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The Founding of Israeli Democracy, 1948-1967

Peter Y Medding author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:17th May '90

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The Founding of Israeli Democracy, 1948-1967 cover

Of the twenty-one countries which established democratic states after 1945, only Israel has remained a functioning democracy, despite the adverse conditions under which it was founded. In this study of Israel's founding years from 1948 to 1967, Peter Medding, a highly regarded scholar of Jewish society and politics, asks why this was the case. He provides a lucid account of the political and historical background to this distinctive period, the political relations which characterized it, and the changes in the balance of forces which brought it to an end. He describes the state-building process and the role played by David Ben-Gurion and other politicians in moving from consensus politics to a majoritarian democracy. Medding's analysis is further enriched by his comparisons of the development of Israeli democracy with that of other countries.

`Medding's account of both the founding of the Israeli system, and of the fundamental political changes that occurred subsequently, is sophisticated and concise. His book is likely to become a classic text.' Times Higher Education Supplement
`concise analysis' Mark Goldberg, Glasgow Jewish Arts Anthology, 1990
'a serious academic discussion' Judith L. Bara, Ealing College of Higher Education, Political Studies, Volume XXXIX, No.1, March 1991
`the book has a clear analytic and comparative perspective, focusing upon Israel's newly established democratic political structures ... This is a book that should be read by anyone wishing to understand Israel.' Journal of Palestine Studies

ISBN: 9780195056488

Dimensions: 161mm x 243mm x 26mm

Weight: 585g

264 pages