In this clearly written and tightly argued analysis of the various Israeli court systems, Martin Edelman probes a fundamental issue: whether those courts protect human rights while fostering the development of a common, inclusive national culture.

Edelman's work is based on the assumption that courts are important agencies of government and that, like other governmental institutions in a democracy, courts have an interactive relationship with a society's political culture.

Courts, Politics, and Culture in Israel is a major contribution to the study of comparative...