Basic Facts

Capital: Jerusalem

Other major cities: Tel-Aviv, Bethlehem

Population: 7,473,052 (July 2010 est.)

Major Languages:

Hebrew (official),

Arabic (used officially for Arab minority)

English (most commonly used foreign

language)

Brief History

1948

UN creates Jewish and Arab state after

Britain leaves Palestine

○ Palestinian War

○ Arabs dislike this idea

1948

Six Day War June 1967

Israel attacks Egypt, Jordan and Syria

simultaneously

Six days of fighting, Israel had radically

altered the political map of the region

By June 13, Israeli forces had captured

Golan Heights from Syria

Sinai and the Gaza Strip from Egypt

All of Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan

Doubled the size of pre1967 Israel,

○ placing under Israel's control more than 1 million

Palestinian Arabs.

1993 – Israel and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) allow for a period of transitional Palestinian self-rule on the West Bank and Gaza Strip

2005 – Israel evacuates troops and soldiers from Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank

However, Israel controls roads and seas entering these areas

Palestine

Islamic

Important leaders Yasser Arafat (died 2004)

Current Leader: Mahmud Abbas

HAMAS – Islamic Resistance Movement, political group took control of Palestine ’06 and violence has continued to impose sanctions against Palestine – does not recognize Israel as a country (terrorist)

FATAH – Party of President Abbas – in charge of West Bank – does not get along with Hamas

Palestine

Ethnicities: Palestinian Arab and other 83%

Jewish 17%

Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many

Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%,

Christian and other 8%

Population: 2,568,555 (July 2010 est.)

Exports: stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Current Issues

Israel continues to build in West Bank

and East Jerusalem (both belonging at

least in part to Palestine)

Palestine has asked to become part of

the United Nations – not accepted as of

yet

Israeli:

Basic Structure of Government

Parliamentary Democracy

6 districts

No formal constitution

– simply a Declaration of Establishment – work in progress

18 yr universal sufferage

Israeli: Basic Structure of Government

Continued

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

○ Knesset (4 yr terms)

○ 120 members – proportioned by popular vote

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

○ Appointed by Judicial Selection Committee

○ Must retire at age 70

Civil and Religious Courts

○ Jewish, Muslim, and Christian for various

cases

Israeli: Basic Structure of Government

continued

Executive Branch

Head of State – President

○ Shimon Peres

○ 7 yr term elected by leg.

Head of Government – Prime Minister

○ Binyamin Netanyahu

Cabinet – appointed by P.M./approved by

leg.

Israeli Ethnic Groups

Jewish 76.4%

(of which:

○ Israel-born 67.1%

○ Europe/America-born 22.6%

○ Africa-born 5.9%

○ Asia-born 4.2%)

non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab)

2004

Israeli Major Religions

Jewish 75.6%

Muslim 16.9%

Christian 2%

Druze 1.7%

other 3.8%

(2008 census)

Israeli Resources and Exports

Fairly limited resources: timber, potash,

copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock,

magnesium bromide, clays, and sand

Exports: Cut diamonds, high-technology

equipment, and agricultural products

(fruits and vegetables)

Israel’s Relationship with the US

half of the Israeli government's external

debt is owed to the US

US is the country’s major source of

economic and military aid

Largest country they export to is the US

– 31%

Largest country they import from – US –

12%

Interesting Facts

Both men and women are obligated to

Military Service

18th in the world in military spending

(based on % of GDP)

Israel occupies 75% of the land known

as Canaan

Bibliography

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-

bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+il00

34)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the

-world-factbook/

Feinstein, Steve. Israel: In Pictures. Visual

Geography Series. 1988: Lerner

Publications Company.