Israel’s Crisis of Democracy: Past, present and future
H&G9-10-Wed1
Steve Klein
This course will take place virtually on Zoom. Participation in this course requires a device (ideally a computer or tablet, rather than a cell phone) with a camera and microphone in good working order and basic familiarity with using Zoom and accessing email.
March 12 - May 21 (No Class April 16)
In 1948 Israel’s founders declared that the Jewish State would “be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel”, ensure “complete equality of social and political rights” and guarantee basic freedoms. It has not always lived up to those promises, but the Supreme Court has long been viewed as protecting the balance between Israel’s Jewish character and its democratic nature. That role has come into question in recent years, culminating with the political crisis triggered by the Netanyahu government’s judicial reform plans in 2023. Opponents who consider the proposed changes to be anti-democratic have since protested consistently, stopping for only a few months at the start of the Gaza war. Topics to be covered include the structure of Israeli democracy, landmark court cases, significant legislation affecting the balance of powers, the rise of judicial activism and the reaction against it, the crisis triggered by the proposed reforms in 2023 and Israeli democracy in the post-Oct. 7 environment. Participants will gain a better understanding of how Israeli democracy and the relationship between the judiciary and the other branches of power evolved over time as well as insight for putting the current crisis into historical context and considering its implications for the future of Israeli democracy. This course will thus be of interest to anyone concerned about the state of democracy not just in Israel, but also in the world in general.
More lecture than facilitated discussion
I will provide on Google Sites a combination of news articles, videos, and carefully curated academic articles and books, at no cost to the participants.
2-3 hours per week.
Dr. Steven J. Klein has taught about Israeli society and Jewish peoplehood since 1992 for programs ranging from Young Judaea Year Course in Israel to Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University. He has been teaching online since March 2020 for numerous institutions. This course is Steve’s fourth for BOLLI. Raised in Minnesota and North Carolina, he moved to Israel in 1991. He is currently a senior editor and contributor at Haaretz English Edition, living with his beloved family in Modi’in.