Israel's Next King(s)

History Synopsis

The Jews were scattered from their homeland after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. This great scattering is called the Great Diaspora. It lasted 2000 years. The rich history of Israel during this long exile is a subject gentiles (us) should know about. The Jewish homeland became a waste land populated by a few nomadic Bedouin tribes. The Romans were the landlords then the Persians, Greeks, the Romans, finally the British. (See The Four Hundred Silent Years by Ray Stedman. World Wars 1 and 2 saw Britain and France involved and the winners both times.  Hitler and the Holocaust (the Shoah) outraged England, France, the United States while Jews everywhere yearned for a homeland. The Arabs were very unhappy with this talk, but finally a silver of land was granted to the Jews living outside the Land. Most were poor; arriving in the Land was difficult; the once fertile land was desert, swamp lands, barren.  Finally on May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion proclaimed the creation of the sovereign state of Israel. The Arab  World immediately launched an attack from all sides. A A series of wars by her Arab neighbors has followed.

What style of government should the new state of Israel adopt? There were many to choose from with nearly 200 nations to choose from. 
Was immediately obvious that monarchies never worked. Socialism and Communism were Considered but rejected. The U.S. was a bastion of freedom, but very inefficient with authority distributed to three branches. One leader in charge of day to day matters, but held in check by Legislative and Judicial bodies, The state of Israel adopted: 

The Israeli system of governments based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government (also known as the cabinet). Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The political system of the and its main principles are set out in 11 Basic Laws. Israel does not have a written constitution.

The president of the State is the de jure head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical and ceremonial role, and is not considered a part of any Government Branch. The President's ceremonial roles include signing every law (except those pertaining to the President's powers) and international or bilateral treaty, ceremonially appointing the Prime Minister, confirming and endorsing the credentials of ambassadors, and receiving the credentials of foreign diplomats. The President also has several important functions in government. The President is the only government official with the power to pardon or commute prisoners. The President appoints the governor of the Bank of Israel, the president of the national emergency relief service Magen David Adom, and the members and leaders of several institutions. The President also ceremonially appoints judges to their posts after their selection.

Executive branch

The Prime Minister is the most powerful political figure in the country. The Prime Minister is ceremonially appointed by the President upon recommendation of party Representatives in the Knesset, and makes foreign and domestic policy decisions which are voted on by the cabinet. The cabinet is minicomputers, most of whom are the heads of government departments, though some are deputy ministers and ministers without portfolio. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister. The cabinet's composition must also be approved by the Knesset. The Prime Minister may dismiss cabinet members, but any replacements must be approved by the Knesset. Most ministers are members of the Knesset, though only the Prime Minister is required to be one. The cabinet meets weekly on Sundays, and there may be additional meetings if circumstances require it. Each cabinet meeting is chaired by the Prime Minister.

A select group of ministers led by the Prime Minister forms the security cabinet, responsible for outlining and implementing a foreign and defense policy. This forum is designed to coordinate diplomatic negotiations, and to make quick and effective decisions in times of crisis and war.

The Israeli government has 28 ministries, each of them responsible for a sector of public administration. Many ministries are located in the Kiryat Ben Gurion Government complex in the area of Givat Ram in Jerusalem. Each ministry is led by a minister, who is also a member of the cabinet and is usually a member of the Knesset. The Office of the Prime Minister coordinates the actions of the work of all government ministries, and serving and assisting the Prime Minister in his daily work.

The State Comptroller, which supervises and reviews the policies and operations of the government, is elected by the Knesset in secret ballot. They can only be removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the Knesset. In addition to their fiscal and operational oversight function, the State Comptroller also serves as a national ombudsman for the state, receiving complaints from the public about the actions of public officials and institutions.

Legislative branch

Knesset

The Knesset is Israel's unicameral legislature and is seated in Jerusalem. Its 120 members are elected to 4-year terms through party-list proportional representation electoral system, below), as mandated by the 1958 Basic Law: The Knesset seats are allocated among parties using the D'Hondt method of party list proportional representation. Parties select candidates using a closed list. Thus, voters select the party of their choice, rather than any specific candidate. Israel requires a party to meet an election threshold of 3.25%  to be allocated a Knesset seat. All Israeli citizens 18 years of age and older may participate in legislative elections, which are conducted by secret ballot.

As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset has the power to enact and repeal all laws. It enjoys parliamentary supremacy, and can pass any law by a simple majority, even one that might arguably conflict with a Basic Law, unless it has specific conditions for its modification. The Knesset can adopt and amend Basic Laws acting through its capacity as a Constituent Assembly. The Knesset also supervises government activities through its committees, nominates the Prime Minister and approves the cabinet, and elects the President of the State and the State Comptroller. It also has the power to remove the President and State Comptroller from office, revoke the immunity of its members, and to dissolve itself and call new elections.

The February 2009 elections produced five prominent political parties; Kadima, Likud, Israel Beytenu Labor and Shas, each with more than ten seats in the Knesset. Three of these parties were ruling parties in the past. However, only once has a single party held the 61 seats needed for a majority government (the Alignment from 1968 until the 1969 elections). Therefore, aside from that one exception, since 1948 Israeli governments have always comprise coalitions. As of 2009, there are 12 political parties represented in the Knesset, spanning both the political and religious spectra. (Wikipedia).

Religion in Israel these days is a minority position. The religious affiliation of the Israeli population as of 2022 was 73.6% Jewish, 18.1% Muslim, 1.9% Christian, and 1.6% Druze. The remaining 4.8% included faiths such as Samaritanism and Baháʼí, as well as "religiously unclassified".

There is a saying among Jews, “When you see two Jews arguing you will find at least three opinions expressed.”