Politics of Israel

Overview

Israel is one of the only functioning democracies in the Middle East.  The political system in this medical tourism center is based on the parliamentary democracy model where the legislature and the executive are separated from the judiciary. All executive power rests with the prime minister and his cabinet.  The president's position is largely ceremonial.  He or she is appointed by the parliament for 5-year terms.  

Parliament

The members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), number 120 in all, and they are elected by the citizens.  The Knesset is a unicameral body, and it is the seat of all legislative power in the country.   

An odd fact about this medical tourism center is that there is no formal constitution. When the state was first established in 1948, the fledgling assembly opted not to ratify the provisional draft due to the tenuous nature of the political climate.  At the time, it was felt that the clauses of a formal constitution would increase divisive conflicts between religious authorities and the state at an already fragile time. 

Election

The minimum voting age in Israel is 18 years. Political parties are mainly aligned to ethnic or religious groups.  There is a party that represents Jews who came from central Europe, another that represents Mizrachi Jews, and still two others that are pro and anti-Hassidic.