Tel Aviv And Haifa

There have been several previous postings about Israel, but all have been about antiquities. Israel is also a modern country, and the best place to see the "modern" Israel is the city of Tel Aviv. 

Jerusalem is the country's largest city, but it is very difficult to discuss Jerusalem without delving into it's three thousand years of history. Tel Aviv is a "new" city, by the standards of this part of the world, and it is there we can see what Israel is today. Tel Aviv is on the Mediterranean coast if Israel about 100 km from both Amman and Acre, both of which we have visited.

Tel Aviv is a new city, but it is actually next to a very old city, that of Jaffa (or Yafo), which is now actually within Tel Aviv. Jaffa has been very much a part of the long history of the area. The following scenes begin at the Clock Tower in Jaffa, which was built during the Ottoman era.

There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow, ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >. After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0550617,34.7563354,3a,75y,50.13h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipM5-LugYXlYRil8tV2CvK21--t6mJTMcDTD4M4h!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM5-LugYXlYRil8tV2CvK21--t6mJTMcDTD4M4h%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya110.414375-ro-0-fo100!7i10240!8i5120

These scenes begin on the beach. Sand is actually the reason that Tel Aviv exists. Buildings were located there because the soil was too sandy to be good for farming.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0799569,34.7675721,3a,75y,259.5h,92.93t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNKZ2mj9ConM7m4PXHb4BQh3cNBaCxgvcl9folG!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNKZ2mj9ConM7m4PXHb4BQh3cNBaCxgvcl9folG%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9338646-ya82.30001-ro-0-fo100!7i6214!8i3106

This is Independence Hall, where the independence of modern Israel was declared in 1948, and the surrounding area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0629564,34.7709439,3a,75y,169.56h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1szj7jxL9iiDDfCm47GgClqQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dzj7jxL9iiDDfCm47GgClqQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D171.12668%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Here is the area around Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, which is a modern business district.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0745392,34.7921295,3a,75y,132.43h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMSMp6IAAdAfo7YFlVKLP4ffyV9gGtR_Je3hwAO!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMSMp6IAAdAfo7YFlVKLP4ffyV9gGtR_Je3hwAO%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya186.16946-ro0-fo100!7i8000!8i4000

I can remember well the news of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, in 1995. The site is now called Rabin Square.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0806749,34.7800399,3a,75y,133.27h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swvgi37Ugtm8u3AvKNz4QcA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dwvgi37Ugtm8u3AvKNz4QcA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D138.00902%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Proceeding inland from the sea in Tel Aviv, we come to this neighborhood.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.0773246,34.8189441,3a,75y,349.5h,93t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMxOUXc4BQ_q5DHWa7iJO0Uhf9HefAgtotYMf7n!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMxOUXc4BQ_q5DHWa7iJO0Uhf9HefAgtotYMf7n%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9999962-ya57.500004-ro-0-fo100!7i7168!8i3584

North of Tel Aviv, and near to Acre, we arrive at the city of Haifa. This is actually built on a slope of Mount Carmel at one of the few natural harbors on Israel's Mediterranean coast. 

Israel is, of course, the land of Judaism. But other religious groups have found a safe home there as well. The following images begin at the top of the Baha'i Gardens, which is the center of the Baha'i religion.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.8113461,34.9852078,3a,75y,314.34h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxvx5aLNj7Rd7ugnDyoi_SQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dxvx5aLNj7Rd7ugnDyoi_SQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D319.30017%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

This is down in the city of Haifa.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.8376912,35.0665216,3a,75y,1.5h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sr4_RmjZ3AGkKUsXJOIKjhQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dr4_RmjZ3AGkKUsXJOIKjhQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D1.5%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656