Israel - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Israel, it was 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. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
National symbols
Star of David (Magen David), menorah (seven-branched lampstand); national colors: blue, white.
The flag
The National flag of Israel has 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.
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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
The National Anthem
| Title | "Hatikvah" (The Hope) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN |
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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)
More about the government of Israel
| Date of Independence | 14 May 1948 (following League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002 |
| Constitution | |
| 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) |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Israel |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes, but naturalized citizens are not allowed to maintain dual citizenship |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 3 out of the 5 years preceding the application for naturalization |
| Executive Branch | |
| 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
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| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote, with a 3.25% vote threshold to gain representation; 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 - 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 |
| Judicial branch | |
| 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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Jacob J. LEW (since 5 November 2023) |
| Embassy | 14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem, 9378322 |
| Mailing address | 6350 Jerusalem Place, Washington DC 20521-6350 |
| Telephone | [972] (2) 630-4000 |
| FAX | [972] (2) 630-4070 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://il.usembassy.gov/ |
| Branch office(s) | Tel Aviv |
| National heritage | |
| 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 |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Israel
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Israel
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