Dear IDI Friends and Supporters,

The 2010 Israeli Democracy Index has been the subject of much debate over the past week. Presented on November 30 to President Shimon Peres, the Index was the topic of a high-level panel that included the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Speaker of the Knesset, and the Minister of Justice. In subsequent days, a number of challenging findings found their way into the headlines of the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Ynet, the Christian Science Monitor, and numerous news wires and blogs.

IDI’s annual index is a periodic evaluation of Israeli democracy based on public opinion surveys and a series of international indexes. The Index measures the functioning and performance of Israeli democracy, as well as public perceptions of the State and its institutions. The topics addressed in this year’s report include: Israel’s ranking among the world’s democracies, majority-minority relations, and the opinions of Israeli citizens concerning the state’s fulfillment of its democratic mission.

We invite you to view the 2010 Israeli Democracy Index and, as always, welcome your feedback.

Warm regards from Jerusalem, and a happy Chanukah and holiday season to you all.

Barak Cohen

The Israel Democracy Institute