Israeli Constitutional Law in Comparative Perspectives

Catalog description

Contrary to popular belief, the State of Israel has a constitution that impacts the lives of its citizens on a daily basis. As a Jewish and Democratic state, Israel's constitution is posing implementation challenges. Alongside its religious complexity, Israel's Constitution must also deal with the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the balance between national security interests and human rights. Despite the strong ties between Israel and the United States, the differences in their legal tradition and constitutional law are significant. The course will explore the differences between the Israeli and U.S. constitutions, specifically discussing the separation of powers, protection of constitutional rights, and the war against terrorism. The course will also review the constitutional history of Israel, analyzing the principles of Israel's constitution and comparing them to their U.S. counterparts. Each class will be dedicated to discussing one constitutional issue and comparing Israeli and American legislation and case law. At the end of the seminar, the students will be familiar with the Israeli and American constitutions and will be able to distill the strengths and weaknesses of each system regarding a few major legal challenges.