Mamlakhtiyut in Israel's Cultural Policy

In Israel, the relationship between the state and the domain of culture
and the arts has been badly shaken in recent years: the validity of the
fundamental axioms and principles that shaped this relationship for
decades has been called into question, while alternative approaches
and principles are advanced in their stead. The public discussion of the
topic raises various issues associated with Israeli governments' cultural
policy. Its focus, however, is on state funding as a key element of the
authorities’ involvement in the cultural domain, exemplified chiefly
in the relationship between the state, as the financial prop of cultural
institutions and artistic activity, and freedom of expression in culture
and the arts, and the tension between the two. Mamlakhtiyut is often
understood to refer to the view that the actions of state institutions and
agencies and implementation and fulfillment of their obligations to the
public should be in accordance with the fundamental principles of Israel
as a Jewish and democratic state and not be conducted on the basis
of partisan interests or ideology. How that should be understood with
regard to culture policy is a central concern of the present study.