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Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Israel's Early Diplomatic Struggles
President Chaim Weizmann Opens the First Knesset

Armistice Agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan

Armistice Agreement with Syria

Prime Minister Ben-Gurion on Jerusalem and the Holy Places

Transferring the Knesset and Cabinet to Jerusalem

Annexation of the West Bank by Jordan

Foreign Minister Sharett on the Situation with Syria--1951

Glossary of Israel's Founding Parties and Personalities

About Major Knesset Debates

Major Knesset Debates -- Contents

 

About Major Knesset Debates, 1948-1981

Edited by Netanel Lorch


Follow the history of contemporary Israel through the living words of its founders. In 6 volumes totalling 2,516 pages, the major debates held in the Israeli Knesset and in the legislative bodies immediately preceding it -- the People's Council and the Provisional Council of State -- are presented for the first time in English.

All the major events in Israel's history and the people who participated in their shaping are found here. The subject matter has been chosen for its long-term relevance and includes political questions, fundamental constitutional issues, and problems concerning the relationship between the Jewish diaspora and the State of Israel.

The late Netanel Lorch, one of Israel's most prominent military historians, was a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He served as Secretary General of the Knesset from 1972 to 1983, following a distinguished career in both the Israel Defense Forces and the diplomatic corps. Dr. Lorch has written a short introduction relating to the circumstances under which each debate took place, as well as an introduction to each Knesset outlining its composition, and a general introduction to the Israeli Knesset, its history, structure, procedure, and the manner of its election. A glossary of political parties and personalities is also included.

"The debates of the Knesset have never been made available to the non-Hebrew reader. Dr. Lorch's work fills that vacuum. Endowed with personal experience and scholarly attributes he has prepared a representative selection of debates, culled from over 100,000 pages...maintaining throughout a high level of both readability and scholarship. His book should be regarded as indispensable to anyone who wishes to understand the currents of thought and action which have agitated the political life of Israel and the surrounding world."
    -- Abba Eban

Contents: Vol. 1 -- The Knesset: Israel's Parliament, People's Council and Provisional Council of State (1948-1949); Vol. 2 -- Constituent Assembly/First Knesset (1949-1951); Vol. 3 -- Second Knesset (1951-1955), Third Knesset (1955-1959); Vol. 4 -- Fourth Knesset (1959-1961), Fifth Knesset (1961-1965), Sixth Knesset (1965-1969); Vol. 5 -- Seventh Knesset (1969-1973), Eighth Knesset (1974-1977); Vol. 6 -- Ninth Knesset (1977-1981), Glossary of Political Parties and Personalities, Index.

Co-published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and University Press of America, 1993.

To Order:

The complete set of 6 volumes is still available (as of December 2001) from University Press of America via their website or telephone: 1-800-462-6420.

Vol. 1   0--8191-8342-3   $81.00
Vol. 2   0--8191-8343-1   $81.00
Vol. 3   0--8191-8344-X   $81.00
Vol. 4   0--8191-8345-8   $104.00
Vol. 5   0--8191-8346-6   $81.00
Vol. 6   0--8191-8347-4   $81.00

Complete set (Vols. 1-6): $405