Middle Eastern Studies ( IF 0.450 ) Pub Date : 2021-01-19 , DOI: 10.1080/00263206.2020.1870449 Ferit Belder 1
Abstract
Israel has been governed by coalitions since its independence. The act of coalition building not only forms governments but also serves as reaffirming the ideological and societal bounds of the state as well as reflecting implicit consensus on the identity of the state. The governance and institutionalization of ethnic and religious cleavages in either form of exclusion or accommodation have historically constructed particular coalition patterns, which this paper critically coins as the ‘legitimate circle of coalition building’. The functionality of this circle has declined to the point of being narrowed and destabilised in recent decades and it has become a potential stumbling block to the formation of consistent governments. This article claims that Israel’s recent political deadlock is the latest indicator of such dysfunctionality. To support this claim, this article first provides an historical account of governing contending variants of non-Zionism by putting Arab and Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties in its centre to decode the traditional limitations and Achilles heel of the coalition building activity. Second, the puzzling election trio of 2019-20 is analysed as an affirmative case by examining the campaign discourse of the political parties, the election results and the allocation of parliamentary seats, as well as inconclusive negotiation talks.
中文翻译:
解码以色列建立联盟合法圈子的危机:对 2019-20 年令人费解的选举三重奏的批判性分析
摘要
以色列自独立以来一直由联盟统治。建立联盟的行为不仅可以组建政府,还可以重申国家的意识形态和社会界限,并反映对国家身份的隐含共识。种族和宗教分裂的治理和制度化,无论是排斥还是迁就,在历史上都构建了特定的联盟模式,本文批判性地将其称为“联盟建设的合法圈”。近几十年来,这个圈子的功能已经下降到缩小和不稳定的程度,它已成为形成一致政府的潜在绊脚石。这篇文章声称,以色列最近的政治僵局是这种功能失调的最新迹象。为了支持这一主张,本文首先提供了一个关于治理非犹太复国主义的竞争变体的历史记录,将阿拉伯和哈雷迪(超正统)政党置于其中心,以解码联盟建设活动的传统局限性和阿喀琉斯之踵。其次,通过考察政党的竞选话语、选举结果和议会席位分配,以及没有结果的谈判,将 2019-20 年令人费解的选举三人组分析为一个肯定的案例。