The Social-Political Crisis in Israel and the Future of the “Special Relations” with the US

In this podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with three INSS senior researchers: Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran, head of the INSS program on Israel’s Civilian Front and Societal Resilience; Dr. Chuck Freilich, former Deputy National Security Adviser in Israel’s National Security Council; and Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, head of the INSS Law and National Security Program. Together they discuss worrying developments in the Israeli social-political crisis, in light of the government’s proposed judicial overhaul and the implications for Israel’s “special relations” with the United States. What are the main concerns from the side of the protesters regarding the judicial overhaul? Is there still a chance to reach a compromise? How do the domestic events in Israel shape the public discourse in the US? Is there a similarity between the crisis in Israel and the deep political polarization in American society? How essential are the “special relations” to Israel and its national security interests? And what can Israel do in order to ensure these relations remain firm and stable in the long run?