dependence was celebrated in 1998, and in order to facilitate the Interim Agreement, the Wye River Memorandum is signed at the White House by Israel and the PLO. The Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum was signed in 1999 by Israel and the PLO to cover any outstanding issues from the Wye River Memorandum. The recent past has hosted many consequential events for Israeli peace and independence. The simple fact that such a persecuted group could come so far in only fifty years and endure all of the events which have taken place and remain unified shows the strength of their group in many ways. One strength is in the system of government, or the political system that was set down in 1948 when Israel reclaimed its independence. The government in Israel is a parliamentary democracy, and is run very similar to that of the United States. Citizens of Israel share many of the same rights that citizens of the United States have, including the freedom of the press. At the head of the government is the president, currently it is Ezer Weizman. Under the president the government is divided into three groups, the executive branch, the legislative branch (referred to as the Knesset), and the judicial branch. Every aspect of the government is included under those three branches. Elections held every four years at the national level and once every five years on the municipal level. Every citizen over 18 years of age and on a voter’s list may vote. Instead of a constitution the government has a set of nine basic laws that the Knesset enacted. Many of the government official’s job descriptions and the laws for the state are included in the nine basic laws. The president is elected to a four-year term through a secret vote done by the Knesset. His purpose in office is to pass laws, open new sessions of the Knesset, receive the credentials of ambassadors from foreign states, approving appointments to other positions in gove...
