This essay will attempt to compare the countries Israel and Germany
... Why do we compare certain countries with one another? ... This essay will attempt to compare the countries Israel and Germany with regard to the coalitions that form the governments within these two countries. It shall also look as to how the democratic performance of these two countries, are effected by their coalition governments (Landman, 2000:4). The Creation of Israel In the late 19th century, there was an increase of anti-Semitism in central and Eastern Europe that led many Jews to seek new places to live. ... In 1933, the fiercely anti-Semitic Nazi party came into power in Germany. ... and some other countries had moved to restrict immigration, meaning that Jews wishing to flee Europe had few places to go. ... On the 14 May 1948, the foundation of the State of Israel was declared by David Ben-Gurion and other Zionist leaders. For Jews around the world, Israel was viewed as the salvation of a much-persecuted people, however, the Arabs believe that the Jews wrongfully took the Arab land of Palestine (King, 1993:14). ... At this time Israel held a greatly increased area of land, which, included half of the city of Jerusalem (Abdallah, 1980:38). ... Those Palestinians who have chosen to stay in Israel, live mostly in the northern part of the country and have become Arab citizens of Israel. ... From the start Israel was a Jewish state that attracted the world’s good wishes, but over the years the sympathy and compassion for the country has declined (King, 1993:15). Problem Areas in Israel In June 1967, Israel’s situation changed dramatically when it defeated its three neighbouring Arab-states, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan (Brown, 2001:594). In the Six Day War, Israel took possession of the Gaza Strip from Egypt, and the Jordan Rivers West Bank from Jordan, leaving it in control of all of the British mandate territory of Palestine. ... Israel’s fractious politics had always made it difficult to resolve longstanding political debates about the nature of the society should build, but the aftermath of the 1967 war made these debates far more acute (Brown, 2001:595). This led to the fact that Israel now controls the whole of Palestine and the possibility exists that the countries borders would be modified. ... Consequently, Israel did not take its existence for granted and it raised the issue of security. ... Thus bring the territorial problem forward as Israel believed that by keeping some kind of control over these three reasons, there would be more security, more national identity and a wider religious movement. ... Political Parties in Israel The two major political parties in Israel today is the Likud party, under the leadership of Ariel Sharon and the Labor party (Brown, 2001:601). ... Thus, in a coalition with religious and centralist parties, the Likud dominated the politics of Israel until 1984 (Brown, 2001:600). ... Even before the establishment of the state of Israel, one party emerged as the dominant within the left; Mapai, led by David Ben-Gurion (Brown, 2001:615). ... After 1967, some Labor leaders were more inclined towards compromise with the Arab countries, but most felt that they did not receive any indication that a softer position would be reciprocated by the Israelis and [……]. ... Coalition governments are not new to Israel. ... In order to include a diversity of opinion in his cabinet and secure a voting majority in Israel’s parliament, Barak assembled a six-party government, consisting of two leftist parties, a centralist party, two conservative religious parties and a small conservative representing Jews from the former Soviet Union. ... Coalition Governments in Israel: Today! Israel has a multi-party system. ... In 1990, the Labor party finally pulled out of the National Unity government, frustrated that the Likud party was obstructing progress towards peace negotiations with Israel’s Arab neighbours (Brown, 2001:602). By the 1990’s Israel’s two major parties were no longer divided by sharp ideological issues, but rather more on how to overcome territorial and security issues (Brown, 2001:602). Before the Likud party came into power, Israel had a centre-left coalition government under Ehad Borak, but when the Labor party was ousted from power in 1977, it was by a centre-right coalition. ... When Ariel Sharon became prime minister of Israel, he forged for a coalition government. ... The Turmoil of Germany The history of Germany is, in places, tremendously complex. Germany did not exist as a nation-state until 1871. Before this, Germany was only a cultural region where many territories, with significantly great changing and shifting independence, each of these has its own historical events and it can be said that it is not entirely clear which area was part of Germany in the first place (Wikipedia, 2003). By 1945, Germany and its partners, Italy and Japan, were overpowered and defeated by the Allied forces of the United States, France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. ... World War II resulted in the devastation and obliteration of Germanys political and economic infrastructures, led to Germany’s division, and left a humiliating legacy (Wikipedia, 2003). ... At the Potsdam Conference, Germany was subdivided into four military occupation zones by the Allies. The three western zones would make up and become known as the Federal Republic of Germany, while the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic, both founded in 1949 (Wikipedia, 2003).