Polarization and Consensus-Building in Israel: The Center Cannot Hold

The edited volume explores the breakdown of social solidarity and the inability to formulate consensus in Israel, examining ideological, religious, economic, national, and ethnic cleavages. It analyzes how political actors' preference for "non-decision" on various issues has maintained a status quo, threatening social solidarity and the center's inability to hold.

Format: Hardback
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This edited volume delves into the most pressing social and political challenges facing Israel, exploring the breakdown of social cohesion and the inability to reach consensus. Contributors from diverse fields, including political science, history, communication research, sociology, economics, and education, examine specific topics that serve as exemplars of various trends of consensus and polarization. These trends are analyzed within the context of ideological, religious, economic, national, and ethnic divisions. Furthermore, the volume analyzes how political actors' preference for "non-decision" on various issues has perpetuated a status quo, where cleavages or conflicts remain unmitigated or exacerbated. Together, these articles paint a vivid picture of Israel as a state grappling with escalating polarization along ideological and religious lines, raising concerns about the potential erosion of social solidarity and the fragility of the "center."

This book is a crucial resource for anyone seeking to comprehend the fundamental internal threats to Israel's self-definition as a Jewish-democratic state. It also appeals to sociologists and political scientists interested in global polarization trends. By examining these complex issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, the volume provides valuable insights into the challenges Israel faces and the broader societal dynamics at play.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032293318