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Waxman, Dov, and Ilan Peleg. “The Nation-State Law and the Weakening of Israeli Democracy.” Israel Studies 25, no. 3 (2020): 185-200.

Abstract

The article argues that the significance of the Nation-State Law is not merely symbolic but substantive as well, and may exert a long-term influence on Arab-Jewish relations in Israel and on the future of the West Bank. The authors provide a broad historical and political perspective on the Law, tracing what they view as Israel’s transition from semi-liberal democracy to illiberal, majoritarian democracy that resembles a widespread global trend. The authors conclude that the 2018 Law reinforces majoritarian elements within the polity while it weakens Israel’s liberal-democratic claims. The article warns against the implications of the Law in both domestic and foreign policy.

illiberalism.org

The Illiberalism Studies Program studies the different faces of illiberal politics and thought in today’s world, taking into account the diversity of their cultural context, their intellectual genealogy, the sociology of their popular support, and their implications on the international scene.

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