Politics and Change in Israel: The Case of Land Settlement

Abstract

The politics and passions of Zionism, with their roots in the spectrum of values and commitments of Zionist-involved Jewry, were profoundly implicated in the daily life and basic institutions of Jewish Palestine, and they were inherited, without major alteration, by the new nation of Israel. This state of affairs has been undergoing modification in recent years. Party activity, either directly or through labor federation and other politically affiliated organizations, still is a major factor in decisions affecting the country’s development. Party activity still extends into basic services such as health and education. It still provides an organizational framework that can contain most needs and concerns of adherents. Nonetheless, a decline in intensity of ideology and party loyalty has been increasingly evident in recent years.