Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 496
Trim: 6¼ x 9½
978-1-4422-6535-6 • Hardback • March 2016 • $172.00 • (£133.00)
978-1-4422-6536-3 • Paperback • March 2016 • $67.00 • (£52.00)
978-1-4422-6537-0 • eBook • March 2016 • $63.50 • (£49.00)
Gregory S. Mahler is vice president for academic affairs, academic dean, and professor of politics at Earlham College.
List of Figures, Photos, Tables, and Boxes
Introduction
Part I: The Political Setting
Chapter 1: History and the Creation of Israel
Chapter 2: Zionism, Culture, and the Domestic Political Environment
Chapter 3: Judaism and the Role of the Jewish Religion in Israeli Politics
Chapter 4: The Military, Economic, and Bureaucratic Setting
Part II: The Governmental Institutions
Chapter 5: The Constitutional System and Parliamentary Government
Chapter 6: The Prime Minister and the Knesset
Chapter 7: Political Parties and Interest Groups
Chapter 8: The Electoral Process and Voting Behavior
Part III: Foreign Policy and the Middle Eastern Political Setting
Chapter 9: The Foreign Policy Setting
Chapter 10: The Palestinians, the West Bank and Gaza
Chapter 11: Jerusalem
Chapter 12: The Peace Process
Notes
About the Author
Mahler’s new edition is the best introductory textbook on Israeli government and politics available today. His institutional perspective presents a balanced and thorough explanation of a complex and constantly developing political system. This is an up-to-date and indispensable book for those who want a better understanding of both the continuities and the changes in modern Israel.
— Reuven Y. Hazan, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
This updated version of Greg Mahler’s comprehensive, balanced, and readable volume retains all of the strengths of previous editions. I recommend it highly to anyone seeking to understand politics and society in Israel.
— Mark Tessler, University of Michigan
This updated edition of Mahler’s comprehensive text sheds new light on how Israeli politics have been continually developing in recent years. The fresh writing on the nuclear debates and the peace process is indispensable, and the new discussion of religion and politics is necessary to any study of Israel. This text is perfect for students who are new to the subject of political science or those who want to learn more about Israel and its influences.
— Ilan Peleg, Lafayette College
In this second edition, Mahler presents a comprehensive survey of the diverse structures and institutions that make up the Jewish state. Following a brief history of modern Israel, the author covers the political ideology (Zionism) and its role in the establishment of the contemporary Jewish state. The survey includes descriptions of constitution, branches of government, the Knesset (parliament), political parties, the electoral process, and the influence of interest groups. There is emphasis on population diversity with chapters devoted to the role of various Orthodox religious and secular factions, the Arab minority, and the many Jewish immigrant groups that form distinctive blocs. In various areas, the author observes, Israel is a young nation that has not reached the level of development of political practices 'that we find in other stable, but much older democracies.' Nearly a third of the book is devoted to foreign policy and Israel's setting in the Middle East, including chapters on the Palestinians, the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and the lengthy 'peace process.' Especially useful are the many boxes, maps, and tables. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Choice Reviews
Designed as the core text for courses on Israeli government and politics, as well as a
focused supplement in broader courses on Middle East politics
Assumes no prior background in political science or on Israel
Written in an accessible style, free of jargon
Includes numerous maps and illustrations
Provides up-to-date data and information, including maps, related to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Occupied Territories
Outlines recent peace agreements and treaties
Offers essential historical context for understanding current conflicts
Considers Palestinian history, claims, and goals
Includes results from the 2015 Israeli parliamentary election
New features
Updated election analysis and social data
Added discussion of institutions that have only relatively recently become important in
Israeli politics, such as the attorney general’s office
Full chapter devoted to the relationship between the Jewish religion and Israeli politics
Coverage of the most recent events in the peace process, including the role of the Obama administration, the importance of the US negotiations with Iran over nuclear energy, and the tensions of the Obama-Netanyahu relationship
Discussion of the settlements in the Occupied Territories and the impact of the settler
movement and the settlements upon the peace process
Updated bibliography and suggested readings