Implementing Democracy and Minority Rights in Deeply Divided Societies: A Comparison of Macedonia and Israel

This article examines the interests of "majorities" and "minorities" in the context of political conflict in deeply divided democracies and analyzes democratic solutions to mitigate tensions between communities in these societies. Two case studies Macedonia and Israel – are examined through the prism of recent theories on democracy in divided societies. Whereas Israel is engaged in an internal struggle for a suitable solution, but at the same time insists on preserving its Jewish national character, twelve years ago Macedonia redefined itself and preferred to preserve the state’s territorial unity at the expense of some of its national character. Important lessons to be learned from the recent political experiences of both cases are discussed.