MASARYK UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND EUROPEAN STUDIES
Spring 2020
IRE215: POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN ISRAEL
Israeli Democracy and Political System
This presentation will introduce students to the Israeli political system. Topics examined
include Israeli independence, government type, constitution, head of state, the three branches
of government (legislature, executive, judiciary), coalition formation and policy-making,
parliamentary elections, a historical review and unique traits of Israeli politics, the main parties
in contemporary Israeli politics, and the results of the latest elections (March 3rd
, 2020). The
presentation concludes with a discussion of the inherent tension between Israel’s Jewish and
democratic characters as manifested in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of
Israel and reviews some of the main flaws in Israeli political and electoral systems.
After going over the presentation, students are asked to assess their newly acquired knowledge
by answering the following questions:
1. Discuss Israel’s dual character- Jewish and democratic using examples from the
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (I suggest a table, whereas both
identity components are demonstrated by quotes from the declaration).
2. What are the three branches that compile Israel’s political system?
3. How come Israel doesn’t have a government for over a year now?
4. Who is currently the largest party in the Israeli Parliament?
5. Do Jewish values take precedence over liberal values in Israel?
6. Discuss 2 flaws in Israel’s political and electoral systems.
7. Is Israel a parliamentary democracy? Another type of government? Argue both ways.