Female Soldiers
Not every country can claim that their women serve in the military. Israel on the other hand is one of two countries in the world that has a mandatory draft for both men and women. From the age of 18 years, women serve for at least two years as combat soldiers or in other roles.
Female Soldiers
Life’s A Beach
There must be a good reason for that olive-toned complexion. Is it the desert? Maybe it’s the 147-mile coastline that is to thank for that gorgeous skin tone. Israel has 137 official beaches to choose from, so who said that size is a big deal?
Life’s A Beach
World Record Flight
Isn’t it annoying when your flight is packed? Well there are 1,088 people who can assure you that they’ve been on a more packed flight than you. El Al, Israel’s national airline broke the commercial flight passenger record in 1991 when they airlifted thousands of Ethiopian Jews from Ethiopia to Israel. Two babies were even born on one of those flights.
World Record Flight
Doggy Cemetery
What would a dog cemetery look like? Well if you happen to ever visit the city of Ashkelon on Israel’s southern coast you might find out. The doggy cemetery there is actually the world’s oldest and has existed since the 3rd or 5th century.
Doggy Cemetery
Einstein For President
Albert Einstein wasn’t just a genius when it came to theoretical physics. When the State of Israel was being established in 1948, he received the offer to become the country’s first prime minister. He turned down the offer and left the politics for David Ben Gurion.
Einstein For President
Gay Capital
If you’re a part of the LGBT community, perhaps you can give a trip to the Middle East a skip. There is an exception in the region though, and that’s Israel. Israel’s second biggest city, Tel Aviv, is the official gay capital of the Middle East. Not that it needed to do much to get that title, but seeing as the city has hosted the Pride Parade every year since 1979 with crowds reaching the hundred thousands, we can say that it deserves its title.
Gay Capital
Tree Treasure
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to trees I’m pretty sure we need more of them around. Israel is a country that strongly stands behind this belief and was one of only two countries in the world to enter the 21st century with a net gain of trees. Want to get involved in planting more trees on our planet? Check out the KKL organization.
Tree Treasure
Natalie Portman
Her name has popped up in the news quite a lot lately and all do with her views on Israel. Some of you might be wondering what Natalie Portman and Israel have in common. Portman was born in Jerusalem and then immigrated to the United States when she was just three years old. Bonus point – she can speak Hebrew fluently.
Natalie Portman
Wonder Woman
The wonder women of Israel come in all shapes and forms, but this one comes in the shape of a superhero. Gal Gadot is Israel’s pride in Hollywood right now. The model and actress served for two years in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a combat instructor. She became Miss Israel in 2014 and she’s said to be down-to-earth. Wow, talk about all all-in-one package!
Wonder Woman
Underweight Models
Recently plus-sized models have made their way into the spotlight. The image of tiny, stick models is on its way out, and Israel knows very well about that. In fact the country banned models from being underweight and each model needs a BMI which is higher than 18.5. If a model wants to participate in a shoot, she will have to produce a 3-month health report beforehand.
Underweight Models
Jews Against Israel
Israel is the only Jewish state in the entire world, yet there are some Jews who don’t agree with its existence. an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect called “Neturei Karta” believes that the State of Israel should be “dismantled in a peaceful manner.” The group has even met with leaders who call for Israel’s destruction, like former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Jews Against Israel
Robert Kennedy’s Assassination
Some people believe in the “Kennedy Curse”, and that belief only intensified on June 5th, 1968. Palestinian Sirhan Bishara Sirhan shot Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and Kennedy eventually died from his wounds. The assassin’s motive was that Robert Kennedy had supported Israel during the Six Day War just a year earlier.
Robert Kennedy’s Assassination
Money For The Blind
Imagine a blind man gets his change at a store and they tell him that they’ve just handed him $50 and they really hand him a $1 bill. Kind of sucks, doesn’t it? Well Israel this wouldn’t happen because the bank notes actually have braille markings on them. Not many countries have this sort of advanced money system.
Money For The Blind
Borat In Israel
Not everybody enjoyed the ridiculous “mockumentary” called “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”. But there was a nation in the Middle East that really loved it. Israelis esoterically enjoyed it since the “special Kzakh language” that was spoken was actually Hebrew. Sacha Baron Cohen, who played the character of Borat actually volunteered in Israel.
Borat In Israel
Pakistani Passports
There are only a few Arab countries that actually accept and recognize Israel as a state. One of the many countries that doesn’t is Pakistan and they actually forbid their citizens from flying there. If you were to open up a Pakistani passport, you would see this printed inside: “This passport is valid for all countries in the world, except Israel.”
Pakistani Passports
High Life Expectancy
Israelis are among the top of the list when it comes to long life expectancy. Women rank 9th in the world (84.3 years) whereas men rank 5th highest in the world (80.6). That’s higher than countries like France, Canada, Germany and the United States, to name a few.
High Life Expectancy
College Degrees
If you thought that going to school to do more than one degree was slowing down your life progress then you might not like how it works in Israel. First of all, most citizens do military or national service for a year or two after finishing high school, then they go to college, and then many of them continue studying to get a second or third degree. Israel is proud to have the most college degrees in the world per capita.
College Degrees
Official Languages
We all know that Hebrew is the official language of Israel, but did you know that Arabic is too? English unfortunately is not, but most of the road signs are written in English too.
Official Languages
The Uzi
When it comes to epic one-handed weapons, the Uzi is definitely one of the top guns on that list. Did you know that its name came from its creator, Uzi Gaf who was a major in the Israeli Defense Forces. The gun is no longer slung over the shoulders of IDF soldiers like it was since it was brought into full service in 1954, but some specialized units still use it.
The Uzi
Museum Mania
If you do visit the Holy Land, make sure you check out a museum or two. You will certainly have enough options to choose from since it is the country with the highest number of museums per capita. There are a few hot-spots you can choose from, like the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, the Shrine of the Book museum in the capital, Jerusalem, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Museum Mania
A Low Point
Why on Earth would they call this place the “Dead Sea”? Well basically because nothing can live in the water because there is so much salt! Even more interesting, if you wanted to swim there, you wouldn’t be able to because you would simply float. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth as it sits at 1,315 feet below sea level.
A Low Point
A Spot In The Middle East
What does it feel like to live in a dangerous neighborhood? Israeli citizens surely know about because just about all their neighbors are set on their destruction. There’s Syria to the northeast, Jordan in the eat, Egypt in the south, Gaza in the southwest, and Lebanon to the north.
A Spot In The Middle East
Peace Treaties
After engaging in a number of major wars, two of Israel’s neighbors have made real and lasting peace treaties. The first was Egypt in 1979 with the help of American president, Jimmy Carter. The second was with Jordan with the help of President Bill Clinton in 1994.
Peace Treaties
Kosher Glue
Whether you’re a kosher-keeping Israeli or not, the glue that you lick on your envelopes is kosher for your pleasure. Now that’s making sure that all your ducks are in a row… or something like that.
Kosher Glue
Kosher McDonald’s
On the topic of kosher food, many Jewish people when they arrive in Israel flock to McDonald’s restaurants. You might be wondering why, and the answer is because Israel is the only country in the world which has kosher McDonald’s chains… in fact they have 50 of them! Just don’t expect a cheeseburger.
Kosher McDonalds
Bus Stop Charity
Charity is a big part of the Jewish religion, so perhaps it’s not surprising that there are charity boxes affixed to bus stops around Israel’s cities. The money goes towards helping families in need.
Bus Stop Charity
Leave A Message After The Beep
Jewish moms can’t possibly go more than a few hours without checking up on their children. Israelis found a way to allow these mothers to speak to their children even when they couldn’t, and that was voicemail technology.
Leave A Message After The Beep
Sushi Lovers
Sushi is not an Israeli dish, but that doesn’t mean that the locals don’t enjoy it. In Tel Aviv alone there are more than 100 different sushi restaurants, making it the sushi capital of the Middle East.
Sushi Lovers
Entrepreneurship
It’s incredible how many ideas and innovative advances come out of Israel, and that’s why they deserve to be a leader in the world of entrepreneurship. The Jewish State holds the world’s highest rate of entrepreneurship of women and citizens over 55.
Entrepreneurship
Transgender Pop Star
Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest on three separate occasions. The first time was in 1978, then in 1979 and most recently in 1998. Israel’s contestant, Dana International became the competition’s first transgender to take home the win.
Transgender Pop Star
Good And Bad
Israel is like a New Year’s resolution. Really committed to eating healthy, and then just as quickly, having a hard time to skip the sweets. This little dilemma has made them the third highest consumer of veggies and sweets globally.
Good And Bad
Golda Meir
Golda Meir was a very strong woman who became Israel’s very first female prime minister in 1969. She was also the modern world’s third head-of-state who was a woman.
Golda Meir
Bauhaus Movement
The city of Tel Aviv also has the name “The White City”. It has nothing to do with the skin color of its inhabitants, but more so because of its architecture. The city has the world’s most Bauhaus buildings.
Bauhaus Movement
Getting Started
The startup culture is booming in Israel. Even though the success rate of startups in general is less than 26%, Israelis have the highest number of startups per capita. I guess they’re not concerned with a little bit of risk.
Getting Started
Antivirus Software
Since 1979, Israel has helped the world of computers by creating anti-virus software. Today the Zionist state is the leader in anti-virus technology.
Antivirus Software
Avid Readers
I don’t know about you, but Harry Potter was one of the greatest book series I’ve ever read. Now can you imagine never reading it simply because it’s not printed in your language? Well Israelis would never be able to stand for that so they’ve translated as many books into Hebrew as possible. Israel now translates the most books in the world into their language.
Avid Readers
Chess Masters
What do you say about a game of chess? If you’re looking for a good challenge/getting your butt kicked, then you should head down to the city of Beersheva in southern Israel. This city has the highest amount of chess grandmasters per capita in the world.
Chess Masters
Mini Subway
What’s the cutest subway you’ve ever seen? It’s kind of weird referring to a subway as cute, but if you saw the 4-car subway in Haifa, you would understand. It only runs a track of about 1 mile, making it one of the world’s smallest subway systems.
Mini Subway
Reviving A Language
Hebrew has been Israel’s official language since biblical times, but over time it vanished from speaking but remained in scripture. It is the only language to have been revived from biblical times to the point of becoming an official language that is spoken by an entire population.
Reviving A Language
Still Burying The Dead
There are lots of old cemeteries around the world, but there are none as interesting as the cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It is still active today as a burial place and there are many notable historical figures buried there.
Still Burying The Dead
The Hoopoe
Israel’s national bird is the Hoopoe. Where is a better place in the world to be than in Israel if you’re a bird that loves pecking away at trees?
The Hoopoe
Jellyfish Repellent
We’re a little happier that the world is blessed with the marvel of mosquito repellent, especially on a camping trip. But the Israelis took it a step further when they invented a jellyfish repellent, perfect for those summer swims in the sea.
Jellyfish Repellent
To Space And Beyond
The race to space brought many countries the interest of putting satellites above our planet, but which countries succeeded? Well, the U.S.A., Russia, China, Japan, France, the U.K., India, Iran, North Korea, Ukraine and… you guessed it, Israel.
To Space And Beyond
Curing Bad Breath
Ugh! There are few things worse than bad breath, and we can all vouch for that. So instead of just going for the usual Tic Tac option, Israelis have invented an actual cure for bad breath! Wow, shut up and take my money!
Curing Bad Breath
Female Lawyers
Don’t get on the wrong side of the law in Israel, because they have a strict law system. But what’s even more interesting about Israel in this regard is that 44% of the lawyers in Israel happen to be women.
Female Lawyers
Libraries On The Go
Libraries on wheels? Well, it’s something like that. In Israel you can find a selection of books at train and bus stations which can be borrowed free of charge. The reader/traveler just needs to return it when he’s done to his nearest station.
Libraries On The Go
Love Is In The Air
While the world celebrates Valentine’s day on the 14th of February, the Israelis only celebrate it in July. But flowers from Israel are sent to countries in Europe to commemorate the special day. In fact more than 60 million flowers make the trip each year.
Love Is In The Air
It’s Tiny
If you were to take a look at map of the world, you would probably have a hard time finding Israel. It is the 50th smallest country in the world and it actually only makes up 1% of the Middle East.
Its Tiny
The Iron Dome
The world was in awe in 2014 when Israel proved to the world that it could protect its citizens from rocket attacks using their special anti-ballistic missile system. The “Iron Dome” has exploded thousands of rockets in mid-air which were fired from Gaza towards Israel.
The Iron Dome
Blood-Free Diamonds
Have you ever heard of “blood diamonds”? Well in Israel they have, and they decided that they wouldn’t stand for diamond trade coming from conflict zones. Israel became the first country to adopt the “Kimberley process”.
Blood Free Diamonds
Immigration Numbers
Even though right now Israel is appearing in the news based on their illegal immigrant situation, the country still ranks as one of the highest immigrant-absorbing countries on the globe.
Immigration Numbers
Lending A Hand
Wouldn’t it be nice if every person gave of their time to volunteer by helping others? Well 1/3 of the Israeli population volunteers – now isn’t that amazing?
Lending A Hand
In Vitro Fertilization
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every person who wanted to have a baby, could just have one? Well, maybe not exactly. Israel allows its citizens to have free in-vitro fertilization, and it actually is the country with the highest number of these procedures.
In Vitro Fertilization
Surviving Cancer Patients
Everyone knows that Israel prides itself in the advancements it has made in technology and medical technology. One of their greatest feats is that Israel has the world’s highest number of cancer survivors.
Surviving Cancer Patients
Voting Rights
The Middle East isn’t exactly the hub for equal rights, especially when it comes to voting. Israel however allows all its citizens to vote once they’ve reached the age of eighteen, regardless of their gender, race or religion.
Voting Rights
Peanut Allergy
Many people wonder why there is almost no peanut allergies in Israel, and the answer is “Bamba”. This peanut butter snack is given to kids from a young age and all throughout their childhood, meaning they don’t develop an allergy to peanuts.
Peanut Allergy
Letters In The Wall
It’s no secret that Jerusalem is a holy city to many. But there is something very unique about the Western Wall in the Old City. Worshipers and visitors have made writing letters to God a habit, by placing them in the crevices of the wall.
Letters In The Wall
Unexploded Land Mines
Since the day the modern state of Israel was established in 1948, the country has found itself with a fair share of wars and enemies. In many locations in the Golan Heights, along the border with Syria, lay many unexploded landmines. The areas are cordoned off, but that doesn’t mean all cows can read those warning signs.
Unexploded Land Mines
The @ Sign Is Not ‘At’
Do you know what “strudel” is? Well in Israel it’s definitely not what you think it is. The @ sign in an email address is what they call a “strudel”. So don’t be confused when getting someone’s email address if they throw a strudel into the equation.
The @ Sign Is Not At
Miss World
Israel in summer… wow! A touch of Mediterranean, a dab of Middle Easter, and boom! You have Linor Abargil – Israel’s Miss World contestant and winner in 1998. After her beauty days she went on to become a lawyer who leads an anti-sexual abuse campaign.
Miss World
