Official name State of Israel, Heb Medinat Yisrael
Local names Yisra'el (Hebrew), Isrã'?l (Arabic) Timezone GMT +2 Area 20 770 km²/8017 sq mi (within boundaries defined by 1949 armistice agreements) population total (2002e) 6 394 000 (excluding E Jerusalem and Israeli settlers in occupied territories) Status Republic Date of independence 1948 Capital Jerusalem Languages Hebrew and Arabic (official), also European languages spoken Ethnic groups Jewish (83%), Arab (11%) Religions Jewish (85%), Muslim (11%), Christian and others (4%) Physical features Extends 420 km/261 mi N-S; width varies from 20 km/12 mi to 116 km/72 mi; mountainous interior, rising to 1208 m/3963 ft at Mt Meron; mountains near Galilee (Lake Tiberius) and Samaria in the West Bank, dropping E to below sea-level in the Jordan-Red Sea rift valley; R Jordan forms part of E border; Dead Sea, between Israel and Jordan, 400 m/1286 ft below sea level, is the largest lake and has no outlet; Negev desert (S) occupies c.60% of the country's area. Climate Mediterranean climate in N and C, with hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters; average annual temperature 9°C (Jan), 23°C (Jul) in Jerusalem; rainfall 528 mm/21 in. Currency 1 New Israeli Shekel (ILS/NIS) = 100 agorot Economy Over 90% of exports are industrial products; major tourist area, primarily to the religious centres; copper, potash, phosphates, citrus fruits, cotton, sugar beet, bananas, beef and dairy products; a world leader in agrotechnology, with areas of intensive cultivation; the kibbutz system produces c.40% of food output, but in recent years has turned increasingly towards industry. GDP (2002e) $117·4 bn, per capita $19 500 Human Development Index (2002) 0·896 History Zionist movement founded by Theodor Herzl, end of 19th-c; thousands of Jews returned to Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire; Britain given League of Nations mandate to govern Palestine and establish Jewish national home there, 1922; British evacuated Palestine, and Israel proclaimed independence, 1948; invasion by Arab nations, resulting in armistice, 1949; Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula (as far as the Suez Canal), West Bank of the R Jordan (including E sector of Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights in Syria, during the Six-Day War, 1967; Camp David conference between Egypt and Israel, 1978; Israeli withdrawal from Sinai, 1979; invasion of Lebanon, forcing the PLO to leave Beirut, 19825; renewed tension with uprising of Arabs in occupied territories (the Intifada), 1988; peace agreement with PLO, and planned recognition of Palestine, 1993; withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho, 1994; conflict with Jordan formally ended, 1994; assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, 1995; Arafat elected President in first Palestine general election, Jan 1996; withdrawal from S Lebanon, 2000; escalating reprisal attacks on Palestinian targets, 2001; siege of Bethlehem, 2002; conflict ongoing, 2003 Geneva Accord peace plan launched, December 2003; fresh talks with new Palestinian government following death of Arafat, 2005; army evacuated Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip (AugSep 2005) in line with Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan; Islamic militant group HAMAS win Palestine election (Jan 2006) posing serious threat to continuation of peace talks with Israel; Sharon suffers serious stroke in late 2005 and power transferred to vice premier Ehud Olmert; Olmert wins election for the Kadima party, Mar 2006; air and sea blockade imposed on Lebanon in major offensive after hostile action by militant group Hezbollah (Jul 2006), fighting escalates; UN broker ceasefire (Aug); air blockade lifted (Nov); parliamentary democracy, with a Prime Minister, a Cabinet, and a unicameral Parliament (Knesset); President elected for a maximum of two five-year terms. text-align:center;">| Flag | Coat of arms |
| Anthem: Hatikvah ("The Hope") | |
| Capital |
Jerusalem 31°47′N 35°13′E |
|---|---|
| Largest city | Jerusalem |
| Official languages | Hebrew, Arabic |
| Government | Parliamentary democracy |
| - President | Moshe Katsav |
| - Prime Minister | Ehud Olmert |
| Independence | from the United Kingdom |
| - Water (%) | ~2 |
| Population | |
| - May 2006 estimate | 7,047,0012 (99th) |
| - 1995 census | 5,548,523 |
| - Density |
324/km² (34th) 787/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
| - Total | $163.45 billion (53rd) |
| - Per capita | $23,416 (28th) |
| HDI (2006) | 0.927 (high) (23rd) |
| Currency | New Israeli sheqel (₪) (ILS) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | (UTC+3) |
| Internet TLD | .il |
| Calling code | +972 |
|
1 Includes the Golan Heights (UN figure). 2 Includes Israeli population living in the West Bank. |
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Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra'el;
Proclaimed independent in 1948, Israel is the world's only Jewish state, although its population includes citizens of many ethnic and religious backgrounds (see Israelis). According to the international data reported by Freedom House, the degree of political rights and civil liberties in Israel makes it the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, consisting of a multi-party system and separation of powers.
Israel has a vibrant cultural life and a technologically and industrially advanced economy. Israel was ranked 23rd out of 177 countries in the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index, the highest ranking in the Middle East and third highest in Asia.
Name
The name "Israel" is rooted in the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 32:28, where Jacob is renamed Israel after successfully wrestling with an angel of God. The biblical nation fathered by Jacob was then called "The Children of Israel" or the "Israelites." The use of the term Israeli to refer to a citizen of Israel was decided by the Government of Israel in the weeks immediately after independence and announced by Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok.
History
Historical roots
See also: History of ancient Israel and Judah, Jewish history, and History of the Jews in the Land of IsraelThe first historical record of the word "Israel" comes from an Egyptian stele documenting military campaigns in Canaan. Although this stele which referred to a people (the determinative for 'country' was absent) is dated to approximately 1211 BCE, Jewish tradition holds that the Land of Israel has been a Jewish Holy Land and Promised land for three thousand years. The land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious obligations, encompassing Judaism's most important sites (such as the remains of the First and Second Temples of the Jewish King, Solomon).
Zionism and Immigration
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Timeline · Peace process · Peace camp |
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Jews living in the Diaspora have sought to emigrate into Israel throughout the centuries. For example, in 1141 Yehuda Halevi issued a call to the Jews to emigrate to Eretz Israel and eventually died in Jerusalem.
In 1860, the old Jewish community in Jerusalem started building neighborhoods outside the walls of the Old City (the first one being Mishkenot Sha’ananim).
The first big wave of modern immigration to Israel, or Aliyah (עלייה) started in 1881 as Jews fled growing persecution, or followed the Socialist Zionist ideas of Moses Hess and others of "redemption of the soil."
Jewish immigration resumed in third (1919–1923) and fourth (1924–1929) waves after World War I.
In 1939, the British introduced a White Paper of 1939, which limited Jewish immigration over the course of the war to 75,000 and restricted purchase of land by Jews, perhaps in response to the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine.
See also: Jewish refugees and 1922 Text: League of Nations Palestine MandateJewish Underground groups
As tensions grew between the Jewish and Arab populations, and with little apparent support from the British Mandate authorities, the Jewish community began to rely on itself for defense.
Many Arabs, opposed to the Balfour Declaration, the mandate, and the Jewish National Home, instigated riots and pogroms against Jews in Jerusalem, Hebron, Jaffa, and Haifa.
These groups had an enormous impact on events and procedures in the period preceding the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, such as Aliya Beth (the clandestine immigration from Europe), the forming of the Israel Defense Forces, and the withdrawal of the British, as well as to a great degree forming the foundation of the political parties which exist in Israel today.
Establishment of the State of Israel
In 1947, following increasing levels of violence from groups such as Irgun and Lehi, uncontrollable immigration from Europe and general war-weariness, the British government decided to withdraw from the Palestine Mandate.
The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, one day before the expiry of the Palestine Mandate.
Israel was admitted as a member of the United Nations on May 11, 1949.
1948 War of Independence and migration
See also: Jewish exodus from Arab lands, Palestinian exodus, and Arab-Israeli conflictFollowing the State of Israel's establishment, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq joined the fighting and began the second phase of the 1948 Arab – Israeli War. At the beginning of June, the UN declared a one-month ceasefire during which the Israel Defense Forces were officially formed. Israel had gained an additional 26% of the Mandate territory west of the Jordan River.
Large numbers of the Arab population fled the newly-created Jewish State during the Palestinian exodus, which is referred to by many Palestinian groups and individuals as the Nakba (Arabic: النكبة), meaning "disaster" or "cataclysm". Moreover, "Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel" were offered "full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions" in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel; The continuing conflict between Israel and the Arab world resulted in a lasting displacement that persists to this day.
Immigration of Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Arab lands doubled Israel's population within a year of independence. Of these, about 600,000 settled in Israel;
1950s and 1960s
Between 1954 and 1955, under Moshe Sharett as prime minister, the Lavon Affair – a failed attempt to bomb targets in Egypt – caused political disgrace in Israel. Following this and a series of Fedayeen attacks, Israel created a secret military alliance with those two European powers and declared war on Egypt. After the Suez Crisis, the three collaborators faced international condemnation, and Israel was forced to withdraw its forces from the Sinai Peninsula.
In 1961, the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who had been largely responsible for the Final Solution, the planned extermination of the Jews of Europe, was captured in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and brought to trial in Israel.
On the political field, tensions once again arose between Israel and her neighbors in May 1967. When Egypt closed the strategic Straits of Tiran to Israeli vessels, Israel deemed it a casus belli for pre-emptively attacking Egypt on June 5. After the ensuing Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the Jewish State emerged triumphant. Israel had defeated the armies of three large Arab states and decimated their air forces. Territorially, Israel conquered the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights. The Green Line of 1949 became the administrative boundary between Israel and her Occupied Territories, also called Disputed Territories. However, Israel has spread its administrative domain to East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
In 1967, Israeli aircraft attacked the USS Liberty, killing 34 American servicemen.
In 1969, Golda Meir, Israel's first and, to date, only female prime minister was elected.
See also: Positions on Jerusalem, Jerusalem Law, Golan Heights, and Israeli-occupied territories1970s
Between 1968 and 1972, a period known as the War of Attrition, numerous scuffles erupted along the border between Israel and Syria and Egypt. Furthermore, in the early 1970s, Palestinian groups embarked on an unprecedented wave of attacks against Israel and Jewish targets in other countries. Israel responded with Operation Wrath of God, in which agents of Mossad assassinated most of those who were involved in the massacre.
Finally, on October 6, 1973, the day in 1973 of the Jewish Yom Kippur fast, the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack against Israel. A number of years of relative calm ensued, which fostered the environment in which Israel and Egypt could make peace.
In 1974, Yitzhak Rabin, with Meir's resignation, became Israel's fifth prime minister.
Then, in November of that year, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, making a historic visit to the Jewish State, spoke before the Knesset: the first recognition of Israel by its Arab neighbors. As laid out in the treaty, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and evacuated the settlements established there during the 1970s.
In 1982, Israel launched an attack against Lebanon, which had been embroiled in the Lebanese Civil War since 1975. The official reason for the attack was to defend Israel's northernmost settlements from terrorist attacks, which had been occurring frequently. Though Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon in 1986, a buffer zone was maintained until May 2000 when Israel unilaterally withdrew from Lebanon.
See also: 1982 Lebanon War, Lebanese Civil War, and PLO1990s
During the Gulf War, Iraq hit Israel with thirty-nine Scud missiles, although Israel was not a member of the coalition and was not involved in the fighting. During the war, Israel also provided gas masks for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza marched and famously stood on their rooftops while Scud missiles were falling and cheered Saddam Hussein calling for him to bomb Israel with chemical weapons.
The early 1990s were marked by the beginning of a massive immigration of Soviet Jews, who, according to the Law of Return, were entitled to become Israeli citizens upon arrival.
Following the elections, Yitzhak Rabin became prime minister, forming a left-wing government coalition. In 1994, Jordan became the second of Israel's neighbours to make peace with it.
The initial wide public support for the Oslo Accords began to wane as Israel was struck by an unprecedented wave of attacks supported by the militant Hamas group, which opposed the accords. During Netanyahu's tenure, Israel experienced a lull in attacks against Israel's civilian population by Palestinian groups, but his government fell in 1999. This process was intended to frustrate Hezbollah attacks on Israel by forcing them to cross Israel's border.
After the collapse of the talks, Palestinians began a second uprising, known as the Al-Aqsa Intifadah, just after the leader of the opposition Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Ariel Sharon became the new prime minister in March 2001 and consequently was re-elected, along with his Likud party in the Knesset elections of 2003.
Israel also is building a West Bank Barrier to defend the country from attacks by Palestinian armed groups.
On June 28, 2006, Hamas militants dug a tunnel under the border from the Gaza Strip and attacked an IDF post, capturing an Israeli soldier and killing two others. In response, Israel began Operation Summer Rains, which consisted of heavy bombardment of Hamas targets as well as bridges, roads, and the only power station in Gaza. Israel has also deployed troops into the territory. Israel argues that they have no other option to get their soldier back and put an end to the rocket attacks into Israel.
The 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict refers to the military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel, primarily between Hezbollah and Israel, which started on 12 July 2006. Israel held the Lebanese government responsible for the attack, as it was carried out from Lebanese territory, and initiated an air and naval blockade, airstrikes across much of the country, and ground incursions into southern Lebanon. Hezbollah continuously launched rocket attacks into northern Israel and engaged the Israeli Army on the ground with hit-and-run guerrilla attacks. The conflict killed over one thousand Lebanese civilians, 440 Hezbollah militants, and 119 Israeli soldiers, as well as forty-four Israeli civilians, and caused massive damage to the civilian infrastructure and cities of Lebanon and damaged thousands of buildings across northern Israel, many of which were completely destroyed.
Geography and climate
Israel is bordered by Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt in the south-west.
During the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured the West Bank from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria, Gaza Strip (which was under Egyptian occupation), and Sinai from Egypt.
The sovereign territory of Israel, excluding all territories captured by Israel in 1967, is 20,770 km² (8,019 mi²) in area (1% is water).
Metropolitan areas
See also: Districts of Israel and List of cities in IsraelAs of 2006, The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics defines three metropolitan areas: Tel Aviv (population 3 million), Haifa (population 980,600) and Jerusalem (the capital;
Government
Israel is a democratic republic with universal suffrage that operates under the parliamentary system. According to the international data reported by Freedom House, the degree of political rights and civil liberties in Israel makes it the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, consisting of a multi-party system and separation of powers. Conversely, the research group Minorities at Risk (MAR) characterizes Israel's system of governance to be an "ethnic democracy", and notes that "the nationalism inherent in Israel’s foundation as a 'Jewish state' is at odds with its political basis of democratic governance vis-à-vis the Arab minority."
Legislature
Israel's unicameral legislative branch is a 120-member parliament known as the Knesset.
See also: List of political parties in IsraelExecutive
The President of Israel is Head of State, serving as a largely ceremonial figurehead.
Constitution and legal system
Israel has not completed a written constitution. Its government functions according to the laws of the Knesset, especially the "Basic Laws of Israel", of which there are presently fourteen.
Israel's legal system mixes influences from Anglo-American, Continental and Jewish law, as well as the declaration of the State of Israel.
As in Anglo-American law, the Israeli legal system is based on the principle of stare decisis (precedent).
As in Continental legal systems, the jury system was not adopted in Israel.
Judiciary
Israel's Judiciary branch is made of a three-tier system of courts.
At the top of the judicial pyramid is the Supreme Court of Israel seated in Jerusalem. The respondents to these petitions are usually governmental agencies (including the Israel Defense Forces).
A committee composed of Knesset members, Supreme Court Justices, and Israeli Bar members carries out the election of judges.
Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court as it fears it could lead to prosecution of Israeli settlers in the occupied territories.
Military
Israel's military consists of a unified Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known in Hebrew by the acronym Tzahal (צה"ל). There are other paramilitary agencies that deal with different aspects of Israel's security (such as Magav and Shin Bet).
The IDF is one of the best funded military forces in the Middle East and ranks among the most battle-trained armed forces in the world, having been involved in five major wars and numerous border conflicts. It also relies heavily on high-tech weapons systems, some developed and manufactured in Israel for its specific needs, and others imported (largely from the United States). Most Haredi Jews extend these deferments until they are too old to be conscripted, a practice that has fueled much controversy in Israel.
While Israeli Arabs are not conscripted, they are allowed to enlist voluntarily. This is the same policy as the Bedouin and many non-Jewish citizens of Israel.
Following compulsory service, Israeli men become part of the IDF reserve forces, and are usually required to serve several weeks every year as reservists until their forties.
Nuclear capability
There is much speculation regarding the nuclear capabilities of Israel. This site has never been under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency, so it is therefore widely believed that Israel has a significant stockpile of nuclear weapons. The IAEA has stated outright that it believes Israel "to be a state possessing nuclear weapons," but the Israeli government has never confirmed or denied this assertion. Although size of nuclear arsenal is debated, it is generally accepted that Israel possesses more than one hundred devices. Israel is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Data on Israeli nuclear deployment capability is much more freely available than hard data on their nuclear program. Israel leads the Middle East in medium-range ballistic missile development.
In addition to ballistic missile technology, Israel maintains a fleet of Dolphin class submarines, widely suspected of having nuclear launch capability.
Economy
Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains and beef. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans (although some economists would say the deficit is a sign of Israel's advancing markets). Israel possesses extensive facilities for oil refining, diamond polishing, and semiconductor fabrication. According to international data reported by the World Bank, Israel has the best regulations for businesses and strongest protections of property rights in the Greater Middle East.
Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the United States, which is its major source of economic and military aid. A relatively large fraction of Israel's external debt is held by individual investors, via the Israel Bonds program.
The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR topped 750,000 during the period 1989–1999, bringing the population of Israel from the former Soviet Union to one million, one-sixth of the total population, many of them highly educated, adding scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the economy's future. The influx, coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s.
Twenty-four percent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees, ranking Israel third in the industrialized world after the United States and Netherlands.
As Israel has liberalized its economy and reduced taxes and spending, the gap between the rich and poor has grown.
Israel's GDP per capita, as of 28 July 2005, was $20,551.20 per person (42nd in the world). Israel's overall productivity was $54,510.40, and the amount of patents granted was 74/1,000,000 people.
Population at end of September 2006: 7,082.0 thousand (7.1 million
Number of Israeli persons employed (2006, second quarter): 2,565.6 thousand (2.6 million).
Percent of unemployed persons (2006, first quarter): 8.7%
Science and technology
Israeli contributions to science and technology have been significant. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Israel has worked in science and engineering. Israel's limited natural resources and strong emphasis on education have also played key roles in directing industry towards high technology fields. As a result of the country’s success in developing cutting edge technologies in software, communications and the life sciences, Israel is frequently referred to as a second Silicon Valley . Israel (as of 2004) receives more venture capital investment than any country of Europe, and has the largest VC/GDP rate in the world, seven times that of the United States . Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world after the United States . Outside the U.S. and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies. Israel also has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per Capita .
Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation: 109 per 10,000 people.
Israel is ranked third in Research and development spending;
TourismAnother leading industry is tourism, which benefits from the plethora of important historical sites for Judaism and Christianity and from Israel's warm climate and access to water resources. Tourism in Israel includes a rich variety of historical and religious sites in the Holy Land, as well as modern beach resorts, archaeological tourism, heritage tourism and ecotourism.
Population
Demographics
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, as of May 2006, of Israel's 7 million people, 77% were Jews, 18.5% Arabs, and 4.3% "others".
Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Other languages spoken in Israel include Russian, Yiddish, Ladino, Romanian, Polish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Amharic and Persian.
As of 2004, 224,200 Israeli citizens lived in the West Bank in numerous Israeli settlements, (including towns such as Ma'ale Adummim and Ariel, and a handful of communities that were present long before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and were re-established after the Six-Day War such as Hebron and Gush Etzion). About 8,500 Israelis lived in settlements built in the Gaza Strip, prior to their forcible removal by the government in the summer of 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan.
Culture of Israel
The culture of Israel is inseparable from long history of Judaism and Jewish history which preceded it. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive collection of Jewish religious and folk art.
Israel has artist colonies in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Hod.
Israel remains the most advanced and tolerant country in the Middle East in terms of gay rights.
See also: Archaeology of Israel, Israel Antiquities Authority, Jewish cuisine, Israeli wine, and KibbutzEducation
Israel is the most educated country in the Greater Middle East and Western Asia, and is tied with South Korea as the most educated in the entire Asian continent.
Israel boasts the highest literacy rate in the Middle East.
Out of all countries in the Middle East and Western Asia, tiny Israel has by far the largest amount of Yale University alumni, one of the most prestigious and competitive schools in the world.
Of the top ten universities in the Middle East, seven out of ten are in Israel, including all top four. Israel is the only country in the Middle East (and one of only two in Asia, the other being Japan) that is home to a university listed in SJTU's Top 100 Academic Ranking of World Universities (Hebrew University, #60).
The education system in Israel, up to secondary education level, consists of three tiers: the primary education (grades 1-6), followed by a middle school (grades 7-9), then high school (grades 10-12).
The secondary education mostly consists of preparation for the Israeli matriculation exams (bagrut).
In 2003, 56.4% of Israeli grade 12 students received a matriculation certificate: 57.4% in the Hebrew sector and 50.7% in the Arab sector.
Any Israeli with a full matriculation certificate can proceed to higher education, as in any country.
Israel has eight universities, one of them open, and several dozen colleges
See also: List of universities and colleges in IsraelSports
Sports in Israel, as in other countries, are an important part of the national culture. Israeli athletics go back as far as before the establishment of the state of Israel. While football (soccer) and basketball are considered the most popular sports in Israel, the nation has reached many achievements in other sports, such as handball and athletics, and Israelis are also involved in hockey, rugby, wide variety of other athletic activities and even chess.
To date Israel has won six Olympic medals.
Literature
Israeli literature is mostly written in Hebrew and the history of Israeli literature is mostly the product of the revival of the Hebrew language as a spoken language in modern times.
Music
Israeli music is diverse and combines elements of both western and eastern music.
Israel's canonical folk songs often deal with Zionist hopes and dreams and glorify the life of idealistic Jewish youth who intend on building a home and defending their homeland. ("Songs of the land of Israel").
Israel is well known for its famous classical orchestras and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under the management of Zubin Mehta has a worldwide reputation. Dudu Fisher, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman are some of the more renowned classical musicians from Israel.
Music styles popular in Israel include pop, rock, heavy metal, hip hop and rap, trance (especially Goa trance and psychedelic trance), Oriental Mizrahi music and ethnic music of various sorts.
Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest three times.
See also: HatikvahReligion
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2005, 76% of Israelis were Jews by religion (Judaism), 19.7% were Arabs (including Muslims, Christians and Druze) and the remaining 4.3% "others" (including mostly family members of FSU immigrants and some ethnic Jews which were not classified by religion, as well as non-Arab Christians) .
Roughly 12% of Israeli Jews defined as haredim (ultra-orthodox religious); Up to fourteen diverse Buddhist groups are presently active in Israel, catering to Israeli Jubus as well as well as a tiny number of Vietnamese Buddhists who came to Israel as refugees from the crisis in their homeland and were granted citizenship Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified.</ref>. Apart from a few hundred staff, Baha'is do not live in Israel.
See also: Holidays and events in IsraelHuman rights
The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel proclaimed that the state "...will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations." However, like many democracies, Israel often struggles with issues of minority rights, especially when it comes to the often contentious issues surrounding the treatment of Israel's large Arab minority, which constitutes 15% of Israel's population. In 2005 Israel's interior minister Ophir Pines-Paz termed the country's policy toward its Arab citizens "institutional discrimination."
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Sephardi Jews "have long charged that they suffered social and economic discrimination at the hands of the state's Ashkenazi establishment."
Various countries, international bodies, non-governmental organizations and individuals have evaluated and often criticized Israel's human rights record, often in relation to the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are highly critical of Israel's policies. According to the 2005 US Department of State report on Israel, "The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, there were problems in some areas..." In 2006, the Freedom House rated political rights in Israel as "1" (1 representing the most free and 7 the least free rating), civil liberties as "2" and gave it the freedom rating of "Free." Other areas, controlled by Israel through military occupation but not considered with the country's main territory were rated as "6," "5," and "Not Free." Btselem, the Israeli human rights organization, has stated that Israel has created in the West Bank a regime of separation based on discrimination, applying two separate systems of law in the same area and basing the rights of individuals on their nationality.
Within Israel, policies of its government are often subjected to criticism from the left and right by its press (the only country ranked "Free" (28 on the scale 1-100) in the region in 2005 by Freedom House) as well as by a vast variety of political, human rights and watchdog groups such as Association for Civil Rights in Israel, B'Tselem, Machsom Watch, Women in Black, Women for Israel's Tomorrow, among others. According to the Reporters Without Borders, "The Israeli media were once again in 2005 the only ones in the region that had genuine freedom to speak out." RWB ranked Israel 47th out of 167 countries in freedom of the press (just behind the United States at 44th), the highest of any country in the Middle East.
Foreign relations
High priorities in the foreign policy of Israel include seeking an end to hostilities with Arab forces and gaining wide acceptance as a sovereign state with an important international role.
The State of Israel joined the United Nations on May 11, 1949 (see Israel and the United Nations). Today, Israel has diplomatic relations with 161 states.
Israel is a member of many international agencies and organizations and a member of the Mediterranean Dialogue with NATO.
Annotated list of Israeli media sources
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General references to the Israeli media: The Printed Media: Israel's Newspapers Summary from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs List of Israeli newspapersEnglish-language periodicals: Azure English edition of the quarterly journal offering essays and criticism on Israeli and Jewish public policy, culture and philosophy Globes English-language website of Israel's business and technology daily Haaretz Online English edition of the relatively highbrow Hebrew-language newspaper, Haaretz has a liberal editorial stance similar to that of The Guardian. Jerusalem Newswire Independent Christian-run news outlet The Jerusalem Post Israel's oldest English-language newspaper The Jerusalem Report English weekly newspaper YNetNews English-language website of Israel's largest newspaper Yedioth AhronothHebrew-language periodicals: Globes business daily Haaretz Relatively highbrow Israeli newspaper with a liberal editorial stance similar to that of The Guardian Hamodia Daily newspaper serving Israel's Haredi community. Makor Rishon highbrow weekly newspaper, conceived as an alternative to Ha'aretz |
Hebrew-language periodicals (continued): Tchelet Hebrew edition of Azure, a quarterly journal covering Israeli public policy Yated Ne'eman Daily newspaper serving the Haredi community Yedioth Ahronoth Israel's largest newspaperGerman-language periodicals: Israel Nachrichten The German-language daily from Tel Aviv for the 100,000 German-speaking Jews in IsraelArabic-language periodicals: Al-Ittihad Arabic-language daily newspaperIsraeli broadcast media: Israel Broadcasting Authority, TV News in Hebrew, some English. JerusalemONLINE video news update from Israel in English by Channel 2 News. Radio Israel Arutz Sheva news site representing the settler community, right-wing religious (English) Kol Israel - Voice of Israel Also produced by the IBA. IsraCast - Independent, multimedia broadcast and distribution network that focuses on Israeli foreign affairs and defense issues (English) Israelisms Podcast Weekly podcast about everyday life and politics in Israel (English)Notable Internet sources: DailyAlert daily digest of Israeli and world media reports on Israel and the Middle East prepared by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs for The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations IsraPundit Pro-Israel news and views from right-wing perspective. Israel Habara CommitteeRelevant non-Israeli media: Jewish Telegraphic Agency , New York-based news agency covering worldwide Jewish news, centrist (English) |
References and footnotes
^ Jerusalem is Israel's official capital. In 1980, as part of the Basic Law: Jerusalem — Capital of Israel the Knesset asserted that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel". Most nations maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv (see CIA Factbook) arguing that Jerusalem is still legally an international corpus separatum whose final status is pending future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which claims East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/facts%20about%20israel/land/ ^ CBS, STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF ISRAEL 2006. ^ Country Report - Israel (2006). ^ The Land of Israel. ^ Benzion Dinur, "The Messianic Fermentation and Immigration to the Land of Israel from the Crusades until the Black Death, and Their Ideological Roots," in Benzion Dinur, Historical Writings (Jerusalem: Mosad Bialik, 1975), vol. , Elhanan Reiner, Pilgrims and Pilgrimage to the Land of Israel, 1099-1517, doctoral dissertation, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1988. Jewish Agency for Israel. ^ (Hebrew) article An article in Ha'aretz discussing Palestinian support for Nasrallah, mentioning that Saddam captivated the hearts of the Palestinians in the 1990s through his goal of eradicating Israel. ^ (Hebrew) Yediot Ahronot article: Israeli Deputy Minister of Defense says that in case Israel is 100% sure of another Iraqi attack (in 2002), gas masks will be provided for the Palstinians. ^ Hizballah's Rocket Campaign Against Northern Israel: A Preliminary Report. ^ Country Report - Israel (2006). ^ Assessment for Arabs in Israel. ^ Constitution for Israel. ^ The Israel Defense Forces. ^ Top Ten Reasons to Invest in Israel. Israel Consulate in New York. ^ "BOYCOTT ISRAEL? ^ Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Israel. ^ Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Israel. School life expectancy ^ United Nations Development Programme Report 2005 ^ Religion in Israel: A Consensus for Jewish Tradition by Daniel J. ^ wikiquote:Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel ^ A Status Report – Equality for Arab Citizens of Israel. The Association for Civil Rights In Israel (2002). A joint project of the Knesset and the Jewish Agency for Israel, operated in North America by the Israeli American Jewish Forum.. ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005 - Israel and the occupied territories. ^ Israel and the Occupied Territories. ^ Israel and the Occupied Territories. Israel and the Occupied Territories. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.See also Freedom in the World 2006, List of indices of freedom}} ^ Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank. ^ Israel - Annual report 2006. Israel (47th) does best..." ^ Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad (Israeli MFA).
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