I heard a commentator say modern Israel still operates on the tribal system. Is it their
government? Or is that just for Jews? Just Believers? Or did I misunderstand what the
commentator was saying?

Israel does not have a tribal government system today. It is a parliamentary democracy with
separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. However, some political commentators
refer to the intense social divisions influencing the country's multi-party coalition system as
"tribal politics."

The concept of "tribal politics"
The term "tribal politics" refers to a society divided by major ethnic, religious, and cultural
differences. Political parties often form along these lines, representing specific groups or "tribes"
within Israeli society. These "tribes" include: 
 Secular Jews
 Religious Zionists
 Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim)
 Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews
 Arab citizens of Israel
After an election, representatives from these different groups must negotiate to form a ruling
coalition. This can lead to political instability and ongoing negotiations, as smaller parties may
wield disproportionate power during coalition-building. 

Israel's current democratic government structure:
 System of government: Israel is a unitary parliamentary republic, with its government
based on a series of "Basic Laws" that serve as a substitute for a formal constitution.
 Branches of government:
o Legislative: The Knesset is a single-chamber parliament with 120 members
elected through a proportional representation system.
o Executive: The government, or cabinet, is led by the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the ruling coalition.
o Judicial: An independent judiciary that includes both secular and religious courts.
 Electoral system: Israel's proportional representation system, combined with a multi-party
landscape, makes it very hard for any single party to win a majority. As a result, ruling
coalitions are always formed from multiple parties.
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