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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)
elections: president elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2007); following
legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member -
traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming
a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next to
be held fall of 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
Knesset
election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member
Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January
2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition
government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the
National Union
Legislative branch:
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next to be held fall of 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%,
Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz
5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%,
Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%,
National Democratic Alliance 2.3%, YBA 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%,
Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party -
Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6,
National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front
for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Alliance
3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
(Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN];
Gesher [David LEVI]; Green Leaf Party [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi
SANDAK]; Herut [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin
BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael
MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance
(Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY];
National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One
Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu
YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik
DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or
YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank
and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler
interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors
human rights abuses
International organization participation:
BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500 chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7457/7369/7454/7458/7453 FAX: [972] (3) 517-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government