An Israeli is any citizen of the modern state of Israel regardless of religious heritage or ethnic identity, including most numerously Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and others.

The term "Israelis" should not be confused with "Israelites", which denotes the ethnic group as known to have inhabited the Kingdom of Israel in Biblical times.

Demographics

main: Languages of Israel

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, as of May 2006, of Israel's 7 million people, 77% were Jews of any background, 18.5% non-Jewish Arabs, and 4.3% "others". Among Jews, 68% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second- or third-generation Israelis, and the rest are olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel) — 22% from Europe and the Americas, and 10% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries. Nearly half of all Israeli Jews are of European descent, while around the same number come from Arab Countries, Iran, and Turkey, also, several hundred thousand are descended from Ethiopia, Indian, and Chinese Jews as well.Fact: date=May 2008

Israel has two official languages; Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the major and primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority and by some members of the Mizrahi Jewish community. English is studied in school and is spoken by the majority of the population as a second language. Other languages spoken in Israel include Russian, Yiddish, Ladino, Amharic, Romanian, Polish and French. American and European popular television shows are commonly presented. Newspapers can be found in all languages listed above as well as others, such as Persian.

In recent decades, considerable numbers of Israelis, estimated broadly from 760,000 to twice that figure, have moved abroad. Reasons for emigration vary, but generally relate to a combination of economic and political concerns.

Culture of Israel

main: Culture of Israel

The largest cities in the country Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem are also the major cultural centers, known for art museums, and many towns and kibbutzim have smaller high-quality museums. Israeli music is very versatile and combines elements of both western and eastern, religious and secular music. It tends to be very eclectic and contains a wide variety of influences from the Diaspora and more modern cultural importation: Hassidic songs, Asian and Arab pop, especially by Yemenite singers, and Israeli hip hop or heavy metal. Folk dancing, which draws upon the cultural heritage of many immigrant groups, is popular. There is also flourishing modern dance.