Dear IDI Friends and Supporters,

As reported in the press, IDI presented the 2011 Israeli Democracy Index to President Shimon Peres at the start of this week. Based on public opinion surveys and international indices, this annual evaluation of Israeli democracy measures the functioning and performance of Israeli democracy and its institutions, and builds a base of knowledge that promotes research, enriches public discourse, and increases awareness of changes and trends in the quality of Israeli democracy.

Key findings of this year's Israeli Democracy Index include:

• 82.3% of respondents are proud to be Israeli, including over half the Arab citizens interviewed.
  
• Over 70% of the public believes that the government is not handling state problems well.
  
• Even after this summer's protests, only 1/3 of Israelis believe that they and their peers are capable of influencing government decisions.
  
• Trust in the State President rose over the past year by 10% – from 68% to 77.8%.
  
• One third of the Jewish population of Israel does not consider Arab citizens to be “Israelis.”

Find out more about the 2011 Israeli Democracy Index:

• Read the statement by President Shimon Peres
  
  
• Read a summary of the key findings of the Index
  
  
• Download the full 2011 Israeli Democracy Index in English
  
  
• Download the full 2011 Israeli Democracy Index in Hebrew
  
  

With wishes for a year of health, prosperity, and progress towards stronger democracy,

The Israel Democracy Institute