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Israel
*** Shopping-Tip: Israel
{{Infobox Country
| native_name = ×ž×“×™× ×ª ישר×?ל
''Medīnat Yisra'el''
دولة إسرائيل
''Dawlat IsrÄ?'Ä«l''
| conventional_long_name = State of Israel
| common_name = Israel
| image_flag = Flag of Israel.svg
| image_coat = Israel-coa-medium.png
| national_motto = none
| image_map = LocationIsrael.png
| national_anthem = ''
Hatikvah''
| official_languages =
Hebrew language Hebrew,
Arabic language Arabic
| capital =
Jerusalem[Jerusalem is the official capital, and the location of the presidential residence, government offices and the Knesset, Israel's Parliament. In 1980, the Knesset confirmed Jerusalem's status as the nation's "eternal and indivisible capital", by passing the ''Jerusalem Law Basic Law: Jerusalem — Capital of Israel''. However, the United Nations disapproved of this designation and considers Tel Aviv as Israel's capital [http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/RES/36/120&Lang=E] . The international community argues that Israel's capture of the eastern half of Jerusalem from Jordan during the Six Day War was in violation of international law, and that the final issue of the status of Jerusalem will be determined in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Therefore, nearly all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv [http://cia.gov./cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html]. See the article on Jerusalem for more information.]
| latd=31|latm=47|latNS=N|longd=35|longm=13|longEW=E
| government_type =
Parliamentary democracy
| leader_titles =
PresidentPrime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister Acting Prime Minister
| leader_names =
Moshe Katsav Ariel Sharon[Ariel Sharon is currently incapacitated, following a Jan 4, 2006 stroke.]Ehud Olmert
| largest_city =
Jerusalem
| area = 20,770
| areami² = 8,019
| area_rank = 150th
| area_magnitude = 1 E10
| percent_water = ~2%
| population_estimate = 7,005,400
| population_estimate_year = December 2005
| population_estimate_rank = 97th
| population_census = 6,780,000
| population_census_year = 2003
| population_density = 333
| population_densitymi² = 862.5
| population_density_rank = 19th
| GDP_PPP_year = 2005
| GDP_PPP = $163.45 billion
| GDP_PPP_rank = 52nd
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $22,944
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 32nd
| HDI_year = 2003
| HDI = 0.915
| HDI_rank = 23rd
| HDI_category =
high
| sovereignty_type =
Independence
| established_events =
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel Declaration
| established_dates = From the
United Kingdom14 May 1948 (05
Iyar 5708)
| currency =
Israeli new sheqel New Israeli sheqel (₪)
| currency_code = ILS
| time_zone =
UTC+2
| utc_offset =
| time_zone_DST =
UTC+3
| utc_offset_DST =
| cctld =
.il
| calling_code = 972
|footnotes =
1,2 See
#References and footnotes References and footnotes section}}
The '''State of Israel''' (
Hebrew language Hebrew: {{Audio|He-Medinat Israel.ogg|{{hbrmem}}{{hbrshva}}{{hbrdalet}}{{hbrhiriqm}}{{hbrnun}}{{hbrpatah}}{{hbrtav}} {{hbryod}}{{hbrhiriq}}{{hbrsin.}}{{hbrshva}}{{hbrresh}}{{hbrqamaz}}{{hbralef}}{{hbrzere}}{{hbrlamed}}}}; ''Medinat Yisra'el'';
Arabic language Arabic: دَوْلَةْ Ø¥Ù?سْرَائÙ?يل, ''Dawlat IsrÄ?'Ä«l'') is a country in
Southwest Asia Western Asia on the eastern edge of the
Mediterranean Sea. It is a
Parliamentary system parliamentary democracy and the world's only
Jewish state.
Name and flag
The name "Israel" is rooted in the
Hebrew Bible, the
Tanakh, where
Jacob is renamed Israel after wrestling with a mysterious adversary ("a man", and later "God" according to
Genesis (Old Testament) Genesis 32:24–30; or "the angel", according to
Book of Hosea Hosea 12:4). ''Israel'' means "he who has wrestled with God". The nation fathered by Jacob, were then called "the children of Israel" or the "Israelites". The people are commonly called
Jews after Jacob's son
Judah, the ancient father of the tribe of King
David's dynasty.
The
Flag of Israel Israeli flag is rooted in Jewish tradition. The white background symbolizes purity. The symbols on the flag are two stripes—one on the top and one on the bottom—and the
Star of David emblem adorning the center. The stripes and blue color are inspired by the techeileth dye of the
tallit (Jewish prayer shawl).
History
{{main|History of Israel}}
Historical roots
{{see also|Kingdom of Israel}}
The earliest known mention of the name 'Israel', probably referring to a group of people rather than to a place, is the Egyptian
Merneptah Stele dated to about 1210
Common Era BCE.
[[http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/otarch2.html#merneptah The Stones Speak: The Merneptah Stele]] For over 3,000 years,
Jews have held the
Land of Israel to be their homeland, both as a
Holy Land and as a
Promised land. The Land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious obligations, encompassing Judaism's most important sites — including the remains of the
Solomon's Temple First and
Second Temples, as well as the rites concerning those temples.
[[http://www.jewfaq.org/israel.htm The Land of Israel]] Starting around 1200
Common Era BCE, a series of
History of ancient Israel and Judah Jewish kingdoms and states existed intermittently in the region for over a
millennium.
Under
Babylonian,
Persian Empire Persians,
Hellenistic Greece Greek,
Roman Empire Roman,
Byzantine Empire Byzantine, and (briefly)
Sassanid Empire Sassanian rule, Jewish presence in the province dwindled due to mass expulsions. In particular, the failure of the
Simon bar Kokhba Bar Kochba Revolt against the
Roman Empire resulted in the
Siege of Jerusalem (70) large-scale expulsion of Jews. It was during this time that the Romans gave the name
Syria Palaestina to the geographic area, in an attempt to erase Jewish ties to the land. The
Mishnah and
Jerusalem Talmud, two of Judaism's most important religious texts, were composed in the region during this period. The
Muslims conquered the land from the
Byzantine Empire in 638
Common Era CE. The area was ruled by various Muslim states (interrupted by the rule of the
Crusader states Crusaders) before becoming part of the
Ottoman Empire in
1517.
Zionism and Aliyah
{{Israelis}}
{{main articles|
Zionism and
Aliyah}}
The first wave of modern Jewish immigration to Israel, or ''Aliyah'' (עלייה) started in
1881 as Jews fled persecution, or followed the
Socialist Zionism Zionist ideas of
Moses Hess and others of "redemption of the soil". Jews bought land from Ottoman and individual Arab landholders. After Jews established agricultural settlements, tensions erupted between the Jews and Arabs.
Theodor Herzl (1860–1904), an
Austrian Jew, founded the
Zionist movement. In
1896, he published ''
Der Judenstaat'' (''The Jewish State''), in which he called for the establishment of a national Jewish state. The following year he helped convene the first
World Zionist Congress.
The establishment of Zionism led to the
Aliyah#Second Aliyah (1904-1914) Second Aliyah (1904–1914) with the influx of around 40,000 Jews. In
1917, the British Foreign Secretary
Arthur Balfour Arthur J. Balfour issued the
Balfour Declaration, 1917 Balfour Declaration that "view[ed] with favour the establishment in
Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". In
1920, Palestine became a
League of Nations British Mandate of Palestine mandate administered by Britain.
Jewish immigration resumed in
Aliyah#Third Aliyah (1919-1923) third (1919–1923) and
Aliyah#Fourth Aliyah (1924-1929) fourth (1924–1929) waves after
World War I. Arab
riots in Palestine of 1929 killed 133 Jews, including 67 in
Hebron.
The rise of
Nazism in
1933 led to a
Aliyah#Fifth Aliyah (1929-1939) fifth wave of Aliyah. The Jews in the region increased from 11% of the population in 1922 to 30% by 1940. The subsequent
Holocaust in Europe led to
Aliyah#Aliyah Bet: Illegal immigration (1933-1948) additional immigration from other parts of Europe. By the end of
World War II, the number of Jews in Palestine was approximately 600,000.
In
1939, the British introduced a
White Paper of 1939, which limited Jewish immigration over the course of the war to 75,000 and restricted purchase of land by Jews, perhaps in response to the
Great Arab Uprising (1936-1939). The White Paper was seen as a betrayal by the Jewish community and Zionists, who perceived it as being in conflict with the
Balfour Declaration of 1917. The Arabs were not entirely satisfied either, as they wanted Jewish immigration halted completely. However, the White Paper guided British policy until the end of the term of their Mandate.
{{See also|Jewish refugees|1922 Text: League of Nations Palestine Mandate}}
Jewish Underground Groups
{{main|British Mandate of Palestine}}
As tensions grew between the Jewish and Arab populations, and with apparently no support from the British Mandate authorities, the Jewish community realized it would have to rely on itself for self-defense.
As a result of the 1921 Arab attacks, the
Haganah was formed to protect Jewish settlements. The Haganah was mostly defensive in nature, which among other things caused several members to split off and form the
Irgun (initially known as Hagana Beth) in 1931. The Irgun adhered to a much more active approach, both in retaliation to attacks and initiation of armed actions against the British, while the Haganah often preferred restraint. A further split occurred when
Avraham Stern left the Irgun to form
Lehi, which unlike the Irgun refused any co-operation with the British, even during
World War II, and was much more extreme in its methods.
These groups had an enormous impact on events in the period preceding the
1948 Arab-Israeli War, such as
Aliya Beth-the clandestine immigration from Europe, the forming of the
Israel Defense Forces, and the withdrawal of the British, as well as to a great degree forming the foundation of the
Politics of Israel political parties which exist in Israel today.
Establishment of the State
Image:Declaration of State of Israel 1948.jpg David_Ben Gurion left|thumb|200px|[[David Ben Gurion|Ben Gurion pronounces the
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 Declaration of the State of Israel on
May 14 1948 in
Tel Aviv..html" title="Meaning of Ben Gurion.html" title="Meaning of left|thumb|200px|[[David Ben Gurion|Ben Gurion">left|thumb|200px|[[David Ben Gurion|Ben Gurion pronounces the
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 Declaration of the State of Israel on
May 14 1948 in
Tel Aviv.">Ben Gurion.html" title="Meaning of left|thumb|200px|[[David Ben Gurion|Ben Gurion">left|thumb|200px|[[David Ben Gurion|Ben Gurion pronounces the
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 Declaration of the State of Israel on
May 14 1948 in
Tel Aviv.
{{main|Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel}}
In
1947, following increasing levels of violence by Jewish militant groups together with unsuccessful efforts to reconcile the Jewish and Arab populations, the British government decided to withdraw from the
Palestine Mandate. The
UN General Assembly approved the
1947 UN Partition Plan dividing the territory into two states, with the Jewish area having roughly 55% of the land, and the Arab area roughly 45%.
Jerusalem was planned to be an international region administered by the UN to avoid conflict over its status.
Immediately following the adoption of the Partition Plan by the UN General Assembly (on
November 29,
1947),
David Ben-Gurion tentatively accepted the partition, while the Arab League rejected it. Several Arab attacks on Jewish civilians soon turned into widespread fighting between Arabs and Jews, this civil war being the first "phase" of the 1948 war of Independence.
On
May 14 1948, before the expiry of the British Mandate of Palestine at
midnight of
May 15 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed.
War of Independence and migration
{{main|1948 Arab-Israeli War}}
The surrounding Arab states supported the Palestinian Arabs in rejecting both the Partition Plan and the establishment of Israel, and the armies of five Arab nations (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq) attacked the newly formed State of Israel. Over the next 15 months, Israelis captured and annexed an additional 26% of the Mandate territory west of the
Jordan river. Most of the Arab population fled before or during the war due to encouragement by the surrounding Arab governments. (Estimates of the final refugee count range from 600,000 to 900,000 with the official United Nations count at 711,000.
[[http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/9a798adbf322aff38525617b006d88d7/93037e3b939746de8525610200567883!OpenDocument General Progress Report and Supplementary Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, Covering the Period from 11 December 1949 to 23 October 1950], published by the United Nations Conciliation Commission, October 23, 1950. (U.N. General Assembly Official Records, 5th Session, Supplement No. 18, Document A/1367/Rev. 1) The Committee believed the estimate to be "as accurate as circumstances permit", and attributed the higher number on relief to, among other things, "duplication of ration cards, addition of persons who have been displaced from area other than Israel-held areas and of persons who, although not displaced, are destitute".]) The continuing conflict between Israel and the Arab world resulted in a lasting displacement that persists to this day.
Immigration of Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Arab lands doubled Israel's population within a year of independence. Over the following decade approximately 600,000
Mizrahi Jews, who
Jewish exodus from Arab lands fled or were expelled from surrounding Arab countries and Iran, migrated to Israel (with another 300,000 or so settling in
France and
North America, leaving only a tiny remnant, mostly in
Morocco and
Tunisia). Israel's Jewish population continued to grow at a very high rate for some years, and was fed by further waves of
Aliyah Jewish immigration following the collapse of the
USSR.
{{see also|Jewish refugees|Palestinian refugee|Palestinian exodus}}
Subsequent wars, negotiations and agreements
Image:Stamp Golda Meir.jpg War of Attrition.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|150px|Golda Meir was Premier in the [[War of Attrition and
Yom Kippur War..html" title="Meaning of left|150px|Golda Meir was Premier in the [[War of Attrition">thumb|left|150px|Golda Meir was Premier in the [[War of Attrition and
Yom Kippur War.">left|150px|Golda Meir was Premier in the [[War of Attrition">thumb|left|150px|Golda Meir was Premier in the [[War of Attrition and
Yom Kippur War.
{{Main|Arab-Israeli conflict}}
After 1948, conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors continued, sometimes escalating to full-scale wars. Israel and its neighboring countries fought out the
1956 Suez War,
1967 Six Day War,
1970 War of Attrition, and
1973 Yom Kippur War. The state of war between Egypt and Israel ended with the signing of the
Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty on
March 26 1979. The state of war with
Jordan officially ended with the signing of the
Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace on
October 26 1994. Sporadic negotiations with
Lebanon and
Syria have not as yet resulted in peace treaties. On
May 25 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982.
Image:Campdavid.jpg White House Rose Garden.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|250px|Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords in the [[White House Rose Garden:
Menachem Begin (right),
Jimmy Carter (center),
Anwar Sadat (left).html" title="Meaning of right|250px|Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords in the [[White House Rose Garden">thumb|right|250px|Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords in the [[White House Rose Garden:
Menachem Begin (right),
Jimmy Carter (center),
Anwar Sadat (left)">right|250px|Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords in the [[White House Rose Garden">thumb|right|250px|Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords in the [[White House Rose Garden:
Menachem Begin (right),
Jimmy Carter (center),
Anwar Sadat (left)
Israel is currently also embroiled in an
Israeli-Palestinian conflict ongoing conflict with
Palestinians in the territories controlled since the
Six Day War in
1967, despite the signing of the
Oslo Accords on
September 13 1993, and the ongoing efforts of Israeli, Palestinian and global peacemakers. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on
September 13 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule, as well as avoiding any act of violence and inciting for violence, especially violence aimed at innocent people.
In keeping with the framework established at the
Madrid Conference of 1991 Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On
24 June 2002, US President
George W. Bush reaffirmed "the road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence between September 2000 and February 2005. Major warfare between Israel and Palestinian organizations took place in the
1982 Lebanon War,
1987 First Intifada and the
2000 al-Aqsa Intifada.
An agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced the violence. The election in January 2005 of
Mahmud Abbas as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of
Yasser Arafat, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for March 2006.
[ Information taken from ''The World Factbook'']
{{see also|1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel|1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel|Camp David 2000 Summit between Palestinians and Israel}}
Geography
Image:TelAviv-Beach2.jpg Tel Aviv.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|250px|Beach of [[Tel Aviv at sundown.html" title="Meaning of left|250px|Beach of [[Tel Aviv">thumb|left|250px|Beach of [[Tel Aviv at sundown">left|250px|Beach of [[Tel Aviv">thumb|left|250px|Beach of [[Tel Aviv at sundown
Image:Cia-is-map2.gif thumb|250px|Map of Israel
Image:Israel_topo_en.jpg thumb|250px|Relief map of Israel
{{main|Geography of Israel}}
Israel is bordered by
Lebanon in the north,
Syria,
Jordan and the
West Bank in the east, and
Egypt and the
Gaza Strip in the south-west. It has
coastal coastlines on the
Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean in the west and the
Headlands and bays Gulf of
Eilat (also known as the
Gulf of Aqaba) in the south.
During the
Six-Day War of
1967, Israel captured the West Bank from the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, the
Golan Heights from Syria, Gaza Strip (which was under Egyptian occupation), and
Sinai from
Egypt. It
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan withdrew all
Israeli Security Forces troops and
Israeli settlement settlers from the Gaza Strip on
September 12 2005. The future
Palestine (region)#Current status status of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights remains to be determined.
The total area of the sovereign territory of Israel — excluding all territories captured by Israel in
1967 — is 20,770 km² or 8,019
square mile mi²; (1% water). The total area under Israeli law — including
East Jerusalem and the
Golan Heights — is 22,145 km² or 8,550 mi²; with a little less than one per cent being water. The total area under Israeli control — including the military-controlled and
Palestinian National Authority Palestinian-governed territory of the
West Bank — is 28,023 km² or 10,820 mi² (~1% water).
Metropolitan areas
{{see also|Districts of Israel|List of cities in Israel}}
As of 2004, The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics defines three metropolitan areas:
Gush Dan Tel Aviv (population 2,933,300),
Haifa (population 980,600) and
Beersheba Be'er Sheva (population 511,700).
[[http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton55/st02_15.pdf]] Jerusalem may also be considered a metropolitan area, though its limits are hard to define since it spans communities in Israel proper and the
West Bank, both Israeli and Palestinian, and even the boundaries of Jerusalem city itself are disputed. As of 2005, the official population of Jerusalem city is 706,368.
Politics and law
{{main|Politics of Israel}}
Israel is a democratic
republic with
universal suffrage that operates under the
parliamentary system.
Legislature
Israel's
unicameral legislative branch is a 120-member
parliament known as the
Knesset. Membership in the Knesset is allocated to parties based on their proportion of the vote, via a
proportional representation voting system. Elections to the
Knesset are normally held every four years, but the Knesset can decide to dissolve itself ahead of time by a simple majority, known as a vote of no-confidence.
{{See also|List of political parties in Israel}}
Executive
The
President of Israel is
head of state, serving as a largely ceremonial
figurehead. The President selects the leader of the majority party or ruling coalition in the Knesset as the
Prime Minister of Israel Prime Minister, who serves as
head of government.
[For a short period in the 1990s the Prime Minister was directly elected by the electorate. This change was not viewed a success and was abandoned.]
Constitution and legal system
Image:Knesset in Jerusalem Israel.jpg Knesset.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|The [[Knesset building, Israel's parliament.html" title="Meaning of 200px|The [[Knesset">thumb|200px|The [[Knesset building, Israel's parliament">200px|The [[Knesset">thumb|200px|The [[Knesset building, Israel's parliament
Israel has not completed a written
constitution. Its government is based on the laws of the
Knesset, especially the "
Basic Laws of Israel", which are special laws (currently there are 15 of them), by the Knesset legislature which will become the future official constitution. In mid-2003, the Knesset's Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee began drafting a full written Constitution to be proposed to the Knesset, an effort that is still underway as of early
2006.
[[http://www.cfisrael.org]]
The
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 declaration of the State of Israel has a significance in this matter as well. Israel's legal system is a western legal system best classified as "mixed": influenced by Anglo-American, Continental, and Jewish law principles.
As in Anglo-American law, the Israeli legal system is based on the principle of ''
stare decisis'' (precedent). It is an
adversarial system, not an
Inquisitorial system inquisitorial one, in the sense that the parties (for example, plaintiff and defendant) are the ones that bring the evidence before the court. The court does not conduct any independent investigation on the case.
As in Continental legal systems, the
jury system was not adopted in Israel. Court cases are decided by professional
judges.
As for Civil Law influences, several major Israeli statutes (such as the Contract Law) are based on Civil Law principles. Israeli statute body is not comprised of Codes, but of individual statutes. However, a Civil Code draft has been completed recently, and is planned to become a bill.
Religious tribunals (Jewish, Sharia'a, Druze and Christian) have exclusive jurisdiction on annulment of marriages.
Judiciary
Image:SupremeCourtIsrael ST 06.jpg Supreme Court of Israel thumb|200px|right|Frontal view of [[Supreme Court of Israel|The Supreme Court building.html" title="Meaning of The Supreme Court.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|right|Frontal view of [[Supreme Court of Israel|The Supreme Court">thumb|200px|right|Frontal view of [[Supreme Court of Israel|The Supreme Court building">The Supreme Court.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|right|Frontal view of [[Supreme Court of Israel|The Supreme Court">thumb|200px|right|Frontal view of [[Supreme Court of Israel|The Supreme Court building
Israel's Judiciary branch is made of a three-tier system of courts. At the lowest level are Magistrate Courts, situated in most cities. Above them are District Courts, serving both as
Appeal appellate courts and as courts of first instance, situated in five cities:
Jerusalem,
Tel Aviv,
Haifa,
Beersheba and
Nazareth.
At the top of the judicial pyramid is the
Supreme Court of Israel seated in Jerusalem. The current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is
Aharon Barak. The Supreme Court serves a dual role as the highest court of appeals and as the body for a separate institution known as the High Court of Justice (HCOJ). The HCOJ has the unique responsibility of addressing petitions presented to the Court by individual citizens. The respondents to these petitions are usually governmental agencies (including the Israel Defense Forces). The result of such petitions, which are decided by the HCOJ, may be an instruction by the HCOJ to the relevant Governmental agency to act in a manner prescribed by the HCOJ.
A committee composed of Knesset members, Supreme Court Justices, and Israeli Bar members carries out the election of judges. The Courts Law requires judges to retire at the age of seventy. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with the approval of the Minister of Justice, appoints registrars to all courts.
Military
{{main|Israeli Security Forces}}
Israel's military consists of a unified
Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known in
Hebrew language Hebrew by the acronym ''Tzahal'' (צה"ל). Historically, there have been no separate Israeli military services. The Navy and
Israeli Air Force Air Force are subordinate to the Army. There are other paramilitary agencies that deal with different aspects of Israel's security (such as ''
Israel Border Police Magav'' and ''
Shin Bet'').
The IDF is considered one of the strongest military forces in the
Middle East and ranks among the most battle-trained armed forces in the world, having had to defend the country in five major wars. The IDF's main resource is the training quality of its soldiers and expert institutions, rather than use of overwhelming force. It also relies heavily on high-tech weapons systems, some developed and manufactured in Israel for its specific needs, and others imported (largely from the United States).
Most Israelis (males and females) are
conscription drafted into the military at age 18. Exceptions are
Israeli Arabs, confirmed
pacifists, those who cannot serve due to injury or disability, and women who declare themselves religiously observant. Compulsory service is three years for men, and two years for women.
Circassians and
Bedouin also actively enlist in the IDF. Since
1956,
Druze men have been conscripted in the same way as Jewish men, at the request of the Druze community. Men studying full-time in religious institutions can get a deferment from conscription. Most
Haredi Judaism ''Haredi'' Jews extend these deferments until they are too old to be conscripted, a practice that has fueled much controversy in Israel.
Following compulsory service, Israeli men become part of the IDF reserve forces, and are usually required to serve several weeks every year as reservists until their 40s.
The
International Atomic Energy Agency believes Israel to be a state possessing nuclear weapons. The government has never confirmed nor denied this assertion. Israel has not ratified the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
{{seealso|Israel and weapons of mass destruction}}
Economy
Image:Natbag2000 from-the-air.jpg Ben_Gurion International Airport.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Ben Gurion International Airport is an important hub for
international trade and
tourism.html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|[[Ben Gurion International Airport">thumb|250px|right|[[Ben Gurion International Airport is an important hub for
international trade and
tourism">250px|right|[[Ben Gurion International Airport">thumb|250px|right|[[Ben Gurion International Airport is an important hub for
international trade and
tourism
{{main|Economy of Israel}}
Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of
fossil fuels (
crude oil,
natural gas, and
coal),
grains,
beef, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains and beef. Diamonds, high technology, military equipment, software, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables and flowers) are leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable
current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Israel possesses extensive facilities for
oil refining,
diamond#The diamond industry diamond polishing, and
semiconductor fabrication.
Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the
United States, which is its major source of economic and military aid. A relatively large fraction of Israel's external debt is held by
individual investors, via the
Israel Bonds program. The combination of American loan guarantees and direct sales to individual investors, allow the state to borrow at competitive and sometimes below-market rates.
The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former
USSR topped 750,000 during the period
1989–
1999, bringing the population of Israel from the former
Soviet Union to one million, one-sixth of the total population, and adding scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the economy's future. The influx, coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the
Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early
1990s. But growth began slowing in
1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Those policies brought inflation down to record low levels in
1999.
High technology industries have taken a pre-eminent role in the economy, particularly in the last decade. Israel’s limited natural resources and strong emphasis on education have also played key roles in directing industry towards high technology fields. As a result of the country’s success in developing cutting edge technologies in software, communications and the life sciences, Israel is frequently referred to as a second Silicon Valley. Israel (as of 2004) receives more venture capital investment than any country in Europe, and has the largest VC/GDP rate in the world, seven times that of the United States.
Another leading industry is
Tourism in Israel tourism, which benefits from the plethora of important historical sites for Judaism and Christianity and from Israel’s warm climate and access to water resources. The important diamond industry has been affected by changing industry conditions and shifts of certain industry activities to the Far East.
As Israel has liberalized its economy and reduced taxes and spending, the gap between the rich and poor has grown. As of 2005, 20.5% of Israeli families (and 34% of Israeli children) are living below the poverty line, though around 40% of those are lifted above the poverty line through transfer payments.
Israel's GDP per capita, as of
28 July,
2005, was $20,551.20 per person (42nd in the world). Israel's overall productivity was $54,510.40, and the amount of patents granted was 74/1,000,000 people.
Population
Demographics
Image:Israeli soldiers and Arabs .jpg Israeli_Arabs thumb|200px|right|[[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israeli soldiers and civilians in
Galilee, 1978.html" title="Meaning of Arab Israeli.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|right|[[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israeli">thumb|200px|right|[[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israeli soldiers and civilians in
Galilee, 1978">Arab Israeli.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|right|[[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israeli">thumb|200px|right|[[Israeli Arabs|Arab Israeli soldiers and civilians in
Galilee, 1978
{{main|Demographics of Israel}}
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of
2004, of Israel's 6.9 million people, 76.2% were
Jews, 19.5%
Arabs, and 4.3% "others".
[[http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton56/st02_01.pdf]]
Among Jews, 68% were
Sabra (person) Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second- or third-generation Israelis, and the rest are
oleh olim — 22% from
Europe and the
Americas, and 10% from
Asia and
Africa, including the
Arab world Arab countries.
[[http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton56/st02_24.pdf]]
Israel has two official languages;
Hebrew language Hebrew and
Arabic language Arabic (''See also:''
Languages of Israel). Hebrew is the major and primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority and by some members of the
Mizrahi Jews Mizrahi and
Yemenite Jews Teimani Jewish communities.
English language English is studied in school and is spoken by the majority of the population as a second language. Other languages spoken in Israel include
Russian language Russian,
Yiddish language Yiddish,
Ladino language Ladino,
Romanian language Romanian and
French language French. American and European popular television shows are commonly presented. Newspapers can be found in all languages listed above as well as others, such as
Persian language Farsi.
As of
2004, 224,200 Israeli citizens lived in the
West Bank in numerous
Israeli settlements, (including towns such as
Ma'ale Adummim and
Ariel, West Bank Ariel, and a handful of communities that were present long before the
1948 Arab-Israeli War and were re-established after the
Six-Day War such as
Hebron and
Gush Etzion). Around 180,000 Israelis lived in
East Jerusalem,
[[http://fmep.org/settlement_info/stats_data/jerusalem/east_jerusalem_population_area_2000-2002.html]] which came under Israeli law following its capture from Jordan during the Six-Day War. About 8,500 Israelis lived in settlements built in the
Gaza Strip, prior to their forcible removal by the government in the summer of
2005 as part of
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan.
Culture in Israel
Image:Israel-1948-prestate-stamps-Hebrew-mail.jpg left|thumb|250px|The first stamps, designed before the new state adopted its name, featured ancient Jewish coins and the text "Hebrew mail" in Hebrew and Arabic languages
{{main|Culture of Israel}}
{{sect-stub}}
{{seealso|Archaeology of Israel|Israel Antiquities Authority|Music of Israel|List of Israeli artists|Science and technology in Israel|Hatikva|Kibbutz}}
Religion in Israel
{{main|Religion in Israel}}
Image:Israel 1 027.Young male religious Jews.jpg Haredi.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|Young [[Haredi men in
Jerusalem..html" title="Meaning of 250px|Young [[Haredi">thumb|250px|Young [[Haredi men in
Jerusalem.">250px|Young [[Haredi">thumb|250px|Young [[Haredi men in
Jerusalem.
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2004, 76.2% of Israelis were
Judaism Jews by religion, 16.1% were
Muslims, 2.1%
Christian, 1.6%
Druze and the remaining 3.9% (including
Russians Russian immigrants and some
Jews) were not classified by religion.
[[http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton56/st02_01.pdf]]
Roughly 6% of Israeli Jews define themselves as ''
haredim'' (ultra-orthodox religious); an additional 9% are "religious"; 34% consider themselves "traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish
Halakha); and 51% are "secular" (termed "hiloni"). Among the seculars, 53% believe in God.
Israelis tend not to align themselves with a movement of
Judaism (such as
Reform Judaism or
Conservative Judaism) but instead tend to define their religious affiliation by degree of their religious practice.
Among
Israeli Arabs Arab Israelis, 82.6% were Muslim, 8.8% were
Christian and 8.4% were
Druze.
[[http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton56/st02_01.pdf]]
{{seealso|Holidays and events in Israel|Judaism in Israel}}
References and footnotes
See also
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
*
List of Israelis
*
List of cities in Israel Cities in Israel
*
Communications in Israel
*
Transportation in Israel
*
Israel Defense Forces
*
Foreign relations of Israel
{{col-break}}
*
Israeli-occupied territories
*
Israel and the United Nations
*
Terrorism against Israel
*
List of universities in Israel
*
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
{{col-end}}
Annotated list of Israeli media sources
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''General references to the Israeli media:'''
-
The Printed Media: Israel's Newspapers Summary from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
*
List of Israeli newspapers
'''English-language periodicals:'''
*''
Azure (journal) Azure'' [http://www.azure.co.il/] English edition of the quarterly journal offering essays and criticism on Israeli and Jewish public policy, culture and philosophy
*''
Globes'' [http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/nodeView.asp?fid=942] English-language website of Israel's business and technology daily
*''
Haaretz Ha'Aretz'' [http://www.haaretz.com/] Online English edition of the relatively highbrow Hebrew-language newspaper, Haaretz has a liberal editorial stance similar to that of ''
The Guardian''.
*''
IsraelInsider'' [http://www.israelinsider.com/] - Independent, right wing outlet. Target audience is American Jewry.
*''
Jerusalem Newswire'' [http://www.jnewswire.com/ ] Independent, right-wing Christian-run news outlet
*''
The Jerusalem Post'' [http://www.jpost.com/] Israel's oldest English-language newspaper, considered to have a right-of-center editorial slant
*''
Jerusalem Report'' [http://www.jrep.com/] Left-of-center English
weekly newspaper
*''
YNetNews'' [http://www.ynetnews.com/] English-language website of Israel's largest newspaper ''
Yedioth Ahronoth''
'''Hebrew-language periodicals:'''
*''
Globes'' [http://www.globes.co.il/ ] business daily
*''
Haaretz Ha'Aretz'' [http://www.haaretz.co.il/] Relatively highbrow Israeli newspaper with a liberal editorial stance similar to that of ''
The Guardian''
*''
Hamodia'' Daily newspaper serving Israel's
Haredi community. English editions are also published in the
United States U.S. and the
United Kingdom U.K. and serve local Jewish Orthodox communities in those countries. ''Hamodia'' is not available online.
*''
Hazofe'' [http://www.hazofe.co.il/] daily newspaper with a
religious Zionist movement religious Zionist point of view
*''
Maariv'' [http://www.NRG.co.il/] Second largest Israeli newspaper, centrist.
{{col-2}}
'''Hebrew-language periodicals (continued):'''
*''
Makor Rishon'' [http://www.makorrishon.net/] Conservative or Rightwing
weekly newspaper
*''
Azure (journal) Tchelet'' [http://www.tchelet.org.il/] Hebrew edition of ''Azure'', a quarterly journal covering Israeli public policy
*''
Yated Ne'eman'' Daily newspaper serving the
Haredi community
*''
Yedioth Ahronoth'' [http://www.ynet.co.il/] Israel's largest newspaper, centrist
'''German-language periodicals:'''
* ''
Israel Nachrichten'' [http://www.imh-deutschland.de/service/index.php?rubrik=0010&id=0038] The German-language daily from Tel Aviv for the 100,000 German-speaking Jews in Israel
'''Arabic-language periodicals:'''
*''Al-Ittihad'' Arabic-language daily newspaper
'''Israeli broadcast media:'''
-
Israel Broadcasting Authority, TV News in Hebrew, some English.
-
Radio Israel
-
Arutz Sheva news site representing the settler community, right-wing religious (English)
-
Kol Israel - Voice of Israel Also produced by the IBA. In Hebrew, French, English, Spanish, Ladino, Russian, Persian, Yiddish, etc.
-
IsraCast - Independent, multimedia broadcast and distribution network that focuses on Israeli foreign affairs and defense issues (English)
'''Notable Internet sources:'''
*
DailyAlert [http://www.dailyalert.org/] daily digest of Israeli and world media reports on Israel and the Middle East prepared by the
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs for the
Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations
*
IsraPundit[http://israpundit.com]Pro-Israel news and views from right-wing perspective.
*
Indymedia Israel [http://israel.indymedia.org/], primarily left-wing and anti-zionist, mostly in
Hebrew language Hebrew
'''Relevant non-Israeli media:'''
*
Electronic Intifada [http://electronicintifada.net/], website offering news and commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective
*
Jewish Telegraphic Agency [http://www.jta.org/], New York-based
news agency covering worldwide Jewish news, centrist (English)
{{col-end}}
External links
{{portal}}
{{sisterlinks|Israel}}
* {{wikitravel}}
