The reason is that part of the Great Rift Valley ​ — the fault line between the Mediterranean and the Arabian plates — ​ courses right through Israel, from north to south.
والسبب هو ان جزءا من الاخدود العظيم —‏ الصدع بين اللوح المتوسطي واللوح العربي —‏ يمر تماما عبرها ،‏ من الشمال الى الجنوب .‏