David Ben-Gurion and the Foundation of Israeli Democracy

David Ben-Gurion and the Foundation of Israeli Democracy is an outstanding work of scholarship. Deeply researched, clearly written, and persuasively argued, the book will make an important contribution to our understanding of the formation of Israeli democracy and the crucial role that Ben-Gurion played in this.

- Dov Waxman - University of California (Israel Studies Review)

The full complexity and richness of the general perspective and particular ideas presented in Kedar's monograph, of course, simply cannot be captured in a brief review such as this one, which is why individuals interested in Israeli democracy are very strongly encouraged to seek out his work. Though the book presents an essentially sympathetic account of the origins of Israeli democracy, not to mention an essentially sympathetic account of Ben-Gurion's role in embedding democratic values and institutions within Israeli society, the author does not shy away from presenting Israeli democracy's warts, too. Kedar's work, in short, constitutes a nicely balanced and extremely informative inquiry into its subject.

- David Rodman (Israel Affairs)

[Kedar] makes an important contribution to our understanding of how Ben-Gurion's democratic vision shaped Israel, even if it fell short of some of its highest goals.

(Jewish Review of Bo