The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel

A narrative chronicle of Israeli democracy that defines historic phases and follows thematic challenges to democracy, including: competition between religion and the rule of law; the statist society and chaotic minoritocracy; modern illiberal populism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The comprehensive portrait exposes endemic flaws of democracy in Israel, but also shows that Israel has considerable capacity – and responsibility – to fulfill the promise of democracy.

• Addresses heated and divisive political issues with historic evidence, explanation and narration.
• Provides a compelling narrative in a measured tone.
• Defines historic phases and follows thematic challenges to democracy in Israel.

Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin is a political scientist, a public opinion expert and a political consultant. She has advised nine national election campaigns in Israel since 1999, and has worked in fifteen other countries as well. In Israel, her research focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, foreign policy, democracy, human rights and civil rights, political analysis, and comparative conflict analysis. Dr. Scheindlin has regional expertise in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, post-conflict societies and transitional democracies. She holds a PhD from Tel Aviv University; she is a policy fellow at The Century Foundation, a regular columnist at Haaretz (English), and a foreign affairs analyst on the BBC television program, Context; she is among the founders of +972 Magazine and has co-hosted several podcasts including the Tel Aviv Review of Books and Election Overdose. She lives in Tel Aviv.

"Scheindlin brilliantly situates Israel’s democratic crisis in a broad historical perspective. Unlike many works on the subject, she proactively addresses the dynamic relations between Jewish and Arab citizens, and how Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories cannot be separated from addressing the nature of the Israeli system. Marshalling fresh data in making her case, Scheindlin produces a must-read book that cannot be timelier." Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor of Peace and Development, University of Maryland, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution

"Quite simply an essential read for anyone seeking a true understanding of Israel, written by one of the most astute experts on the subject. Informed, nuanced, lucid, and comprehensive, this book exposes the deep roots of Israel’s current crisis and its prospects for the future." Dr. Yael Sternhell, Senior Lecturer, Department of History at Tel Aviv University and columnist, Haaretz newspaper

"The book concludes before the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which paused but did not end the debate about democracy in Israel. It is an enormously valuable resource for understanding the Israeli reactions to the attack, as well as the challenges the country will still face when the guns fall silent." Lisa Anderson in: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/crooked-timber-democracy-israel-promise-unfulfilled (17.05.2024)