Existing and alternative policy towards the Arabs in Israel

Bibliographic Data

ID2145397
AuthorsSammy Smooha (University of Haifa, corresponding author)
Year1982
Volume5
Issue1
Pages71-98
Publication date1982-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnic and Racial Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-9870 • E-ISSN: 1466-4356
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01419870.1982.9993361
OpenAlexW2119178100
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited9

It is possible to classify policies towards minorities in terms of the three major ways to achieve stability in pluralistic societies. These are consensus-building, consociationalism and domination. The policy of consensus -building is reflected in a sustained effort to do away with ethnic divisions, the weakening of primordial ties and the formation of common national culture and identity. The most important measures used to implement this option are the inculcation of shared core values, crosscutting affiliations and resource allocation according to merit. Based on the uni-cultural, uni-national ideal of the nation-state, the consensus-building policy usually takes the form of assimilation, either voluntary or imposed. Typical examples are the policies of Americanizati on and Russification as well as endeavours at nation building by many new states (Eisenstadt and Stein, 1973). In contrast, the policy of consociationalism intends to retain the ethnic division and to legitimize the ethnic cultures and identities. An attempt is made to secure political integration through crystallization of broad operative consensus, compromise in controversial issues while depoliticizing irreconcilable areas and cooperation among the ethnic elites. Rather than individual achievement, proportional group representation is practised to attain equal opportunity. Similarly, legal-cultural self-rule and sometimes territorial autonomy are granted to minorities instead of personal competition and ethnic integration. Consociationalism is carried out with considerable success in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with some headway in Canada and Belgium, but failed in Cyprus and Lebanon (Lijphart, 1977

Political science · Sociology · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies