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HaMedinat Yisrael
המדינת ישראל
http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/images/jerusalem_flag.jpg
(National Flag)
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ajp34/Cofa.jpg
(National Seal)


Introduction

History (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13556002&postcount=2)

Government (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13556008&postcount=3)

Demographics, Statistics, and Symbols (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13556011&postcount=4)

Geography and Climate (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13556013&postcount=5)

Economy

Transportation (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13556016&postcount=7)

Military
IDF Ground Forces (Tz'va Haganah L'Yisrael)
Israeli Sea Corp (Hel HaYam)
Israeli Air Force (Hel HaAvir)

Reserved for History

HaMedinat Yisrael was founded in its first incarnation as The State of Israel in May 1948, 5th Iyar 5708. It was known as IDF. For years IDF was a powerful force in the world and was a strong member of NATO. IDF suffered a massive defeat four years prior to the second state's founding. Arab armies defeated IDF and occupied the state after wiping out most of the population.

In early 2008, an uprising was begun against the Arab Legion. The uprising began in Jerusalem with only a few thousand men who were part of six separate resistance groups that unified to overthrow the Arab oppressors. After a battalion sized engagement on a hill south of the Old City, thousands of Jews rushed out to join the group and helped to fight an impromptu attack on the Old City. Two companies fought on the southern side of the wall while other companies moved north along the western side of the city and rushed through the Zion Gate and broke Arab resistance in the Old City.

With a massive flow of arms and the fact that the Arabs didn't have enough troops in Israel to facilitate a proper response to a major uprising, the Jews quickly gained the upper hand and captured the cities of Be'ersheva, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tzfat, Ashkelon, and Ashdod. The Galilee region was primarily in the hands of Arab Legion forces. The major roads between population centers also remained under Arab control. Control of the ports of Tel Aviv and Ashdod allowed a steady flow of supplies, but things dried up after a few weeks.

It was at that point that the Arab Legion made the critical error of attacking David Ben Guirion International Airport. The intent was to hit the military portion of the airport, but poor intelligence led to several missiles striking the main passenger terminal. Hundreds of civilians were killed in an attack which dominated global news coverage for the next week. International aid continued to fly in after the attack.

Shimon Peres came out of exile the day after the attack and pronounced a new Declaration of Independence (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13380223&postcount=1). Many nations recognized the Second State of Israel, or HaMedinat Yisrael immediately as the state used all the sympathy support it could in a political move following the attack.

Sirjani forces along with other members of the Arab Legion prepared for one last final push to quell the rebellion. they crossed the Yarkon River and moved in on a heavily fortified Tel Aviv. The Israelis had everything to fight for while the professional soldiers had little to fight for. The Israelis outnumbered the enemy forces and had spent weeks creating traps to kill enemy forces. After suffering heavy casualties and without a worthy political goal, Arab Legion forces pulled out of HaMedinat Yisrael and the Second War of Independence was over.

Shimon Peres resigned from his position of Prime Minister and retook the cememonial post of President after the war. Resistance Leader Ehud Shamir was put atop the Likud's list in the 2008 election following the war. His coalition won an easy victory thanks to post war nationalism.

HaMedinat Yisrael took out billions in foreign aid loans to rebuild destroyed cities and infrastructure. Energy independence and efficiency was a priority of the rebuilding. HaMedinat Yisrael recovered from the war and now stands as one of the most modern and efficient states in the world.

Government

Constitution

See here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13380223&postcount=1) for Constitution

Knesset

The Knesset is a unicameral legislative body. It has 120 seats. No party in the history of the Knesset has ever achieved a majority on its own. For this reason, majorities are created through the creation of a coalition in between election time and installation of members.

Parties join and leave coalitions mid-term, but should such a move take a coalition between 50%, new elections will be held. When this does not happen in between terms, then elections are regularly scheduled to occur in the spring every four years. The next scheduled elections will be in April 2010.

Party Lists

Members of Knesset (MKs) are not elected from districts, but rather from a list. Each party holds a primary to place the order of the MKs on its list. Voters go to the polls each year and pick what party list they want.


If a party gets 2% of the vote, they will break the threshold and get to have at least one member of their list in Knesset. Knesset seatings is determined by proportioning how many seats a party gets once it breaks the 2% threshold. If a party is slated to get 12 seats after the votes are tallied, then the top 12 people on its list will be seated. Parties will put 120 people on their list. Even in a major party, the hopes of being seated if you are number 30 or higher is almost hopeless. People with no credentials to be in the Knesset are often placed high on a list as a personal or political favor with full knowledge that they will never be seated.

Current Seating

Coaltion Parites:
Likud: 30 seats (conservative politics, revisionist zionism)
Shas: 12 seats (ultra-Orthodox of Sephardic or Mizrahi origin)
United Torah Judaism: 10 seats (Haredi ultra-Orthodox)
Beitenu: 8 seats (Ashkenazi immigrant party, ultra right wing and nationalistic)
Kadima: 7 seats (center-left party, joined to put national hero Shimon Peres in his current position, formed from schism of moderates from Likud and Labor)
National Union-National Religious Party: 7 seats (joing right wing and religions party)


Coalition seats: 74

Opposition Parties:

Labor: 21 seats (left wing Labor Zionism party, workers rights)
Meretz-Yachad: 10 seats (Socialism and environmental protection)
Gil: 6 seats (Pentioner party, elderly rights)
United Arab List: 4 seats (Israeli Arabs)
Balad:3 seats (Israeli Arabs)
Hadash: 2 seats (Israeli Arabs)

Opposition seats: 46

Leadership
Prime Minister: Ehud Shamir (Likud)
President: Shimon Peres (Kadima)

Demographics and Statistics

Population (as of April 21, 2008): 557,000,000

Ethnicity:
45% Ashkenazi
30% Mizrahi
20% Sephardic
5% Arab

Religion:
25% Secular/Reform Judaism
25% Masorti (Conservative/Tradional) Judaism
20% Modern Orthodox Judaism
15% Haredi/Hassidic (ultra-Orthodox) Judaism
3% Islam
1% Christian
1% other

Currency:
New Israeli Shekel (NIS)

Median Income: (in New Israeli Shekels: $1 = $1.5365 NIS (4/21/08)
Personal (full time): 22,779 NIS
Household: 38,399 NIS

Literacy Rate:
98.5% overall
Some demographic groups report 99.99% while some small sects of Haredi or Bedouin Arabs report less than 50% for women.

Highest Education Level:
Less than High School: 5% (primarily ultra-Orthodox women or Bedouin Arabs)
High school or equivalent diploma: 7.5%
Some College: 12.5%
Associate Degree: 10%
Bachelor Degree: 41%
Masters Degree: 15%
Doctorate Degree: 9%

Official Language:
Hebrew (Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, and Modern Israeli dialects are the most common)

Official Religion:
Judaism

Capital:
Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם

Largest City:
Jerusalem

Largest Metropolitan Statistical Area:
Tel Aviv-Yafo, תֵּל אָבִיב-יָפ

Legislative Body:
Knesset

Prime Minister:
PM Ehud Shamir (Likud)

Head of State:
Shimon Peres (Kadima)

Government Type:
Parliamentary Democracy

Flag:
The old Israeli flag was replaced upon the founding of the new state. The emblem of Jerusalem is featured here, a lion standing rampant towards the dexter margin. The lion of Judah has long been a symbol of Judaism long before the Magen David was established as a symbol.

National Seal:
http://www.tautimes.com/images/cofa.jpg
The new seal of HaMedinat Yisrael is draped in secrecy. Of the 557,000,000 residents of Israel, only a few thousand understand the full meaning of the secret symbols placed within the coat of arms. The Lion of Judah, Menorah, and Magen David each are well known symbols that have a place among Judaism and the Jewish State. The other symbols and the Greek letters have meanings which are not disclosed to the public or the international community. The meaning of the seal is only disclosed to those who are initiated into the secret organization known as the Order of the Lion.

National Animal:
Lion of Judah

National Anthem:
Hatikvah

Geography and Climate

HaMedinat Yisrael is a country with many vast geographic features and climates.

Western Coastal Regions:

The Western coastal regions of HaMedinat Yisrael have a Mediterranean climate. The summers see average high temperatures in the mid 80s (30.2 Celsius). Months can go without a single drop of rain. The entire year's rainfall will usually occur between October and April. Over 50 cm can fall during this time. Winters see average highs of around 18 celsius.

The coastal region sits on an area known as the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plane. Many of the cities in the area are built atop of former sand dunes. Agriculture in the area is generally not successful due to poor soil. Orange groves have successfully been grown and were numerous until the construction of cities such as Tel Aviv.

The north portion of the coastal plain is the Sharon Plain. The Sharon Plain is a heavily eroded region just north of Tel Aviv. It is bounded on the east by Samaria and on the north by Mt. Carmel.

Galilee Region:

The north of the country is known as the Galilee Region. It takes its name from Lake Kinneret, which is known outside of Israel as the Sea of Galilee.

The region is full of large rocky hills which stand between 500 and 700 meters in height. While agriculture seems difficult in this type of environment, the soil is rich of nutrients in the area. Several wineries have succeeded in the region. Rainfall in the area often reaches 120 cm annually. The bulk of the rainfall comes in the winter. Summers are dry. The overall temperatures are mild, but snow has been known to fall regularly atop of Mt Hermon in the eastern reaches of the region amid the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights are bounded on the south by Mt Carmel.

Lake Kinneret, Jordan River, Hula Lake, and dozens of streams ensure a steady resource of flowing fresh water to aid the dozens of Moshiv farms or kibbutzim that rely on produce.

Central Hills:

The Central hills comprise of the center of the country. They include the Jerusalem hills and the Samaria region. The land between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem also makes up this region.

Samaria is a region south and east of the Mount Carmel mountain range. It is full of rolling hills that average around 620 meters in height. The southern stretch of the hills is known as the Judean hills. The Judean hills are barren compared to the green hills of Jerusalem and Samaria. Climates are mild, but snow has been known to fall on occasion.

Judea:

Judea encompasses the land southeast of Jerusalem. the ring known as the Judean mountians or Judean hills forces clouds to climb and precipitation to fall on the western slopes. This creates a regional desert that is about 80 km across on the area of the eastern slopes. Despite the harsh conditions, many shepherds successfully raise flocks in the region.

Negev:

The southern third of the country is the barren Negev Desert. Free range Bedouin Arabs live out here. Many military training centers have also been set up here. Cities such as Be'er Sheva, Arad, and Dimona still exist out here. Irrigation and genetic modification has allowed crops to grow here. Population Distribution is still rather space in this region.

Reserved for Economy

Transportation


Air Travel

The primary International Airport for HaMedinat Yisrael is David Ben Gurion International Airport. Ben Gurion is located in Lod, 15 km SE of downtown Tel Aviv. Ben Gurion has recently undergone a massive reconstruction following the devastating attack during the Second War of Independence.

The 8 concourse passenger airport features 11 runways placed in parallel rows to allow for a maximum number of takeoffs and landings. Taxiing can take a while though for aircraft headed to the most distant runways, but delays are still rare due to the lineup of the runways.

Terminal 3 has recently been rebuilt and has 75 gates in three concourses. It is the base of El Al's international operations. Terminals 1-2 are strictly domestic travel and are used only by Israeli flagged airlines such as Israir, El Al, Arkia Israel Airlines, Sun D'or, Chim Nir, and Tamir. Israeli law prohibits foreign owned airlines from flying domestic routes.

Terminals 4-8 allow foreign airlines and some smaller Israeli airlines to fly international routes through 15 concourses and 300 gates. All foreign flagged carriers must comply with all Israeli safety and security regulations. Foreign airlines must also allow their passengers to be interrogated by Israeli security personnel.

Dozens of smaller airports for domestic travel exist throughout the country. Other international airports are Ovda International Airport (north of Eilat), Haifa Airport, Sde Dov (Tel Aviv), and Atarot Airport (Jerusalem). Cargo flights are usually sent through these airports rather than Ben Gurion.

Sea Travel

Military

Israeli Defense Forces
צבא ההגנה לישראל

Total Size (all branches):
2.5 million active duty
1 million regular reservists
6.5 million inactive reservists

IDF Ground Forces
1.5 million active
500,000 regular reservists
5.5 million inactive reservists

Israeli Sea Corp, Hel HaYam (includes Marines)
500,000 active
250,000 regular reservists
500,000 inactive reservists

Israeli Air Force, Hel HaAvir
500,000 active
250,000 regular reservists
500,000 inactive reservists

IDF Ground Forces (צבא ההגנה לישראל)



Structure of IDF Ground Units

The key to the success of Hamedinat Yisrael’s Israeli Defense Force on the ground is the makeup of its military. From Field Army on down to each fireteam, there is a clear chain of command and a set organization. The unit sizes listed below are just an average of IDF units. The numbers of men and weapons used vary among units as some platoons carry more snipers than others or they might carry more heavy weapons.

All figures are averages

Structure of the average IDF Infantry Platoon

(46 men)
(1) Platoon Commander (O-1 through O-2)
(1) Platoon Sergeant (E-7)
(Platoons have 4 squads with the following makeup)
(4) 4 Squad Commander (E-6)
(8) 2 Fireteam Leaders (E-4 or E-5)
(32) Each of the 2 fireteams contains 4 men below the fireteam leader (E-2 through E-4)

In the case of rifle platoons, the soldiers are armed with standard assault weapons while a few fireteams operate light machine guns.

Some of the infantry platoons are weapons platoons. They carry assault weapons, mortars, ATGMs, medium machine guns, and shoulder fired SAMs. They provide the heavy firepower for company sized units.

Structure of the average IDF Infantry Company

188 men
(1) Company CO (O-3 or O-4)
(1) Company XO (O-2)
(1) Company Sergeant (E-8)
(1) Company Radioman (E-4/E-5)
(184) 4 Infantry Platoons (often 3 rifle platoon and 1 weapons platoon, but make-up can vary)

Makeup of the average IDF Infantry Battalion

977 men
HQ Platoon contains 33 men
(1) Battalion CO (O-5)
(1) Battalion XO (O-3 or O-4)
(1) Battalion Sergeant (E-9)
(12) Assorted Officer Billets (O-1 through O-3)
(18) Assorted Enlisted Billets (E-4 through E-8)

(940) 5 Infantry Companies

Makeup of the average IDF Infantry Brigade

3,910 men
HQ Company contains 150 men)
(1) Brigade CO (O-7)
(1) Brigade XO (O-6)
(1) Brigade Sergeant (E-9)
75 assorted officer billets
42 assorted enlisted billets

(3,760) 4 Infantry Battalions

Makeup of a Tank Company
92 men
(1) CO (O-3 or O-4)
(1) XO (O-2 or O3)
(1) Company Sergeant (E-8)
(4) Platoon COs in 4 separate platoons. (each platoon has 5 tanks including the PCO’s tank)
(85) Enlisted Tank crewmen (E-2 through E-7)
23 IDI Ra’am M5 Main Battle Tanks

Makeup of a Tank Battalion

738 men
HQ Platoon 28 men
(1) CO (O-5)
(1) XO (O-4)
(1) Battalion Sergeant (E-9)
(15) assorted officer billets (O-1 through O-4)
(10) assorted enlisted billets (E-4 through E-8)
(250) 2 Maintenance Companies
(460) 5 tank companies
118 IDI Ra’am M5 Main Battle tanks



IDF Mechanized Infantry Division
27,890 men total in division
200 personnel in Division HQ Company
450 personnel total in the three Brigade HQ Companies
7,840 personnel in eight infantry battalions
3,000 personnel in four tank battalions
492 IDI Ra’am Mk-5 MBTs
3,500 personnel in artillery brigade
24 MLRS vehicles
24 203 mm ETC guns w/ ERGMs
24 155 mm ETC guns w/ ERGMs
12 Counter- battery RADARs
1,500 personnel in air defense battalion
24 mobile tracked short rangedSAMs
24 mobile AA guns
24 Patriots
24 mobile Arrow II launchers
12 mobile LADAR units
18 mobile LPI Air Search RADARs
1,500 personnel Combat Aviation Brigade
36 AH-64Is
24 AH-66Is
100 UH-60Is
20 V-22Is
20 CH-53Is
600 personnel in signals battalion
300 personnel in MP company
250 personnel in chemical warfare defense company
750 personnel electronic warfare intelligence battalion
3,000 personnel in transportation battalion
1,250 assorted IFVs
5,000 personnel in various support roles.


IDF Armored Division
27,430 men total in division
200 personnel in Division HQ Company
450 personnel total in the three Brigade HQ Companies
5880 personnel in six infantry battalions
4,500 personnel in six tank battalions
492 IDI Mk-5 MBTs
3,500 personnel in artillery brigade
24 MLRS vehicles
24 203 mm ETC guns w/ ERGMs
24 155 mm ETC guns w/ ERGMs
12 Counter- battery RADARs
1,500 personnel in air defense battalion
24 mobile tracked short rangedSAMs
24 mobile AA guns
24 Patriots
24 mobile Arrow II launchers
12 mobile LADAR units
18 mobile LPI Air Search RADARs
1,500 personnel Combat Aviation Brigade
36 AH-64Is
24 AH-66Is
100 UH-60Is
20 V-22Is
20 CH-53Is
600 personnel in signals battalion
300 personnel in MP company
250 personnel in chemical warfare defense company
750 personnel electronic warfare intelligence battalion
3,000 personnel in transportation battalion
1,250 assorted IFVs
5,000 personnel in various support roles.

Israeli Sea Corp (חיל הים הישראלי)


Formation of Carrier Air Wings deployed to CVN-1 Class
Squadron 1: 18 F-22I Raptors (VF-X)
Squadron 2: 18 FB-22I Super-Raptors (VFA-X)
Squadron 3: 18 F-35I Baraks (VF-X)
Squadron 4: 18 F-35I Baraks (VF-X)
Squadron 5: 6 E-2Is (VAW-X)
Squadron 6: 8 V-22I (VAS-X)
Squadron 7: 10 F/A-18I (VAQ-X)
Squadron 8: 6 SH-60, 4 CH-53 (VHH-X
Squadron 9: 4 C-2I Greyhound CODs

Total aircraft: 110 (100 fixed wing and 10 rotary)
Total Personnel: 2,600

Israeli Air Force (חיל האוויר הישראלי)

Key Personnel

Reserved for additional info