Review by Choice Review
Through extensive discussions of liberal theorists, the Israeli judicial system and relevant precedents, and the phenomena of Kahanism as a case study, this book painstakingly probes the question of what restrictions may be acceptable in a democratic state to preserve democracy. Through analyses of tolerance and liberty, action and expression, the Harm Principle, the Offensive Principle, the Truth Principle, and other philosophical postulates, Cohen-Almagor concludes that the state has a duty to exclude from the electoral process parties that are unequivocally antidemocratic or aim to bring about its physical annihilation. He opposes any other restrictions on their rights to freedom of speech, etc. However, the judgment about what is "unequivocally antidemocratic" seems both arbitrary and implicitly political. Regarding the former, the author considers the exclusion of the Kach Party as appropriate but believes the inclusion of Moledet proper. Most observers would find this distinction somewhat problematic. This is mainly a work of theory and philosophy, though the analysis of the Israeli political/judicial/electoral system grounds it in practical politics; it should be of interest to scholars from both disciplines. C. A. Rubenberg; Florida International University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
