The Jewish military organizations of Palestine before Israeli
independence were fiercely political. The Haganah and Palmach were
closely associated with socialist-labor Mapai
(see Appendix B) and the kibbutz programs, whereas the Irgun was intimately connected with the right-wing Revisionist Zionism of Vladimir Jabotinsky and his disciple, Begin (see
Revisionist Zionism
, ch. 1). As the chief
architect of the IDF, Ben-Gurion was determined to eliminate all
political overtones from Israel's unified, national army and to
establish clear civilian supremacy over the military. He was
extraordinarily successful in his efforts in that during the first
forty years of its history the IDF never overtly challenged the
authority of the civilian government. This did not mean, however,
that the IDF was a nonpolitical institution. On the contrary, in
the late 1980s the political impact of the armed forces remained
pervasive and profound. IDF officers influenced government foreign
affairs and national security policy through official and
unofficial channels. Under Ben-Gurion's successor, Levi Eshkol, the
political system was opened to permit greater interaction between
the civilian leadership and the military high command. The shift
permitted the chief of staff to advance the views of the IDF
directly to the cabinet and Knesset committees. The growing number
of former officers in political life also helped to legitimate the
involvement of the military in strategic policy debates.
Under Israeli law, the cabinet, which could be convened as the
Ministerial Committee for Security Affairs in order to enforce the
secrecy of its proceedings, set policy relating to national
security. The Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the Knesset
approved national security policy. The minister of defense often
was the principal policy formulator (although this depended on his
personality and the personalities of the prime minister and the
chief of staff) and could make decisions without consulting fellow
cabinet members if an urgent need arose. During the first twenty
years of Israel's existence, membership in the ruling Labor Party
often was a prerequisite for appointment to a high level staff
position. Political qualifications for top assignments gradually
declined in importance during the 1970s, although the chief of
staff's perceptions of Israel's security were necessarily consonant
with the aims of the government.
When Prime Minister Begin served as his own minister of defense
from 1980 to 1981, his chief of staff, Lieutenant General Rafael
Eitan, could assert the IDF position not only on defense matters
but also on foreign policy and economic questions. When Sharon--a
retired major general highly respected within the officer corps--
became defense minister in 1981, the focus of decision making in
both defense and foreign policy shifted to him. The minister of
defense after 1984, Rabin, also was a retired officer. Under him,
the balance of authority continued to rest with the Ministry of
Defense as opposed to the military establishment; however, Rabin
did not exercise the monopoly of control that had existed under
Sharon.
Although considered primarily the implementer of policy, the
IDF influenced many sectors of society. It had a major voice in
strategic planning, in such social matters as education and the
integration of immigrants, and in the government's role in the
occupied territories. Moreover, the enormous impact of the defense
establishment on the economy made its claims on the nation's
resources of major political significance.
The high command had ample opportunity to convey its views to
the civilian leadership. The chief of staff and the chief of
military intelligence met regularly with the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and Security and the Finance Committee of the Knesset. The
chief of staff participated regularly in cabinet meetings and gave
opinions on government security policy. The setbacks at the outset
of the October 1973 War gave rise to an exceptional period when
senior officers influenced political decisions through their
contacts with members of the cabinet and the Knesset. The situation
was complicated by the involvement of former senior officers who
had entered political life and who served as reserve officers in
the war. A committee created to investigate the errors committed
during the first days of the war led to the enactment in 1976 of
the new Basic Law: the Army governing the IDF. The government
expended much effort to redefine the roles of the prime minister,
minister of defense, and chief of staff. The new legal
requirements, however, proved less important than the personalities
of the individuals holding those positions at any given time.
Private consultations with the high command were viewed as
essential in light of the cabinet's need to be informed on security
issues. Public statements of opinion concerning Israel's defense
policy (such as when and where to go to war, or when, how, or with
whom to make peace) were generally considered to be in the realm of
politics and improper for active-duty personnel. It became clear
that many senior officers had moral and political reservations over
the scope and tactics employed in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, but
their dissent did not escalate into open protest. One exception was
the highly controversial case of Colonel Eli Geva, who asked to be
relieved of his command when his brigade was given the mission of
leading the army's entry into Beirut, an act that was bound to
cause many civilian casualties. Many officers regarded Geva's
conduct as outright insubordination. Others agreed that it was
proper for him to decline the performance of his military
obligations when they conflicted with his conscience. In spite of
his outstanding record as a combat leader, Geva was released from
further service.
Members of the IDF could vote and engage in normal political
activity, albeit with certain restraints. They could join political
parties or politically oriented groups and attend meetings, but
they were barred from taking an active role as spokespersons either
for the IDF or for a political group. Analysts found little
difference between the political orientation of military personnel
and of civilians. Retired officers entering politics were not
concentrated in a particular part of the political spectrum. Few
officers were associated with the small minority of groups
upholding autocratic political values. Most appeared to accept
unreservedly the prevailing democratic political culture. Compared
with most countries, Israel had far less separatism, distinction
between life styles, or social distance between civilians and the
officer corps.
The vast majority of the citizenry did not regard the practice
of retired officers "parachuting into politics" as threatening to
civilian control of the military. No ex-IDF officer had assumed a
cabinet position until 1955, and not until after the June 1967 War
did it become a common practice. Israeli law prohibited retired
officers from running for the Knesset until 100 days after their
retirement, but no such law existed regarding cabinet positions.
Retired officers pursuing political careers were likely to be
called back to active duty because retired officers remained
reserve officers until age fifty-five. The problems that eventually
could arise became apparent in 1973, when Major General Sharon
retired in July to join the opposition Likud Party only to be
recalled to active duty during the October 1973 War. Sharon was
highly critical of the conduct of the war, becoming the most vocal
participant in the so-called War of the Generals, in which a number
of active, retired, and reserve general officers engaged in a
public debate over the management of the war for several months
during and after the hostilities. Sharon was elected to the Knesset
in the December 1973 elections. Once there, he continued to
criticize government policy while he remained a senior reserve
officer. As a result of this situation, the government barred
Knesset members from holding senior reserve appointments.
Despite the prominence and visibility of former military
officers at the highest level of government, former officers have
not formed a cohesive and ideologically united group. Although two
of the most prominent military figures of the period, Sharon and
Eitan (chief of staff from 1978 to 83) were regarded as right wing
on Arab-Israeli issues, many more senior officers were moderates,
less persuaded than the Likud government or the public that
military force was the answer.
There has been little evidence of an identifiable military or
officer caste dedicated to protecting the army's own interests.
Militarism was deeply antithetical to the democratic,
civilian-oriented concept of Israeli society held by the vast
majority of Israelis. Society has, however, held prominent military
personalities in high esteem and treated them as national heroes.
This was particularly true after the stunning victory of the June
1967 War. After the near disaster in 1973 and the controversies
surrounding operations in Lebanon in 1982, however, the prestige of
the professional military suffered. The Lebanon experience raised
in its most acute form the question of how effectively the civilian
government could control the military establishment. IDF operations
ordered by Sharon and Eitan often had been contrary to the
government's decisions and the cabinet had been kept ignorant of
the military situation. The cabinet's inability to oppose
effectively Sharon and Eitan was made possible by the passive
attitude of Prime Minister Begin, the relative lack of operational
military experience among other cabinet ministers, and the
deliberate manipulation of reports on the fighting. For a time, the
checks and balances that had previously prevented the defense
establishment from dominating the civilian decision-making
authority seemed in jeopardy. Political protest arose in the
government, among the public, in the news media, and even in
sectors of the army that forced a reassessment of the actions of
the military leadership. Although no structural changes were
introduced, Sharon was removed from the Ministry of Defense and a
more normal pattern of military-civilian relations was restored. In
1988, Chief of Staff Shomron, Deputy Chief of Staff Major General
Ehud Barak, and West Bank Commander Major General Amrah Mitzna, all
were perceived to be political liberals. They were, however,
careful not to draw attention in public to possible differences
with the government over its handling of the uprising in the
occupied territories.
|
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.
|
|
Location | | Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
|
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 22,072 sq km
land: 21,642 sq km
water: 430 sq km
|
|
Geographic coordinates | | 31 30 N, 34 45 E
|
|
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
|
|
Coastline(km) | | 273 km
|
|
Climate | | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
|
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
|
|
Natural resources | | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
|
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 15.45%
permanent crops: 3.88%
other: 80.67% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 1,940 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 1.7 cu km (2001)
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 2.05 cu km/yr (31%/7%/62%)
per capita: 305 cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
Natural hazards | | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Median age(years) | | total: 29.1 years
male: 28.4 years
female: 29.8 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 1.671% (2009 est.)
|
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 19.77 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 80.73 years
male: 78.62 years
female: 82.95 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.75 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
|
Nationality | | noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
|
|
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)
|
|
Religions(%) | | Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
|
|
Languages(%) | | Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
|
|
Country name | | conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
|
|
Government type | | parliamentary democracy
|
|
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
|
|
Administrative divisions | | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
|
|
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)
|
|
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
|
|
Judicial branch | | Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
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 - 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.
|
|
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
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $202.1 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 4.2% (2008 est.)
5.2% (2007 est.)
5.3% (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $28,600 (2008 est.)
$27,900 (2007 est.)
$27,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 32.4%
services: 65% (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force | | 2.957 million (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 2%
industry: 16%
services: 82% (30 September 2008)
|
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 6.1% (2008 est.)
7.3% (2007 est.)
|
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | 21.60%
note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2005)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.2% (2007)
|
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 38.6 (2005)
35.5 (2001)
|
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 18.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
|
Budget | | revenues: $59.98 billion
expenditures: $64.21 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 4.6% (2008 est.)
0.5% (2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$15.36 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$154.3 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$113.4 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $134.5 billion (31 December 2008)
$236.4 billion (31 December 2007)
$173.3 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient | | $240 million from US (FY06)
|
|
Public debt(% of GDP) | | 76.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
104.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products | | citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
|
|
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
|
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 3.5% (2008 est.)
|
|
Current account balance | | $2.213 billion (2008 est.)
$4.185 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports | | $57.16 billion (2008 est.)
$50.07 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
|
|
Exports - partners(%) | | US 32.5%, Belgium 7.5%, Hong Kong 6.7% (2008)
|
|
Imports | | $64.4 billion (2008 est.)
$55.93 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
|
|
Imports - partners(%) | | US 12.3%, Belgium 6.5%, China 6.5%, Switzerland 6.1%, Germany 6% (2008)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $42.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$28.52 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Debt - external | | $86.08 billion (31 December 2008)
$89.58 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $56.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$55.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $54.55 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$48.47 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
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)
|
|
Currency (code) | | new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code for the NIS
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 2.9 million (2008)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 8.902 million (2008)
|
|
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)
|
|
Internet country code | | .il
|
|
Internet users | | 2.106 million (2008)
|
|
Airports | | 47 (2009)
|
|
Pipelines(km) | | gas 176 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2008)
|
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 17,870 km
paved: 17,870 km (includes 146 km of expressways) (2007)
|
|
Ports and terminals | | Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa
|
|
Military branches | | Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces (INF), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2009)
|
|
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)
|
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,717,362
females age 16-49: 1,636,574 (2008 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,474,966
females age 16-49: 1,404,712 (2009 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 61,223
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 7.3% of GDP (2006)
|
|
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
|
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons | | IDPs: 150,000-420,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern Israel) (2007)
|
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 50.41 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 46.15 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 2.081 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 5,246 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 235,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 69,580 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 318,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 1.94 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
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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