Arieh DERI; National
Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya, Natan SHARANSKY;
United Jewish Torah, Meir PORUSH; Third Way, Avigdor KAHALANI;
Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI
opposition: Labor Party, Shimon PERES; MERETZ, Yossi SARID; United
Arab List, Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH; Hadash-Balad, Hashim MAHAMID

Political pressure groups and leaders: Gush Emunim, Israeli
nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza
Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and
is critical of government's Lebanon policy

International organization participation: AG (observer), BSEC
(observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Eliahu BEN-ELISSAR
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 364-5610
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin S. INDYK
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Box 100, APO AE 09830
telephone : [972] (3) 519-7575
FAX: [972] (3) 517-3227
consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission,
established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign
government

Flag description: 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

Economy

Economy - overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial
government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains,
raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural
resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and
industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Manufacturing and
construction employ about 29% of Israeli workers, agriculture,
forestry, and fishing 3.5%, and services the rest. Israel is largely
self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Diamonds,
high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and
vegetables) are leading exports. Israel usually posts siza