The Third Sector and Civil Society in Israel

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the associational aspects of the third sector in Israel, with particular emphasis on the subcategory of “civil society organizations” that comprise the sector. The third sector in Israel consists of a large group of organizations that share a similar legal status but differ greatly in terms of their areas of activity and the manner in which they operate. In general, third sector organizations can be classified into two major categories according to the types of activities in which they are engaged: (1) service-providing organizations, and (2) organizations that focus on developing civil society (Anheier, 1995; Boris, 1999; James, 1997). These organizations can also be categorized by their attitude towards the state: (1) organizations that oppose the government; these are generally advocacy and social change organizations; (2) organizations with a neutral stance towards the government or its policies; these associations usually focus their activities on the interests of their own members rather than those of the general public (e.g., bird-watching, diving, singing, and self-help groups); and (3) organizations that identify and cooperate with the government; these organizations usually provide public or quasi-public services with funding from the government.