State in the Middle East.
Territory - 14 thousand sq. km (within the boundaries determined by the decision of the UN General Assembly in November 1947; without 6.7 thousand sq. km captured by Israel during the Israeli-Arab war of 1948-49).
Population - 3.7 million, of which Jews - 3.2 million, Arabs - about 0.5 million (1979).
The main economic and cultural center is Tel Aviv (343 thousand inhabitants, 1977).
In January 1950, contrary to the UN resolution (1947), the Israeli authorities declared Jerusalem the capital of the state and transferred most of the government offices to the occupied by Israel during the 1948-49 war. the western part of the city.
Neither the USSR nor other great powers recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
As a result of the Israeli aggression in June 1967, the eastern part of Jerusalem was annexed. In August 1980, the Israeli parliament declared Jerusalem the "eternal" and "indivisible" capital of Israel. The UN Security Council declared this Israeli decision invalid and demanded that it be canceled.
The official language is Hebrew. The state religion is Judaism.
Israel was formed on 14 V 1948 in accordance with the decision of the UN General Assembly of 29 November 1947 on the abolition of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation on its territory of independent states - Jewish and Arab. An Arab state on the territory of Palestine was not created, and Israel as a result of the war of 1948-49. annexed part of the territory set aside for the Arab state. Throughout its existence, Israel has pursued an aggressive, expansionist policy towards neighboring Arab states. In October-November 1956, he participated, together with Britain and France, in the aggression against Egypt.
In June 1967, Israel committed aggression against Egypt, Syria and Jordan and occupied part of the territory of these states with a total area of over 68 thousand square meters. km. With the support and broad assistance of the imperialist powers, primarily the United States, and world Zionism, the ruling circles of Israel strove first of all to undermine the progressive regimes in Egypt and Syria and, ultimately, to contribute to the restoration of imperialist influence in the entire Middle East. The Israeli government stubbornly sabotages all efforts aimed at a just and peaceful settlement of the Middle East crisis, at the implementation of the Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions providing for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all occupied territories. In the occupied territories, the Israeli authorities are pursuing a policy of oppression and suppression of the Arab population,
The adventurous, annexationist policy of the Israeli ruling circles led in October 1973 to a new outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, as a result of which Israel suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment. Strengthening the combat capability of the armies of the Arab states, the increased isolation of Israel in the international arena, the pressure of world public opinion - all this forced the Israeli government to agree to participate in the peace conference on the Middle East in Geneva (December 1973). In January 1974 and September 1975, Israel signed an agreement with Egypt, and in May 1974 with Syria, an agreement on the disengagement of troops and the creation of buffer zones between them with the deployment of UN emergency forces.
However, the Israeli government has not abandoned its policy of strength. " Seeking to strike at Palestinian resistance forces, Israel occupied southern Lebanon in March 1978 and then handed over key positions in the area to right-wing Christian Lebanese forces that refuse to recognize the central government. Israel systematically carries out military attacks on Lebanese settlements and Palestinian refugee camps, incites armed clashes inside Lebanon, posing the threat of a split in the country. In March 1979, with the active participation of the United States
Israel signed a separate "peace" treaty with Egypt aimed in exchange for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory of Sinai to consolidate, and indefinitely, Israel's occupation of the West Bank. Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights, the establishment of military-political cooperation between the two states, the strengthening of the American presence in the Middle East. Without solving a single fundamental issue of the Middle East settlement, completely ignoring the rights of the Palestinian Arab people, the Israeli-Egyptian agreement only further exacerbates the situation and leads to the danger of a new armed conflict in this region of the world.
The USSR resolutely supports the just struggle of the Arab peoples, for a cardinal political settlement and the establishment of a lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all Arab territories occupied in 1967, including the eastern part of Jerusalem, and the implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian Arab people, in including his right to self-determination and the creation of his own independent state, as well as the termination of the state of war between the relevant Arab states and Israel and the provision of international security guarantees for all states of the Middle East, their right to independent existence and development. At the same time, the USSR proceeds from the premise that only an end to the policy of separate deals can open the way to such a comprehensive settlement.
Israel is a republic. The highest legislative body is the Knesest (parliament). The executive power belongs to the government. President - I. Navon. Prime Minister - M. Begin.
The most reactionary political group in Israel is the Likud bloc, which emerged in 1973; it includes the Gahal bloc (Herut and Liberal party) and some small political groups. The Likud reflects the interests of the big Israeli bourgeoisie and openly advocates the idea of territorial expansion. Leader - M. Begin.
The Labor Party of Israel (MAI) is the largest political party, formed in 1968 as a result of the merger of three Zionist parties - Mapai, Rafi and Ahdut Haavoda, a bourgeois-nationalist party masquerading as a social democratic party. After the 1977 parliamentary elections, he is in opposition.
The United Workers' Party (Mapam) - founded in 1948, the Zionist Social Democratic Party, which claims to reflect the interests of the working people, actually merges with the bourgeois-nationalist parties. MAI and Mapam form a single parliamentary bloc "Maarah".
The main party that reflects the true interests of the country's workers, both Jews and Arabs, is the Communist Party of Israel (KPI). Created in 1919 as the Socialist Workers' Party of Palestine. Consistently defends the principles of proletarian internationalism, fights for the country's political and economic independence from the imperialist powers, against the expansionist policy of the ruling circles, for a just and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Middle East crisis, for the unification of all forces in the country that advocate the development of Israel along the path of peace, democracy and social progress. The CPI is the leading force in the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KPI - Meir Vilner. Print media - newspapers Zo Gaderekh and Al-Ittihad.
The trade union association Histadrut (General Federation of Labor) unites most of the workers, peasants and office workers. Owner or co-owner of many industrial, trade, construction and transport companies. Influenced by the Israel Labor Party. The leadership of the Histadrut is pursuing a conciliatory policy to the detriment of the interests of the working people.
Israel is an industrial and agricultural country. Of the raw materials, it has only the chemical salts of the Dead Sea and phosphates. As a result of the constant infusion of capital from abroad into Israel, until recently, quite high rates of economic development were maintained. However, the growing dependence on foreign capital, the incessant militarization of the economy, colossal military spending (about 2/3 of the state budget) led to a serious crisis in the economy. The country has a significant balance of payments deficit ($ 4.2 billion in 1979). Israel's foreign currency debt is growing steadily, reaching the highest per capita rate in the world.
Main industries: food, textile, clothing, chemical, diamond processing. The electrical, electronic, mechanical engineering and some other industries, working mainly for military purposes, were also developed.
The main agricultural crop is citrus fruits (average annual harvest is about 1.5 million tons). Vegetable growing, horticulture, floriculture are developed. Cereals are represented by wheat, barley, sorghum (harvesting of grain and legumes does not meet the needs of the population). Poultry farming has developed significantly.
The length of main roads is 3.4 thousand km, the main railways are lines - 484 km.
The monetary unit is the shekel. 4.4 shekels = 1 am. dollars (May 1980).
Foreign trade is characterized by a constant deficit. Main trading partners: Common Market countries and the USA.
In 1979, commodity prices increased by 120-150%.
According to official data at the end of 1979, the income share of 20% of the most disadvantaged population of the country has declined over the past two years from 7.4% to 6.9%. At the same time, the income share of 20% of the wealthiest population increased from 40.7% to 42.7%.
The strike movement is growing in the country, emigration has increased (over 20 thousand people annually).
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