Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have major roots in the state of Israel, from the walls of the ancient Temple to the site of the nativity in Bethlehem to the Dome of the Rock (the website of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism actually maintains separate portals to provide travelers with routes specific to their religious interests).
If your interest is more historical, Israel has a phenomenal number of archaeological sites to visit (archaeology is the young country's unofficial national hobby). Ruins of every epoch are open to visit, from Roman amphitheaters to burned-out tanks from Israel's many wars.
Israel is blessed with a remarkably diverse climate in such a small territory (roughly the size of Connecticut, although thinner and taller). Snow falls on ski hills in Hermon in the north, a sub-tropical zone exists on the coast, and the Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on the surface of the earth.
