Information for the Homeland – My Israel posters Map of Israel poster

Eilat Eilat is the southernmost city in Israel. It is located on the shores of the Red Sea and borders with Egypt and Jordan. Through the ages Eilat was a commerce- and port-town and a hub for copper trading. In the Bible it is mentioned several times by the name Ezion Geber. Eilat was conquered in the War of Independence and the raising of the Ink Flag at the Umm Rashrash Police Station symbolized the end of the war. After Operation Kadesh (Suez Crisis) Eilat’s access roads were improved, an airport was built, and it was developed as a port city and tourist attraction. Today there is a constant struggle between nature and environment preservation and developmental plans for the port, hotels, and tourist and recreational facilities. Trees suitable to the arid environment were planted in the Holland Park at the city entrance. The city also has a bird-watching center which was developed with the help of the KKL-JNF.

Jerusalem Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the biggest city in Israel. The city is located centrally at the heart of the Judean Mountains, on the national watershed ridge between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and contains sites which are hallowed by the three religions. Throughout history the city went Beer-Sheva through much turmoil and many Beer-Sheva, the Capital of the Negev, wars and it passed through the is the second largest city in size in Israel hands of many rulers who seized and seventh in its population. Beer Sheva it and reigned over it. Jerusalem is was mentioned many times in the Bible, mentioned many times in the Bible and its name originates from the Book of and the Temple was built here. Genesis, from the pact Abraham made with From times of antiquity it became Abimelech, King of Gerar. During the War the vital center of the Jewish of Independence the city was conquered and Nation and the object of its longing repopulated with Jews and since then it has in the Diaspora. It was only at the grown and developed. New neighborhoods end of the 19th Century that Jews were built, and many immigrants from left the walled Old City and began former USSR countries settled down here. to build the New City. Today the Some of its public buildings include the Knesset, Supreme Court, Hebrew Ben-Gurion University, Soroka Hospital, a University, Presidential Residence, District Court and more. The Biblical Beer- and the Government Complex Sheva which was identified as the Sheva premises are all situated within Mound was acknowledged by UNESCO as a the boundaries of the vaster New Site of World Heritage. Jerusalem areas. In 1981 the Old City was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tel Aviv Tel Aviv, The First Hebrew City, is the second largest city in Israel. It was established in 1909 and was named Ahuzat Bayit after the Zionist Association of the same name that established it. One year later it was renamed Tel Aviv. It was the first city outside the old Yishuv (the Jewish population in pre-state Palestine) and the Colonies, and was built adjacent to the Arab city Jaffa that with its harbor served through history as the entrance gate to the Land of Israel. In time Tel Aviv became a cultural, economic, business, communicational, and tourist center. The National Theatre, Philharmonic Orchestra, Stock Exchange, bank system of Israel, embassies, newspaper editorial boards , and entertainment sites are all located within its boundaries. Tel Aviv sits on the Mediterranean coast and has many well-kept public beaches and hotels. In 2003 Tel Aviv White City was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. In 2009 Tel Aviv celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Haifa Haifa, the northern capital of the State of Israel, is the third largest city in the country. Haifa extends from Mount Carmel to the Haifa Bay; the city is famous for its beautiful and varied landscapes. The Carmel Park, the biggest “green lungs” in the country, sits Mount Hermon at the southern outskirts of the city. Since the 3rd Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in the State of Century BC Haifa has served as a port town, and Israel, is situated on its northern border. It is a part today it is the biggest maritime hub in the country. of a long narrow limestone ridge known as the Anti Haifa was the main base of the British Mandate and Lebanon Mountain Range, it extends over Syria, the last place they cleared out when they left the Lebanon, and Israel. The highest summit of the Israeli country. During the War of Independence Haganah Hermon rises to a peak of 7,336 feet [2,236 meters] units subdued the city’s Arab residents and Jewish above sea level. During the winter Mount Hermon immigrants repopulated their houses. Since then the is covered by snow, and its climate is extreme and city has gradually grown and evolved to the extent fluctuates between freezing during winter to 86 that it hosts a number of renowned public buildings Fahrenheit [30 Celsius] in summer. Thus its fauna and like the Haifa University, the Technion Institute of flora are typical to high mountainous regions. Most Technology, and the Bahá’í Gardens. It also boasts of the Israeli Hermon area consists of the Hermon various means of transportation like an airport, a Nature Reserve, and is covered by some of the largest railway system, a cable car line, a seaport and the Palestinian oaks in the country. The mountain is Carmelit subway. Throughout its history members mentioned in the Bible as Mount Si’on and Hermonim of various religions have settled in the city and today and in Deuteronomy as Hermon. The only ski resort too, Arabs and Jews dwell peacefully side by side; in the country is located on top of Mount Hermon and thus Haifa has become a symbol of coexistence and is operated by Neve Ativ, a Moshav which is located peace between peoples. at its foot. Tiberias Tiberias, one of Judaism’s four holy cities , is located on the western shore of the Kinneret. It was established circa 20 AD by Herod Antipas and was named after the Roman Emperor Tiberius. A Jewish community thrived here over the years, and the Jerusalem Talmud was written and finalized here. Tiberius is also sacred and a site of pilgrimage for Christians who believe that Jesus left his footprint here. In the same vein there are Tzadikim (Burial places of Mishnaic and Biblical figures which serve as magnet for pilgrimage ) [righteous] tombs here and many archeological relics from the Roman and Byzantine Periods. During the war of Independence the city was conquered by Haganah troops. Today Tiberias is a leading tourist site, and most of its approximately 41,300 residents primarily make their living from tourism.

The Hula Valley Mount Carmel The Hula Valley is a flat fertile and affluent wetland Mount Carmel, a symbol of beauty and magnificence in the north of Israel which was covered in the past from days of antiquity, is a mountain range that by a lake and marshes at its northern part. Toward extends from the northern Samaria Mountains to the end of the 1960s the KKL-JNF initiated a large- Haifa Bay. It is triangular in shape, its highest peak scale project to drain the swamps and lake and stands 1,791 feet [546 meters] above sea level and thus reclaim more soil and water for agricultural it is surrounded by the Jezreel Valley, the Coastal use. However this drainage project breached the Plain and the Ramot Menashe Plain. The Carmel natural balance of the valley and polluted the is called the Evergreen Mountain due to the green water of the Kinneret. In response the JNF-KKL Mediterranean woodland that covers its slopes. The again flooded about 247 acres [100 hectares] of area has been populated since the days of prehistoric the area. As a result, many birds and plant species man and is frequently mentioned in the Bible. In which had vanished from the valley returned to the Book of Kings I the conflict between Prophet it, access roads were paved and the valley turned Elijah and the Ba’al prophets is accounted. More into a touristic magnet. Simultaneously, the central than 19,770 acres [8,000 hectares] of the Carmel objective – stopping the pollution of the Kinneret’s serve as a National Park and 5,930 [2,400 hectares] water– was achieved. Recently, the Hula Agamon as a nature reserve. The Hai Bar in the Carmel is Park was developed in the valley with facilities for a project to reintroduce to the area endemic and sailing, and for watching migrating birds on their extinct animals, like the griffon vultures and Persian way to Africa and the unique animals and plants fallow deer. Some argue that the source of the word of the area. The KKL-JNF plans to flood additional Carmel is a combination of the two Hebrew words areas in the future and facilitate the preservation of Kerem [vineyard] and El [God]. In 1966 the area was the water of the Kinneret and to develop tourism declared a biospheric nature reserve. in the valley. The Dead Sea The Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, is situated The Jezreel Valley on the outskirts of the Judean Desert along the Great The Jezreel Valley, known for its heavy fertile soil, is Rift Valley and along the Israeli-Jordanian border. This a large valley which stretches from the Coastal Plain body of water is the third saltiest in the world with to the Jordan Valley and bounds the Lower Galilee its salt concentration reaching 33.7%. A number of from the Samaria Mountains. At the end of the 19th competitors vie over its rare resources: Industry that Century, the land redeemer Yehushua Hankin, began produces various minerals and salts from its water; to purchase lands in the valley for the KKL and filled tourism that builds thriving hotels and cosmetic plants it with Jewish settlements and agricultural work. Over along its beaches; and environmentalists who strive the years Hankin was able to purchase more and more to protect it. This area is characterized by rare unique land and the valley became populated with Jewish endemic plants and animals that are resistant to the settlements, like Nahalal, Ein Harod and more and high ambient temperatures, scarcity of fresh water, and became an icon of Jewish settlement and agriculture. burning salinity. The industrial and tourism uses of the Throughout history the Jezreel Valley was a central Dead Sea water results in increased natural evaporation transportation route and some important cities, like and this fact together with an excessive pumping of the Megiddo and Yizrael, were built on its land. In the Bible Jordan River contributes to the shrinking of the lake it is mentioned in the story of Naboth the Jezreelite which is on the verge of disappearing. One proposed who cultivated his vineyard in the Valley, near the solution to this is to build a Mediterranean-Dead Sea palace of King Ahab. Canal that will stream water from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea.

Lake Kinneret Lake Kinneret is world’s lowest fresh water lake and the largest in Israel. Tiberias sits on its western waterfront, and the Golan Heights rises above its eastern side. The Kinneret supplies Israel with about one third of its drinking and agricultural water. The Jordan River and other streams empty their waters into the lake at its northern basin and the water is then pumped out to the National Water Carrier. The water level of the lake varies according to the annual rainfall, pumping, and evaporation. During the outset of Zionism the first agricultural farm was built on its shore – Kibbutz Kinneret and the Mother of the Kibbutzim – Kvutzat Degania. Historically, the Kinneret was known for its beauty and served as a source of inspiration for poets like Rachel. The Kinneret is mentioned first in the Book of Joshua. According to one etymological claim its name derives from the word kinnor, violin, because of its violin-shaped contours. The Kinneret Scenic Route was paved by the KKL- JNF in 2008 and offers a beautiful and free hike along its shores.