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 — Israel’s election campaign is settling down to right vs left, with several of the middle level and marginal parties campaigning on the basis of which camp they will join, a moderate level of nastiness between party leaders, and a higher level of nastiness between the two leading circulation newspapers. Zionist Union is […]
Coalition math favors Netanyahu as P.M. again Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — One must be wary of generalizing about Jews. Not only are we individualistic, perhaps more than most other ethnic/religious groups, but different communities of Jews have been developing in their own ways over the course of 2,500 years. Since World War II there have been changes more pronounced that in
Many kinds of Jews in Israel, Diaspora Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Two separate issues are competing for media attention. Our most senior cops, except, hopefully, the Chief of Police and maybe a few others, are having trouble keeping their pants zipped. About half of the most senior officers (Deputy Chief and Heads of Major Departments and Regional Commands) have resigned, been
News priority: sex scandals or U.S. – Israel discord? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Six weeks before the election, the focus of campaigning combines personal attacks, accusations of illegality, and bombastic solutions to serious problems that have little chance of implementation. Call it playing to the low side, or creative innovation. Your choice. Likud’s opponents are making a big deal about Sara’s bottles and her management
Palestine so far missing from Israeli election debate Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Ethnocentrics elsewhere may protest, but the Middle East has long been the center of civilization. It may be fairer to claim that it is a center of civilization, with a nod to that other place that claims priority farther east. Cultures claiming to be primarily derived from Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
The Middle East, new or old, is at the world’s center Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Is media serious business? Maybe. Is it at the core of our civilization? Let’s not exaggerate. It’s also a source of fun, tending toward the slapstick, as shown by what follows from the peak of Israeli and American media. First the Israeli slapstick. At the focus, once again, is Sara
When the media is the message Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky SAN DIEGO — We can’t avoid it. There are a billion or so Muslims, and the rest of us are more or less dependent on what they do. Oil and gas is one dependence, which we should not minimize despite the current dip in price. Physical presence is another dependence, even in
West must learn more about Muslims Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israeli politics differs from the Roman in avoiding spectacles of death by gladiator or wild beasts, but it resembles the Roman, and what occurs elsewhere, in its ingredients of entertainment. This week’s highlight was the announcement by Naftali Bennett that Jewish Home was giving a high place on its list
Soccer player latest Israeli novelty candidate Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It ain’t easy deciding about the upcoming Israel election. First one should decide if you want to influence what the next government does, or find a party (or a party leader or some other individual) who comes closest to your political ideal. If you are looking for an ideal candidate
The making of an Israeli coalition Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The UN may do good somewhere, but the case would take some convincing. Its people are spread throughout the Third World. All told, they are probably not worse than the governments they are meant to help. We often see UN vehicles and personnel in our neighborhood. They are here to help the
U.N has done little good since Korea Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Two items that seem much different have in common a capacity to teach us something about politics. Politics, and the government associated with it is a messy business, even while essential to civilization. It ain’t easy to serve numerous and contrasting purposes at the same time, and a common result is
U.S., Israel leaders engage in tit for tat behavior Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Sunday’s news was of Israel’s liquidation of a prominent Hezbollah officer, the son of an even more senior Hezbollah officer who Israel liquidated some years ago. Along with him went five other Hezbollah and six Iranian combatants, including one general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The Hezbollah officer was said to be
Israel’s intelligence methods frustrate many attacks Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Where is the peace process? Waiting for someone in authority to say Kaddish. It isn’t prominent in any of the major party platforms. To be sure, one must be wary of making any conclusions about what candidates say and write in the midst of a political campaign. If they are not lying
Peace process dead, but still awaiting burial Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Salvation? Curse? Or a bit of both, as well as being something that pervades and is impossible to avoid? There are no end of the lessons to derive from Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher market. Yet it cannot be entirely clear what they are. Mystery is never far from this subject. Being religious
Muslim v. Muslim greatest cause of death in Mideast Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East