Assignment 1

1. What is your country’s governmental system? Provide a definition. (www.cia.gov)

Israel’s government is a parliamentary democracy. A parliamentarydemocracy is a political system in which the legislature (parliament)selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor alongwith the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressedin elections; by this system, the government acquires a dualresponsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament.

2. List five important events in your country’s history since 1914.

The War of Independence, Sinai War, Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty are the largest of events thateffected Israel’s history.

3. What is your country’s economic system? (www.cia.gov)

Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial,though diminishing, government participation.

4. List your nation’s five largest trading partners? (www.cia.gov)

The United States, Belgium, Germany, China, and Switzerland areIsrael’s largest trading partners.

5. What is the monetary size of your domestic and foreign debt? (www.cia.gov)

Israel’s debt is 75.7% of GDP, which is about 152 billion dollars(estimated in 2008).

6. To which country does your country owe the most money? (www.cia.gov)

Roughly half of the Israel’s external debt is owed to the United States.

7. What is the numerical size of your standing and reserve armed forces? (www.cia.gov)

Israel’s armed forces consist of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),Israel Naval Forces (INF), and Israel Air Force (IAF). Israel’s armed forces consist of 1,717,362 males, and 1,636, 574 females between theages of 16 to 49. The amount of reserved forces has not been released.

8. Are you a nuclear power? (www.cia.gov)

The State of Israel is not a nuclear power.

9. List your country’s most important cultural values?(www.cia.gov)

Kibbutzim, observing the Sabbath, keeping kosher are important culturalvalues in the state of Israel.

10. To what extent, if any, does your government control media and culture? Briefly describe.

The Israeli government does not control media and culture unless it canbring harm to the state and its people.

11. List your country’s most important resources? (www.cia.gov)

Potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, and magnesium bromideare all of Israel’s most important resources.

12. List the important resources is your country lacking? (i.e. what does it need to import a great deal of?)

Israel lacks drinkable water and grains.

13. What is your country’s population? (www.cia.gov)

The current population in Israel is approximately 7,233,701 people.

14. What is your country’s main religion? What percentage of your people are this religion?

Israel’s main religion is Judaism, with 76.4% of the Israeli populationbeing Jewish.

15. List other religions, if there are any, which play an important role in your country?

The remainder of Israel is made up of Muslims (16%), Arab Christians(1.7%), other Christians (0.4%), Druze (1.6%), and unspecified (3.9%).Muslims play an important role in Israel both economically andreligiously.

16. What is your government’s policy towards religion and state? (www.cia.gov)

The state of Israel is secular. Israel is a democratic country, not atheocratic one.