PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRATIZING FOREIGN POLICY-MAKING - THE GRADUAL EMPOWERMENT OF ISRAELI WOMEN

Foreign policy is one of the best-protected domains of the elite. Soci al minorities, including women, therefore, find this sphere of politic s virtually inaccessible. The purpose of this paper is to show that, d espite particular obstacles, there are discernible signs of change in Israel. To obtain a comprehensive picture of this gradual transition, it will be examined from an historical perspective and on three differ ent levels: the parliamentary (i.e., the Knesset), the professional (i .e., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and the extra-parliamentary (i. e., different movements of the left and the light).