The History of Law in a Multi-Cultural Society: Israel 1917-1967

This path-breaking collection of essays on the history of Israel from a legal perspective, brings together the work of many distinguished Israeli legal historians. It focuses primarily on the impact of colonialism, nationalism and socialism on the law of Palestine and Israel between 1917 and 1967 and the topics examined in detail include: the role of law in the shaping of mandatory society, law and the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, Israeli courts, the holocaust and the interaction of law and class in mandatory Palestine and Israel. The book also contains important historiographical essays by leading American legal historians, who offer reflections on the study of legal history in the American and Israeli context. This is the first collection of essays that presents an in-depth picture of the rich, multi-faceted and complex phenomenon of Israeli legal history. It shows the role played by law in the Jewish-Arab struggle in Palestine and Israel as well as conflicts between different groups within the Israeli society. The book offers a unique survey of the legal history of Israel and also includes essays written by leading American legal historians in the area of comparative legal history.