ABSTRACT
In the regional context of the Middle East, where non-competitive political regimes tend to be the norm, the political system of the State of Israel stands out as a unique case. Ever since the inception of the State in 1948, democratically organized elections have decided which political forces will control the legislature and, in turn, form the political executive. Elsewhere in the Middle East, by stark contrast, democratic elections have been by and large absent. 1 Even compared against those new states that were formed after the end of the Second World War in other parts of the world, e.g. India and Pakistan, the stability of Israel’s record of democratic credentials and arrangements stand out as a major exception. Although the international identity of the State has been under constant threat since its creation, Israeli politics always remained competitive and participatory, and avoided the path leading toward authoritarianism.
