Arab-Palestinian Society in the Israeli Political System: Integration versus Segregation in the Twenty-First Century

This is a comprehensive, detailed, updated and solid analysis of the Arab-Palestinian politics in Israel in the two first decades of the twenty-first century, compared to earlier sub-periods since 1948. The extent of the Arab minority’s segregation or integration is discussed in both levels the national (political parties) and the local (municipalities). In this sense, this book is unique, since the local political institutions are the most critical arena for Arabs in Israel. Zeedan proves that while the Arab minority managed to integrate into the three branches of government- the legislative, the executive, and the judicial, recent Arab party formations manifests the Arab leadership’s strategy of seeking an autonomous status from within the political system while segregating itself from the Israeli Zionist (predominantly Jewish) parties. A must for every student of Middle East politics.

Zeedan's book is a mine of information and insightful interpretations of how the Palestinian-Arabs do local and national politics in Israel. Its provocative conclusion that Israel is an illiberal, ethnic democracy for its Arab national minority should be of interest to anyone interested in the study of democracy and minorities in general and in the Jewish state in particular.