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A Layman's Guide To WWIII:
Who's Who in Israeli Politics
By Kevin Filan
Haredim |
Israeli Arabs |
Likud
| Labor
| Nat. Religious Party | Shas
In 1949 conflict between the newly-established Israeli Defense Forces and the old-guard Irgun brought the new State of Israel to the brink of civil war. Since that time things haven't improved much. The gulf between the various factions of Israel's Jews is sometimes as wide as the gulf between Israeli and Palestinian. Rich and poor, religious and secular, Ashkenazim and Sephardim - all vie for power in a government which has seen five prime ministers in the last seven years.
The ongoing Intefada, combined with a sagging economy and growing international criticism, has only served to exacerbate these tensions. Henry Kissinger once referred to Israel as a country with "three million people and six million problems." Since that time the population has doubled… and so has the number of special interest groups with conflicting visions of an ideal Israel.
These are some of the more important players in modern Israeli politics.
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