Talia Guzmn

Ms. Castorena

Digital Thinking

9/3/17

The State of Israel

The State of Israel is an independent country with a fascinating history, beautiful

landscapes, and rich culture. All of these topics, along with several other things, make it the

country that it is.

The State of Israel was founded on May 14, 1948, after the Second World War. Israel, as

it is more commonly called, has a Prime Minister and a Parliament government called the

Knesset. The Knesset has 120 members that have different amounts of votes. Members can

compromise and work together to have a greater voting power. Although it has a set government

system, there is not an official constitution. Israels main exports are machinery, equipment,

software, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, and apparel. Its export partners are the United

States of America, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and

China. Pictured here is the Israeli flag. It is meant to look

like a tallit, a tradition Jewish garment worn for prayer.

Israel is located in the Middle East, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It contains

8,494 square miles of territory, making it slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Most of

the state is has mild temperatures, but there are several desert landscapes. The capital city of

Israel is Jerusalem, which is considered to be a holy city by several religions. Three other large
cities in Israel are Haifa, which is the third largest city; Nazareth, which has strong ties to the

Bible; and Tel Aviv, which is Israels financial center and the home to its embassies.

Israel has a very rich culture that involves religion, food, and a far different lifestyle than

what is found in America. Religion plays a major part in Israeli culture. Since Israel is a Jewish

statethe only Jewish state in the worldall Jewish holidays are federally recognized. This

means that in Israel, the weekend is Friday/Saturday, instead of Saturday/Sunday, so that

Shabbat (the Sabbath) can be observed. Israel is also a holy land for other religions besides

Judaism, such as Islam and Christianity. Food is another important part of Israeli culture, since it

is important in both Jewish and Muslim cultures. Some common foods are falafel, which is a

fried dough made from ground chickpeas or fava beans; shakshouka, a dish made from tomatoes,

eggs, onion, and peppers; and humus, which is a type of dip made from chickpeas and tahini.

Although Israel tends to have a more lighthearted culture, there are some dark sides to it. One

such dark side is the constant warfare, which brings with it an us vs them mindset. Due to it

being surrounded by unfriendly countries on all sides, Israel has a siren system set in place.

When it goes off, citizens have one minute to enter their bomb shelters. Israel also has a

mandatory army service, with women serving two years and men serving three, for the same

reasons.

When put together, Israels government, location, terrain, and its exotic culture make it

the unique country that it is.

 Jewish Ethnicities in Israel

Asian Descent
16%
European/American
African Descent Descent
18% 40%

Israeli Descent
26%

References

"Encyclopedia Of The Nations - Information About Countries Of The World, United

Nations, And World Leaders." Nationsencyclopedia.Com, 2017,

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com.

Kaestle, Klaus. "Guide To The Countries Of The World :: Nations Online

Project." Nationsonline.Org, 2017, http://www.nationsonline.org/.