Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State

Edited by Asher Maoz

The State of Israel was established as a Jewish and democratic State. It has further been defined as such in its Basic Laws. This definition aroused much controversy in the political as well as the legal and rabbinical communities as to whether a state could be both Jewish and democratic. Opinions expressed ranged from the statement that a Jewish State could be anything but democratic to the declaration that a Jewish State could be nothing but democratic. There is extensive literature on this issue in Hebrew, by leading Israeli judges, Rabbis and jurists. It is the aim of this book to expose the English reader to this controversy, which involves a central issue in state-religion relations and should therefore be of interest to legal scholars, political and social scientists, and researchers in religions.

1: Asher Maoz, Introduction (downloadable)

2: Aharon Barak, The Values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State

3: Haim Cohn, z'l, The Values of a Jewish and Democratic State. Studies on the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty

4: Menachem Elon, Constitution by Legislation: The Values of a Jewish and Democratic State in the light of Basic Law: Human Dignity and Personal Freedom

5: Ruth Gavison, Can Israel be both a Jewish and Democratic State? 

6: Asher Maoz, The Values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State

7: Ariel Rosen-Zvi, z'l, "A Jewish and Democratic State": Spiritual Parenthood, Alienation and Symbiosis — Can we Square the Circle? 

8: Aviad Hacohen, From 'Juden Shtetl' (Jewish Village) to 'Juden Staat' (Jewish State): Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State: Theory and Practice 

9: Aharon Lichtenstein, Interaction between Judaism and Democracy?

ISBN 978-1-906731-09-0 (hardback), 978-1-906731-10-6 (paperback), 2010, Pp. viii + 321.