State of Israel

Official Name : The State of Israel
Form of Rule : Parliamentary Democracy
Capital : Jerusalem
Area : 21,643 square kilometres
Population : 7 million persons
Distribution by Religion : 76.5% Jews, 16% Moslems, 2% Christians, 1.5% Druze, 4% without religious classification
Official Languages : Hebrew, Arabic
Currency : New Shekel
International Dialing Code : 972
Internet Suffix : il.

Israel is a country in the Middle East, on the narrow region connecting Africa and Asia. The State of Israel occupies most of the region known as the Land of Israel.
Israel is a developed country, located in a region that is geographically and climatically diversified. There are snow-capped mountains in the north alongside dry wildernesses in the south, and desolate areas alongside modern lively cities. Israel’s ethnic and religious mosaic is rich and fascinating, and it has numerous cultural institutions and entertainment centers. Thanks to its rich history and sanctity for the three monotheistic religions, it has many ancient and holy sites. Most of the year, the climate in Israel is pleasant, and you can tour the country the whole year round. However, it is recommended to visit during fall and spring (September – November, April – June), when the temperature is especially pleasant.

The flag of the State of Israel is composed of two blue stripes against a white background, with a blue Shield of David (hexagram) between them.
The national anthem of the State of Israel is Ha-Tikva (“The Hope”). The lyrics were written by the poet, Naphtali Herz Imber (1856–1909), and the melody is a Romanian folk song quoted by the Czech composer, Bedrich, in his My Homeland cycle. In 1933, Ha-Tikva was chosen as the Zionist movement’s anthem and, upon the establishment of the State of Israel, was accepted as the national anthem. However, the song was only officially recognized by the Knesset as Israel’s national anthem in 2004.
The emblem of the State of Israel is the seven-branched Menora (candelabrum) with olive branches at both sides, and with the name, Israel, appearing beneath. The source of the Menora is an engraving on the Titus Gate in Rome, depicting the victory march of the Roman commander, Titus, after he crushed the Great Jewish Revolt and destroyed the Temple in the year 70. The source of the olive branches is a prophecy of the prophet Zechariah. The Menora of the Temple in Jerusalem engraved on the Titus Gate symbolizes not only the illustrious past of the people of Israel, but also its defeat and the beginning of its Exile. So, the choice of this specific Menora not only linked the new State to its illustrious past – it also, so to speak, brought the Menora back from its long Exile, thus indirectly symbolizing the end of the Diaspora.

The State of Israel is a parliamentary democracy, headed by the president, whose role is essentially symbolic and representative. The country is, in fact, managed by three authorities: the legislative authority (the Knesset), the executive authority (the government), and the judiciary.
The legislative authority in Israel is the Knesset (the name of the parliament in Israel), which has 120 members chosen in general elections once every four years. The Knesset enacts laws, makes political decisions, chooses the president and the government, and supervises the government’s activity.
The executive authority in Israel is the government. It is responsible for executing the laws enacted by the Knesset and for the proper governance of the State. The Prime Minister is a Knesset member whom the president charged with the role of forming the government, and who formed a government that gained the confidence of the Knesset. Since the establishment of the State, no single party has enjoyed an absolute majority in the Knesset. Therefore, all of Israel’s governments have always been coalition governments.
The third authority in Israel is the judiciary, which is responsible for maintaining law in the State. At the head of the legal system stands the Supreme Court. It hears appeals against judgements of the lower courts, and also sits as a High Court of Justice for petitions submitted by civilians against the State authorities. Besides the ordinary, or civilian, legal system, Israel has courts which the law has bestowed with unique authority in specific matters. Among these courts are the Labour Court, the Military Court, and the religious courts (Jewish, Moslem, Christian and Druze), which deal with matters such as marriages and divorces.

The Israeli economy is a success story. Even though it has hardly any natural resources, and in spite of the wars and the waves of immigration that have placed an enormous load on it, Israel is placed among the most prosperous countries in the world. Two of the reasons for Israel’s economical success are external aid, totalling some 100 billion dollars to date, and an educated work force.
Since its establishment, Israel’s exports have grown from some 30 million dollars a year to over 30 billion dollars a year. Over this period, many changes have occurred in the Israeli economy. In the beginning, the State’s main exports were citrus fruit, as well as processed diamonds and some industrial products. Today, on the other hand, most of its exports consist of the products of high-tech industries in diverse areas such as electronics, software, hardware, optics, communications and medical instrumentation.
In the course of time, Israel’s economical ideology has also changed. In the beginning, the economy was prominently centralist, characterized by much State involvement in economic activity. Following political change in 1977, Israel’s economical ideology changed and, since the 1980s, the governments of Israel have adopted a liberal economical policy.
The Israeli economy’s predominant sector is high-tech, which became the driving force behind the country’s economic growth in the 1990s. Other prominent sectors in the Israeli economy are phamaceuticals, chemicals, tourism, the military industry, the metal industry and polished diamonds.

Israel enjoys long, warm, dry summers (April-October) and generally mild winters (November-March) with somewhat drier, cooler weather in hilly regions, such as Jerusalem and Safed. Rainfall is relatively heavy in the north and center of the country, with much less in the northern Negev and almost negligible
Regional conditions vary considerably, with humid summers and mild winters on the coast; dry summers and moderately cold winters in the hill regions; hot dry summers and pleasant winters in the Jordan Valley; and year-round semi-desert conditions in the Negev.
amounts in the southern areas.
Weather extremes range from occasional winter snowfall in the mountain regions to periodic oppressively hot dry winds that send temperatures soaring, particularly in spring and autumn.

For more specific information, contact the Israel Meteorological Service.

For more general information: http://www.tourism.gov.il/Tourism_Eng