Israeli Democracy: Towards a New Political Imagination

Organizers: Prof. Issachar Rosen-Zvi & Prof. Shai Lavi (Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem)

Recent developments have sparked anxiety about the future of Israel's political and legal landscape, particularly its ethos of solidarity. The constitutional reform proposed by the coalition redefines Israel's democratic regime and has has triggered widespread and unexpected protests, underscoring the gravity of these efforts. These circumstances demand a profound reexamination of foundational questions that have been hitherto taken for granted.

How can we interpret these events from an intellectual and scholarly standpoint? What theoretical frameworks can guide us in this exploration? What insights can we glean from recent events, as well as enduring social, cultural, and economic processes, to illuminate the expected and morally suitable political and legal framework for Israel?

This research group, a collaborative endeavor between the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Tel Aviv University and the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, strives to enhance our comprehension of Israel's democratic framework. It delves into potential trajectories rooted in current events, while also investigating societal, institutional, and political structures, along with the evolving ideologies within Israel. The group aims to harmonize democratic theories with a thorough understanding of the Israeli context, bridging theory and lived experiences to uncover the distinctiveness of Israeli democracy. This endeavor will subsequently pave the way for crafting norms and designing institutions that could facilitate the lasting coexistence of diverse communities within Israel.

Call for Research Group: Israeli Democracy: Towards a New Political Imagination