Israel At The Polls 1992

The results of the June 1992 Israeli elections at first indicated a normal transition of power from Likud to Labor in the tradition of Western democracies, rather than an upset. However, one and one-half years later there were signs of a major change. Israel at the Polls, 1992 looks at the parties, election campaigns, major institutions, and analyzes the policies of the new government's first year. Co-published with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Social scientist from Israel and American universities and research Institutes address questions discussed in the 1992 elections.

As the momentum toward peace in the Middle East surges and wanes, the intensity of politics in Israel takes on added relevance. There can be little doubt that the historic Israel-PLO peace accord could not have occurred were it not for the turnabout elections of 1992. This volume, the seventh in a series begun in 1969, carries on the tradition of offering in-depth analyses of the major issues, actors, and parties involved in Israeli politics. Leading social scientists from Israeli and North American universities and research institutes, using different methods and coming from diverse intellectual traditions, address questions such as whether the elections were a referendum on the return of the Territories; what roles the PLO and the United States played in the election results; how technological changes in political communications, packaging of candidates, and opinion polls affected the results; what contributions such groups as women, Arabs, and members of various religions made to the change in government; and whether the political reforms instituted before the elections resulted from changes in the mood of the electorate or brought about changes in Israel's policy.

Israel's 2003 election took place against the background of a deteriorating security situation (due to Palestinian violence and the impending US War in Iraq) and severe disillusionment with the Oslo peace process. The election, which brought about a decisive victory of the Likud Party and Ariel Sharon, took place amidst strong accusations of corruption and the virtual collapse of the Israeli left. The election also featured the rise of the anti-clerical Shinui party, which resulted in the exclusion of the ultra-Orthodox parties from the new coalition. In this volume, leading Israeli political scientists explore the main actors and processes that shaped the election and its outcome. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal Israel Affairs.

The 1996 Israeli elections were the first elections by direct vote for the position of prime minister in which a newcomer - Binyamin Netanyahu - defeated the most veteran Israeli politician, Shimon Peres. The result indicated not only a transition of power from the left-centre to the right-centre, but also the decline of the major parties and the ascendance of the smaller parties. Israel at the Polls, 1996 looks at the parties, election campaigns and the processes that determined this outcome. Major issues such as religion and politics, Israel as a Jewish state, the peace process, and the 'new politics' are analysed by outstanding Israeli political scientists.

The 1999 Israeli elections focused on the character of the main political contenders for prime minister - Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak. Along with Barak's victory, the Israeli public made important statements concerning the shape and direction of Israeli political culture with a hope of a centrist vision. Leading Israeli political scientists discuss the revival of the Israeli left and the increased strength of ethnic Sephardi, Russian and Arab electorates. They also examine the place of foreign policy, media, and other socio-economic factors on the outcome of the election.