“Ideal” and “Real” in Classical Jewish Political Theory
This essay considers the degree to which Jewish political and legal theory allows? and, indeed, mandates ? the recognition that the Torah legislates an ideal law which is not
appropriate for situations of social and political stress, and the degree to which such situations are really the historical norm rather than the exception. The Talmud, it is shown, adumbrates this concept, but in a fairly marginal form. Maimonides places it at center stage of societal governance, apparently expecting that a Jewish society will
of necessity be thrown back upon this option; but he also suggests guidelines for its regulation.
Jethro’s Advice in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish and Christian Political Thought
Jethro’s advice to Moses about how to organize the political system of the ancient Jewish state (Ex. 18:13-27; Deut. 1:12-17) was one of the three major biblical sources which were used in medieval and early modern political thought. (The other sources are Deut. 17 and I Samuel 8.) This text was mainly used in two related contexts? the theory of government, in which the commentators generally followed Aristotle, and the relationship between the spiritual and temporal authorities? between
kingship and prophecy? in which a strong Platonic-Alfarabian influence is apparent. This study takes into account the changing historical realities and intellectual trends of the medieval and early modern periods.
Has the Intifada Really Weakened American Jewish Support for Israel
The U.S. – Israel Strategic Relationship in the 1990s
Some Key Questions Facing the Jewish Polity in the New Decade
At Israel’s Backdoor: The Quagmire of Ethiopia
Israelis Abroad: Discovering the Truth
Soviet Jewry: Yet Another Turning Point?
U.S.-Israeli Relations in the Post-Cold War Era
The world is moving into a new era in international relations in the wake of the apparent end of the forty-year Cold War. After viewing the first year of the Bush administration following eight years of the markedly pro-Israel Reagan administration, one may begin to assess the impact of this changing world on U.S.-Israeli relations.
