Ofer Kenig, at The Blogs

Ofer Kenig

Mar 7, 2021, 11:02 PM

No one since Golda: Woman politicians in Israel and beyond

Golda Meir, shown in January 1964. (Wikimedia Commons/JTA)

A look at the numbers for International Women's Day: Just 9% of all cabinet ministers have been women. None were ministers of finance or defense

Jul 2, 2020, 11:33 AM

Featured Post

Ireland finally has a government! (And Israel should be envious)

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin leaves the Dail - in the Convention Centre, Dublin where he has been elected as the new Irish premier and officially voted in as the new Taoiseach. (Niall Carson/PA Wire)

A tale of two unity governments: Israel's coalition agreement is all about forcing the parties to live up to the deal. Ireland's is all about policy.

May 12, 2020, 12:07 PM

The extravagant size of Israel’s new government: No justification whatsoever

The establishment of the Netanyahu-Gantz government required many compromises that are ethically questionable and are potentially damaging to the institutional foundations of the Israeli regime. Some can be tolerated as the price that has to be paid in order...

Mar 30, 2020, 3:03 PM

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A jumbo-size government? Now? Really?

A cabinet meeting December 1, 2019, back when the government consisted of 'only' 29 ministers. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL)

Reports of a 30- to 34-minister cabinet in the works beg for a public outcry: Costly, inefficient and divisive is not what we need today

Aug 6, 2019, 2:55 PM

Featured Post

What will the new Knesset look like?

The number of women in each Knesset. (courtesy, Israel Democracy Institute)

Now that the candidate lists for the September elections are closed, we can sketch the profile of Israel’s new team of parliamentarians

Jun 26, 2019, 9:36 AM

Don’t mock parties’ internal democracy

It’s easy to poke fun at party elections, but do we really want 120 MKs who are chosen by their party leaders?

May 26, 2019, 3:10 PM

Explainer

What if Netanyahu fails to form a coalition?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left with President Reuven Rivlin, right, during a meeting to discuss extending the period of time to form a new coalition government, at the president's residence in Jerusalem, May 13, 2019. (Haim Zach (GPO)

If the PM can't cobble together a majority government by Wednesday, Israel could find itself heading to new elections

Apr 17, 2019, 10:47 AM

Israel should reduce the number of Cabinet ministers and executive ministries

As talks begin toward the formation of a new government, potential coalition partners are once again engaged in how to divide the “cake” and there are already rumors that the government will have around 25 ministers. This is an...

Feb 5, 2019, 11:59 AM

Featured Post

Israeli politics is still a (mostly) boys’ club at the top

Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion with Foreign Minister, Golda Meir, Nov. 1,1962

Despite record numbers in the Knesset, few females hold senior government posts -- their absence leaves Israel worse off

Jan 15, 2019, 3:40 PM

Featured Post

The illusion of political stability under Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses US Jewish leaders in Jerusalem on February 21, 2018. (AFP/Thomas Coex)

Despite a solid decade with the same prime minister, other cabinet posts have switched hands at alarming rates

About Me

Prof. Ofer Kenig is a researcher in the Israel Democracy Institute and a Senior Lecturer in Ashkelon Academic College. He recently co-authored the book, "From Party Politics to Personalized Politics."