The country's
Basic Laws establish a
parliament elected by
proportional representation, the
Knesset, which determines the makeup of the
government headed by the
prime minister and elects the figurehead
president. Israel has one of the largest economies in the Middle East, one of the highest
standards of living in Asia, the world's
26th-largest economy by nominal GDP and
16th by nominal GDP per capita. One of the most
technologically advanced and developed countries in the world, it
spends proportionally more on research and development than any other country in the world and is widely believed to
possess nuclear weapons.
Its culture comprises
Jewish and
Jewish diaspora elements alongside
Arab influences.