Israel's Domestic Political Development
What are the socio-political trends in Israel? Is the occupation a cleavage defining factor or are there other issues that determine political choices to a greater degree?
Israel is a democracy with a very dynamic and complex society and politics. While the occupation of the Palestinian territories is ongoing, there are other cleavages of increasing importance in Israeli society, such as the religious-secular divide. Politics are as fractured as ever, as evident in that Israel has had three parliamentary elections in little over a year. Israel is also experiencing the same kind of illiberal dynamics as Europe is. Not only have the political identities of Left and Right changed over time, but they have also partly lost relevance for the political landscape.
Speakers:
Isabell Schierenbeck: Professor in Political Science at the School of Global Studies (SGS).
Dahlia Scheindlin: Dr Scheindlin is a public opinion expert and political consultant. She is currently a fellow at the Century Foundation and a policy fellow at Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.
Moderator: Dr Rouzbeh Parsi, Head of UI's MENA-programme