Here we go again, like a broken record, and the sound is dissonant, disappointing, and disgraceful. Israel's Security Service Law, which drafts our sons and daughters into the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), compelling them to risk their lives for their country, has been amended again by the Knesset because of changes in the make-up of the coalition government. Made in…

This paper presents and analyzes the social, identity, and political preferences of Israeli society while mainly focusing on Israel’s Jews. It portrays the development of these traits over Israel's existence, with a special emphasis on the past 25 years. Although each of these characteristics stands on its own, this analysis connects each examined characteristic with what preceded it. This approach…

Unfortunately, over the past several weeks, in the face of a wave of murderous terror, we have seen cruel and ruthless responses on the street and through social media. The Arab/Muslim side has callously called for further attacks. The Israeli/Jewish side has witnessed a societal outburst of racism and calls for "killing every terrorist" after each attack. Rabbis have partnered…

Published on: Haaretz.com  When Yigal Amir murdered Yitzhak Rabin, he did not target Yitzhak Rabin the man; he targeted the prime minister of Israel. This political assassination sought to change government policy and prevent the implementation of the Oslo Accords. The assassin used a gun barrel to change the results of the ballot box, seeking to overthrow Israel's decision-making bodies…

Published in: The Jerusalem Post   On the eve of Yom Kippur, when the Jewish people gather in synagogues to recite Kol Nidrei, they repeat three times in unison: "With the approval of the Omnipresent and with the approval of the congregation; in the convocation of the Court above and in the convocation of the Court below, we sanction prayer…

What could be more natural and appropriate than full and complete realization of Jewish sovereignty over the Temple Mount—the tiny strip of land, just a few hundred square meters large, which has been at the center of the collective Jewish consciousness for generations? How can we, the fortunate generation that redeemed the Land of Israel and gathered in the exiles,…

Published in: Yedioth Ahronoth How closely should the Chief Rabbinate be scrutinizing the plates of Israel’s citizens? That is the question the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will have to answer when it considers the proposed amendment to the Kashrut Fraud Prevention Law, which would cover everything from soup to nuts. According to rough estimates, the kosher supervision industry in Israel…

Since the interim framework deal between the US led 5+1 and Iran was announced in April, Israel has come out strongly against what it views as a “bad deal,” one that grants international legitimacy to Iran’s nuclear program. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked time and again, Israel is not against a diplomatic solution. In his speech in March to Congress, Netanyahu noted that “the alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal” and that “no country has a greater stake than Israel in a good deal that peacefully removes this threat.” Rather, Israel sees in the emerging deal a capitulation to Iranian bargaining tactics when the US position was at its strongest, and a grave misunderstanding of the Iranian regime’s intentions.

Pluralism and Jewish Solidarity in Polarizing Times