Faculty of Social Sciences
\
Israeli Politics
71-113-18
Dr. Shay Hershkovitz
Mandatory course,
2015 - 2016, annual credits
Lecturer's email: shay.hershkovitz@biu.ac.il
Class Hours: Wednsay 16:00 – 18:00
Office hours: Wednsay, 20:00 – 21:00
A. Course objectives and purposes:
This course examines some of the issues currently facing Israeli society and the ongoing debates in Israeli
politics. It discusses the evolution of the Israeli socio-political system, with an emphasis on the changes it
had witnessed from the “Yeshuv” era (during the British Mandate), through the formative years and up to our
days. The course also discusses the local political culture, on its elaborate and changing system of political
symbols.
B. Course Topics:
The course focuses on the following three main subjects: the prominent issues and conflicts that influenced
the formation of the Israeli political climate: (1) the unification of the local political system, the electoral
revolution, Israel as a Judeo - democratic state, political violence and the militarization of society. (2) Crucial
cleavages and debates within Israeli society – along political, religious, ethnic, and national lines: left-right,
religious - seculars, Jews - Arabs, Sepharadim - Ashkenazim and immigrants - native Israelis. (3) The future
of Israel as multi-cultural state, the post and neo Zionism debate and the globalization of Israel.
C. Course Pedagogical Tools:
Students are required to attend all classes having read the assigned readings before each session. Though
class time will primarily be devoted to lectures, questions are welcome and some time each week will be set
aside for discussion.
D. Course Requirements and Final Grading*
1. Full attendance in class, current preparation of class readings and participation in class discussion;
including 2 virtual classes. These are all a pre-requirement for passing the class (10% of the final grade).
2. Students should also keep up on current events relating to Israel, including daily perusing of articles in
(among others):
http://haaretz.com/; http://www.ynetnews.com
3. Midterm Paper - 5- 7 pages, designed to draw on the readings and class discussions (25% of the final
grade). To be submitted on the first day of spring semester, 08.03.2015.
4. The midterm paprt must be written personally.
5. Open debate – will be prepared by the students (15% of the final grade).
6. Final open exam (50% of the final grade).
All assignments required to pass the course
E. Course Program
Main Books:
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Arian, A. (1998). The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Chatham, N.J.: Chatham House Publishers.
E32 ARI s (382133) – Reserve library (in Central library)
Howard, M. & Sachar, A. (2007). History of Israel: From The Rise of Zionism to Our Time. Third Edition.
New York.
N/A
The Middle East institution (2008). Israel: Growing Pains at 60. Washington, DC.
Lecture Topics and Readings
The readings with an asterisk* are optional
Lecture 1: What is Democracy: an Introduction
Lecture 2 - 3: The Origins of Zionism and Prominent Schools of Thought
Laqueur, W. (1972). A History of Zionism. New York: MJA Books, p. 3 - 39.
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Howard, M. & Sachar, A. (2007). History of Israel: From The Rise of Zionism to Our Time. Pp. 3- 64.
(*) Vital, D. (1975). The Origins of Zionism. Oxford : Oxford University Press, Pp.3-48.
(*) Pinsker, L. (1972). Auto-Emancipation: an Appeal to his People by a Russian Jews. In: A. Hertzberg (Ed.)
The Zionist Idea: A Historical Analysis and Reader. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Pp. 181198.
(*) Herzl, T. (1896/1988). The Jewish State. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. Pp. 69-101; 123-157.
Lecture 4 - 6: From to “Yeshuv” to the State of Israel: the Creation of a Political Community and the
Cradle of Left - Right Dichotomy
Arian, A. (1998). The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Pp. 19-36; 58-82; 364-376.
Morris, B. (1986). The Causes and Character of the Arab Exodus from Palestine: The Israel Defense Forces
Intelligence Branch Analysis of June 1948. Middle Eastern Studies, 22. 5-19.
Journal + Ejournal (126485)
(*) Kolatt, I. (1996). The Zionist Movement and the Arabs. In: J. Reinharz & A. Shapira (Eds). Essential
Papers on Zionism (p.387-397 ). New-York: New York University Press.
Lecture 7: The History of the Elections - the Story of the (Changing) Society
Arian, A. (1998). The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Pp. 117 – 165; 233 - 262.
(*) Rahat, G. & Hazan, R. (2013). Increased Personalization in and Unstable Party System: the
2013 Elections is Israel. Representation, 49. 375-389
Lecture 8 - 9 : Religion and State: The Religious-Secular Divide
Arian, A. (1998). The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Pp. 348-363.
Cohen, A. & Susser, B. (2000). Israel and the Politics of Jewish Identity: The Secular-Religious Impasse.
Baltimore: Johns. Hopkins University Press. Pp. 1-37.
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(*) Etzioni-Halevy, E. (2008). The Intergenerational Split between Secular and Religious Jews. In: The
Middle East institution (Pp. 77-79 ). Israel: Growing Pains at 60. Washington, DC.
(*) Levy, S., Levinsohn, H. & Katz, E. (2000). A Portrait of Israeli Jewry: Beliefs, observances, and values
among Israeli Jews. Jerusalem: Israel.
Lecture 10 - 11: Native Israelis and Immigrants: The Jewish Ethnic Divide
Arian, A. (1998). The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Pp. 36-40.
Cohen, Y. & Haberfeld, Y. (1998). Second-Generation Jewish Immigrants in Israel: Have the Ethnic Gaps in
Schooling d Earnings Declined? Ethnic And Racial Studies21, 3. 507-528.
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Peled, Y. (1998). Towards a Redefinition of Jewish Nationalism in Israel? The enigma of Shas. Ethnic and
Racial Studies, 21 (4). 703-727.
Journal + Ejournal (145947)
(*) Chetrit, S. (2000). Mizrahi politics in Israel: Between integration and alternative. Journal of Palestine
Studies, 29 (4). 51-65.
(*) Dahan-Kalev, H. (2001). You’re so pretty—You don’t look Moroccan. Israel Studies, 6 (1). 1-14.
(*) Picard, A. (2008). Israel and the Jews from Arab countries. In: The Middle East institution (Pp. 83-85).
Israel: Growing Pains at 60. Washington, DC.
Lecture 12 - 13: The Socio-Economic Divide and Center-Perphery Relations
Arian, A. (1998). Politics in Israel, Pp. 48-82.
Semyonov, M. & Lewin-Epstein, N. (2011). Wealth inequality: Ethnic disparities in Israeli society. social
forces, 89 (3). 935-959.
Ejournal (136061)
(*) Rivlin, P. (2010). The Israeli economy from the foundation of the state through the 21st century.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 208 - 239.
Lecture 14: Politics and Media: a Gordian knot?
Doron, G. (2012). New Media, Politics and Society in Israel. New York: Routledge.
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Cohen, Y. (2012). God, Jews and the Media: Religion and Israel’s Media. New York & London: Routledge.
E322.1 COH g (2368468)
Lecture 15 - 16: Israel and Palestine: Palestinians in Israel and the Issue of the Territories
Arian, A. (1998). Politics in Israel. Pp. 40-47.
Ghanem, A. (2000). The Palestinian minority in Israel: The ‘challenge’ of the Jewish state and its
implications. Third World Quarterly, 21 (1). 87-104.
Ejournal (437606)
Migdal, J. & Kimmerling, B. (2001). The odd man out: Arabs in Israel. In: S. Migdal (Ed). Through the Lens
of Israel: Explorations in State and Society. (Pp. 173-194). Albany: State University of New York Press
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(*) Jamal, A. (2008). Majoritarian despotism and the hollowing out of citizenship in Israel. In: The Middle
East institution (Pp. 83-85). Israel: Growing Pains at 60. Washington, DC.
(*) Peled, Y. (2008). Israeli citizenship. In: The Middle East institution (Pp. 32-34). Israel: Growing Pains at
60. Washington, DC.
(*) Peleg, I. (2008). Majority-minority relations in the Jewish republic. In: The Middle East institution (Pp.
35-37). Israel: Growing Pains at 60. Washington, DC.
Lecture 17 - 18: 66 Years, 7 Wars
Bregman, A. (2002). A History of Israel. New-York: Palgrave. Pp. 104-167
N/A
(*) Rivlin, P. (2010). The Israeli economy from the foundation of the state through the 21st century.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 118 - 142.
Lecture 19: The Peace Processes: Past and Present
Rabinovitch, I. (2004). Waging peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1948-2003. Princeton: Princeton University
Press. Pp.38-77.
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(*) Netanyahu, B. (1993). A Place Among the Nations:Israel and the world. New York: Bantam Books. Pp.
256-293.
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(*) Lochery, N. (2007).The politics and economics of Israeli disengagement, 1994-2006. Middle Eastern
Studies, 43 (1). 1-19.
(*) Zertal, I. & Eldar, A. (2007). Lords of the land: The war over Israel’s settlements in theoOccupied
territories, 1967-2007. New-Yor: Nation Books. Pp. 245-275.
Lecture 20: Tolerance and Political Violence in Israel: the Limits of Legitimacy
Arian, A. (1998). Politics in Israe. Pp. 439 - 447.
Lehman-Wilzig, S. (1986). Conflict as communication: Public protest in Israel, 1950-1982. In: S. Cohen &
E. Don-Yehiya (Eds.) Conflict and Consensus in Jewish Politics (Pp. 128-145). Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan
University Press.
296.932008 CJP v.2 (38420)
Lecture 21: The Changing (Political and Social) Role of the Israel Defense Forces
Howard, M. & Sachar, A. (2007). History of Israel: From The Rise of Zionism to Our Time. Pp. 315-353;
472-514; 615-666; 740-787; 897-920.
Levy, Y. (2012). Who Controls the IDF? Between an "Over-Subordinate Army" and "a Military that has a
State. Raana: Open University Working Paper Series.
Lecture 22 - 23: The Future of Zionism: Neo/Post Zionism Debate
Aronson, S. (2003). The Post-Zionist discourse and critique of Israel: A traditional Zionist perspective. Israel
Studies 8 (1). 105-129.
Ejournal (332975)
Ram, U. (2002). The state of the nation: Contemporary challenges to Zionism in Israel. Constellations, 6 (3).
325-338.
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(*) Pappe, I. (1997). Post-Zionist critique on Israel and the Palestinians: Part I: The academic debate.
Journal of Palestine Studies, 26 (2). 29-41.
(*) Shohat, E. (1988). Mizrahim in Israel: Zionism from the standpoint of its Jewish victims. Social Text,
19/20. 1-35.
(*) Wurmser, M. (2005). Post-Zionism and the Sephardi Question. Middle East Quarterly 12 (2). 21 - 30.
Lecture 24: The Globalization of Israel
Ram, U. (2008). The Globalization of Israel: McWorld in Tel Aviv, Jihad in Jerusalem. New-York:
Routledge. Pp. 1 – 28.
N/A
Rivlin, P. (2010). The Israeli Economy, from the Foundation of the State through the 21st Century.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 94-117
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Lecture 25: A Brief Summery of the Course (plus Q&A)
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