Including both Israeli citizens and Arab non-citizens, Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel in both population and areawith 732.100 residents in an area of 125.1 square kilometers (49 sq mi). Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern tip of the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown up around the Old City. Its Jewish neighborhoods, circled around its civic and cultural hub, extend westward toward Israel's urban core in Gush Dan (Tel Aviv region). The Arab population stretches from the Old City to the East, towards Ramallah in the North, and towards Bethlehem in the South.

Tel Aviv with a population of 384.400. Tel Aviv is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, covering 51.8 square kilometres (20.0 sq mi). It is the largest and most populous city in Israel's largest metropolitan area known as Gush Dan, home to 3.15 million people as of 2007. The city is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, headed by Ron Huldai.

Haifa s the largest city in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of about 266.300. The city is a seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa covering 63.7 square kilometres (24.6 sq mi). It is located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel.

 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ×”×”×’× ×” לישראל‎ Tsva HaHagana LeYisrael (help·info), "Defense Military of Israel", commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym צה"ל, pronounced Tsahal), is Israel's military forces, comprising the Israeli Army, Air Force and Sea Corps.