Religion, politics, passion, history, social injustice and a standing army are not the ideal ingredients for a 'get away from it all' holiday. But these are the things that draw thousands of visitors (and thousands of emigrants) to Israel every year. This is 'where it happened,' a land that grips at the imagination of every Christian, Jew and Muslim in the world, and inflames a fair few of them as well. It's the intangibles of Israel - standing in the footsteps of gods, breathing the air of the Messiah - that bring people here, and it's the very intangibility of them that leaves so many visitors disappointed. Anyone expecting profound moments of epiphany brought on by immersion in the refined air of the holy land is in for a shock. Israel is a bustling, smelly, noisy, modern country, just as capable of squeezing a tacky tourist buck out of the sacred as any US bible-belt town.


If you come to Israel without preconceptions, you are far more likely to leave with happy memories. Sure, Israel's history and religious links are vital parts of its appeal, but they are not the be-all and end-all; Israel is more than a powder-keg or a promised land. Take time to visit the new, cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv, dive the Red Sea at Eilat, explore some of the country's thriving national parks and float for hours in the salty stillness of the Dead Sea. If you want to understand Israel, take the time to look beyond the larger-than-life figures of the past and have a chat to your bus driver or hostel owner.

GDP: US$73 billion
GDP per head: US$12,7536 (US$18,300 in Israel; US$1600 in Gaza and the West Bank)
Annual growth: 5%
Inflation: 4.5%
Major industries: Metal, defence, machinery, technology, diamonds, chemicals
Major trading partners: USA, UK, Belgium/Luxembourg, Germany