The decoupling practice of “Democraticwashing”: the case of Israel

Résumé En

This study introduces and elaborates on the decoupling practice of “democraticwashing” within contemporary political discourse, where anti-democratic actions are concealed behind democratic rhetoric. The primary aim is to unravel the multifaceted nature of democraticwashing, which extends beyond mere language manipulation for legitimization. It explores instances where democratic values and the legitimation attached to them in the present day are internalized to the extent that contradictions between rhetoric and reality are adamantly denied. By analysing the relation between democratic discourse and anti-democratic actions in the Israeli case since 2009, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of how democraticwashing contributes to the erosion of democratic elements in states usually considered as democracies in the global arena. This research advances our comprehension of the contemporary challenges facing democratic governance worldwide while proposing a new analysis tool for the erosion of democracy in the contemporary era.