Israel - 

Middle East region of the Asian continent.

Table of Contents:

History ... 4 & 5

Language ... 6

Economy/Industry/Business ... 7

Religion ... 8

Culture ... 11

Food ... 12 & 13

Entertainment ... 14 & 15

Education ... 16

Hanukkah ... 19

In Israel, it is widely believed that the country was formed by twelve tribes that were led by Moses 3,000 years ago. It later became two separate kingdoms: Northern Kingdom of Israel and Southern Kingdom of Judah. In six-century BC Judah was conquered by Babylon and in eight-century BC Israel was destroyed by Assyria. Both occasions caused populations to decline and captives were often taken, but most remained in the area. The Persian conquest of Middle East in the Byzantine era allowed the jewish population to return but were often prosecuted. At the same time, Muslim rulers had taken over the religious wars and took over the area will the Muslim Mamluks came along. 

In the year 1516, the Ottoman Empire took over Palestine until the end of World War I. There was a strike in Holocaust survivors after World War II which caused difficulties in reaching statehood for Arab independence and immigration in England. United Nations later decided in 1947 to create two independent states: One Arab and one Jewish where the Jerusalem would be the international zone. Many issues approached as Arabs argued that the UN decision caused fewer territory for their population in which led to Israel's Declaration of Independence. Arabs wanted war for the Independence, so a peace treaty was between the two in 1979. Since then, Israel has struggled with political instability and deadlock. There is also a rising concern in government due to Netanyahu's (very disliked by Jerusalem) ending as prime minister.

Hebrew is Israel's official language. It was adopted during the British Mandate of Palestine  due to it being taught in many schools/ Sub languages in the country include Arabic and English. Palestine Arabic is counted as a minority language but is still taught in schools because it is normal to speak two languages. Russian is widely used on food labels due to high immigration. 

Currently, Israel has a GDP in billions of $394.93 and a GDP in PPP of $38,300. The country is well developed and modern despite the lack of natural resources. Strong economic growth comes from tourism and natural gas fields. Israel has a mainly service industry but has a strong industrial sector (technology) and 1% is agriculture that produces food (fruits and vegetables) for both consumption and export. Taxes run high due to inflation, growth, and unemployment in immigration. 

Israel has an abundance of religious groups: 74% Jewish, 18% Muslim (mostly Sunni), 2% Druze, 2% Christian, and 4% other. There are many religious sights throughout the country for all different religious as well. Temple Mount is famous for its many temples for all the different religions. Each city holds a religious council and various departments that regulate different Jewish practices. The Orthodox denomination adhere's to Torah law and certain behaviors; imperatives like honoring Jewish Sabbath and dietary codes. Reform Judaism denomination affirms to the central tents of Judaism and believes Torah is divinely inspired but has a more permissive and inclusive attitude. Lastly, Conservative Judaism denomination seeks to conserve and integrate Jewish tradition with modern Western culture rather than reform it.

There are many different ways to greet and say "good bye" to a person in Israel. "Shalom" is a popular word for greetings and farewells as it means peace. Based off gender, your greeting can be different. Men have a casual "what's up" hello while woman are more formal as a "how are you" question. Touch greetings differ based off where in Israel you are from. Eastern populations are more touchy and contain of kisses and hugs. Normally, woman do the kisses and hugs while the men high five or do a shoulder pat and Palestinian men commonly hold hands. Very religious men and woman don't touch until married and rarely ever in public. Unlike America, everyone calls each other by their first name including students addressing their teachers.