1.
Israel
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Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. The country contains geographically diverse features within its small area. Israels economy and technology center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, in 1947, the United Nations adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, next year, the Jewish Agency declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and it extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories is the worlds longest military occupation in modern times, efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in peace. However, peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have successfully been signed, the population of Israel, as defined by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, was estimated in 2017 to be 8,671,100 people. It is the worlds only Jewish-majority state, with 74. 8% being designated as Jewish, the countrys second largest group of citizens are Arabs, at 20. 8%. The great majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims, including significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins, other minorities include Arameans, Armenians, Assyrians, Black Hebrew Israelites, Circassians, Maronites and Samaritans. Israel also hosts a significant population of foreign workers and asylum seekers from Africa and Asia, including illegal migrants from Sudan, Eritrea. In its Basic Laws, Israel defines itself as a Jewish, Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature, Israel is a developed country and an OECD member, with the 35th-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product as of 2016. The country benefits from a skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree. The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the third highest in Asia, in the early weeks of independence, the government chose the term Israeli to denote a citizen of Israel, with the formal announcement made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett. The names Land of Israel and Children of Israel have historically used to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The name Israel in these phrases refers to the patriarch Jacob who, jacobs twelve sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel or Children of Israel. The earliest known artifact to mention the word Israel as a collective is the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt. The area is known as the Holy Land, being holy for all Abrahamic religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam
2.
Politics of Israel
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The politics of Israel is dominated by Zionist parties. They traditionally fall into three camps, the first two being the largest, Labor Zionism, Revisionist Zionism and Religious Zionism, there are also several non-Zionist Orthodox religious parties, non-Zionist left-wing groups, as well as non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Israeli Arab parties. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974, once joked that in Israel, the prevalent balance between the largest parties means that the smaller parties can have strong influence disproportionate to their size. Due to their ability to act as tie breakers, they use this status to block legislation or promote their own agenda. From the founding of Israel in 1948 until the election of May 1977, from 1967 to 1970, a national unity government included all of Israels parties except for the two factions of the Communist Party of Israel. After the 1977 election, the Revisionist Zionist Likud bloc came to power, forming a coalition with the National Religious Party, Agudat Israel, Netanyahu subsequently formed a predominantly right-wing coalition government publicly committed to pursuing the Oslo Accords, but with an emphasis on security first and reciprocity. His coalition included the Likud party, allied with the Tzomet and Gesher parties in a single list, the latter was the first significant party formed expressly to represent the interests of Israels new Russian immigrants. The Gesher party withdrew from the coalition in January 1998 upon the resignation of its leader, David Levy, barak was forced to call for early elections, the only prime ministerial elections not held alongside Knesset elections. On 17 February 2001, elections resulted in a new national unity government, led by Ariel Sharon of the Likud. This government fell when Labor pulled out, and new elections were held 28 January 2003, based on the election results, Sharon was able to form a right-wing government consisting of the Likud, Shinui, the National Religious Party and the National Union. The coalition focused on improving Israeli security through fighting against terror, Sharons attempt to add the Haredi United Torah Judaism to the coalition drove Shinui out, and forced Sharon to bring the Labor Party back into his coalition. Since not all Likud Knesset members supported Sharons disengagement plan, he lacked a clear majority in the Knesset. Apparently calculating that his popularity was greater than that of the party, Sharon pulled out of the Likud on 21 November 2005. He was joined only days later by Shimon Peres, who pulled out of the Labor party to join Sharon in a bid for a new government. This represented a cataclysmic realignment in Israeli politics, with the former right, on 4 January 2006 Prime Minister Sharon suffered a massive stroke and went into a coma, and subsequently died in 2014. Designated Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took power, becoming interim Prime Minister 100 days after Sharons incapacitation and he did not become full Prime Minister due to elections being held in March and a new government being formed. Following the March 2006 elections, which left Kadima as the largest party in the Knesset and he included Labour, Shas and Gil in a 67-seat coalition. In November 2006, Yisrael Beiteinu also joined the government, faced with internal opposition due to mounting corruption charges, Olmert announced that he would not seek reelection in the next elections held in February 2009
3.
Constitution of Israel
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The State of Israel has an unwritten constitution. The Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak ruled that the Basic Laws should be considered the constitution. Opponents of this approach include Baraks colleague, Judge of the Supreme Court Mishael Cheshin, according to Israels proclamation of independence of May 14,1948, a constituent assembly should have prepared a constitution by October 1,1948. Another factor was the opposition of David Ben-Gurion himself, various bodies in Israel have called for the enactment of a formal constitution as a single document, and have submitted ideas and drafts for consideration. The Constitution from the Knesset website Constitution on the Jewish Virtual Library
4.
Basic Laws of Israel
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The Basic Laws of Israel are the constitutional laws of the State of Israel. These laws deal with the formation and role of the institutions of the state. They also protect rights, although some of these rights were earlier protected at common law by the Supreme Court of Israel. The Basic Laws are intended to be chapters of the future Israeli constitution. The Basic Laws do not cover all constitutional issues, and there is no deadline set for the completion of the process of merging them into one comprehensive constitution. There is no clear rule determining the precedence of Basic Rules over regular legislation, Israels declaration of independence stated that a formal constitution will be formulated and adopted no later than 1 October 1948. The deadline stated in the declaration of independence proved unrealistic in light of the war between the new state and its Arab neighbors, general elections were arranged on 25 January 1949, in order to elect the Constituent Assembly which would approve the new states constitution. The Constituent Assembly convened on February 1949 and it held several discussions about the constitution without reaching an agreement. For a number of reasons, Israels first prime-minister, David Ben-Gurion, because the Constituent Assembly did not prepare a constitution for Israel, the Knesset is the heir of the Assembly for the purpose of fulfilling this function. In 1950, the first Knesset came to what was called the Harari Decision, rather than draft a full constitution immediately, they would postpone the work, charging the Knessets Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee with drafting the document piecemeal. Each chapter would be called a Basic Law, and when all had written they would be compiled into a complete constitution. In 1992, Aharon Barak, President of the Supreme Court, declared a constitutional revolution, the Basic Laws are various pieces of legislation from the Knesset that outline the nations political structure. Between 1958 and 1988 the Knesset passed nine Basic Laws, all of which pertained to the institutions of state, in 1992, it passed the first two Basic Laws that related to human rights and the basis of the Supreme Courts recently declared powers of judicial review. These are Basic Law, Human Dignity and Liberty and these were passed by votes of 32–21 and 23–0, respectively. Israeli nationality law Land and Property laws in Israel Law of Israel Law of Return Moshe Koppel Cohen, Asher, Israel and the Politics of Jewish Identity, The Secular-Religious Impasse. Jacobsohn, Gary J. Apple of Gold, Constitutionalism in Israel, mazie, Steven V. Israels Higher Law, Religion and Liberal Democracy in the Jewish State. The Existing Basic Laws, Full Texts, the Knesset website, official translations - NOTE, The 1968 Basic Law, the Government translation is missing provisions, probably amendments added later on. As opposed to the 1968 and 2001 basic Law, the Government translations, the 1992 Basic Law, the 2001 Law, which is in effect, present all provision in the translation, however, there are some lines missing
5.
Law of Return
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The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, which gives Jews the right to live in Israel and to gain Israeli citizenship. The Law of Return 5710-1950 was enacted by the Knesset, Israels Parliament, the Law declares the right of Jews to come to Israel, Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an oleh. Follow-up legislation on matters was contained in the Nationality Law of 1952. The Law of Return was modified in 1970 to extend the right of return to non-Jews with a Jewish grandparent, the law since 1970 applies to those born Jews, those with Jewish ancestry and converts to Judaism. In the Law of Return, the State of Israel put into practice the Zionist movements credo which called for the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state and those who immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return are immediately entitled to gain citizenship in Israel. However, differences of opinion have arisen as to whether a person who claims citizenship under the Law of Return should be registered as Jewish for census purposes. According to the definition, a person is Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish. Orthodox Jews do not recognize conversions performed by Reform or Conservative Judaism, however, the Law provides that any Jew regardless of affiliation may migrate to Israel and claim citizenship. Originally, the Law of Return was restricted to Jews only, a Jew can be excluded from Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return if he or she is considered to be dangerous to the welfare of the State of Israel. Jews who have a past that involves a crime, such as murder. This clause has been used to exclude applicants a handful of times since Israels establishment, the 1970 amendment was induced by the debate on Who is a Jew. Until then the law did not refer to the question, there are several explanations for the decision to be so inclusive. One is that as the Nuremberg Laws did not use a definition in its definition of Who is a Jew. Another explanation is the 1968 wave of immigration from Poland, following a campaign by the government. These immigrants were very assimilated and had many family members. The Israeli Rabbinate is a purely Orthodox body that is far more strict in defining who is a Jew and this creates a situation in which thousands of immigrants who are eligible for citizenship under the Law of Returns criteria, are ineligible for Jewish marriage by the Israeli Rabbinate. As of 2008,2,734,245 Jews have immigrated to Israel since 1950, hundreds of thousands of non-Jews have received Israeli citizenship, as the law confers citizenship to all offspring of a Jew and their spouses. The Supreme Court of Israel ruled in 1989 that Messianic Judaism constituted another religion, the argument was made by the applicants that they had never been Jews according to halakha, and were not therefore excluded by the conversion clause
6.
President of Israel
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The President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely a figurehead role, with executive power effectively being exercised by the prime minister. The current president is Reuven Rivlin, who took office on 24 July 2014, presidents are elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term and are limited to a single term. The president is elected by an majority in the Knesset. If no candidate has received a majority of votes by the first round of voting. When electing the president, Knesset members vote by secret ballot, the president is elected to a term of seven years, and cannot be re-elected. Until 2000, the president was elected for a five-year term, any Israeli citizen who is a resident of the State is eligible to run for president. The office falls vacant upon completion of a term, resignation, presidential tenure is not keyed to that of the Knesset in order to assure continuity in government and the nonpartisan character of the office. There is no vice president in the Israeli governmental system, if the president is temporarily incapacitated or leaves office, the speaker of the Knesset becomes acting president. The first presidential election took place on 16 February 1949, the second took place in 1951, as at the time presidential terms were linked to the length of the Knesset term. Another election took place the year after Weizmanns death. Since then, elections have been held in 1957,1962,1963,1968,1973,1978,1983,1988,1993,1998,2000,2007 and 2014, six elections have taken place with no opposition candidate, although a vote was still held. The Basic Law, The Government also includes sections on the powers of the president with reference to the government, the president signs every law and international or bilateral treaties approved by the Knesset. Presidential powers are usually exercised based on the recommendation of appropriate government ministers, the presidents most important role, in practice, is to help lead the process of forming a government. The president awards the Israel Prize on Yom Haatzmaut and the Wolf Prize, the president also serves as the main speaker at the opening ceremonies of the half-yearly Knesset conference, as well as at the annual official ceremonies for Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaShoah. Most Israeli presidents were involved in politics or Zionist activities before taking office. The first Israeli presidents were born in the former Russian Empire, the first native-born president, as well as the first with a Sephardi background, was Yitzhak Navon. The first president with a Western European background was Chaim Herzog, the first president with a Mizrahi background was Moshe Katsav, who was born in Iran
7.
Reuven Rivlin
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Reuven Ruvi Rivlin is an Israeli politician and lawyer who has been President of Israel since 2014. He is a member of the Likud party, Rivlin was Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003 and subsequently served as Speaker of the Knesset from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2013. On 10 June 2014, he was elected President of Israel, Rivlin argues for a Greater Israel that would embrace all people and give the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza full Israeli citizenship. He is also a supporter of minority rights, particularly for Arab citizens of Israel. He supports the one-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Rivlin family has lived in Jerusalem since 1809. Rivlin attended Gymnasia Rehavia high school and served in the Intelligence Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, during the Six Day War, he fought with the Jerusalem Brigade and accompanied the Paratroopers Brigade as an intelligence officer. After military service he studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and he is married to Nechama Rivlin, and has four children. Rivlin has been a vegetarian since the late 1960s, Rivlin has been a supporter of the Beitar Jerusalem football club since the age of seven, when he attended his first game. He was first elected to the 12th Knesset in 1988, and he lost his seat in the 1992 elections, but returned to the Knesset following the 1996 elections. Reelected in 1999, he was appointed Minister of Communications in March 2001, serving until February 2003, Rivlin was reelected in 2006 and 2009. He ran in the 2007 election for President as the Likud candidate and he withdrew after the first round of voting when it became clear that Kadima MK Shimon Peres had sufficiently broad support to inevitably win in a run-off. On 30 March 2009, the Knesset elected Rivlin as Speaker with a majority of 90 votes out of 120, for his first official visit as Knesset Speaker, he chose the Arab-Israeli town of Umm el-Fahm, just south of the Galilee. He was accompanied by MKs Uri Orbach and Afu Agbariyah, a resident of the city, Rivlin was elected as the 10th President of Israel on 10 June 2014, receiving the support of 63 MKs in a runoff vote against MK Meir Sheetrit. Rivlin was sworn in on 24 July 2014, succeeding Shimon Peres, upon his election as President, he immediately ceased being a member of the Israeli Parliament. On March 25,2015 Rivlin, in his role as President, “One who is afraid of votes in a ballot box will eventually see stones thrown in the streets, ” said Rivlin. Although considered a nationalist and hawkish on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Rivlin is a supporter of minority rights, as speaker of the Knesset, Rivlin made his first official visit to the Arab-Israeli city of Umm el-Fahm, often portrayed as a locus of anti-state and pro-Palestine sentiment and agitation. In June 2010, Rivlin ignored calls to remove Balad MK Haneen Zoabi for joining the Gaza flotilla, Rivlins actions in defending the parliamentary rights of Zoabi were criticized by some but others praised his courage in defending Israeli democracy. The same year, a group of rabbis on government payroll called on Jewish Israelis to not rent apartments to non-Jews, Rivlin protested this declaration, saying, In my opinion, their statement shames the Jewish people
8.
Yuli-Yoel Edelstein
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Yuli-Yoel Edelstein is an Israeli politician. One of the most prominent refuseniks in the Soviet Union, he has been Speaker of the Knesset since 2013, Yuli Edelstein was born in Chernivtsi in the Soviet Union to a Jewish family. His mother, Anita Edelstein was Jewish, while his father, Yuri Edelstein, is the son of a Jewish father, both converted to Christianity, and Yuri is now a Russian Orthodox priest in Karabanovo of Kostroma Oblast named Father Georgy. While his parents taught at universities in the countryside, Edelstein was raised by his maternal grandparents and his grandfather had taught himself Hebrew at the age of 70 and used to listen to the Voice of Israel on a shortwave radio. When Edelsteins grandfather died, Yuli began to study Hebrew and read books such as Exodus by Leon Uris, in 1977, during his second year of university, Edelstein applied for an exit visa to immigrate to Israel. Turned down, he began to associate with a group of Hebrew teachers who held classes in their apartments. In 1979, he was expelled from the university and suffered harassment by the KGB, during this time, he found odd jobs as a street cleaner, security guard, and more. In 1984, he and other Hebrew teachers were arrested on fabricated charges, Edelstein himself being charged with possession of drugs and he was then sent to Siberian gulags and did hard labor, first in Buryatia and then in Novosibirsk. He broke several bones after falling from a construction tower and he was due to be transferred back to Buryatia, but his wife, Tanya, threatened to go on hunger strike if he was returned there. Edelstein was released in May 1987, on the eve of Israeli Independence Day and he did his national service in the Israel Defense Forces, attaining the rank of Corporal. Initially a member of the National Religious Party and a vice-president of Zionist Forum and he was elected to the Knesset in 1996, and was appointed Minister of Immigrant Absorption in Benjamin Netanyahus Likud-led government. He was re-elected in 1999, and was appointed Deputy Immigrant Absorption Minister by Ariel Sharon in 2001 and he retained his seat in the 2003 elections, shortly after which Yisrael BaAliyah merged into Likud. Although Edelstein lost his seat in the 2006 elections, in which Likud was reduced to 12 seats and he retained his seat in the 2009 elections after being placed twelfth on the partys list, and was appointed Minister of Information and Diaspora in the Netanyahu government. Following the 2013 elections, he became Speaker of the Knesset, in December 2014, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Edelstein warned world leaders against creating a Palestinian state that he thought would go to war with Israel. In the same interview, Edelstein stated that he believes in Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, in 2014, he was one of several Members of the Knesset who submitted complaints against Arab-Israeli Haneen Zoabi for supporting Hamas, which led to her six-month suspension. “I have been in the Knesset for almost 19 years, ” Edelstein said, “I remember Arab MKs joining me at the March of the Living and proposing social-oriented legislation with me. I believe in coexistence and fighting against those who harm it and I think that Zoabi’s words, People hear her and think all Arabs must hate us and want to kill us. That is unhealthy, and we have to put an end to it. ”He was married to Tatiana, or Tanya Edelstein and they met in the Soviet Union when she attended a Hebrew class he was teaching
9.
Israeli system of government
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The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system, executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset, the Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The political system of the State of Israel and its principles are set out in 11 Basic Laws. Israel does not have a written constitution, the President of the State is the de jure head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical and ceremonial role, and is not considered a part of any Government Branch, the President also has several important functions in government. The President is the government official with the power to pardon or commute prisoners. The President appoints the Governor of the Bank of Israel, the President of Magen David Adom, the President also ceremonially appoints judges to their posts after their selection. The Prime Minister is the most powerful figure in the country. The cabinet is composed of ministers, most of whom are the heads of government departments, cabinet ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister, who must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties. The cabinets composition must also be approved by the Knesset, the Prime Minister may dismiss cabinet members, but any replacements must be approved by the Knesset. Most ministers are members of the Knesset, though only the Prime Minister is required to be one, the cabinet meets weekly on Sundays, and there may be additional meetings if circumstances require it. Each cabinet meeting is chaired by the Prime Minister, a select group of ministers led by the Prime Minister forms the security cabinet, responsible for outlining and implementing a foreign and defense policy. This forum is designed to coordinate diplomatic negotiations, and to make quick and effective decisions in times of crisis, the Israeli government has 28 ministries, each of them responsible for a sector of public administration. Many Ministries are located in the Kiryat Ben Gurion Government complex in the area of Givat Ram in Jerusalem, each ministry is led by a minister, who is also a member of the cabinet and is usually a member of the Knesset. The Office of the Prime Minister coordinates the actions of the work of all government ministries, the State Comptroller, which supervises and reviews the policies and operations of the government, is elected by the Knesset in secret ballot. The Knesset is Israels unicameral legislature and is seated in Jerusalem and its 120 members are elected to 4-year terms through party-list proportional representation, as mandated by the 1958 Basic Law, The Knesset. Knesset seats are allocated among parties using the DHondt method of party list proportional representation, Parties select candidates using a closed list
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