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–It risks the charge of banality to assert that Israel is a place with a multitude of historical layers, many of which intrude into its politics and international relations. The people who migrated, fought, conquered, suffered defeat, left, or stayed have made their mark on the names of places, changes in the […]
Biking the trails of Israeli history Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s been a week since President Barack Obama’s great speech, and there has been little beyond solemn statements of support, along with reservations about doing anything concrete. The President boasted of a multi-nation coalition. In one statement it was claimed that 40 nations had signed on, with no American boots on
Before it gets started, anti- ISIS coalition falters Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Forty-three reserve officers and other personnel of IDF Intelligence Unit 8200 have received local and international coverage for a detailed letter of protest and a refusal to serve further in their function of listening and reading Palestinian communications. Their letter claims that the unit’s work violated the civil rights and
Israelis debate the ethics of military spying Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Not all the religious fanatics are Muslims. One can think of candidates under the umbrella of Christianity, but here our concern is Jews. Two cases recently in the headlines provoke shame or something else, depending on one’s sense of responsibility or cynicism. One is a bearded, well-coiffured man whose trial on
We Jews also have our fanatics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — President Obama conceded, perhaps not in so many words, that his Sept. 10 speech would not defeat Daish and its allies. It had been preceded by days of expectation and commentary, and the actual contents had no surprises. No doubt we’ll be reading about it for days, and perhaps years Among
Obama’s ISIS speech a turnaround from Cairo Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Wednesday morning we woke to our neighborhood in the headlines. My inbox included two notes from overseas inquiring about our safety. “Activists” (“terrorists” is on the other edge of the politically correct; “thieves’ or “vandals” may be correct in this instance) from Isaweea torched the French Hill gas station and looted its
Columnist slumbers as nearby gas station is torched Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The most dangerous challenge. Is it Daish or Vladimir Putin? For the time being, Israelis are observers of those quarreling whether–or how–to deal with Daish or Putin. With respect to Putin, The reserve of some stems from Ukrainians’ bad name in Jewish history. For others, it results from Ukrainians’ dismal
Daish or Putin–which is more dangerous? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The Middle East is a fascinating place. It is far from boring, often exciting, and sometimes frightening. Various Zionists who claim authorship over modern Israel considered alternatives in British East Africa, Argentina, and parts of the US. A sense of history, plus an opportunity as colonialism was at a crisis, brought us
Israelis argue, but don’t kill each other Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The current commotion is focused on Israel’s declaring as state land some 4,000 dunams (c 988 acres) just over the Green Line and west of Betar Ilit and Gush Etzion. The action has produced demands from the US to reverse the action, along with condemnations from the UN General
Latest cause celebre is small farm-size land Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Policymakers aspire to clarity. It is easiest to define and defend one’s actions according to fixed lines. Government benefits should go to individuals who meet certain criteria. Giving discretion to the people who carry out policy is problematic. It facilitates favoritism and brings charges of discrimination. Yet some issues do
The difficult calculus of reprisals Read More »
Ira SharkanskyBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — We’ve known for a long time that politics combines theater with serious business. How much of each can vary from place to place and within each place by circumstances. Israeli pundits are having fun with recordings of Netanyahu’s hyperbolic promises and subsequent behavior. The Prime Minister has lost ground with
Netanyahu, Obama & Abbas fascinate the cynics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Hamas lost this war, despite its claims of victory. Israel did not win, but there has been no clear winner of any war since 1945. Hamas suffered more than 2,100 deaths, 11,000 injuries and a shortage of medical facilities, as well as massive destruction. The cease fire provided nothing more than
Israel dissatisfied with win; Hamas pretends it gained Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — What’s happening? It’s not clear. Among the signs inviting assessment are: The IDF appears to be upping its efforts to exact higher costs from Hamas and those supporting or tolerating it. Among recent targets have been a 14 story apartment building that collapsed as the result of two rockets, perhaps
Many tea leaves to read from Mideast brew Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — We’re hearing another round of criticism that Benyamin Netanyahu has no strategy. Critics are calling him the status quo Prime Minister, aspiring to nothing more than quiet, and seeing the status quo the best option for Israel in both the West Bank and Gaza. Singing in the chorus are well
The strategy of keeping the status quo Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East