The last days in Israel / Abraham Diskin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Diskin, Abraham.

Series:

Cass series--Israeli history, politics, and society 1368-4795

Cass series--Israeli history, politics, and society, 1368-4795

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy--Israel.

Democracy.

Israel.

Political parties--Israel.

Political parties.

Israel--Politics and government--1993-.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 190 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; Portland, OR : Frank Cass, 2003.

Summary:

During the 1990s many dramatic changes influenced the basic characteristics of the Israeli democracy, including the environmental and existential circumstances that dictate the country's future. This volume examines the challenges and circumstances the country has faced and addresses both the public's and leadership's singular goal of "peace and security."The book also investigates the renewed constitutional framework which attempted to meet new challenges, but in reality contributed to the evolution of "new politics" and a new party system. This new system is explored through an analytical study of the history of the party system with an emphasis on new phenomena, such as the growing fragmentation of recent years. Developments since the early 1990s are also examined, looking at the governmental periods of Prime Ministers: Shamir, Rabin, Peres, Netanyahu and Barak.

Contents:

1. Basic Problems and Basic Objectives 5

The Basic Social Dilemma and Israeli Democracy 5

The Jewish State: Demography and the Legal Norm 8

The Security Equation: Motivation and Means 15

Social and Political Polarization: Democracy, Jewishness, Security, and Peace 22

2. The Constitutional Revolution and the Breakdown of Balances between the Branches of Government 33

The Judiciary: 'Make Us a King to Judge Us' 33

The Legislative and the Executive: The Courage to Repent before the Fall 41

3. The Party map 55

Roots and Development, 1949-92 55

The New Party Map, 1996-99 66

The Power of the Political Center 69

4. Days of Storm and Stress 79

From Rabin to Peres: 'Yes to Peace

No to Violence' 79

From Peres to Netanyahu: The Shifting Sands of Parity 87

The Netanyahu Government: In the Absence of Checks and Balances 95

The 1999 Elections 101

The Barak Government: From Dilemma to Dilemma 113

The Sharon Government 125

5. Conclusion: Solutions in the Absence of a Solution 131

i. The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel 143

ii. Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom 146

iii. Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation 148

iv. The Palestinian National Charter 150

v. Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements 156

vi. Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee 163

vii. Palestinian-Israeli Security Implementation Work Plan 166

viii. Basic Profiles of Israel, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Selected Middle Eastern Countries 170

ix. Knesset Elections: 1949-99 171

x. The Governments of Israel: 1949-2002 173.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [177]-183) and index.

ISBN:

0714654213

0714683833

OCLC:

51223543