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The 2024 Annual Conference on National Security and Democracy

Watch the second day of the conference focused on external security threats:





From Jerusalem to The Hague:

Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Director of the Center for Security and Democracy at IDI, in conversation with Prof. Malcolm Shaw KC, who is representing Israel in the ICJ proceedings and Prof. Yuval Shany, Senior Fellow at IDI. 

Conference Schedule:

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Police and Internal Security

09:00 - 9:30 Registration

09:30 - 09:45 Opening Remarks 

Prof. Suzie Navot, Vice President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute

09:45 - 10:30 The Police on October 7 

Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Director of the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute 

In conversation with: Commander Dr. Shlomi Shitrit, Chief Historian, Israel Police History Department

10:30 - 11:15 “Police and Internal Security from the Perspective of Israeli Society” Survey: Presentation and Discussion of the 2024 Survey Findings 

Discussion moderated by: Moshe Steinmetz, Police Affairs Correspondent, Kan News 

Prof. Tamar Hermann, Senior Fellow and Academic Director of the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, Israel Institute for Democracy 

Adv. Rawyah Handaqlu, Head of the Emergency Headquarters to Combat Crime and Violence, the National Committee of Heads of the Arab Local Authorities

Assistant Commissioner Yifat Shklar (Retired), former Gender Adviser to the Israeli Police Commissioner

11:15 - 11:30 Coffee Break 

11:30 - 11:45 Insights on Demonstrations in Israel from the Perspective of a Police Clown 

Dr. Yael Litmanovitz, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute 

In conversation with Hashoteret Az-Oolay Yhyeh Yoter Tov (Policewoman So Maybe it Will be Better), Mishtara Yashar-El-HaLev (play on the Hebrew words Isra-el “Israel Police Straight to the Heart” 

11:45 - 13:00 Policing Demonstrations: Between the Constitutional Right and Policing Demonstrations in the Field 

Discussion moderated by: Adv. Anat Thon-Ashkenazy, Director of the Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, Israel Democracy Institute 

Orly Almagor-Lotan, Senior Team Leader, Knesset Research and Information Center 

Deputy Commissioner (Retired) Amos Ya’akov, former Commander of the Border Police

Dr. Yael Litmanovitz, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute 

Adv. Gaby Lasky, Co-founder of the support and advisory system for protest detainees

Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, Senior Fellow at the Democratic Values and Institutions Center and in the Public Corruption Program, Israel Democracy Institute

13:00 - 13:45 Lunch Break 

13:45 - 15:00 “The Policing Network” in Internal Security and the Transfer of Power to Local Authorities

Discussion moderated by: Tomer Lotan, Guest Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; former Director General, Ministry of Internal Security 

Knesset Member Merav Ben-Ari, Yesh Atid; Member of the National Security Committee

Deputy Commissioner (Retired) Kobi Cohen, former Judea and Samaria District Commander of the Israel Police 

Shelley Saber, Chairperson of the Security Committee and member of the Kfar Saba City Council 

Knesset Member Ariel Kallner, Likud; member of the National Security Committee and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee

Carmel Shama Hacohen, Mayor of Ramat Gan 

Pini Schiff, CEO of the National Organization of Security Companies in Israel

15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break

15:15 - 16:00 Crime in Arab Society - Rahat as a Case Study

Discussion moderated by: Dr. Yael Litmanovitz, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute

Waheed Alsana, Director of the Community Security Organization, Rahat

Adv. Zohar Ackerman Elia, Project Manager of the “Stop the Bleeding” Program, State Attorney’s Office

16:00 - 17:15 Police Independence: Challenges and Solutions

Discussion moderated by: Prof. Suzie Navot, Vice President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute

Commissioner (Retired) Roni Alsheich, former Commissioner of the Israel Police

Deputy Commissioner (Retired) Alon Asor, former Deputy Commissioner of the Israel Police

Prof. Amichai Cohen, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Ono Academic College

Knesset Member Gilad Kariv, the Democrats Political Party; former Chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee; Member of the National Security Committee

17:15 - 17:30 The Accelerated Arming in the Civilian Space: Between Public Security and Public Safety 

Adv. Mirit Lavi, Researcher at the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute 

In conversation with: Deputy Commissioner (Retired) Sigal Bar Zvi, former Head of the Operations Division of the Israel Police 

17:15 - 17:30 Closing Remarks

Wednesday, November 20th, 2024

The Military and External Security

09:00 - 9:30 Registration

09:30 - 09:45 Opening Remarks

Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Director of the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute

Michael Rimmel, Director of Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Israel

09:45 - 10:00 Reconstruction of the Gaza Envelope, Security and Community after October 7

Noa Barak Weshler, Director of Marketing and Media, Israel Democracy Institute

In discussion with: Tal Shaul, former Head of the VIP Protection Division of the Shin Bet, resident of Kibbutz Kisufim and a leader of the rehabilitation of the kibbutz

10:00 - 10:30

Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute

In conversation with: Knesset Member Lt. General (Res.) Gadi Eisenkot, the National Unity Party; Member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee; former Member of the Swords of Iron War Cabinet; 21st IDF Chief of Staff

10:30- 11:00 “The IDF from the Perspective of Israeli Society”: Presentation and Discussion of the Survey Findings for 2024

Discussion moderated by: Amos Harel, the military correspondent of Haaretz newspaper

Prof. Amichai Cohen, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Ono Academic College

Prof. Tamar Hermann, Senior Fellow and Academic Director of the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, The Israel Democracy Institute

11:00 - 11:15 Coffee Break

11:15 - 11:30

Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute

In conversation with Knesset Member Yair Lapid, Leader of the Opposition; former Prime Minister

11:30 - 12:45 The People’s Army After October 7: Reserve Service in the IDF
Discussion moderated by: Prof. Elisheva Rosman Stollman, Department of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University

Eli Bing, Deputy Commissioner of Budgets, Ministry of Finance

Amos Harel, Military Correspondent, Haaretz newspaper

Brigadier General (Res.) Guy Hazoot, author of the book “The High-Tech Army and the Cavalry Army”; Senior Fellow at INSS

Brigadier General (Res.) Hoshea Friedman-Ben Shalom, former Chief Reserve Service Officer in the IDF

Dr. Rinat Moshe, The Open University and the Association of Civil-Military Researchers

12:45 - 13:15 Lunch Break

13:15 - 13:30

Prof. Amichai Cohen, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute, in conversation with: Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister

13:30 - 15:00 Wartime Decision-Making Processes

Discussion moderated by: Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Director of the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute

Major General (Res.) Yaakov Amidror, former National Security Advisor of Israel; Senior Fellow, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS)

Eitan Cabel, former Minister, Knesset Member and Member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee

Prof. Amichai Cohen, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Ono Academic College

Adv. Raz Nizri, former Senior Deputy to the Attorney General for management, special affairs, criminal and public & constitutional affairs; Senior Partner in charge of public law, crisis management and regulatory affairs and Firon Law Firm. 

15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break

15:15 - 16:00 From Jerusalem to The Hague (In English)

Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, Director of the Center for Security and Democracy, Israel Democracy Institute

In conversation with:

Professor Malcolm Shaw KC, Practicing Barrister

Prof. Yuval Shany, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute

16:00 Closing Remarks