it Aloni; United Workers' Party
(MAPAM), Yair Tzaban; Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon Rubenstein; New
Communist Party of Israel (RAKAH), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for
Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari; Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab Darawshah

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
President--last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February
1994); results--Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by Knesset;

Parliament--last held 1 November 1988 (next to be held by
November 1992);
seats--(120 total) Likud bloc 40, Labor Party 39, SHAS 6, National Religious
Party 5, Agudat Yisrael 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, RAKAH 4,
Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2, Degel HaTorah 2,
Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1, Arab Democratic Party 1

Communists: Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership)
has some 1,500 members

Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists
advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now,
critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies

Member of: CCC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOOC, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS (observer), UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moshe ARAD; Chancery at
3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500;
there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street,
Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone p972o (3) 654338;
there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem

Flag: 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
Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government
participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials,
and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed
its agriculture and industry sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20
years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 6%,
and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology
machine