Capital: Jerusalem
note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May 1948 (Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May)

Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law

Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election last held 24 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected by Knesset
head of government: Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet; selected from and approved by the Knesset

Legislative branch: unicameral
parliament (Knesset): elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor Party 44, Likud bloc 32, Meretz 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious Party 6, Shas 6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2; note - in 1994 three new parties were formed, Yi'ud (from Tzomet), Histadrut List (from the Labor Party), and Peace Guard (from Moledet), resulting in the following new distribution of seats - Labor Party 41, Likud bloc 32, Meretz 12, National Religious Party 6, Shas 6, Tzomet 5, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Yi'ud 3, Histadrut List 3, Moledet 2, Arab Democratic Party 2, Peace Guard 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
members of the government: Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN; MERETZ, Minister of Communications Shulamit ALONI
not in coalition, but voting with the government: SHAS, Arieh DERI; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), Hashim MAHAMID; Arab Democratic Party, Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH; Histadrut List, Haim RAMON
opposition parties: Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU; Tzomet, Rafael EITAN; National Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; United Torah Jewry, Avraham SHAPIRA; Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI; Yi'ud, Gonen SEGEV; Peace Guard, Shoul GUTMAN
note: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 3 parties that hold 56 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats
Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
Member of: AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (oberver), EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 364-5500
FAX: (202) 364-5610
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward DJEREJIAN (expected to resign in August 1994)
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, Tel Aviv; APO AE 09830
telephone: [972] (3) 517-4338
FAX: [972] (3) 663-449

Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

NOTE: The information regarding Israel on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Israel Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Israel Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.