Israel

Israel is a small yet diverse Middle Eastern country. The modern State of Israel was established in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people, but the region contains thousands of years of history for many peoples and religions in addition to the Jews. Israel is considered part of the Holy Land, and of the Levant and in ancient history of the Fertile Crescent. The three major Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as the Baha'i Faith, have strong ties to this land, and their holy and historic sites are major destinations for pilgrims and tourists from around the world. The Israeli population is about 74% Jews, 21% Arabs, and 5% non-Arab Christians and others. Most of the Jews are descended from Olim, and their diverse origins can be seen in various aspects of modern Israeli culture.