عنوان

A political and ideological history of the Likud Party of Israel 1931-1992

TLets568729

A political and ideological history of the Likud Party of Israel 1931-1992

[Thesis]

Shindler, Colin

Middlesex University

1997

Ph.D.

Middlesex University

1997

Israel, Likud and the Zionist Dream: Power, Politics and Ideology from Begin to Netanyahu was published in September 1995 by I.B. Tauris. Work on the book commenced in late 1992 shortly after the electoral defeat of the Likud by yitzhak Rabin's Labour Party. The research proposal was to write a broad political history of the Likud from 1931 (the 17th Zionist Congress) until 1992. A central focus was to monitor ideological deviations from this attachment through schisms in the 1930s and 1940s; through compromise with other movements in order to gain power; and finally to contrast theory and practice in and out of power. Several research tributaries flowed from this such as confrontation with the far Right, the delegitimisation of Palestinian nationalism and Israel's relationship with the Diaspora. Emphasis was placed on leading figures rather than party institutions since they were effectively emasculated by Menachem Begin after 1948 and were in a state of organisational disarray under Shamir in the 1980s and 1990s. The intention was to write a serious original book for an informed readership, analytical yet accessible, intelligent yet intelligible. The London Review of Books commented: 'Colin Shindler's book provides the first comprehensive survey of the Party's origins, rise and decline, while paying particular attention to the role played by its successive leaders'.The research was carried out in academic institutions in both London and Israel and built on past research at the Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University where I was a Visiting Fellow in 1989/1990. I devoted that academic year to writing Ploughshares into Swords? Israelis and Jews in the Shadow of the Intifada which was published by LB. Tauris in 1991. The current work on the Likud arose out of interest and questions posed in researching my earlier book. In November 1994, interviews were conducted in Israel with past and present leaders of the Likud; government Ministers and parliamentary opponents of the Likud; academics, journalists, writers and observers of the political scene.

Shindler, Colin

Middlesex University

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y