Links: Israel Travel Blogs (all) | Israel Travel Photos | Israel Travel Forum | Israel Facts | Map of Israel

Israel Travel Blogs

Background: Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT.

Israel

Map of Israel

Israel's Flag

Recommended Books:

Hostels in Israel
Latest Israel Blog Entries
Israel Photos

By Vermont Family
December 16th 2005

Travel Paradise?--But Oh So Complicated

Middle East » Israel » Tel Aviv District » Tel Aviv

Religious Center of the Universe
The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock--right on top of each other, literally

I've been away from the computer for over a week (a long story about the continuing difficulty of internet hookup, the amazingly annoying lack of service from Dell (a very long story), and attempts from Israeli friends who direct a college of engineering to have their tech people try to find the problem). This leaves me with endless impressions and experiences I could reflect upon here from our 5 days in Jerusalem (where so many people are so deeply impacted by the aura of history that there is a diagnosed psychological condition called Jerusalem Syndrome to describe this experience) and [View Full Entry]

Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount Complex

By Rivka
December 14th 2005

Finally arrive in Israel

Middle East » Israel » Tel Aviv District » Tel Aviv

Since this is the first travel blog I have ever written, I will have to let you know how I got to Israel first and then update you. Basically I got an email from a lady named Julie Sager with the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) who wanted me to come on a Israel trip she was organizing. Financially, it did not look like it would work out. But then she referred me to Dennis Seaman (a attourney from Ohio ... word out to Margo, Aaron and all my Ohio peeps ... I'm feeling a little like an Ohio groupie at [View Full Entry]

By Shiri
December 10th 2005

First entrance

Middle East » Israel » Tel Aviv District » Tel Aviv

Pigeons

First entrance from home [View Full Entry]

By Aliyah
December 9th 2005

Jerusalem

Middle East » Israel » Jerusalem District » Jerusalem

Going up to Jerusalem

From my journal: City of Gold. We made the ascent from the lowest spot on earth - the Dead Sea - to the highest spiritual place on earth...Jerusalem. We slimbed up the eastern side of the Mt. of Olices, went through a tunnel and - BOOM - there it was, under a sliver of a crescent moon, glistening in the twighlight. Our hotel was within walking distance of the walls of the old city. We were stationed on the corner of Ramban Street and King George Street. Just up the road was the Great Synagogue, that we attended on Shabbat. Ben [View Full Entry]

By Aliyah
December 9th 2005

The Western Wall

Middle East » Israel » Jerusalem District » Jerusalem

The Wall

From my journal: My heart started pounding when I first saw it. I could hardly believe it. I stood back for awhile, trying to imagine Your House on top of that retaining wall instead of that ugly golden pimple. I was very aware of the fact that YOU had brought me there. Literally, through this whole trip, it seems like You cleared the pth, like You're taking me by th hand and saying, "Come on, I want to show you everything." And then, You brought me to that last remaining wall, washed smooth by so many tears. Stepping close to the [View Full Entry]

By Mari
December 8th 2005

November's End

Middle East » Israel » Haifa District » Haifa

Birthday Ice cream
Ilana, Yael, and me outside "Fresco"

Midterms thankfully ended on Wednesday November 23, and also thankfully, I got through them with more or less enough sleep and not too much stress. I woke up early on Thursday and quickly filled my birthday with a lot of activity. The morning was dedicated to administration--the post office, bank, and library. That evening, the overseas department put together an international Thanksgiving dinner for all of the overseas students. They served turkey right along side middle eastern salads. Ilana, another Carmellie, stood up and said she was thankful that I had been born and requested that e [View Full Entry]

By Vermont Family
December 7th 2005

Israel--Not As Simple as It Looks

Middle East » Israel » Tel Aviv District » Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv Beachfront
Now on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean

In Israel, it always seems everything is touched in some way by the underlying history and politics of the area. From the little exhibits in Jaffa of the spot where they brought the cedar trees for the temple of Solomon or where Noah's son settled after the flood or where Napolean's troops laid siege to the memorial for the 20+ youth killed in the disco bombing in Tel Aviv to the questions about why no English guidebooks have been updated on Israel since 2000 or why no credit card company will insure rental cars here, everything seems to have historical [View Full Entry]

By Aliyah
December 2nd 2005

The Negev

Middle East » Israel

Just past Beer Sheva

We drove southward, into the Negev. There were absolutely spectacular views! Especially driving down into the great crater. And even though this particular portion of the desert was probably not the one where the nation of Israel wandered after the exodus, it really fed my imagination. The land is very harsh (thinking that the shoes on their feet never wore out is seriously supernatural!), but I think I wouldn't have minded being a kid during the desert wandering. Steve only let us explore for about fifteen minutes, but I would have loved to walk all over. [View Full Entry]

By Aliyah
December 2nd 2005

Arad

Middle East » Israel » South District » Arad

Margoa Arad
The hotel in Arad where we stayed out second night in our second night in Israel

Tel Arad was absolutely huge! Spread out over a whole bunch of acres. After we explored it for a few hours, we moved on. That night, checked into a hotel in modern day Arad, a beautiful town that seems to appear out of nowhere when you are driving through the desert. [View Full Entry]

By Aliyah
December 2nd 2005

Masada

Middle East » Israel

Masada

We drove towards the Dead Sea and drove along it's coast for several miles before reaching the desert fortress of Masada. I would have loved to climb up the snake path but with a group our size, it would have taken us all day, so we all climbed into a cable car instead. The top of Masada is huge! We spent several hours up there and only saw part of the nothern half! The history of Masada covers two distinctly different periods. Herod build a tiered palace on the northern side. The nature-defying contained all the comforts of civilized western culture, [View Full Entry]

Links: Israel Travel Blogs (all) | Israel Travel Photos | Israel Travel Forum | Israel Facts | Map of Israel

Travel Blog » Middle East » Israel