When to Go

Israel can be visited at any time of the year, but there are a few factors to consider when planning your trip. Weather-wise, the best time to visit is in the spring (April and May) or autumn (September and October) when temperatures are mild in most areas. November and March are likewise pleasant but do see some rain, especially in the coastal areas and up north.

Winter (mid-November to mid-March) can be surprisingly chilly, with heavy rain along the coast and frost in the highlands. Summertime temperatures in the far south are extreme. In Tel Aviv the humidity will make you sweat standing in the shade. This is a good time to visit Jerusalem or other highland areas that are less affected by coastal humidity. Summer is also the peak season for tourists – hotel prices are at their highest and it can sometimes be difficult to find accommodation.

You might also want to avoid major Jewish holidays, as the country fills up with pilgrims, accommodation prices go up and it’s almost impossible to travel between cities.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem ^] is the capital^[iii] and largest city of Israel^[2] in both population and area,^[3] with 732,100 residents in an area of 125.1 square kilometers (49 sq mi).^[1][4] Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern tip of the Dead Sea, the city has a history that goes back as far as the 4th millennium BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.^[5] Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual center of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE.^[6] The city contains a number of significant ancient Christian sites and is widely considered the third-holiest city in Islam.

The walled area of Jerusalem, which constituted the entire city until the 1860s, is now called the Old City, and was added to the List of World Heritage Sites in danger in 1982.^[8] The Old City has been traditionally divided into four quarters, although the names used today—the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters—were only introduced in the early 19th century.^[9] Despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile),^[10] the Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims.

Modern Jerusalem has grown up around the Old City, with its civic and cultural hub extending westward toward Israel’s urban center in Gush Dan. The Arab population resides in clusters in the North, East and South. Today, Jerusalem remains a bone of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem (captured in the 1967 Six-Day War) has been particularly controversial, as Palestinians view this part of the city as the capital of a potential Palestinian state.^[11][12] The status of a “united Jerusalem” as Israel’s “eternal capital”^[13][14] has not been officially recognized by the international community. Although some countries maintain consulates in Jerusalem, and two maintain embassies in Jerusalem suburbs, all embassies are located outside of the city proper, mostly in Tel Aviv.

Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra’el; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat Isrā’īl), is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.^[5] The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are occupied by Israel since 1967 but partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.2 million,^[3] the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world’s only Jewish state.^[6] It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritans, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups.

The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel, a concept central to Judaism for over three thousand years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a “national home for the Jewish people.”^[7] In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.^[8] The Arab League rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The new country’s victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence until this day.^[9] Since its foundation, Israel’s boundaries and even the State’s very right to exist have been subject to dispute, although Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and efforts are being made to reach a permanent accord with the Palestinians.

Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage.^[10][11] The Prime Minister serves as head of government and the Knesset serves as Israel’s legislative body. In terms of nominal gross domestic product, the nation’s economy is estimated as being the 44th-largest in the world;^[12] Israel ranks highest among Middle Eastern countries on the bases of human development,^[13] freedom of the press,^[14] and economy.^[15][16] Jerusalem is the country’s capital, seat of government, and largest city,^[1] and Israel’s main financial center encompasses Tel Aviv.