oval and this must be done within 45 days of the election; in
contrast to the old system, under the new law, the prime minister's
party need not be the single-largest party in the Knesset
election results: Ezer WEIZMAN reelected president by the Knesset
with a total of 63 votes, other candidate, Shaul AMOR, received 49
votes (there were seven abstentions and one absence); Binyamin
NETANYAHU elected prime minister; percent of vote--Binyamin NETANYAHU
50.4%, Shimon PERES 49.5%

Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 May 1996 (early elections are scheduled for
17 May 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Labor
Party 34, Likud Party 32, SHAS 10, MERETZ 9, National Religious
Party 9, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 7, Hadash-Balad 5, Third Way 4, United
Arab List 4, United Jewish Torah 4, Moledet 2; note--Likud, Tzomet,
and Gesher candidates ran on a joint list

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, appointed for life by the
president

Political parties and leaders:

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: 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), OPCW, OSCE (partner),
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL
chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
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 Edward S. WALKER, Jr.
embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address: PSC 98, Unit 7228, APO AE 09830
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) cent