SPECIAL-EDUCATION LAW IN ISRAEL

This article presents an overview of the legal status of special educa tion in Israel. An examination of the Israeli Special Education Law of 1988, along with relevant Israeli legal precedents, basic laws, and r ecent judicial rulings, reveals a basic view of the nature of special education in Israel. Through a systematic examination of the legislati ve and judicial mandates, I draw specific inferences regarding the nat ure of parent participation in the educational process, the least rest rictive environment (LRE), and the concept of due process in the publi c special education system in Israel. I argue that special education m andates in Israel do not guarantee education in the LRE and hence have promulgated a parallel placement system in which the special educatio n bureaucratic system is empowered to act without parental input. I pr ovide several specific suggestions to alleviate this problem; I furthe r argue that these aspects of special education law and practice refle ct more general aspects of Israeli life, aspects of the Israeli social structure that are changing as the state approaches its 50th birthday .