National Security and Democracy

Tuesday, November 23

9:00–9:45 Registration

9:45–10:00 Greetings

Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute
Dr. Beatrice Gorawantschy, Director, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Israel

10:00–11:45 How Long will it be a People’s Army?
Moderator: MK Ram Ben Barak, Chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Greetings: Dr. Idit Shafran-Gittleman, Director, Military and Society Program, Israel Democracy Institute
A Model for Optimal Service: Col. (Res.) Dr. Liron Libman, Research Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute

Panelists
MK Alon Schuster, Deputy Minister of Defense
Adv. Itai Ofir, Legal counsel to the Defense Ministry
MK Emilie Haya Moatti, Labor
Amir Reshef, Deputy Director, Budget Department, Ministry of Finance

11:45–12:00 Break

12:00–12:15 The IDF and Israeli Society: Survey Findings
Prof. Tamar Hermann, Senior Research Fellow and Academic Director, the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, Israel Democracy Institute; The Open University

12:15–13:30 Which Way is the Fighting Spirit Blowing?
Moderator: Dr. Idit Shafran-Gittleman

Panelists
Brigadier General Dado Bar-Kalifa, Command of the Sinai Division and of the Israeli War College
Ro’i Sharon, Military Affairs Analyst , KAN News

13:30–14:15 Lunch break

14:15–16:00 The IDF as Reflected in Israeli Society
Moderator: Yair Ettinger, Correspondent and Analyst, Kan News

Amos Harel, Correspondent, Military Affairs Analyst, Ha’aretz, in conversation with Maj. Gen. (res.) Udi Adam, former Director General, Ministry of Defense

Panelists
Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry
Naveh Dromi, Columnist
Adv. Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi Pinhas, former Chief Military Prosecutor
MK Miri Regev, Likud

16:00–16:20 Law and Security
Prof. Amichai Cohen, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute, in conversation with Attorney General, Dr. Avichai Mandelblit

Wednesday, November 24

9:45–10:05 Public Trust in the Military
Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute, in conversation with Matan Kahane, Minister of Religious Services and a member of the Security Cabinet

10:05–10:25
Dr. Idit Shafran-Gittleman in conversation with MK Ibtisam Mara’ana-Menuhin, Labor Party

10:25–11:45 "Olim" in Uniform
Moderator: Dr. Asaf Malhi, Researcher, ultra-Orthodox in Israel Program, Israel Democracy Institute

Dr. Asaf Malhi in conversation with Penina Tamano-Shata, Minister of Immigrant Absorption

Panelists:
Brig. Gen. (res.) Amal Asad, businessman and public figure
Col. (res.) Yael Hess, Director, Mandel Leadership Institute
Yossi Levy, Director, Nezach Yehuda Association

11:45–12:45 Lunch break

12:45–14:00 The Legal System and National Security
Moderator: Adv. Lila Margalit, Senior Researcher, Israel Democracy Institute

Panelists:
Adv. Eli Bahar, former Legal Counsel to the General Security Service
Adv. Geula Cohen, Chair, Security Forum, State Attorney's Office
MK Gaby Lasky, Meretz
Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, Senior Fellow, the Israel Democracy Institute

14:00–14:20
Prof. Amichai Cohen in conversation with former Justice Hanan Meltzer, President of the Israel Press Council and former Vice-President of the Supreme Court

14:20–14:30 Break

14:30–14:50 Security Considerations and Democratic Values
Prof. Yuval Shany, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute, in conversation with Adv. Shai Nitzan, former State Attorney and Deputy Attorney General for special assignments

15:00 Overview by Major General Eliezer Toledano, Commander of the Southern Command