Culture
All of this is a world away from the traditional farming villages in the Galilee region or the towns in the arid Negev Desert. And while this is the world’s only Jewish-majority state, there are of course Arab and Christian communities that reside throughout Israel. This democratic nation has the highest standard of living in the entire Middle East.
Culturally-speaking, Israel has been greatly impacted by the rich diversity of its own Jewish citizens, many of whom returned from Jewish communities around the world, bringing different traditions and customs with them. The county has a rich tradition of dance, literature, music and film – and in terms of excellent museums, Israel has the highest number of museums per capita in the world!
From the heights of Mount Hermon to the orchards of the Mediterranean coast, Israel packs a remarkable variety of landscapes into its relatively small extent. It includes one of the world’s most ancient cities, Jerusalem, a walled metropolis of some 800,000 that’s regarded as holy territory in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Its sacred landmarks include the Wailing Wall, the Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem’s Israel Museum is perhaps most renowned for housing (within the Shrine of the Book) the Dead Sea Scrolls. Tel Aviv, meanwhile, is one of the Middle East’s economic centers and also attracts tourists with its plentiful entertainment options and destinations such as the White City. Other must-see spots in Israel include the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, and the Red Sea beach paradise of Eilat