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Sunshine Across Israel
Love this song and the beautiful people of Israel!
Fuck You Tel Aviv ;)
Seriously though, one of the coolest cities in the world
Israel in 24 hours
How many cool things can you do in Israel in just one day? Find out:
Tel Aviv Pride 2016
This is what the 2016 Pride Parade was like in Tel Aviv.
Israel Decriminalized Weed
Lots of Israelis are pretty stoked about their government decriminalizing marijuana
Tikkun Olam, helping those in need
Many Israelis are raised with values that inspire them to give back not only to their communities, but to people around the world.
Theodor Herzl and the birth of political Zionism
Jews have a nearly 4000 year connection to the land of Israel, but the birth of political Zionism emerged in a specific context. With leaders such as Theodor Herzl at the helm, Jews took the dream of creating Israel and made it into a reality!
LGBTQ Rights
This is a good report about the successes of the Israeli LGBTQ community, as well as the challenges they still face.
Perspectives on Israel's Nation State Law
Alan Dershowitz says that Israel should have turned its Declaration of Independence into a Basic Law, arguing that the Nation State bill harms Israel's image.
Israelis empowering Yazidi survivors of ISIS
ISIS tried to wipe out the Yazidi people, killing thousands and leaving countless others with physical and psychological trauma. In response, Israeli experts worked with Yazidi women, empowering them to overcome PTSD and help others in their community do the same.
Can the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict be Solved?
This video reviews historic efforts to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israeli Arabs and the peace process
Despite the challenges Arab citizens of Israel face in Israeli society and internal pressure to reject the state, most accept Israel and want to be an active part of its success.
Size of Israel
Israel’s territory is 8,019 square miles.
Israel and New Jersey
Israel is smaller than New Jersey in terms of territory.
Israel and California
Israel can fit into the state of California 19 times.
http://thejewishjerusalem.com/articles/2016/02/09/israel-and-california-so-similar
There's only one Jewish state in the world.
There are 67 countries where the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, 49 where the majority is Muslim, 49 where it is Protestant, 14 where it is Eastern Orthodox, 3 where it is Hindu, and only 1 where the majority is Jewish: Israel.
Jews are not a large of the world's population.
There are 2 billion Christians in the world, 1.6 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, 376 million Buddhists, and 14 million Jews.
http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/
Arabs were offered citizenship.
In 1948, 160,000 Arabs who lived within Israel’s borders accepted Israel’s invitation to choose peace and become Israeli citizens.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-status-of-arabs-in-israel
Israeli laws safeguard religious liberty for all faiths.
Israeli laws safeguard religious liberty for all faiths.
Israeli law encourages equality for all genders.
Israeli law encourages education equally for both men and women.
Working Israeli Women
Fifty-three percent of Israeli women are in the workforce, similar to the percentage in the U.S.
Arab Representation in Government
Three Israeli Arabs were elected to the first Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in 1949. There were 17 Arab members elected into the Knesset in 2015.
Arab Citizenship in Israel
Today, 1.8 million of Israel’s 8 million citizens are Arab. They enjoy the same legal rights as all other citizens.
http://forward.com/scribe/346744/the-government-of-israel-is-making-arab-citizens-a-priority-are-we/
Science Education in Israel
Israel has the highest ratio of trained scientists and technicians with 135 per 10,000 citizens, compared to 81 in the US, over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany.
Minority Rights in Israel
Israel protects minority rights and actively works to advance social and economic equality. Israeli Arabs have served in the Knesset since Israel’s reestablishment in 1948 and are in prominent government positions.
Lina Makhoul
Israeli Arab Christian Lina Makhoul won Israel’s version of “The Voice” in 2013.
Christians in Israel
Arabic-speaking Christians lead Israel academic achievement.
http://jewishtimes.com/17415/a-christian-awakening/opinion/editorials/
Women in Israel
In Israel, gender equality is enshrined in law. Women pursue all careers, make up the majority of students in higher education, serve in the military and prominent government positions, and have full reproductive rights and personal freedoms.
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/equality-religion-and-gender-in-israel
LGBTQ Rights
When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Israel’s legal system is more progressive than most other countries in the world.
http://www.thetower.org/article/for-israeli-gays-its-not-about-the-ring/
Education Level in Israel
Israelis have the second-highest number of university degrees per capita in the world.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/09/27/and-the-worlds-most-educated-country-is/
Nobel Prizes and Israel
Since 2000, Israelis have won three times more Nobel Prizes per capita in science and economics than the next highest-ranked countries.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/tiny-israel-a-nobel-heavyweight-especially-in-chemistry/
Christians in the Middle East
Israel is the only Middle Eastern country where the Christian population has grown in the last half-century.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/christians-in-the-middle-east
Number Of Non-Jews In Israel
There are almost 2 million non-Jews in Israel, making up about 25 percent of Israel’s population.
https://www.jweekly.com/2017/04/28/israels-population-is-8-68-million-on-eve-of-69th-birthday/
Religious Freedom
Israel is home to many religious minorities and guarantees their right to practice their faith and administer their internal affairs.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/people/pages/society-%20religious%20freedom.aspx
Arabs In The Knesset
Arabs have won as many as 13 of the 120 Knesset (Israel’s parliament) seats in a single election.
Arab-Israelis
Arab-Israelis are the largest minority group in Israel and are active in all facets of Israeli life.
https://www.hartford.edu/news/press-releases/2012/09/GreenbergKickoff.aspx
Ethiopian Israeli education
Though Ethiopian Israelis face many challenges, their community has also achieved remarkable things. For example, while the high school graduation rate among those who moved to Israel at an older age is only 36%, Ethiopian Israelis who grew up in Israel now graduate at a rate of 90%.
http://taubcenter.org.il/education-and-employment-trends-among-ethiopian-israelis-2/
Ethiopian Israelis in Tech
Tech-Career is an Ethiopian Israeli non-profit, which empowers members of the community to enter Israel's thriving high tech industry.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/young-ethiopians-seek-entry-to-israeli-tech-scene/
Medical Marijuana Research
According to Rolling Stone, "over the past 50 years, Israel has become the epicenter of medical pot."
What is a Basic Law?
In the wake of the "Nation-State Law" passed by the Israeli government in 2018, there has been some confusion about what a Basic Law is. Here is an explanation and list of all of Israel's Basic Laws:
https://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_yesod.htm
Perspectives on Israel's Nation State Law
This article argues that Israel's Nation State Law was necessary in light of all the forces which seek to deny Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/the-case-for-israels-nation-state-bill/
Orthodox Israeli rabbis support LGBTQ rights
In Israel, the LGBTQ and Orthodox religious communities are often in conflict. However, there are a significant number of Orthodox rabbis in Israel promoting tolerance.
Jerusalem LGBTQ Pride Parade
In 2018, the Israeli LGBTQ community held the largest Pride Parade in Jerusalem's history with over 20,000 people attending.
LGBTQ protests in Israel
In 2018, Israel's LGBTQ community organized a large protest against a government decision regarding surrogacy rights and received backing from Israel's main labor union and many of its largest companies.
2019 Israeli Election Quiz and Guide
Interested in the 2019 Israeli elections and Israeli democracy in general? Take this fun quiz to see which Israeli political party you align with, and check out the other educational resources on the page.
Legacy of Syria in the Golan
This is an interesting look into the Syrian military outposts and civilian structures that remain in the Golan Heights. Syrian forces used the high ground to attack Israelis living in the valley below, until Israel took control of the territory in 1967.
Syrian Druze
While most of the Druze population living in Israel are proud Israeli citizens who serve in the IDF, the situation of Druze who live in the Golan Heights is more complicated.
2019 Israeli Election
According to a poll conducted after the 2019 elections, 2/3 of Israelis support a center-right government with Likud and Blue & White joining forces rather than a more right wing government featuring ultra-Orthodox parties.
Shas, Bedouin, and Israeli Elections:
It may seem like an unlikely arrangement, but when Bedouin choose to participate in Israeli elections they often vote for Shas - a party primarily dedicated to representing ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Middle East. This article explains why.
Relationships between Israeli Jews and its minority citizens:
According to a 2019 poll, most Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel view their interactions with each other positively.
https://972mag.com/poll-israelis-positive-view-jewish-arab-relations/140846/
How Arab citizens of Israel identify
According to a 2019 poll, 66% of Arabs in Israel identify as Arab or Arab-Israeli, while 33% identify as Palestinian or Palestinian-Israeli.
https://972mag.com/poll-israelis-positive-view-jewish-arab-relations/140846/
LGBTQ Right in Israeli Elections
This resource created by A Wider Bridge explores the 2019 Israeli elections from the perspective of the Israeli LGBTQ community.
Israel Elections: On the Issues
The 2019 Israeli elections left many observers scratching their heads. Here’s where Israelis stood on key issues in the campaign.
Breaking down historical misrepresentations
This article breaks down many historical misconceptions about Israel and the conflict.
https://www.lawfareblog.com/methodology-historical-misrepresentation
1922 Census of British Mandate Palestine
According to a population census conducted in 1922, the total population of Jerusalem was nearly 63,000. There were 33,971 Jews, 14,699 Christians, 13,413 Muslims, and 495 others.
Legal rebuttal to apartheid accusations
Scholar Eugene Kontorovich analyzes why Israel fails to meet the legal definition of apartheid.
http://www.thetower.org/article/the-apartheid-libel-a-legal-refutation/
Conflicting Narratives
This is a useful resource laying out mainstream Israeli and Palestinian narratives side by side.
https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203079553.ch3
The story of Sabich
Sabich is a staple Israeli street dish. It was brought to Israel by Iraqi Jews who often served it for Shabbat lunch. It’s been transformed over the years but at its heart, Sabich represents a classic Israeli immigration story.
https://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Israel-Sabich-Sandwich/
Debunking claims that Ashkenazi Jews are Khazars
This article debunks the theory that Ashkenazi Jews are descended from a group called the Khazars, who lived between modern Turkey and Russia. This theory is typically spread by those who seek to deny the connection between Jews and the land of Israel.
https://forward.com/opinion/382967/ashkenazi-jews-are-not-khazars-heres-the-proof/
Busting the Khazar Myth
According to a scholar of Eastern European Jewish migration and demography, there is no truth to the myth about Ashkenazi Jews being descended from Khazars.