Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005. In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006 and presided over a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009. OLMERT, who in June 2007 resumed talks with PA President Mahmoud ABBAS, resigned in September 2008. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition in March 2009 following a February 2009 general election. Direct talks launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank.

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Middle East

slightly larger than New Jersey

273 km

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand

2,250 sq km (2003)

1.7 cu km (2001)

sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes

limited arable land and natural freshwater resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti); there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about 145 small outpost communities in the West Bank, 41 sites in the Golan Heights, and 32 in East Jerusalem (2010 est.)

Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004)

Hebrew (official), Arabic (used officially for Arab minority), English (most commonly used foreign language)

Jewish 75.6%, Muslim 16.9%, Christian 2%, Druze 1.7%, other 3.8% (2008)

7,590,758 (July 2012 est.)

1.541% (2012 est.)

18.97 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Tel Aviv-Yafo 3.219 million; Haifa 1.027 million; JERUSALEM (capital) 768,000 (2009)

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.67 children born/woman (2012 est.)

9.5% of GDP (2009)

3.633 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

5.83 beds/1,000 population (2007)

0.2% (2009 est.)

7,500 (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

22.9% (2001)

5.9% of GDP (2007)

parliamentary democracy

6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

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

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

mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Knesset (120 seats; political parties are elected by popular vote and assigned seats for members on a proportional basis; members serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)

Atzmaut (Independence) Party [Ehud BARAK]; Balad [Jamal ZAHALKA]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKEH]; Kadima [Shaul MOFAZ]; Labor Party [Shelly YECHIMOVICH]; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; National Union [Yaakov KATZ]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; The Jewish Home (HaBayit HaYehudi) [Daniel HERSCHKOWITZ]; The New Movement-Meretz [Haim ORON]; United Arab List-Ta'al [Ibrahim SARSUR]; United Torah Judaism or UTJ [Yaakov LITZMAN]; Yisrael Beiteinu or YB [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]

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; Breaking the Silence [Yehuda SHAUL, Executive Director] collects testimonies from soldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; the basic design resembles a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times

Star of David

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are covered by tourism and other service exports, as well as significant foreign investment inflows. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel, but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals - following years of prudent fiscal policy and a resilient banking sector. The economy has recovered better than most advanced, comparably sized economies. In 2010, Israel formally acceded to the OECD. Natural gasfields discovered off Israel's coast during the past two years have brightened Israel's energy security outlook. The Leviathan field was one of the world's largest offshore natural gas finds this past decade. In mid-2011, public protests arose around income inequality and rising housing and commodity prices. The government formed committees to address some of the grievances but has maintained that it will not engage in deficit spending to satisfy populist demands.

$238.2 billion (2011 est.)

$227.5 billion (2010 est.)

$217 billion (2009 est.)

$242.9 billion (2011 est.)

4.7% (2011 est.)

4.8% (2010 est.)

0.8% (2009 est.)

$31,400 (2011 est.)

$30,600 (2010 est.)

$29,800 (2009 est.)

3.204 million (2011 est.)

5.6% (2011 est.)

6.7% (2010 est.)

23.6%

39.2 (2008)

35.5 (2001)

19.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

27.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

-3.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

72.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

74.6% of GDP (2010 est.)

3.5% (2011 est.)

2.7% (2010 est.)

2.75% (31 December 2011 est.)

2.02% (31 December 2010 est.)

5.54% (31 December 2011 est.)

4.492% (31 December 2010 est.)

$30.21 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$31.29 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$208.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$195.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$186.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$175.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$145 billion (31 December 2011)

$218.1 billion (31 December 2010)

$182.1 billion (31 December 2009)

citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products

high-technology products (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear

2% (2011 est.)

$191 million (2011 est.)

$6.335 billion (2010 est.)

$62.85 billion (2011 est.)

$56.09 billion (2010 est.)

machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel

US 28.8%, Hong Kong 7.9%, Belgium 5.6%, UK 5%, India 4.5%, China 4% (2011)

$71.93 billion (2011 est.)

$58.04 billion (2010 est.)

raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods

US 11.8%, China 7.4%, Germany 6.2%, Belgium 6.1%, Switzerland 5.4%, Italy 4.2% (2011)

$74.87 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$70.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$102.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$106.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$66.57 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$60.19 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$69.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$66.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

3.5781 (2011 est.)

3.739 (2010 est.)

3.93 (2009)

3.588 (2008)

4.14 (2007)

calendar year

53.55 billion kWh (2010 est.)

45.59 billion kWh (2009 est.)

3.783 billion kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2010 est.)

12.07 million kW (2009 est.)

99.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

100 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

224,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

11.8 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

242,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)

238,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)

71,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)

50,490 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1.55 billion cu m (2010 est.)

3.65 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

2.1 billion cu m (2010 est.)

270.7 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

70.32 million Mt (2010 est.)

3.5 million (2011)

9.2 million (2011)

state broadcasting network, operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), broadcasts on 2 channels, one in Hebrew and the other in Arabic; 5 commercial channels including a channel broadcasting in Russian, a channel broadcasting Knesset proceedings, and a music channel supervised by a public body; multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels; IBA broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations; about 15 privately-owned radio stations; overall more than 100 stations and repeater stations (2008)

.il

2.179 million (2010)

4.525 million (2009)

47 (2012)

3 (2012)

gas 211 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2010)

Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa

Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Force (IN), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2010)

18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2012)

7.3% of GDP (2006)

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

increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center