The Meir government's rejection of Sadat's peace overtures
convinced the Egyptian president that to alter the status quo and
gain needed legitimacy at home he must initiate a war with limited
objectives. On Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, October 6,
1973, Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack against Israel. In
the south, waves of Egyptian infantrymen crossed the Suez Canal and
overran the defense of the much touted Bar-Lev Line. In the north,
Syrian forces outnumbering the Israeli defenders (1,100 Syrian
tanks against 157 Israeli tanks) reached the outer perimeter of the
Golan Heights overlooking the Hula Basin. In the first few days of
the war, Israeli counterattacks failed, Israel suffered hundreds of
casualties, and lost nearly 150 planes. Finally, on October 10 the
tide of the war turned; the Syrians were driven out of all
territories conquered by them at the beginning of the war and on
the following day Israeli forces advanced into Syria proper, about
twenty kilometers from the outskirts of Damascus. The Soviet Union
responded by making massive airlifts to Damascus and Cairo, which
were matched by equally large United States airlifts to Israel. In
the south, an Egyptian offensive into Sinai was repelled, and
Israeli forces led by General Ariel Sharon crossed the canal to
surround the Egyptian Third Army. At the urgent request of the
Soviet Union, United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger went
to Moscow to negotiate a cease-fire arrangement. This arrangement
found expression in UN Security Council Resolution 338, which
called for a cease-fire to be in place within twelve hours, for the
implementation of Resolution 242, and for "negotiations between the
parties concerned under appropriate auspices aimed at establishing
a just and durable peace in the Middle East." Following Kissinger's
return to Washington, the Soviets announced that Israel had broken
the terms of the cease-fire and was threatening to destroy the
besieged Egyptian Third Army. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev
informed Nixon that if the siege were not lifted the Soviet Union
would take unilateral steps. The United States pressured Israel,
and the final cease-fire took effect on October 25.
The October 1973 War had a devastating effect on Israel. More
than 6,000 troops had been killed or wounded in eighteen days of
fighting. The loss of equipment and the decline of production and
exports as a consequence of mobilization came to nearly US$7
billion, the equivalent of Israel's gross national product
(GNP--see Glossary)
for an entire year. Most important, the image of an
invincible Israel that had prevailed since the June 1967 War was
destroyed forever. Whereas the June 1967 War had given Israel in
general and the declining Labor Party in particular a badly needed
morale booster, the events of October 1973 shook the country's
self-confidence and cast a shadow over the competence of the Labor
elite. A war-weary public was especially critical of Minister of
Defense Dayan, who nonetheless escaped criticism in the report of
the Agranat Commission, a body established after the war to
determine responsibility for Israel's military unpreparedness.
Israel's vulnerability during the war led to another important
development: its increasing dependence on United States military,
economic, and diplomatic aid. The war set off a spiraling regional
arms race in which Israel was hard pressed to match the Arab
states, which were enriched by skyrocketing world oil prices. The
vastly improved Arab arsenals forced Israel to spend increasingly
on defense, straining its already strapped economy. The emergence
of Arab oil as a political weapon further isolated Israel in the
world community. The Arab oil boycott that accompanied the war and
the subsequent quadrupling of world oil prices dramatized the
West's dependence on Arab oil production. Evidence of this
dependence was reflected, for example, in the denial of permission
during the fighting for United States transport planes carrying
weapons to Israel to land anywhere in Europe except Portugal.
The dominant personality in the postwar settlement period was
Kissinger. Kissinger believed that the combination of Israel's
increased dependence on the United States and Sadat's desire to
portray the war as an Egyptian victory and regain Sinai allowed for
an American-brokered settlement. The key to this diplomatic
strategy was that only Washington could induce a vulnerable Israel
to exchange territories for peace in the south.
The first direct Israeli-Egyptian talks following the war were
held at Kilometer 101 on the Cairo-Suez road. They dealt with
stabilizing the cease-fire and supplying Egypt's surrounded Third
Army. Following these talks, Kissinger began his highly publicized
"shuttle diplomacy," moving between Jerusalem and the Arab capitals
trying to work out an agreement. In January 1974, Kissinger, along
with Sadat and Dayan, devised the First Sinai Disengagement
Agreement, which called for thinning out forces in the Suez Canal
zone and restoring the UN buffer zone. The published plan was
accompanied by private (but leaked) assurances from the United
States to Israel that Egypt would not interfere with Israeli
freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and that UN forces would not
be withdrawn without the consent of both sides. Following the
signing of this agreement, Kissinger shuttled between Damascus and
Jerusalem, finally attaining an agreement that called for Israel to
withdraw from its forward positions in the Golan Heights, including
the return of the Syrian town of Al Qunaytirah. The evacuated zone
was to be demilitarized and monitored by a UN Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF).
After the signing of the Israeli-Syrian Disengagement Agreement
in June 1974, the public mood in Israel shifted against
concessions. In part, Israel's hardened stance was a reaction to
the 1974 Arab summit in Rabat, Morocco. At that summit, both Syria
and Egypt supported a resolution recognizing the PLO as the sole
representative of the Palestinian people. The Israeli public viewed
the PLO as a terrorist organization bent on destroying the Jewish
state. Throughout 1974 Palestinian terrorism increased; in the
summer alone there were attacks in Qiryat Shemona, Maalot, and
Jerusalem.
Another important factor underlying Israel's firmer stance was
an internal political struggle in the newly elected government of
Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin had narrowly defeated his chief rival Shimon
Peres in bitterly fought internal Labor Party elections in late
December 1973. Peres, who was appointed minister of defense, forced
Israel into a less flexible posture by blocking any concessions
proposed by Rabin. In addition, the issuing of the Agranat
Commission report and the return from the front of reservists
mobilized for the war further fueled public clamor for a stronger
defense posture.
In Washington, President Gerald R. Ford, facing a recalcitrant
Israel and under pressure from the pro-Israel lobby, decided to
sweeten the offer to Israel. The United States pledged to provide
Israel US$2 billion in financial aid, to drop the idea of an
interim withdrawal in the West Bank, and to accept that only
cosmetic changes could be expected in the Second Syrian-Israeli
Disengagement Agreement. In addition, in a special secret
memorandum Israel received a pledge that the United States would
not deal with the PLO as long as the PLO failed to recognize
Israel's right to exist and failed to accept Security Council
Resolution 242. In September 1975, Israel signed the Second Sinai
Disengagement Agreement, which called for Israel to withdraw from
the Sinai passes, leaving them as a demilitarized zone monitored by
American technicians and the UNEF.
|
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
|
|
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)
|
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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
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
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
|
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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
|
|
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.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 1.19 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 30.44 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.1% (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 5,100 (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
|
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 98.5%
female: 95.9% (2004 est.)
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
|
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 6.9% of GDP (2004)
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![[JPEG]](/images/frd/cs/israel/il01_07a.jpg)
