Migration regimes, intra-state conflicts, and the politics of exclusion and inclusion: Migrant workers in the Israeli welfare state

This articles examines the politics of exclusion and inclusion of migrant w orkers in the welfare state within the context of the migration regime domi nant in Israel. The study shows that while the policy implemented is marked by strong exclusionary practices, some state agencies endorse and implemen t inclusionary approaches that contradict the basic assumptions of the migr ation regime. This inconsistency is analyzed considering the distinct insti tutional interests of different state agencies. This conceptualization of t he stare as a heterogeneous institutional complex sheds light on the comple xities of the politics of exclusion and inclusion. It is concluded that, ev en in cases in which the migration regime is strongly associated with restr ictive ethno-national conceptions of membership, certain state agencies dev elop institutional interests that lead to inclusionary approaches. These ap proaches, in turn, can create openings leading to the partial inclusion of migrant workers in the welfare state. At a more general level, the study co ntributes to the examination of policy innovations that depart from the pri nciples of dominant institutional settings, arguing that Mew interests and agendas developed by state agencies play a crucial role these processes.