This document summarizes information about Israel, including its flag, demographics, economy, and culture. It discusses Israel's history with Judaism and the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict over land claims. The document also profiles several popular sports in Israel like soccer, basketball, and Matkot, and notes Israel's hosting of the Maccabiah Games. It provides brief biographies of several famous Israeli athletes both past and present.

1. Israel
By Felix Veletanga & Bryan Garcia
Israel

2. Israeli Flag
1. Adopted on October 28th 1948, five months after the establishment of the
State of Israel.
2. Star of David on white background, between two horizontal blue stripes.
3. Star of David represents Judaism.
4. Blue lines represent the Niles and Euphrates Rivers.

3. General Facts
● Area: 20,770 sq km (About the size of New Jersey)
● Population: 8,675,475
● Median Age: 30.4
● Capital: Jerusalem
● Ethnic Groups: Jewish 74.4%, Arab 20.9%, other 4.7%
● Religion: Jewish 74.3%, Muslim 17.8%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other
4.4%
● GDP (purchasing power parity): $317.1 billion
● GDP per capita: $36,400
● Unemployment: 4.2%

4. Jerusalem

5. Judaism

6. Fun Facts
1. Israel is the only country in the world that has more trees today than it had 50 years ago.
2. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country, including the world’s only one
underwater.
3. Voicemail technology was developed in Israel.
4. The IDF is a leader in saving people trapped by natural and man-made disasters. On short
notice, its search and rescue unit has operated in many countries (including Mexico, Kenya,
India, Turkey and the U.S.) following earthquakes, train wrecks, collapsed buildings and
terrorist attacks.
5. Israel is home to the world’s only theater company comprised entirely of deaf and blind actors.

7. Fun Facts (Cont’d)
1. Coffee and cafés are so good in Israel that it’s the only country where Starbucks failed trying to break
into the local market. (shocking right???)
2. On a per capita basis, Israel tops the list of countries when it comes to the annual production of
scientific papers.
3. First launched in Israel in 2011, bus-stop mini-libraries, offering books free of charge, have inspired
similar initiatives in other countries.
4. Two professors at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University created the first cherry tomatoes.
5. Beersheba, in Israel’s Negev desert, has the largest number of chess grandmasters per capita than any
other city in the world.
6. In 2012, Israel became the first country to prohibit the use of underweight models in fashion shows.

8. Arab-Israeli Conflict
Israelis and Arabs claim land in Palestine as theirs by ancestral rights, since the
late 1940s, and generating political struggles between both races also leading to
revolutionary wars.

9. Arab-Israeli Conflict

10. Sport in Israel
Sports are a big part and have a huge impact on the culture of Israel.
Their most popular sport is football(soccer), with basketball coming in very closely
behind it.
Other popular sports include tennis, cycling, and Matkot.
Israel also holds their own version of the Olympics every four years, the
Maccabiah Games.

11. Maccabiah Games
-The Maccabiah Games started in 1932.
-One of only 7 international competitions recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
- Open to Jewish athletes from all over the world.
-Events held include soccer, track and field, basketball, and Karate.
-A permanent Maccabiah Village has since been built for athletes and staff.

12. Soccer in Israel
Soccer is the most popular sport in Israel.
The top league in Israel is the Israeli Premier League, or The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange League.
Two most popular clubs are Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, who have 7 and 5 titles respectively.
Eran Zahavi is the most popular Israeli star, who currently plays for Guangzhou R&F in China. He was
named the MVP of the Chinese Super League in 2017.
In 2017, Israel was accused of violating FIFA rules forbidding teams from playing in another nation
without permission by Palestine. They claimed teams could not be beyond the Green Line, which is an
armistice border between the countries. FIFA quickly shot down that request, stating that there are no
recognized borders there to be enforced.

13. Basketball in Israel
Basketballs popularity has seen a rapid growth in popularity.
A reason for this is due to the success of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club.
They are one of the most popular teams in Israel, and one of the best teams in Israel and across all of
Europe.
They have won 53 Israeli Championships, 4 Israel State Cups, and 6 EuroLeague titles.
Omri Casspi made history in 2009 after being the first Israeli Born player drafted into the NBA, after the
Sacramento Kings selected him.

14. Matkot
Matkot is a very popular leisure sport in Israel. It is considered more of a hobby than a competitive sport.
Very similar to beach tennis, Matkot involves two people with paddles hit a ping-pong sized ball back and
forth. The goal is to hit the ball as many times without letting it hit the ground.
Game originated in the 1920’s.
The game has since developed a following outside of Israel, especially in places where there is a strong
beach presence.

16. Famous Israeli Athletes
1. Omri Casspi- First Israeli Player drafted into the NBA. Played ten seasons in the NBA for multiple
teams.
2. Yossi Benayoun- former Israeli National Team Captain. Israel's most capped player and joint top
goal scorer. Played for top clubs including Liverpool and Chelsea.
3. Eran Zahavi- Soccer player for Guangzhou R&F. 2017 Chinese Super League MVP. Holds both the
Israeli Premier League and Chinese Super League’s single season scoring records.

17. Famous Israeli Athletes Continued
1. Yael Arad- Israeli judoka who is the first Israeli to win an Olympic Medal.
2. Andy Ram- First Israeli tennis player to win a senior Grand Slam event.
3. T.J. Leaf- Current NBA player for the Indiana Pacers.
4. Salamo Arouch- Middleweight champion. Survived Holocaust by fighting over 200 fights to entertain Nazi
officers in Auschwitz