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Random Israel Facts
DID YOU KNOW...
...that Habimah Theater, founded in 1931 in Tel Aviv is Israel's leading theatre for drama? The theatre has an average attendance rate of 90% and has over 30,000 annual subscribers.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that the "Histadrut", Israel's labour union, was founded in 1920 at the Technion Institute? The founding members were profoundly influenced by the Russian-Jewish socialist tradition characteristic of the second aliyah (1904-1914). The Histadrut has maintained a powerful position in Israeli society since its inception.
DID YOU HEAR...
...that Operation Icebreaker has been successfully concluded, and the combined Israeli-Palestinian team of eight intrepid mountaineers reached the South Pole, climbed the as yet unconquered peak, roped together for mutual safety in really bad blizzard conditions, and planted the Israeli and the Palestinian flags atop the mountain? While admitting that they added a fraction to global warming, with sometimes-heated discussion, the combined statement issued by the participants attested to the resounding success of the trip.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that one of the elite units of the IDF is Flotilla 13, a commando unit of the navy? The young sailors of this unit have adopted a home for troubled teens, which opened this week. The 30 boys and girls will go through character building field trips coordinated with the sailors. The program will last for three years and the student body will ultimately reach 150. The NirimYouthVillage is supported by three government ministries, the Joint and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that almost one third of all Israelis are volunteers? Over the years, "one-on-one" programs have been introduced for tutoring in kindergartens, day-care centers and schools. Several thousand men, women and teenagers volunteer with the Civil Guard, which operates under the Israel Police.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that there are hundreds of animals and plants native to Australia living right in Israel's BeitSheanValley?? Gan Garoo Park Australia-Israel is operated by Kibbutz Nir David and is home to kangaroos, kookaburras, emus, wallabies, and other exotic life from Australia.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that Israel's oldest winery was established at Zichron Ya'akov near Caesarea?? The winery was settled with the help from Baron Edmund de Rothschild in 1883. Today the wine cellars are used for the commercial wines of Carmel Mizrachi Winery.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Israel has its own version of the Olympic games every four years in Israel?? The Maccabia Games are open to Jewish athletes from across the globe. At first the Maccabia Games were used to promote immigration to Israel in the 1930's and have now turned into a major sporting event in Israel.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Af-Al-Pi-Chen is the only ship that remains from the illegal Aliyah Bet in the time of the British Mandate? The Aliyah Bet helped Jewish refugees illegally immigrate to Israel after the Holocaust. The Af-Al-Pi-Chen set sail from Italy to then-Palestine in 1947, was boarded by British destroyers and the passengers were sent to a detention camp in Cyprus. The original ship in 1962 was taken apart and then reassembled on the foot of Mount Carmel where it is now part of a museum.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that the State of Israel Bonds Organization was created in 1951 to support the dredging economy of early-state Israel? Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion launched the first campaign at MadisonSquareGarden in May 1951. That first campaign raised $52.6 million in bonds for the State of Israel.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Israel's "Save a Child's Heart" is the largest undertaking in the world providing free critical pediatric heart surgery and follow-up care to children from developing countries? The organization brings children from developing countries to Holon, a suburb of Tel-Aviv, where they are operated on by volunteer nurses and doctors. The organization was founded in 1995 by Dr. Amram Cohen, an American immigrant to Israel, and is supported by volunteers and donations from around the world.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that Israel has no constitution and in its stead, the Knesset passed 11 basic laws that govern the responsibilities of the government, and the role of Israel? Of these 11 Basic Laws, 6 are related to politics and the way the government runs. The others have to do with the status of Jerusalem, the rights of people in Israel (2 Basic Laws), and the army.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that many visitors to the Kotel are so enamored with the wall that it gave rise to mental disorder called the Jerusalem Syndrome? These people with the disorder can be found at all hours of the night at the Kotel. What gave rise to this syndrome were people becoming overwhelmed with the spiritual aura of the Kotel and then they feel that they must take on the role of a biblical figure and undergo spiritual purification.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that one of the most important organizations that helped Israel become a state was the Jewish National Fund? The JNF began in 1901 and since then has bought land, built infrastructure, planted trees, settled immigrants and more. When Israel became a state in 1948, 12.5% of Israel's land was owned by the JNF, and 80% of Israel's population now lives on that land.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that Israel undertook a joint Israel-Palestinian-American project to map sites on the Gaza coast that would be sensitive to an oil spill? This operation was undertaken to determine the national priorities in the case of an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Israel. Israel also undertook a similar project with Jordan off the coast of the Gulf of Eilat.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that in a 1998 survey of international businessman ranked Israel among the most honest states in the world? The poll, ranked out of 10, scored Israel a 7.1 for a 17th place finish out of 85 countries in the survery. Canada finished 5th in the survey and the United States finished with a score of 7.5. The least corrupt country was Denmark and most corrupt was Cameroon.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that the Israel Defense Force recently graduated a group of Israeli-Arabs from the town of Abu-Gosh and formed them into a search-and-rescue unit? A similar idea exists with the Bedouin tribes in the Negev where the soldiers learned first-aid, fire-fighting, and a rescue course. The Abu Gosh "Search-and-Rescue" Unit is operated by the IDF and the Israeli Ministries of Interior and Defense.
...that in 1966, the Mossad, the Israeli foreign intelligence agency, "stole" a Russian-made MIG-21 from the Iraqi Air Force? The plane was the most sophisticated air force plane at the time and the intelligence gathered from it was beneficial to Israel during the Six Day War the following year. Israel paid an Iraqi defector who was angry with the Iraq regime by the name of Munir Redfa $1 million to fly the plane to Israel, and which he did successfully.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that Israel has a volunteer organization called Zaka that is often the first to the scene of a terrorist attack? Zaka volunteers are normally the first ones to arrive to a terrorist attack and administer first aid to the victims. After the wounded have been treated and taken to hospital, the Zaka volunteers begin their task of scraping up the blood, flesh and bone for a proper burial. The organization is entirely made up of volunteers and supported through donations.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that in 1953 the Ministry of Education created the Israel Prize, Israel's most prestigious award? The recipients of the award must have demonstrated excellence or broken new ground in a particular discipline. The prize is awarded the day before Yom Haatzmaut before the Knesset, Prime Minister, President and Supreme Court of Israel. Recipients can be groups or individuals and must be Israeli citizens.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Israeli electoral system is based on the entire country being one constituency and the elected Members of Knesset are proportional to the percentage of votes their party receives? Prior to each election, each political party in Israel submits a list of candidates. The percentage of votes that each party receives is converted to the corresponding percentage of seats in the Knesset. For example, if a party receives 10% of the vote, they will receive 12 seats in the Knesset (10% of 120).
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that only in 2000 Israel received temporary membership in a regional-group in the United Nations? All the members of the UN are part of regional groups which allow them to sit on certain UN committees, such as the Security Council. Israel is geographically part of the Asian group but the Arab countries barred her membership. In 2000 Israel joined the Western Europe and Other Group (WEOG) which is made up of countries that share a western-democratic system. By joining this group, Israel will now be allowed to sit on important UN committees.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that the Menorah that stands outside the Israeli Knesset was a gift donated by the British Parliament in 1956? The sculpture shows different reliefs that are representative of Jewish tradition. The central branch of the sculpture represents the main elements of Judaic faith and also contains central figures to the life of Judaism.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Gush Etzion Bloc, originally four settlements located between Jerusalem and Hebron was one of the most heavily contested areas in the 1948 War of Independence and the year preceding it? The Etzion Bloc, which has now grown to 15 communities and 20,000 residents, was attacked repeatedly by Arab armies in 1947. The settlers were able to defend themselves the first time and Haganah reinforcements were sent. The reinforcements made their way to the Etzion Bloc, but before they arrived they were ambushed by Arab soldiers, killed and mutilated. In May 1948 the Arab armies attacked the Etzion Bloc again, massacring 240 residents, capturing 260 residents, and razing the settlements.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that in 1998, Cuban leader Fidel Castro allowed the secret immigration of 400 Cuban Jews to Israel? The 400 Cuban Jews arrived in Israel in 1998 and spent some time in an immigrant absorption centre in Ashkelon. Castro approved the secret emigration in hopes of receiving good graces of the Clinton administration in the United States.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Israeli grade 12 students scored the highest ranking in a study on mathematics skills? Israeli students earned the highest score, tying France in the top spot. The next highest countries were Sweden and Russia. The United States finished second last out of the eighteen countries that participated.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Battle of Latakia on October 7, 1973 proved that Israel has a formidable navy on par with its Air Force and Armoured Corps? The naval battle was the first of its kind where there was missile combat and electronic warfare deception measures. The Israelis used their own missile, the Gabriel, and their own electronic warfare countermeasures to protect their ships from opposing missiles. During the course of the battle, the Israeli Navy sunk five Syrian ships without losing sustaining any losses of its own.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that Israel sent its own satellite, the Ofeq-1, into space on September 19, 1988? Israel joined the elite group of countries that launched their own satellites into space: the United States, Russia, China, England, Japan, China, India, and France. Israel has since tried to send into orbit four other satellites with the Ofeq-6 being designed by the Israel Space Agency. In addition, the Technion Institute in Haifa has designed its own satellite and sent it into space, being one of the only universities in the world to have its own satellite sent into space.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that the Wingate Institute is Israel's most prestigious sports institution? Its training facilities are used by top soccer clubs in Europe and international athletes for winter training. The institute is located on the Mediterranean coast, south of Netanya. In addition, the Institiute is a world leader in sports medicine including psychological and physical stresses that sports put on the body and mind
DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Pan Crescent and the Pan York were the two largest ships in the history of illegal immigration to Israel? The two ships were purchased in the United States in 1947 and were being planned to sail from Romania to British-Palestine. However, the British exerted large amounts of pressure on the United States and Romania for allowing the Jewish Agency to purchase/sail the boats. The United States threatened the Jewish Agency they would withdraw support for the partition plan if the Jewish Agency let the boat sail. In the end an agreement was reached where the 15,000 imigrants on the boat would be directly transported via the "Pans" to Cyprus where they were interned.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that the Egyptian Minister of Education and Culture, Farouk Hosni, banned Israel's request to participate in the International Book Fair that was to be held in Cairo in 1998? The Egyptian Minister rejected Israel because the failure of Israel to implement the peace process with the Arabs.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Israeli students of Sephardi descent are more likely to not continue their education after high school? Fifty-three percent of Israelis of Eastern European descent have a post-secondary education. Comparatively, only twenty-three percent of Sephardim have post-secondary education.DID YOU KNOW...
...that the Israeli Air Force flew its first fighter mission on May 29, 1948? An Egyptian army column with 500 vehicles was advancing up the coast towards Tel Aviv when the Israel Defence Force used airplanes for the first time. The Israeli Air Force consisted of second-rate planes, but yet four heroic pilots took to the skies and attacked the Egyptian convoy outside of Ashdod. The Egyptians were shocked and scrambled for cover, giving time to the Israeli Army to repulse the invaders.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that Magen David Adom began in Tel-Aviv on June 7, 1930 by a group of seven Israeli doctors who started it as a one-room emergency service? The doctors started the emergency team as a result of Arab riots in 1929 when it was clear that many Israelis could not receive basic medical care. Other MDA groups formed shortly after in Haifa and Jerusalem. Two years after Israel became a state, the Knesset passed a law officially making Magen David Adom as Israel's National Red Cross Society.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Tel-Aviv was ranked as the 10th most expensive city in the world? The 1999 report done by Associated Press found Tel-Aviv number 10 on the list with Tokyo taking the number one spot as the most expensive city in the world. Following Tokyo were: Osaka/Kobe (Japan), Belgrade (Yugoslavia), Hong Kong (China), Seoul (South Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), New York (USA), London (England), Oslo (Norway), and Tel-Aviv.
...that Israel has a prestigious award called the Wolf Prize, named after a former Cuban ambassador to Israel? Dr. Ricardo Wolf was a diplomat, inventor and philanthropist and he was also Cuba's ambassador to Israel from 1961-1973. When Cuba severed ties with Israel in 1973, Dr. Wolf and his wife chose to remain in Israel. The prize is awarded on a rotating basis in the following fields: Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Sculpture, Painting, Music, and Architecture.
WERE YOU AWARE...
...that out of 27 countries surveyed on youth violence, Israel was ranked 8th in terms of victims of violence and 11th in terms of hooliganism? In addition, over 50% of all 6th to 11th graders reported being involved in some kind of violence, while 60% took part in acts of hooliganism toward other students or were victims of hooliganism. Also, 9.5% of primary school students, 8.7% of junior high, and 6% of high school students reported being threatened with a knife, while 5.2% of junior high students and 3.4% of high school students reported being threatened by a gun in another student's possession.
HAVE YOU HEARD...
...that Israel was ranked 28th in the World Health Organization's nalysis of the world's 191 health care systems? France was ranked number one followed by: Italy, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Oman, Austria, and Japan. The United States was ranked 37 on the list.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that Israel's top company in 200 was Teva, the pharmaceutical company? Rounding out the top 10 are two banking companies, Hapoalim (3) and Leumi (4), a telephone company, Bezeq (2), four holding companies, IDB Development (5), Discount Inv. (6), IDB Holdings (8), and Clal Indutries (9), a chemical company, Israel Chemicals (7), and Migdal Insurance (10).