Country profile · Middle East
Israel
Israel is a small country on the eastern Mediterranean. It spends 7.8% of GDP on its military, the third-highest share in the world. It is believed to have about 90 nuclear weapons but has never confirmed it. Israel and the United States went to war with Iran on February 28, 2026. Benjamin Netanyahu faces an election on October 27, 2026.
Where Israel ranks
All rankings →Who runs Israel?
Benjamin Netanyahu has been prime minister since December 2022. He also served from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, just over 19 years in total, longer than any other Israeli leader. In the Sayeret Matkal commando unit he was shot in the shoulder during the 1972 rescue of the hijacked Sabena Flight 571. His older brother Yoni was killed leading the Entebbe raid in 1976. Netanyahu's corruption trial began in May 2020. He finished testifying in June 2026 after 98 hearings, and there is no verdict. The election is on October 27, 2026. Polls put Gadi Eisenkot's new party, Yashar, ahead of Likud, but neither bloc has 61 of the 120 seats.
- Likud, with New Hope 36
- Coalition partners 24
- Other parties 60
Portrait (2023): Avi Ohayon, Government Press Office of Israel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who are Israel's allies and rivals?
The United States gives Israel $3.8 billion of military aid a year under a 2016 agreement that runs to September 2028. On February 28, 2026, the two countries struck Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran fired about 650 ballistic missiles at Israel by April 8. Hamas killed about 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 and took 251 hostages. A Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. Israel has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and signed the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020. Israeli troops hold ground in Gaza, southern Lebanon and a buffer zone inside Syria.
Allies and partners
United States$3.8 billion in military aid a year
GermanyBought Arrow 3, Israel's largest arms export deal
IndiaSpecial Strategic Partnership, February 2026
United Arab EmiratesAbraham Accords, 2020
EgyptPeace treaty since 1979
JordanPeace treaty since 1994
- Gaza Strip Israeli troops hold more than 60% of the territory. Ceasefire since October 2025.
- West Bank Occupied since 1967. About 750,000 Israeli settlers, including East Jerusalem.
- Golan Heights Captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Only the US recognizes the annexation. Israeli troops also hold a buffer zone inside Syria.
- Southern Lebanon Held by Israeli troops since March 2026. Withdrawal tied to Hezbollah's disarmament.
- Israel
- Partner
- Tensions
Who does Israel trade with?
Israel exported $58.6 billion of goods in 2025 and imported $95.4 billion. Israel sells more services than goods abroad. Services exports passed $92 billion in 2025, about 56% of its record $165 billion in total exports. High-tech companies earned 58% of all exports. Chips and other electrical machinery led goods exports at $13.6 billion. Diamond exports fell to an all-time low. Turkey halted all trade with Israel on May 2, 2024. Azerbaijan supplied 46.4% of Israel's crude oil imports in 2025. In August 2025 the Leviathan gas field signed a $35 billion deal to sell gas to Egypt through 2040. Israel's government approved the deal in December 2025.
Sells to
Share of Israel's exports
- United States27.5%
- Germany5.1%
China4.8%
Netherlands4.5%- India4.2%
Buys from
Share of Israel's imports
- China21.8%
- United States10.5%
- Germany6.2%
Italy4.2%
South Korea2.6%
Goods trade, 2025, including diamonds. Shares of Israel's exports and imports as Israel reported them to UN Comtrade. Imports are counted by country of origin.
How strong is Israel's military?
SIPRI estimates Israel spent $48.3 billion on its military in 2025, 7.8% of GDP, the third-highest share in the world. The IISS counts 169,500 active troops. Reservists served an average of 78 days in 2025. Men serve 32 months and women 24. About 80,000 eligible ultra-Orthodox men have not enlisted. Air defense runs in layers: Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 for ballistic missiles. The Iron Beam laser was delivered in December 2025 but was not fully in service by August 2026. Israel had received 48 of 75 F-35 jets by January 2026. It signed a record $19.2 billion in defense export deals in 2025.
Military spending as a share of GDP, 2025
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Ukraine39.6%
Algeria8.8%- Israel7.8%
Russia est.7.5%
Saudi Arabia est.6.5%- United States3.1%
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, 2026 edition
Does Israel have nuclear weapons?
Israel is believed to have nuclear weapons but neither confirms nor denies it, a policy called amimut. The Federation of American Scientists estimates about 90 warheads and says Israel has produced enough plutonium for 100 to 200. SIPRI says about 30 are gravity bombs for aircraft and about 50 are for Jericho II missiles. The plutonium comes from the reactor near Dimona in the Negev. Satellite photos have shown large new construction there since 2021. Israel has never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1986 Mordechai Vanunu, a former Dimona technician, gave photos and details to The Sunday Times. The Mossad abducted him in Rome. He served 18 years in prison.
Nuclear warheads, 2026
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France370
United Kingdom225- India190
Pakistan170- Israel90
North Korea60
Federation of American Scientists, Status of World Nuclear Forces, 2026