremely turmoiled political evolution, has a short but complex modern history, of which one should know a bit in order to understand the current local mindset. Created after World War II as a consequence of the ending of the British mandate, Israel is attacked the very day of its independence by surrounding Arab countries. After many truces and other conflicts (Six-Day War in 1967, Yom Kippur War in 1973), the country is still today in an unstable situation, particularly regarding the Palestinian territories issues.
Jerusalem is the traditional place of fundamental historic sites for the three main monotheist religions, and therefore, more than often the epicentre of jolts breaking out at regular intervals. The main interests are the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Old City of Jerusalem is belted by walls dating back to the 16th century, and to the south is located the Mount Zion, a landmark revered by the Jewish community as it homes the legendary King David's tomb. Two museums are must-sees for every visitor in Jerusalem: The Israel Museum showcasing the Dead Sea Scrolls and a scale model of the gigantic Herodian Temple, and Yad Vashem, otherwise known as the Holocaust Museum, is a soul-stirring homage to the Jewish victims of World War II.
Out of the city, hundreds of archaeological sites shelter the origins of cultural and religious human history and are spread all over the country; the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, the former city-state Megiddo ruins, or onto the north, the walls of Acre erected by the Templar Knights and the stunning mosque of Jezzar Pasha, the complete list of all those winders is almost impossible to draw.
To relax and nurture yourself in a quiet environment, nature offers countless magnificent landscapes; in the shade of the orchards in the Jordan River valley, the surreal colors of the mountains in the National Park of Pasada by the sunset, the fish-crowded sea floors in the Gulf of Aqabah, the mysterious oasis in the Negev where the immemorial Bedouin rites will bring you into the Thousand and One Nights legends, Israel is the country where every dream comes true.
Israel is the source of a non-stop cultural bustle, and Tel Aviv is its vibrant heart. Nicknamed the -bubble-, as for standing out of the usual political heaviness, Tel Aviv has a worldwide renowned night life. Trail blazer in the gay rights domain, as well as for social and artistic trends, its bars and clubs are popular hangouts for a youth eager to win back a carefreeness sometimes torn apart, and the fast touristic development attests an unrivalled appetite of freedom and entertainment. In Eilat, the Red Sea Jazz Festival welcomes music amateurs at beach concerts, while Karmiel hosts a dance festival where hundreds of thousands people gather every July. Finally, fine arts and visual arts like motion pictures have never been so vivid and take the best from an endless energy.
