Theculture of Israel is closely associated withJewish culture and rooted in theJewish history of thediaspora andZionist movement. It has also been influenced byArab culture and the history and traditions of theArab Israeli population and otherethnic minorities that live in Israel, among themDruze,Circassians,Armenians andothers.

Tel Aviv andJerusalem are considered the main cultural hubs of Israel. TheNew York Times has described Tel Aviv as the "capital of Mediterranean cool,"Lonely Planet ranked it as a top ten city fornightlife, andNational Geographic named it one of the top tenbeach cities.^[1] Similarly, Jerusalem has earned international acclaim;Time magazine included it in its list of the "World’s Greatest Places," andTravel+Leisure ranked it as the third favorite city in ME and Africa among its readers.^[2]

With over 200museums, Israel has the highest number of museums per capita in the world, withmillions of visitors annually.^[3]Israeli art's development, heavily influenced by 20th century European trends was heavily centered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Major art museums operate in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem,Haifa andHerzliya, as well as in manytowns andKibbutzim. TheIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra plays at venues throughout the country and abroad, and almost every city has its ownorchestra, many of the musicians hailing from the formerSoviet Union.Folk dancing is popular in Israel, and Israelimodern dance companies, among them theBatsheva Dance Company, are highly acclaimed in the dance world.Habima Theatre, which is considered the national theatre of Israel, was established in 1917.Israeli filmmakers^[4] andactors^[5] have won awards at international film festivals in recent years.^[6] Since the 1980s,Israeli literature has been widely translated, and severalIsraeli writers have achieved international recognition.^[7]

There has been minimal cultural exchange between Israel’s Jewish and Arab populations.Jews from Arab-Muslim Middle East communities brought with them elements from the majority cultures in which they lived. The mixing ofAshkenazi,Sephardi, and Middle Eastern traditions have advanced modern Israeli culture, along with traditions brought by Russian, former Soviet republican, Central European and American immigrants. The Hebrew language revival has also developed Israel’s modern culture. Israel’s culture is based on its cultural diversity, shared language, and common religious and historical Jewish tradition.^[8]

With a diverse population ofimmigrants from five continents and more than 100 countries, and significant subcultures like theMizrahim,Arabs,Russian Jews,Ethiopian Jews,Secular Jews and theUltra Orthodox, each with its own cultural networks, Israeli culture is extremely varied. It follows cultural trends, and changes across the globe, as well as expressing a unique spirit of its own. In addition, Israel is a family-oriented society with a strong sense of community.^[9]

Ancient Israel, as a civilization of the ancientNear East, was influenced to some degree by other regional cultures. ThePaleo-Hebrew alphabet was adapted from thePhoenician alphabet and thesquare script is a derivative of theAramaic alphabet.Zoroastrianism ofAncient Iran is believed to had an influence onJewish eschatology.Jewish mythology contains similarities toMesopotamian mythologies, such as theEnūma Eliš ofBabylon, theGenesis creation narrative, theEpic of Gilgamesh, and theGenesis flood narrative.

Judaism, which originated in Ancient Israel, represents the foundation of much ofWestern civilization's traits, thanks to its relation toChristianity.^[11][12] It impacted the West in a multitude of ways, from itsethics, to its practices tomonotheism;^[13] all of its benefits largely impacted the world throughChristianity.^[14] TheHebrew Bible, authored byJews in theLand of Israel from the8th to the 2nd century BCE,^[15] is a cornerstone of Western civilization.^[10] Around 63 BCE,Judea became part of theRoman Empire; around 6 BCE,Jesus was born to a Jewish family in the town ofNazareth, and decades later, wascrucified underPontius Pilate. His followers later believed that he wasresurrected, inspiring them tospread the new Christian religion throughout the world. Christianity took hold in theHellenisticGreco-Roman world, which eventually grew into the entirety of Europe, thanks to Roman expansion. These nations later became the very foundation of today's 'Western world'.^[16]

Christianity, the religion of the West and essential religion of the Western World,^[10]grew from Judaism,^[17][18][19] and began as aSecond Temple Judaic sect in the mid-1st century.^[20][21] TheNew Testament, authored byfirst-century Jews,^[22] is one of the bedrock texts of Western civilization as well.^[23]

Islam was strongly influenced by Judaism in its fundamental religious outlook, structure,jurisprudence and practice.^[24] Islam derives its ideas ofholy text, theQur'an, ultimately from Judaism,^[25] and contains references to more thanfifty people and events also found in the Bible including thecreation narrative,Adam and Eve,Cain and Abel, theGenesis flood narrative,Abraham,Sodom and Gomorrah,Moses andthe Exodus,King David and theJewish prophets. TheNew Testament, authored by Jews in Roman Judea, also influenced Islam. Additionally, the Qur'an mentions figures such as Jesus,Mary andJohn the Baptist. Thedietary and legal codes of Islam, the basic design of themosque, and the communal prayer services of Islam, including their devotional routines, are derived from Judaism.^[25]

With the waves of Jewishaliyah in the 19th and 20th centuries, the existing culture was supplemented by the culture and traditions of the immigrant population.Zionism links theJewish people to theLand of Israel, the homeland of the Jews between around 1200 BCE and 70 CE (end of theSecond Temple era). However, modern Zionism evolved both politically and religiously.^[26] Though Zionist groups were first competing with otherJewish political movements, Zionism became an equivalent to politicalJudaism during and afterThe Holocaust.

The first Israeli prime minister,David Ben-Gurion, led a trend to blend the many immigrants who, in the first years of the state, had arrived from Europe, North Africa, and Asia, into one 'melting pot' that would not differentiate between the older residents of the country, and the new immigrants. The original purpose was to unify the newer immigrants with the veteran Israelis, for the creation of a common Hebrew culture, and to build a new nation in the country.

Two central tools employed for this purpose were theIsrael Defense Forces, and the education system. The Israel Defense Forces, by means of its transformation to a nationalarmy, would constitute a common ground among all civilians of the country, wherever they are. The education system, having been unified under Israeli law, enabled different students from different sectors to study together at the same schools. Gradually, Israeli society became morepluralistic, and the 'melting pot' declined over the years.

Some critics^[who?] of the 'melting pot' consider it to have been a necessity in the first years of the state, in order to build a mutual society, but now claim that there is no longer a need for it. They instead see a need for Israeli society to enable people to express the differences, and the exclusivity, of every stream and sector. Others, mainlyMizrahi Jews who are moreShomer Masoret and theHolocaust survivors, have criticized the early 'melting pot' process. According to them, they were forced to give up or conceal theirJewish Masoret, and their diasporaheritage and culture, which they brought from theirdiaspora countries, and to adopt the new secular "Sabra" culture.

Today, cultural diversity is celebrated; many speak severallanguages, continue to eat the food of their cultural origins, and have mixed outlooks.^[27]

WhileHebrew is the official language of the State of Israel, over 83 languages are spoken in the country.^[28]

As new immigrants arrived, Hebrew language instruction was important.Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who founded theHebrew Language Committee, coined thousands of new words and concepts based on Biblical, Talmudic and other sources, to cope with the needs and demands of life in the 20th century. Learning Hebrew became a national goal, employing the slogan "Yehudi, daber Ivrit" ("Jew—speak Hebrew"). Special schools for Hebrew language learning,ulpanim, were set up all over the country.^[29]

TheHebraizing of family names was common in thepre-state period, and became more widespread in the 1950s. In the early years of the state, a pamphlet was published on how to choose a Hebrew name. The prime minister,David Ben-Gurion, urged anyone who represented the state in a formal capacity to adopt a Hebrew surname.^[30]

In 2012, Israel was named the second mosteducated country in the world, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s Education at a Glance report, released in 2012. The report found that 78% of the money invested in education is frompublic funds, and 45% of the population has a university or collegediploma.^[31]

Ancient Israeliphilosophical ideas and approach can be found in the Bible.^[34]Psalms contains invitations to admire the wisdom ofGod through his works; from this, some scholars suggest, Judaism harbors a Philosophical under-current.^[35] The exegetical work ofPsalm 132 stands betweenphilosophy of language, andlinguistic philosophy.^[33]

Ecclesiastes is often considered to be the only genuine philosophical work in theHebrew Bible; its author seeks to understand theplace of human beings in the world, andlife's meaning.^[36] Ecclesiastes and theBook of Job were favorite works of medieval philosophers, who took them as philosophical discussions not dependent on historical revelation.^[37] Ecclesiastes has had a deep influence on Western literature. It contains several phrases that have resonated in British and American culture, such as "eat, drink and be merry," "nothing new under the sun," "a time to be born and a time to die," and "vanity of vanities; all isvanity."^[32]

In other books such asProverbs orSirach andBook of Wisdom of theJewish apocrypha, there are references and praise to the concept of wisdom, which was to have a primordial significance for Jewish thought.^[37]

Philosophical speculation was not a central part ofRabbinic Judaism, although some have seen theMishnah as a philosophical work.^[38]Rabbi Akiva has also been viewed as a philosophical figure:^[39] his statements include 1.) "How favored is man, for he was created after an image "for in an image,Elohim made man" (Gen. ix. 6); 2.) "Everything is foreseen; but freedom[of will] is given to every man"; 3.) "The world is governed by mercy... but the divine decision is made by the preponderance of the good or bad in one's actions". LikePhilo,^[40] who saw in theHebrew construction of the infinitive with the finite form of the same verb and in certain particles (adverbs, prepositions, etc.) some deep reference to philosophical and ethical doctrines, Akiva perceived in them indications of many important ceremonial laws, legal statutes, and ethical teachings.^[41][42]

Atannaitic tradition mentions that of the four who entered paradise, Akiva was the only one that returned unscathed.^[41][43] This serves at least to show how strong in later ages was the recollection of Akiva's philosophical speculation^[41] Akiva's anthropology is based upon the principle that man was created בצלם, that is, not in the image of God—which would be בצלם אלהים—but after an image, after a primordial type; or, philosophically speaking, after an Idea—whatPhilo calls in agreement with Judean theology, "the first heavenly man" (seeAdam ḳadmon).

Modern Israeli philosophy has been influenced by both secular and religious Jewish thought.

Martin Buber best known for hisphilosophy of dialogue, a form ofexistentialism centered on the distinction between theI–Thou relationship and the I–It relationship.^[44] InI and Thou, Buber introduced his thesis on human existence; Ich‑Du is a relationship that stresses the mutual, holistic existence of two beings. It is a concrete encounter, because these beings meet one another in their authentic existence, without any qualification or objectification of one another. Even imagination and ideas do not play a role in this relation. In an I–Thou encounter, infinity and universality are made actual (rather than being merely concepts).^[45] TheIch-Es ("I‑It") relationship is nearly the opposite ofIch‑Du.^[45] Whereas inIch‑Du the two beings encounter one another, in anIch‑Es relationship the beings do not actually meet. Instead, the "I" confronts and qualifies an idea, or conceptualization, of the being in its presence and treats that being as an object. All such objects are considered merely mental representations, created and sustained by the individual mind.

Yeshayahu Leibowitz was an Orthodox Jew who held controversial views on the subject ofhalakha, or Jewish rabbinical law. He wrote that the sole purpose of religious commandments was to obey God, and not to receive any kind of reward in this world, or the world to come. He maintained that the reasons for religious commandments were beyond man's understanding, as well as irrelevant, and any attempt to attribute emotional significance to the performance of mitzvot was misguided, and akin toidolatry. The essence of Leibowitz's religious outlook is that a person's faith is his commitment to obey God, meaning God's commandments, and this has nothing to do with a person's image of God. This is a possibility, because Leibowitz thought that God cannot be described, that God's understanding is not man's understanding, and thus all the questions asked of God are out of place.^[46] One result of this approach is thatfaith, which is a personal commitment to obey God, cannot be challenged by the usual philosophical problem of evil, or by historical events that seemingly contradict a divine presence. If a person stops believing after an awful event, it shows that he only obeyed God because he thought he understood God's plan, or because he expected to see a reward. But “for Leibowitz, religious belief is not an explanation of life, nature or history, or a promise of a future in this world or another, but a demand.”

Joseph Raz is alegal,moral, andpoliticalphilosopher. Raz's first book,The Concept of a Legal System, was based on hisdoctoral thesis. A later book,The Morality of Freedom, develops a conception ofperfectionist liberalism. Raz has argued for a distinctive understanding of legal commands as exclusionary reasons for action and for the "service conception" of authority, according to which those subject to an authority, "can benefit by its decisions only if they can establish their existence and content in ways which do not depend on raising the very same issues which the authority is there to settle."^[47] This, in turn, supports Raz's argument forlegal positivism, in particular "the sources thesis," "the idea that an adequate test for the existence and content of law must be based only on social facts, and not on moral arguments.".^[47] Raz is acknowledged by his contemporaries as being one of the most important living legal philosophers. He has authored and edited eleven books to date, namelyThe Concept of a Legal System,Practical Reason and Norms,The Authority of Law,The Morality of Freedom,Authority,Ethics in the Public Domain,Engaging Reason,Value, Respect and Attachment,The Practice of Value,Between Authority and Interpretation, andFrom Normativity to Responsibility. In moral theory, Raz defendsvalue pluralism and the idea that various values areincommensurable.

Other notable Israeli philosophers includeAvishai Margalit,Hugo Bergmann,Yehoshua Bar-Hillel,Pinchas Lapide,Israel Eldad andJudea Pearl.

The earliest known inscription in Hebrew is theKhirbet Qeiyafa Inscription (11th — 10th century BCE),^[48] if it can indeed be considered Hebrew at that early a stage. This inscription is by far the most varied, extensive, and historically significant body of literature written in the old Classical Hebrew, and is the canon of theHebrew Bible. The Bible is not a single, monolithic piece of literature, because each of these three sections, in turn, contains books written at different times by different authors,^[49] written from the 8th to the 2nd century BCE. It is the primary source of ancient Israelite mythology, literature, philosophy and poetry. All books of the Bible are not strictly religious in nature; for example,The Song of Songs is a love poem, and, along withThe Book of Esther, does not explicitly mentionGod.^[50]

TheKetuvim sector of the Hebrew Bible is a collection of philosophical and artistic literature believed to have been written under the influence of Ruach ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit). The Book of Job, for instance, addressing the problem oftheodicy – the vindication of the justice of God in the light of humanity's suffering^[51] – it is a rich theological work setting out a variety of perspectives.^[52] It has been widely and often extravagantly praised for its literary qualities, withAlfred, Lord Tennyson calling it "the greatest poem of ancient and modern times".^[53]

Some content reflects historical events in ancient Israel such as theKingdoms of Israel and Judah, thesiege of Jerusalem, theBabylonian captivity and theMaccabean Revolt.

TheDead Sea scrolls are thousands of Jewish, predominantly Hebrewmanuscripts, dated from the last three centuriesBCE and from the first centuryCE.^[54] The texts have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance, because they include the second-oldest known surviving manuscripts of works later included in the Hebrew Bible canon, along withdeuterocanonical and extra-biblical manuscripts, which preserve evidence of the diversity of religious and philosophical thought in late Second Temple Judaism. Archaeologists have long associated the scrolls with the ancientJewish sect called theEssenes, although some recent interpretations have challenged this connection, and argue that priests inJerusalem, orZadokites, or other unknown Jewish groups wrote the scrolls.^[55][56]

Post-Biblical Hebrew writings include early rabbinic works ofMidrash andMishnah. The Mishnah is the first major writtenredaction of the Jewishoral traditions known as the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work ofRabbinic literature,^[57][58] written in religious centers such asYavneh,Lod andBnei Brak, under the Roman occupation of Judea. It contains the oral traditions of thePharisees from theSecond Temple period particularly the period of theTannaim. Most of the Mishnah is written inMishnaic Hebrew, while some parts are inJewish Aramaic.

TheJewish-Christian movement was formed in Judea of the early first-century. The books of the New Testament were all or nearly all written by Jewish Christians—that is, Jewish disciples ofJesus, during the first and early second centuries^[59] Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, is frequently thought of as an exception; scholars are divided as to whether Luke was a Gentile or aHellenistic Jew.^[60] TheGospels were written between 68 and 110 CE,^{[61][62][63][64]}Acts between 95 and 110,^[65]Epistles between 51 and 110 CE andRevelation in c. 95 CE.^[62]

Josephus was a scholar,historian andhagiographer who was born in 37 CE inJerusalem, Judea. He recordedJewish history, with special emphasis on the first century CE and the First Jewish–Roman War, including theSiege of Masada. His most important works wereThe Jewish War (c. 75),Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94)[66] andAgainst Apion.The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation (66–70).Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective for an ostensibly Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into first century Judaism and the background ofEarly Christianity.^[66]

Following theexpulsion from Spain and Portugal many Jews settled in the Ottoman Empire including Palestine, contributing greatly to the culture of the Jewish community, especially in literature,poetry, philosophy and mysticism. The city ofSafed was a center of a widespread spiritual and mystical activity.Joseph Karo, an author and kabbalist, settled in Safed in 1563. In safed he authoredShulchan Aruch, the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism.Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, a kabbalist and poet, settled in 1535 where he composed the Jewish poemLecha Dodi.Isaac Luria (1534-1572), born in Jerusalem, was a foremostrabbi andJewish mystic in the community of Safed. He is considered the father of contemporaryKabbalah,^[67] his teachings being referred to asLurianic Kabbalah. The works of his disciples compiled his oral teachings into writing. Every custom of his was scrutinized, and many were accepted, even against previous practice.^[68]

Around 1550,Moses ben Jacob Cordovero founded a Kabbalah academy in Safed. Among his disciples were many of the luminaries of Safed, including RabbiEliyahu de Vidas, author ofReshit Chochmah ("Beginning of Wisdom"), and RabbiChaim Vital, who later became the official recorder and disseminator of the teachings of RabbiIsaac Luria. Other kabbalists in the Land of Israel at that time wereIsaiah Horowitz,Moshe Chaim Luzzatto,Abraham Azulai,Chaim ibn Attar,Shalom Sharabi,Chaim Yosef David Azulai andAbraham Gershon of Kitov.

The first works of Hebrew literature in Israel were written by immigrant authors rooted in the world and traditions of European Jewry.Yosef Haim Brenner (1881–1921) andShmuel Yosef Agnon (1888–1970), are considered by many to be the fathers of modern Hebrew literature.^[7]Brenner, torn between hope and despair, struggled with the reality of the Zionist enterprise in the Land of Israel. Agnon, Brenner's contemporary, fused his knowledge of Jewish heritage with the influence of 19th and early 20th century European literature. He produced fiction dealing with the disintegration of traditional ways of life, loss of faith, and the subsequent loss of identity. In 1966, Agnon was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.^[7]

Native-born writers who published their work in the 1940s and 1950s, often called the "War of Independence generation," brought asabra mentality and culture to their writing. S. Yizhar, Moshe Shamir, Hanoch Bartov and Benjamin Tammuz vacillated between individualism and commitment to society and state. In the early 1960s,A.B. Yehoshua,Amos Oz, andYaakov Shabtai broke away from ideologies to focus on the world of the individual, experimenting with narrative forms and writing styles such as psychological realism, allegory, and symbolism.

Since the 1980s and early 1990s,Israeli literature has been widely translated, and several Israeli writers have achieved international recognition.^[7]

The early activity inscience in ancient Israel can be found in theHebrew Bible, where some of the books contain descriptions of thephysical world.Biblical cosmology provides sporadic glimpses that may be stitched together to form a Biblical impression of the physical universe. There have been comparisons between the Bible, with passages such as from theGenesis creation narrative, and the astronomy of classical antiquity more generally.^[69] TheOld Testament also contains various cleansing rituals. One suggested ritual, for example, deals with the proper procedure for cleansing aleper (Leviticus 14:1–32). It is a fairly elaborate process, which is to be performed after a leper was already healed ofleprosy (Leviticus 14:3), involving spiritual purity (the concepts oftumah and taharah), extensive physical cleansing, andpersonal hygiene, but also includes sacrificing a bird and lambs, with the addition of using their blood to symbolize that the afflicted has been cleansed. As with other purification ceremonies described in theTorah,cedar wood and thehyssop herb are also burnt during the ritual.

TheTorah proscribesIntercropping (Lev. 19:19, Deut 22:9), a practice often associated with sustainable agriculture and organic farming in modernagricultural science.^[70][71] The Mosaic code has provisions concerning theconservation of natural resources, such as trees (Deuteronomy 20:19–20) and birds (Deuteronomy 22:6–7).

Israel is a developed and highly advanced country and ranks fifth among the most innovative countries in theBloomberg Innovation Index.^[73][74] Israel counts 140 scientists and technicians per 10,000 employees, one of the highest ratios in the world,^[75] and 8,337 full-time equivalent researchers per million inhabitants.^[76] It also has one of the highest per capita rates of filed patents.^[77] Israel's high technology industry has benefited from both the country's highly educated and technologically skilled workforce coupled with the strong presence of foreign high-tech firms and sophisticated research centres.^[78][76]

During the 1970s and 1980s Israel began developing theinfrastructure needed for research and development inspace exploration and related sciences. Israel launched its first satellite,Ofeq-1, from the locally builtShavit launch vehicle on September 19, 1988, and has made important contributions in a number of areas in space research, includinglasercommunication, research intoembryo development andosteoporosis in space,pollution monitoring, and mappinggeology, soil and vegetation insemi-arid environments.^[79] Israel is among the fewcountries capable of launching satellites into orbit and locally designed and manufacturedsatellites have been produced and launched byIsrael Aerospace Industries(IAI), Israel's largest military engineering company, in cooperation with theIsrael Space Agency. TheAMOS-1 geostationary satellite began operations in 1996 as Israel's first commercial communications satellite. It was built primarily for direct-to-home television broadcasting, TV distribution and VSAT services. Further series of AMOS communications satellites (AMOS 2 – 5i) are operated or in development by theSpacecom Satellite Communications company, which provides satellite telecommunications services to countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.^[80] Israel also develops, manufactures, and exports a large number of related aerospace products, including rockets and satellites, display systems, aeronautical computers, instrumentation systems, drones and flight simulators. Israel's second largest defense company isElbit Systems, which makes electro-optical systems for air, sea and ground forces; drones; control and monitoring systems; communications systems and more.^[81]

The growth in agricultural production is based on close cooperation of scientists, farmers and agriculture-related industries and has resulted in the development of advancedagricultural technology, water-conservingirrigation methods,anaerobic digestion,greenhouse technology, desert agriculture and salinity research.^[82] Israeli companies also supply irrigation, water conservation and greenhouse technologies and know-how to other countries.^[83][84][85] The modern technology ofdrip irrigation was invented in Israel bySimcha Blass and his son Yeshayahu. Their first experimental system was established in 1959 when company calledNetafim was established. They developed and patented the first practical surface drip irrigation emitter.^[86] This method was very successful and had spread to Australia, North America and South America by the late 1960s.

Israeli companies excel in computer software and hardware development, particularly computer security technologies, semiconductors and communications. Israeli firms includeCheck Point, a leading firewall firm;Amdocs, which makes business and operations support systems for telecoms;Comverse, a voice-mail company; andMercury Interactive, which measures software performance.^[88] A high concentration ofhigh-tech industries in the coastal plain of Israel has led to the nicknameSilicon Wadi (lit: "Silicon Valley").^[89] More than 3,850start-ups have been established in Israel, making it second only to the US in this sector^[90] and has the largest number ofNASDAQ-listed companies outside North America.^[91] Optics, electro-optics, and lasers are significant fields and Israel producesfiber-optics,electro-optic inspection systems for printed circuit boards,thermal imagingnight-vision systems, and electro-optics-based robotic manufacturing systems.^[92] Research intorobotics first began in the late 1970s, has resulted in the production of robots designed to perform a wide variety ofcomputer aided manufacturing tasks, including diamond polishing, welding, packing, and building. Research is also conducted in the application ofartificial intelligence to robots.^[92]

Israeli scientists contributed many inventions and discoveries in a variety of fields includingJoram Lindenstrauss (Johnson–Lindenstrauss lemma);Abraham Fraenkel (Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory);Shimshon Amitsur(Amitsur–Levitzki theorem);Saharon Shelah (Sauer–Shelah lemma);Elon Lindenstrauss (Ergodic theory);Nathan Rosen (Wormhole);Yuval Ne'eman (prediction ofQuarks);Yakir Aharonov andDavid Bohm (Aharonov–Bohm effect);Jacob Bekenstein (formulation ofBlack holesEntropy);Dan Shechtman (discovery ofquasicrystals);Avram Hershko andAaron Ciechanover (discovery of the role of proteinUbiquitin);Arieh Warshel andMichael Levitt (development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems);Ariel Rubinstein (Rubinstein bargaining model);Moussa B.H. Youdim (Rasagiline);Robert Aumann (Game theory);Michael O. Rabin (Nondeterministic finite automaton);Amir Pnueli (Temporal logic);Judea Pearl (artificial intelligence);Shafi Goldwasser (Interactive proof system);Asher Peres (Quantum information);Adi Shamir (RSA,Differential cryptanalysis,Shamir's Secret Sharing);Yaakov Ziv andAbraham Lempel (Lempel–Ziv–Welch); Notable inventions includeReWalk,Given Imaging,Eshkol-Wachman movement notation,Taliglucerase alfa,USB flash drive,Intel 8088,Projection keyboard,TDMoIP,Mobileye,Waze,Wix.com,Gett,Viber,Uzi,Iron Dome,Arrow missile,Super-iron battery,Epilator.

From the beginning of the 20th century, visual arts in Israel have shown a creative orientation, influenced both by theWest andEast, as well as by the land itself, its development, the character of the cities, and stylistic trends emanating from art centers abroad. Inpainting,sculpture,photography, and otherart forms, the country's variedlandscape is the protagonist: the hill terraces and ridges produce special dynamics of line and shape; the foothills of the Negev, the prevailing grayish-green vegetation, and the clear luminous light result in distinctive color effects; and the sea and sand affect surfaces. On the whole, local landscapes, concerns, and politics lie at the center of Israeli art, and ensure its uniqueness.

The earliest Israeli art movement was theBezalel school of theOttoman and early Mandate period, when artists portrayed both Biblical and Zionist subjects in a style influenced by the EuropeanArt Nouveau movement, symbolism, and traditionalPersian, Jewish, and Syrian artistry.

During the 1920s, the art scene saw a drastic shift with the growing influence of modern European art, chief among them the influence of the FrenchEcole de Paris on theYishuv.Yitzhak Frenkel Frenel was the heralder of this movement and the first to teach in a modern style akin to the manner in France.^[93][94] The first abstract painter in Israel,^[95] he opened theHistadrut Art Studio in Tel Aviv (1926-1929).^[96] Artists that learned under Frenkel such asMoshe Castel,Shimshon Holzman and others would venture to Paris themselves and return, increasing the influence of Paris on the early Israeli art scene.^[93] At the same time, the Israeli art scene shifted fromJerusalem toTel Aviv.^[97] The latter, which became the center of Hebrew literature and theatre, was also the new center of modern art in the country (this expressed itself in the opening of Frenkel'sart studio in Tel Aviv, as well as modern art exhibitions such as theOhel's Modern Artists Exhibition).^[98]

The city ofSafed had a vibrantartists' quarter due to Safed's artistic appeal, drawing painters from all art movements to Safed during the summer up until the late 70s.^[99] Today Israeli artists have ventured intoOptical Art,digital art,AI art and more. Israel also has a vibrantstreet art scene; southern Tel Aviv is a hotspot of street Art culture.^[100]

Jewish various symbols are omnipresent in the culture of Israel. The Jewish diversity of Israel enrich the culture with a variety of traditions, symbols and handicrafts.

Thenational symbols of Israel are influenced byJewish symbols andJewish history to represent the country and its people.

Classical music in Israel has been vibrant since the 1930s, when hundreds of music teachers and students, composers, instrumentalists and singers, as well as thousands of music lovers, streamed into the country, driven by the threat ofNazism in Europe. Israel is also home to several world-class classicalmusic ensembles, such as theIsrael Philharmonic and theNew Israeli Opera. The founding of The Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra (today the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) in 1936 marked the beginning of Israel'sclassical music scene. In the early 1980s, the New Israeli Opera began staging productions, reviving public enthusiasm for operatic works.Russian immigration in the 1990s boosted the classical music arena with new talents, and music lovers.

The modern music scene in Israel spans the spectrum ofmusical genres, and often fuses many musical influences, ranging fromEthiopian, Middle-Easternsoul,rock,jazz,hip-hop,electronic,Arabic,pop and mainstream. Israeli music is versatile, and combines elements of both western and eastern music. It tends to be very eclectic, and contains a wide variety of influences from theDiaspora, as well as more modern cultural importations:Hassidic songs, Asian pop, Arabfolk (especially by Yemenite singers), andIsraeli hip hop orheavy metal. Also popular are various forms of electronic music, includingtrance,Hard trance, andGoa trance. Notable artists from Israel in this field are few, but include thepsychedelic trance duoInfected Mushroom.

Traditional folk dances of Israel include theHorah and dances incorporating theTza’ad Temani.Israeli folk dancing today is choreographed for recreational and performance dance groups.

Modern dance in Israel has won international acclaim. Israeli choreographers, among themOhad Naharin andBarak Marshall, are considered among the most versatile and original international creators working today. Notable Israeli dance companies include theBatsheva Dance Company, theKibbutz Contemporary Dance Company,^[101] the Inbal Pinto &Avshalom Pollak Dance Company and the Kamea Dance Company. People come from all over Israel and many other nations for the annual dance festival inKarmiel, held in July. First held in 1988, the Karmiel Dance Festival is the largest celebration of dance in Israel, featuring three or four days and nights of dancing, with 5,000 or more dancers and a quarter of a million spectators in the capital ofGalilee.^[102][103] Begun as an Israeli folk dance event, the festivities now include performances, workshops, and open dance sessions for a variety of dance forms and nationalities.^[104] Choreographer Yonatan Karmon created the Karmiel Dance Festival to continue the tradition ofGurit Kadman'sDalia Festival of Israeli dance, which ended in the 1960s.^[105][106]

Famous companies and choreographers from all over the world have come to Israel to perform and give master classes. In July 2010,Mikhail Baryshnikov came to perform in Israel.^[107]

During the Roman rule, some theaters were built in Judea, located in places such asCaesarea,Beth Shean andJerusalem. The theater inCaesarea Maritima was built byHerod the Great and had a seating capacity of about 4000 seats in its final stage.^[108] Another theater, in Bet Shean, was built in the end of the 2nd century CE with a capacity of 7000 seats.^[109]

The emergence of Hebrew theatre predated the state by nearly 50 years. The first amateur Hebrew theatre group was active in Ottoman Palestine from 1904 to 1914. The first professional Hebrew theatre,Habimah, was founded in Moscow in 1917, and moved to British Mandatory Palestine in 1931, where it became the country's national theatre.^[110]The Ohel Theater was founded in 1925 as a workers' theatre that explored socialist and biblical themes. The first Hebrew plays revolved around pioneering.

After 1948, two major motifs were the Holocaust and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Moshe Shamir'sHe Walked in the Fields in 1949 was the first produced by asabra writing aboutsabras in idiomatic and contemporary Hebrew. In the 1950s, dramatists portrayed the gap between pre-state dreams and disillusionment. Other plays pitted native Israelis against Holocaust survivors.^[110] Beginning in the 1960s,Hanoch Levin wrote 56 plays and political satires. During the 1970s, Israeli theatre became more critical, contrasting extreme images of Israeli identity, such as the muscleman and the spiritual Jew. In the 1980s,Joshua Sobol explored Israeli-Jewish identity issues. Today, Israeli theatre is extremely diverse in content and style, and half of all plays are local productions.^[110]

Other major theatre companies include theCameri Theatre,Beit Lessin Theater,Gesher Theater (which performs in Hebrew and Russian),Haifa Theatre andBeersheba Theater.

Founded in 1980, TheAcco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre is a four-day performing arts festival held annually in early autumn at the city ofAcre. the festival became a symbol of coexistence between the city's Jewish and Arab inhabitants.

Filmmaking in Israel has undergone major developments since its inception in the 1950s. The first features produced and directed by Israelis, such as "Hill 24 Doesn't Answer" and "They Were Ten", tended, like Israeli literature of the period, to be cast in the heroic mold. Some recent films remain deeply rooted in the Israeli experience, dealing with such subjects asHolocaust survivors and their children (Gila Almagor's "The Summer of Aviya" and its sequel, "Under the Domim Tree") and the travails ofnew immigrants ("Sh'hur", directed by Hannah Azoulai and Shmuel Hasfari, "Late Marriage" directed byDover Koshashvili).

Others deal with issues of modern-day Israeli life, such as theIsraeli-Arab conflict (Eran Riklis's "The Lemon Tree", Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani's "Ajami") and military service (Joseph Cedar's "Beaufort", Samuel Maoz's "Lebanon",Eytan Fox's "Yossi and Jagger"). Some are set in the context of a universalist, alienated, and hedonistic society (Eytan Fox's "A Siren's Song" and "The Bubble", Ayelet Menahemi and Nirit Yaron's "Tel Aviv Stories").

The Israeli film industry continues to gain worldwide recognition through International awards nominations. For three years consecutively, Israeli films (Beaufort (2008),Waltz with Bashir (2009) andAjami (2010)) were nominated for Academy Awards. The Spielberg Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is the world's largest repository of film material on Jewish themes as well as on Jewish and Israeli life.^[111]

The main internationalfilm festivals in Israel are theJerusalem Film Festival andHaifa Film Festival.

With over 200 museums, Israel has the highest number of museums per capita in the world, with millions of visitors annually.^[3]

Jerusalem'sIsrael Museum has a special pavilion showcasing theDead Sea scrolls and a large collection of Jewish religious art, Israeli art, sculptures and Old Masters paintings. Newspapers appear in dozens of languages, and every city and town publishes a local newsletter.

Theold town of cities in Israel are composed of a variety of architectural styles, which is reflected in thesynagogue architecture ofJewish quarters.

After 1850, the Jewish architecture began to open up to European influences, and tried to restore an ancient Biblical architecture. Notably,Mishkenot Sha'ananim was built, with inspiration fromMediterranean architecture. Until the 1920s, most structures are built ineclectic style and later,Modern architecture is further developed, notably in the "White City", known for itsInternational Style.

The rural architecture of communities ofkibbutzim andmoshavim consist of small, white-walled houses with red roofs, and are a symbol of Israel.^[112]

The heterogeneous nature of culture in Israel is also manifested inIsraeli cuisine, a diverse combination of local ingredients and dishes, with diasporic dishes from around the world.^[113] An Israelifusion cuisine has developed, with the adoption and continued adaption of elements of various Jewish styles of cuisine includingMizrahi,Sephardic,Yemenite Jewish andAshkenazi,^[114] and many foods traditionally eaten in the Middle East.^[115][116] Israeli cuisine is also influenced by geography, giving prominence to foods common in the Mediterranean region such as olives, chickpeas, dairy products, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables. The main meal is usually lunch rather than dinner. Jewish holidays influence the cuisine, with many traditional foods served at holiday times.Shabbat dinner, eaten on Friday night, is a significant meal in a large proportion of Israeli homes. While not all Jews in Israel keepkosher, the observance of kashrut influences the menu in homes, public institutions and many restaurants.^[113]

In 2013, an Israeli cookbook,Seafoodpedia, won "Best in World" in its category at theGourmand World Cookbook Award in Paris, andJerusalem: A Cookbook, published by the Israeli-Palestinian team ofYotam Ottolenghi andSami Tamimi, won "Best in the World" for Mediterranean Cuisine.^[117]

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  Israeli breakfast
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  Hummus
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  Falafel stuffed inpita withIsraeli salad
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  Pastries in Jerusalem
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  Hummus,Fava beans andTahini
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  Ptitim
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  Malawach
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  Shakshouka
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  Sabich
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  Sufganiyot
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  Israeli wine brands
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  Challah
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  Israeli beer (Goldstar andMaccabee)
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  Meurav Yerushalmi
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  Israeli eggplant salad
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  Rugelach
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  Hamin
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  Bamba
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  Bissli
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  Breads inMahane Yehuda market

Israel has become an international center of fashion and design.^[118] Tel Aviv has been called the “next hot destination” for fashion.^[119] Israeli designers, such as swimwear companyGottex, show their collections at leading fashion shows, including New York'sBryant Park fashion show.^[120] In 2011, Tel Aviv hosted its firstFashion Week since the 1980s, withItalian designerRoberto Cavalli as a guest of honor.^[121]

Physical fitness received a boost in the 19th century from the physical culture campaign ofMax Nordau. TheMaccabiah Games, an Olympic-style event forJewish athletes, was inaugurated in the 1930s, and has been held in Israel every four years since then.

In 1964, Israel hosted and won theAFC Asian Cup; in 1970, theIsrael national football team managed to qualify to theFIFA World Cup, which is still considered the biggest achievement inIsraeli football. Israel was excluded from the1978 Asian Games due to Arab pressure, and since 1994 all Israeli sporting organizations now compete in Europe.

Football (soccer) andbasketball are the most popular sports in Israel. TheIsraeli Premier League is the country's premier soccer league, andLigat ha'Al is the premier basketball league.Maccabi Haifa,Maccabi Tel Aviv,Hapoel Tel Aviv andBeitar Jerusalem are the largest sports clubs. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, and Hapoel Tel Aviv have competed in theUEFA Champions League, and Hapoel Tel Aviv reached the Quarterfinal in theUEFA Cup.Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. has won theEuropean Championship in basketball six times. Israeli tennis championShahar Pe'er peaked at 11th on the WTA rank list, a national record.Beersheba has become a nationalchess center; as a result of Soviet immigration, it is home to the largest number ofchess grandmasters of any city in the world. The city hosted theWorld Team Chess Championship in 2005. Israeli chess teams won the silver medal at the2008 Chess Olympiad and the bronze medal at the2010 Chess Olympiad.^[122] Israeli GrandmasterBoris Gelfand won theChess World Cup 2009,^[123] and played for the World Champion title in theWorld Chess Championship 2012.^[124]

To date, Israel has won seven Olympic medals since its first win in1992, including a gold medal inwindsurfing at the2004 Summer Olympics. Israel has won over 100 gold medals in theParalympic Games, and is ranked about 15th in theAll-time Paralympic Games medal table. The1968 Summer Paralympics were hosted by Israel.

Youth movements were an important feature of Israel from its earliest days. In the 1950s, these movements were categorized in three groups:Zionist youth groups promoting social ideals and the importance of agricultural and communal settlement; working youth promoting educational goals and occupational advancement; andrecreational groups with a strong emphasis on sports and leisure-time activities.^[125]

Hiking in Israel, namedtiyul, has been an integral part of Israeli culture, representing theSabra ethos. First practiced by Zionist pioneers as a way to bond to theLand of Israel, it had become charged with much cultural significance.^[126] Activities such as hiking during Jewish holidays (particularlyTu Bishvat) orbackpacking on theIsrael National trail, are part of israeli nationhood, culture, and history.^[127]National parks andnature reserves across Israel register some 6.5 million visits a year. Schools and youth groups are taken on annual hiking trips throughout the country, raising children with an affinity for hiking and other outdoor activities. Consequently, many young Israelis take several months to a year off to travel the world, primarily to hike and experience the outdoors in remote, mountainous areas, such asNepal,India,China,Chile, andPeru.

Along the 190 kilometres (120 mi) of theIsraeli Mediterranean coast, two thirds are accessible to bathing activities. Israel has 100 surf bathing beaches, guarded by professionallifeguards.^[128]Matkot is a popular paddle ball game similar tobeach tennis, often referred to as the country's national sport.^[129]

All marriages between Jews in Israel are registered with theChief Rabbinate, and the ceremony follows traditionalJewish practice.^[130]Civil ceremonies are not performed in Israel,^[131] although a growing number of secular couples circumvent this by traveling to nearby locations, such asCyprus.^[132] While some Jews in Israel have adopted Western styles of dress, traditional clothing and jewelry are sometimes brought out for pre-wedding rituals, including the Night of theHenna, which is a customary practice amongMizrahi Jews.^[133]

• Birthright Israel
• Heritage tourism
• Israel Radio International
• Jerusalem March
• Jewish customs of etiquette
• Kol Yisrael
• List of Hebrew language authors
• List of Hebrew language playwrights
• List of Hebrew language poets
• List of Israeli actors
• List of Israeli musical artists
• List of Israeli visual artists
• Media of Israel
• Public holidays in Israel
• Religion in Israel
• Science and technology in Israel
• Start-up Nation

• Israel Arts Directory
• ACUM—Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel
• The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature
• Israel Music sdfgfte
• Israeli Culture Ynetnews
• Jewish and Israeli Culture,Eretz Acheret magazine