Five Israeli academics probe the changing nature of Israeli society over the last twenty-five years.

Guy Ben-Porat is Lecturer in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. His publications include Global Liberalism, Local Populism: Peace and Conflict in Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland (2006) and, as editor, Implementing Peace Agreements (forthcoming).

Introduction; 1. Israeli society: diversity, tensions and governance; 2. Geography and demography: spatial transformations; 3. The political system: government, parliament and the court; 4. Political economy: liberalization and globalization; 5. Military and society; 6. The new politics: interest groups and alternative channels; Conclusion: the state of the state.