IL — Israel

Israel is a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean coast, known as the 'Startup Nation' for having one of the world's highest concentrations of tech startups per capita. Jerusalem is the declared capital (though this is internationally disputed, with many embassies in Tel Aviv). The Israeli New Shekel (ILS) uses the ₪ symbol. For developers, the IL country code maps to he-IL for Hebrew and ar-IL for Arabic. The .il domain and +972 calling code serve Israel. Hebrew is a RTL language requiring bidirectional text support, and Israel's tech ecosystem is one of the most advanced globally. Israeli phone numbers come in mobile (05X) and landline formats with specific validation rules. The Israeli ID number (Teudat Zehut) has a 9-digit format with Luhn-style check digit validation. Israel's cybersecurity and AI industries are world-leading. The capital city designation (Jerusalem vs Tel Aviv) varies by source, creating data inconsistencies that applications must handle.