Prospects for Democratizing Foreign Policymaking: The Gradual Empowerment of Israeli Women

Foreign policy is one of the best-protected domains of the elite. Social minorities, including women, therefore, find this sphere of politics virtually inaccessible. The purpose of this paper is to show that, despite 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 different 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 right).