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
Occasional upticks in animosity between Jews and Poles has produced a correspondence between a Polish friend and my colleague Shlomo Avineri. It’s been an open and friendly exchange, pondering the memories of both people and one land. And it has reminded me of an instance in my youth, in Fall River, Massachusetts. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D}
The complex relationship between Poles and Jews Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USARecent election ties, the likelihood of another one in two weeks, and the prospects of a fourth election raise the issue of who are we, and why do we cluster as we do. We can begin with several, more or less fixed, clusters of Israelis: *Ultra-Orthodox, Ashkenazim, very likely to vote United Torah Judaism *Perhaps a bit less fixed ultra-Orthodox Sephardim, likely to vote SHAS *Israeli Arabs, most of whom vote for the United Arab List *West Bank settlers, many of them Orthodox Jews, who vote for one of the right of center parties *Jews of Middle Eastern origin, traditional in their religious practices, who tend to vote Likud, especially, perhaps, those with lower education and income levels *Russians, a large and complex group, many of whom form the basic support of Avigdor Lieberman and go along with his right of center opposition to allying with Arabs or perhaps left wing Jews [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D.]
Identifying Israeli political parties’ supporters Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIt’s been a while since Bibi pressed Trump to release his Deal of the Century. As we’ve heard from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Jared Kushner, it’s more a vision than a concrete plan. Somewhere at its heart are several basic ideas, such as Israeli expansion and the creation of a Palestinian state. However, there is a lot of detail to work through, most likely by negotiations before anything major can occur. However, Bibi’s base, more than Bibi himself, has seized on the elements favorable to them and are urging unilateral Israeli expansion. Depending on who’s talking, it’s a formal acquisition of the Jordan Valley, Maale Adumim, Gush Etzion, Ariel, and other settlements. Bibi has wavered between encouraging this kind of talk, saying that he’d do it this week or next, and saying that he needs the support of the Americans to do it. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
‘Deal of Century’ prompts split in Israeli right wing Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAThe Deal of the Century.” It’s a mess. With some good features, as well as others. On the good side, it does away with the 1967 lines, outdated by more than 50 years of movement here and there, and kept alive only by Palestinian ideology, which competes with Palestinian ideas tying things to pre-1948. Except for that, the deal seems to present as many problems as opportunities.The Deal of the Century.” It’s a mess. With some good features, as well as others. On the good side, it does away with the 1967 lines, outdated by more than 50 years of movement here and there, and kept alive only by Palestinian ideology, which competes with Palestinian ideas tying things to pre-1948. Except for that, the deal seems to present as many problems as opportunities. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Trump’s deal roils Israeli politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USATrump is on trial, whether he concedes it or not. Bibi’s immunity is waiting confirmation or denial in the Knesset. Chances are that it’ll be denied if it gets to a vote. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Speculation rife over Trump’s deal, Bibi’s immunity Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABibi made an application for immunity, and is now doing all that he can so the Knesset will postpone consideration of it. Until after the election? Which one? The third in the last year, or the fourth, the fifth, or whatever. A majority of the Knesset has indicated its opposition to Bibi’s immunity from prosecution. So if he doesn’t postpone consideration of it, he’s lost. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Most MKs oppose Bibi’s immunity request Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBibi waited until the last prime time television spot before the deadline, to announce that he was applying for immunity. The day earlier, one of the news shows replayed an earlier statement that he had no intention of applying for immunity. Immediately after Bibi announced, Benny Gantz began his election campaign, indicating that it would focus on an alleged criminal, running for yet more time at the top of the government.[Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
New political scramble as Bibi seeks immunity Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAAnother election. This one on Monday, March 2. Why? It depends on who is analyzing. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Fingers point as Israel fails to form a government Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastAvigdor Lieberman has been in politics for several decades. Earlier, he was close to Bibi, but later protested his less aggressive postures toward Palestinians. He came from a Zionist background in Kishinev, and in Israel has led the Yisrael Beitenu (Israel our Home) party. It began mostly with the support of Russian immigrants, but has since expanded its appeal–both due to the aging of the Russian population and Lieberman’s most recent posture as a strong opponent of the ultra-Orthodox and Benyamin Netanyahu. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Stubborness of Lieberman, Netanyahu mires Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWe’re in the midst of a 21 day period, coming after neither of two party leaders could form a government, when any Knesset Member who can get 61 votes is enabled to form a government. Can anyone do it? [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Knesset parties in free-for-all maneuvering Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastScholars are asking if the various checks and balances of the US are strong enough to deal with a President who seems to be breaking a lot of the rules. We’ll see if his disregard for realities, truth, and the revelation of his tax returns, along with all the other charges continue to attract enough of the poorly educated Whites to give him another four years. Here in Israel the process is more clearly legal than political, but certainly with its political elements. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Trouble at the top in U.S., Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWhile Israelis are struggling to form a government as the result of a virtual tie between Blue and White and Likud, Americans for Peace Now has weighed in with a pamphlet that asks what politicians can do to move things forward. But in reality, the perspective of the pamphlet seems out of date, and dreams of what on the ground seems unreasonable. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Americans for Peace Now proposals unrealistic Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABoth at the top, and both are reeling on the edge. Can they help one another? Perhaps with favorable comments. But both are subject to local pressures likely to overcome such goodies. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Parallel troubles for Trump and Netanyahu Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAAmir Ohana is Israel’s Minister of Justice. Sort of. Sitting in an interim government, he is prevented from acting on all relevant matters. But he can speak. And he did so shrilly, against what he called a cult of prosecutors within the prosecution service, as well as supporting members of the media. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Netanyahu supporters denounce prosecutors Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East