Middle East > Israel > Government

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Administrative divisions 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Kari Veijalainen
ambassadors to the United States > Ambassador	Daniel Ayalon
Capital city	Jerusalem
Capital city > Daylight saving time +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	31 46 N, 35 14 E
Capital city > Name	Jerusalem
Capital city > Note Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Capital city > Time difference UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law; note - since May 2003 the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee of the Knesset has been working on a draft constitution
Copyright > Reference	Art. 5(4),
Corruption	6.3		[29th of 160]
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	70 pma
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador James B. CUNNINGHAM
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[972] (3) 516-4390
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[972] (3) 519-7575
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Salai MERIDOR
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 364-5607
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 364-5500
Elections > Head of state	Election by parliament
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Address 50 O'Connor St, Suite 1005
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Neighbourhood Downtown
Espionage organizations and agencies Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset
Executive branch > Chief of state President Shimon PERES (since 15 July 2007)
Executive branch > Election results Shimon PERES elected president; number of votes in first round - Shimon PERES 58, Reuven RIVLIN 37, Colette AVITAL 21; PERES elected president in second round with 86 votes (unopposed)
Executive branch > Elections president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (one-term limit); election last held 13 June 2007 (next to be held in 2014 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI; note - Prime Minister OLMERT resigned on 17 September 2008, but will serve as acting prime minister until a new government is formed
Executive branch > Note government coalition - Kadima, Labor Party, GIL (Pensioners), and SHAS
Flag description white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Flag modification	12		[127th of 197]
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	September 4, 1997
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	June 1, 1960
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	2.01 %		[73rd of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	34,148,250,000 constant 2000 US$		[20th of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	4,932.152 constant 2000 US$ per c		[11th of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	139232600000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	154500000000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	34,425,140,000 $		[25th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.279 $ per $1 of GDP		[7th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	4,972.145 $ per capita		[15th of 184]
Government type	parliamentary democracy
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom	Tom Phillips
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	Embassy
How Democratic Is the American Constitution? > International comparisons > Electoral system	PR (list)
How Democratic Is the American Constitution? > International comparisons > Party system	Multi
How Democratic Is the American Constitution? > International comparisons > Strongly bicameral?	No
How Democratic Is the American Constitution? > International comparisons > Structure	Parliamentary
Independence 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Independence Day > Date	5 Iyar
International organization participation BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
Key ministers > Defence Shaul Mofaz (no party affiliation)
Key ministers > Environment Shalom Simhon (Labour)
Key ministers > Finance Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud)
Key ministers > Health	Danny Naveh (Likud)
Laws against Holocaust denial > Penalties for violation > Maximum	5 years
Laws against Holocaust denial > Penalties for violation > Minimum	1 year
Legal origin English
Legal system mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - Kadima 22%, Labor 15.1%, SHAS 9.5%, Likud 9%, Yisrael Beiteinu 9%, NU/NRP 7.1%, GIL 5.9%, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 4.7%, Meretz-YAHAD 3.8%, United Arab List 3%, Balad 2.3%, HADASH 2.7%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP 9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3
Legislative branch > Elections last held 28 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in February 2009)
National holiday Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Parliamentary seats > Female	12%		[54th of 143]
political parties > Multi party	•
Political parties and leaders Balad [Azmi BISHARA]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKEH]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael "Rafi" EITAN]; Kadima [Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI]; Labor Party [Ehud BARAK]; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-Yachad [Haim ORON]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Jamal ZAHALKA]; National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism or UTJ [Yaakov LITZMAN]; United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human rights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise
Prime minister	Ehud Olmert
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	21		[42nd of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	3.033 per 1 million people		[73rd of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	31		[91st of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	4.477 per 1 million people		[82nd of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	7		[67th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	1,011.035 per 1 billion people		[66th of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	14.2 %		[88th of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	5		[151st of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	0.722 per 1 million people		[106th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	215 days		[63rd of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	585 days		[61st of 171]
Time required to register property > days	144 days		[27th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	34 days		[91st of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	225 hours		[92nd of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years	4 years		[43rd of 151]
Trademarks, nonresidents	5,022		[12th of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)	0.738 per 1 million people		[9th of 146]
Trademarks, residents	215		[47th of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita)	0.032 per 1 million people		[46th of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International 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 (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
UN membership date	11 May. 1949
United Nations mission http://www.israel-un.org/ http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood	Cleveland Park

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