Publications

 Demonstrations against an incumbent government are not new in Israel. However, the demonstrations against the proposed judicial overhaul, which was first presented in the Knesset on January 4, 2023, have been unprecedented in terms of their scope, spread, and duration over the last eight months. Since the judicial initiative was announced, there have been 1816 demonstrations across approximately 200 locations throughout Israel. According to the police, these demonstrations involved more than 7 million protesters; the protest...

Troubling tensions have surfaced recently between Israel’s political leadership and the heads of the security establishment, mainly regarding the operational fitness of the IDF in light of the measures taken by senior reservist officers, particularly in the Air Force. Such tensions are not new, but in the context of the profound existing socio-political crisis, the fact that they have penetrated the discourse among those who are responsible for national security severely harms their trust toward one another, and that of the public in...

 To understand the economic implications of the political crisis in Israel, we should closely monitor the currency exchange rate and the performance of the local stock market. These indicators reflect, in real-time, the sense of the general public, specifically stock investors, and serve as a “financial seismograph” for understanding current events. As the chart demonstrates, since the beginning of the year a significant gap has emerged between the performance of the Israeli stock market and that of its counterparts in the...

The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in an urgent alert: The model of the IDF as the “people’s army” is at risk of dissolution. This can result in a weakened military and lead Israel toward a precarious reality that jeopardizes the regional deterrence equation. Current developments coincide with escalating threats on various fronts. We call urgently for an immediate cessation of unilateral legislation, and urge that changes be pursued through a broad consensus.

Since the outbreak of the widescale, unprecedented public protests sparked by the government’s proposed judicial overhaul, the Arab public has avoided any active or mass involvement in the events. This is a noteworthy phenomenon, because Arab citizens of Israel, who comprise one fifth of the country’s population, might well be the first to be adversely impacted, individually and collectively, if and when the judicial overhaul is enacted. The occasional calls made by a few Arab leaders to take part in the protest have generally been...

Israel’s new government faces many important challenges that may well shape the face of the state for years to come. One of the existential challenges facing the country is integrating the ultra-Orthodox population into the fabric of society and the economy. This is not only vital today, but it is crucial when looking ahead. The impressive level of economic growth that Israel recorded in the past 20 years, which led to a sharp increase in the quality of life, is now in danger because the positive trends clash with demographic...

Click here to read the full research paper on the subject Israel is facing an ominous combination of severe threats to its national security, widening rifts in its relations with the US, and increasing economic risks amid the global economic crisis. At the same time, Israeli society is in the midst of an unprecedented internal conflict stemming from the proposed judicial reform, which magnifies these threats and impairs our ability to tackle them. Without dwelling on the controversial contents of the reform, this much is clear: the...

The government of Israel should understand that proceeding with the proposed judicial initiative, which is undermining internal solidarity, damaging public trust in the government, and impairing governance, may well harm social resilience and consequently jeopardize Israel’s national security. Even if the government is determined to proceed with reforming the justice system, it should do so with caution and responsibility, based on broad public consent and in a way that does not entail harmful societal consequences.