Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/israel.bkg

Text File | 1994-04-07 | 35KB | 581 lines

#CARD:Israel:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  ISRAEL

January 1991
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.

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.

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. [phone]). 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. [phone]; Consular Section tel. [phone]).  The Consulate
General in Jerusalem has offices at 18 Agron Road, (tel. [phone]) and
on Nablus Road, (tel. [phone]).

 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.(###)


#ENDCARD