Israel

• Negev desert in the south;
• low coastal plain;
• central mountains;
• Jordan Rift Valley

highest point:

• Mitspe Shlagim 2,224 m;
• note - this is the highest named point, the actual highest point is an unnamed dome slightly to the west of Mitspe Shlagim at 2,236 m;
• both points are on the northeastern border of Israel, along the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range

lowest point:

Dead Sea -431 m

mean elevation:

508 m

• population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee;
• the south remains sparsely populated with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

• sandstorms may occur during spring and summer;
• droughts;
• periodic earthquakes

noun:

Israeli(s)

adjective:

Israeli

total:

30.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

29.6 years

female:

30.7 years

• population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee;
• the south remains sparsely populated with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.84 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

2.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

83.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

81.1 years

female:

85.1 years

total:

3.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

21.2% (2020 est.)

male:

28.9% (2020 est.)

female:

13.5% (2020 est.)

• limited arable land and restricted natural freshwater resources;
• desertification;
• air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
• groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

urban population:

92.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.51% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

19.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

65.17 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

13.02 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

5.4 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

1.35 million tons (2017 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

25% (2017 est.)

municipal:

1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

1.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

State of Israel

conventional short form:

Israel

local long form:

Medinat Yisra'el

local short form:

Yisra'el

former:

Mandatory Palestine

etymology:

• named after the ancient Kingdom of Israel;
• according to Biblical tradition, the Jewish patriarch Jacob received the name "Israel" ("He who struggles with God") after he wrestled an entire night with an angel of the Lord;
• Jacob's 12 sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel, who formed the Kingdom of Israel

name:

Jerusalem; note - the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017 without taking a position on the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty

geographic coordinates:

31 46 N, 35 14 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October

etymology:

• Jerusalem's settlement may date back to 2800 B.C.;
• it is named Urushalim in Egyptian texts of the 14th century B.C.;
• uru-shalim likely means "foundation of [by] the god Shalim", and derives from Hebrew/Semitic yry , "to found or lay a cornerstone", and Shalim , the Canaanite god of dusk and the nether world;
• Shalim was associated with sunset and peace and the name is based on the same S-L-M root from which Semitic words for "peace" are derived (Salam or Shalom in modern Arabic and Hebrew);
• this confluence has thus led to naming interpretations such as "The City of Peace" or "The Abode of Peace"

history:

no formal constitution; some functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws, and the Law of Return (as amended)

amendments:

• proposed by Government of Israel ministers or by the Knesset;
• passage requires a majority vote of Knesset members and subject to Supreme Court judicial review;
• 11 of the 13 Basic Laws have been amended at least once, latest in 2020 (Basic Law: the Knesset)

• 18 years of age;
• universal;
• 17 years of age for municipal elections

chief of state:

President Isaac HERZOG (since 7 July 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Benyamin NETANYAHU (since 29 December 2022)

cabinet:

Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by the Knesset for a single 7-year term;
• election last held on 2 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2028);
• following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, tasks a Knesset member (usually the member of the largest party) with forming a new government

election results:

2021: Isaac HERZOG elected president; Knesset vote in first round - Isaac HERZOG (independent) 87, Miriam PERETZ (independent) 26, invalid/blank 7; 2014: Reuven RIVLIN elected president in second round; Knesset vote - Reuven RIVLIN (Likud) 63, Meir SHEETRIT (The Movement) 53, other/invalid 4

description:

unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 1 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)

election results:

• percent by party - Likud 23.4%, Yesh Atid 17.8%, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 10.8%, National Unity 9.1%, Shas 8.2%, UTJ 5.9%, Yisrael Beiteinu 4.5%, United Arab List 4.1%, Hadash-Ta'al 3.8%, Labor 3.7%, Meretz 3.2%, other 1.6%;
• seats by party - Likud 32, Yesh Atid 24, Religious Zionism (electoral alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power, and Noam) 14, National Unity 12, Shas 11, UTJ 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, Hadash-Ta'al 5, United Arab List 5, Labor 4;
• composition - men 90, women 30, percentage women 25%

note 1: a 3.25% vote threshold is required to gain representation

note 2: following the 1 November 2022 election, the Religious Zionism Alliance split into its three constituent parties in the Knesset: Religious Zionism 7 seats, Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) 6, and Noam 1

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court (consists of the president, deputy president, 13 justices, and 2 registrars) and normally sits in panels of 3 justices;
• in special cases, the panel is expanded with an uneven number of justices

judge selection and term of office:

• judges selected by the 9-member Judicial Selection Committee, consisting of the Minister of Justice (chair), the president of the Supreme Court, two other Supreme Court justices, 1 other Cabinet minister, 2 Knesset members, and 2 representatives of the Israel Bar Association;
• judges can serve up to mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

• district and magistrate courts;
• national and regional labor courts;
• family and juvenile courts;
• special and Rabbinical courts

• Balad
• Blue and White
• Hadash
• Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit)
• Labor Party or HaAvoda
• Likud
• Meretz
• National Unity (alliance includes Blue and White and New Hope)
• New Hope
• Noam
• Religious Zionism (election alliance of Religious Zionist Party, Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit), and Noam)
• Religious Zionist Party
• Shas
• Ta'al
• United Arab List
• United Torah Judaism or UTJ (alliance includes Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah)
• Yesh Atid
• Yisrael Beiteinu

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael HERZOG (since 1 December 2021)

chancery:

3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 364-5500

FAX:

[1] (202) 364-5607

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://embassies.gov.il/washington/Pages/default.aspx

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

• white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag;
• the basic design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes;
• the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times

note: the Israeli flag proclamation states that the flag colors are sky blue and white, but the exact shade of blue has never been set and can vary from a light to a dark blue

name:

"Hatikvah" (The Hope)

lyrics/music:

Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN

note: adopted 2004, unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Samuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song "Carul cu boi" (The Ox Driven Cart)

total World Heritage Sites:

9 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Masada;
• Old City of Acre;
• White City of Tel-Aviv - the Modern Movement;
• Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba;
• Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev;
• Bahá’i Holy Places;
• Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel;
• Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin;
• Necropolis of Bet She’arim

• high-income, technology- and industrial-based economy;
• economic contraction and fiscal deficits resulting from war in Gaza;
• labor force stabilizing following military reservist mobilization;
• high-tech industry remains resilient while construction and tourism among hardest-hit sectors

Fitch rating:

A+ (2016)

Moody's rating:

A1 (2008)

Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2018)

note: the year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

1.3% (2021 est.)

industry:

17.2% (2021 est.)

services:

72.4% (2021 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

6% (2023 est.)

male:

6.1% (2023 est.)

female:

5.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

16% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

2.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.9% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

27.1% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

6.476 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

8.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

6.561 million metric tons (2022 est.)

total petroleum production:

15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

230,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

12.73 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

22.886 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

consumption:

11.51 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports:

9.578 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports:

59.369 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

176.018 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• Israel’s developed economy largely revolves around high technology products and services, primarily used in the medical, biotechnology, agricultural, materials, and military industries;
• the country also attracts investment in its cyber-security industry, and has established itself as a hub for thousands of start-up companies;
• to underpin these developments, Israel has developed a robust telecoms sector;
• household broadband subscriptions is high, with a focus on fiber-network deployment;
• LTE services are almost universally available, while the August 2020 multi-frequency bands also enabled the MNOs to provide services based on 5G;
• 5G will be supported by moves to close down GSM and 3G networks in stages through to the end of 2025, with the physical assets and frequencies to be repurposed for LTE and 5G use (2023)

domestic:

fixed-line nearly 39 per 100 and nearly 140 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

international:

• country code - 972;
• landing points for the MedNautilus Submarine System, Tameres North, Jonah and Lev Submarine System, submarine cables that provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East;
• satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)

• the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (est 2015) broadcasts on 3 channels, two in Hebrew and the other in Arabic;
• multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels;
• the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations;
• about 15 privately owned radio stations;
• overall more than 100 stations and repeater stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

6 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 64

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

7,404,373 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

994.54 million (2018) mt-km

total:

1,497 km (2021) (2019)

standard gauge:

1,497 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge

total:

20,391 km

paved:

20,391 km (2021) (includes 449 km of expressways)

total ports:

5 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

2

very small:

2

ports with oil terminals:

4

key ports:

Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat, Hadera, Haifa

• the majority of the IDF's inventory is comprised of weapons that are domestically produced or imported from Europe and the US;
• the US has been the leading supplier of arms in recent years;
• Israel has a broad defense industrial base that can develop, produce, support, and sustain a wide variety of weapons systems for both domestic use and export, particularly armored vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, air defense, and guided missiles (2024)

• 18 years of age for compulsory military service;
• 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
• Jews and Druze can be conscripted;
• Christians, Circassians, and Muslims may volunteer;
• both sexes are obligated to military service;
• conscript service obligation is 32 months for enlisted men and about 24 months for enlisted women (varies based on military occupation);
• officers serve 48 months;
• Air Force pilots commit to 9 years of service;
• reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), age 24 (women) (2024)

note: the IDF recruits foreign Jews and non-Jews with a minimum of one Jewish grandparent, as well as converts to Judaism; each year the IDF brings in about 800-1,000 foreign recruits from around the world

• Israel Space Agency (ISA; established 1983 under the Ministry of Science and Technology; origins go back to the creation of a National Committee for Space Research, established 1960);
• Ministry of Defense Space Department (2024)