Articles

80% of Israelis are proud to be Israeli; 71% are optimistic about Israel’s future; and 38% see social gaps as a major challenge

Those who get their information about Israel from the outside, might think the situation in Israel is not so great. But inside Israel, citizens are fairly proud, unified and optimistic.

In preparation for the Knesset vote on Tuesday on the fate of the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), leaders at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) are calling on ministers to vote against the memorandum so as not to participate “in this campaign of revenge and inappropriate personal legislation.”

Recent findings by the Central Bureau of Statistics on the Israeli labor market reveal that 80% of the country's Arab citizens are employed in jobs with difficult physical conditions. Watch a Research Reel about the NEET phenomenon among Israel’s Arabs.

Especially now, it is important to remember: There is no watchdog that is more important, that barks louder or is more effective at safeguarding Israeli democracy.

“Instead of devising agreements through consensus on the matter of ‘resting on Shabbat’ as we do on other topics, we have a state of legal and procedural chaos,” explained Dr. Shuki Friedman. “It’s a situation of each man for himself.”

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s Net Family Plan could give a boost to the haredi middle class, which has been developing over the last several years, by increasing the incentive for haredim to seek a higher education and for both parents to work.

In the coming weeks, members of the Council of Higher Education will vote on expanding gender-separated classrooms for ultra-Orthodox on academic campuses.

At joint Israel Democracy Institute-Makor Rishon conference, ministers also addressed chemical weapons tragedy in Syria.

Latest Peace Index: Trump’s White House invitation to Abbas not viewed as negative toward Israel; Israelis believe chances of Israeli-Syrian war low

There is a sizeable gap between the way Israelis view their political situation and the way the world assesses the Jewish state.

IDI President Yohanan Plesner and Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler call on members of Knesset, as public servants, as well as other watchdogs, to oppose the new framework.

Israel has been in a state of emergency since 1948. But the nature of the threat has changed over-time—from full-scale military invasions to isolated airplane hijackings, from suicide bombings to missile attacks, and most recently, cyber and lone wolf terrorism.
These ever-evolving threats necessitate new responses and strategies.

Priavcy is a requirement for the proper functioning of any democratic society.

Ministers say the current law, which separates public broadcasting from politics, is good and sound.

Latest Peace Index shows majority of Jewish Israelis think Netanyahu’s performance is not very good.

New statistics shed light on a population that was once hidden behind "walls of holiness." Today, those walls are beginning to break.

The percentage of ultra-Orthodox men who work stagnated in 2016 for the first time after a consistent upturn over the past several years, according to a new report by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

‘The bill sets an extremist and dim precedent, which casts a shadow of harsh limitations on freedom of expression’

MK Dr. Benny Begin: "Before finalizing the five-year plan for the Arab community, 40 to 50 meetings were held between government representatives and Arab Knesset members."

Dr. Shuki Friedman responds to the Supreme Court discussion Tuesday on the Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly on kosher certification.

In addition to questions about building in or annexing parts of Judea and Samaria, the Peace Index looked at aspects of the investigations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including trust in the police and in the attorney-general. In light of what has been revealed about conversations between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes, the Peace Index looked at the public’s attitude toward Israeli media.

“The Kotel compromise presents a proper balance between the will and desire of Orthodox individuals - who are the majority of those praying at the Western Wall -- to continue praying in the main plaza as they always have, and the will and desire of other Jewish groups that want to pray in the vicinity of the Kotel according to their faith."

Ahead of today’s vote on a bill that would enable religious courts to conduct arbitration with the agreement of both parties, similar to the arbitration that takes place in other frameworks, a policy statement was sent to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation by Israel Democracy Institute’s Dr. Benny Porat.

Top Israeli economist, Professor Eytan Sheshinski, has joined IDI as a senior researcher in the Center for Governance and the Economy, under the leadership of Dafna Aviram-Nitzan.

The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), the Israel Innovation Institute (III) and Start-up Nation Central (SNC) said the government’s recent decision to approve implementing new and innovative interoperability strategies is an important step that could lead to a major breakthrough.

“The time has come to re-raise the issue of the status quo and write new legislation that will be accepted by the majority of Israelis," said Friedman.