Ancient and Modern Israel: An Exploration of Political Parallels

by Ira Sharkansky

Overview

This book identifies and examines those parallels between ancient and modern Israel that help to clarify the conflicts apparent in modern Israel. It discusses such contemporary issues as the Arab uprising and the Israeli government's ambivalence in dealing with it; the government's inability to come to a permanent solution concerning the territories occupied in 1967; and the lack of a clear-cut consensus in the 1988 elections.

By comparing these and other modern issues to those of ancient Israel, Sharkansky shows that Israel's deeply-rooted problems as a nation are likely to continue, occasionally punctuated by violent outbursts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781438419589
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Series:	SUNY series in Israeli Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	194
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ira Sharkansky is Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Clues in Ancient History

2. Reading Jewish History

3. The Ancient Country

4. Modern Israel

5. Historic Parallels and Their Implications

Notes

Index

Editorial Reviews

Written before Oslo, Sharkansky's work presents a useful study in parallels between biblical and Second Temple period Israel and the modern state as a guide for policymakers. Within a secular approach to Jewish history, and with the caveats that modern Israel is a democracy, militarily strong, technologically superior to its foes, and connected to strong allies and diaspora Jewry, Sharkansky posits a number of similarities between the ancient and modern periods. These include the fact that because the geographical location of the state has always been important to the great powers of day, Israel, always weaker, has had to seek a window of opportunity for autonomous development; that the demographically porous -- a center for emigration and immigration, for cosmopolitan tensions emerging from neighboring cultures, and for prophetic tradition. Given these parallels and the lessons of civil war from the past, he advocates an Israeli policy somewhere between the Allon Plan/Palestinian autonomy and quasi independence.

Jewish Book World

Sharkansky (political science, Hebrew U. of Jerusalem) identifies and examines those parallels between ancient and modern Israel that help to clarify the modern conflicts, discussing such contemporary issues as the Arab uprising and the Israeli government's ambivalence in dealing with it; the government's inability to come to a permanent solution concerning the territories occupied in 1967; and the lack of a clear-cut consensus in the 1988 elections. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"The perspective the author takes is a real strength of the book. Sharkansky obviously understands the structures and institutions of the political system so well that he can focus upon the more subtle nuances of the system in his analysis. He addresses some of the most controversial issues in Israeli public policy today, puts them in the general context of the Israeli polity, and shows how the system can go on operating despite the 'tribulations' it must face." — Russell Stone, State University of New York at Buffalo

From the Publisher