Israel
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Flag of Israel
White with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star)
known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal
horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag.
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Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine,
and the UN 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
occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel
country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982,
Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt
Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 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 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern
Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. 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. In April 2003, US 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
Palestinian-Israeli violence between September 2000 and February 2005.
An agreement reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly
reduced the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the
new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT,
the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism coalition government in
January 2005, and the successful Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip
(August-September 2005), presented an opportunity for a renewed peace effort.
However, internal Israeli political events between October and December 2005
have destabilized the political situation and forced early elections,
scheduled for March 2006.
- CIA World Factbook.
Akhlah: Israel Symbols and their Meanings
Akhlah's introduction of Israel for children.
The symbols of Israel and what the meanings are behind them.
www.akhlah.com/israel/israel_symbols.php
Red Cross votes to admit Israel
Approval of a third emblem, the Red Crystal, to identify relief and emergency workers.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5104680.stm
Israel - Fotw
The Magen David (Shield of David), the six-pointed star made of two triangles,
appeared according to Jewish tradition on the shield of King David.
www.fotw.us/flags/il.html
Flags of the Tribes of Israel
Israel - wikipedia.org
The State of Israel was created in 1948. The population today is over seven million,
with a Jewish majority. While it is home to both Jews and Arabs,
it is the world's only Jewish state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
Israel - U.S. Department of State
Of the approximately 6.35 million Israelis in 2005, about 4.86 million were counted as Jewish, though some of those are not considered Jewish under Orthodox Jewish law. Since 1989, nearly a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union have arrived in Israel, making this the largest wave of immigration since independence. In addition, almost 50,000 members of the Ethiopian Jewish community have immigrated to Israel, 14,000 of them during the dramatic May 1991 Operation Solomon airlift. 35.3% of Israelis were born outside of Israel.
The three broad Jewish groupings are the Ashkenazim, or Jews who trace their ancestry to western, central, and eastern Europe; the Sephardim, who trace their origin to Spain, Portugal, southern Europe, and North Africa; and Eastern or Oriental Jews, who descend from ancient communities in Islamic lands. Of the non-Jewish population, about 68% are Muslims, about 9% are Christian, and about 7% are Druze.
Education is compulsory from age 6 to 16 and is free up to age 18. The school system is organized into kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, 3-year junior secondary schools, and 3-year senior secondary schools, after which a comprehensive examination is offered for university admissions. There are seven university-level institutions in Israel, a number of regional colleges, and an Open University program.
With a population drawn from more than 100 countries on 5 continents, Israeli society is rich in cultural diversity and artistic creativity. The arts are actively encouraged and supported by the government. The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra performs throughout the country and frequently tours abroad. The Jerusalem Symphony and the New Israel Opera also tour frequently, as do other musical ensembles. Almost every municipality has a chamber orchestra or ensemble, many boasting the talents of gifted performers from the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Israel has several professional ballet and modern dance companies, and folk dancing, which draws upon the cultural heritage of many immigrant groups, continues to be very popular. There is great public interest in the theater; the repertoire covers the entire range of classical and contemporary drama in translation as well as plays by Israeli authors. Of the three major repertory companies, the most famous, Habimah, was founded in 1917.
Active artist colonies thrive in Safed, Jaffa, and Ein Hod, and Israeli painters and sculptors exhibit works worldwide. Israel boasts more than 120 museums, including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls along with an extensive collection of regional archaeological artifacts, art, and Jewish religious and folk exhibits. Israelis are avid newspaper readers, with more than 90% of Israeli adults reading a newspaper at least once a week. Major daily papers are in Hebrew; others are in Arabic, English, French, Polish, Yiddish, Russian, Hungarian, and German.
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm
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Flag of Israel