Articles

A special survey released as Israel prepares to mark two years since the start of the war on October 7, 2023 finds: 66% of Israelis say the time has come to end the war in Gaza – up 13 percentage points since this time last year. The top reason Israelis say the war should end is the endangerment of the hostages, among both Jews (50.5%) and Arabs (34.5%). 64% of Israelis think Netanyahu should take responsibility for Oct. 7 and resign, either now (45%) or after the war (19%).

Drawing on the prayer of atonement on Yom Kippur, the authors call on Israel's ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) leadership to seek forgiveness for refusing to share in Israel’s burdens, denying opportunity to its youth, and clinging to privilege without meeting obligations.

Ahead of Yom Kippur, this analysis looks at data collected on attendance at prayers or religious ceremonies in Orthodox synagogues, as well as in Reform or Conservative synagogues in Israel. A majority of Jewish Israelis attend synagogue at least once per year.

Microsoft's termination of certain cloud services by the IDF 8200 unit exposes other vulnerabilities in Israel's national security infrastructure. It's already impacted signal intelligence – without decisive action, the battle field and home front may be next.

Now more than ever, Israelis must be empowered to form complex, non-sloganeering positions that may not fit superficially into existing frameworks. This is the key to breaking free from the simplistic, dichotomies and gridlock in which our discourse is trapped.

Though Members of Knesset are granted immunity from prosecution under the law, legal precedent makes clear that this immunity does not apply to the stage of criminal investigations.

When and why was the Advisory Committee on Senior Civil Service Appointments established, what are its powers, and which appointments is it supposed to review? Everything you need to know about the "Grunis Committee" that is examining the candidacy of Major General Zini for head of the Shin Bet.

Heading into the Jewish New Year, Israelis express a poor national mood, though are less pessimistic about the year ahead as they were at this point last year.

With Justice Minister Yariv Levin's recent appointment as Acting Minister of Jerusalem and Jewish Heritage, he now holds five ministerial portfolios. This situation, with Levin and other ministers, is harmful to public interest and raises important legal and procedural questions.

Quantity and Demographic Profile of Visitors to the Tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman Among the Jewish Public in Israel.

One of the key sanctions under debate for Haredim who evade mandatory military conscription is a prohibition on leaving the country. By reviewing the extent and characteristics of Haredim traveling abroad, this analysis paints a picture of how such a sanction would impact Haredi society.

Why Microsoft, Google, and Amazon hold the keys to Israel's sovereignty.

About two-thirds of the public support a deal that would include the release of all the hostages in exchange for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the IDF from all of the Gaza Strip. A majority of Jewish and Arab Israelis oppose Jewish settlement in Gaza. Around one-third of the general public think that Israeli society will be able to bear the burden of prolonged fighting for only a few more months.

The education system is obligated to create, for all students in Israeli society, a common foundation for life in a Jewish and democratic state. This includes the ability of students to engage in difficult discussions and requires educators who are grounded in civic responsibility and democratic values.

The Israeli Minister of Justice ordered the locks changed at the Tel Aviv office shared by the Attorney General, an action that blatantly violates the Supreme Court’s interim order prohibiting the dismissal of the Attorney General and any changes to the working arrangements between the government and the Attorney General.

Germany's recent decision to impose an embargo on the export of military equipment to Israel is a key example of the changing landscape of international law applicable to armed conflict over the last two decades.

The firing of the AG constitutes another escalation in the current government’s approach to the domestic rule of law institutions.

At its core, this is a debate if there should be a blanket exemption for Haredi men and a target number of recruits from the community each year, or if there should be a requirement to serve with a limited number of annual. Counterintuitively, the compromise proposed by the coalition could lead to an outcome that would actually remove from the agenda a meaningful draft of Haredim.

Against the backdrop of reports indicating the possibility of Israel fully occupying the Gaza Strip, it is essential to address the moral, strategic, international, security, economic, and social ramifications associated with such a move.

Israel’s victory over Iran was not just a triumph of military strategy—it was a testament to democracy and moral clarity. In a region plagued by autocracy, it is Israel’s enduring commitment to freedom, pluralism, and the rule of law that gives it the resilience and strength to prevail.

78% of Jewish Israelis and 22.5% of Arab Israelis think that, given the circumstances of the fighting in Gaza, Israel is making efforts to avoid causing suffering to the Palestinian population there. Nearly half of the Israeli public thinks that the security forces and enforcement agencies are too lenient in their responses to violence by groups of settlers against both the IDF and Palestinians.

International law stipulates that for a state to exist, there must be a territory, a defined population, a government controlling that territory, and independence from the management of another state over that territory. What are the implications for Israel of more countries planning to recognize a Palestinian state?

The Attorney General recently gave instructions to halt government funding for yeshivot for young Haredim who have dropped out. These instructions promote the value of equality and may also help advance the status of the young men who have dropped out.

A recent Supreme Court decision rules that the Chief Rabbinate must allow women to take the Halakhic exams it administers for the purpose of ordaining rabbis. While this does not mean they will be ordained as rabbis, this is good news for women in their struggle for the value of their Torah study to be recognized.

As the Likud party seeks to replace MK Yuli Edelstein as Chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, this Q&A lays out everything you need to know about the role of a Committee Chair, and the the replacement process and history relevant to the current situation.

This week's announcement of the resignation of the ultra-Orthodox parties from the coalition marks a fairly common case of parties resigning due to matters of religion and state. The following historical analysis looks at parties that have withdrawn from their governing coalitions over the years and the ideological disagreements that led them to do so.

A bill expanding the powers of Israel's religious courts was approved for first reading in Knesset. This raises concerns about the rights of vulnerable population groups, such as women and low wage workers. As a Jewish and democratic state, it is not enough to say rights will be protect – there must be institutional protections.