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Modern GeographyEilat

Eilat is located at the southernmost tip of Israel, on the shores of the Red Sea, or rather, an inlet of the Red Sea called the Gulf of Eilat or Gulf of Aqaba. Eilat is mentioned in the Bible, though it was not part of Biblical Israel. The Biblical Eilat is connected to the ancient town of Ezion-Geber, and is mentioned in Numbers 33 as one of the stations the Israelites crossed on their winding journey from Egypt to the Holy Land. It is later mentioned in Deuteronomy 2, also in connection with Ezion-Geber.

Eilat crops up again in II Kings 14, when King David conquers the nation of Edom and gains control of Eilat. King Solomon further developed the area, turning it into a strategic port city (I Kings 9). Eilat remained a busy port city and trading port throughout the reign of the Kings, and continued to be so for centuries, during the reigns of the Romans, Arabs, and Crusaders. Eilat lost its significance when the Ottoman Turks built a new port at the nearby town of Aqaba, in Jordan, and the city withered, known for little more than a small Turkish police station called Um-Rashrash.

As part of the UN Partition Plan, Eilat was designated as part of the envisioned Jewish state. During the 1948 War, the Israeli forces overtook the police station and conquered Eilat without a fight. Eilat became a necessary ingredient for the survival of the new country. The Israelis opened up the Timna Copper Mines, constructed a new port, and laid the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline. However, after the war, Israel's Arab neighbors remained hostile to the young country. They blocked Israel's land routes, forcing Israel to trade solely through sea and air routes; in addition, Egypt barred Israeli ships, or ships coming to Israel, from traveling on the Suez Canal. Thus, Eilat grew even more crucial to Israel's economy, as its sole connection to the outside world. However, in 1956, Egypt closed off the Straits of Tiran to Israel, essentially blockading the Port of Eilat. Israel considered this an act of war, and it was the precipitating cause for Israel's attack on Egypt during the Sinai Campaign in 1956, and again during the war in 1967.

After the war in 1956, Israel succeeded in capturing all of the Sinai Peninsula. Under pressure from the United States administration, though, Israel withdrew its forces, returning the land to Egypt. The UN deployed a peace-keeping force to the area, to ensure Israel's access to shipping rights. The UN force was withdrawn in 1967, and the Egyptian president immediately blockaded the strait again. Again, Israel attacked, and succeeded. And again, they were pressured to give back the land, though this time the Israeli government waited until signing a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, after which Israel withdrew from all land south of Eilat, which now, along with Egypt's Taba, constitutes the friendly Egypt / Israel border .

Following the Egyptian peace treaty in 1979, and the Jordanian peace treaty signed in 1994, Eilat's borders were fully opened. In 2007, over 200 refugees from Sudan who entered Israel illegally were allowed to stay and find work. Eilat contains a large number of foreign workers, who find employment as caregivers or in the many hotels and restaurants that form the basis of Eilat's economy.

Today, Eilat's economy is largely tourism-based. Jeep rides through Timna Park, in the desert, visiting the ancient copper mines, and camel rides are among the "dry-land" activities that draw tourists; many enjoy visiting the local Bedouin population and partaking of a traditional meal while listening to a Bedouin storyteller. Tourists often take a bus ride from Eilat to Petra, Jordan, to visit the ancient archaeological sites there. The water activities are Eilat's main attraction—scuba diving, swimming, or paragliding, in addition to the famous glass-bottom boat ride and the Maritime Museum. Eilat comes alive as the sun sets, attracting customers with its numerous restaurants and bars, and a chance to walk along the beautiful promenade in the relatively cooler nighttime air.

Eilat is a fascinating city, combining the stark beauty and harshness of the desert with sparkling seas and luxury resorts. For years known only as a city that one "passes through," it has become a destination for native Israelis and tourists alike, a vibrant example of the modernization and globalization of Israel.