Critical Issues in Israeli Society - (Praeger Jewish and Israeli Studies) by Alan Dowty (Hardcover)

About the Book

Fashioning a working political structure in Israel that will bring together all aspects of society, from Jews to Arabs, ultra-Orthodox to assertively secular, has never been easy. However, two developments have intensified this challenge: demographic changes have sharpened the differences between the groups; and open challenges of legitimacy have undermined the previous de facto acceptance of pluralism. There has been no strong civic framework of Israeliness to replace Zionism as a shared identity that would override more parochial identities and interests. Added to these pressures are the collapse of the peace process in late 2000 and the influence of global developments on the Arab-Israel conflict and on Israeli domestic society.

In this volume, twelve noted scholars of Israel present authoritative and analytic overviews of these important issues. The ability of the Israeli political system to bridge differences through a Jewish tradition of power-sharing has, in the past, managed to overcome enormous divisions, at least within the Jewish sector. Economic progress and globalization have brought Israel closer to other developed societies in many respects, while exposing Israel to pressures associated with these trends. Closer analysis of these critical issues reveals that there are also positive forces at work as the nation seeks a broader synthesis of its Jewish legacy and universal liberal values.

Book Synopsis

Fashioning a working political structure in Israel that will bring together all aspects of society, from Jews to Arabs, ultra-Orthodox to assertively secular, has never been easy. However, two developments have intensified this challenge: demographic changes have sharpened the differences between the groups; and open challenges of legitimacy have undermined the previous de facto acceptance of pluralism. There has been no strong civic framework of Israeliness to replace Zionism as a shared identity that would override more parochial identities and interests. Added to these pressures are the collapse of the peace process in late 2000 and the influence of global developments on the Arab-Israel conflict and on Israeli domestic society.

In this volume, twelve noted scholars of Israel present authoritative and analytic overviews of these important issues. The ability of the Israeli political system to bridge differences through a Jewish tradition of power-sharing has, in the past, managed to overcome enormous divisions, at least within the Jewish sector. Economic progress and globalization have brought Israel closer to other developed societies in many respects, while exposing Israel to pressures associated with these trends. Closer analysis of these critical issues reveals that there are also positive forces at work as the nation seeks a broader synthesis of its Jewish legacy and universal liberal values.

Review Quotes

"The politics and sociology of Israeli society cannot be understood without considering the Palestein-Israeli conflict, but often that particular conflict becomes the primary focus of analysis. Alan Dowty's edited volume, Critical Issues in Israeli Society, is a welcome addition to the literature because it goes beyond the limited view. There are indeed, many other critical issues in Israeli society, and this book is a useful compendium of essays that address them....[t]he book is a valuable collection of work by established scholars of Israel Studies.....[t]he range of topics and approaches provides something of interest to many students and scholars."-An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies

?[A] rich contribution to our understanding of the major critical issues within Israeli society.?-Journal of Israeli History

?[P]rovides a useful overview of salient social research concerns in contemporary Israeli society.?-MESA Bulletin

?The politics and sociology of Israeli society cannot be understood without considering the Palestein-Israeli conflict, but often that particular conflict becomes the primary focus of analysis. Alan Dowty's edited volume, Critical Issues in Israeli Society, is a welcome addition to the literature because it goes beyond the limited view. There are indeed, many other critical issues in Israeli society, and this book is a useful compendium of essays that address them....[t]he book is a valuable collection of work by established scholars of Israel Studies.....[t]he range of topics and approaches provides something of interest to many students and scholars.?-An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies

"ÝA¨ rich contribution to our understanding of the major critical issues within Israeli society."-Journal of Israeli History

"ÝP¨rovides a useful overview of salient social research concerns in contemporary Israeli society."-MESA Bulletin

"[P]rovides a useful overview of salient social research concerns in contemporary Israeli society."-MESA Bulletin

"[A] rich contribution to our understanding of the major critical issues within Israeli society."-Journal of Israeli History

About the Author

ALAN DOWTY is Professor of Political Science and Fellow of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Before coming to Notre Dame in 1975, Dowty taught for 12 years, and served as Chairman of the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has published widely on U.S. foreign policy, weapons of mass destruction, international freedom of movement, international enforcement. Most of his recent work is on the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israeli politics.