ABSTRACT
Democracy as a political culture1 generally implies the simultaneous operation of several elements, two of which are fundamental: government by the majority (either directly or through its representatives), and the protection of individual and minority rights. When Israel was founded in 1948, its founders aimed to create a democratic state. Several social institutions were called upon to promote democracy in the newly-born society. Needless to say, education was visualized as one such system. In this chapter we shall comment at length on those social factors in the nation's development which have posed particular problems, as well as challenges for the educational system as it dedicated itself to preparing youth for democratic citizenship.
