Akko -- Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism --

Historical Israel has held extraordinary significance for the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths throughout the region's long and complex history. From the era of Moses to the modern State of Israel, the area has come under the control of various conquerors and empires including Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, Christian Crusaders, and the Ottoman Empire. A massive immigration of Jews into the region during the 20th century eventually led to the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount -- Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism --

In addition to being characterized by its deep historical and religious roots, Israel is also a highly modern nation of cosmopolitan cities and remarkable natural sites. Jerusalem, while being a sacred holy city to a number of religious faiths, is also a modern city with numerous universities, shopping centers, and entertainment districts. Tel Aviv, located on the Mediterranean Coast, is Israel's financial capital and houses several museums as well.

Approximately one-fifth of Israel is designated as national parks. The mineral-rich Dead Sea, located on the border between Israel and Jordan, is the lowest point on Earth and is surrounded by historical sites and nature reserves.

Mitzpe Ramon Visitor's Center -- Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism --

More than 80 percent of the population of Israel is Jewish. The other 20 percent is mostly Arab, mainly of the Sunni Muslim faith. Both Hebrew and Arabic are official languages of Israel. The country houses seven major universities, in addition to a number of regional colleges and specialized institutions, both secular and religious.

David's Waterfall -- Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism --

Since 1980, over 300 Fulbright grants have been awarded to U.S. scholars to conduct research and/or lecture in Israel in a large variety of disciplines. The number of combined lecturing/research posts has increased dramatically in recent years. Hebrew University of Jerusalem has hosted the most Fulbright Scholars (almost one-third), while significant numbers have also been based at Tel Aviv University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Haifa University, Bar-Ilan University, the Technion, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities available in Israel. Please also feel free to use the contact information to get in touch with CIES program personnel.

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF)
http://www.fulbright.org.il/index1.html
Extensive information on the Fulbright program in Israel, including available grants, FAQs, and useful links.

U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel
http://www.usembassy-israel.org.il/
Official site of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, with general information about the embassy and consular services, extensive information about Israel's current political situation, and links to various information resources.

Embassy of Israel, Washington D.C.
http://www.israelemb.org/
Embassy information with sections on public affairs, cultural affairs, and current events including speeches by government figures. Also includes an online 'Academic Quarterly' newsletter and links to various government ministries and other web sites of interest.

Embassy World website
http://www.embassyworld.com/maps/Maps_Of_Israel.html
Links to a variety of standard and interactive maps of Israel.

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.israel.org/mfa/home.asp
Extensive information on Israel including foreign relations, culture, religion, famous leaders and personalities, economics, and current events.

Israel Ministry of Tourism
http://www.tourism.gov.il/english/default.asp
Information on tourism and travel in Israel, including maps, photo galleries, tourism statistics, and announcements of events, conferences, and fairs.

Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/israel_and
_the_palestinian_territories/
Traveler's information on Israel and the Palestinian territories, including sections on events, activities, culture, and history.

World Travel Guide
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/data/isr/isr.asp
Concise information on visas, money, health, holidays, transportation, climate, and important contact addresses in Israel. Features a tool that enabling one to create and print a custom 'mini-guide' of chosen information.

U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/3581.htm
Background information on Israel including political conditions, foreign relations, relations with the U.S., history, people, government, economy, and business.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
http://www.huji.ac.il/

Tel Aviv University
http://www.tau.ac.il/

Bar-Ilan University
http://www.biu.ac.il/

Haifa University
http://www.haifa.ac.il/

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
http://www.bgu.ac.il/

Weizmann Institute of Science
http://www.weizmann.ac.il/

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
http://www.technion.ac.il/

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design
http://www.bezalel.ac.il/site/homepage.asp

Jerusalem College of Technology
http://www.jct.ac.il/

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
http://arava.org/

The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance
http://www.jmd.ac.il/

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
http://www.imj.org.il/

The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information
http://www.ipcri.org/index1.html

Ha'aretz
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/ (in English)
http://www.haaretz.co.il/ (in Hebrew)

Yediot Aharonot
http://www.ynet.co.il/
In Hebrew.

The Jerusalem Post - Internet Edition
http://www.jpost.com/
In English. Daily online newspaper.

Israel Daily
http://www.israeldaily.com/
In English. Daily news and current events.

Israel Insider
http://www.israelinsider.com/
In English. Daily news magazine.

Jewishnet - Global Jewish Information Network
http://web.macam98.ac.il/~dovw/jw/l/lis21.html
Descriptions and subscription information to a number of listservs with a variety of topics, including discussion forums, pertaining to Israel.

Israel Online Chat
http://chat.iol.co.il/indexn.asp
In Hebrew. Chat site.