Articles

Israel's Supreme Court convened to hear arguments on the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who no longer are exempt from military service, and the legality of providing funding for yeshivas that enroll them as long as no new law has been legislated on this issue.

The heroic stories of battle alongside the volunteer spirit that swept the entire nation have shaken the dichotomies nurtured by the Haredi society for years.

The model that has supported the IDF and Israeli society since the state's founding and has been eroded over the years received renewed reinforcement in the current war. The avoidance of participation by Haredim places it at renewed risk.

A serious public and governmental discussion is needed regarding the privatization of internal security governance that we are currently witnessing, and its implications. This privatization threatens us all.

A special collaboration with Makor Rishon includes updated data on conscription, information on shifting trends in Haredi public opinion, articles and columns by researchers at IDI.

The issuance of additional interim orders in the genocide proceedings underway at the ICJ limits Israel’s operational wiggle room in Rafah, but leaves it with some flexibility in the interpretation and implementation of the new orders.

Women in senior government positions are leaving their roles, the number of victims of domestic violence is rising, and the prevailing spirit from the government does not bode well. Now more than ever, there must be a call for immediate and fundamental change in placing women's rights at the top of the national agenda.

Religious Zionism (the sector, not the political party that appropriated the name) is one of the most influential population groups in Israel. In the following essay, I wish to draw attention to a worrying process afflicting religious Zionism, the roots of which can be traced back to its early days and has dramatically worsened in recent years.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) issued new temporary orders against Israel this week. Justice Barak’s dissenting opinion would seem to offer an important lesson for the future. Professional, focused, and well-founded legal criticism—as opposed to the very different means that are currently being widely discussed and pursued—is likely the best way to deal with the ICJ.

The government and the coalition have been given a second chance – which has come at a heavy price of blood and suffering – to turn this crisis into an opportunity and set the foundations for a new social covenant among Israelis.

In this article, we wish to identify and discuss here some potential problems we identify in the part of the request pertaining to Netanyahu and Gallant, at least as it was presented in the Prosecutor’s short announcement and by the expert report supporting it. 

A special report on consumption patterns and trust in the media and social media.

This Israel Democracy Institute's annual Eli Hurvitz Conference on Society in Economy 2024 convened top leaders in the midst of one of the most severe and significant wars in the country's history, ongoing since the attack of October 7, 2023.

Press Release
Eli Hurvitz Conference: Day 2 Morning Sessions
May 22, 2024, Jerusalem

Press Release

Eli Hurvitz Conference: Day 2 Afternoon Sessions

May 22, 2024, Jerusalem

New Study by Tomer Lotan and Vered Constantini at the Israel Democracy Institute

The tragedy of October 7, and the lack of a public sector response over the course of the ongoing crisis, shed light on the grim situation. This review presents figures and trends relating to the performance of the public sector and its ability to provide services and solutions in real time.

In May 2023, the Knesset approved a two-year state budget for 2023–2024. However, following the outbreak of the war in Gaza and the accompanying conflict in the north, the budget's composition, safety cushions, and especially the priorities it reflects are no longer suited to Israel’s economic and geopolitical realities.

When did the ultra-Orthodox first receive an exemption from military service? How have Haredi demographics influenced this issue?

This is a timeline of the central milestones affecting the issue of Haredi conscription. 

The proposed law ignores the dramatic change in Israel's security situation since October 7 and does not address the need for more combat soldiers, nor does it respect the burden on the populations that already serve.

A fictional tale of the very real danger in the absence of global regulation of AI.

In new research, IDI experts Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz and Gabi Gordon find that conscripting even a small percentage of eligible Haredi men would save the Israeli economy billions of shekels annually. They found that drafting even 20% of Haredi men would significantly reduce the number of days necessary for reserve duty and save 2.5 billion shekels in budgetary expenses by 2050. Full conscription of the ultra-Orthodox men would eliminate the need for reserve duty by 2045 and save the Israeli economy between 8-10 billion shekels.

The majority of the Jewish public (56%) think that securing a deal for the release of the hostages is the highest priority; a higher share of Jewish respondents think Trump would be better for Israel as US president; most Israelis think that celebrations of Israel's 76th Independence Day should be more restrained and less prominent this year.

Demands to lower the flames of criticism cannot legitimately be made by a government taking actions driven by narrow political interests. If the government does not act in a nonpartisan manner, they cannot demand those who hold different views refrain from opposing political action. 

The increase in the number of complaints of police violence submitted to the DIPI over the last year raises serious questions, especially in light of the timing in which the current Government and Minister of National Security took office. This research surveys the trends in complaints of police violence. 

We have entered an era of "digital antisemitism." It is driven, first and foremost, by the insufficient enforcement of moderation policies on social media platforms

Judicial overhaul initiatives, along with other anti-democratic measures, have continued to be promoted by the government and the coalition in the Knesset. This document outlines the various actions taken in government that weaken the Israeli judiciary and democracy at large.

From damage to scientific collaboration to cancellation of arms deals, arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials from the International Criminal Court in the Hague would pose a serious challenge to Israel

The Iranian missile attack on April 13th set a very dangerous precedent for the future. Had one of the few missiles that managed to penetrate Israel's air-defense shield been fitted with a nuclear warhead, the outcome would have been devastating. This is why the phenomenal achievement of the Israeli Air Force and its allies on Saturday night must not blind us to the danger ahead.

After more than six months of war, we found that among both Jewish (58%) and Arab Israelis (81%) there is widespread agreement that now that the majority of Israeli forces have left the Gaza Strip, the time has come for those who were responsible for the failure of October 7 to resign from their positions.