State of Isreal
Capital City: Jerusalem
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy Date of Independence: May 14, 1948 National Holiday: Independence Day- May 14th Chief of State: President Reuben Rivlin Head of Government: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Executive Branch: The Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset, president indirectly elected by the Knesset for a 7-year term (limited to 1 term), following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, selects a Knesset member as prime minister most likely to form a new government Legislative Branch: Unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 14 judges), judges selected by the Judicial Selection Committee, made up of all 3 branches of the government and chaired by the Minister of Justice Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Ambassador to US: Daniel B. Shapiro Embassy in US: Embassy of Israel Location: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 Consulates: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco US Ambassador: Ron Dermer Location of US Embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 6343229 Consulates There: N/A Representative to UN: Danny Danon Flag Description: White with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag; the basic design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times
National Anthem: "Hatikvah" (The Hope) Click Here to Listen National Symbol: Star of David (Magen David), menorah (seven-branched lampstand) International Disputes: West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region Refugees: 32,668 (Eritrea); 6,588 (Sudan) Internationally Displaced Persons: N/A Stateless Persons: 10 Human Trafficking: Most human trafficking in Israel has been eliminated almost entirely today Drug Trafficking and Use: increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center |
Reuben Rivlin- President
Binyamin Netanyahu- Prime Minister
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