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Israel-Historical Background SECURITY: A PERSISTENT NATIONAL CONCERN
Israel
Index
Ancient Jewish military tradition is deeply rooted in biblical
history and begins with Abraham, who led an ad hoc military force.
Joshua, who conquered Canaan, is an early hero, and David, who
captured Jerusalem, is regarded by Israeli Jews as their greatest
king and warrior. Solomon organized and maintained the first
standing Jewish army
(see Ancient Israel
, ch. 1).
Little in the way of military tradition arose out of the nearly
2,000 years of the Diaspora. In fact, the lack of military prowess
in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora was commonly viewed as a
cause of their hardships and became a major motivation for building
a strong defense establishment within Israel. As a result of the
Russian pogroms of the 1880s, a small number of Jews began settling
in the area of Palestine and, determined to end the centuries of
persecution, created self-defense units called Shomrim, or
Guardsmen, to protect the early settlements. In 1909 the Shomrim
were formally organized throughout the area of Jewish settlement in
Palestine and renamed HaShomer, or the Watchmen. Although HaShomer
numbered fewer than 100 men at the organization's peak, these armed
militias became extremely important to Israeli military tradition.
Many members of HaShomer joined the Jewish Legion, which fought
with the British against imperial Germany during World War I. They
also established a precedent of armed self-defense of the Zionist
movement, which during the War of Independence in 1948 would flower
into the IDF.
Increasing tensions between the Arab communities and the
growing Jewish communities of Palestine brought the need to expand
the capacity of the
Yishuv (see Glossary)
for self-defense
(see Events in Palestine: 1908-48
, ch. 1). In 1920, after serious Arab
disturbances in Jerusalem and in northern Palestine, HaShomer
militias were disbanded and replaced by the Haganah (abbreviation
for Irgun HaHaganah, Defense Organization), which was intended to
be a larger and more wide-ranging organization for the defense of
all Palestinian Jewry. By 1948, when it was disbanded so that the
IDF would be the sole Israeli military organization, the Haganah
was a force of about 30,000.
The Haganah, financed originally through the Zionist General
Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel (HaHistadrut HaKlalit
shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael, known as Histadrut) and later through
the Jewish Agency (see Glossary),
operated clandestinely under the
British Mandate, which declared the bearing of unauthorized arms by
Palestinian Jews to be illegal. Arms and ammunition were smuggled
into the country, and training was conducted in secret. In addition
to guarding settlements, the Haganah manufactured arms, built a
series of roads and stockades throughout Palestine to facilitate
defense, and organized and defended groups of Jewish immigrants
during periods under the Mandate when immigration was illegal or
restricted.
Arab attacks on Jewish communities in 1921 and 1929 found the
Haganah ill-equipped and ineffective: more than 100 Jews were
killed in 1929 alone. When renewed Arab rioting broke out in Jaffa
(Yafo) in 1936 and soon spread throughout Palestine, the Mandate
authorities--realizing that they could not defend every Jewish
settlement--authorized the creation of the Jewish Settlement
Police, also known as Notrim, who were trained, armed, and paid by
the British. In 1938 a British intelligence officer, Captain Orde
Charles Wingate, organized three counterguerrilla units, called
special night squads, manned by British and Jewish personnel. As
both of these organizations contained a large number of Haganah
members, their formation greatly increased the assets of the
Haganah while providing a legal basis for much of their activities.
Although these nearly continuous disturbances from 1936 to 1939
cost the lives of nearly 600 Jews and more than 5,000 Arabs,
Israeli observers have pointed out that Jewish casualties would
have been far greater were it not for the increasing effectiveness
of these paramilitary units
(see The Palestinian Revolt, 1936-39
, ch. 1).
During these disturbances, the Haganah's policy of
havlaga, or self-restraint, under which retaliation against
the Arab community at large was strictly forbidden, was not
aggressive enough for some. Under Vladimir (Zeev) Jabotinsky and
later Menachem Begin, these dissidents in 1937 established the
National Military Organization (Irgun Zvai Leumi, known both as the
Irgun and by the acronym Etzel). Initially the Irgun waged a
campaign of terror, sabotage, and reprisal against the Arabs. After
the British government issued a white paper in May 1939 extending
the Mandate for ten years and placing limits on Jewish immigration,
however, the Irgun turned its terrorist activities against the
British troops in Palestine in an all-out struggle against the
Mandate authority.
With the outbreak of World War II, Irgun leaders settled on a
policy of cooperation with the British in the war effort; but a
hard core within the organization opposed the policy and
accordingly split off from the larger body. This group, led by
Avraham Stern, formed the Fighters for Israel's Freedom (Lohamei
Herut Israel--Lehi), known as the Stern Gang. The Stern Gang, which
included Begin and later Yitzhak Shamir, specialized in the
assassination of British and other officials. At their peaks, the
Irgun contained about 4,000 men; the Stern Gang, 200 to 300. Defeat
of Nazi Germany in 1945 precipitated a resumption of anti-British
activities by both Haganah and Irgun in pursuance of their common
ultimate goal, the establishment of a national home and the
creation of a sovereign Jewish state.
During World War II, about 32,000 Palestinian Jews, both men
and women, volunteered for the British army. In 1944 about 5,000 of
these were formed into the Jewish Brigade, which fought
successfully in Italy in 1945. With so many of its members serving
abroad, the ranks of the Haganah were depleted, and in 1941 its
leaders decided to raise a mobile force--the
Palmach (abbreviation
of Pelugot Mahatz--Shock Forces--see Glossary)--of approximately
3,000 full-time soldiers, whose mission was to defend the Yishuv.
Trained with the aid of the British, the Palmach was the first
full-time standing Jewish army in more than 2,000 years and is
considered the direct forerunner to the IDF. For many years, the
vast majority of IDF officers were veterans of either the Palmach
or the Jewish Brigade.
Data as of December 1988
Historical Background
Ancient Jewish military tradition is deeply rooted in biblical
history and begins with Abraham, who led an ad hoc military force.
Joshua, who conquered Canaan, is an early hero, and David, who
captured Jerusalem, is regarded by Israeli Jews as their greatest
king and warrior. Solomon organized and maintained the first
standing Jewish army
(see Ancient Israel
, ch. 1).
Little in the way of military tradition arose out of the nearly
2,000 years of the Diaspora. In fact, the lack of military prowess
in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora was commonly viewed as a
cause of their hardships and became a major motivation for building
a strong defense establishment within Israel. As a result of the
Russian pogroms of the 1880s, a small number of Jews began settling
in the area of Palestine and, determined to end the centuries of
persecution, created self-defense units called Shomrim, or
Guardsmen, to protect the early settlements. In 1909 the Shomrim
were formally organized throughout the area of Jewish settlement in
Palestine and renamed HaShomer, or the Watchmen. Although HaShomer
numbered fewer than 100 men at the organization's peak, these armed
militias became extremely important to Israeli military tradition.
Many members of HaShomer joined the Jewish Legion, which fought
with the British against imperial Germany during World War I. They
also established a precedent of armed self-defense of the Zionist
movement, which during the War of Independence in 1948 would flower
into the IDF.
Increasing tensions between the Arab communities and the
growing Jewish communities of Palestine brought the need to expand
the capacity of the
Yishuv (see Glossary)
for self-defense
(see Events in Palestine: 1908-48
, ch. 1). In 1920, after serious Arab
disturbances in Jerusalem and in northern Palestine, HaShomer
militias were disbanded and replaced by the Haganah (abbreviation
for Irgun HaHaganah, Defense Organization), which was intended to
be a larger and more wide-ranging organization for the defense of
all Palestinian Jewry. By 1948, when it was disbanded so that the
IDF would be the sole Israeli military organization, the Haganah
was a force of about 30,000.
The Haganah, financed originally through the Zionist General
Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel (HaHistadrut HaKlalit
shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael, known as Histadrut) and later through
the Jewish Agency (see Glossary),
operated clandestinely under the
British Mandate, which declared the bearing of unauthorized arms by
Palestinian Jews to be illegal. Arms and ammunition were smuggled
into the country, and training was conducted in secret. In addition
to guarding settlements, the Haganah manufactured arms, built a
series of roads and stockades throughout Palestine to facilitate
defense, and organized and defended groups of Jewish immigrants
during periods under the Mandate when immigration was illegal or
restricted.
Arab attacks on Jewish communities in 1921 and 1929 found the
Haganah ill-equipped and ineffective: more than 100 Jews were
killed in 1929 alone. When renewed Arab rioting broke out in Jaffa
(Yafo) in 1936 and soon spread throughout Palestine, the Mandate
authorities--realizing that they could not defend every Jewish
settlement--authorized the creation of the Jewish Settlement
Police, also known as Notrim, who were trained, armed, and paid by
the British. In 1938 a British intelligence officer, Captain Orde
Charles Wingate, organized three counterguerrilla units, called
special night squads, manned by British and Jewish personnel. As
both of these organizations contained a large number of Haganah
members, their formation greatly increased the assets of the
Haganah while providing a legal basis for much of their activities.
Although these nearly continuous disturbances from 1936 to 1939
cost the lives of nearly 600 Jews and more than 5,000 Arabs,
Israeli observers have pointed out that Jewish casualties would
have been far greater were it not for the increasing effectiveness
of these paramilitary units
(see The Palestinian Revolt, 1936-39
, ch. 1).
During these disturbances, the Haganah's policy of
havlaga, or self-restraint, under which retaliation against
the Arab community at large was strictly forbidden, was not
aggressive enough for some. Under Vladimir (Zeev) Jabotinsky and
later Menachem Begin, these dissidents in 1937 established the
National Military Organization (Irgun Zvai Leumi, known both as the
Irgun and by the acronym Etzel). Initially the Irgun waged a
campaign of terror, sabotage, and reprisal against the Arabs. After
the British government issued a white paper in May 1939 extending
the Mandate for ten years and placing limits on Jewish immigration,
however, the Irgun turned its terrorist activities against the
British troops in Palestine in an all-out struggle against the
Mandate authority.
With the outbreak of World War II, Irgun leaders settled on a
policy of cooperation with the British in the war effort; but a
hard core within the organization opposed the policy and
accordingly split off from the larger body. This group, led by
Avraham Stern, formed the Fighters for Israel's Freedom (Lohamei
Herut Israel--Lehi), known as the Stern Gang. The Stern Gang, which
included Begin and later Yitzhak Shamir, specialized in the
assassination of British and other officials. At their peaks, the
Irgun contained about 4,000 men; the Stern Gang, 200 to 300. Defeat
of Nazi Germany in 1945 precipitated a resumption of anti-British
activities by both Haganah and Irgun in pursuance of their common
ultimate goal, the establishment of a national home and the
creation of a sovereign Jewish state.
During World War II, about 32,000 Palestinian Jews, both men
and women, volunteered for the British army. In 1944 about 5,000 of
these were formed into the Jewish Brigade, which fought
successfully in Italy in 1945. With so many of its members serving
abroad, the ranks of the Haganah were depleted, and in 1941 its
leaders decided to raise a mobile force--the
Palmach (abbreviation
of Pelugot Mahatz--Shock Forces--see Glossary)--of approximately
3,000 full-time soldiers, whose mission was to defend the Yishuv.
Trained with the aid of the British, the Palmach was the first
full-time standing Jewish army in more than 2,000 years and is
considered the direct forerunner to the IDF. For many years, the
vast majority of IDF officers were veterans of either the Palmach
or the Jewish Brigade.
Data as of December 1988
- Israel-CHAPTER 3 - The Economy
- Israel-PALESTINE BETWEEN THE ROMANS AND MODERN TIMES
- Israel-GEOGRAPHY
- Israel-Reserve Duty
- Israel-INDUSTRY
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- Israel-HEALTH
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- Israel-Training
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- Israel-The IDF as a Socializing Factor
- Israel-Morocco
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- Israel-CHAPTER 5 - National Security
- Israel-Slowdown of Economic Growth
- Israel-CHAPTER 4 - Government and Politics
- Israel-Conscription
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- Israel-HELLENISM AND THE ROMAN CONQUEST
- Israel-CRIMINAL JUSTICE
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- Israel-AGRICULTURE
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- Israel-1982 Invasion of Lebanon
- Israel-Clothing and Textiles
- Israel-Israeli Arabs, Arab Land, and Arab Refugees
- Israel-October 1973 War
- Israel-Taxation
- Israel-Lekem
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- Israel-POPULATION
- Israel-The Histadrut
- Israel-Citizens' Rights Movement (CRM)
- Israel-Defense Industries
- Israel-Ingathering of the Exiles
- Israel-Government Budget
- Israel-Historical Background SECURITY: A PERSISTENT NATIONAL CONCERN
- Israel-Israeli Action in Lebanon, 1978-82
- Israel-Pay and Benefits
- Israel-Rank, Insignia, and Uniforms
- Israel-The Occupied Territories
- Israel-Ground Forces
- Israel-Revisionist Zionism
- Israel-The President GOVERNMENT
- Israel-Command Structure THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
- Israel-Oriental Jews
- Israel-Air Force
- Israel-EDUCATION
- Israel-Nahal
- Israel-The Military in Political Life
- Israel-The Druzes
- Israel-WELFARE
- Israel-Zionist Precursors
- Israel-The Siege of Beirut and Its Aftermath
- Israel-Palestinian Terrorist Groups
- Israel-FINANCIAL SERVICES
- Israel-CONCEPTS OF NATIONAL SECURITY
- Israel-Aman
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- Israel-The Holocaust
- Israel-Nuclear Weapons Potential
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- Israel-Relations with Western Europe
- Israel
- Israel-Arab Nationalism EVENTS IN PALESTINE, 1908-48
- Israel-Histadrut
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- Israel-CHAPTER 1 - Historical Setting
- Israel-Foreword
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- Israel-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- Israel-Potential Causes of War
- Israel-1956 War
- Israel-Chemicals, Rubber, and Plastics
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- Israel-Shin Bet
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- Israel
- Israel-Dormant War
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- Israel
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- Israel-Higher Education
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- Israel-THE ISRAEL POLICE
- Israel
- Israel-The Decline of the Labor Party
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- Israel
- Israel -COUNTRY PROFILE
- Israel-CHAPTER 2 - The Society and Its Environment
- Israel-Prelude to Statehood
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- Israel
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- Israel
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- Israel-Nuclear and Conventional Deterrents
- Israel-National Religious Party
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- Israel-BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
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- Israel-The "Who Is a Jew?" Controversy
- Israel-Minority Groups
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- Israel
- Israel-POLITICAL FRAMEWORK: ELITE, VALUES, AND ORIENTATIONS
- Israel-Relations with Middle Eastern States
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- Israel-MULTIPARTY SYSTEM
- Israel-Mossad
- Israel
- Israel-Provision of Defense Services
- Israel-Interest Groups
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Background | | 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. Peace talks are currently stalled.
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Location | | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
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Area(sq km) | | total: 22,072 sq km
land: 21,642 sq km
water: 430 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 31 30 N, 34 45 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
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Coastline(km) | | 273 km
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Climate | | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
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Natural resources | | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 15.45%
permanent crops: 3.88%
other: 80.67% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 1,940 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 1.7 cu km (2001)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)
per capita: 305 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
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Environment - current issues | | limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note | | there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites in the Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source
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Population | | 7,233,701
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 27.9% (male 1,031,629/female 984,230)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 2,283,034/female 2,221,301)
65 years and over: 9.9% (male 311,218/female 402,289) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 29.1 years
male: 28.4 years
female: 29.8 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 1.671% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 19.77 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 80.73 years
male: 78.62 years
female: 82.95 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.75 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
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Ethnic groups(%) | | 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)
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Religions(%) | | Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
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Languages(%) | | Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
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Country name | | conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
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Government type | | parliamentary democracy
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Capital | | name: Jerusalem
geographic coordinates: 31 46 N, 35 14 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
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Administrative divisions | | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
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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
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Legal system | | mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: President Shimon PERES (since 15 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU (since 31 March 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset
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
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)
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Legislative branch | | unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2009 (next scheduled election to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kadima 23.2%, Likud-Ahi 22.3%, YB 12.1%, Labor 10.2%, SHAS 8.8%, United Torah Judaism 4.5%, United Arab List 3.5%, NU 3.4%, Hadash 3.4%, The Jewish Home 3%, The New Movement-Meretz 3%, Balad 2.6%; seats by party - Kadima 28, Likud-Ahi 27, YB 15, Labor 13, SHAS 11, United Torah Judaism 5, United Arab List 4, NU 4, HADASH 4, The Jewish Home 3, The New Movement-Meretz 3, Balad 3
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Judicial branch | | Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
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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
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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), OECD (accession state), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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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
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Economy - overview | | Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial, though diminishing, government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. 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 large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel's GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict and troubles in the high-technology sector, has grown by about 5% per year since 2003. The economy grew an estimated 3.9% in 2008, slowed by the global financial crisis. The government's prudent fiscal policy and structural reforms over the past few years have helped to induce strong foreign investment, tax revenues, and private consumption, setting the economy on a solid growth path.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $203.4 billion (2008 est.)
$195.2 billion (2007 est.)
$185.6 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $202.1 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 4.2% (2008 est.)
5.2% (2007 est.)
5.3% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $28,600 (2008 est.)
$27,900 (2007 est.)
$27,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 32.4%
services: 65% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 2.957 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 2%
industry: 16%
services: 82% (30 September 2008)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 6.1% (2008 est.)
7.3% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 21.60%
note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2005)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.2% (2007)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 38.6 (2005)
35.5 (2001)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 18.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $59.98 billion
expenditures: $64.21 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 4.6% (2008 est.)
0.5% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$15.36 billion (31 December 2006)
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Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$154.3 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$113.4 billion (31 December 2006)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $134.5 billion (31 December 2008)
$236.4 billion (31 December 2007)
$173.3 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $240 million from US (FY06)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 76.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
104.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
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Industries | | high-technology projects (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
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 3.5% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $2.213 billion (2008 est.)
$4.185 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $57.16 billion (2008 est.)
$50.07 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
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Exports - partners(%) | | US 32.5%, Belgium 7.5%, Hong Kong 6.7% (2008)
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Imports | | $64.4 billion (2008 est.)
$55.93 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
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Imports - partners(%) | | US 12.3%, Belgium 6.5%, China 6.5%, Switzerland 6.1%, Germany 6% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $42.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$28.52 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $86.08 billion (31 December 2008)
$89.58 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $56.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$55.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $54.55 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$48.47 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code for the NIS
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 2.9 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 8.902 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; four privately-owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage
international: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
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Internet country code | | .il
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Internet users | | 2.106 million (2008)
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Airports | | 47 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 176 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 17,870 km
paved: 17,870 km (includes 146 km of expressways) (2007)
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Ports and terminals | | Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa
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Military branches | | Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (INF), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 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; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,717,362
females age 16-49: 1,636,574 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,474,966
females age 16-49: 1,404,712 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 61,223
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 7.3% of GDP (2006)
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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
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Refugees and internally displaced persons | | IDPs: 150,000-420,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2007)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 50.41 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 46.15 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 2.081 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 5,246 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 235,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 69,580 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 318,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 1.94 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 30.44 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 5,100 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 98.5%
female: 95.9% (2004 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 6.9% of GDP (2004)
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