Israel: Political, Economic, Military & Security Assessment

Political and Government Assessment

There is no constitution that is followed in Israel. Instead, the affairs of the country are regulated and administered under the Declaration of Establishment (1948), in addition to the laws made by the parliament and citizens. The Head of State is always the President, a position regarded as principally ceremonial. The legislature holds the responsibility of electing the President for a term of seven years with no term limits. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is responsible for heading the government. Normally, the largest party's leader is given this position after the completion of legislative elections.

The unicameral legislature, known as the Knesset, consists of one hundred and twenty seats. Members of the Knesset are selected by ballot for a term of four years. It is essential for the Knesset to approve a cabinet appointed by the Prime Minister. The Knesset also holds power over both the President and the Prime Minister, and both designated persons are answerable before it. Governmentally, Israel is divided into six districts: the Central District, Haifa District, Jerusalem District, Northern District, Southern District, and Tel Aviv District.

Recently, many democracies around the world, including Israel, have adopted electoral systems that involve an assortment of hybrids combining plurality and proportional principles. This mixed-member electoral system employs half of the seats in a legislative chamber, which are nominated in single-seat districts. The remaining seats are elected from party lists that the proportional representation system allocates. The distinguishing feature of a mixed-member electoral system is that it blends these principles within the same chamber. However, it is not always the case that such a system displays a perfectly half-majoritarian or half-proportional structure. Several countries employ majoritarian formulas in some parts and proportional representation in others. Some systems use semi-proportional formulas such as the single non-transferable vote and the limited vote.

Israel, which is known to have one of the most extreme proportional electoral systems, adopted direct election of the Prime Minister without rejecting its large-district proportional representation system for parliamentary elections. The proportional representation system is widely regarded as having diminished the political efficiency of Israel wherever it has been practiced for decades. This system has not only upset long-term planning, weakened the financial system, and radicalized territorial disputes, but has also rendered financial planning unfocused and greatly disrupted government functions. Furthermore, this system tends to distract cabinets, weaken Prime Ministers and political figures, and destabilize governments. This unique electoral system has facilitated the rise of indeterminate, amateurish, and ineffective individuals to powerful and influential positions. The proportional representation system also tends to create friction between the executive and legislative branches of government and distort their relationship. For all countries where proportional representation is practiced, it is advisable that they reconsider their political shortcomings and examine whether their electoral system has contributed to a crisis of leadership and governance.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

As far as the Israel-Palestine case is concerned, the conflict revolves around the establishment of an independent, self-sustaining Palestinian state. Both Israelis and Palestinians need to understand the opportunities and obstacles inherent in this conflict in order to reach a unanimous decision. The PLO seeks the establishment of an autonomous, self-governing state over the entirety of the Palestinian Territories that Israel occupied in 1967. These territories include East Jerusalem (Al-Quds), the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Israel, on the contrary, maintains two objectives: it seeks to preserve its control over substantial portions of the Palestinian Territory while simultaneously limiting the sovereignty and autonomy of any future Palestinian state.

If one wants to examine the real roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one must look at both Judaism and Islam and what these two Abrahamic religions say about the holy land and the two peoples. Jews firmly believe that God promised them possession of the land of milk and honey (Palestine) after their liberation from slavery. They also hold the religious belief that their holy temple was situated in Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque now stands. Arabs, on the other hand, regard Palestine as their holy land granted to them by God. The roots of the conflict are also linked to the struggle between Abraham's children, Isaac and Ishmael, who are regarded as the patriarchs of the Jewish and Arab peoples respectively.

Israel has long depended on foreign superpowers to support its existence. Previously, the British Empire and the League of Nations backed Israel's occupation of Arab land. When their support proved insufficient, the Israeli government turned to the United States of America, which continues to support Israel unconditionally. Even the United Nations has been criticized for failing to remain neutral. Many Christian-majority countries also maintain the belief in a primordial connection between God, the Jewish people, and Palestine. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated that it was necessary to demilitarize the Palestinian state so that Israel's right to exist would not be threatened — a position critics note is paradoxical given Israel's status as a far more powerful nuclear-armed military state.

Both Israelis and Palestinians are intensely nationalistic peoples, and this nationalism deepens the conflict between them. Jews and Arabs inhabiting Israel and Palestine firmly identify with their respective histories, religions, languages, and national identities. Notably, Palestinians demonstrate an intense form of nationalism even in the absence of a recognized democratic state, challenging assumptions that nationalism arises only where democracy is practiced.

From a realist perspective, the conflict and non-cooperation between Israel and Palestine ultimately harm both parties. From a neoliberal perspective, Israel's overwhelming military superiority itself poses long-term destabilizing risks. A lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians is only achievable if both parties relinquish their maximalist preferred outcomes: Israel abandoning unrestricted occupation of Palestinian land, and Palestine moderating its demand for unconditional withdrawal. The conflict could also be resolved if both parties found common ground on complex detachable issues, including "the degree of sovereignty of a Palestinian state, the distribution of power over Jerusalem, the dismantling or annexation of Israeli settlements, and the question of how many Palestinian refugees are allowed to settle where." It is necessary for Israel and Palestine to overcome their mutual distrust and address concerns about comparative gains. As one perspective holds, there is no sustainable future for Israel in the region unless "it recognizes and compensates in some way for its expropriation of another people's land; until it is committed to being part of the Middle East rather than a U.S. outpost; until it is committed to cooperation with Palestinians and Arabs in developing an economically prosperous Palestinian State, rather than an oppressed vassal state; and until it is willing to share in developing the water resources of the Jordan River."

Economic Assessment

In order to analyze and understand the economic conditions of Israel, it is first necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the country's land and people. Israel is an irregularly shaped land with four principal regions: the plain along the Mediterranean coast; the mountains east of the coastal plain; the Negev, which constitutes the southern half of the country; and a very small portion of the Jordan Valley. Israel enjoys a Mediterranean climate in the northern part of the country and in the north of the Negev, characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters. Water supply in this region is limited but adequate, though drought conditions can strain availability. In the Negev's desert region, rainfall is less than ten inches per year. The Jordan River is considered the most important river in Israel. Other smaller rivers include the Yarkon, Kishon, and Yarmuk. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea serve as additional water sources. Due to heavy interior drainage and evaporation, the Dead Sea contains approximately eight times as much salt as the ocean. The highest point in Israel is Mount Meron near Zefat, at approximately 3,692 feet (1,125 m), while the shore of the Dead Sea — at approximately 1,400 feet below sea level — is the lowest point on the surface of the earth.

Due to the shortage of rainfall, Israeli agriculture depends entirely on an extensive irrigation system. Sizeable crops include cotton, barley, wheat, peanuts, sunflowers, olives, and grapes. Fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and citrus are the main agricultural exports. Most land owned by non-Jews is held in trust by the state and the Jewish National Fund. Israel's land authorities lease land to moshavim (cooperative agricultural communities) and kibbutzim, as well as to rural and agricultural villages.

As the global economy has grown increasingly technology-driven, Israel has placed a strong emphasis on high-technology industries, which are now the fastest-growing sector in the country. Key areas include software, aviation, telecommunications, biotechnology, and fiber optics. The cutting, polishing, and finishing of diamonds is also a significant industry. Light industries — including wood and paper products manufacturing, precision instruments, tobacco, textiles, chemicals, and footwear — also contribute meaningfully to the economy. Dead Sea minerals such as potash, magnesium, and salt have considerable commercial value. Tourism is one of the largest sources of revenue for Israel. Israel's imports consist mainly of military equipment, raw materials, fuels, and consumer goods. Although Israel imports more than it exports, the balance of trade remains generally favorable for the country, supported in large part by significant economic and military aid from the United States, Israel's largest trade partner. Other important trade partners include Great Britain, Hong Kong, Germany, and Belgium.

The most common concept offered by social scientists regarding power is that "an actor's power equals the resources at its disposal." Applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this framework makes the imbalance clear: Israel's financial viability, armed forces, and diplomatic capabilities far exceed those of the Palestinians by every measure. Once primarily an agricultural country, Israel has built itself into a modern technological economy with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. This economic strength, combined with its advanced military and close diplomatic ties with the United States since 1967, positions Israel as a dominant regional power with no comparable Palestinian counterpart.