Ira Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science and public administration at Hebrew University.
His books, which are available on Amazon, include:
*Alternative federal solutions to the problem of the administered territories
*Ambiguity, Coping, and Governance: Israeli Experiences in Politics, Religion, and Policymaking
*Ancient and Modern Israel: An Exploration of Political Parallels
*Coping with Terror: An Israeli Perspective
* Governing Israel: Chosen People, Promised Land and Prophetic Tradition
*Governing Jerusalem: Again on the World’s Agenda
* Israel and its Bible: A Political Analysis
* Maligned States: policy accomplishments, problems and opportunities
* Policy Analysis in Political Science
* Policy and Politics in American Governments
* Policy Making in Israel: Routines for Simple Problems and Coping with the Complex
* Politics and Planning in the Holy City
* Politics and Policymaking in Search of Simplicity
* Public Administration: Agencies, Policies, and Politics
* Public Administration Policy Making in Government Agencies
* Public Administration (2nd Edition): Policy Making in Government Agencies
* Regionalism in American Politics
* Rituals of Conflict: Religion, Politics, and Public Policy in Israel
* Spending in the American States
* The Policy Predicament: Making and Implementing Public Policy
* The Political Economy of Israel
* The Politics of Religion and the Religion of Politics
*The Politics of Taxing and Spending
* The Routines of Politics
* The United States: A Study of a Developing Country
* The United States Revisited: A Study of a Still Developing Country
* Urban Politics and Public Policy [Robert Lineberry]
* What Makes Israel Tick: How Domestic Policy-Makers Cope with Restraints
* Wither the State: Politics and Public Enterprise in Three Countries
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Those of us academics who teach about the factors that influence public policy can find nothing more powerful than history. Policymaking starts with what is. How we got to where we are begins an endless quarrel, with each participant able to cite a cluster of economic, social, and personal elements and […]
3 tips for improving matters in the Middle East Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There has been widespread condemnation of attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher market in Paris, with interesting differences between the condemnations. There are Muslims condemning both as deviations from true Islam, while other Muslims praise both as appropriate defense measures for the sake of Islam. And some Muslims condemn
Will French terror affect world view of Israel? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Nothing is more boring that someone else’s weather. However, this is Jerusalem. And there is a policy angle to every story. Snow is a rarity. Until last year, it had only amounted to a 3-5 inches once every 5-10 years, with a dusting once or twice between then. Even a dusting frightens
Jerusalem snow predictions overblown Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The costs of being a Jew have increased, especially outside of Israel. Americans report increased discomfort from what they hear and read, some of it from individuals who don’t seem to realize the people they are speaking to are Jews. Emotional costs may be greater than elsewhere on campuses, but anyone attuned
Unity of Israel and Diaspora fraying Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel and Palestine are having another dance that may seem unreal, but is the essence of our relationship. Each is pressing on the other. Palestinians say they will bring charges against Israel for war crimes, overlooking the capacity of Israel to bring charges against Palestinians for war crimes. Israel is
All Mideast solutions seem to lead nowhere Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Last week, while getting my nightly dose of a discussion program, I heard a political scientist talk about her research via Facebook and other meeting places on the Internet. She claimed that the number of Likes, and their changes over time, indicated the rise and fall of politicians. Maybe. Her presentation was
Internet changes form, not substance, of politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — I do view myself as a centrist in politics. Or perhaps more accurately, as an apolitical political scientist. I’ve never had a strong party identification, either during that half of my life when I voted in the US, or the latter half voting in Israel. I view politics as the
Mulling options in Israel’s upcoming election Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Are the Palestinians our enemies, or maybe only our adversaries? They’ve been trying to topple us from the 1920s, but we’re still here, and doing a lot better than they are. Remember the UN declaration that Zionism is racism? It caught on with the international rabble, but didn’t make a
Comparing SHASniks and Palestinians Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Events surrounding Yisrael Beiteinu provide suggestive parallels to other elements of Israel’s political history, as well as to that of the US. Avigdor Lieberman was not the first Israeli politician to reach power on the backs of an immigrant community that came from a non-democratic society. David ben Gurion and
Russians repeat pattern of earlier Israeli immigrants Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Avigdor Lieberman is Israel’s Foreign Minister, as well as the ruling head of Israel Beitenu (Israel our Home), a political party originally focused on immigrants from the former Soviet Union with campaign posters in Russian and Hebrew. Lieberman began his political career as an activist in the Likud student organization at the
Lieberman party members in bribery probe Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Among the fascinations of politics are some oddities from various corners. Some are–fortunately–far from our daily experiences, but others are too close for complete comfort. One concerns North Korea. It is widely viewed as one of the most unpleasant of places, with a regime that cares little for its people.
Global oddities: N. Korea, Islamism, U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Entry to politics does not require a test of intelligence, or even political savvy. The best most recent evidence appears in reports associated with Tsipi Livni and John Kerry. Livni–along with Shimon Peres–advised John Kerry to postpone action on the Palestinians’ request of the UN Security Council to grant it statehood
Livni, Kerry ploy backfires to Netanyahu’s benefit Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The US, Israel, and western Europe, along with a few other places that qualify as democracies are not like Rome in its period of decadence. There are no crowds at a Coliseum watching gladiators fight to the death, or captives sacrificed to hungry predators. Yet there is an element of
Israeli situation not as bad as the rhetoric Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It sounds worse than it really is. This is an optimist’s view of Israel’s condition with itself and in the world. Most of the resolutions seeming to recognize a Palestinian state are advisory. Resolutions expressing the sense of the house, but not requiring action, are a dime a dozen among
Symbolic European votes just posturing Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA