Female Soldiers
There are only two countries in the world that draft women into the army for mandatory service. Israel is one of those countries and women as young as 18 years old serve for at least 2 years of mandatory service, and these ladies serve in both combat and non-combat positions.
Female Soldiers
Life’s A Beach
You thought that Israelis got their olive-tanned skin from wandering the desert, didn’t you? Well that could be part of the reason, but it could also be because of the 137 official beaches Israel has along its 237 km coastline.
Life’s A Beach
World Record Flight
The record for the most passengers carried on a commercial jet goes to Israel’s national airline, El Al, with a record of 1088 passengers. Secret Israeli agents smuggled Jews out of Ethiopia in 1991 during “Operation Solomon”. Believe it or not, during the flight, two babies were born on the Boeing 747.
World Record Flight
Doggy Cemetery
Have you ever had to bury a dog in your backyard? Not a happy day for anyone. What would it be like to have a dog cemetery? The Israelis know because the oldest dog cemetery exists there in the city of Ashkelon. The cemetery dates back to sometime between the 3rd to 5th centuries.
Doggy Cemetery
Einstein For President
So many people know that theoretical physicist Albert Einstein was Jewish. But many people don’t know that he turned down the opportunity to be Israel’s first prime minister in 1948. It was a great honor for him to receive the offer, but he believed that David Ben Gurion was a better candidate.
Einstein For President
Gay Capital
The Middle East isn’t exactly the friendliest region towards the LGBT community, but luckily Israel is an exception to that. The city of Tel Aviv has hosted the Pride Parade annually since 1979 and attracts crowds in the hundred thousands. Does it even need to be said that Israel is the gay capital of the Middle East?
Gay Capital
Tree Treasure
Trees are kind of important, right? Then why are we butchering them all? Well Israel is proud to have entered the 21st century with more trees than it had beforehand. There were only two countries across the globe that were able to make this claim.
Tree Treasure
Natalie Portman
Did you know that Natalie Portman was born in Israel? Not just anywhere in Israel, she was born in the country’s capital – Jerusalem, but she moved to the States when she was only 3 years old.
Natalie Portman
Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot is definitely not just an actress and a model, she is Hollywood’s newest Wonder Woman. Gadot served in the Israeli Defense Forces for two years as a combat instructor (we won’t mess with her, thank you) and she even gained the title of Miss Israel 2014. The best part? She’s actually very down-to-Earth… or so we’ve heard.
Wonder Woman
Underweight Models
The battle to be thinner, smaller and a certain unrealistic size has plagued the modelling industry for many years. But Israel became the first country to officially ban models who were underweight from beauty contests. The current guidelines demand of models to present a 3-month health report prior to shoot, indicating that their BMI is higher than 18.5.
Underweight Models
Jews Against Israel
Just because a person is Jewish, it doesn’t mean that they must agree with all the policies of the Jewish State’s government. In fact there is an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect that doesn’t believe in the existence of the State of Israel. Not only does “Neturei Karta” not believe in the state’s existence, they actively lobby to have it dismantled in what they call a “peaceful manner”. These orthodox Jews have even met up with Israel’s enemies, like former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Jews Against Israel
Robert Kennedy’s Assassination
Almost five years after his older brother, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Robert Kennedy lost his life at the hands of an assassin. The assassination took place on June 5th, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. A 24-year-old Palestinian by the name of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan shot and killed Kennedy while a number of other bystanders got injured in the attack. After being overpowered, Sirhan claimed that the attack was retaliation for Kennedy’s support of Israel during the Six Day War the previous year.
Robert Kennedy’s Assassination
Money For The Blind
How does a blind person know what kind of bills they’re holding in their hands? Well in Israel, and a few other countries around the world, bank notes are actually equipped with braille markings. These markings make it easy for blind people to know exactly what kind of cash is in their hands.
Money For The Blind
Borat In Israel
First things first, Borat is not everyone’s cup of tea, just as its creator, Sacha Baron Cohen isn’t either. But the British comedian’s bizarre mockumentary called “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” made waves in Israel. The reason it was welcomed so well in Israel is because the “Kazakh” language Borat spoke was actually Hebrew.
Borat In Israel
Pakistani Passports
Many Arab countries don’t recognize Israel as a state, and one of those nations is Pakistan. Printed inside Pakistani passports is the sentence, “This passport is valid for all countries in the world, except Israel.” Israeli’s are banned from flying to most Arab countries.
Pakistani Passports
High Life Expectancy
Living for longer these days is becoming more common. Arabs living in Israel have the highest life expectancy out of all countries in the Arab-Muslim world. Their life expectancy is 82 years.
High Life Expectancy
College Degrees
Most Israelis draft into the army or do national service for two or three years straight after high school. Following their respective services to their country, many will attend university and obtain college degrees. In fact Israel has the highest number of college degrees per capita in the world.
College Degrees
Official Languages
Hebrew and Arabic are the only official languages in Israel, but many signs read in English too. Many Israelis can speak English as it is a requirement at school.
Official Languages
The Uzi
The Uzi is by far one of the coolest guns ever to hit the action scene. But where did it come from? And where one Earth is that bi-syllable name from? The answer is Israel, and its inventor was Major Uzi Gaf. This epic submachine gun officially entered service in the Israeli military in 1954.
The Uzi
Museum Mania
Israel must have a thing for museums, because per capita it has the most of them in the world. Some of those museums include, Yad Le-Shiryon – a tank museum with a massive collection of tanks; Yad Vashem – the world’s largest Holocaust museum; Shrine of the Book museum in Jerusalem where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept.
Museum Mania
A Low Point
Have you ever heard of the Dead Sea? It is the lowest place on Earth and it is also the saltiest sea on Earth. This remarkable sea lies at 1,315 feet below sea level, and if you were interested in a swim, maybe consider a ‘float’. It is impossible to dive into this sea because you’ll simply float.
A Low Point
A Spot In The Middle East
Israel doesn’t have the friendliest neighbors. Lebanon to the north has Hezbollah which is bent on destroying Israel. To the northeast is Syria which still doesn’t recognize Israel as a sovereign state. There’s Jordan in the east that has a peace treaty with Israel, like Egypt – in the south – does. Gaza in the southeast, run by Hamas, is also dedicated to the destruction of the Zionist State.
A Spot In The Middle East
Peace Treaties
Contrary to what anyone believed possible, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 under the watchful eye of U.S. President Jimmy Carter. They became the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel. They were followed by Jordan in 1994 with the help of President Bill Clinton.
Peace Treaties
Kosher Glue
The strictness of eating only kosher has been extended even further than the food that religious Jews eat. Even the glue on the stamps in Israel have the unexpected twist of having kosher ingredients.
Kosher Glue
Kosher McDonald’s
Whether you’re a fan or not of McDonald’s, Jews from all over the world who keep to the laws of only eating kosher, there is only one country where they can enjoy a Big Mac. Israel has more than 50 kosher McDonald’s chains around the country, but none of these will serve you a cheeseburger.
Kosher McDonald’s
Bus Stop Charity
What’s a productive way to use your time while waiting for a bus in Israel? One option is giving charity as you can find charity boxes at many bus stops around the country. The proceeds mostly go to organizations that aid needy families.
Bus Stop Charity
Leave A Message After The Beep
Where did voicemail technology come from? Seeing as this is an article about Israel, you can guess where. What would we do without the pleasure of missing a call we don’t feel like taking?
Leave A Message After The Beep
Sushi Lovers
Tel Aviv is the party capital of the Middle East, but perhaps it should also get the title of the sushi capital of the Middle East too. The city has more than 100 sushi restaurants to pick from. Whew!
Sushi Lovers
Entrepreneurship
With fresh new ideas coming out of the Jewish State virtually on a daily basis, Israel is a leader in entrepreneurship. It has the world’s highest rate of entrepreneurship of women and citizens over the age of 55.
Entrepreneurship
Transgender Pop Star
In 1998, Israel took first place at the Eurovision Song Contest. Israel’s representative was Dana International, the first transgender singer to win the competition.
Transgender Pop Star
Good And Bad
Israelis like the best of both worlds. On the one hand they understand that eating vegetables is paramount in healthy living, but they also can’t resist a good sweet snack. Thus they are the third highest consumer globally of veggies and sweets.
Good And Bad
Golda Meir
In 1969, Golda Meir became Israel’s fourth prime minister. She became Israel’s first female prime minister, as well as the modern world’s third female head-of-state.
Golda Meir
Bauhaus Movement
Tel Aviv also goes by the name of “White City”, and this is because of all the Bauhaus buildings there. Israel actually has the most Bauhaus buildings in the entire world.
Bauhaus Movement
Getting Started
Starting your own business takes more than just hard work. Israel takes first place for the most startup companies per capita, but it’s frightening to know that more than 75% of all startups actually fail.
Getting Started
Antivirus Software
Where would we be without anti-virus technology for our computers? We owe thanks to the Israelis for inventing the software that protects our computers from viruses and attacks. The technology hit the world stage in 1979 and it has only improved since then.
Antivirus Software
Avid Readers
Who could miss out on great book series like Harry Potter? Apparently the Israeli population doesn’t want to miss out on any foreign language books, so they translate as many of them into Hebrew as possible. This makes Israel the country with the highest amount of books translated into their language in the world.
Avid Readers
Chess Masters
In the southern city of Be’ersheva in Israel, you can find the most chess grandmasters in the world per capita. The city is in the middle of the Negev desert, so maybe that has some contributing factor.
Chess Masters
Mini Subway
Would you call a 4-cart train that runs all of 1.8 kilometers under the ground, a subway? Well in Haifa, Israel they do, and it is one of the smallest subway systems in the world.
Mini Subway
Reviving A Language
At some point the Hebrew language was virtually wiped off the face of the planet. But Hebrew linguists decided to revive the ancient language and bring it back to Israel. Hebrew is officially the only language in the world to have been revived. Today Hebrew is one of the official languages of Israel.
Reviving A Language
Still Burying The Dead
On the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the cemetery there is not just the burial place of ancient historical figures. The cemetery is the oldest in the world that is still in use.
Still Burying The Dead
The Hoopoe
For the Hoopoe, which is Israel’s national bird, there’s a lot to be happy about in Israel. The national bird has a massive variety of trees to peck at.
The Hoopoe
Jellyfish Repellent
When we say that Israelis are leaps ahead in the world of innovation, we aren’t kidding around! Israeli inventors have found a unique way to fight off jellyfish, and they’ve done so with a “jellyfish repellent”!
Jellyfish Repellent
To Space And Beyond
Of all the countries in the world, there are just more than a handful that have satellites currently in space. These countries are Russia, USA, France, Japan, China, UK, India, Iran, North Korea, Ukraine and Israel.
To Space And Beyond
Curing Bad Breath
Halitosis. Or you can say “bad breath” if you prefer. There are very few things that are worse than it, but there are many things that can fight it. Israeli scientists have apparently found a cure for it! Now all we need to know is how to get it.
Curing Bad Breath
Female Lawyers
When it comes to Israeli women and empowering jobs, being a lawyer is a top hit. 44% of lawyers in Israel are in fact women.
Female Lawyers
Libraries On The Go
Have you ever boarded a train or a bus for a long journey only to realize that you haven’t brought anything along for entertainment? In Israel this is hardly a problem. At main bus and train stations commuters can pick up used books and then return them to whichever station they wish to afterwards.
Libraries On The Go
Love Is In The Air
Israel’s Valentine’s day isn’t on February 14th, rather it’s in July. But that doesn’t mean that Israel doesn’t get involved in the holiday. The country flies more than 60 million flowers to Europe so that others can share the love.
Love Is In The Air
It’s Tiny
Israel is one tiny strip of land with a fortune of history and great disputes. It is the 50th smallest country on the planet and makes up only 1% of the Middle East.
It’s Tiny
The Iron Dome
During the 2014 retaliation operation called “Protective Edge”, Israel showed the world its capabilities to defend its people. This was especially apparent when they deployed the Iron Dome anti-ballistic missile system. It is the only country in the world to invent such a system that intercepts and destroys rockets headed for its civilian population.
The Iron Dome
Blood-Free Diamonds
We all love ourselves some beautiful, sparkling diamonds, don’t we? But we need to ask ourselves where they come from and at what cost. Israel was the first country to adopt the “Kimberley process” which deals with diamonds that don’t come from conflict zones.
Blood Free Diamonds
Immigration Numbers
The news has been ablaze with the recent battle for illegal immigrants in Israel. Despite this, Israel is the world’s largest immigrant-absorbing country.
Immigration Numbers
Lending A Hand
This fact is truly incredible! An entire one-third of Israelis are volunteers. Giving back has never been so widespread, and this country knows it well.
Lending A Hand
In Vitro Fertilization
Not everyone can just have a baby. In Israel almost anyone can have one and that’s because in-vitro fertilization is free for its citizens. Israel also has the highest amount of in-vitro procedures in the world per capita.
In Vitro Fertilization
Surviving Cancer Patients
It’s not only the technology front that Israel is leading, it’s the medical front too. Israel claims the highest number of cancer-surviving patients in the world.
Surviving Cancer Patients
Voting Rights
While other countries in the Middle East don’t allow all to vote, Israel sure does. Once any citizen turns 18, regardless of their gender, race or religion, they can vote in the elections.
Voting Rights
Peanut Allergy
Israel’s number one snack is called Bamba and it is a peanut butter covered snack. Parents feed their children this snack from a young age since it’s easy to suck on, even if a baby hasn’t received teeth yet. Because of this, Israelis suffer a significantly lower rate of allergy to peanuts.
Peanut Allergy
Letters In The Wall
This could be the name of a song. When tourists and worshipers come to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, they leave a note addressed to God. Each year the wall receives more than 1 million notes, and staff actually have to collect them so that more space can be afforded to other visitors.
Letters In The Wall
Unexploded Land Mines
Israel has had its fair share of war and conflict, and some bits of those battles are still unresolved. One example is the Golan Heights in the north of the country, where Syria borders Israel. Massive areas have been closed off due to unexploded landmines. Unfortunately for some unlucky and unsuspecting cows, not being able to read has served them misfortune.
Unexploded Land Mines
The @ Sign Is Not ‘At’
Hey, we all know that @ means ‘at’. But when I say ‘we’, I don’t include the Israelis who have their own unique name for that symbol we use to connect our names to our gmails. The Israelis call it “strudel”, like the pastry, yes! My email address is funnywriter[strudel]gmail.com.
The @ Sign Is Not At
Miss World
What is it about Israeli women that makes them so… WOW! There’s something wonderful about mixing the Middle East with the Mediterranean, and Linor Abargil can attest to that. She won the Miss World contest in 1998, but what she’s doing now is way more impressive. As a lawyer, she leads an anti-sexual abuse campaign.
Miss World
Flying Cars
Have you wondered what the future might look like? Flying cars is definitely present in everyone’s imagination. Now say hello to Rafi Yoeli who is an Israeli inventor working on creating flying cars!
Flying Cars
Kosher Animals
When the Jewish holiday of Passover comes around, it’s not just the people who don’t eat bread and unleavened bread, their animals don’t either. In Israel’s zoos the animals have a temporary dietary shift, and the inhabitants eat Passover food.
Kosher Animals
The Soccer World Cup
For Israel, making it to the FIFA World Cup has been more than a walk in the park. The national side qualified once in 1970, but didn’t make it past the groups stage. At the time they competed against Asian countries in order to qualify, but following Mexico 1970, Arab and Muslim countries refused to play against Israel, leading them to play in Europe instead.
The Soccer World Cup
Foreign Humanitarian Aid
Based on the ideology of helping another when in need, Israel always jumps at the opportunity to aid another country in its time of need. Having said that, not every country is willing to receive help from Israel. In 2017 when Iran suffered a massive earthquake, Israel offered to send a team of rescue experts but the Iranians said no.
Foreign Humanitarian Aid
Happy Country
Even though Israel is always on the brink of war, it ranks as the 11th happiest country in the world according to the 2018 World Happiness Index. Other countries like USA, UK, Germany and Belgium.
Happy Country
Benjamin Netanyahu
Current Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the first prime minister to be born in Israel after the establishment of the modern state in 1948. Netanyahu has been elected four times for his current position, and he is the only prime minister to be reelected three times in a row.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Nuclear Weapons
Does Israel have nuclear weapons? The answer is… well, we don’t know. It has been widely believed that it does, but no concrete answer has been revealed. When talking about Israel’s nuclear program, the word “alleged” is always added.
Nuclear Weapons
War Ready
Since its inception, the Jewish State has been under constant attack by enemies on many fronts. Israel is therefore considered one of the most battle-ready countries in the world. Israel ranks in 6th place as the highest spenders on national security.
War Ready
Krav Maga
Israel has created its own effective and even deadly self-defense art called “Krav Maga”. The martial arts was originally created by European Jews while fighting anti-semitism in the 1930’s. The fighting style is a mix of boxing and wrestling and is intended to defend against deadly attackers, even if they’re wielding knives or guns.
Krav Maga
No Sundays
One great downside of working in Israel is that Sunday is just another regular work day. Fridays are usually short days, although some companies don’t operate on Fridays. Can you imagine coming out of Saturday and going straight into Monday? Ugh.
No Sundays
