The self-image and international recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state has prompted a wide range of scholarly debate since its establishment in 1948. The long-lasting Israel...Show moreThe self-image and international recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state has prompted a wide range of scholarly debate since its establishment in 1948. The long-lasting Israel-Palestine conflict has led to a series of harmful acts within the state and as such, has resulted in many questioning Israel's claims to democracy. Since Israel is considered an example of a Western democratic state and is often recognized by the West as being the only successful democracy in the Middle East, this thesis aims to analyze this claim. By approaching the matter from a legal perspective, specifically focusing on the conception of citizenship and the allocation of land within Israel, the research demonstrates that laws practiced by the Israeli parliament leads to clear tension between the concepts 'Jewish' and 'democratic’, since the laws put into place to govern the citizens of the state have as a priority to uphold the Jewish character of the state and to protect the Jewish majority residing in Israel. As such, this research concludes that Israel should not be considered compatible to a traditional Western democracy, since the state's two identities, Jewish and democratic contradict each other in practice.Show less
This thesis analyzes the Israeli coverage of the campaign and election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States. It does so by thoroughly reviewing the coverage of three...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the Israeli coverage of the campaign and election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States. It does so by thoroughly reviewing the coverage of three Israeli newspapers. It provides a twofold background as a cadre to put this coverage in. First, a review on the academic literature published about the US-Israeli special relationship. Second, an analysis of the issues that have shaped and are shaping Israeli society. In this way, it is making an effort to understand US-Israeli dynamics as they are today.Show less
This thesis asks how the rise of religious Zionism after the Yom Kippur War (1973) can be explained. This rise is puzzling, because whereas religious Zionism became more popular after the Six Day...Show moreThis thesis asks how the rise of religious Zionism after the Yom Kippur War (1973) can be explained. This rise is puzzling, because whereas religious Zionism became more popular after the Six Day War (1967), this stemmed from the euphoria associated with the victory and the annexation of Jerusalem. The Yom Kippur War, in contrast, led to uncertainty, protests and delegitimation of the government. Why then, was religious Zionism not reduced in popularity but strengthened instead? Apart from researching this question, this thesis focuses on the relation between the religionization of Israeli society and the rise of religious Zionism. In the second chapter, the details of religionization in Israel are researched through statistics, secondary literature and primary sources. What aspects of society had been religionized, and in what ways? Chapter three analyzes the previous literature on the subject in light of the evidence found in the previous chapter, but also scrutinizes whether there actually was a causal relationship between religionization and religious Zionism. Although this research found no conclusive evidence on the causal relationship between religionization and the popularity of religious Zionism, it does confirm other reasons behind its rise. Firstly, religious Zionists framed themselves as the new generation of pioneers, in contrast to the Labor government which took the blame for the Yom Kippur War. Moreover, the religious Zionists downplayed the influence on earthly events on the redemption of the Jewish people, which made the movement able to survive the setback that the Yom Kippur War arguably formed. Finally, secular ethno-nationalists were also attracted to religious Zionism as they shared a common goal: keeping the occupied (or ‘liberated’) territories.Show less
This thesis asks why the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, has become a prominent issue within the British Labour Party. Further, it seeks to examine whether or not positions on...Show moreThis thesis asks why the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, has become a prominent issue within the British Labour Party. Further, it seeks to examine whether or not positions on the conflict and expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians by members of the Party follow a general trend, and which external and internal factors have brought about the relative prominence of the conflict within the Party. It uses textual and discourse analysis to examine these questions and focuses on the formation of discourses around Palestine in the elite of the Labour party in the post-war period, with a particular focus on the period following the 1973 October war.Show less
