IDI News: August 2011 - The Israel Democracy Institute

August, 2011

From Protest to Change: IDI Responds to the Social-Economic Protest

The unprecedented wave of protest that engulfed Israel in the summer of 2011 has produced calls for sweeping changes to Israel’s tax policy, social services, housing sector and more. IDI has been at the forefront of research regarding these and related areas for years. On August 24, 2011, the Institute submitted a set of policy recommendations to the government-appointed committee headed by IDI board member Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg.

Find out more

Beyond the Trajtenberg Committee: The Need for Political Reform

‪The recent social-economic protests reflect a breakdown of representative government and underscore the urgent need for political reform.

IDI's President Dr. Arye Carmon, Vice President Mordechai Kremnitzer, and Head of Impact Rabbi Itshak Levy stress the need to fix Israel's political system.
Read the interview with Rabbi Levi (Hebrew) >
IDI's Vice President Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs explain why this is an opportune time to restart the process of adopting a constitution.
Read "Now's the Time for a Constitution" (English) >
Save Israeli Democracy, a non-profit organization working to advance the recommendations of IDI's Forum for Political Reform in Israel, has issued an urgent appeal to translate the momentum into political action by registering for party membership.
Read the article (Hebrew) >

Upcoming Event at IDI

Roundtable on International Recognition of the Palestinian State
In anticipation of the possibility that the UN will be asked to recognize a Palestinian State, on September 14, 2011, IDI will convene a roundtable on the implications of the UN vote and its effect on political and legal discourse in Israel. Find out more

More News and Analysis from IDI

The Social-Economic Protest: Dr. Momi Dahan Calls for a New Agenda

How should we respond to the current protest? IDI Senior Fellow Dr. Momi Dahan, head of Hebrew University's School of Public Policy, stresses the need for a new social-economic agenda focusing on three areas: expanding the welfare state, increasing competition, and redefining the rules of the labor market.

Read the op-ed

The Social-Economic Protest: Prof. Avi Ben-Bassat Discusses Necessary Reforms

In an interview with the Globes financial daily, IDI Senior Fellow Prof. Avi Ben-Bassat, former Director General of the Finance Ministry, reflects on the imbalances of Israel’s tax and expenditure policies, blames the housing crisis in Israel on the slow release of state-owned land for construction, and shares his vision of the reforms necessary at this time.

Read the interview

IDI Impacts Counter-Terrorism Bill A comprehensive Counter-Terrorism bill passed its first reading in the Knesset. IDI provided the Justice Ministry with vital feedback regarding this new legislation. Find out more (JPost)		Changes to Homicide Law Proposed A commission headed by IDI Vice President Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer submitted its recommendations for reform of the penal system to Justice Minister Yaacov Neeman. Find out more (JPost)
IDI VP Speaks Out on "Jewish State" Bill IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Stern, head of IDI's Religion and State project, denounced a proposal for a new Basic Law that would define Israel as a Jewish state and revoke the official status of the Arabic language in Israel in the process. Find out more (The Forward)		IDI Scholar Cited in Divorce Penalty Case Based on a paper by Prof. Shahar Lifshitz, co-head of IDI's Human Rights and Judaism project, an Israeli judge fined a woman NIS 200,000 for refusing to accept a religious divorce, making an important statement about gender equality. Find out more (JPost)

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