Things To Do-Israel | middle-east

Israel is a Jewish state, and as such, public Holidays follow the Jewish calendar dates vary from year to year. Different levels of activity stop in Israel depending on the festival or holiday, and different areas will see different levels of activity on these days. In the Jewish tradition, a new day begins at sunset, which means that Jewish holidays begin in the evening hours the day before the official date. In general, Israel is a secular country, so most festivals won't see big changes in the levels of tourist activity.

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year): Government offices and most businesses will be closed. This holiday is two days long, and usually falls in September.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): Government offices and almost all businesses will be closed. A majority of Jews, regardless of religious level observe this holiday, as it is the most important on the Jewish calendar. Travel will be extremely difficult. Yom Kippur usually falls between mid September and mid October.
Succot (Feast of Booths): Government offices and most businesses will be closed for the first day of this seven day holiday. Many neighborhoods will feature temporary huts, where religious people live for seven days. Succot usually falls in Late September or October. Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (The 8th day of Assembly and Rejoicing the Torah), comes immediately after the first seven days of Sukkot and is a separate holiday in its own right. Like the first day of Sukkot, government offices and most businesses will be closed.
Chanukah (Festival of Lights): Work continues as usual during this eight day holiday falling between late Novermber and late December. Be sure to sample the holiday food.
Purim: Businesses operate as usual; however, Purim is one big party. Do not be surprised to see people, even children, drinking, singing, and dancing. Many people wear costumes. In Jerusalem (and walled cities during biblical times), Purim is celebrated a day later (and is called Shushan Purim) Purim falls from late February to late March.
Pesach (Passover): Government offices and most businesses will be closed for the first and last days of this seven day holiday. For the remaining five, government offices and most businesses will work a half day. Most restaurants will serve an alternative menu to comply to dietary restrictions. Passover falls in spring.
Holocaust Rememberance Day: Government offices and businesses will be open, except for entertainment. There will be many memorial services happening around the country. An air raid siren will sound at 10am, when the entire country will stop and stand for a minute of silence, even if they are driving on the highway. Please be aware of this if you are on the road. Holocaust Rememberance Day falls in late spring.
Memorial Day: Government offices and businesses will be open, except for entertainment. There will be memorial services happening around the country, especially near cemeteries. An air raid siren will sound at 20:00 (the night before), and again at 11am, when the entire country will stop and stand for a minute of silence, even if they are driving on the highway. Please be aware of this if you are on the road. Memorial day falls in late spring.
Independence Day: Government office and most businesses will be closed but, because it's a secular holiday, many shops will be open (some with shorter opening hours) and public transport service will be available, but with a lower level of service. Parties will be happening all over the country. Independence day falls in early summer.
Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Government offices and most businesses will be closed. Shavuot falls in late spring.
Tisha B'Av (Fast of the Ninth of Av): Government offices and most businesses will be open, except for entertainment. Tisha B'Av falls in late summer.

Israel has also another non-Jewish religions which celebrated by the entire religions in Israel such as:

Christmas - Christmas is mainly celebrated in the city of Nazareth, there are also Christmas celebrations in another Arab populated areas with Christian community or mixed cities, Christmas also celebrated in Ein Kerem Neighborhood at St.John Church which marks the birthplace of John the Baptist.
Easter - the main celebration of Easter is in Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Other Christian Feasts such as the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Feat of the Annunciation and more
Ramadan Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the most attractive mosque during Ramadan, at Eid al-Fitr Al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre shows the Shahr al-Nabi (a lock of hair from the beard of Mohammed the Prophet) which attract many Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians from the West Bank while visiting Israel at Ramadan.
Eid al-Adha - both Sunni and Druze Muslims are celebrating it.
Ziyarat - an annual pilgrimage events for Muslims in holy places which are not the Kaaba in Mecca. the most holiest site for Ziyarat in Israel for Muslims are Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem for Sunnis and Tomb of Nabi Shu'ayb (Prophet Jethro) in Hattin near Tiberias to Druze, there are many Islamic Shrines in Israel like Sidna Ali Mosque in Herzliya, Nabi Rubin in Palmachim, Nabi Saleh in Ramla, Nabi Ukasha in Jerusalem, Maqam Abu Ibrahim in Daliyat al-Karmel, Nabi Sabalan in Hurfeish and many more.

A large number of major attractions in Israel are located some distance from large towns and cities:

Israel National Trail — a marked leisure trail (hiking or cycling) covering 940 kilometers from north to south.

Jesus Trail, a hiking trail from Nazareth to Capernaum covering 65 kilometers that connects major Christian sites in the Galilee.

Golan Heights Trail - tail across the Golan Heights from Mount Hermon in the north to Kibbutz HaOn in the south.

The Nativity Trail, The path that Joseph and Mary followed to get to from the Galilee to Bethlehem[3]

Rappelling or offroading in the Negev

Visit Israel's Parks and Reserves. Well maintained, brimming with beauty and history, these sites often come with interpretive material and maps in English and other foreign languages.