Articles

In an op-ed in Maariv, Yair Sheleg argues that the current roles of the Israeli chief rabbinate should be split and the rabbinate should serve solely in its representative capacity in the future.

A video in which IDI researchers discuss some of the pros and cons of the Governance Bill being considered by the Knesset. 

IDI researcher Attorney Haim Zicherman warns against attempts to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army by encouraging them to abandon their lifestyle, and calls for developing mechanisms that will accept and respect their values. 

IDI Vice President of Research Prof. Yedidia Stern warns that the hasty passage of the proposed government bill on the Haredi draft would be "old politics," and stresses the importance of a Knesset debate to arrive at balanced legislation that is in line with the national interest. 

In an op-ed in Haaretz, IDI researcher Attorney Amir Fuchs shares his thoughts on the proposed "NGO bill," which would limit donations to human rights organizations in Israel.

Dr. Ofer Kenig, of IDI's Political Reform project, cautiously examines whether the events of the Arab Spring indicate the rise of substantial democracy in the Arab world or whether they merely exchanged one type of authoritarian regime for another—a non-liberal Islamic regime.

In an op-ed in Haaretz, IDI Researcher Attorney Amir Fuchs warns that the proposed Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People is not only anti-democratic but also undermines the foundations of Zionism.

What percentage of Jews in Israel define themselves as Reform or Conservative? What is their ethnic origin? Do they see themselves as being on the political and economic Right or Left? This article provides a glimpse into denominations of Judaism that exist in Israel, but for which there is very little current data.

Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Talya Steiner warn that the proposed veterans benefits bill, which would give preferential treatment in employment, higher education, and housing to those who have served in the Israeli army, gives license to discriminate against Israel's Arab minority.

IDI Vice President of Research Prof. Yedidia Stern warns that the Peri Committee recommendations on the ultra-Orthodox draft will undo progress already made in integrating Israel's Haredi community into Israeli society.

In an op-ed in Maariv, IDI Vice President Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs warn that the proposed amendment to Israel's Anti-Defamation Law known as the  'Jenin-Jenin Law' will have the opposite of its intended effect.

In an op-ed in <em>Maariv</em>, IDI Vice President Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs warn that the proposed amendment to Israel's Anti-Defamation Law, which would allow IDF soldiers to bring a class action suit for libel when the operational activities in which they participated are criticized in the media, will have the opposite of its intended effect.

IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Stern responds to the State Comptroller's findings on conversion in Israel and calls for a solution that will enable Israelis from the former Soviet Union to join the ranks of the Jewish people.

IDI Senior Fellow Prof. Tamar Hermann, head of IDI's Guttman Center for Surveys, shares findings on the Israeli Jewish public's support of the right of the Women of the Wall to pray while wearing prayer shawls and phylacteries.

IDI researcher Attorney Amir Fuchs welcomes the "Blue and White Human Rights" initiative of the Institute for Jewish Strategies, stressing that the fight for human rights in Israel should not be seen as limited to the political Left.

In an op-ed originally published in Maariv, Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs warn that the Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People would undercut the balance between the "Jewish" and "democratic" nature of the State of Israel.

In honor of Israel's 65th birthday, Attorney Amir Fuchs reflects on whether the reality of today's Israel adheres to the values and vision of early Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.

An article by members of IDI’s Arab-Jewish Relations research team, which explores the lack of social justice for Israel’s Arab minority in three areas: employment, healthcare, and the public sphere.

In an op-ed in <em>The Jewish Week</em>, IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern and Jay Ruderman share thoughts on the successes of the State of Israel and on one area in which Israel has fallen short of expectations.

IDI's Rabbi Dr. Benjamin (Benny) Lau shares thoughts on the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the Bar-Kokhba revolt, and the tension between Judaism as a nationality and Judaism as a religion.

In an op-ed in <em>Yedioth Ahronoth</em>, IDI Senior Fellow Prof. Tamar Hermann, head of the Guttman Center for Surveys, shares observations about the lack of public interest in President Obama's visit to Israel, citing figures from the February–March 2013 Peace Index. 

How many parties make up the 33rd government of Israel? How many first time ministers does the cabinet have? What is the breakdown of men and women in the government? Dr. Ofer Kenig presents an overview of the 2013 Israeli cabinet.

In this article, reprinted from Nationalism and Binationalism: The Perils of Perfect Structures, Prof. Sammy Smooha presents three models of Israel's national character, focusing on Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state.

IDI's Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer critiques various aspects of the proposals for integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the army and calls on the Israeli public to stand firm on its demand for an arrangement that is fair and equitable.

IDI Researcher Dr. Ofer Kenig surveys the percentage of women in the Israeli cabinet since the founding of the State and calls for a change for the better.

Prof. Yedidia Stern calls for a historic alliance between religious and secular moderates that will yield a solution that will  that will yield a solution that addresses the need for ultra-Orthodox army service while taking into account the most important values of the Haredi community.

In an op-ed in Haaretz, IDI Researcher Attorney Amir Fuchs asserts that as Justice Minister, Tzipi Livni will have to restore confidence between the judicial system and political system and will have to serve as the representative of the judicial system to politicians.

In an article specially written for the IDI website, Dr. Ofer Kenig explains the basic principles of the process of coalition building, sharing facts, figures, and comparative data.

The need for the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel to share the burden of military service and participate equally in the Israeli economy was a central issue in the 2013 elections. IDI researcher Dr. Benny Porat shares his thoughts on how to bring about this change in the Haredi community.

IDI researcher Dr. Benjamin Brown discusses the sense of attack experienced by the Haredi community in the 2013 election campaign and calls for a process of gradual change in integrating the ultra-Orthodox in the Israeli army and workforce.