A Jewish State?

Zusatztext

<p class="MsoNormal">Judaism is fundamental to Israel&rsquo;s self-conception, but Israelis disagree about whether this is a religious, ethnic, or cultural claim. This book analyzes the implications of religious nationalist sentiment for public support in domains like democracy, war, and social policy. A large segment of the Israeli population subscribes to the Jewish nationalist ideology. Jewish nationalists are more conservative, seek Jewish-homogeneous social groups, and pursue more aggressive foreign policies. In the face of a sizable secular and non-Jewish population, Jewish nationalism thus threatens democratization and stability in Israel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Timely and authoritative, <em>A Jewish State?</em> offers a rare combination of theoretical sophistication and methodological depth. With clarity and rigor, Ridge fills a long-standing gap in scholarship, demonstrating how Jewish nationalism shapes Israel&rsquo;s identity, democracy, and global role. This book reframes urgent debates with precision and lasting significance.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">--Andrew Ward, Tulane University </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">&ldquo;The book is timely given the ongoing war in Gaza and aggressions in the West Bank. Ridge&rsquo;s thorough analysis perceptively demonstrates how Jewish nationalism drives Israeli settlement and war policies.&rdquo; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">--Peter O&rsquo;Brien, author of <em>The Muslim Question in Europe: Political Controversies and Public Philosophies</em>. </span></p>

Autorenportrait

<p class="elementtoproof"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;">Hannah M. Ridge is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Chapman University. She earned her PhD in Political Science at Duke University. She is the author of <em>Contours of Israeli Politics </em>(2025) and<em> Defining Democracy: Democratic Commitment in the Arab World</em> (2023).</span></p>

Weitere Details