www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html
Field Listing Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palest ine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arr angement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the t wo sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 Ap ril 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egy pt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") gui ding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Isr ael-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. I n keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in Oct ober 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Pale stinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. Howe ver, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of M ahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 de ath of Yasir ARAFAT.
Field Listing chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the K nesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to b e held mid-2007); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 200 3 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006) election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member Knesse t with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 v otes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime min ister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections;
Field Listing Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Ga za Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank an d Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opp oses territorial compromise;
Field Listing Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial gov ernment participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw m aterials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Isr ael has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors ov er the past 20 years. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain, bu t is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. Cut diamond s, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vege tables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current ac count 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, which is its major source of economic and military aid. difficulties in the high-techn ology, construction, and tourist sectors; and fiscal austerity in the fa ce of growing inflation led to small declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. T he economy grew at 1% in 2003, with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004, rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports boosted GDP by 39%.
Field Listing general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East altho ugh not the largest domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all sys tems are digital international: country code - 972;
Field Listing West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be d etermined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and withi n the West Bank; Israel announced its intention to pull out Israeli sett lers and withdraw from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northe rn West Bank in 2005; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights);
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