Lebanon vs. Israel
Government
| Lebanon | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Lebanese Republic conventional short form: Lebanon local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah local short form: Lubnan former: Greater Lebanon etymology: derives from the Semitic root "lbn" meaning "white" and refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon | conventional long form: State of Israel conventional short form: Israel local long form: Medinat Yisra'el local short form: Yisra'el etymology: named after the ancient Kingdom of Israel; according to Biblical tradition, the Jewish patriarch Jacob received the name "Israel" ("He who struggles with God") after he wrestled an entire night with an angel of the Lord; Jacob's 12 sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel, who formed the Kingdom of Israel |
| Government type | parliamentary republic | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital | name: Beirut geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: derived from the Canaanite or Phoenician word "ber'ot," meaning "the wells" or "fountain," which referred to the site's accessible water table | name: Jerusalem; note - the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 without taking a position on the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty geographic coordinates: 31 46 N, 35 14 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October etymology: Jerusalem's settlement may date back to 2800 B.C.; it is named Urushalim in Egyptian texts of the 14th century B.C.; "uru-shalim" likely means "foundation of [by] the god Shalim", and derives from Hebrew/Semitic "yry", "to found or lay a cornerstone", and Shalim, the Canaanite god of dusk and the nether world; Shalim was associated with sunset and peace and the name is based on the same S-L-M root from which Semitic words for "peace" are derived (Salam or Shalom in modern Arabic and Hebrew); this confluence has thus led to naming interpretations such as "The City of Peace" or "The Abode of Peace" |
| Administrative divisions | 8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa (Bekaa), Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv |
| Independence | 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) | 14 May 1948 (following League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 22 November (1943) | Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May |
| Constitution | history: drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members; if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required; if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment; Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president; amended several times, last in 2004 | history: no formal constitution; some functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws, and the Law of Return (as amended) amendments: proposed by Government of Israel ministers or by the Knesset; passage requires a majority vote of Knesset members and subject to Supreme Court judicial review; 11 of the 13 Basic Laws have been amended at least once, latest in 2020 (Basic Law: the Knesset) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities | mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws |
| Suffrage | 21 years of age; authorized for all men and women regardless of religion; excludes persons convicted of felonies and other crimes or those imprisoned; excludes all military and security service personnel regardless of rank | 18 years of age; universal; 17 years of age for municipal elections |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Michel AWN (since 31 October 2016) head of government: Prime Minister Hassan DIAB (since 22 October 2020); note - the Lebanese Government is in "caretaker" status cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and National Assembly elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016 (next to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation election results: Michel AWN elected president in second round; National Assembly vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83 votes; note - in the initial election held on 23 April 2014, no candidate received the required two-thirds vote, and subsequent attempts failed because the Assembly lacked the necessary quorum to hold a vote; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016 | chief of state: President Issac HERZOG (since 7 July 2021) head of government: Prime Minister Naftali BENNETT (since 13 June 2021) cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Knesset for a single 7-year term; election last held on 2 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2028); following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, tasks a Knesset member (usually the member of the largest party) with forming a new government election results: Issac HERZOG elected president; Knesset vote - Issac HERZOG (independent) 87, Miriam PERETZ (independent) 26, invalid/blank 7 |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic or Assemblee Nationale in French (128 seats; members directly elected by listed-based proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); prior to 2017, the electoral system was by majoritarian vote elections: last held on 6 May 2018 (next to be held in 2022) election results: percent of vote by coalition - NA; seats by coalition - Strong Lebanon Bloc (Free Patriotic Movement-led) 25; Future Bloc (Future Movement-led) 20; Development and Liberation Bloc (Amal Movement-led) 16; Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc (Hizballah-led) 15; Strong Republic Bloc (Lebanese Forces-led) 15; Democratic Gathering (Progressive Socialist Party-led) 9; Independent Centre Bloc 4; National Bloc (Marada Movement-led) 3; Syrian Social Nationalist Party 3; Tashnaq 3; Kata'ib 3; other 8; independent 4; composition - men 122, women 6, percent of women 4.6% note: Lebanon's constitution states the National Assembly cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant | description: unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a 3.25% vote threshold to gain representation; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 23 March 2021 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent by party - Likud 24.2%, Yesh Atid 13.9%, Shas 7.2%, Blue and White 6.6%, Yamina 6.2%, Labor 6.1%, UTJ 5.6%, Yisrael Beiteinu 5.6%, Religious Zionist Party 5.1%, Joint List 4.8%, New Hope 4.7%, Meretz 4.6%, Ra'am 3.8%, other 0.5%; seats by party - Likud 30, Yesh Atid 17, Shas 9, Blue and White 8, Yamina 7, Labor 7, UTJ 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 7, Religious Zionist Party 6, Joint List 6, New Hope 6, Meretz 6, Ra'am 4 - NA |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members) judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the president, deputy president, 13 justices, and 2 registrars) and normally sits in panels of 3 justices; in special cases, the panel is expanded with an uneven number of justices judge selection and term of office: judges selected by the 9-member Judicial Selection Committee, consisting of the Minister of Justice (chair), the president of the Supreme Court, two other Supreme Court justices, 1 other Cabinet minister, 2 Knesset members, and 2 representatives of the Israel Bar Association; judges can serve up to mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: district and magistrate courts; national and regional labor courts; family and juvenile courts; special and religious courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Al-Ahbash or Association of Islamic Charitable Projects [Adnan TARABULSI] | Democratic Union [Nitzan HOROWITZ] (alliance includes Democratic Israel, Meretz, Green Movement) |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN, CICA, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wael HACHEM (since 15 March 2021) chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324 email address and website: info@lebanonembassyus.org http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/ consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles | chief of mission: Ambassador Gilad Menashe ERDAN (since 17 February 2021) chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607 email address and website: consular@washington.mfa.gov.il https://embassies.gov.il/washington/Pages/default.aspx consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dorothy SHEA (since 11 March 2020) embassy: Awkar-Facing the Municipality, Main Street, Beirut mailing address: 6070 Beirut Place, Washington DC 20521-6070 telephone: [961] (04) 543-600 FAX: [961] (4) 544-019 email address and website: BeirutACS@state.gov https://lb.usembassy.gov/ | chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael RATNEY (since 1 June 2021) embassy: 14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem, 9378322 mailing address: 6350 Jerusalem Place, Washington DC 20521-6350 telephone: [972] (2) 630-4000 FAX: [972] (2) 630-4070 email address and website: JerusalemACS@state.gov https://il.usembassy.gov/ branch office(s): Tel Aviv note: on 14 May 2018, the US Embassy relocated to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv; on 4 March 2019, Consulate General Jerusalem merged into US Embassy Jerusalem to form a single diplomatic mission |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity | white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag; the basic design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times note: the Israeli flag proclamation states that the flag colors are sky blue and white, but the exact shade of blue has never been set and can vary from a light to a dark blue |
| National anthem | name: "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!) lyrics/music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition | name: "Hatikvah" (The Hope) lyrics/music: Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN note: adopted 2004, unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Samuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song "Carul cu boi" (The Ox Driven Cart) |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002 |
| National symbol(s) | cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green | Star of David (Magen David), menorah (seven-branched lampstand); national colors: blue, white |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Lebanon dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: unknown | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Israel dual citizenship recognized: yes, but naturalized citizens are not allowed to maintain dual citizenship residency requirement for naturalization: 3 out of the 5 years preceding the application for naturalization note: Israeli law (Law of Return, 5 July 1950) provides for the granting of citizenship to any Jew - defined as a person being born to a Jewish mother or having converted to Judaism while renouncing any other religion - who immigrates to and expresses a desire to settle in Israel on the basis of the Right of aliyah; the 1970 amendment of this act extended the right to family members including the spouse of a Jew, any child or grandchild, and the spouses of children and grandchildren |
Source: CIA Factbook
