6/11/2018 Israel June 11, 2018

Israeli Population What is the size of the Israeli population?: A. 3 million B. 8 million C. 13 million D. 18 million E. 23 million June 11, 2018

Israeli Territory What is the size of the country?: A. Similar to the size of Jordan B. Similar to the size of Ireland C. Similar to the size of Wales D. Similar to the size of Egypt E. Similar to the size of Belgium June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries Population: 8,462,000 (2016) Territory: 22,145 square kilometers (8,550 square miles) Size of Wales, or Massachusetts. (Levy Eshkol’s visit to Lyndon Johnson’s farm) June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries Year of Independence: 1948 Head of State: President Reuven Rivlin Head of Government: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Last elections: March 2015) June 11, 2018

Preliminaries Official Languages: Hebrew, Arabic English is popular Religions: Jewish (75%); Muslim (17%); Christian (3%); Druze (1.7%); Baha'i, Circassians and Samaritans (0.3%); no religion (3%) Currency: New Israeli shekel Life Expectancy: 79 GDP per Capita: U.S. $19,500 Literacy Percent: 95 June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries Israel was established as a Jewish democracy Based on Social/Liberal-Democratic values AND Jewish values June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries Israel is a young democracy. It is still in process of development and undoubtedly it will face further tests. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Preliminaries The key factor for its success is its relationships with its neighbours: Egypt; Gaza; Jordan; PA; Lebanon and Syria. With Egypt, PA and Jordan, Israel signed peace agreements (1979, 1993 and 1994) Peace with the PA broke down in September 2000 Security expenses exhausts a substantial part of Israel’s budget, leaving insufficient resources for the development of other spheres. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Challenges: Security June 11, 2018

Challenges: Security Normality? Tranquillity? 1948 1956 Suez 1967 Six Day 1973 Yom Kippur 1982-2000 Lebanon June 11, 2018

Challenges: Security Normality? Tranquillity? 1987-1993 Intifada 2000-2003 Palestinian terror 2006 Hezbollah December 2008 - January 2009 Gaza 2012 – Gaza2 2014 – Gaza3 June 11, 2018

Army/National Duty Army service – 3 years for men; 2 years for women 6/11/2018 Army/National Duty Army service – 3 years for men; 2 years for women Arabs are exempted; some volunteer Druze and Bedouin serve June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Challenges People are worried about their physical security as well as about their economic security. About 70% of the population claims their expenses outweigh their earnings. About 25% of the population are below the poverty line. June 11, 2018

Challenges The occupation Strengthening democratic values 6/11/2018 June 11, 2018

Government Parliamentary democracy with legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The duties of the President are mostly ceremonial (somewhat similar to the Queen). The Knesset is a 120-member parliament whose members are elected every four years. June 11, 2018

Government The Government coalition must have the support of a majority of Knesset Members. The government is headed by the prime minister and is collectively responsible to the Knesset. June 11, 2018

Elections Nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is set at 3.25%. Since 14 May 1948 there were 33 governments. Unstable coalitions that survive, on average, for about 2 years (although elections are said to be held every 4 years). All suggestions for reform have failed till now. Small parties enjoy unproportional power and influence. June 11, 2018

Parties Socialist (Left) Revisionist (Right) Nationalistic (even more Right) Centralist Religious Ethnic (Mizrachi; Russian) Arab-Palestinian June 11, 2018

Parties 1948-1973 Mapai 1973 – Yom Kippur War + corruption; Since 1977, most governments were led by the Likud. Exceptions: 1984-1988 Likud-Labour coalition government (Shimon Peres 1984-1986) 1993-1996 Labour (Yitzhak Rabin; Shimon Peres) 1999-2001 Labour (Ehud Barak) 2006-2009 Kadima (Ehud Olmert) June 11, 2018

Society’s Profile - Jews 6/11/2018 Society’s Profile - Jews 42% define themselves as secular; 25% as traditional; 13% as traditional-religious; 12% as religious (mainly Orthodox); 8% as Haredi (ultra-Orthodox). June 11, 2018

Society’s Profile - Palestinians 6/11/2018 Society’s Profile - Palestinians 47% as religious; 27% as not very religious; 18% secular; 8% define themselves as very religious. June 11, 2018

Society’s Profile No shared raison d'être 6/11/2018 Society’s Profile No shared raison d'être 20% wish to transform democracy into theocracy 20% do not endorse the Zionist ethos 20% of the population are immigrants from the former Soviet Union where no democracy existed June 11, 2018

Main Schisms Between Jews and Arabs 6/11/2018 Main Schisms Between Jews and Arabs Between secular and religious people Between Israel and the Occupied Territories Between socialism and capitalism June 11, 2018

The Declaration of Independence 6/11/2018 The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence holds that Israel will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; that it will be based on the foundations of liberty, justice and peace; June 11, 2018

The Declaration of Independence 6/11/2018 The Declaration of Independence that it will uphold complete equality of social and political rights to all of its citizens irrespective of religion, race or sex, and that it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture. June 11, 2018

State and Religion No separation between state and religion 6/11/2018 June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Live and Let Live We need to differentiate between the symbolic aspects and the modus operandi aspects. As far as the latter are concerned, separation between state and religion should be achieved. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Religion and State The secular majority in Israel objects to attempts which aim at narrowing its freedom of conscience and to broaden the authority of religious orthodoxy. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Religion and State Democracy is supposed to allow each and every individual the opportunity to follow her or his conception of the good without coercion. Tension between Judaism and Liberalism. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Religion and State Israel, being the only Jewish state in the world, strives to retain its Jewish character. The symbols are Jewish. Shabbat is the official day of rest. Arguably, accommodations are required in order to make the state a home for its Palestinian citizens as well. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Religion and State Palestinian villages and towns may make Friday their day of rest. Hopefully, one day, when security considerations would become less dominant and pressing, and the Israeli economy could afford two days of rest, as is the case in many parts of the world, then Friday and Shabbat will become the two official days of rest. June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Religion and State Most importantly, the significant events in one's life: birth, wedding, divorce and death are handled in accordance with their religion. Coercion. June 11, 2018

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6/11/2018 Religion and State Liberals argue that if they so desire, people may involve rabbinate and other religious institutions in their private lives. But this option should be left to them. If people wish to have secular ceremonies then they should have the ability to conduct them and not to be forced to undergo practices which mean very little to them, if anything. The state should have as little as possible say in family, intimate affairs. June 11, 2018

Israeli-Palestinians 6/11/2018 Israeli-Palestinians Formal v. Full Citizenship Discrimination Racism June 11, 2018

Israeli-Palestinians 6/11/2018 Israeli-Palestinians Need for accommodating the interests of the Israeli-Palestinians, striving to safeguard equal rights and liberties for all citizens notwithstanding nationality, religion, race or colour, and insisting that citizens have also duties to fulfil. June 11, 2018

Israeli-Palestinians 6/11/2018 Israeli-Palestinians Arabic is one of the two official languages of the State of Israel. Therefore it should enjoy a dominant status and have the importance it deserves. Should Arabic be taught at every primary and high school (together with English)? June 11, 2018

Israeli-Palestinians 6/11/2018 Israeli-Palestinians Palestinians demand that delegates of the minority be represented in accordance with their size in society in the Knesset and in the government. June 11, 2018

Israeli-Palestinians 6/11/2018 Israeli-Palestinians Guaranteeing representation for a minority Devolving power to local levels in just ways by just means

Occupied Territories Demands for ending the occupation 6/11/2018 Occupied Territories Demands for ending the occupation Withdrawing settlements and the IDF Two state solution 1967 Borders The Fence June 11, 2018

Occupied Territories Ending terrorism and Qassam missiles 6/11/2018 Occupied Territories Ending terrorism and Qassam missiles The Right of Return The refugee problem Jerusalem June 11, 2018

Political Culture and Social Norms Zionism Holocaust Hostile neighbourhood State under Stress Small state mentality Insecurity June 11, 2018

Political Culture and Social Norms Judaism as religion Judaism as culture National pride Independence June 11, 2018

Political Culture and Social Norms No Tzar Speak Dugri Frier The American Dream 51 State of the United States June 11, 2018

Economy Shrinking socialism, growing capitalism 6/11/2018 Economy Shrinking socialism, growing capitalism The constant security threat destroys the tourism industry and preempts external investments essential for economic growth. Unemployment continues to be significant (7%-9%). Salaries going down in real terms. Welfare benefits are cut. About 25% of the population under the poverty line. note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2012) June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Economy Taxes are high. Israel has the highest tax rate in the world, outside Scandinavia. The High-tech industry is one of the country's strengths. June 11, 2018

Economy No natural resources: no gold, no silver, no diamonds, no oil 6/11/2018 Economy No natural resources: no gold, no silver, no diamonds, no oil Lecture in South Africa “All this mess for face cream?” June 11, 2018

Conclusion No shared raison d'être Significant schisms 6/11/2018 Conclusion No shared raison d'être Significant schisms Not-so-friendly neighbours Terror Iran June 11, 2018

Conclusion Poverty – erosion of the Welfare State 6/11/2018 Conclusion Poverty – erosion of the Welfare State Problematic election system that brings about unstable Knesset and Corruption Culture in which generals are heavily involved in politics during and after service June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Conclusion Racism Erosion of democratic values: Some thirty percent of Israeli citizenry wish to transform democracy into "a government based on strong hand", limit free expression and freedom of the press so as to have "better control". June 11, 2018

6/11/2018 Thank you June 11, 2018