Written By: Adv. Anat Thon Ashkenazy
Now, when it is clear that Hamas’s murderous attack was unprecedented in its extreme violence, including sexual violence, the relevant international bodies—such as the UN Security Council, UN Women, and the International Red Cross—must respond to these incidents.
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen, Prof. Yuval Shany
Israel’s decision-making in the current conflict must be understood in the context of its government’s complex institutional structure related to war.
Written By: Dr. Arik Rudnitzky
The political mainstream in Arab society identifies with the Palestinian cause, namely the struggle for a two-state solution and peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The vast majority of Arab citizens strongly criticizes Hamas’ practices and completely rejects Hamas’ militant approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Written By: Dr. Moran Kandelshtein-Haina
The state has a moral and ethical duty of the highest order to act as quickly as possible to free and return all the hostages and the missing. But what is the legal mechanism that should be applied when agreeing deals to secure their release which also involve freeing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons?
Written By: Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler
From network hacking to disinformation, Israel is unprepared for combat in today's fourth dimension of warfare.
Written By: Dr. Gilad Malach
The divide between Israel's Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) public and the Haredi establishment and political leadership has never been more striking. Many parts of Haredi society have joined the national war efforts while the Haredi political leadership have acted as if nothing has happened.
Written By: Prof. Tamar Hermann, Dr. Or Anabi
A majority of the Jewish public think the government's focus on the judicial overhaul had a critical impact on the timing of Hamas' Oct. 7th attack. Support for negotiations for the release of the hostages in Gaza has risen, but most think the fighting should not stop.
Written By: Tehila Gado
The heads of the established traditional Haredi yeshivot have instructed their institutions to continue studies as normal during the current state of emergency, in accordance with the belief in the power of Torah study to protect the people of Israel. By contrast, the messages heard from various other rabbis reflect an understanding of changing needs and offer a blueprint for a new leadership vision.
Written By: Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler
The paradigm of reliance on technology for our security seems to have led us to a point in which infinite data points and technological tools are at our disposal failed to produce a response. It is of course essential to continue investing in technological superiority, but this needs to be done with a clearer head.
Written By: Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler
The ongoing war highlights the transformation of technology giants, once American-based corporations, into international entities. Within the Western aid package to Israel, it is imperative to enforce global accountability upon these companies
Written By: Dr. Guy Lurie
On November 5, 2023, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin notified the High Court of Justice that he will convene the Judicial Selection Committee within 15 days. Selecting judges is not possible in such a short time frame, so we will have to wait and see whether this decision leads to the completion of judge appointments to the vacant positions.
Written By: Adv. Mirit Sharabi-Lavi
Israel's new firearms regulations now allow hundreds of thousands of citizens to carry handguns, without the necessary checks or oversight. They have been passed too rapidly during the current emergency, without enough thought about the dangerous consequences of dramatically expanding eligibility for a handgun license.
Written By: Prof. Karnit Flug, Prof. Jacob Frenkel
The ongoing war poses unprecedented challenges—military, civilian, geopolitical, and economic. Our focus is on providing necessary responses to the needs of the military, the needs of those directly affected in combat areas, mitigating the financial damage to businesses and employees, and rebuilding the communities destroyed on October 7.
Written By: Prof. Tamar Hermann, Dr. Or Anabi
The October 2023 edition of the Israeli Voice Index shows that a significant majority of Jewish Israelis trust the heads of the IDF over PM Netanyahu. If elections were to be held today, a majority of Israelis (55%) would vote for the same bloc they voted for in the last elections.
Written By: Daphna Aviram-Nitzan
The government of Israel must recognize the strategic importance of agriculture, the food sector, and other industries producing goods that are vital for the country’s security and for the continued functioning of the business sector during times of emergency and war
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen, Prof. Yuval Shany
The current round of violence between Hamas and Israel has already given rise to many expressions of legal opinion. In this essay, we map some key assumptions and unpack how they can significantly affect ongoing legal debates and deliberations.
Written By: Eliyahu Berkovits
A growing number of Haredi men are volunteering for the IDF following the outbreak of the war against Hamas. This trend may signify that the “modern Haredi” phenomenon may be developing into a real movement.
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen, Tamar Hostovsky Brandes
International law does not forbid the evacuation of residents to the southern Gaza Strip; on the contrary, it would appear to demand of Israel that it warns residents and encourages them to leave.
Written By: Adv. Rita Golstein-Galperin
It is no surprise that the civil service has suffered a severe blow as the current hostilities continue. In light of recent actions aimed at undermining the public sector, immediate action must be taken to address this situation in order to restore social resilience.
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen
Details and clarifications on the international crimes committed by the Hamas in their abduction of Israeli civilians, and the responsibilities attached to these crimes.
Written By: Prof. Tamar Hermann, Dr. Or Anabi
Despite being at war, more Israelis are optimistic about the future of the country than earlier this year, yet most Israelis (64%) fear for their physical safety or that of their immediate family members.
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen
Hamas’s horrendous October 7 attack on Israeli civilians and Israel’s anticipated response pose a unique challenge to scholars and practitioners of the Law of Armed Conflict or International Humanitarian Law (IHL), possibly a challenge they have never faced before.
Written By: Dr. Guy Lurie
Justice Hayut's retirement from the presidency of the Supreme Court was well-known in advance, however, the Minister of Justice's refusal to convene the Judicial Selection Committee leaves Israel with a temporary replacement during a national emergency.
Written By: Dr. Yael Litmanovitz
Policing does not usually involve battles with terrorists. But the unique situation in Israel has shaped the role of our police officers to include internal security missions. What are the skills and capabilities required of police officers in Israel? Do they have sufficient funding? Those are some of the questions Israeli society must attend to once the current crisis is over.
Written By: Dr. Guy Lurie
What is a special state of emergency and who declares it?
Minister of Justice Levin declared a "special state of emergency" on October 7th, which has since been extended and is currently valid until October 20th. How does this affect the justice system in Israel?
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen, Adv. Mirit Sharabi-Lavi
The minister of national security declared a civil emergency event on October 7th, the first time in Israel's history such an ordinance was used. What is the difference between a "special home front situation" and a "civil emergency?"
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen, Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Adv. Mirit Sharabi-Lavi
Is the operation in Gaza a war, who is authorized declare war and what is the role of the cabinet and the government after war is declared?
Written By: Prof. Amichai Cohen
The main demand made by Benny Gantz, chair of the National Unity party, for entering an emergency government is the establishment of a war cabinet. Why is this important and what would the powers of a war cabinet be?
Written By: Dr. Assaf Shapira
As the brutal attack from Gaza continues, the possibility of a change in the composition in the government is being bandied about. What kind of government is possible and what has been done in the past?
Written By: Prof. Tamar Hermann, Dr. Or Anabi
As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Oslo Accords this month, a larger share of Jewish respondents think it was incorrect to enter into that process, while the percentage of respondents who selected "don't know" was exceptionally large.