Israel

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For other uses, see Israel (disambiguation).

מדינת ישראל Medīnat Yisrā\'el دولة إسرائيل Dawlat Isrā\'īl State of Israel
Anthem: Hatikvah The Hope
Capital (and largest city)		JerusalemThe Jerusalem Law states that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel" and the city serves as the seat of the government, home to the President\'s residence, government offices, supreme court, and parliament. The United Nations and most countries do not accept the Jerusalem Law (see Kellerman 1993, p. 140) and maintain their embassies in other cities such as Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Herzliya (see the CIA Factbook and Map of Israel) The Palestinian Authority sees East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state and the city\'s final status awaits future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (see "Negotiating Jerusalem", University of Maryland). See Positions on Jerusalem for more information. 31°47′N, 35°13′E
Official languages		Hebrew, Arabic
Demonym		Israeli
Government		Parliamentary democracyIsrael. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-06-19). Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
-	President	Shimon Peres
-	Prime Minister	Ehud Olmert
Independence		from British Mandate of Palestine
-	Declaration	14 May 1948 (05 Iyar 5708)
Area
-	Total 1	20,770 / 22,072 km² (151st) 8,019 / 8,522 sq mi
-	Water (%)	~2%
Population
-	2007 estimate	7,184,0002Main Indicators. Central Bureau of Statistics (2007-09-12). Retrieved on 2007-09-18. (96th)
-	1995 census	5,548,523
-	Density	324/km² (34th) 839/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007International Monetary Fund, October 2007. estimate
-	Total	$232.7 billion (44th)
-	Per capita	$33,299 (22nd)
Gini (2005)		38.6
HDI (2007)		▬ 0.932 (high) (23rd)
Currency		New Israeli Sheqel (₪) (ILS)
Time zone		IST (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	(UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.il
Calling code		+972
1	Excluding / Including the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem; see below.
2	Includes Israeli population in the West Bank.

Israel (Hebrew: יִשְרָאֵל‎, Yisra\'el; Arabic: إسرائيل‎, Isrā\'īl) officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra\'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat Isrā\'īl), is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.Skolnik 2007, pp. 132–232 The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world\'s only Jewish state.Israel. Country Report. Freedom House (2007). Retrieved on 2007-07-15. It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups.

The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel, a concept central to Judaism for over three thousand years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people."The Palestine Mandate. The Avalon Project. Yale University (1922-07-24). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181. The Avalon Project. Yale University (1947-11-29). Retrieved on 2007-08-21. The Arab League rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The new country\'s victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence until this day.Global Peace Index Rankings. http://www.visionofhumanity.com, In cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit (2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-08. Since its foundation, Israel\'s boundaries and even the State\'s very right to exist have been subject to dispute, although Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and efforts are being made to reach a permanent accord with the Palestinians.

Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage.Rummel 1997, p. 257. "A current list of liberal democracies includes: Andorra, Argentina, ... , Cyprus, ... , Israel, ..."Global Survey 2006: Middle East Progress Amid Global Gains in Freedom. Freedom House (2005-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-07-01. The Prime Minister serves as head of government and the Knesset serves as Israel\'s legislative body. In terms of nominal gross domestic product, the nation\'s economy is estimated as being the 44th-largest in the world;Total GDP 2006 (pdf). The World Bank (2007-07-01). Retrieved on 2008-03-03. Israel ranks high among Middle Eastern countries on the bases of human development,Human Development Report 2006. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved on 2007-07-15. freedom of the press,Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007. Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. and economy.Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007. World Economic Forum (2007-02-14). Retrieved on 2007-07-15.See Economic Freedom of the World article Jerusalem is the country\'s capital, seat of government, and largest city, and Israel\'s main financial center encompasses Tel Aviv.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Early roots 2.2 Zionism and the British Mandate 2.3 Independence and first years 2.4 Conflicts and peace treaties 3 Geography and climate 4 Government and politics 4.1 Administrative districts 4.2 Occupied territories 4.3 Foreign relations 5 Military 6 Economy 7 Science and education 8 Demographics 8.1 Religion 9 Culture 10 Sports 11 See also 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External links

Etymology

Over the past three thousand years, the name "Israel" has meant in common and religious usage both the Land of Israel and the entire Jewish nation. The name originated from a verse in the Bible (Genesis, 32:28) where Jacob is renamed Israel after successfully wrestling with an angel of God.From the King James Version of the Bible: "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Genesis, 32:28) Commentators differ on the meaning of the name. Some say the name comes from the verb śarar ("to rule, be strong, have authority over"), thereby making the name mean "God rules" or "God judges".Hamilton 1995, p. 334 Other possible meanings include "the prince of God" (from the King James Version) or "El fights/struggles".Wenham 1994, pp. 296–97 Regardless of the precise meaning of the name, the biblical nation fathered by Jacob thus became the "Children of Israel" or the "Israelites".

The first historical mention of the word "Israel" is in the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt (dated the late 13th century BCE), although scholars disagree on whether it refers to a people or a homeland.Barton & Bowden 2004, p. 126. "The Merneptah Stele... is arguably the oldest evidence outside the Bible for the existence of Israel as early as the 13th century BCE." The modern country was named Medinat Yisrael, or the State of Israel, after other proposed names, including Eretz Israel ("the Land of Israel"), Zion, and Judea, were rejected."Popular Opinion", The Palestine Post, 1947-12-07, pp. 1.  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."On the Move", TIME Magazine, 1948-05-31. Retrieved on 2007-08-06. 

History

Main article: History of the State of Israel

Further information: History of the Jews in the Land of Israel

Early roots

Further information: History of ancient Israel and Judah

Roman garrison ruins at the foot of the Masada by the Dead Sea.

The Land of Israel, known in Hebrew as Eretz Yisrael, has been sacred to the Jewish people since the time of the biblical patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible has placed this period in the early 2nd millennium BCE.Walking the Bible Timeline. Walking the Bible. Public Broadcast Television. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. According to the Torah, the Land of Israel was promised to the Jews as their homeland,From the King James Version of the Bible: "And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers." (Deuteronomy, 30:5)From the King James Version of the Bible: "But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there." (Nehemiah, 1:9) and the sites holiest to Judaism are located there. Around the 11th century BCE, the first of a series of Jewish kingdoms and states established rule over the region; these Jewish kingdoms and states ruled intermittently for the following one thousand years.Friedland & Hecht 2000, p. 8. "For a thousand years Jerusalem was the seat of Jewish sovereignty, the household site of kings, the location of its legislative councils and courts."

Between the time of the Jewish kingdoms and the 7th-century Muslim conquests, the Land of Israel fell under Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Sassanian, and Byzantine rule. "Ancient Palestine". Encarta. (2007). Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.  Jewish presence in the region dwindled after the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE and the resultant large-scale expulsion of Jews. Nevertheless, a continuous Jewish presence in Palestine was maintained. Although the main Jewish population shifted from the Judea region to the Galilee;Palestine: History. The Online Encyclopedia of the Roman Provinces. The University of South Dakota (2007-02-22). Retrieved on 2007-07-05. the Mishnah and part of the Talmud, among Judaism\'s most important religious texts, were composed in Israel during this period.Morçöl 2006, p. 304 The Land of Israel was captured from the Byzantine Empire around 636 CE during the initial Muslim conquests. Control of the region transferred between the Umayyads, "Palestine: The Rise of Islam". Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-19.  Abbasids, "Palestine: \'Abbasid rule". Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-19.  and Crusaders over the next six centuries, before falling in the hands of the Mamluk Sultanate, in 1260. In 1516, the Land of Israel became a part of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region until the 20th century. "Palestine: The Crusades". Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-19. 

Zionism and the British Mandate

Main articles: History of Zionism, Aliyah, British Mandate of Palestine, and British Conflict with Zionism

See also: 1922 Text: League of Nations Palestine Mandate, Jewish refugees, and Timeline of Zionism

Aliyah to Israel and settlement
Prior to the founding of Israel
Pre-Zionist Aliyah The Yishuv First Aliyah Second Aliyah During WWI Third Aliyah Fourth Aliyah Fifth Aliyah During and after WWII Berihah
After the founding of Israel
Operation Magic Carpet Operation Ezra and Nehemiah Jewish exodus from Arab lands Polish aliyah in 1968 Aliyah from the Soviet Union in the 1970s Aliyah from Ethiopia Aliyah from the Commonwealth of Independent States in the 1990s Aliyah from Latin America in the 2000s
Related topics
Jewish history • Jewish diaspora • History of the Jews in the Land of Israel • History of Zionism (Timeline) • Revival of Hebrew language
v • d • e

Jews living in the Diaspora have long aspired to return to Zion and the Land of Israel.Rosenzweig, p. 1. "Zionism, the urge of the Jewish people to return to Palestine, is almost as ancient as the Jewish diaspora itself. Some Talmudic statements... Almost a millennium later, the poet and philosopher Yehuda Halevi... In the 19th century..." That hope and yearning was articulated in the BibleFrom the King James Version of the Bible: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah, 2:3) and is a central theme in the Jewish prayer book. Beginning in the twelfth century, a small but steady stream of Jews began to leave Europe to settle in the Holy Land, increasing in numbers after Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492.Gilbert 2005, p. 2. "Jews sought a new homeland here after their expulsions from Spain (1492)..." During the 16th century large communities struck roots in the Four Holy Cities, and in the second half of the 18th century, entire Hasidic communities from eastern Europe settled in the Holy Land.Ausubel 1964, pp. 142–4

Theodor Herzl, visionary of the Jewish State

The first large wave of modern immigration, known as the First Aliyah (Hebrew: עלייה), began in 1881, as Jews fled pogroms in Eastern Europe.Immigration. Jewish Virtual Library. The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Retrieved on 2007-07-12. The source provides information on the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Aliyot in their respective articles. The White Paper leading to Aliyah Bet is discussed here. While the Zionist movement already existed in theory, Theodor Herzl is credited with founding political Zionism,Kornberg 1993 "How did Theodor Herzl, an assimilated German nationalist in the 1880s, suddenly in the 1890s become the founder of Zionism?" a movement which sought to establish a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, by elevating the Jewish Question to the international plane.Herzl 1946, p. 11 In 1896, Herzl published Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), offering his vision of a future state; the following year he presided over the first World Zionist Congress.Chapter One: The Heralders of Zionism. Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.

The Second Aliyah (1904–1914), began after the Kishinev pogrom. Some 40,000 Jews settled in Palestine. Both the first and second waves of migrants were mainly Orthodox Jews,Stein 2003, p. 88. "As with the First Aliyah, most Second Aliyah migrants were non-Zionist orthodox Jews..." but those in the Second Aliyah included socialist pioneers who established the kibbutz movement.Romano 2003, p. 30 During World War I, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued what became known as the Balfour Declaration, which "view[ed] with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."Balfour Declaration 1917. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. Yale University (1917-11-02). Retrieved on 2007-07-12. The Jewish Legion, a group of battalions composed primarily of Zionist volunteers, assisted in the British conquest of Israel. Arab opposition to the plan led to the 1920 Palestine riots and the formation of the Jewish defense organization known as the Haganah, from which the Irgun and Lehi split off.Scharfstein 1996, p. 269. "During the First and Second Aliyot, there were many Arab attacks against Jewish settlements... In 1920, Hashomer was disbanded and Haganah ("The Defense") was established."

In 1922, the League of Nations granted Great Britain a mandate over Palestine for the express purpose of "placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home".League of Nations: The Mandate for Palestine, July 24, 1922. Modern History Sourcebook. Fordham University (1922-07-24). Retrieved on 2007-08-27. The populations of the Ottoman districts in the area at this time were predominantly Muslim Arabs, while the largest urban area in the region, Jerusalem, was predominantly Jewish.J. V. W. Shaw , "A Survey of Palestine, Vol 1: Prepared in December 1945 and January 1946 for the Information of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry", Reprinted 1991 by The Institute for Palestine Studies, Washington, D.C., p.148

Jewish immigration continued with the Third Aliyah (1919–1923) and Fourth Aliyah (1924–1929), which together brought 100,000 Jews to Palestine. In the wake of the Jaffa riots in the early days of the Mandate, the British restricted Jewish immigration and territory slated for the Jewish state was allocated to Transjordan.Liebreich 2005, p. 34 The rise of Nazism in the 1930s led to the Fifth Aliyah, with an influx of a quarter of a million Jews. This influx resulted in the Arab revolt of 1936–1939 and led the British to cap immigration with the White Paper of 1939. With countries around the world turning away Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust, a clandestine movement known as Aliyah Bet was organized to bring Jews to Palestine. By the end of World War II, Jews accounted for 33% of the population of Palestine, up from 11% in 1922.The Population of Palestine Prior to 1948. MidEastWeb. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.Population Statistics. Israeli - Palestinian ProCon.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.

Independence and first years

Main articles: History of Israel, 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and Declaration of Independence (Israel)

See also: Israel and the United Nations, Jewish exodus from Arab lands, Palestinian exodus, and Sh\'erit ha-Pletah

David Ben-Gurion proclaiming Israeli independence on May 14, 1948 below a portrait of Theodor Herzl

After 1945 Britain became embroiled in an increasingly violent conflict with the JewsFraser 2004, p. 27. In 1947, the British government withdrew from commitment to the Mandate of Palestine, stating it was unable to arrive at a solution acceptable to both Arabs and Jews. (1949-04-20). "Background Paper No. 47 (ST/DPI/SER.A/47)". United Nations. Retrieved on 2007-07-31. The newly-created United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, dividing the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Jerusalem was to be designated an international city – a corpus separatum – administered by the UN to avoid conflict over its status.Best 2003, pp. 118–9 The Jewish community accepted the plan,History: Foreign Domination. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-10-01). Retrieved on 2007-07-06. but the Arab League and Arab Higher Committee rejected it.Bregman 2002, p. 40–1

Regardless, the State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, one day before the expiry of the British Mandate for Palestine.Part 3: Partition, War and Independence. The Mideast: A Century of Conflict. National Public Radio (2002-10-02). Retrieved on 2007-07-13. Not long after, five Arab countries – Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq – attacked Israel, launching the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After almost a year of fighting, a ceasefire was declared and temporary borders, known as the Green Line, were instituted. Jordan annexed what became known as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip. Israel was admitted as a member of the United Nations on May 11, 1949. (1949-05-11). "Two Hundred and Seventh Plenary Meeting". The United Nations. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. During the course of the hostilities, 711,000 Arabs, according to UN estimates, fled from Israel. (1950-10-23). "General Progress Report and Supplementary Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, Covering the Period from 11 December 1949 to 23 October 1950". The United Nations Conciliation Commission. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. (U.N. General Assembly Official Records, Fifth Session, Supplement No. 18, Document A/1367/Rev. 1) The fate of the Palestinian refugees today is a major point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Van Evera, Stephen. Nature of the Flashpoint (pdf). Center for International Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.Reveron & Murer 2006

In the early years of the state, the Labor Zionist movement led by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion dominated Israeli politics.Lustick 1988, pp. 37–9Israel (Labor Zionism). Country Studies. Library of Congress. These years were marked by mass immigration of Holocaust survivors and an influx of Jews persecuted in Arab lands. The population of Israel rose from 800,000 to two million between 1948 and 1958.Population, by Religion and Population Group. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-07. Most arrived as refugees with no possessions and were housed in temporary camps known as ma\'abarot. By 1952, over two hundred thousand immigrants were living in these tent cities. The need to solve the crisis led Ben-Gurion to sign a reparations agreement with West Germany that triggered mass protests by Jews angered at the idea of Israel "doing business" with Germany.Shindler 2002, pp. 49–50

Adolf Eichmann on trial in Jerusalem

During the 1950s, Israel was frequently attacked by Arab fedayeen, mainly from the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip.Gilbert 2005, p. 58 In 1956, Israel joined a secret alliance with Great Britain and France aimed at recapturing the Suez Canal, which the Egyptians had nationalized (see the Suez Crisis). Despite capturing the Sinai Peninsula, Israel was forced to retreat due to pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union in return for guarantees of Israeli shipping rights in the Red Sea and the Canal.The Suez Crisis. University of San Diego (2005-12-05). Retrieved on 2007-07-15.

At the start of the following decade, Israel captured Adolf Eichmann, an implementer of the Final Solution hiding in Argentina, and brought him to trial.Adolf Eichmann. Jewish Virtual Library. The trial had a major impact on public awareness of the HolocaustCole 2003, p. 27. "...the Eichmann trial, which did so much to raise public awareness of the Holocaust..." and to date Eichmann remains the only person sentenced to death by Israeli courts.Justice Ministry Reply to Amnesty International Report. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1995-07-05). Retrieved on 2007-08-10.

Conflicts and peace treaties

In 1967, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria massed troops close to Israeli borders, expelled UN peacekeepers and blocked Israel\'s access to the Red Sea. Israel saw these actions as a casus belli for a pre-emptive strike that launched the Six-Day War, during which it captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights.Smith 2006, p. 126. "Nasser, the Egyptian president, decided to mass troops in the Sinai...casus belli by Israel." The 1949 Green Line became the administrative boundary between Israel and the occupied territories. Jerusalem\'s boundaries were enlarged, incorporating East Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Law, passed in 1980, reaffirmed this measure and reignited international controversy over the status of Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Golda Meir, who resigned following the Yom Kippur War

In the early 1970s, Palestinian groups launched a wave of attacks against Israeli targets around the world, including a massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Israel responded with Operation Wrath of God, in which those responsible for the Munich massacre were tracked down and assassinated.Crowdy 2006, p. 333 On October 6, 1973, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack against Israel. The war ended on October 26 with Israel successfully repelling Egyptian and Syrian forces but suffering great losses.1973: Arab states attack Israeli forces. On This Day. The BBC. Retrieved on 2007-07-15. An internal inquiry exonerated the government of responsibility for the war, but public anger forced Prime Minister Golda Meir to resign.

The 1977 Knesset elections marked a major turning point in Israeli political history as Menachem Begin\'s Likud party took control from the Labor Party.Bregman 2002, pp. 169–70 "In hindsight we can say that 1977 was a turning point..." Later that year, Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat made a trip to Israel and spoke before the Knesset in what was the first recognition of Israel by an Arab head of state.Bregman 2002, pp. 171–4 In the two years that followed, Sadat and Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords and the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.Bregman 2002, pp. 186–7 Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and agreed to enter negotiations over an autonomy for Palestinians across the Green Line, a plan which was never implemented.

In 1982, Israel intervened in the Lebanese Civil War to destroy the bases from which the Palestine Liberation Organization launched attacks and missiles at northern Israel. That move developed into the First Lebanon War.Bregman 2002, p. 199 Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon in 1986, but maintained a borderland buffer zone until 2000. The First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule, "Intifada". Encarta. (2007). Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-09-16.  broke out in 1987 with waves of violence occurring in the occupied territories. Over the following six years, more than a thousand people were killed in the ensuing violence, much of which was internal Palestinian violence.Stone & Zenner 1994, p. 246. "Toward the end of 1991,... were the result of internal Palestinian terror." During the 1991 Gulf War, the PLO and many Palestinians supported Saddam Hussein and Iraqi missile attacks against Israel.Haberman, Clyde. "After 4 Years, Intifada Still Smolders", The New York Times, 1991-12-09. Retrieved on 2007-07-15. Mowlana, Gerbner & Schiller 1992, p. 111

Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat shake hands, presided over by Bill Clinton, at the signing of the Oslo Accords, September 13, 1993

In 1992, Yitzhak Rabin became Prime Minister following an election in which his party promoted compromise with Israel\'s neighbors.Bregman 2002, p. 236From the End of the Cold War to 2001. Boston College. Retrieved on 2007-07-16. The following year, Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas, on behalf of Israel and the PLO, signed the Oslo Accords, which gave the Palestinian National Authority the right to self-govern parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in return for recognition of Israel\'s right to exist and an end to terrorism.Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements. U.S. Department of State (1993-09-13). Retrieved on 2007-07-16. In 1994, the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace was signed, making Jordan the second Arab country to normalize relations with Israel.Harkavy & Neuman 2001, p. 270. "Even though Jordan in 1994 became the second country, after Egypt to sign a peace treaty with Israel..." Public support for the Accords waned as Israel was struck by a wave of attacks from Palestinians. The November 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a far-right-wing Jew, as he left a peace rally, shocked the country. At the end of the 1990s, Israel, under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, withdrew from HebronBregman 2002, p. 257 and signed the Wye River Memorandum, giving greater control to the Palestinian National Authority.The Wye River Memorandum. U.S. Department of State (1998-10-23). Retrieved on 2007-07-16.

Ehud Barak, elected Prime Minister in 1999, began the new millennium by withdrawing forces from Southern Lebanon and conducting negotiations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and U.S. President Bill Clinton at the July 2000 Camp David Summit. During the summit, Barak offered a plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state, but Yasser Arafat rejected it.Gelvin 2005, p. 240 After the collapse of the talks, Palestinians began the Second Intifada.

Ariel Sharon soon after became the new prime minister in a 2001 special election. During his tenure, Sharon carried out his plan to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and also spearheaded the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier."West Bank barrier route disputed, Israeli missile kills 2", The Associated Press (via USA Today), 2004-07-29. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.  In January 2006, after Ariel Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke which left him in a coma, the powers of office were transferred to Ehud Olmert. The kidnappings of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah and the shelling of settlements on Israel\'s northern border led to a five-week war, known in Israel as the Second Lebanon War. The conflict was brought to end by a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations. After the war, Israel\'s Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, resigned."Halutz resignation spurs calls for Olmert, Peretz to quit too", Haaretz, 2007-01-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. 

On November 27, 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to begin negotiations on all issues, and to make every effort reach an agreement by the end of 2008.

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Israel

View from Sansan mountain in the Shephelah

Israel is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bounded by Lebanon to the north, Syria and Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. The sovereign territory of Israel, excluding all territories captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, is approximately 20,770 square kilometers (8,019 sq mi) in area, of which two percent is water. The total area under Israeli law, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, is 22,072 square kilometers (8,522 sq mi).Area of Districts, Sub-Districts, Natural Regions and Lakes. Statistical Abstract of Israel. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (2006). The total area under Israeli control, including the military-controlled and partially Palestinian-governed territory of the West Bank, is 27,799 square kilometers (10,733 sq mi).Israel (Geography). Country Studies. The Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.

Ramon Crater, as seen from Mitzpe Ramon\'s promenade

Despite its small size, Israel is home to a variety of geographic features, from the Negev desert in the south to the mountain ranges of the Galilee, Carmel, and the Golan in the north. The Israeli Coastal Plain on the shores of the Mediterranean is home to seventy percent of the nation\'s population. East of the central highlands lies the Jordan Rift Valley, which forms a small part of the 6,500-kilometer (4,040-mi) Great Rift Valley. The Jordan River runs along the Jordan Rift Valley, from Mount Hermon through the Hulah Valley and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the Earth.The Living Dead Sea. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999-04-01). Retrieved on 2007-07-20. Unique to Israel and the Sinai Peninsula are makhteshim, or erosion cirques.Makhteshim Country. UNESCO. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. The largest makhtesh in the world is Ramon Crater in the Negev,Jacobs 1998, p. 284. "The extraordinary Makhtesh Ramon – the largest natural crater in the world..." which measures 40 kilometers by 8 kilometers (25 mi by 5 mi).Ramon R&D Center. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.

Temperatures in Israel vary widely, especially during the winter. The more mountainous regions can be windy, cold, and sometimes snowy; Mount Hermon\'s peak is covered with snow most of the year and Jerusalem usually receives at least one snowfall each year.Goldreich 2003, p. 85 Meanwhile, coastal cities, such as Tel Aviv and Haifa, have a typical Mediterranean climate with cool, rainy winters and long, hot summers. The highest temperature in whole Asia (53,7 degrees C 129 Fahrenheit) is recorded at Tirat Tsvi in the northern parts of the Jordan-valley. From May to September, rain in Israel is rare.Average Weather for Tel Aviv-Yafo. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.Average Weather for Jerusalem. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. With scarce water resources, Israel has developed various water-saving technologies, including drip irrigation.Sitton, Dov (2003-09-20). Development of Limited Water Resources- Historical and Technological Aspects. Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. Israelis also take advantage of the considerable sunlight available for solar energy; making Israel the leading nation in solar energy use per capita.Grossman, Gershon; Ayalon, Ofira; Baron, Yifaat; Kaufman, Debby. Solar energy for the production of heat. Samuel Neaman Institute. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Israel

See also: Human rights in Israel, List of political parties in Israel, and Israeli judicial system

The Knesset, home of the Israeli parliament

Israel operates under a parliamentary system as a democratic country with universal suffrage. The President of Israel is the head of state, but his duties are largely ceremonial.Field Listing - Executive Branch. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-06-19). Retrieved on 2007-07-20. A Parliament Member supported by a majority in parliament becomes the Prime Minister, usually the chairman of the largest party. The Prime Minister is the head of government and head of the Cabinet.In the 1990s, direct elections for Prime Minister were inaugurated but the system was declared unsatisfactory and the old one was brought back. Israel is governed by a 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset. Membership in the Knesset is based on proportional representation of political parties.The Electoral System in Israel. The Knesset. Retrieved on 2007-08-08. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, but the Knesset can dissolve the government at any time by a no-confidence vote. The Basic Laws of Israel function as an unwritten constitution. In 2003, the Knesset began to draft an official constitution based on these laws.Mazie 2006, p. 34

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Office of the President of Israel in 2007.

Israel has a three-tier court system. At the lowest level are magistrate courts, situated in most cities across the country. Above them are district courts, serving both as appellate courts and courts of first instance; they are situated in five of Israel\'s six districts. The third and highest tier in Israel is the Supreme Court, seated in Jerusalem. It serves a dual role as the highest court of appeals and the High Court of Justice. In the latter role, the Supreme Court rules as a court of first instance, allowing individuals, both citizens and non-citizens, to petition against decisions of state authorities.The Judiciary: The Court System. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-08-01). Retrieved on 2007-08-05."Israel’s high court unique in region", The Boston Herald, 2007-09-09. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.  Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court as it fears the court would be biased against it due to political pressure.Israel and the International Criminal Court. Office of the Legal Adviser to the