Religious Zionism and the Framing of a Constitution for Israel

Abstract

ALMOST FIFTY YEARS AFTER ITS foundation, the State of Israel still lacks a formal constitution—a situation that is sometimes explained by the opposition from the religious circles to any constitutional arrangement. In the view of some, these circles still have enormous influence on the Israeli political system, but in terms of power relations, this is almost impossible. Religious political parties are far from accumulating such influence. When their political strength is measured by number of seats in the Knesset, the average of all fourteen national elections (from 1949 to 1996) stands at only fourteen percent. Their peak participation—nineteen percent—was achieved in 1996, while the low ebb—eleven percent—was in 1984. This data includes both flanks of the religious camp—the national-Zionists, represented by the NRP (National Religious Party), and the ultra-orthodox non-Zionists, represented by Agudat Yisrael. It seems more than strange that a weak minority would be attributed with so much influence on the political system.