Politics of Modern Israel

Associate Professor Leonard Ray Department of Political Science

This course is an introduction to the political system of the modern state of Israel. After a review of the history of the Zionist movement and the foundation of the state of Israel, the course will focus on the social, economic, and demographic evolution of the country since 1948. These developments help explain the diversity of political parties which compete in legislative elections, and comprise coalition governments of varying (in)stability. We will conclude with discussions of some of the ongoing controversies in Israeli politics, including what exactly it means to be a Jewish State, relationships with the European Union and the United States, and the future of the territories occupied in 1967. We close with a return to the Zionist writers of the late 19^th century and ask whether they would recognize the state whose creation their writings inspired.