Articles

They do reduce the Rabbinate's centralized power, but in very different ways, which fundamentally upholds the rabbis' authority, rather than undermining it

Despite a decline in trust - the public still believes that in the Court’s role as a professional independent entity and guardian of democratic principles.

Israelis express a high degree of trust in their municipalities and there is strong support for transferring more authority away from national government ministries to local authorities.

A small majority agree that the Supreme Court should have the power to overturn laws passed by the Knesset when democratic principles are contradicted, while a high rate of the Israeli public, primarily from the right-wing and ultra-Orthodox, believe that the selection of judges in Israel is based on political considerations.

The 2021 Democracy Index reveals a complex picture regarding the level of public trust in key institutions and officials, 46% of respondents say that tensions between Jews and Arabs is the fiercest tension in Israeli society

IDI's 2021 Israeli Democracy Index shows a decline in trust in most state institutions

Critical reforms are necessary to ensure the quality and future of Israeli democracy

Most of the public support limiting local authority rabbis' term of service to five years and giving them the option to be re-appointed at the end of each term

Despite public criticism, two thirds of ultra-Orthodox Israelis are now online

Ultra-Orthodox Jews now make up 13% of Israelis, and are continuing to grow rapidly. In 2020, the pandemic led to an increase in the number of applicants for professional and academic training, especially among ultra-Orthodox men

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased school dropout rates due to its exacerbation of the already emotional, social, and academic crises affecting multiple age and population groups.

How will Israelis react to a new tax on sugary drinks? A special IDI survey found that only a quarter of the public said that they would reduce their consumption of such drinks if they are taxed up to half a shekel, but a significant majority said they would limit their consumption if the tax exceeds two shekels.

The "great resignation" that has swept the US and UK in recent months is one of the symbols of the recovery from the pandemic. Is this trend taking place in Israel too?

Israel reinstated contact-tracing activities by the Israel Security Agency to track carriers of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Five days later, it halted the ISA’s contact-tracing activities, due to a lack of parliamentary support.

62% of Israeli Jews think that Iran poses an existential threat and 58% would support an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities also without American consent

Reducing centralization and handing over political power to local authorities, might just might do the trick

Growing willingness to report sexual abuse in ultra-Orthodox society: The last two decades have seen a dramatic rise in the number of cases of sexual abuse or violence against children treated by social service agencies in ultra-Orthodox local authorities, where today- the rate of abuse is higher than in other local authorities

Israel Democracy Institute researchers welcome the move to anchor the right to equality in a Basic Law, and note the urgent need for this step, particularly in light of the Nation-State Law. At the same time, the researchers also recommend a series of amendments to the bill.

A new government plan aimed at increase the integration of Arab Israelis tries something new – bringing together political leaders, civil servants, and representatives of civil society to collaborate in its formulation and implementation.

The second day of the conference focused on public trust in the military and the challenges peripheral communities face in the IDF. Among those presenting were Minister Matan Kahane, Minister Penina Tamano-Shata, former Justice Hanan Meltzer and Major General Eliezer Toledano, the IDF's Commander of the Southern Command.

While Israelis award the IDF good grades for its operational capabilities and ethical conduct in combat, less than a third of the public think the IDF is managing its budget well and in a fiscally-responsible manner. 47% of Jewish Israelis now think that the IDF should abandon its 'people's army' model and transition to a professional standing military.

IDI's annual conference on National Security and Democracy opened with a focus on the question of whether the current IDF model of service is sustainable, what other models should be considered and included a session on public attitudes towards the IDF. The conference is held in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Everyone’s talking about “META,” Facebook’s new name, and the thrilling future world of virtual and augmented reality in which we will communicate, shop, play, and even work. Are we entering a new chapter of the internet’s history, in which we will merge with events and don’t just watch them on screen? Mark Zuckerberg thinks so, as he wrote: “The defining quality of the metaverse is presence, which is this feeling that you're really there with another person or in another place.”

The recently proposed bill would limit the tenure of the Prime Minister in Israel to eight years (continuous or cumulative). At the end of that time, the Government would be considered to have resigned and its head would no longer be eligible to serve as Prime Minister. This limitation would apply only to tenure after the date of the law’s passage.

Even if we accept the argument that lowering the exemption age exacerbates existing discrimination, we should still assess the proportionality of this harm. Basic rights such as equality are not absolute, and are sometimes subject to restrictions in the face of a pressing public interest.

The friction and hostility we witnessed today at one of Judaism's holiest sites is unacceptable and could have been avoided if the previously agreed upon 'Western Wall Compromise' had been honored.

Most Israelis think that their country's international standing has either remained the same as it was under former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (37%) or improved (28%) since Prime Minster Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid assumed office.

To date, the Knesset was dissolved only once due to failure to pass a budget. On December 23, 2020: the 23rd Knesset was dissolved after it did not approve the budget. Originally, the law mandated that the government approve the budget by August 2020, but as part of what was termed the "Hauser compromise" the law was amended, and the date was postponed to December of that year.

In Israel, there are frequent complaints about over-regulation, burdensome bureaucracy and inefficient law. On the other hand, many acknowledge that there are areas where regulations are lacking or out of date. IDI experts weigh in and explains the proposed new law that are set to reform Israel's regulatory framework.

Addressing the shortage of hi-tech workers isn't enough. Israel must focus on vocational training & improving productivity in all industries to continue economic growth - economist Daphna Aviram Nitzan explains