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 New York Times describes Sheldon Adelson as a poor boy who made himself rich, not especially attracted to Jewish affairs or Israel until middle age, now a major contributor to things Jewish, American, and Israeli. His most recent prominence comes from $10 million contributed by him and his […]
Adelson is a major right-wing factor in U.S., Israeli politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The headlines are about a couple of issues roiling close to the Prime Minister. They do not concern the big stuff that will attract people around the world who look to Israel for the excitement of threat, promise, personal or collective salvation. Insofar as the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister, however,
PM’s administrator accused of harrassing woman on staff Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Hopefully, Iraq and Afghanistan will be the Lebanon War of the United States. Israel learned from the massive invasion and long occupation of Lebanon (1982-2000) that too much force is frustrating, does not accomplish announced goals, and may be self-defeating. Its second Lebanon war of July-August, 2006 demonstrated the lesson: only
The lessons to be drawn from Middle East interventions Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSAELM–We are never far from a reminder that the Israel-Palestinian conflict has a strong element of religious animosity. Those who aspire to solve this with a simple agreement about lines on a map will be better off refereeing a football match (American or European). The Middle East is not for them.
Religion, not land-use politics, at heart of Mideast dispute Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — My readers have weighed in on a recent column. According to one, I was not sensitive enough in recognizing how dastardly was Ahmed Tibi in referring to Anastassia Michaeli as “cos amok.” According to another, Tibi really is a traitor, in speaking out so forecefully in favor of Palestinian interests while
What are the limits of an MK’s free speech? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Note the plural in the headline. It is not an error, but the theme of this column. Designations of Jerusalem above and Jerusalem below have been around for a long time. They have been adopted by Jews, but may have been introduced in their explicit form by the New
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–You want fairness from this aging academic? This is a time when I’ll side with a prominent Israeli Arab politician, who has been a source of considerable annoyance for us Jews. But fair is fair. In the last couple of days he earned my commendation. Ahmed Tibi, MD, is one
Knesset suspension of Arab member unfair Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– It’s not easy being an Israeli. It is even harder being an Israeli policymaker, especially at the top with responsibility for things domestic and foreign. Last week the problems were local, in the form of thousands of Israelis of Ethipian origin, one unhappy Israeli of Iraqi origin, and lots of angry Israeli Arabs,
Tension escalates between Israel and U.S. over Iran Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Last week was was another occasion when Israel’s ethnic issues escaped from the closet to arouse one crowd and numerous commentators. The crowd was more than two thousand Ethiopians who demonstrated against discrimination in the town of Kiryat Malachi. The principal charge was that landlords refused to rent
Charting ethnic divides in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –We see the Shuafat refugee camp from the route that we walk around French Hill a couple of times each day. We don’t see tents or low rise mud brick dwellings, but high rise concrete and stone apartment houses that look pretty much like those on this side of the
‘Refugee camps’ aren’t always as Westerners imagine Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Once again Prime Minister Netanyahu demonstrated his skills as a magician. In the morning, his ministers expressed wall to wall opposition to giving up four percent of their budgets for the sake of free pre-school education from the age of three. The government meeting was nastier than usual, with
Pre-School ‘guarantee’ adopted by Israeli Cabinet; Yair Lapid gathers momentum Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Several of the items in today’s news are not of the world shaking variety that will provoke unrest in the Middle East, Washington, or even among the American Jewish community, but each contributes their increment to understanding this country. First is the proposal of the Prime Minister to move
Never a dull moment: Israel debates schools, courts and burials Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israeli and Palestinian officials have met for the first time in months, exchanged documents, and plan to meet again. The meeting came after prolonged pressure from the “Quartet” of US, European Union, UN, and Russia. The location in Amman shows Jordanian interest. We have nothing more than unsubstantiated
Do insincere ‘peace talks’ do more harm than good? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The commotion over the place of women in buses and on sidewalks reminds us that religion plays a central role in Israeli politics. There is no formal separation of religion and politics. Moreover, Judaism is a religion that gives a central role to political history, political criticism, and political maneuvering.
Israel’s democracy nourished by biblical arguments Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion