The Road Not Taken: Constitutional Non-Decision Making in 1948-1950 and its Impact on Civil Liberties in the Israeli Political Culture

תקציר

The differing agendas of the Orthodox and secular founders of the state of Israel made agreement on the content of a constitution impossible. In order to maintain his secular party's dominance in the government of the new state, David Ben-Gurion made the "decision not to decide," and put the constitution-making process on hold in favor of adoption of a series of basic laws. The impact on civil liberties in Israel has been substantial. The essay is based on interviews with members of the founding generation.