Since its formation in 1948, and particularly since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin in 1995, Israel has experienced turbulent political change and numerous ongoing security challenges, including major party splits, collapsed peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria, nuclear threats from Iran, and even the specter of civil war as Israel withdrew from Gaza. This essential survey brings together Israeli and American scholars to provide a much-needed balanced introduction to Israelαs domestic politics and foreign policy.

Introduction / Robert O. Freedman -- Israel's domestic politics -- The Israeli right / Ilan Peleg -- After Rabin : the malaise of the Israeli Zionist left / Mark Rosenblum -- Israel's religious parties / Shmuel Sander and Aaron Kampinsky -- Israel's "Russian" parties / Vladimir (Ze'ev) Khanin -- Israel's Arab parties / Hillel Frisch -- Israel's supreme court / Pnina Lahav -- The Israeli economy / Ofira Seliktar -- Israel's foreign policy -- Israel and the Palestinians / Barry Rubin -- Israel and the Arab world / David W. Lesch -- Israel's strategic relations with Turkey and India / Efraim Inbar -- Israel and the United States / Robert O. Freedman -- Israel's security challenges -- Existential threats to Israel / Steven R. David -- Israel's 2006 war with Hizbollah : the failure of deterrence / Elli Lieberman.