Located in Western Asia along the Mediterranean Sea's southeast shore, Israel shares borders with several countries and states including Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Politically and ethnically, Israel refers to itself as a Democratic and Jewish state. Israel's most populous city is Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is the country's financial center.

Israel's government is a representative democracy controlled by a parliamentary system and a Prime Minister. Among Israel's achievements are its high life expectancy, large economy and exceptional standards of living, considered the best in the Middle East.

Essential Facts about Israel

- Israel's economy is considered the most durable economy among other developed nations and has also been ranked number one in development and research center investments.

- Comprehensive growth in Israel's industrial and agricultural sectors have allowed this country to become mostly self-sufficient in regards to food production.

- Israel leads the world in solar energy development and is also the leader in geothermal energy and water conservation.

- Because Israel routinely experiences water shortages. they have a highly developed water technology industry that makes them one of the world's leading experts in water conservation techniques and water recycling.

Israel's Legal System

Resembling Western-style legal systems in some aspects, Israel's legal system is primarily a hybrid of historical and religious legal tenets developing under British and Ottoman sovereignty. The "Knesset" statutes and the "Basic Laws of Israel" support the basis for Israel's laws that are further substantiated by jurisprudence and political precedent. Recently, Israeli courts have been exhibiting characteristics of Canadian and American law rather than Continental law.

Israel's Court Structure and Legal System

The Supreme Court, district courts and magistrates' courts comprise Israel's general court system, with the Supreme Court existing as the highest court in the country. Israel also has "special" courts that deal with religious, labor and military justice issues. These courts are governed appellate tribunals that may receive limited consideration by the Supreme Court in certain complex cases.

Israel has five judicial districts: Nazareth, Tel-Aviv, Beer-Sheva, Jerusalem and Haifa, with district courts and magistrates ruling over their respective districts. Any actions outside these judicial districts are transferred to the District Court of Jerusalem.

Higher Education in Israel
Israel has eight public universities that are state-subsidized,

with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem ranked among the best universities in the world.The University of Haifa, the Weizmann Institute of Science and Bar-llan University are several of Israel's other major universities that have produced numerous Nobel-winning scientists over the past decade.However, before students who successfully complete their secondary education in Israel begin higher education studies, most are conscripted

into the military, or the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).Some may be able to request a delay to entering the military so that they can enroll in a college or university.Israelis who choose this route enter a program known as atuda,

where the army pays tuition for a student's bachelor's degree.

>

>Israel requires students take an entrance exam comparable to the SAT

or ACT given in the U.S.that is called the Psychometric Entrance Test.This tests consists of questions concerning English

, verbal reasoning

and quantitative reasoning.The test can be taken in Spanish

, Arabic

, French

and Russian as well as the national language of Hebrew.Students are expected to receive good to excellent grades

on the PET before they are accepted by one of Israel's public universities, which pay most of a student's tuition through state-issued subsidies.Alternately, international students should apply for scholarships well in advance of enrolling in an Israeli university to

help offset tuition costs.

Foreign students can earn bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees that are comparable to those offered in the U.S and European Union countries.Many students apply to an Israeli university to learn the Hebrew language, study religion, major in Middle Eastern studies or take part in the country's excellent science and technology degree programs.

Non-Israeli students will need to obtain a student visa prior to officially enrolling in a higher education institute.The documents you

use to get your student visa are the same documents required to apply for a regular visa once you have entered the country. These documents include a passport that has been valid for two or more years;

letter of acceptance from the university at which the student applied;

completed application form;

two passport photographs and proof of enough funds to cover living expenses and tuition while in Israel. Students may live on campus, stay with a host family or take advantage of free youth hostels located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Heritage House is one of these hostels that allows you to stay for free whenever you like, as long as you are gone from the hostel between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm each day, except Shabbat. In addition, Jerusalem's Heritage House provides free internet service to anyone staying at the hostel.

Why Study in Israel?
The nation of Israel is a historically fascinating and culturally diverse country that contains a wealth of famous places to see and explore. While studying in Israel, students will have the chance to see the famous Dead Sea, shop in Tel Aviv's Carmel Marketplace, gaze at the beauty of the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa and investigate many religious sites dating back several thousand years ago.