The State of Israel is seated on a portion of land in the Middle East, known from 1920 to 1948 as Palestine, that is also a holy land for a number of religions, among them Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druze and Baha’i Faith. A representative democracy with a parliamentary system of government, modern Israel is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both Palestinian territories.
Since its founding, the population of Israel has grown more than 10-fold as its economy has transitioned from a primarily socialist one to a free market economy based on capitalism, with some of its original social welfare system still intact.
Enmity from its neighbors has impacted Israel from the time of its independence in 1948. Israeli jurisdiction over the holy city of Jerusalem is a focus of international dispute, and conflict over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has shaped the country’s internal political and social structures as well as its international relations.
Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu, who first served as prime minister during the tempestuous time from 1996 until 1999 and was later re-elected in 2009 and 2015, faces perhaps his greatest challenge as changes sparked by the Arab Spring in 2011 continue to roil and reshape the Middle East. Israel itself is being convulsed by an internal social movement clamoring for solutions to a severe housing shortage, a rising cost of living and a deterioration of public services.
The predominant issue shaping Netanyahu’s current term as prime minister may well be Israel’s confrontations with Iran, which he accuses of being the primary financial support for Hezbollah. Netanyahu has continually and forcefully argued about the dangers of allowing Iran to have nuclear capabilities, often describing his unfaltering stance against a nuclear-armed Iran as a lifetime mission. Israel is a critical strategic ally for the United States in the Middle East, and American government leaders and lawmakers have long expressed strong support, both politically and in the form of foreign aid, for the State of Israel.
Since its founding, the population of Israel has grown more than 10-fold as its economy has transitioned from a primarily socialist one to a free market economy based on capitalism, with some of its original social welfare system still intact.
Enmity from its neighbors has impacted Israel from the time of its independence in 1948. Israeli jurisdiction over the holy city of Jerusalem is a focus of international dispute, and conflict over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has shaped the country’s internal political and social structures as well as its international relations.
Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu, who first served as prime minister during the tempestuous time from 1996 until 1999 and was later re-elected in 2009 and 2015, faces perhaps his greatest challenge as changes sparked by the Arab Spring in 2011 continue to roil and reshape the Middle East. Israel itself is being convulsed by an internal social movement clamoring for solutions to a severe housing shortage, a rising cost of living and a deterioration of public services.
The predominant issue shaping Netanyahu’s current term as prime minister may well be Israel’s confrontations with Iran, which he accuses of being the primary financial support for Hezbollah. Netanyahu has continually and forcefully argued about the dangers of allowing Iran to have nuclear capabilities, often describing his unfaltering stance against a nuclear-armed Iran as a lifetime mission. Israel is a critical strategic ally for the United States in the Middle East, and American government leaders and lawmakers have long expressed strong support, both politically and in the form of foreign aid, for the State of Israel.
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