12th Grade Civics Exam Summary - November 2026

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering essential concepts, democratic principles, the Declaration of Independence, legislation, state institutions, minorities, and visions of statehood for the 12th Grade Civics exam.

Under the democratic principle of __________, all citizens are the sovereign and elect a government for a legally specified term, making the citizens the source of governing authority.

Rule of the People (שלטון העם)

The electoral condition of __________ ensures that all citizens are entitled to vote and stand for election to representative state institutions, within boundaries set by law.

universal elections (בחירות כלליות)

The electoral condition of __________ guarantees that no one other than the voter knows their choice, preventing undue pressure from external parties.

secret elections (בחירות חשאיות)

The electoral condition of __________ dictates that elections recur at known, regular intervals established by law.

periodic elections (בחירות מחזוריות)

The electoral condition of __________ ensures that every voter's vote carries the exact same mathematical weight as any other vote.

equal elections (בחירות שוויוניות)

The electoral condition of __________ requires fair political competition grounded in political liberties, particularly freedom of expression and freedom of political association.

free competition (התמודדות חופשית)

In the Israeli electoral system, the __________ feature means the entire territory of the state serves as a single electoral district for computing election outcomes.

nationwide (ארצית)

In the Israeli electoral system, the __________ feature means that voters cast their ballot for a party with a slate of candidates, which may be determined by primaries.

list-based (רשימתית)

In the Israeli electoral system, the __________ feature means that parliamentary seats are allocated in direct proportion to the number of valid votes won by each list that crosses the electoral threshold.

proportional (יחסית)

The democratic principle of __________ establishes that out of several choices, the option favored by the majority of voters is adopted, provided fundamental minority rights are not unjustifiably infringed.

Majority Rule (הכרעת הרוב)

The improper abuse of decision-making power by the majority to unjustly violate minority rights is known as __________.

tyranny of the majority (עריצות הרוב)

The 1917 document sent by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild announcing the British government's intent to support a Jewish national home in Eretz Israel is the __________.

Balfour Declaration (הצהרת בלפור)

In 1922, the League of Nations granted Great Britain the __________, authorizing the creation of a national home for the Jewish people on both banks of the Jordan River while preserving the civil and religious rights of non-Jewish inhabitants.

Mandate for Palestine (כתב המנדט)

The UN resolution passed on November 29, 1947, calling to divide the remaining territory of the Mandate into a Jewish state and an Arab state, is known as __________.

Resolution 181 / The Partition Plan (תוכנית החלוקה)

The Declaration of Independence is formally organized into three sections: the historical section, the operational/practical section, and the __________ section.

declarative

In the Declaration of Independence, the argument that every people possesses an inherent right to self-determination falls under the category of __________ justification.

natural / universal (הצדקה טבעית)

Unlike an ethnic group, a __________ possesses shared elements and either already has a sovereign state or autonomy, or actively aspires to achieve one.

nation (לאום)

The shared aspiration of a nation's members for self-determination within a sovereign state based on political values, shared norms, and common citizenship is known as __________.

civic nationalism (לאומיות אזרחית)

Enacted in 1950, the __________ grants every Jewish person, along with their non-Jewish spouses, children, and grandchildren, the legal right to immigrate to Israel.

Law of Return (חוק השבות)

Under the 1970 amendment to the Law of Return, a Jew is defined as someone born to a Jewish mother or someone who __________ and does not practice another religion.

converted to Judaism (נתגייר)

The __________ Law instructs Israeli courts to resolve legal lacunas by ruling according to the principles of freedom, justice, and equity found in the heritage of Israel.

Foundations of Law (חוק יסודות המשפט)

The __________ Law forbids commercial business owners from displaying and selling chametz publicly in Jewish areas during the festival of Passover.

Matzot Holiday (חוק חג המצות)

Formulated via a 1947 letter of intent, the __________ was designed to regulate state-and-religion disputes across four core areas: Shabbat, kashrut, marriage and divorce, and educational autonomy.

Status Quo Agreement (הסדר הסטטוס-קוו)

The central deliberative body of the Knesset, consisting of all 120 members where votes and primary decisions occur, is the __________.

Plenum (מליאה)

A vote of no confidence can terminate the Israeli government's tenure only if at least __________ members of the Knesset vote in favor of an agreed-upon alternative candidate for Prime Minister.

61

The failure of the Knesset to approve the annual state __________ Law is legally treated as equivalent to a vote of no confidence and prompts parliamentary dissolution.

Budget (חוק התקציב)

The Arab minority forms the single largest minority in the State of Israel, making up approximately __________ of the state's citizens.

20%

Muslims constitute the largest religious minority in Israel, representing roughly __________ of the total population.

18%

Since 2014, Christian citizens in Israel have had the legal option to register their national identity in the population registry as __________ rather than Arab.

Aramean (ארמים)

Unlike the Druze of the Galilee, Druze living in the __________, who came under Israeli rule after the 1967 Six-Day War, generally refuse Israeli citizenship and do not participate in parliamentary elections.

Golan Heights (רמת הגולן)

In the ideological vision of a __________, the ultimate source of authority is Jewish religious law (Halakha) rather than the democratic electorate, rendering it non-democratic.

Halakhic State (מדינת הלכה)

The vision of a __________ calls for entirely removing Israel's ethnic-Jewish character, basing nationality solely on shared Israeli citizenship, and repealing the Law of Return.

Democratic civic nation-state (מדינת לאום אזרחית דמוקרטית)

The vision of a __________ advocates giving equal collective weight and identity to both the Jewish and Arab nations in state institutions, symbols, and immigration policy.

Democratic bi-national state (מדינה דו-לאומית דמוקרטית)