Local Communities and the Israeli Polity

Conflict of Values and Interests

Edited by Efraim Ben-Zadok

Subjects: Middle East Politics
Series: SUNY series in Israeli Studies
Paperback : 9780791415627, 285 pages, October 1993
Hardcover : 9780791415610, 285 pages, November 1993

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Table of contents

List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction
1. National and Spatial Divisions in Israel
Efraim Ben-Zadok

PART I: THE ARAB-JEWISH CLEAVAGE

2. Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip: Contested Domains
Donna Robinson Divine

3. The Changing Strategies of Mobilization among the Arabs in Israel: Parliamentary Politics, Local Politics, and National Organizations
Majid Al-Haj

PART II: THE ETHNIC-CLASS CLEAVAGE

4. Oriental Jews in the Development Towns: Ethnicity, Economic Development, Budgets, and Politics
Efraim Ben-Zadok

5. The Integration of Renewal Neighborhoods into the Mainstream of Israeli Society: Illusion or Reality
Hana Ofek

PART III: THE RELIGIOUS-SECULAR CLEAVAGE

6. The Emergence of Ultra-Orthodox Neighborhoods in Israeli Urban Centers
Yosseph Shilhav

7. Gush Emunim New Settlements in the West Bank: From Social Movement to Regional Interest Group
Giora Goldberg

PART IV: THE LEFT-RIGHT CLEAVAGE

8. Kibbutzim and Moshavim: From Ideological Symbol to Interest Group
Neal Sherman

PART V: CLEAVAGES IN THE CITY

9. Jerusalem: Central Authority and Local Autonomy
Ira Sharkansky

Glossary

List of Contributors

Index

Description

This book represents the first systematic effort to analyze the role of local communities and regions in Israel's national politics. Traditionally portrayed as either elitist and highly centralized, or as pluralistic with very active interest groups, Israeli politics have seldom accounted for local and regional forces.

The authors demonstrate the growing importance of these communities in the politics of the country. Their analyses are based on the concept of "spatial sector," and eight sectors are covered: The West Bank and Gaza Strip Arabs, Israeli Arabs, development towns, renewal neighborhoods, religious neighborhoods, Gush Emunim settlements, kibbutzim and moshavim, and Jerusalem.

Efraim Ben-Zadok is Associate Professor of Public Administration and Co-Director of the Florida-Israel Institute at Florida Atlantic University. He has published many journal articles and book chapters about local and regional issues in Israel.

Reviews

"With central governments fragmenting all over the world and ethnic groups competing for interests, the Israeli polity provides a dynamic illustration of social change. By refocusing the issues and arguing for 'spatial sectors' in future analysis, this book brings the best of geography, sociology, and political science to bear on the data. " — Henry Green, University of Miami