Articles

The 25th Knesset has recently completed its summer session, which began on May 19, 2024 and concluded on Sunday July 28, 2024. This article reviews and analyzes various aspects of the Knesset’s work during this period, comparing them to the previous two full sessions of the 25th Knesset.

With the outbreak of the war in October 2024, the Prime Minister announced that he was halting all legislation relating to the judicial overhaul, however, various government actions raise questions regarding its intentions in relation to the overhaul and whether it might be trying to advance it by other means beyond legislation.

Israel’s challenges on Tisha B’Av 5784 are severe and complex. The costs we pay for living here are heavy and bloody. Yet the people living in Zion cling to the tradition of their forefathers and foremothers and to generations of pioneers who lived and died hoping to establish a model society here.

9 B'av commemorates the destruction of the Second Temple in 70AD. As we mark the day, we face intense polarization within Israeli society and threats against our security from without. What lessons can we take from the story of the Temple's destruction that might serve us well today?

Across the Left, Right and Center, rates of Jewish Israelis who say the feel "anger," "disappointment" or "frustration" are considerably higher than those expressing satisfaction, pride, or trust. A large majority of Israelis (70%) support the establishment of an inquiry into the events of Oct. 7th, but do not agree on the timing of such an inquiry. 

The rule of law is a fundamental democratic principle, meaning that all governing bodies are subject to and must comply with the law. Despite the complexities inherent in ongoing war, this is true also of the IDF, and only decisive action against breaches of conduct may protect the rule of law in Israel and Jewish morality. 

On Monday August 5, 2024 and Tuesday August 6, 2024—900 ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students were required to present themselves at IDF enlistment centers. Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer and Mirit Lavi explain the next steps the IDF will need to take in order to enforce the legal obligation of conscription. 

An in-depth analysis of the advisory opinion of the ICJ on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in the 'occupied Palestinian territory.'

Investigating allegations of abuse at the Sde Teiman detention facility is Israel's moral and legal duty as a rule-based democracy and protects the country on the international legal and diplomatic front. 

As the IDF issues the first batches of draft orders for ultra-Orthodox men, the following outlines the challenges, opportunities and objectives of an amended conscription law. 

It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that the Israel Democracy Institute mourns the passing of Martin S. Indyk, a longstanding member of its International Advisory Council. 

The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Israel's policies in the territories of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) are illegal but was more divided on other salient factual and legal findings.

The IDF should do what it can to ease the transition of Haredim from the social frameworks in which they have grown up and been educated into the military, but it is also important for new conscripts to understand that the rules cannot be changed according to the preferences of every single soldier or group.

The UN report paints a disturbing picture in which countries experience “autocratization”—an erosion of the foundations of democracy—through actions that undermine the judicial system’s independence. In Israel, the current government is aiming to undermine judicial independence in order to consolidate its power and authority at the expense of individual rights and the rule of law.

This study describes the employment trends among men registered in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas between the ages of 18-25. The findings are based on a reported work, or "legal work," so it is very likely that this is an underestimation of reality. 

Across the total sample, 56% of Israelis support a deal to release all the hostages and end the war in Gaza; 29.5% support a deal to release some hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire; 14.5% don't know.

Elections for the Chief Rabbinate Council and the two chief rabbis (“the Chief Rabbinate elections”) will likely be announced in the near term. The present document suggests a number of fundamental changes to its membership, with the goal of making it more representative.

A state commission of inquiry is a vital step, but it is up to the public to ensure Israel's leaders are truly held accountable.

Nine Supreme Court Justices ruled unanimously that the state must act to enforce Israeli conscription legislation and apply it to Haredi men. For this to be realized the IDF and the defense establishment must also make significant changes. These are the issues the IDF should take into consideration.

The Labor and Meretz parties recently announced their intention to merge. Though these are relatively small parties today—Meretz has no representation at all in the current Knesset, and Labor has just four seats—this is still a significant event from a historical perspective and within the Zionist left.

Technological advancements, rapid globalization, and structural changes in the Israeli economy over the past few decades have led to significant shifts in the demand for workers and in the tasks required of them, as well as in the characteristics of their skills and qualifications. This study offers insights on these questions using a variety of data sources and by employing two distinct empirical approaches.

If properly structured, both a commission of inquiry and a preliminary examination by the Israeli police could arguably meet existing complementarity standards.

IDI experts outline the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government that, taken together, constitute a concentrated effort undermine Israel's democratic institutions. At the core of these efforts is a dramatic attempt to weaken the status of the Attorney General; increased politicization of the police; continued undermining of the independence of the judiciary and more.

The State Inquiry Commission on Naval Vessels was tasked with examining the decision-making processes at both the professional and political levels between 2009-2016 in relation to the acquisition of naval vessels during those years. 

"Basically we've entered into a new unknown terrain," says IDI President Yohanan Plesner.

"It's a matter of a change in the trajectory," says Yohanan Plesner, president of IDI following the Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription.