The First Directory of Israeli Researchers published a few years ago revealed for the first time that there were 48 researchers from 11 disciplines in 14 different academic institutions in this small Middle Eastern country. It is not surprising, therefore, that with such intellectual resources, Israel can produce year after year social science research of the highest quality such as this first case study of its Third Sector. The three authors, each with an impressive record ofhighly regarded, sophisticated empirical research were selected to participate in the first of a series of international comparative studies of nonprofit organizations in the mid-1990', directed by Lester M. Salamon, Director of the Center for Civil Society at Johns Hopkins University in the US. This book is an outcome of the analysis of data collected from two main sources:The Hopkins Project and the Israeli Third Sector Database recently developed by the Israeli Center forThird Sector Researchat Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva. Originally part of an international study involving 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the US, the first results were published in 1999 in Global CivilSociety:DimensionsoftheNonprofitSector,editedbySalamonand hisassociates. It was here that I learned for the first time the extent of the economic importance of the Israeli third sector, the subject of this book.

Inhalt
1 Introduction.- Defining the Third Sector.- Orientation of the Book.- Theoretical Frameworks.- Organization of this Book.- 2 The Two Faces of the Israeli Third SectorA Quantitative Profile.- The Third Sector Approach: The Third Sector in Israel's Economy.- The Civil Society Approach: Third Sector Organization in Israel.- Conclusion: Third Sector in Israel: Two Sides of the Same Coin.- 3 The Policy Environment of the Third Sector in Israel.- The Legal Context of Third Sector Organizations.- Government Policy towards the Third Sector.- Current Policy and Legislative Issues Facing the Third Sector.- Conclusion.- 4 Historical Development of the Third SectorContinuity and Change.- Historical Overview ofjewish Organizational Traditions.- The Pre-State Period (the Yishuv), 18801948.- The Statehood Period, 1948 to Mid- to Late-1970s.- The Pluralistic Period, Mid- to Late-1970s until the Present.- Conclusion.- 5 The Welfare State and the Third Sector in Israel.- The Role of the Third Sector in the Development of the Israeli Welfare State.- The Third Sector's Involvement in Education, Healthcare, and Social Services.- The Current Role of Third Sector Organizations in the Israeli Welfare State.- Conclusion.- 6 · The Third Sector and Civil Society in Israel.- The Development of Civil Society in Israel.- The Characterstics of Civil Society Organizations in Israel.- Giving and Volunteering in Israel.- The Contribution of Civil Society Organizations in Israel.- Conclusion.- 7 Summary and Conclusion.- Primary Findings on the Israel Third Sector and Their Implications.- The Application of Current Theories to the Israeli Third Sector.- Conclusion.- Appendices.- Appendix 1. Information about Third Sector Organizations in Israel.- Appendix 2. An Operational Definition of theIsraeli Third Sector.- Appendix 3. Operational Definitions of Organizations that are Integrated within the Welfare State System and Civil Society Oraganizations.- Appendix 4. Classification of Third Sector Organization in Israel by Field of Practice.- References.