Articles

IDI researchers testified before the Knesset's Special Committee: Personal and retroactive changes should not be made to legislation regarding the Prime Minister's legal status

Information is power. Governments and private entities that have access to vast troves of information have vast power.

This is a familiar plague: rewriting the game rules of democracy to suit changing political circumstances has become the norm in Israel.

The coronavirus is an international threat but will it stem the growth of populism around the world?

IDI President Yohanan Plesner held an online media briefing and Q&A session on the new coalition agreement between the Likud and Blue and White parties.

In recent years, many comparisons have been made between two communities in Israel - the ultra-Orthodox and Arab Israelis. The coronavirus crisis has brought previously held assumptions into question.

The lack of exposure to mainstream media outlets and the internet limits this community's access to Health Ministry instructions on the coronavirus.

The tragic results of initial faulty advice from leading rabbis is a wake-up call to Haredi Jews to start making their own decisions.

Israel is not adequately preparing its younger generation to be responsible citizens and must work now to improve its civics education curriculum.

Privacy doesn't have to be sacrificed in order to protect citizens from the coronavirus - it too must be protected

The cause for the past year's political crisis lie in the ever-widening gap between the two main pillars of the State of Israel’s identity—its “Jewish” and “democratic” components.

IDI Expert Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler: "Now is the time for the appropriate regulatory authorities to act and protect the privacy of Zoom's users."

Dr. Gilad Malach held a press briefing focused on the coronavirus’ effect on the ultra-Orthodox in Israel and what might be the long term implications for employment, use of technology and the attitude towards official state authorities in this often isolated community.

IDI's management convened an online 'town hall' with Yohanan Plesner, Yuval Shany, Karnit Flug and Jesse Ferris to discuss the political, constitutional and economic fallout from the corona crisis, and IDI’s unique role in addressing it. 

Prof. Karnit Flug's press briefing today focued on the Coronavirus’ effect on the Israeli economy and policies that could mitigate the damage inflicted by the pandemic.

Israel is not the only country in which the court system has been curtailed, or had its activity modified, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Many countries are taking such measures, while at the same time striving to refrain from harming citizen's basic right of available access to courts.
Included are several examples from around the world.

How can we curb the spread of the coronavirus in the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel? IDI experts explain

The Israeli Voice Index for March 2020 found that 76% of Israelis are concerned that they or a family member will contract the coronavirus – up from 34% in February.

Special Coronavirus survey by the Israel Democracy Institute takes the Israeli pulse on the impact of the Coronavirus finds that 40% of Israelis feel they are experiencing high levels of stress and 65% are worried about their financial future.

Reports of a 30 to 34 minister cabinet in the works beg for a public outcry: Costly, inefficient and divisive is not what we need today.

In light of the Movement Towards a National Emergency Government: 30 Ministers Would be Excessive in Comparison to other Parliamentary Democracies; The cap on the number of ministers and their deputy minister should remain in place.

We should take advantage of the opportunity that the coronavirus presents to improve our children's education.

Israel has authorized its secret services to carry out extensive surveillance of civilians in the battle against the Coronavirus. In most other democracies there is dedicated legislation to deal with information gathering during the epidemic. IDI's experts complied a comparative review.

Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, reacted to the Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein's resignation

Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein has resigned so as not to comply with the Supreme Court ruling to hold elections for a new speaker - what happens next? IDI’s Dr. Amir Fuchs explains

As the Knesset struggles to resume its work, IDI took a look at how parliaments around the world are putting into place processes and mechanisms that enable them to operate during the coronavirus pandemic so they can fulfill the vital role they play in democracies.

Will the coronavirus crisis result in an unity government, which can, at least temporarily, resolve Israel's political deadlock? IDI experts explain.

Israel finds itself in an unprecedented political situation at a time it must face a worldwide pandemic.

How is the coronavirus pandemic changing the way governments track their citizens? IDI expert takes a look around the world to see what policies countries are implementing.