December 2009 - The Israel Democracy Institute

December 2009

IDI Vice President receives Humboldt Research Award

IDI congratulates Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, IDI Vice President, on receipt of the 2009 Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in Humanities. The ‘Humboldt Prize’ is one of the most prestigious honors given in Germany to internationally renowned scholars in recognition of a lifetime of academic achievement. To read more, click here.

Prof. Kremnitzer in the News

In recent weeks, Prof. Kremnitzer weighed in on a number of important issues. See his comments on the role of the State Comptroller in Haaretz and on the Finance Minister's rebuke of the Supreme Court in The Jerusalem Post.

Events at IDI

Dec. 9 - The State Comptroller: A Critical Look
The status of the State Comptroller in Israel remains a point of contention within Israeli society. IDI's George Shultz Roundtable Forum convened to discuss this vital public institution. More Info

Dec. 31 - Democracy in Crisis seminar
Prof. Sheila Jasanoff of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government will present a lecture entitled 'Fact and Fantasy: Science and Culture in Post-Modern Democracies'. The lecture will be available by webcast at 4pm (9am EST) on Thursday Dec. 31st. More Info

Jan. 3 - The Forum for Political Reform in Israel
The second working session of IDI's 'Forum for Political Reform in Israel' will meet on Sunday, Jan. 3rd. More Info

Jan. 4 - Police and Society Forum
On Wednesday, January 4th, IDI will host the third 'Police and Society Forum'. Participants include top officials from the Israel Police Force, government ministers, and legal scholars. More Info

Jan. 6 - Israel as a Democracy Symposium: Session 2
Prof. Yuval Shany--IDI Senior Research Fellow and director of research on Terror and Democracy--will present a lecture on 'Dilemmas of a Young Democracy in the War on Terror: Can Israel Win and Preserve Her Soul?' to a community wide forum in Atlanta, GA. More Info

Jan. 13 - Roundtable: Immigration from the FSU
The year 2009 marks twenty years since the major wave of immigration to Israel from the Former Soviet Union. On 13 Jan. 2010, IDI will host a roundtable discussion of the integration of this immigrant group into Israeli society. More Info

Jan. 20 - Roundtable: The Biometric Database Law
Leading officials, professional experts, and scholars will gather around IDI's George Shultz Roundtable to discuss the biometric database law and the concerns it has raised. More Info

IDI launches International Study Group on Terrorism, Democracy and the Law

The release of the Goldstone Report has underscored the urgent need to adapt international law to meet the needs of democracies confronting the ongoing threat of terrorism. IDI is spearheading an international effort to construct alternative models for the legal framework governing the war on terror. To read more about the Institute's collaborative effort with the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, click here.

Rabbis vs. the Army: New Tensions between Religion and State

Do orders issued by rabbis take precedence over those given by commanding officers in the IDF? Dr. Kalman Neuman provides an analysis of the recent controversy.

The Blessing of Diversity versus the Curse of Multiplicity IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Stern explores Israel's clashing identities. Today’s political and social climate finds both the individual citizen and the State itself struggling to balance western-liberal and traditional-Jewish values. Read More		New Legal Department to Deal with Issues of Universal Jurisdiction In October, Israel's Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs established a legal task force to handle all international legal proceedings against Israel, Israeli soldiers and officials. For a discussion of this new institution in the recent Terrorism and Democracy Newsletter, click here.
Immigrants and Crime Many native Israelis are quick to blame social ills on the immigration from the former USSR. However, says IDI's Michael Philippov, many Israelis do not know the facts, and the politicians neglect the core causes of crime. Read More		Opinion: Dismantling Sectarian Cities of Refuge In response to the recent surge of sectarian crime, IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Stern calls on the leadership of Israel's various communities to confront anti-social behavior within their ranks. Read More

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