The Politics of Provocation: Participation and Protest in Israel (SUNY series in Israeli Studies) - Softcover

Wolfsfeld, Gadi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0887067697 ISBN 13: 9780887067693

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 1988

Synopsis

Examines street demonstrations from 1980 through 1984.

What drives citizens to take to the streets―and what does it reveal about a nation's political soul?

In The Politics of Provocation Gadi Wolfsfeld offers a study of protest behavior in Jerusalem, a city where political tension is not an occasional event but a defining feature of daily life. Against the backdrop of Israel's capital―home to deep ideological divides and a large ultra-Orthodox population― Wolfsfeld examines an unprecedented rise in public demonstrations and what they signal about shifting patterns of political engagement.

Drawing on a rare and rigorous dataset of 423 street demonstrations between 1980 and 1984, Wolfsfeld moves beyond anecdote to deliver a systematic analysis of both individual and collective political participation. His findings challenge conventional assumptions about protest, participation, and political expression, revealing a more complex relationship between citizens and the state than commonly understood.

Structured with clarity and precision, The Politics of Provocation combines theoretical innovation with empirical depth, offering a framework that connects personal motivations to broader collective action. From the dynamics of participation to the outcomes of protest movements, each chapter builds toward a comprehensive understanding of political activism in a divided society.

About this title

About the Author

Gadi Wolfsfeld is in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Edition details

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0887067697
• ISBN 13: 9780887067693
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240