| Summary/Abstract |
Israel was established as a welfare state that sought to provide social justice to its citizens. From 1948 to the late 1970s the political system was run by a social-democratic party that envisioned the creation of a ‘just’, ‘egalitarian’ and ‘inclusive’ society. In 1977, the Likud party gained power and Israelis expected the new government to change the rules of the game, removing existing welfare systems and drastically reducing government control of the economy. Though very few, if any, of the anticipated changes were carried out, broad sectors of the Israeli public believed that the Likud government had changed the face of the Israeli economy and society. This article examines the characteristics of the Israeli welfare system and suggests an explanation for the gap between the way it is viewed and what exists on the ground
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