ISRAEL holy land

kak2s /Shutterstock.com

the

BY JACKI UENG

here is a magical land located in the Middle East that is but a relatively small dot on the map, but has played an enormous role politically and religiously throughout recorded history. It is a place described in the Old Testament as the Holy Land, home to the Israelites. This land is now named Israel, and it’s a vast landscape of desert land, beaches, and snow-capped mountains.

T

Israel is a travel destination for everyone: the foodie, the extreme adventurer, the history buff, the culture lover, the curious intellect, the spiritual seeker, the religious, the party animals, and the political folks. Arrive in Israel, and your perspective on the Middle East will change visually, and introspectively. Visually, Israel is among the most advanced in the world with solar-energy, water conservation, geothermal energy, high-rises, two natural gas reserves, 11,244 miles of paved toll roads and industrial development with the 35th largest economy in the world (amazing for its size!). Israelis have very high life expectancy and are rated as the most educated people in the world. Introspectively, exploring this country will challenge your thoughts and views of Israel and the Middle East as a whole. Although only the size of of New Jersey at 8,019 square miles, with an estimated 8.059 million people, there is so much to see that a minimum of a week is recommended. Located in an area where Europe and Asia meet, (although considered by the United Nations as Asia) Israel is mainly a desert, but the south sits on the Red Sea where the locals vacation. Israel borders Jordan on the east, Lebanon on the north, Syria on the northeast and Egypt to the southwest. If you want to cool down, it takes less than 5 hours to travel cross country on the advanced highways to the coastal towns of Tel Aviv or Eilat. Another option for a cool breeze is to head north to Haifa for cultural nourishment through the Baha’i gardens and a lesson on the history of the Baha’i faith.