Embassy of Israel

Washington, D.C.

Did You Know?

Democracy in Israel?

The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament
Israel is a parliamentary democracy with members. A bill becomes a law after it has
three branches of government – the execu- passed three readings and a vote in the Knes-
tive, legislative, and judicial. The three set plenum.
branches of government create a separa-
tion of powers, in which one branch has the The Executive branch of government is
power and ability to check the power of headed by the Prime Minister, who serves as
another branch. the head of the government. He or she serves
as the head of the government coalition. It is
Israel’s legislative branch is the Knesset, a the Prime Minister’s responsibility to assemble
reference to the Knesset Ha-Gedolah (Great a cabinet of ministers charged with executing
Assembly), the legislative body established the duties of government.
by Ezra the Scribe in 70 CE. Like its ancient
precursor, the Knesset has 120 members, all
of whom are voted into office by the
electorate. In order to gain representation
in the Knesset, a party must receive at least
2% of the votes cast by the voters. Any
Israeli citizen who reaches the age of 18 is
entitled to vote.

The Knesset operates through many

Israel Ministry of Tourism
Inside the Knesset
committee meetings and plenary sessions
in which all Members of Knesset partici- Israel Ministry of Tourism
pate. Bills may be submitted by the
The Supreme Court
government or by individual Knesset

www.israelemb.org

Israel’s first President, Chaim
Weizman casts his vote in the
first general elections
The Declaration of the Establishment
The Declaration of the
Establishment of the
State of Israel
The Judicial branch of the government is
composed of three levels of courts: the Supreme
Court, district courts and magistrate courts.
Additionally, various types of tribunals take place
in independent judicial systems, among them,
the military, labor and religious courts.
The Supreme Court is the nation’s highest appel-
late court. Sitting as the High Court of Justice,
the Supreme Court also hears appeals against
the government. In addition, the Court maintains
the power of judicial review over Knesset legisla-
tion, empowering it to ensure the consistency of
laws with Israel’s Basic Laws.
The President is Israel’s head of state and serves
as a symbol of Israel. Once every seven years, the
Knesset holds a vote to elect the president. After
he or she is elected, the president is sworn into
office in a special session of Knesset.
The President receives heads of state visiting
Israel and ambassadors from foreign states. In
addition, the President represents Israel on state
visits abroad.
.
of the State of Israel
The Declaration of the Establishment of the
State of Israel was publicly read and signed
in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, before the
expiration of the British Mandate of Pales-
tine at midnight. On that day, the Vaad Leumi
(Jewish National Council) gathered at the
first site of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, today
known as Independence Hall, and approved
the proclamation.
Following the signing of the Declaration, a
13-member Provisional Government and a
Provisional Council of 37 members were
established. With the departure of the British
Mandatory forces, they became the provi-
sional government and legislature of the
state.
The Declaration discusses the Jewish
struggle to renew national life in the historic
land of Israel, especially after the tragedy of
the Holocaust in Europe. The founders
In 1949, Israel enacted a series of Basic Laws that
practically serves as a national constitution.
Israel’s Basic Laws include chapters on all
branches of government as well as on the basic
human right to liberty, dignity, and freedom of
livelihood.
The Knesset in session
Prime Minister Olmert and his wife Aliza
meeting with President Bush
For more information, please visit:
• The Knesset:
www.knesset.gov.il
• The Prime Minister’s Office:
www.pmo.gov.il
• The Judicial Authority
www.court.gov.il
declared the Jewish people’s right to live in a
sovereign state, and opens the doors for
Jewish immigration.
Moreover, it declares the state will be based
on freedom, justice and peace and will ensure
equality of social and political rights to all
inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or
sex.
Eleven minutes after the Declaration, the
United States formally recognized Israel.
.
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime
Minister, reads the Declaration
in Independence Hall