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
Hamas made an error when it sent rockets to Jerusalem. Thousands of rockets and other missiles came from Gaza, mostly in the area around Gaza, but occasionally more widespread. A few came to northern Israel from Lebanon. Plus violence in Jerusalem, Acco, Lod, and other mixed cities. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Tallying the Israel/Gaza War’s Political Aftermath Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastLots of missiles coming from Gaza to Israel. Lots of damage in Gaza. And something close to civil war within Israel, with Arab mobs attacking Jews and their property in what had been peaceful settings with two communities; plus Jewish mobs doing the same to Arabs and their property.Overall, leaving aside the actions of the security forces in Gaza, it’s not too different from occasional bursts of racial violence in the US and some European cities. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Wartime Chaos and Speculation Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBibi seems to be finished. But he’s still trying, now to complicate the task of those with the President’s mandate. One can imagine that President Reuven Rivlin intended this to happen; that he gave Bibi Netanyahu the first chance to form a government, with the intention or hope that he would fail. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Now Netanyahu Is Playing Defense Against a Possible New Coalition Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIt doesn’t look like Bibi can form a new government. Indeed, there are signs that he’s falling apart. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Bibi’s Running out of Time to Form a Coalition Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIs Bibi finished? Not yet, but the signs indicate that his end may be near. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Is it the end of Bibi’s era? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastThe holidays have passed, and we’re back to work. More or less. Bibi has used up almost half of the time allotted him to form a government, and still no results. Smotrich remains adamant about not relying on an Arab party, and without that Bibi remains short of a Knesset majority. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Israel’s Government, Policies Adrift Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWhere are we? In a political muddle. President Rivlin said that he had no choice but to give the first opportunity to Bibi, in order to form a government. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Israel Coalition Possibilities a Muddle Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastThose firmly supporting Benjamin Netanyhu are Likud, SHAS, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionists, for a total of 52 Seats Those clearly in the anti-Bibi list are Lapid, Blue White, Israel Beiteinu, Labor, New Hope, Joint Arab List, and Meretz, for a total of 57 Seats Between them are Yamina and the Separate Arab List, so far undecided, with 11 Seats [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Israeli Election Analysis at the Seder Table Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastJERUSALEM — Where are we now? Who knows? Indications of infections are down. The parties and religious events at Purim do not seem to have produced an increase. Widespread inoculations are the explanation. They work to prevent a spread. So we’re getting ready for a Passover close to normal. Seders with 30 or perhaps 50 members are said to be okay, if there isn’t an increase in infections before then. (ira Sharkansky, Ph.D)
Impossible to say who’ll win Israel’s upcoming election Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWhat’s worse?
1) The decision of the Israeli Supreme Court, authorizing the conversions to Judaism by Conservative and Reform Rabbis in Israel? 2) The onset of investigations against Israel for war crimes by the International Criminal Court? 3) The opening of Israeli schools in all grades, as well as shopping centers, restaurants, coffee houses, bars, theaters, and halls for weddings and Bar Mitvot, as well as the opening of Israel’s borders to 4,000 per day of returning Israelis and the weakening of what had been screening by a government committee of applicants and allowing the return of some 600 per day? [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Three major controversies ahead of Israel’s election Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle EastIsraeli politics has too many parties. A coalition government is always necessary. Now, however, the polls are indicating a tie, more or less. Bibi doesn’t have it. He may not get to 61 Seats in the Knesset, even if Bennett joins with him.On the other side, there is a problem of plurality, egos, and a false spectrum of right and left wing parties.[Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Election math doesn’t favor Bibi, or anyone else Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIsrael’s election is scheduled for March 23rd. And more than previous ones, it is spawning the announcement of several new parties, both to the right and the left of Bibi. They’re all united under the slogan of anyone but Bibi, but not yet united in any more tangible sense. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
New parties form to Bibi’s left and right Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastLess than three months to the election, there are clear signs that things are changing. New parties; individual activists, some abandonment of Likud; lots of anti-Bibi. The major new players are Gideon Sa’ar, Naftali Bennett, Ofer Shelah, Ron Huldai, and Gadi Eizenkot. Shelah has left the party of Yair Lapid, Huldai is the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Eizenkot is a former head of the IDF. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Alignments shifting as Israel heads for new elections Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWe’re up against a deadline. Presumably, if the Israeli government does not pass a budget today, the Knesset goes home and there’ll be an election, perhaps within three months. There have been several options, including a postponing of the deadline, and lots of discussion. Perhaps an enactment of a 2020 budget, that’ll serve the country for the next week! [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Seems like old times: Coalition squabbles Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA