First-Time Voters: Young Israelis on Their Way to the Ballot Box

9:30–10:00 | Gathering


10:00–10:10 | Opening Remarks

  • Anat Thon Ashkenazy, Director of the Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, The Israel Democracy Institute

10:10–12:10 | Presentation of the study “Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Elections and Democracy among First-Time Voters in Israel, 2026”

  • Dr. Tammy Hoffman, Head of the Education Policy Program and Research Fellow, The Israel Democracy Institute
  • Daphna Cahana-Dolev, Research Partner in the study, Education Policy Program, The Israel Democracy Institute

Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tammy Hoffman:

  • Zainab Hasan Abu Swaid, Director of the ARKAN Program for Arab Leadership, Shaharit Institute
  • Moran Agami, Strategic Consultant
  • Avishai Berman, CEO, The Joint Council of Pre-Military Academies
  • Dror Cohen, Chair of the National Student and Youth Council
  • Prof. Ofer Kenig, Research Fellow, Political Reform Program, The Israel Democracy Institute
  • Tami Shinkman, Communications Consultant and Political Campaign Manager
  • Dalit Stauber, former Director General of the Ministry of Education; faculty member at the Mandel School for Educational Leadership and Ono Academic College
  • Yaniv Waizman, CEO, TEENK

12:10–12:30 | Break


12:30–12:50 | First-Time Voters on Social Media

  • Yohanan Plesner, President, The Israel Democracy Institute, in conversation with Lior Weintraub, Head of Public Policy, TikTok Israel

12:50–13:40 | First-Time Voters’ Voices 
A roundtable discussion with young women and men who are first-time voters

Moderator: Chen Artzi Sror, journalist and Israeli society expert


13:40–14:15 | Open Discussion and Summary


14:15 | Lunch


*Research team: Dr. Tammy Hoffman, Daphna Cahana-Dolev, Meital Baron, and Dani Gigi*, Education Policy Program

**The program is subject to change.

The study was conducted with the support of Nir and Orna Avni.