Background Notes: Israel
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Jan 15, 19911/15/91
Category: Country Data
Region: MidEast/North Africa
Country: Israel
Subject: Cultural Exchange, Resource Management,
Military Affairs, History, Trade/Economics,
International Organizations, Regional/Civil Unrest
[TEXT]
Official Name: State of Israel
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 20,325 sq. km(1). (7,850 sq. mi.); about the size of New
Jersey. Cities: Capital(2)-Jerusalem. Other cities-Tel Aviv, Haifa.
Terrain: Plains, mountains, desert, and coast. Climate: Temperate,
except in desert areas.
People
Population (1990): 4.7 million. Annual growth rate: 1.8%. Ethnic
groups: Jewish 82%, non-Jewish (18%, mostly Arab). Religions:
Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Druze. Languages: Hebrew, Arabic,
English. Education: Years compulsory-12. Literacy-Jewish 88%; Arab
70%. Health: Infant mortality rate (1988)-10/1,000. Life
expectancy-76. yrs. Work force: Public and community services-
29.5%. Industry-21.6%. Commerce, restaurants, hotels-14.5%.
Finance and business-10%. Personal and other services-7.4%.
Transport, storage, communications-6.4%. Agriculture, forestry, and
fisheries-4.9%. Construction-4.7%. Electricity and water-1%.
Organized labor-90% of labor force.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy. Independence: May 14, 1948.
Constitution: No written document. Branches: Executive-president
(chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative-
unicameral, Knesset. Judicial-Supreme Court. Administrative
subdivisions: Six administrative districts. Political parties: Likud
bloc (Herut-Liberal alliance), Labor Alignment, National Religious
Party, Tehiya, and numerous smaller parties, including a communist
party. Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Flag: White field on which is centered a blue six-pointed Star of
David bordered above and below by blue horizontal stripes (design
based on Jewish prayer shawl).
Economy
GNP: (1989) $42.7 billion. Annual growth rate: (1989) 1.1%. Per
capita income: (1989) $9,460. Annual inflation rate (1989): 21%.
Natural resources: Copper, phosphate, bromide, potash, clay, sand,
sulphur, bitumen, manganese. Agriculture: Products-citrus and other
fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy, poultry products. Industry: Types-
food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and
clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment,
electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high
technology, electronics. Trade: Exports-(1989) $10.3 billion:
polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing,
processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, electronics.
Tourism is also an important foreign exchange earner. Imports-
$13.2 billion: military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals,
machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, and
aircraft. Major partners-US, FRG, UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg.
Official exchange rate: On August 1, 1986, the Israeli shekel became
linked to a weighted basket of 5 currencies. The US dollar accounts
for approximately 60% of the weight of the basket; the West German
mark, 20%, British pound sterling, 10%, and the French franc and
Japanese yen, 5% each. As of Sept. 10, 1990, the exchange rate of
the New Israeli Shekel to the basket of currencies was 2.4
(approximately 2.08 NIS = US $1).
Membership in International Organizations:
UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, including the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); INTELSAT and others.
(1) Includes Jerusalem.(2 )Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital
in 1950. The United States, like nearly all other countries,
maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv.
PEOPLE
Of the estimated 4.7 million Israelis in 1990, about 3.9
million were Jews. The non-Jewish minority has quintupled since
1948. The Jewish population has sextupled since independence, with
more than half of the increase due to immigration. Nearly half of
these immigrants were from the Arab countries of the Near East and
North Africa. Since 1973, however, immigration has declined and in
1985, 1986, and 1988, Jewish emigration exceeded immigration. In
1984-85, Ethiopian Jews accounted for a large portion of
immigrants. Immigration of Jews from the Soviet Union grew in
1989 and 1990 due to the relaxation of emigration restrictions by
the USSR. About 13,000 Soviet Jews emigrated to Israel in 1989,
and 185,000 did so in 1990. This is the largest wave of
immigration to Israel since the years immediately after
independence.
The three broad Jewish groupings are: the Askenazim, or Jews
who came to Israel mainly from Europe, North and South America,
South Africa, and Australia; the Sephardim, who trace their origin
to Spain and Portugal; and Eastern or Oriental Jews, who descend
from ancient communities in Islamic lands.
Of the non-Jewish population, about 76% are Muslims; 14% are
Christians; and about 10% are Druze and others. Most non-Jews are
Arabs, but a small number of Europeans are permanent residents.
Education between ages 5 and 16 is free and compulsory. The
school system is organized into kindergartens, 6-year primary
schools, 3-year junior secondary schools, and 3-year senior
secondary schools, after which a comprehensive matriculation
examination is offered for university admission. There are seven
university-level institutions.
Cultural Achievements
With a population drawn from more than 100 countries on 5
continents, Israeli society is rich in cultural diversity and artistic
creativity. The arts are actively encouraged and supported by the
government.
The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra performs throughout the
country and frequently tours abroad. The Jerusalem Symphony, the
orchestra of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, also tours
frequently, as do the Israeli and Kibbutz Chamber Orchestras.
Almost every municipality and small agricultural settlement has a
chamber orchestra or ensemble. Folkdancing, drawing from the
cultural heritage of many immigrant groups, is very popular. Israel
also has several professional ballet and modern dance companies.
There is great public interest in the theater. The repertoire
covers the entire range of classical and contemporary drama,
including plays by Israeli authors. Of the three major repertory
companies, the most famous, Habimah, was founded in 1917. Active
artist colonies thrive in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Harod, and Israeli
painters and sculptors exhibit and sell their works worldwide. Haifa
and Tel Aviv have excellent art museums, and many towns and
kibbutzim have smaller high-quality museums. The Israel Museum in
Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive
collection of Jewish religious and folk art. The Museum of the
Diaspora is located on the campus of Tel Aviv University. Israelis
are avid newspaper readers, with a total daily circulation of
500,000-600,000 copies or 12-14 papers per 100 people. Major
daily papers are in Hebrew; others are in Arabic, English, French,
Polish, Yiddish, Russian, Hungarian, and German.
HISTORY
The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was preceded by
more than a half century of efforts by Zionist leaders to establish a
sovereign nation as a homeland for Jews. Attachment to the land of
Israel is a recurrent theme in Jewish scripture and writing. The
desire of Jews to return to what is to them their rightful homeland
was first expressed during the Babylonian exile and became a
universal Jewish theme after the destruction of Jerusalem by the
Romans in AD 70 and the dispersal that followed.
It was not until the founding of the Zionist movement by
Theodore Herzl at the end of the l9th century that practical steps
were taken toward securing international sanction for large-scale
Jewish settlement in Palestine-then a part of the Ottoman Empire.
The Balfour Declaration in 1917 asserted the British Government's
support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This
declaration was supported by a number of other countries, including
the United States, and became more important following World War
I, when the United Kingdom was assigned the Palestine Mandate by
the League of Nations.
Jewish immigration grew slowly in the 1920s; it increased
substantially in the 1930s due to political turmoil in Europe and
Nazi persecution, until restrictions were imposed. After the end of
WWII and the revelation of the near-extermination of European
Jewry by the Nazis, international support for Jews seeking to settle
in Palestine overcame British efforts to restrict immigration.
International support for establishing a Jewish state led to
the adoption in November 1947 of the UN Partition Plan, which
called for dividing the Mandate of Palestine into a Jewish and an
Arab state and for establishing Jerusalem separately as an
international city under UN administration. Violence between the
Arab and Jewish communities erupted almost immediately. Toward
the end of the British mandate, the Jews planned to declare a
separate state, a development the Arabs were determined to
prevent.
On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed. The
following day, armies from neighboring Arab nations entered the
former mandate of Palestine and fought Israeli defense forces.
Under UN auspices, in 1949, four armistice agreements were
negotiated and signed at Rhodes, Greece, between Israel and its
neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. After the 1948-49
war, the Jewish state encompassed almost 50% more territory than
the total allotted to it under the UN Partition Plan, and included
within its boundaries the western sector of Jerusalem.
No general peace settlement was achieved at Rhodes, however,
and for many years violence along the borders continued. In October
1956, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula at the
same time that operations by French and British forces against
Egypt were taking place in the Suez Canal area. Israeli forces
withdrew in March 1957 after the United nations established the UN
Emergency Force (UNEF) in the Gaza Strip and Sinai.
In 1966-67, terrorist incidents and retaliatory acts across
the armistice demarcation lines increased. In May 1967, after
tension had developed between Syria and Israel, Egyptian President
Nasser moved armaments and about 80,000 troops into the Sinai and
ordered a withdrawal of UNEF troops from the armistice line and
Sharm El-Sheikh. Nasser then closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli
ships, blockading the Israeli port of Eilat at the northern end of the
Gulf of Aqaba. On May 30, Jordan and Egypt signed a mutual defense
treaty.
In response to these events, Israeli forces attacked Egypt,
Jordan, and Syria on June 5. After 6 days of fighting, when all
parties had accepted the cease-fire called for by UN Security
Council Resolutions 235 and 236, Israel controlled the Sinai
Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the Kuneitra (Golan) sector of Syria, and
the formerly Jordanian-controlled West Bank of the Jordan River,
including East Jerusalem. On November 22, 1967, the Security
Council adopted Resolution 242, the "land for peace" formula, which
called for the establishment of a just and lasting peace that should
be based on Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 in
exchange for the end of all states of belligerency, respect for the
sovereignty of all states in the area, and the right to live in peace
within secure, recognized boundaries.
In early 1969, fighting broke out between Egypt and Israel
along the Suez Canal. The United States helped to end these
hostilities in August 1970, but subsequent US efforts to negotiate
an interim agreement to open the Suez Canal and achieve
disengagement of forces were unsuccessful.
On October 6, 1973, Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of
Atonement), Syrian and Egyptian forces attacked Israeli positions in
Golan and along the Suez Canal. Initially, Syria and Egypt made
significant advances against Israeli forces. However, Israel
recovered on both fronts, pushed the Syrians back beyond the 1967
cease-fire lines, and recrossed the canal to take a salient on its
west bank.
The October war was followed by renewed and intensive
efforts toward peace. The United States and the Soviet Union took
the lead in helping to bring about a cease-fire. In the Security
Council, the United States supported Resolution 338, which
reaffirmed Resolution 242 as the framework for peace and called,
for the first time, for negotiations between the parties to achieve
this.
The cease-fire did not end the sporadic clashes along the
cease-fire lines or dissipate military tensions. The United States
tried to help the parties reach agreement on cease-fire
stabilization and military disengagement. On March 5, 1974, Israeli
forces withdrew from the canal, and Egypt assumed control. Syria
and Israel signed a disengagement agreement on May 31, 1974, and
the UN Disengagement and Observer Force (UNDOF) was established
as a peacekeeping force in the Golan. Further US efforts resulted in
an interim agreement between Egypt and Israel in September 1975,
which provided for another Israeli withdrawal in the Sinai, a
limitation of forces, and three observation stations staffed by US
civilians in a UN-maintained buffer zone between Egyptian and
Israeli forces.
In November 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat broke the
30-year cycle of hostilities with Israel by visiting Jerusalem at
the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. During a
2-day visit, which included a speech before the Knesset, the
Egyptian leader created a new psychological climate in the Middle
East where peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors seemed a
realistic possibility. By this act, Sadat recognized Israel's right to
exist and established the basis for direct negotiations between
Egypt and Israel.
In September 1978, US President Jimmy Carter invited
President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin to meet with him at Camp
David, where they agreed on a framework for peace between Israel
and Egypt and for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. It set
out broad principles to guide negotiations between Israel and the
Arab states. It also established guidelines for a West Bank-Gaza
transitional regime of full autonomy and for a peace treaty between
Egypt and Israel. The treaty was signed on March 26, 1979, by Begin
and Sadat, with President Carter signing as witness. They agreed
that negotiations on a transitional regime of autonomy for the West
Bank and Gaza would begin 1 month after ratification. Under the
peace treaty, Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt in April 1982. In
1989, the Governments of Israel and Egypt concluded an agreement
that resolved the status of Taba, a resort area in the Gulf of Aqaba.
In the years following the 1948 war, Israel's border with
Lebanon was quiet, compared to its borders with other neighbors.
After the expulsion of the Palestinian fedayeen from Jordan in 1970
and their influx into southern Lebanon, however, hostilities by
Palestinian fedayeen against Israel's northern border increased. In
March 1978, after a series of clashes between the Palestinians in
Lebanon and Israel, Israeli forces crossed into Lebanon. After the
passage of Security Council Resolution 425, calling for Israeli
withdrawal, and the creation of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon
peacekeeping force (UNIFIL), Israel withdrew its troops. In July
1981, after additional fighting between Israel and the Palestinians
in Lebanon, President Reagan's special envoy, Philip C. Habib, helped
secure a cease-fire between the parties. In June 1982, after an
assassination attempt on the Israeli Ambassador to Britain, Israel
invaded Lebanon to fight the forces of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO). In August 1982, the PLO withdrew its forces
from Lebanon. With US assistance in May 1983, Israel and Lebanon
reached an accord that set the stage to withdraw Israeli forces
from Lebanon. However, the instruments of ratification were never
exchanged, and in March 1984, Lebanon, under pressure from Syria,
canceled the agreement. In June 1985, Israel withdrew most of its
troops from Lebanon. A small residual Israeli force and an Israeli-
supported militia remain in southern Lebanon in a "security zone,"
regarded by Israel as a necessary buffer against attacks on its
northern territory.
GOVERNMENT
Israel is a parliamentary democracy. Its governmental system
is based on several basic laws enacted by its unicameral
parliament, the Knesset. The president (chief of state) is elected by
the Knesset for a 5-year term. The prime minister (head of
government) exercises executive power. Traditionally, the president
selects as prime minister that party leader most able to form a
government. The prime minister and other members of the cabinet
must be approved by the Knesset, to which they are individually and
collectively responsible. Cabinet membership is negotiated among
the parties forming the coalition.
The Knesset's 120 members are elected by secret ballot to 4-
year terms, although the prime minister may decide to call for new
elections before the end of its term. Voting is for party lists rather
than for individual candidates, and the total number of seats
assigned each party reflects the percentage of the total vote cast in
the elections for the party. Successful Knesset candidates are
drawn from the lists in order of party-assigned rank. Under the
present electoral system, all members of the Knesset are elected at
large.
The Independent judicial system includes secular and
religious courts. The courts do not have the right of judicial review
of the Knesset's legislation. Judicial interpretation is restricted to
problems of execution of laws and validity of subsidiary legislation.
The highest court in Israel is the Supreme Court, whose judges are
appointed by the president.
Israel is divided into six districts, each headed by a
commissioner appointed by the central government. The
commissioners are responsible to the Minister of Interior. The
Ministry of Defense is responsible for the administration of the
occupied territories.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
From the founding of Israel in 1948 until the election of May
1977, Israel was ruled by a coalition government led by the Labor
Alignment or its constituent parties. From 1967-70, the coalition
government included all of Israel's parties, except the communist
party. After the 1977 election, the Likud bloc, then composed of
Herut, the Liberals, and the smaller La'am Party, came to power,
forming a coalition with the National Religious Party, Agudat
Israel, and others. As head of the Likud, Menachem Begin became
Prime Minister. The Likud retained power in the succeeding election
in June 1981, and Begin remained Prime Minister. In late summer of
1983, Begin resigned and was succeeded by his Foreign Minister,
Yitzhak Shamir.
After losing a Knesset vote of confidence early in 1984,
Shamir was forced to call for new elections, held in July of that
year. The vote was split among numerous parties and provided no
clear winner, leaving both Labor and Likud considerably short of a
Knesset majority. Neither Labor nor Likud was able to attract
enough small party support to form a narrow coalition, and after
several weeks of difficult negotiations, they agreed on a broadly
based government of national unity. The agreement provided for the
rotation of the office of prime minister and the combined office of
vice prime minister and foreign minister mid-way through the
government's 50-month term. During the first 25 months of unity
government rule, Labor's Shimon Peres served as prime minister,
while Likud's Shamir held the posts of vice prime minister and
foreign minister. Peres and Shamir switched position in October
1986.
The November 1988 elections resulted in a similar coalition
government. Likud edged Labor out by one seat but was unable to
form a coalition with the religious and right-wing parties. Likud
and Labor formed another National Unity Government (NUG) in
January 1989 without providing for rotation. Yitzhak Shamir became
prime minister and Shimon Peres became vice prime minister and
finance minister.
The National Unity Government fell on March 15, 1990, in a
no-confidence vote precipitated by disagreement over the
government's response to US Secretary of State Baker's initiative
in the peace process. Labor Party leader Peres was unable to
attract sufficient support among the religious parties to form a
government. Yitzhak Shamir then formed a Likud-led coalition
government including members from religious and right-wing
parties. This government took office in June 1990.
Three Major Voting Blocs Labor Alignment. The Labor Alignment's
support traditionally has been based on the Histadrut (General
Federation of Labor), the kibbutzim, and the middle- and upper-
middle classes of European or Sabra (Israeli-born) origin. Its
socialist ethic dominated Israeli policy until Likud's 1977 victory.
Recently, Labor's economic orientation is becoming more pragmatic.
Likud. The Likud draws much of its support from the Sephardic
and Eastern Jews and traditionally has represented the center/right
wing element of the Israeli spectrum. Likud advocates a greater
role for the free market in the Israeli economy.
Religious Parties. National Religious Party (NRP), Agudat
Israel, and the Sephardic Torah Guardians Association (SHAS)
represent the interests of the Orthodox public. They often provide
the crucial balance in coalition politics.
Chaim Herzog, a member of the Labor Party and a former
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, was reelected president
by the Knesset in 1988.
ECONOMY
Israel has a mixed economy with substantial government
participation and controlled prices for basic commodities. It
depends on imports of oil, food, grain, raw material, and military
equipment. It is poor in natural resources but well endowed with
skilled labor. Israel's strong commitment to economic development
and its talented work force led to economic growth rates during the
nation's first two decades that frequently exceeded 10% annually.
This development transformed the Israeli economy into a modern
industrial and service economy with a per capita income roughly
comparable to those of Ireland, Spain, and Greece.
In 1989, GNP was almost $43 billion. The major industrial
sectors are metal products, electronic equipment, food processing,
chemical and oil products, transport equipment, and rubber and
plastic products. Israel's growth rate began to slow in the mid-
1970s, primarily due to high inflation that peaked in the first half
of the 1980s. In July 1985, the government began a comprehensive
economic stabilization program to attack inflation and the balance-
of-payments deficit. The United States helped finance the program
by providing $1.5 billion in emergency economic aid. This program
reduced inflation to about 20% in 1986 and economic growth
increased. However, progress on capital market and tax reform and
privatization of state enterprises has been slow.
In late 1987, the pace of economic activity in Israel
slackened. This slowdown continued and deepened in 1988 with
economic growth registering its lowest level since 1982, inflation
remaining around 20% and unemployment in the first quarter of
1989 reaching its highest level since 1967. Israel's economic
slowdown has been affected by the Palestinian uprising in the
Occupied Territories.
In October 1984, the United States and Israel agreed to
establish a Joint Economic Development Group to study the Israeli
economic situation and discuss ways in which the United States
could help Israel's recovery efforts.
Labor
An important aspect of Israeli life is the vast, multifaceted
organization known as the Histadrut. The Histadrut was inspired by
the Zionist-socialist ideas of East European and Russian Jews who
emigrated to Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland. The purpose
of the Histadrut before the formation of the State of Israel in 1948
was to encourage Jewish immigration to Palestine and to help
ensure that new arrivals had housing and employment.
The Histadrut is divided into three main departments: labor
unions; industrial and commercial enterprises; and the health and
welfare department. It plays a major role in labor-management
relations and in formulating Israel's economic and social policies. It
also operates major companies, a bank, and an extensive social
insurance system.
Internationally, the Histadrut has close contacts with labor
unions in the West, especially the AFL-CIO, and has developed
working relations with Asian and African labor unions, even in
countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations.
Trade Israel's balance-of-payments traditionally has been
characterized by a large excess of imports over exports, which has
been offset by capital inflows. In 1989, exports totaled $10.9
billion and imports (not including defense) $12.7 billion, yielding a
trade deficit of $1.8 billion. Net capital inflows totaled $4.9 billion,
of which the United States provided $1.2 billion in economic
assistance. Other major sources of capital flows are Israel bond
sales and remittances from the United Jewish Appeal.
The United States is Israel's principal trading partner,
supplying about 19% of Israel's total imports and taking about 30%
of its exports. In 1985, the two countries concluded a free trade
area agreement that will eliminate duties on commodity trade
between the countries by 1995. Israel also has an industrial free
trade area agreement with the European Community (EC) and enjoys
preferential tariff reductions for agricultural exports to it. EC
nations account for about one-third of Israel's exports and supply
one-half of its imports. Effective January 1986, Israel established
the city of Eilat as a free trade zone.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
In addition to seeking an end to hostilities with Arab forces,
against which it has fought five wars in its 43-year history, Israel
has given high priority to gaining wide acceptance as a sovereign
state with an important international role. Before 1967, it had
established diplomatic relations with a majority of the world's
nations, except for the Arab states and most other Muslim
countries. The Soviet Union and the communist states of Eastern
Europe (except Romania) broke diplomatic relations with Israel
during the 1967 war.
Currently, the diplomatic climate between Israel and the
Soviet Union is improving; they exchanged consular delegations in
1987 and 1988 and consulates general were opened late in 1990.
Hungary reestablished diplomatic relations with Israel in
September 1989; Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria reestablished
relations in 1990.
Beginning in late 1972, and primarily during the October 1973
war, most sub-Saharan African countries severed relations with
Israel. In the 1980s, Israel reestablished relations with Zaire,
Liberia, Kenya, Togo, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Lesotho,
Swaziland, Malawi, and the Central African Republic. Israel also has
diplomatic relations with South Africa. The Federal Republic of
Germany and Israel established relations in 1965. Israel recognized
the People's Republic of China in 1980 but has no diplomatic
relations with that country. Israel and Spain initiated diplomatic
relations in 1986.
DEFENSE
Israel's ground, air, and naval forces, known as the Israel
Defense Force (IDF), fall under the command of a single General
Staff. Approximately 1 million Israelis are eligible for military
service. Conscription is universal for Jewish men and women over
the age of 18, although exemptions may be granted on religious
grounds. Druze, members of a small Islamic sect living in Israel's
mountains, also serve in the IDF. During 1950-66, Israel spent an
average of 9% of GNP on defense. Real defense expenditures
increased dramatically after both the 1967 and 1973 wars. In
recent years, defense expenditure as a proportion of GDP has
remained steady at about 15%-20% of GDP.
In 1983, the United States and Israel established the Joint
Political Military Group, which includes joint military planning and
combined exercises. The United States and Israel have signed an
agreement to have Israel participate in Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI) research.
US-ISRAELI RELATIONS
Commitment to Israel's security and well-being has been a
cornerstone of US policy in the Middle East since its creation in
1948, in which the United States played a key supporting role.
Israel and the United States are bound closely by historic and
cultural ties as well as by mutual interests. Continuing US
economic and security assistance to Israel acknowledges these ties
and signals US commitment.
The broad issues of Arab-Israeli peace have been a major
focus in the US-Israeli relationship. US efforts to reach a
Middle East peace settlement are based on UN Security Council
Resolutions 242 and 338. These resolutions provided the basis for
cease-fire and disengagement agreements concerning the Sinai and
the Golan Heights between Israel, Egypt, and Syria and in promoting
the Camp David accords and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. They
also were the foundation for President Reagan's September 1, 1982,
peace initiative and Secretary Shultz's January 1988 initiative,
that aimed at stimulating conditions to bring Jordan and
representative Palestinians into the Middle East peace process.
On May 14, 1989, the Israeli cabinet approved a peace
initiative calling, among other things, for elections in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip to choose representatives to negotiate a
transition period of Palestinian self-rule. The United States
supported the Israeli initiative because elections could launch a
political process leading to negotiations on interim arrangements
and permanent status. Disagreement over how to implement the
peace initiative led to the fall of the National Unity Government in
March 1990. The narrow government of Yitzhak Shamir, which took
office in June, supports the May 1990 peace initiative. The US
objective remains to achieve a comprehensive Middle East peace
reached through negotiations based on UN Security Council
Resolutions 242 and 338. Relations between the United States and
Israel have been strengthened in recent years by the establishment
of bilateral cooperative institutions in many fields. Foundations in
the fields of science and technology include the Binational Science
Foundation and the Binational Agricultural Research and
Development Foundation. The US-Israeli Education Foundation
sponsors educational and cultural programs.
Principal Government Officials
President-Chaim Herzog Prime Minister-Yitzhak Shamir,
Likud Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister-David Levy,
Likud Ambassador to the United States-Zalman Shoval
Ambassador to the United Nations-Yoram Aridor
Israel maintains an embassy in the United States at 3514
International Drive, NW., Washington, DC. 20008 (tel. 202-364-
5500). There are also consulates general in Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San
Francisco.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador--William A. Brown
Deputy Chief of Mission--Mark R. Parris
Political Affairs--John E. Herbst
Economic-Commercial Affairs--Henry L. Clarke
Administration--Clarence E. Pegues, Jr.
Consular Affairs--Michael J. Metrinko
Public Affairs (USIS)--Christopher Snow
Commercial Affairs--Michael J. Mercurio
Science Attache--Charles A. Lawson
Defense Attache--Col. James F. Carney
US Consulate General. Jerusalem
Consual General--Phillip Wilcox, Jr.
Deputy Principal Officer--David Winn
Chief, Consular Section--Donna Sherman
The US Embassy in Israel is located at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel
Aviv (tel. 03-654338; Consular Section tel. 03-650015). The
Consulate General in Jerusalem has offices at 18 Agron Road, (tel.
02-253289) and on Nablus Road, (tel. 02-282231).
TRAVEL NOTES
Clothing:
Clothing needs are about the same as for the American
southwest. Low-heeled, thick-soled walking shoes are best suited
for most tourist sites. Dress at most religious sites should be
appropriately modest. Most of Israel is quite warm and humid,
except for December through March. Rainfall occurs regularly during
winter months; occasionally it snows in Jerusalem and in the
mountains.
Health:
Israel requires that at least one pharmacy in a neighborhood
be open or on call at all times; a list is published at least weekly in
the English-language Jerusalem Post. Israel and US public health
standards are about equal. Adequate medical and dental care is
available, and tapwater is potable.
Telecommunications:
Telephone and telegraph services, domestic and international,
are efficient. Rates are higher than in the United States. Israel is
seven standard time zones ahead of eastern standard time.
Transportation:
Israel has a well-developed transportation network. Israel's
international airline, El Al, maintains regularly scheduled services
to the United States, Canada, Europe, and parts of Africa and Asia.
Some American carriers provide regular service to Israel. Israel has
a good nationwide bus system, and taxis are plentiful and
reasonably priced in the major cities. Rental cars are available at
reasonable rates, and roads are fairly good and well marked. All
automobiles must be covered by unlimited third-party insurance.
National holidays:
Holidays celebrated nationwide include Independence Day and
Jewish holidays. Annually, before Independence Day, there is a
National Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of the six
million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Because the Jewish
calendar is lunar, the dates of holidays vary from year to year.
Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, begins at sundown on Friday and ends
1 hour after sundown on Saturday. All banks and businesses are
closed, as is public transportation (except in Haifa). Many
restaurants and cafes remain open. Radio and TV operate on
Saturday and Jewish holidays, with the exception of Yom Kippur,
when all vehicular and commercial activity totally ceases. Sunday
is a normal working day.
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC -- January 1991 -- Editor: Peter A. Knecht Department of
State Publication 7752 Background Notes Series -- This material
is in the public domain and may be reprinted without permission;
citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402.(###)