[b]Israel[/b]

[Elena2301]

Israel is a very young, little, and at the same time very powerful state, with the ancient history and background. Israel is a parliamentary democracy, with legislative, executive and judicial branches operating on the principle of separation of powers to ensure checks and balances within the system. Due to the fact that Israel was under foreign rule for so many centuries, the state doesn’t have relevant experience of foreign relations activity. It has always been the struggle for independence, therefore diplomacy aspects have been neglected for a long period of time. UN played a significant role in Israel’s formation as a state and created conditions for the further development of the situation. The UN General Assembly voted (29 November 1947) for the establishment of two states in the area (west of the Jordan River), one Jewish and one Arab. The Jews accepted the partition plan; the Arabs rejected it, which led to a half a century long war with a number of attempts for peaceful resolution, which failed numerous times. Many peaceful treaties being signed (Declaration of Principles (September 1993), Interim Agreement (1995), the Hebron Protocol, the Wye River Memorandum, the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, it didn’t lead to the establishment of peace and every now and then acts of violence are being carried out by Israel’s neighbors.
The State of Israel has been a member of the United Nations since 1949 and maintains relations with the majority of states around the world. With memories of centuries of persecution, the devastating experience of the Holocaust and the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel's foreign policy has been geared to advance peace, while ensuring the country's security and promoting cooperation with all nations.
The school system is based on the ongoing need to absorb and integrate new immigrants and educate children from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds - Jewish, Arab and Druze, religiously observant and secular. Accordingly, schools are divided into state schools, attended by the majority of pupils; state religious schools, which emphasize Jewish studies, tradition and observance; Arab and Druze schools, with instruction in Arabic and special focus on Arab and Druze history, tradition and culture; and private schools, which operate under various religious and international auspices. At high school level, students may select an academic, technological, agricultural or military framework. Individuals with special educational needs are accommodated according to their ability and handicap in the regular education system, with additional help, or at separate facilities. Each year a special topic of national importance is chosen to be taught in depth, aimed at enhancing students' understanding and appreciation of values such as democracy, environmental conservation, the Hebrew language and peace.
The country's most remarkable economic achievement in the 60 years of its existence is the rate at which it has developed, while simultaneously dealing with four major challenges: maintaining national security, which now accounts for some eight percent of the GDP (in contrast to over 25% in the 1970s); absorbing large numbers of immigrants - the raison d'etre of the Jewish state (over three million - a five-fold increase - since its inception in 1948 ); establishing a modern infrastructure to meet the requirements for economic growth; and providing a high level of public services.
Israel’s reaction to the world economic crisis has been reasonable. The Ambassador Haim Divon’s statement, at the Follow-Up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the MonterreyConsensusDoha in Qatar on the 1st of December 2008 outlined Israel’s position and readiness to cooperate with the rest of the world “during these worrisome times”, to work in unison through common efforts. He proclaimed that Israel remains committed to the Monterrey Consensus and to the Doha spirit, and will continue to enhance its efforts in many areas related to financing for development, including transfer of technology, capacity building, and creating partnerships. He stressed that Israel believes that development cooperation can, and should, be used to forge bonds of peaceful cooperation. The joint programs which are being carried out jointly with Palestinian, Jordanians, Israeli and Egyptian experts serve as a sound testimony to this notion.