For the record, I was impressed by Prof. Staub's rapid-fire summary of the conflict, which is not an easy task. heh.... To focus on something that was briefly mentioned in class, though: differing opinions among Israelis, and, with that, coalition governments and the Knesset. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, for instance, was mentioned in passing - a man whose reputation for less-than-brilliant verbalization is markedly higher than that of VP Joe Biden's, just to put it in perspective. Head of the Yisrael Beitenu party, this Russian MK (member of Knesset) is himself a settler and, as noted, rather notorious for his commentary. How he snagged such a position: coalition forming with PM Bibi Netanyahu and the Likud party. (Admittedly, the fact that I've already done ground work on this makes me want to share it. ha...)
(Charles Levinson. "Netanyahu, Labor set Coalition in Israel." Wall Street Journal (March 2009). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123790396087825363.html)
The graphic does a nifty little job of depicting coalition formation in the Knesset - and, in so doing, suggesting the potential problems. Namely, check out the light blue. Danger, danger. The last thing you want is for your coalition to fall apart - meaning, if it's a minimal winning coalition (they have just enough seats to make the cut), even the smallest party could have a great deal of sway. What's more, ministerial delegation (eg Shas often landing control over the likes of education, as mentioned in class) as a form of bargaining/appeasement can... well, it can result in someone like Lieberman in a position of authority, or with an ultra-orthodox party calling the shots in education, take that as you will.
Also worth noting, though, let's throw in another nifty little graphic from several case studies:
(Ian Budge and Hans Keman, Parties and Democracy: Coalition Formation and Government Functioning in Twenty States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.)
A basic take-away there: conservative parties had a lower military expenditure when in a coalition, while liberal parties had a higher expenditure when in a coalition. Balancing, moderation, and necessary agreement to maintain the coalition.
To shut myself up and pull it out of government and more into "society," though: Yigal Amir and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Even should a coalition government under Netanyahu manage, say, a peace agreement, it doesn't end with the Knesset, as citizens and national mentality play key roles in maintaining it. ....Much more to be mulled over on the matter, of course, but must cut my babbling short before it becomes blatantly cynical. Thoughts certainly welcome as I pause mid-reflection here.
