GOVT-317 Israeli Politics and Public Policy (3)

Israel’s Proclamation of Independence in 1948 laid out the parameters for the newly established Jewish-majority democratic state. Over 70 years since its establishment, the inherent tension between Israel’s Jewish character and its democratic nature heavily impacts society and politics. Moreover, Israeli democracy is a mosaic in which ethnic, class, national, migration, and religious considerations play a dynamic part in the intricacies of the political system. This course provides an overview of the geopolitical history of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict from the pre-state era until the present as well as an analysis of the principles that guide Israel’s political system and the cleavages in Israeli society which greatly affect developments and trends in politics and policy. It is mostly conducted as a lecture/discussion course, but also includes reading academic articles, watching films, listening to guest lectures, holding class debates, and discussing current news and developments. Crosslist: ISR-317.