The art of non-decision in Israel: religion, business, and the day of rest

Abstract

Non-decision making, as a worldwide public policy pattern, has been gathering attention in the research field of late. In Israel, we are witnessing various issues in which the status quo is, in effect, maintained, often with the intention and design of the interested players. In the absence of a constitutional separation between religion and state, and the lack of a comprehensive law articulating exactly what the public sphere should look like on the day of rest (Shabbat), this issue has continued to preoccupy the State of Israel since its foundation. This article argues that the issue of opening businesses on Shabbat in the State of Israel represents a case demonstrating how policymakers operate to maintain the status-quo by adopting a policy of non-decision making. Th is a result of two structural factors in Israeli politics: the consociational model and the multiplicity of political parties. The article elaborates upon the multiple tactics used by the policymakers to carry out the non-decision making policy and characterizes this process.