Articles

Everything you need to know about yesterday's High Court hearing on Netanyahu's efforts to fire Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar went.

The police summoned three journalists to testify as part of the investigation into links between the Prime Minister’s advisors and Qatar. Unlike other privileged relationships, reporter’s privilege is not grounded in law in Israel. Why is that and when are journalists asked to reveal their sources? 

Prioritization of the hostages has been increasing steadily over time, with 68% prioritizing the hostages and 25% prioritizing toppling Hamas in the current survey; 49% of Israelis do not think achieving both war goals simultaneously is possible. A majority of Israelis, (56.5%), say the government should obey the Supreme Court decision on Ronen Bar's dismissal. 

This year, as we sit at our Seder tables, we will seek to infuse deeper meaning into the Simanei HaSeder – the traditional chapters of the evening.

Maintaining the Shin Bet’s independence from political influence is essential to preserving both Israel’s national security and the democratic rights of its citizens.

IDI VP of Research Prof. Suzie Navot shares key points to keep in mind in relation to the Supreme Court hearing on Ronen Bar's firing.

By shifting power from professional bodies to political appointees the new law restructuring the Judicial Selection Committee is likely to reduce Arab representation and exacerbate their exclusion.

A "nuts and bolts" review of the coalition agreement related to Haredi education in the 2025 State budget.

The Israeli Supreme Court rejected the Gaza Humanitarian Aid petition submitted by a number of Israeli human rights NGOs, stating that Israel's obligations are relative in nature and that the petitioners had failed to establish that these were generally violated during the Gaza war.

The reappointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir as Minister of National Security, despite legal objections and a documented pattern of improper political interference in police operations, constitutes an "extremely unreasonable" decision that threatens the independence, professionalism, and democratic integrity of Israel’s law enforcement system.

Expanding the institutional arenas for democratic participation in Israel - through electoral and structural reforms - can help address the growing sense of political helplessness and strengthen the responsiveness of its democratic system. 

The Israeli government's current efforts to dismiss the head of the director of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General, alongside its attempt to restructure the Judicial Selection Committee, reflect a broader shift toward subordinating legal and security institutions to political authority, raising concerns about the erosion of the rule of law and the future of democratic governance in Israel.

On March 20, 2025, Israel’s government voted in favor of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, citing "growing distrust" in the security chief. The following document answers key legal questions around this announcement.

Drastic budget cuts to Israel's National Authority for Community Safety jeopardize national security by eliminating essential violence prevention and community support services, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and exacerbating social instability.

Amidst the return to fighting in Gaza, the Minister of Justice is taking advantage of the public's eye being off the ball to hastily overhaul Israel's judicial system.

The amendment to the Immunity Law proposed by MK Tally Gotliv would allow MKs to grant themselves immunity from criminal and civil prosecution, undermining equality before the law and creating inherent conflicts of interest that disproportionately protect coalition members from accountability.

On March 16, 2025, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced his intention to bring the dismissal of Ronen Bar, the head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), Israel's internal security service, to a vote of the full cabinet. Though not a perfect comparison, the Shin Bet is often seen as comparable to the FBI in the US.  

Many in Israel have watched Elon Musk's DOGE department and advocated for implementing the same approach in Israel. However, the model should be attuned to Israeli needs, including reducing the inflated number of government ministries and curbing wasteful budget allocations, such as the coalitionary funds.

Meir Porush, Minister of Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition, established a hotline advising yeshiva students to evade mandatory military conscription. Haredi leaders have been maintaining conflicting roles as state officials and acting community activists.

Around half of Israelis think that it's unlikely that President Trump will turn away from Israel, if he thinks its policies are not aligned with US interests, while close to 40% think chances are fairly high or high; 73% of the total sample support continuing with the second stage of the hostage agreement and securing the release of all the hostages.

In just over a decade, Israel’s score in the report published by Freedom House has fallen by 8 points, a decline that now puts it alongside countries such as Brazil and Namibia.

A survey on women's representation conducted among men and women in Israel. Findings show that most (65%) consider equal representation when deciding on which party to vote for; 71% think the number of women in the Knesset, the government and in senior positions should be increased. 

The incoming Commander-in-Chief of the IDF, Major General Eyal Zamir, faces a number of challenges as he takes up his role beyond the security of Israel. He must integrate the ultra-Orthodox, uphold the IDF's ethical values, and restore public trust in its senior command to preserve the military's identity as the 'people's army.' 

Against the backdrop of the proposed government decision that is meant to begin the process of dismissing the attorney general, this paper describes the procedure that has been laid down for this step and explains why a decision by the Netanyahu government to fire the attorney general at the current time would be legally invalid.

An analysis and international comparison of women's representation in the Israeli political arena. 

The battle over Israel’s legal system has resumed, threatening judicial independence.

Changes in the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee threaten the independence of the judicial system. The current proposals would lead to a complete politicization of appointments to all courts and should be blocked. 

A special analysis of the situation among evacuees from the north and south of Israel, based on an extensive survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of workers who were in employment immediately before the outbreak of the Iron Swords war.

Crime in Arab society has seen an unprecedented surge in the past couple of years posing a threat to Israeli society as a whole. What's needed is a real political commitment to the issue, making it clear to criminals that they face the entire state and society.