It’s not your average country. Considering the media presence it has and the roll it plays in international politics, Israel punches well above its weight. And whether you believe that it is the worst thing to ever happen or whether you believe that it is literally God’s gift to Earth, it is indisputable that Israel has played a significant role on the world stage. It is possibly the most controversial country in the world, which is saying a lot considering that there are nations like North Korea out there. But why has Israel occupied such a significant and sizable portion of the political realm. Size wise, it is rather unimpressive. It is little more than a small strip of desert. You could run across it in roughly 2 hours. How can such a small and insignificant country persist despite being surrounded by enemies? Even its allies have often not been so fond of it. As we said earlier, regardless of your position on the country, it certainly makes for an interesting read when you look back at its history. At the very least, by the time you finish this list you will have a better understanding of 25 Facts About Israel That Show Why It’s A Very Interesting And Controversial Country!
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In spite of its large media presence, Israel is very small. You can run across it from east to west in 2 hours and north to south in 9 days
Source: frontpagemag.com, Image: wikipediaUnderweight models are banned in Israel to help prevent anorexia
Source: nydailynews.com, Image: wikipediaIsrael is the only nation on Earth to draft women into the military
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaRobert F Kennedy was assassinated for his support of Israel. This was claimed by some to be the first act of political violence in the US stemming from the Arab-Israel conflict
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaJerusalem Syndrome is an actual psychological phenomenon caused by visiting Jerusalem
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabayIn 1963, a jar containing 2,000 year old seeds was discovered in Israel. They were planted in 2005 and a tree that has been extinct for almost two millennia sprouted! (Judean date palm)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaEl Al, Israel's national airline broke the record for most passengers on a commercial flight with 1,088
Source: guinessworldrecords.com, Image: wikipediaSeveral hundred children and grandchildren of former Nazis have converted to Judaism and moved to Israel.
Source: timesofisrael.com, Image: wikipediaBorat was a pretty big hit in Israel because his "Kazakh" lines were actually spoken in Hebrew.
Source: washingtonpost.com, Image: wikipediaPakistani passports have an inscription that reads "this passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel"
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaAll Jewish people between 18 and 26 years old are allowed a free 10 day visit to Israel
Source: birthrightisrael.com, Image: pixabayAlong with Hebrew, Arabic is an official language in Israel
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaIn 1997 a Jewish women, Tatyana Suskin, in Israel (immigrated from Russia) was convicted by an Israeli court for depicting Islam's prophet Muhammad as a pig. She was charged with endangering life by religious provocation.
Source: nytimes, Image: wikipediaOver a thousands letters arrive in Jerusalem every year addressed to God
Source: guardian.co.uk, Image: wikipediaBank notes in Israel (as well as Canada, Russia, India, Mexico, and Switzerland) have braille markings on them for blind people.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaIn Israel you can find hummus flavored ice cream.
Source: abcnews.go.com, Images: pixabayDavid Ben-Gurion, the founder and first prime minister of Israel, was an athiest.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaJerusalem, one of the world's oldest still-standing cities, has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabayEgyptian President Anwar Sadat made Egypt the first country to achieve peace with Israel in 1979. As a direct result, Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize, Egypt was thrown out of the Arab League, and Sadat was assassinated.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaConstructed from the remains of the World Trade Center, there is a 9/11 memorial just outside of Jerusalem.
Source: ijreview.com, Image: wikipediaAlbert Einstein was once offered the presidency of Israel but politely declined.
Source: time.com, Image: wikipediaIsrael has 137 beaches but only 273 km of coastline.
Source: ynetnews.com, Image: wikipediaIsrael, along with Britain and New Zealand are the only democracies in the world to not have written constitutions.
Source: consoc.org, Image: wikipediaThe coastal city of Ashkelon is home to the largest dog cemetery in the ancient world.
Source: academia.edu, Image: wikipediaThere is a Jewish sect known as Neturei Karta that supports Palestine and calls for the state of Israel to be peacefully dismantled.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaLists Going Viral Right Now
