The Nation of Israel has an interesting governmental system which draws many similarities to that of the United States’. There is one President, or Prime Minister, who serves as the Chief of Parliament, or The Knesset, as it is referred to in Israel. The President may serve a maximum of two terms in office, with each term lasting no more than five years. There is no Vice Presidential position, and therefore, it is the duty of those in The Knesset to fulfill the Prime Minister’s respective roles when he or she is unable to do so. Much like the President of the United States, Israel’s Prime Minister is in charge of appointing judges, selecting cabinet members, and appointing ambassadors as well as other diplomatic representatives. The Knesset is a division of political members who consult with one another as well as the Prime Minister when discussing political treaties, foreign affairs, and newly proposed laws. While Israel’s government resembles a Democracy, there are laws in this nation which tend to pose a bias in favor of the Jewish citizens- and thus separate this nation from being purely democratic. An example of this is Israel’s “Law of Return” which “provides automatic Israeli citizenship for Jewish immigrants, whereas Palestinian refugees who were born and raised in what is now Israel are denied even the right to return home” (http://www.jerusalemites.org/articles/english/2007/febraury/151.htm).
Today, Israel’s government is classified as a parliamentary democracy consisting of the same three governmental branches as those in the United States: the Legislative branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. At the helm of this government is President Shimon Peres, Israel’s ninth president since their establishment in 1948. As of recently, President Peres has shifted Israel’s focus towards military and defense, as they have consistently faced threats from the surrounding nations, specifically Iran. Although this country has a Parliamentary Democracy, it has no constitution, but rather, has acquired a majority of the English and British common laws for its legal system.
While Israel’s political and foreign affairs have continuously wavered since its establishment, its economy has remained strong throughout the majority of its existence as a nation. As of 2008, Israel’s gross domestic product was more than 100 billion dollars in total, while its unemployment rate was relatively low, at 10%. It relies heavily on the exportation of products such as diamonds, textiles, machinery, and software for its income, while relying on its own agricultural production to suffice 75% of its domestic needs (http://looklex.com/e.o/israel_2.htm). Israel’s economy is well-known for its advancements in technology, which make it a primary exporter of such goods as computers and weapon technology. Primarily, these exports reach the shores of the United States, Belgium, and Hong Kong. Its imports consist of oil, military equipment, grain, and raw materials, which are primarily received from countries such as the United States, Belgium, China, Germany, Switzerland, and a few others. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html). For the past six years, up until the year 2008, this countries economy had continued to expand at a rate of more than 5% annually, giving it one of the most diversified and successful economies in the Middle Eastern region. Recently however, it has experienced economical downfalls much like the rest of the world, with its GDP rate falling from $185 billion in the year 2007 to a little more than $105 billion in the year 2008 (http://looklex.com/e.o/israel_2.htm). The Israeli “shekel” is the type of currency used, as about four shekels are equal to one American dollar. With most of the Israeli tax dollars going towards maintaining the defense system, Israeli economists are expecting more of the Israel shekels to revive the Israeli economy in the following months, as military spending continues to decline.
Citations for Economy, Government, and Historical Information:
Qumsiyeh, Mazin. “Is Israel a Democracy?” Jerusalemites. 15 February, 2007. http://www.jerusalemites.org/articles/english/2007/febraury/151.htm).
C.I.A. “Israel.” Central Intelligence Agency: World Factbook. 18 December, 2008. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html
Coutsoukis, Photius. “Israel the President.” Israel Government. 10 November, 2004. http://www.photius.com/countries/israel/government/israel_government_the_president.html
Kjeilen, Tore. “Israel/Economy.” Looklex Encyclopaedia. 1996-2008. http://looklex.com/e.o/israel_2.htm
Science.co “Brief History of Israel and the Jewish People.” Israel History and Technology Homepage. 1999-2008. http://www.science.co.il/Israel-history.asp
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Wow, I learned a lot from reading your post about Israel. I didn't really know much to begin with but I did not know that they had such a low unemployment percentage. I also found it interesting that Israel only imports 25% of its food. Unlike my country which imports the majority of its food and the only real export they have is oil.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that the Israeli government is planning on spending less in the future for the military and weapons. It seems to me that that place has always been at war and I guess I felt that it mostly will be.