Amir Ben Porat – författare

This important new study of Palestine in the years 1882 to 1948 looks at the formation of the Jewish working class and its pivotal and deliberate role in the forging of a nation. Drawing on historical studies as well as neo-Marxist theory, Professor Ben-Porat adds both empirical information and new critical perspectives to our understanding of class formation and of the unique historical circumstances attendant on the creation of modern Israel.

Four decades of statehood for Israel has meant four decades of nationalistic, cultural, and ethnic conflicts. Throughout these growing pains, Israel has experienced a remarkable lack of class struggle unusually so during the transition to a capitalistic society. Divided We Stand shows that the lack of class struggle is no accident; it is a result of political design and necessity. In Israel, the state has been the predominating social agent and has therefore been in a position to supervise class struggle within the boundaries of its own rules. With an in-depth look at the class system and the lack of class struggle, this book provides an interesting perspective and analysis of Israeli society. This well-written book makes a strong contribution to the understanding of the nature and the patterns of social inequality in Israel. ChoiceDivided We Stand monitors the development of class structure in Israel from 1948 to the mid-1980s by using information on the economy and on individuals' positions in the economy (gathered by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics). Numerous tables complement the written content by examining certain variables--such as immigration, gender, ethnic origin, mobility, types of industry and religion--over three decades. This book also analyzes the structural transformation of the society and explores the process of allocation and reallocation of Israeli citizens. Divided We Stand can be a practical, informative source for academics and students of sociology, political development, and Middle East affairs. As Israel continues to define itself, the book can serve as a useful guide and study to one of the more unexplored aspects of Israeli society.

This study examines the development of capitalism in Israel. Taking a different view from the traditional modernization perspective, Ben-Porat argues that since 1948--when Israel became a state--the process of forming a capitalist society has underlain all other major processes. To explain capitalism in Israel, a perspective is needed that treats the problems of implanting capitalism in post-colonial states. Problems include the undeveloped class structure; the inability of the bourgeoisie to fulfill its capitalist role; the continuing post-colonial dependency on state support; and, most importantly, the central role of the state in enhancing, but also regulating, capitalism.

The state of Israel is a home for a widely diverse population from many different ethnic, religious, cultural and social backgrounds; a new society with ancient roots, which is still coalescing and developing today. Israeli sport, maybe more than any other cultural phenomenon, has changed radically since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Over the past six decades, Israeli sport has evolved from an amateur hobby of a few ‘sports freaks’, to a passion of the masses. The transformation to a major cultural phenomenon is the result of general developments in Israeli and international society. The aim of the book is to shed light on those processes that shaped the Israeli sport arena.Following the steps of numerous research perspectives, that considers sports as "text" within a socio-historical context, this book deals with the development of Israeli sports in Palestine and, later, the State of Israel as a text (or a narrative) which was contingent on the socio-historical context. In seeking to comprehend these processes, this book is divided into three parts. The Palestine period, the early stage of statehood, and the "matured" period which began in and around the early 1980s. Each period is narrated by the major participants and the major political-economical parameters which, as it is argued, shaped Israeli sport.This book was published as a special issue of the Israeli Affairs.