Spring 2013

PSC 3192 – Israeli Politics and Society

Prof. Evgeny Finkel,

Lecture Office Hours

Thursday, 5:10-7PM Wed. 2-3PM; Thu. 2:30-3:30PM Duques-Bus. Sch. 361 Monroe 419

Course Description

This class discusses the internal politics of the state of Israel, and the main ongoing debates in the Israeli politics. The first part of the class presents the political, ideological, social, and economic foundations of the Israeli state from the very beginning of the Zionist movement in the late 19th century. The second part of the class discusses the main cleavages and political debates that dominate the Israeli politics – the relations between ethnic, national, religious, and socio-economic groups in Israel, Israeli national identity, civil-military relations, foreign policy and the debate between Zionist and post-Zionist ideologies. Even though this class is not about the Arab-Israeli or Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, their influence on Israeli politics and society will be addressed.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

As a result of completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the politics and the society of Israel and main theories and concepts of the Israel studies field;
  • To write short response papersthat critically evaluate the field’s main theories and arguments
  • To be able to translate academic knowledge into writing for broader audiences
  • To write an independently researched academic paper

Books

Arian, Asher, Politics in Israel: The Second Republic, 2nd edition, Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2005.

Caplan, Neil, The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Contested Histories, Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

Shelef, Nadav, Evolving Nationalism: Homeland, identity, and Religion in Israel 1925-2005, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010.

Requirements and Class Policies

The class is a seminar. This means that the students are expected to attend the lectures and to read all the required materials. The class is structured around weekly meetings, in which the instructor and the students critically evaluate and discuss the readings. Hence, students’ active participation in the discussions is required and class participation is a substantial part of the final grade. This is a writing-oriented class and the students will be required to conduct various research and writing assignments that culminate in the end-of-class final research paper. In addition, the students will be required to submit three short response papers, and to create a Wikipedia page on a topic, concept, or personality related to their final paper.

Election Report

On January 22, 2013 Israel will held parliamentary election. In your election report you will have to focus on one party that competed in the elections, and describe the party ideology, goals, and platform as well as its electoral performance and the role the party is likely to play after the election. The report should be up to 3 pages and is due by Friday, February 1, 6PM.

Response Papers

During the semester the students will be required to submit four response papers. The exact dates of the papers will be determined during the first lecture. The goal of each response paper is to critically evaluate the readings that have been assigned for the coming lecture and raise points and questions for the classroom discussion. In addition, the students who wrote the week’s response papers will serve as “discussion leaders” and will present a short summary of their paper at the beginning of the lecture. The response papers should be sent to the class e-mail list no later than Wednesdayat noon (EST). The response papers will be graded and the feedback will help you to proceed with your final research paper.

Wikipedia Page

To disseminate public knowledge about various aspects of Israeli politics and society and to help students to translate academic knowledge into writing for broader, non-academic audiences, the students will be required to create a new Wikipedia page on a concept, personality, or idea, related to their final research paper. Additions to or amendments of the existing Wikipedia entries will not be allowed. The topic for the Wikipedia page must be approved by the instructor; topic proposals should be sent to me by Friday, March 1, 6pm. The students are strongly encouraged to consult me before choosing a topic or during the research for and writing of the entry. The Wikipedia page outline (2-3 pages) which includes the central argument and the internal division of the article with at least two sentences devoted to each section, is due by Friday, March 29, 6PM. The Wikipedia page should we well researched, well written, and properly formatted. The webpage should be ready by Friday, April 19, 6pm and will be evaluated on that day. The length of the entry will depend on the topic and will be determined by the instructor and the student.

Research Paper

The research paper provides you with the opportunity to pursue any analytical, theoretical, or historical question about Israeli politicsthat interests you. A good paper both informs and persuades; to do this it must be logically organized, clearly argued, well researched,and well documented. Avoid writing a paper that merely restates the readings. You are expected to do some original thinking, research, and analysis in this paper. There are several excellent guides on the web that I encourage you to consult on how to go about writing an analytical research paper. Some good sites include:

How to Research a Political Science Paper, by Peter Liberman:

Writing Political Science Papers: Some Useful Guidelines, by Peter Liberman,:

Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, by Patrick Rael:

Writing a Research Paper, by Sarah Hamid:

An accurate summary of some things not to do, which (unfortunately) students commonly do, can be found at Advice on How to Write a Bad Paper.

Paper proposals (about one page) which include the topic, the argument, and at least five relevant sources are due by Friday, February 15, 6PM; the paper outline and summary (two to three pages) are due by Friday, March 22, 6PM. Remember, by that time you should also be in an advanced stage of research and writing for the Wikipedia entry. The paper drafts will be reviewed by your peers and discussed in class. The draft paper is due by Monday, April 8, 12PM

The final paper should be 18-20 pages, double spaced, Times New Roman 12font (not including bibliography), with one-inch margins. The final papers are due by Friday, May 3, 12PM. Late submission of papers will be penalized by a half of a letter grade for every day of the delay. The paper topic should be approved by the instructor. The students are strongly encouraged to discuss their ideas and progress with the instructor, and I do expect to meet every student at least twice during the class. If you are unable to come to my office hours, I will be happy to schedule a meeting at a different time.

Grading Criteria

Election Report: 5%

Response Papers: 10%

Wikipedia Page: 20%

Research Paper: 45%

Participation: 20%

Academic Conduct

I personally support the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states: “Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one’s own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information.” For the remainder of the code, see:

Special Needs and Support outside the Classroom

Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to:

The University Counseling Center (UCC, 202-994-5300) offers 24/7 assistance and referral to addressstudents’personal, social, career, and study skillsproblems. Services for students include:

  • Crisis and emergency mental health consultations
  • Confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals

Course Outlineand Schedule

Lecture 1. 01.17: Course Overview and Description

Lecture 2.01.24. Introduction to the Field; Israeli politics in Comparative perspective

  • Arian, pp. 1-47.
  • Barnett, Michael, “The Politics of Uniqueness: The Status of the Israeli Case,” in M. Barnett (ed.), Israel in Comparative Perspective, Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1996, pp. 3-28.
  • Dror, Yehezkel, “On the Uniqueness of Israel: Multiple Readings,” in M. Barnett (ed.), Israel in Comparative Perspective, Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1996, pp. 245-262
  • Smooha, Sami, “Ethnic Democracy: Israel as an Archetype,” Israel Studies2(2), 1997, pp. 198-241.
  • Neuberger, Benyamin, “Israel’s Democracy and Comparative Politics,”Jewish Political Studies Review, 1 (3-4), 1989, pp. 67-75.

Lecture 3. 01.31. Historical Roots and Types of Zionism

  • Shelef, pp. 1-106.
  • Caplan, ch. 1-5.

**ELECTION REPORTS ARE DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 4. 02.07. The Arab-Israeli Conflict after 1947

  • Caplan, ch. 6-12.
  • Morris, Benny, “The Causes and Character of the Arab Exodus from Palestine: The Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Branch Analysis of June 1948,” Middle Eastern Studies. 22(1), 1986, pp. 5-19.
  • Confino, Alon, “Miracles and Snow in Palestine and Israel: Tantura, a History of 1948,” Israel Studies, 17(2), 2012, pp. 25-61.
  • Shaw, Martin, “Palestine in an International Historical Perspective on Genocide,” Holy Land Studies, 9(1), 2010, pp. 1-24.
  • Shaw, Martin, and Omer Bartov, “The question of genocide in Palestine, 1948: an exchange between Martin Shaw and Omer Bartov,” Journal of Genocide Research, 12(3-4), 2010, pp. 243-259.

Lecture 5. 02.14. Cleavage 1 – Jews and Arabs in Israel

  • Sorek, Tamir, Arab Soccer in a Jewish State: The Integrative Enclave, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007, ch. 3,4.
  • Yoav Peled, “Ethnic Democracy and the Legal Construction of Citizenship: Arab Citizens of the Jewish State,” American Political Science Review, 62(2), 1992, pp. 432-43.
  • Rouhana, Nadim, and Asad Ghanem “The Crisis of Minorities in Ethnic States: The Case of Palestinian Citizens in Israel,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 30 (3), 1998, pp. 321-346.
  • Kivanc, Ozcan, The Islamic Movement in Israel, available:

**PAPER PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 6. 02.21. Cleavage 2 – Ethnic Relations in Israel

  • Chetrit, Semi, “Mizrahi Politics in Israel: Between Integration and Alternative,” Journal of Palestine Studies, 29 (4), 2000, pp. 51-65.
  • Peled, Yoav, “Towards a redefinition of Jewish nationalism in Israel? The enigma of Shas,” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21(4), 1998, pp. 703-727.
  • Kimmerling, Barcuch, The invention and decline of Israeliness: state, society, and the military, Berkeley: University of California Press, ch. 5-6.
  • Cohen, Yinon and Yitzhak Haberfeld, “Second-generation Jewish Immigrants in Israel: Have the Ethnic Gaps in Schooling and Earnings Declined?”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21 (3), 1998, pp. 507-528.
  • Horowitz, Tamar, “The Increasing Political Power of Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel: From Passive Citizenship to Active Citizenship”, International Migration, 41(1), 2003, pp. 47-73.

Lecture 7. 02.28. Cleavage 3 – Religion

  • Arian, pp. 348-363.
  • A Portrait of Israeli Jews: Beliefs, Observance, and Values of Israeli Jews, 2009, Jerusalem: Israel Democracy Institute 2009, pp. 11-78, available:
  • Cohen, Asher and Bernard Susser, Israel and the Politics of Jewish Identity: The Secular-Religious Impasse, (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), ch. 1-2.
  • Kimmerling, Barcuch, The invention and decline of Israeliness: state, society, and the military, Berkeley: University of California Press, ch. 7.
  • Sprinzak, Ehud, “Extremism and Violence in Israel: The Crisis of Messianic Politics,” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 555, pp. 114-126.

**WIKIPEDIA PAGE TOPICS ARE DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 8. 03.07. Elections, Parties, Institutions.

  • Arian, ch. 5, 7-9
  • Shamir, Michal, and Asher Arian, “Collective Identity and Electoral Competition in Israel,” American Political Science Review, 93, 1999, pp. 265–277.
  • Barak, Aharon, “The Role of the Supreme Court in a Democracy,” Israel Studies, 3(2), 1998, pp. 6-28.
  • Haklai, Oded, “Religious–NationalistMobilization and State Penetration,” Comparative Political Studies, 40(6), 2007, pp. 713-739
  • Shamir, Michal, and Asher Arian, “Introduction,” in Shamir, Michal, and Asher Arian (eds.), The Elections in Israel 2009, New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2011.

Lecture 9. 03.21. Movie or Guest Lecture – details TBA

**PAPER OUTLINES ARE DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 10. 03.28. Security, Terrorism, Counterterrorism, State-Military Relations

  • Barzilai, Gad, “War, Democracy, and Internal Conflict: Israel in a Comparative Perspective,” Comparative Politics, 31(3), 1999, pp. 317-336.
  • Berrebi, Claude, and Esteban Klor, “Are Voters Sensitive to Terrorism? Direct Evidence from the Israeli Electorate,”American Political Science Review, 102(3), 2008, pp. 279-301.
  • Dugan, Lauraand Erica Chenoweth, “Moving Beyond Deterrence: The Effectiveness of Raising the Expected Utility of Abstaining from Terrorism in Israel,” American Sociological Review, 77(4) pp. 597–624.
  • Barak, Oren and Gabriel Shefer, “Israel’s ‘Security Network’ and Its Impact: An Exploration of a New Approach,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 38, 2006, pp. 235-261.
  • Peri, Yoram, “The Political–Military Complex: The IDF's Influence Over Policy Towards the PalestiniansSince 1987,”Israel Affairs, 11(2), 2005, pp. 324-344

**THE WIKIPEDIA OUTLINE IS DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 11. 04.04. External Relations

  • Telhami, Shibley, “Israeli Foreign Policy: A Realist Ideal-Type or a Breed of Its Own,” in M. Barnett (ed.), Israel in Comparative Perspective, Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1996, pp. 29-52.
  • Sheffer, Gabriel, “A nation and its diaspora: a re-examination of Israeli-Jewish diaspora relations,” Diaspora 11(3),2002, pp. 331-358.
  • Barnett, Michael, “US-Israeli Relations,” in Peter Katzenstein (ed.), The Culture of National Security, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 432-447.
  • Barnett, Michael, “Culture, Strategy, and Foreign Policy Change: Israel’s Road to Oslo,” European Journal of International Relations, 5(1), 1999, pp. 5-36.
  • Miller, Rory, “Troubled Neighbors: The EU and Israel,” in Efraim Inbar (ed.), Israel’s Strategic Agenda, New York: Routledge 2007, pp. 29-51.

**PAPER DRAFTS ARE DUE BY MONDAY, 04.08, 12PM**

Lecture 12. 04.11. Peer Review of Paper Drafts.

Lecture 13. 04.18. Peer Review of Paper Drafts.

**THE WIKIPEDIA PAGE IS DUE BY THE END OF THE WEEK**

Lecture 14. 04.25. Challenges, Continuation, and Change

  • Shelef, pp. 165-209.
  • Ben-Josef Hirsch, Michal, “From Taboo to the Negotiable: The Israeli New Historians and the Changing Representation of the Palestinian Refugee Problem,” Perspectives on Politics, 5(2), 2007, pp. 241-258.
  • Ram, Uri, “Postnationalist Pasts: The Case of Israel,” Social Science History, 22(4), 1998, pp. 513-545
  • Aronson, Shlomo, “The Post-Zionist Discourse and Critique of Israel: A Traditional Zionist Perspective,”Israel Studies, 8(1), 2003, pp. 105-129.
  • Sand, Shlomo, The Invention of the Land of Israel, London: Verso 2012, Introduction

FINAL RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE FRIDAY, MAY 3, 12PM

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