Past & Present

The traveler to Israel walks through history: from windswept crusader castles to ports where seamen, pilgrims and famous travelers spent some time and then moved on; from desert landscapes that were home to traveling tribes, half forgotten armies and merchants in camel caravans, to sheikhs’ tombs with whitened domes, silent monasteries and ancient synagogues decorated with colorful mosaics.

The State of Israel was created in the Land of Israel, which was, according to Jewish tradition, promised to the People of Israel. It was where Jesus, the Christian Messiah was born, and the place where Mohammed, the Moslem Prophet, ascended to heaven. The meeting place of three continents and two seas, the country is a skein of cultures, customs and traditions, a country that was home to many people, cultures and changing religions.

Today, the State of Israel set up at the meeting places of continents, history and cultures embodies this rich web of cultures. Its population includes different peoples and religions, religious and secular, Arab Moslems and Arab Christians, Druze, Bedouins, Circassians, Samaritans and Jews from 70 Diasporas, from East and Western Europe, North Africa, Asia, North and South America.

Climate

Israel is in a subtropical region, with two seasons: a hot, dry summer period and a cold, semi-wet to wet winter period. Nonetheless, under general influences such as Israel`s position between a sea and a desert, and more localized influences such as altitude and distance from the sea, Israel`s climate is varied, offering tourists the winter choice between skiing on Mt. Hermon and swimming in the Bay of Eilat.

The coastal plain is humid during the summer and comfortable during the winter, while in the mountains, summer is dry and winter can get quite cold. Southern and eastern Israel have desert climates with hot, dry weather and substantial day-night temperature differences. Between the desert and Mediterranean regions, is the semi-arid zone, with a transitional climate.

Food & Restaurants

Most of Israel’s Jewish inhabitants are immigrants from eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and North Africa, who brought with them long-standing traditions of Jewish food that developed in the area where they lived, so that you can find couscous in Israel alongside gefilte fish.

In Israel, you can eat Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arab and American food. You can eat in simple workers’ restaurants or in prestigious chef restaurants. Most of the restaurants and coffee houses in between the latter two offer a menu composed of dishes that have become popular with the local population over the years, and which is based on sandwiches, pastas, fish, vegetables and meat.

Most restaurants and food stalls are open non-stop from the morning until the evening hours. Restaurants, which are also bars remain open until the small hours of the night. In the major cities, especially in Tel Aviv, you can find something to eat at any hour of the day or night.