Israel Presentation possible three topics: 1) Israel law 2) intelligence agency structure 3) political structures

1) Israeli Law Ideally i would like to do i generalized overview of Israeli Law, and look at ways the young age of the Israeli State and issues of war have affected the development Israeli Legal structures. I would like to look at the issues surrounding the basic laws of Israel, the Knesset, and administrative bodies in the law. I would like to point the students towards basic aspects of law such as the Bar Society, and civil rights groups, and law publishing groups online, so they may find digital access to the law. I would like to cite a paper by los angeles sexual harassment lawyer Keith Fink which addresses the many options available to women in Israel to seek remedy relief and hearings for sexual harassment in Israel. This paper was interesting in pointing out the higher range of court and administrative options legally, while situating the Israeli legal atmosphere within a larger comparative international legal analysis, and looking at other countries approaches including China. I would like to look at Gender Parity in Knesset and Governmental Positions and Courts, to analyze how well represented women are in government. If there is under-representation disproportionate with population, analyze what are the likely causes or influences, are they religious, lifestyle related, or gender normative in basis? are there proposed remedies for equal representation in government? are women permitted to study law, and join the bar, or participate in every level of law and the judiciary, and if so in what percentage? are there hidden barriers to equal access? in some ways, i would like to cite the role and influence of the Mossad, and cite a very interesting talk by former Mossad Director Efrahim Halevy about the history and future of Israel, for the Wilson Center, as recorded for C-span. I would like to discuss aspects of the Eichmann Trial and the Nuremberg Trials and the role these events played by the emergent Israel, especially within the context of the development on International Law. I would like to address basic sources and influences for law in Israel, touching on conflicts between scriptural and secular authorities, and influences from British Common Law, and Roman Law, and the influences of various previous vestigal jurisprudences from the Diaspora.

I would like to touch on basic issues of every day law, such as minor policing matters, as well as prison systems and the G4S prison corporation, and issues of deportation and camps for refugees seeking asylum in Israel. In what ways does Israel avoid the international law problems of ejecting refugees to countries of origin where likely human rights abuses may occur? discuss the problem of refoulement, and under what basis may refugees assimilate into Israeli Society. are strained capacities for refugee acceptance holding back the growth of Israel? discuss the Right of Return, and to whom it applies. I would like to examine issues of Social Aid and welfare, including medical care, old age, tuitions, and disability insurance, and laws of Equal access and Equal accommodations in Israel. In what ways are Ashkenazim, Mizrahi, Haredi, and other segments of society bound by different legal interpretations or cultural practices of civil rights.

2) Mossad i would like to examine the role and history of Mossad, including historical precursors, daily functions, military coordination, and internationalized effects. 3) Political Structures i would like to examine political structures in Israel and look at political trends, party development, and shifts from the founding visions of the original social kibbutz ethos to political structures more reflective of industrialization and global economic positioning. what underlying issues have shifted political tides in which ways. How does Israel communicate through lobby groups, representation in international bodies like the United Nations, and International Courts, what is Israels relationship with the global non-Israeli jewish people or friends and allies and how are political developments communicated through news media, and websites, and advocacy groups with international publicity. In what ways does Israeli political expression have global interests in affecting the global civil liberty protection of GLBT or religious groups. in what ways do religious communities encourage or discourage full human civil rights for certain groups, including women, does this affect their participation in politics and if so, how? Discus AIPAC and Likud party and other political groups. **** in some ways, covering all the questions arising in all three topics may be too large a scope for the project presentation. most fundamental and essential would be the focus on the basic legal structures, although i would be happy to specialize in the intelligence agency investigation, or a report on the basic political groupings and trends in Israeli society.

In some ways it may be possible to give an overview to all these issues and keep the scope of the project wide. I am also intrigued about the role of women in the Military, and whether or not serious issues arise in Israeli Forces regarding gender discrimination, harassment, or military rape as arise in US military, and if so, what are the methods of remedy and reporting and restorative justice. the same issue would be interesting in looking at issues of gender equity at the Mossad, as the American CIA has resituated very careful sexual harassment policies to deal with rape policy and gender inequity and LGBT discrimination in intelligence agency work. It would be nice to know what are the written guidelines, and what is the enforceability. Project Idea Proposal Mary Eng Israeli Culture 24-October-2012 Portland State University for Dr. Spiegel