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ISRAEL
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 and has in the past been selected by the president as the party leader most able to form a government. In the May 1996 elections, Israelis for the first time voted for the prime minister directly, in accordance with recent legislation. The members of the cabinet must be collectively approved by the Knesset.
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 the 4-year term. Voting is for party lists rather than for individual candidates, and the total number of seats assigned each party reflects that party's percentage of the vote. 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' right of judicial review of the Knesset's legislation is limited. 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 approved by the president. |
| CURRENT GOVERNMENT |
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Pres. (Acting) |
Dalia ITZIK |
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Prime Min. |
Ehud OLMERT |
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Dep. Prime Min. |
Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI |
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Min. of Agriculture & Rural Development |
Shalom SIMHON |
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Min. of Communications |
Ariel ATIAS |
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Min. of Defense |
Amir PERETZ |
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Min. for Development of the Negev & Galilee |
Shimon PERES |
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Min. of Education |
Yael "Yuli" TAMIR |
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Min. of Environment |
Gideon EZRA |
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Min. of Finance |
Avraham HERSCHSON |
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Min. of Foreign Affairs |
Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI |
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Min. of Health |
Yaacov BEN YIZRI |
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Min. of Housing & Construction |
Meir SHEETRIT |
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Min. of Immigrant Absorption |
Zeev BOIM |
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Min. of Industry, Trade, & Labor |
Eliyahu YISHAI |
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Min. of Interior |
Roni BAR-ON |
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Min. of Internal (Public) Security |
Avraham DICHTER |
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Min. of Justice |
Daniel FRIEDMANN |
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Min. of National Infrastructures |
Binyamin BEN ELIEZER |
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Min. for Pensioner Affairs |
Rafael "Rafi" EITAN |
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Min. in Charge of Religious Affairs in the Prime Min.'s Office |
Yitzhak COHEN |
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Min. of Social Affairs |
Yitzhak HERZOG |
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Min. of Science, Culture, & Sport |
Ghalib MAJADILAH |
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Min. of Strategic Affairs |
Avigdor LIEBERMAN |
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Min. of Tourism |
Yitzhak AHARONOVICH |
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Min. of Transportation & Road Safety |
Shaul MOFAZ |
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Min. Without Portfolio |
Eitan CABEL |
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Min. Without Portfolio |
Yitzhak COHEN |
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Min. Without Portfolio |
Yaacov EDRI |
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Min. Without Portfolio |
Meshulam NAHARI |
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Attorney Gen. |
Menachem MAZUZ |
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Governor, Bank of Israel |
Stanley FISCHER |
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Ambassador to the US |
Salai MERIDOR |
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Permanent Representative to the UN, New York |
Danny GILLERMAN
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