Populism, Polarization and Erosion of Democracy: Israel`s Democratic Backsliding in Comparative Perspective

Democratic backsliding has been taking place in many countries around the world in recent years. Although scholars of democratic backsliding generally overlook Israel, this article argues that democratic backsliding has occurred in Israel under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s rule. Drawing upon the examples of democratic backsliding in Hungary, Turkey, and the United States, we identify five areas in which democratic backsliding has taken place in Israel from 2009-2019: (1) trying to undermine the independence of the judiciary and regulators; (2) using executive power to reward supporters, punish opponents, and undermine the independence of the media; (3) harassing civil society groups and NGOs; (4) challenging minority rights; and (5) attempting to enhance partisan electoral advantages. However, the extent of democratic backsliding in Israel is relatively limited in comparison with Hungary and Turkey—closer to the United States under Trump. In order to explain why democratic backsliding has been relatively modest in Israel, we focus on the level and nature of affective polarization in Israel. We show that a high level of polarization between Jews and non-Jews, and a lower level of polarization between Jews, explains why anti-democratic measures against Palestinian citizens of Israel receive popular support and little pushback, while anti-democratic measures against Jewish citizens are far more controversial and generate more opposition.









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