Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Spring 2009 Education Guide - Index

YOUR WORLD
Israel, between Egypt and Lebanon
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of
Palestine, and the U.N. partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an
arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the
Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two
sides. The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in
the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On April 25, 1982, Israel
withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. In
keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in
October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and
Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement.
Israel and Palestinian officials signed on Sept. 13, 1993 a Declaration of
Principles (also known as the “Oslo Accords”) guiding an interim period of
Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan
were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition,
on May 25, 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon,
which it had occupied since 1982. In April 2003, U.S. President BUSH,
working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia — the “Quartet” —
took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by
2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states,
Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent
status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between
September 2003 and February 2005. An Israeli-Palestinian agreement
reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005, along with an internally-brokered
Palestinian ceasefire, significantly reduced the violence. In the summer
of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating
settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into
the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS in January 2006 to head the
Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March
2006; he shelved plans to unilaterally evacuate from most of the West Bank
following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June-July 2006 and a 34day
conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006. OLMERT in
June 2007 resumed talks with the PA after HAMAS seized control of the
Gaza Strip and PA President Mahmoud ABBAS formed a new government
without HAMAS. OLMERT in September 2008 resigned in the wake of several
corruption allegations, but remains prime minister until a new government
is formed after the general election in February 2009.
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
and Lebanon
Comparative Size: Slightly smaller than New Jersey
Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley
Natural Resources: Timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate
rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Geography: There are about 340 Israeli civilian sites — including 100
small outpost communities in the West Bank — as well as 42 sites in the
Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem; Lake Tiberias
(Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source
Population: 7,112,359
Ethnic Groups: Jewish 76.4 percent (of which Israel-born 67.1 percent,
Europe/America-born 22.6 percent, Africa-born 5.9 percent, Asia-born 4.2
percent), non-Jewish 23.6 percent (mostly Arab)
Religions: Jewish 76.4 percent, Muslim 16 percent, Arab Christians 1.7
PAGE 14 / March 24, 20098
percent, other Christian 0.4
percent, Druze 1.6 percent,
unspecified 3.9 percent
Languages: Hebrew
(official), Arabic used officially
for Arab minority,
English most commonly
used foreign language
Government Type:
Parliamentary democracy
Capital: Jerusalem
Independence: May 14,
1948
Chief of State: President
Shimon Peres
Economy: Israel has a
technologically advanced
market economy with substantial,
though diminishing,
government participation.
It depends on imports
of crude oil, grains, raw
materials, and military
equipment. Despite limited
natural resources, Israel has
intensively developed its
agricultural and industrial
sectors over the past 20
years. Israel imports substantial
quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural
products. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products
(fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable
trade deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from
abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government’s external debt
is owed to the US, its major source of economic and military aid. Israel’s
GDP, after contracting slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to the Palestinian conflict
and troubles in the high-technology sector, has grown by about 5 percent
per year since 2003. The economy grew an estimated 4.2 percent in
2008, slowed by the global financial crisis. The government’s prudent fiscal
policy and structural reforms over the past few years have helped to induce
strong foreign investment, tax revenues, and private consumption, setting
the economy on a solid growth path.
Industries: High-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber
optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages,
and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical
products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear
Exports: Machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Imports: Raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Military Branches: Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Forces
(INF), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2007) — Tribune Staff Report