Executive branch:
chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)
elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by
the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000
(next to be held mid-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 schedulde to be held fall of 2006)
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 KATZAV 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 scheduled to be held fall
of 2006)
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 Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (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 Assembly 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA];
Green Leaf Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi
SANDAK]; Herut (no longer active) [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party
[Shimon PERES]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz (merged with
YAHAD) [Zahava GALON]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi
BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Ephraim "Efie" EITAM]; National
Union (Haichud Haleumi) [Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet
and Yisra'el Beiteinu); One Nation [David TAL]; Shas [Eliyahu
YISHAI]; Shinui [Yosef "Tommy" LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd
al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; YAHAD
[Yossi BEILIN]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA (merged with Likud) [Natan
SHARANSKY]
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:
BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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) 364-5560 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5578 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 63903 mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575 FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
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
Economy Israel