Facts about Israel
-Israel’s currency is the Shekel
-The flag of the State of Israel is based on the design of the Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), with a blue Shield of David (Magen David).
-The official emblem of the State of Israel is a candelabrum (menorah). The olive branches on either side represent Israel’s yearning for peace.
-Israeli students start studying English in third grade.
-The Israeli National Anthem is “Hatikvah” which means “The Hope.”
-The olive tree is Israel’s national tree.
-Israel’s bank notes have Braille markings on them so that the blind can identify them easily.
-Israel has 137 official beaches.
-Israel has the world’s second largest output of new books per citizen.
-Israel has won five bronze Olympic medals, one silver and one gold.
-In 1984 and 1991 Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews to safety in Israel.
-Twelve Israelis have won a Nobel Prize.
-Relative to its population Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth.
-Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as “conflict free.”
-According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry’s most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials now look to Israel for advice on how to
handle airborne security threats.
-Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was produced by Haim Saban, an Israeli whose family fled persecution in Egypt.
-In 1991, during the Gulf War, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra played a concert wearing gas masks as scud missiles fired by Saddam Hussein fell on Tel Aviv.
-Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.
-Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.
-In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world.
-In absolute terms, Israel has more startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US.
-Israel is also the only country in the Middle East with a free Arabic press.
-Israelis consume the most fruits and vegetables per capita of any people in the world.
-Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.
-Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation.
-Israel has one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.
-Immigrating to Israel is called Aliyah. Aliyah means ascension, or “going up.”
-Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship – and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 – in the world.
-Morocco and Russia are the two countries from which the largest number of new immigrants to Israel have come.
-Teva, an internationally well-known shoe wear company, received its name from the Hebrew word for “nature.”
-The only research and development center for Microsoft outside of the USA is located in Haifa.
-Intel has their largest plant outside the USA in Israel.
-Albert Einstein was offered to be Israel’s 1st president but did not accept.
-There are more than 40 kosher McDonald’s in Israel.
-An estimated million notes are left in the Western Wall each year.
-Over the past 50 years, Israel is the only country in the Middle East in which the Christian population has grown.
-Israel is the only country in the world to revive an unspoken language.
-Israel has two official languages Hebrew and Arabic.
-Street signs in Israel are written in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
-Israel requires all fashion models to meet a normal BMI (body mass index).
-Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.
-Three in ten Israelis are immigrants from over 100 different countries.
-Omri Casspi was the first Israeli basketball pro to be drafted to play on an NBA team (the Sacramento Kings.)
-Yiytish Aynaw became Israel’s first Ethiopian Miss Israel in 2013.
-Hebrew is read from right to left.