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Main article Military of Israel
Israel's military consists of a unified Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known in Hebrew by the acronym "Tzahal". Historically there have been no separate Israeli military services. The Navy and air are subordinate to the army. There are other paramilitary government agencies which deal with different aspects of Israel's security (such as MAGAV and the Shin Bet). See further discussion: Israel Security Forces.
The IDF is considered the strongest military force in the Middle East, and relies heavily on technology, training, and esprit de corps. Most of Israel's military hardware is donated by the United States and frequently enhanced by Israel's own military industries.
Most Israelis, males and females, are drafted into the military at the age of 18, with the notable exceptions of Arabs, most Haredi Jews, pacifists, and women who declare themselves religiously observant. Compulsory service is three years for men, and two years for women.
Following the compulsory service, Israeli men become part of the IDF reserve forces, and are usually required to serve several weeks every year as reservists, until their 40s.
Israel is widely regarded as being an undeclared nuclear power -- it operates nuclear facilities and is generally believed to be in the possession of nuclear warheads. Because it is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Israel rejects international inspections of its nuclear facilities and the nation maintains a public policy of "nuclear ambiguity". For further information, see: Israel and weapons of mass destruction.
Israel is technically at war with Iraq, which never signed an armistice ending the war of 1948-1949. It is also technically in a state of war with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon. A cease fire agreement was signed with Syria in 1973. There is no such agreement with Lebanon. (Note: Those have usually only been wars in an indirect or technical sense for decades, as there has been little or no direct fighting between countries in many of those technical states of war recently.)
Main article: Geography of Israel
Israel, located in Southwest Asia, is a country whose exact territorial boundaries and borders are widely disputed. It is also considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called Cradle of Humanity. The total area—excluding East Jerusalem and other territories taken over by Israel in the 1967 war—is 20,770 square km; the total area—including the aforementioned territories—is 22,145 square km.
The territories taken over by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israeli and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-controlled West Bank and Gaza Strip) to achieve a permanent settlement. These talks generated the Oslo Accords in 1993, which established mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO, and granted the new Palestinian Authority partial autonomy in areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Talks were also held between Israel and Syria. On April 25 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.
Main article: Districts of Israel
6 districts (mehozot; singular, mehoz) and 13 sub-districts (nafot; singular, nafa)
See also List of cities in Israel.
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