Israel

Israel is a country in the Levant region of the Middle East, in Western Asia by the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Lebanon and Syria to the north, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south and the Mediterranean to the west. Israel was established as a state in 1948, becoming the first and only predominantly Jewish state in the modern era. Israel has a population of nearly 9 million (2018). Of these 9 million, approximately 75% are Jewish, 20% are Arab, and 5% belong to other ethnic minorities. The most widely spoken languages in the country are Hebrew and Arabic, though Russian, French, and English are widely spoken as well. Israel is quite small geographically - its territory covers about 21,000 square kilometers (8,100 square miles). Despite its size, its topography is varied, ranging from a dry desert climate to mountains and forests. Israel has four distinct geographic regions: the Negev Desert, the Great Rift Valley, the Mediterranean coastal valley, and the mountainous regions in the north. The Dead Sea, the lowest dry-land point on Earth, is on the border between Israel and Jordan. Jerusalem, Israel’s declared though internationally-disputed capital, houses the country’s government buildings. Israel is a democratic republic with a 120-seat parliament (called the Knesset), a prime minister who is head of government and a president whose job is largely ceremonial. Upon its establishment Israel declared itself both Jewish and Democratic. Israel was established in order to be a “safe haven” for the Jewish people. In the years subsequent to its establishment it received an influx of Jewish immigrants and refugees from war-torn Europe and various countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Though originally established as a state with socialist values, the right-winged Likud party has now been in power for over forty years, since former prime minister Menahem Begin took office in 1977. The judicial system in Israel is three-tiered, with the Supreme Court being the top-standing authority on most cases. Religious courts have complete jurisdiction over annulment of marriages. Israel started off as an isolated entity in the predominantly Arab-Muslim Middle East. In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt, and in 1994 it signed one with Jordan. Though ties between Israel and much of the Arab world remain hostile, its relationships with countries such as Saudi Arabia have been improving in recent years as the common Iranian threat improves cooperation between the countries. The United States is Israel’s strongest ally. Relations between the two countries have remained relatively constant since Israel’s establishment, with both countries prioritizing the relationship regardless of which administrations are in office. Israel has been in an ongoing conflict with its Palestinian neighbors for decades. It spends a large proportion of its budget on security and defense, and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is the largest and strongest military in the Middle East. Israel has a mandatory military draft for most 18-year-old Israeli men and women. Israel has earned itself the nickname “Startup nation” due to the multitude of high-tech companies and scientific startups within its borders.`

With bombing dropping, Iran war has been winding down since mid-March - analysis

The pace of the Iran war has slowed since mid-March, challenging official claims that US and Israeli strikes are maintaining maximum strike intensity.

MARCH 24, 2026|ByYONAH JEREMY BOB

Anti-missile batteries fire interception missiles toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Iran, as seen over Tel Aviv, during the war with Iran and ongoing missile fire toward Israel, March 16, 2026.

A woman walks on a street with shuttered doors in Tehran on Sunday.

A new Marshall Plan: Israel, Gulf States in a new Middle East development plan - opinion

International development is not philanthropy; it's the new realism of the Middle East.

MARCH 24, 2026|ByZAFRIR ASAF

Sager Abu Srehan, vice principal at the Amal Reut School, was one of the first to extend his hand to those impacted by the Iranian attacks in Arad and Dimona.

Israel’s Bedouin community open homes to victims of Dimona, Arad strike

Israel's Bedouin community rushed to support over 100 people wounded after an Iranian missile destroyed residential buildings in Dimona and Arad.

MARCH 24, 2026|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.

Courage, not recklessness: Why Netanyahu and Trump were right on Iran

Israel did not collapse after October 7. It stood up. It buried its dead, fought for its hostages, and absorbed a shock that would have shattered many nations.

MARCH 24, 2026|ByAHMED CHARAI

Israel cyber chief: Iran war has delayed cyber law, bill could be passed in 2027 post-elections

In February, before the Iran war began, the INCD chief said that the latest version of the cyber law, which he proposed on January 25, would be a priority for him in terms of securing passage.

MARCH 24, 2026ByYONAH JEREMY BOB

ON THE front line of the cyber war, Israel has become one of the world’s most targeted countries for cyberattacks, with state-backed hackers increasingly using AI to probe government networks, companies, and critical infrastructure.

Israeli court orders church arsonist to repay NIS 2.5m over anti-Christian attack

Judge Yaniv Boker accepted the state’s claim in full and held that Reuveni must repay the compensation paid to the church, along with about NIS 70,000 in attorney fees and NIS 5,000 in court costs.

MARCH 24, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN

Yinon Reuveni, one of the suspects of vandalizing the church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, hears his verdict at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court on December 12, 2017.

Western Wall debate must not overshadow prayer, unity during times of war - opinion

Prayer at the Kotel should remain sacred, guiding Jews through crises rather than fueling division.

MARCH 24, 2026ByYAAKOV MENKEN, JONATHAN GUTTENTAG

A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in the background June 24, 2019

West Bank violence tests Israel’s rule of law amid rising settler attacks - analysis

Increasing settler violence and reprisals in the West Bank are drawing international condemnation, with leaders warning that lawlessness could undermine security and Israel’s democratic foundations.

MARCH 24, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A NEW REPORT by NGO Regavim analyzes the UN database which documents violent incidents in Judea and Samaria. Here, a Palestinian man looks towad Israeli flags placed over a Palestinian house after an incident with Israeli settlers in Bruqin village near Salfit, in the West Bank last month.

US and Israel dismantle Iran's regional terror network in coordinated strike - opinion

Trump and Israel confront Iran directly with Operation Epic Fury, targeting military and proxy networks.

MARCH 24, 2026ByGABRIEL ROSENBERG

A still image released by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which accompanied a press release describing the operation dubbed "Epic Fury", an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, shows a rocket launch from a ship, in this picture obtained from social media released on February 28, 2026.

Resilience on the frontlines: A year after returning to Kibbutz Dafna - opinion

In Kibbutz Dafna, life under sirens and rockets continues, but residents remain steadfast.

MARCH 24, 2026ByEYAL DROR

Smoke billows over northern Israel after rockets were fired from Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, by Israel's border with Lebanon, May 17, 2024.

Chances of US-Iran deal 'very small,' Israeli officials tell 'Post'

An American source told the Post that “the strikes are continuing as planned," and Israeli officials also said there has been no change in coordination with the US military or in operational plans.

MARCH 24, 2026ByAMICHAI STEIN