Israel

Israel is a country of the the Middle East located on the Eastern coast of the the Mediterranean. Since its creation in 1948, it is defined as the State Jewish Peuple, heir to the biblical Israel . It is the only country where the Hebrew is official language; its political regime is of parliamentary type Démocratie. The State of Israel knew, since its creation in 1948, of successive armed conflicts with the close Arab countries.

Name

The name of Israel appears for the first time on the Stèle of Mérenptah towards 1200 before J. - C. This name is carried by the ancient Royaume of Israel.

The biblical tradition brings back the origin of this name in the book of the Genèse (verse 32:28), when the third of the Hebrew patriarchs, Jacob, is famous Israel (that which has tournament against God) after having fought with an angel of God. Jacob being regarded as the father of the twelve tribes which left Egypt, the biblical nation made up is known under the name of the “ children of Israel ” or “ Israélites ”.

As decided in the declaration of independence, the modern State created in 1948 took for name Israel , rejecting possible the other names of Sion or Judaea , and its citizens are Israeli .

History

See also: History of Israel

The history of this State falls under the continuity of the Histoire of the Jewish people and the Histoire of the Zionism. Its independence is seen by his/her founding fathers like the implementation of the promises of the Déclaration Balfour of 1917. The first years of the country are remembered by the arrival of the survivors of the Shoah and important waves of Jewish immigration coming from many countries of the world, like by the hostilities of the Arab world.

The borders of the country largely evolved/moved since the Plan of division of Palestine of 1947 voted by the the United Nations by 33 votes against 13 and ten abstentions, with the liking of the Israeli-Arab wars, the armistices and the peace treaties.

Certain resolutions of UNO were of an major importance for Israel, inter alia the resolution the 181 which supports in particular the constitution of a Jewish State, then resolutions 242 (1967) of November 22nd, 1967 and 338 of October 22nd, 1973 of the Safety advice, which proposed a framework for the payment of the Israeli-Arab Conflit.

To date, the Egypt, the Jordan, the Mauritania and the Palestinian Autorité recognized the State of Israel, but not the other countries Arab. The Syria, the Iran and of the hostile political groups which do not recognize the existence of Israel, like the Hamas indicate, it by the expressions “Entité Zionist” and refuse officially any contact with Israel.

Policy

See also: Political of Israel

Israel is a parliamentary République multi-party and a liberal Démocratie which adopted the Vote for all.

The single room of sound Parlement is the Knesset whose 120 members sit at Jerusalem and who is renewed every 4 years.

The Head of State is the President d' Israël which has primarily only one honorary function. He indicates the Prime Minister in the party or the majority coalition in Knesset so that this one composes its government.

Israel does not have a written Constitution but rests on the principles stated in the Déclaration of Independence of 1948 and on the 14 Fundamental laws adopted by Knesset. The Supreme court is more the Israeli legal high authority. The judgments are given by laic professional judges. Specific religious courts to each confession manage the matrimonial questions.

Israel is not member of the International penal court. The Statute of Rome was signed on December 31st, 2000 but was not ratified.

Economy

See also: Saving in Israel, List of Israeli companies

This country is characterized by its rich cultural life, its advanced economy industrially and technologically, and its level of development which locates it at the 23e world rank according to the Indicateur of human development of UNO, is in the forefront of the countries of the the Middle East and with the third rank in Asia.

The Israeli economy has been a capitalist system modern of a young country and is characterized by a relatively important public sector and a sector of the High-tech in rapid growth for more than ten years. The limited natural resources of the country and the high level of education of the Israelis played in favor of the development of state-of-the-art technologies. The undertaken Israeli, mainly in this field, are very appreciated on the world financial markets. Israel is the second country of many companies dimensioned with NASDAQ and receives large overseas investments. The country has the greatest number of Start-up S in the world and its expenditure in Research and development is considerable. However, in spite of the good economic development of the country, 11% of the population saw rations distributed by non-governmental organizations, according to the integrated networks of regional information (IRIN) of UNO.

The Israeli contributions to the Science are significant in medicine, physics and agriculture and more particularly still in genetics, data processing, electronics and optics. Nobel Prize in science and economy were decreed with four Israelis since 2002. Numbers of publications scientific per capita (109 publications by: 10000 people) and of patents deposited per capita are among highest in the world.

In 2007, Israel was classified 17th index of human development on 177 countries by UNO, in front of all the countries of the Middle East.

Geography

See also: Geography of Israel

The climate of the coastal areas can be very different from that of the mountainous areas of the country, particularly during the winter months. The areas of Tel Aviv and Haïfa have a typically Mediterranean climate with soft and rainy winters and hot and dry summers. The mountains in north are on the other hand often snow-covered the winter, and Jerusalem can also know episodes of snow certain years.

Capital of Israel

Designation by the Israeli law of Jerusalem as capital is currently disputed by the near total of the international community and the embassies are consequently in Tel-Aviv or even in other cities.

Position of the international institutions

Principal international agencies (in particular UNO) do not recognize any capital for Israel. Resolution 478 of the Safety advice of UNO declares “null and not avenue” the fundamental law adopted by the Israeli State defining Jerusalem capital eternal and indivisible.

Position of the various States and national organizations

  • Canada: no the definite capital.
  • China: China (English)
  • Denmark: no the definite capital (Danish)
  • the United States: the official documents are sometimes contradictory (Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv are quoted.
  • France now replaced since April 16th, 2007 by, position detailed on.
  • India: no the definite capital
  • the United Kingdom: no the definite capital
  • Swiss: quote the two cities (Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv) like capitals
  • PLO (English)

The designation of Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv as capital is in addition the recurring object of media controversies.

Territory

Borders

Israel divides its borders with the Lebanon in North, with the Syria with the North-East, the Jordan and the the West Bank in the East, and with the Egypt and the Gaza Strip in South-west. It has a littoral on the Mediterranean in the West and in the Golfe of Aqaba in the South.

The borders of Israel are not defined and are not recognized by the whole of the international community. They evolved/moved during its existence and are disputed by certain countries. Their historical evolution, the international law, the political and historical claims with regard to them are an excessively complex and discussed subject.

Since the Gaza Strip is not occupied any more by Israel, in argument the West Bank remains. The resolutions of the Safety advice of UNO define as borders between Israel and Palestine those of the end of war of 1949. They are those just former to the war of 1967. It is what is called the " green line ". It should be noted that these borders are definitely lower than those envisaged in 1920 by the Company of the Nations.

More:

  • Borders of Israel
  • Zionism
  • Palestinian Territories and Application of the IV {{E}} Geneva Convention in the Palestinian Territories
  • a selection of texts on Israel and Palestine

Army

See also: Tsahal

The army Israeli, known under its Hebrew acronym Tsahal (for Tsva Hagannah LeIsrael , Defense force of Israel), constituted in May 1948, to replace the former armed organizations whose principal one was Haganah. It includes/understands today all the army corps of which the air force, navy and of the secret services (Mossad and Shabak). The armament of Israel is sophisticated and highly developed mainly in Israel by companies like Elbit Systems or Israeli Military Industries (IMI). The armament is sometimes imported, of the United States in particular. Tsahal has approximately 750 fighter plans whose majority are F-15 and F-16, tanks Merkavah MK-4. According to several sources, Tsahal should obtain with F-22 and F-35, the planes very last thing of the United States.

The majority of the Israelis are enlisted at the 18 years age to be useful in the army (3 years for the men, 2 years for the women). Are exempted: Arab Israelis (to avoid possible conflicts of interests) and majority of the Jews Haredim.

Israel did not sign the Traité nuclear non-proliferation. The Israeli official position always was not to confirm nor to cancel the speculations relative to its possession of the atomic weapon. However, Monday, December 11, 2006, during an interview of the German television channel N24 in connection with the Iranian nuclear ambitions, Ehud Olmert declared: Could you say that it is the same thing as for America, France, Israel and Russia? . Previously, on December 6th, 2006, Robert Spoil, new Secretary of State to defense American declared during its hearing to the Senate: Iran is surrounded by countries equipped with the nuclear weapon: Pakistan in the east, Israel in the west… . These two declarations involved a denial of Ehud Olmert, recalling the position of Israel on the subject: Israel will not be the first country to introduce the nuclear weapon in the Middle East. It was our position, it is our position, that will remain our position.

Demography

See also: Demography of Israel

Israel has a population of: 7,150,000 inhabitants (census of April 2007), among whom 76% of Jewish (: 5415000 inhabitants) and 20% of Arab Israelis (mainly Moslem, but a Christian minority), for which it is necessary to add: 306000 new immigrants who are recorded with the Ministry for the Interior like “not-Jews” and who constitute 4% of the Israeli population. The foreigners who live in Israel are not included in these data and are estimated at: 150,000.

Israel is the only country in the world with a Jewish majority. The Jewish population of Israel is originating in the whole world: one distinguishes the “sabred” (born in Israel, recent parents immigrant or whose family lived since centuries in Palestine) of the recent immigrants which made them Aliyah (“assembled”, i.e. return: a great part comes from the old USSR, but also from France, of the United States, of Argentine, etc).

Israel also includes/understands Druzes and Circassiens. Contrary to the Arab Israelis, they are not exempted military service; it should be noted that many Bedouin and some Arab Christians and even Moslems, serve like volunteers in the regular army .

The new immigrants, made to Israel in 2005, are with the number of: 22,500, against: 22000 the previous year. Among them: 9300 came from the ex-countries of the Soviet Union: 3700 of Ethiopia: 3000 of France, and: 2600 of the the United States.

Geographical distribution of the population

45% of the population of Israel reside in cities of more than: 100,000 inhabitants, is: 3,100,000 people.

One counts 5 cities of more than: 200,000 inhabitants. A quarter of the population of the country lies in these cities:

  • Jerusalem - today first town of Israel, with: 718,900 inhabitants against: 84,000 in 1948;
  • Tel Aviv - formerly more the big city of Israel with its: 248,500 inhabitants (30% of the population) when Ben Gourion proclaimed the independence of the country, Tel Aviv counts today: 378,800 inhabitants, is 5% only of the global population of Israel but is surrounded by a dense conurbation;
  • Haïfa - third city of the country, with: 267700 inhabitants against: 98,600 in 1948;
  • Rishon LeZion - fourth city of the country with more: 219,800 inhabitants, whereas it included/understood some: 11,000 during the creation of the State of Israel;
  • Ashdod .

Fourteen cities are populated of more than: 100000 inhabitants. The majority of them are peripheral localities of Tel Aviv.

See also: Towns of Israel

The rural population only represents: 571,600 people of the whole of the Israeli population (either 8%). Among them: 118,000 people resident in Kibbutz, is 2% of the population, whereas in 1948 they constituted 6% of this one.

Culture

See also: : Category: Israeli culture

Israeli newspapers

  • Haaretz , daily newspaper of left

  • Maariv , popular newspaper
  • Yediot Aharonot , popular newspaper with great pulling, famous for its investigations of investigation
  • Israeli , first free daily newspaper
  • Jerusalem Post , daily english-speaking of right-hand side
  • Hazofe , daily newspaper of the current religious Zionist
  • Earths , economic daily newspaper

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