I cambiamenti della 21^ knesset e la nuova-vecchia maggioranza di Netanyahu

L’analisi del quadrimestre gennaio-aprile 2019 non può prescindere, relativamente all’ordinamento israeliano, da uno studio della recente tornata elettorale del 9 aprile, che, secondo quanto riportato dal Comitato Elettorale Centrale, ha visto una affluenza del 68,46% degli aventi diritto e un totale di 4-340.253 voti validi. I molti risultati delle urne hanno infatti sancito, con una buona dose di prevedibilità, la vittoria del Likud di Benjamin Netanyahu, che, con 1.140.370 voti validi ricevuti (il 26,46%), ha già ottenuto dal Presidente Rivlin il mandato per la formazione del suo quinto mandato, il quarto consecutivo

A Jewish and (Declining) Democratic State? Constitutional Retrogression in Israel

This Article describes and analyzes an increasing trend of contemporary democratic hybridization and constitutional retrogression in Israel. We seek to reconstruct the Israeli case as a state of affairs where a strong leadership, coupled with rising political elites, are leading to a wide-ranging political risk to the constitutional liberal-democracy, to an erosion of its democratic institutions, and to an incremental democratic backslide. This Article contributes to the evolving recent literature in comparative constitutional law on the constitutional implications of democratic retrogression by characterizing the Israeli case as one that might be categorized as constitutional retrogression. This, as we argue, carries greater normative and descriptive implications. Descriptively, our analysis sheds new light on Israeli constitutionalism in general and on the constitutional revolution in particular. Instead of regarding the Israeli constitution-making as a western liberal-democratic success story, we argue it is closer to that which is termed in the literature the “Global South.” Normatively, the understanding that the Israeli constitutional order is much more fragile than its prevailing image, prospective constitutional adjudication (and scholarship) should put greater emphasis on Israel’s “institutional constitution”—the constitutional set of norms that protects the democratic rules of the game, elections, separation of powers, representation, etc. Our overall argument is that there is a danger and an ongoing, systematic deterioration of the Israeli constitutional model, which requires a systemic political and juristic respons

A Lion’s Blues: Heroism, Heroic Self-Representations, and Emotional Distress in the Life and Character of Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu

The realization that heroism – representing either a trait or a value system – is potentially pernicious is important for both scientific and societal reasons. In this article, we adopt a psychobiographical perspective to analyze the character and life of one of Israel’s greatest heroes, Yonathan (“Yoni”) Netanyahu. Yoni was an illustrious military leader, as well as an outstanding intellectual and adored persona. He served as the commander of the special operation forces spearheading the famous Entebbe Operation during which Israeli commando forces rescued hostages taken captive in Uganda. Yoni was the only military causality in this operation, which was ultimately named after him. Subsequent to his death, his numerous personal letters were made public, allowing further glimpses into his heroic self-representations but also to the emotional distress he suffered. Applying our theory of heroic self-representations (HERS; Shahar, 2013), we analyze Yoni\u27s letters. Our analyses confirm Yoni\u27s tendency to construe himself as a savior and conqueror, and to identify with cultural heroes. The emotional distress Yoni suffered is characterized by depressed and anxious affect, masked by superb functioning. Qualitative analyses of the letters suggest two mechanisms of the effect of heroic self-representations on distress in Yoni\u27s case: compulsive purposefulness and emotional seclusion

Israel, The Syrian Crisis and the Unbreakable Lebanese Syndrome

This article addresses Israeli strategic attitude with respect to the Syrian crisis linking the historical conceptualization of Syria and its role in the Arab-Israeli conflict with Israel s current strategic considerations and the effect of the Lebanese syndrome upon Israel s historical collective memory Syria has always been regarded as Israel s archenemy due to its organic ties with revolutionary pan-Arabism and support for the struggle against the Jewish State While Israel thus hoped that the Arab Spring uprisings would overthrow the Ba ath regime or weakening it to the point of collapse it has refrained from any military intervention first and foremost because of what may be called the Lebanese syndrome namely the fear of renewed entanglement and a repeat of its bitter experience in the First Lebanon Wa