Israeli Political System

defection from coalition can cause government to topple

This online course was developed by Yaacov Yadgar while serving as the Schusterman Visiting Scholar in Israel Studies at the Bildner Center. The course offers an introductory overview of the Israeli political system. Focused mostly on the institutional and structural traits of this political system, the course also includes a preliminary analysis of historical and social issues.

The course is aimed at providing its audience with the basic knowledge and understanding of the Israeli political system, as well as highlighting some of the major dilemmas with which it has had to cope.

population in 2005

Among the main issues discussed in this course: Israel's identity as a democratic and Jewish state and the dilemmas arising from this self-definition of the state; the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the Israeli government; the Israeli electoral system; and local government in Israel. We conclude with a review of the main cleavages in Israeli society and their interaction with the Israeli political system.