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–The current phase of Israel’s religious conflict is well along in its ritualized pattern. The details may differ each time the conflict heats up, but the basic story is similar. A specific incident excites the faithful and the not-so-faithful Events escalate from name calling, pushing, spitting, blocking traffic, the […]
Haredi-secular conflict follows familiar patterns Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Lots of news. Less clarity. It’s worth thinking about the details, and whether they amount to a watershed inviting a heroic decision. Khaled Mashaal, the senior leader of Hamas, has ordered his forces to cease attacks on Israeli targets. Mashaal’s expression of non-violence has something to do
Hopeful and discouraging signs on Israel’s domestic and foreign fronts Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The Municipality of Beit Shemesh removed the signs indicating which sidewalk was to be used by women and girls. Haredim began replacing them 10 minutes later. One of the prominent spitters was jailed and released after a short time. It sounds like the treatment given Religious Zionist (Orthodox)
Secular versus religious laws in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–My resolution not to write so often lasted only a few hours, until I found myself enraged by a television report about Heredi extremists in Beit Shemesh. We’ve known about the Beit Shemesh community for some time. Religious friends from the US and a secular Israeli colleague initially settled there, then
Beit Shemesh incident shows intolerance extends to little girls Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This is a complex world with many players and numerous conflicts. So what else is new? In this holiday season when wise commentators summarize what happened, what is happening, and what will happen, it is appropriate to remind ourselves of the obvious, trivial, and continuing realities. We members
We often forget that Israel-Palestine battle only one of numerous conflicts in the world Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –A recent installment of television news began with the outpouring of unrestrained wailing in response to the death of the “dear leader” of North Korea, a replay of the mournful voice, choked with tears announcing his death on North Korean television, and then commentary by a South Korean journalist and an
When praise for a leader goes over the top Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Tanya Rosenblit may become Israel’s Rosa Parks. Her refusal to go to the back of the bus produced a story on the front page of Ha’aretz, as well as supportive comments by Prime Minister Netanyahu in the meeting of the Government, by Opposition Head Tzipi Livni, and by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
Tanya, like Rosa, refused to go to the back of the bus Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Several items lead me once again to write about the two countries where I have spent my life. Already some of my readers are readying their fingers to accuse me of turning against my homeland, or ignorance about the place that I left half a lifetime ago. To be sure,
A woeful tale of two countries Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Read Josephus. It’s relevant. The most recent rampage of religious nationalist extremists has brought forth statements from a wide range of Israeli leaders that they have gone too far. They have crossed a “red line.” They will be dealt with by means of all the tools at the disposal of the military
Secular vs. religious tensions deepen in IDF and Technion Read More »
Ira SharkanskyBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Yaakov Neeman is part of Israel’s political mosaic. He may not be one of the shiniest of pieces in the picture, but he holds a serious position as Minister of Justice. The word apparatchnik entered Hebrew (pl apparatchnikim) from our Russian roots, and refers to a person who has
Israel’s Justice Minister clashes with American Reform rabbi Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but shallowness is also part of the mix. This is one of those columns that is sure to provoke responses that I have become anti-American and too narrowly fixated on Israeli perspectives. I’ll deny the first charge and admit to being primarily
Americans’ foreign policy mistakes accelerate during campaign season Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–He’s now # 1418989 in the Maasiyahu Prison, near Ramla. This is a minimum security facility, which houses white collar and other convicts not judged to be a danger to society. And within this prison, Moshe Katsav has been assigned to the unit for religious prisoners. To some, this may be the
Unrepentant ex-president begins prison sentence for sex crimes Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Those wanting to understand what is happening in Europe can learn something from the chapters in those dusty American history books that deal with the Articles of Confederation. For reasons I’ll get to, the lessons are limited, but still worth considering. Like Europe today, the states under the Articles
Politics of European Union similar to U.S. under Articles of Confederation Read More »
International, Ira SharkanskyBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Now that Americans and Israelis may have finished arguing about the campaign to bring emigrants back home, they are in full tilt about comments made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At a “closed” but thoroughly leaked meeting of Israeli and Americans concerned with public affairs, she expressed deep concern
Hillary’s criticism of Israeli democracy wide of the mark Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East