minister after the next legislative elections in 2003 head of
Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001) cabinet: results:
Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with
a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes
(there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON elected prime minister;
percent of vote - Ariel SHARON 62.5%, Ehud BARAK 37.4%; note - after
the next legislative elections scheduled for 2003, the prime minister
will be elected by the Knesset

Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections:
last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results:
percent of vote by party - One Israel 20.2%, Likud Party 14.1%, Shas 13%,
Meretz 7.6%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 5.1%, Shinui 5%, Center Party 5%, National
Religious Party 4.2%, United Torah Judaism 3.7%, United Arab List 3.4%,
National Union 3%, Hadash 2.6%, Yisra'el Beiteinu 2.6%, Balad 1.9%,
One Nation 1.9%, Democratic Movement NA (party formed after election,
members elected under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list); seats by party - One Israel
24, Likud Party 19, Shas 17, MERETZ 10, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 4, Shinui 6,
Center Party 5, National Religious Party 5, United Torah Judaism 5,
United Arab List 5, National Union 3, Hadash 3, Yisra'el Beiteinu 4,
Democratic Movement 2 (party formed after election, members elected
under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list), Balad 2, One Nation 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the
president)

Political parties and leaders: Balad or National Democratic Alliance
[Azmi BISHARA]; Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Movement [Roman
BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Hadash [Muhammad BARAKA]; Labor Party
[Binyamin BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz [Yossi SARID];
National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Benyamin ELON]
(includes Herut, Tekuma, and Moledet); One Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One
Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United
Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH];
Yisra'el Ba'Aliya [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Israeli nationalists advocating
Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports
territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler)
Council promotes settler interests and