ISRAEL AMONG THE NATIONS. The State of Israel has been a member of the United Nations since 1949 and maintains relations with the majority of states around the world. With memories of centuries of persecution, the devastating experience of the Holocaust and the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel's foreign policy has been geared to advance peace, while ensuring the country's security and promoting cooperation with all nations.
An ongoing aspect of Israel's relations with many developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America is the sharing of its accumulated knowledge and expertise, in fields such as agriculture, regional planning, public health, and community development.
ISRAEL AND WORLD JEWRY. Recent estimates put the total world Jewish population at over 13 million, of whom 41 percent live in Israel, and 42.9 percent in North America. The relationship between Diaspora Jewry and Israel operates on many levels, and the ongoing dialogue between them includes a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern. For its part, Israel seeks to strengthen its ties with Diaspora Jewish communities by promoting Jewish-Zionist activities, fostering the study of the Hebrew language, encouraging visits by tourists and study missions, attracting financial investment and initiating joint economic projects. Diaspora Jews participate in the building of the country through monetary contributions, social and political support and by settling in Israel, adding their particular skills and cultural backgrounds to the Israel mosaic.
(statistics from 2006)