Culture & Traditions
Experience Israel's diverse culture, from informal customs to sacred traditions.
Israelis tend to be quite informal. This is expressed in the dress code of the country which is very casual. The exception is when visiting religious sites. In these instances, modest attire is required. More upscale restaurants and nightclubs may require smarter dress. When visiting a home, normal courtesies should be observed. The expression shalom (peace) is often used for hello and goodbye interchangeably.
The Shabbat (Saturday) forbids smoking in certain restaurants and many hotels. This is always very well-marked and indicated, therefore, to ignore this would be considered very rude to Orthodox Jews.
Hebrew is the official language in Israel while Arabic is used officially for the Arab population. English is the most widely spoken foreign language due to the fact that it is a compulsory school subject.
The majority of the people in Israel are Jewish making up approximately 80% of the population. A further 18% of the population is Muslim, while the remaining population belongs to Christian and Druze minorities.
Travel Stories
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