There are different kinds of calls for military insubordination. Some people who advocate refusal of orders are motivated by the desire to thwart the implementation of national decisions that have been made democratically; consequently, they call for mass civil disobedience or for disobedience by those who would be responsible for implementing the national decision, such as air force pilots ordered,…

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, one of the most important rabbis of the Religious Zionist community, has stated that it is forbidden for women to serve in the Knesset because it is a breach of modesty. As he sees it, the public exposure that is involved in political life is not reconcilable with the religious principle of "all the honor of the…

The JPPI’s new, action-oriented book "Jewish Demographic Policies: Population Trends and Options in Israel and in the Diaspora" makes recommendations to meet the current Jewish demographic challenges, all of which are worthy of serious debate. Among the main recommendations: establishing final borders of the State of Israel; facilitating cultural absorption of non-Jewish members of Jewish households into a Jewish context and…

A new report by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) concludes that an immediate, coordinated Jewish – including Israeli – response is needed to thwart the possible implications of recent attempts to ban circumcision and limit other Jewish practices in Western Europe. JPPI characterizes the German court's decision against circumcision as a "historic ruling" that might threaten the future thriving…

The 2011-12 Assessment offers a clear framework for judging the "State of the Jewish People. In what areas are world Jewry and Israel thriving? Where are they "maintaining" or holding at current levels?  And where are they declining. Using five key dimensions—geopolitical developments; demography; identity formation and expression; intra- and inter-community bonds; and material resources—the Assessment analyzes the state of…

The following paper is drawn from ongoing work  by the Jewish People Policy Institute and appears on the JFNA website by special permission.  Readers are requested not to distribute or quote from this document without prior permission. For the full text: 2012: Prioritized Strategies for the Jewish People Challenges and Opportunities: A Conceptual Framework

We must acknowledge the fact that there is tension between these two defining characteristics of our state. This tension cannot be resolved in one fell swoop. Extended efforts and a process of maturation over generations is necessary in order to arrive at interpretations that will reduce the areas of conflict and smooth out the rough edges, rather than sharpening and…

Jewish tradition, however, teaches us the opposite: "Do not rely on miracles." While it is convenient to believe in miracles and to be led blindly by others, to a destination that is not of our own choosing, Judaism demands that we rely on ourselves, accept responsibility, and act autonomously. The time since the Exodus has been an extended transition from…

This paper calls on the Government of Israel to take action to strengthen the Jewish identity, bonds to Israel and connections with Jewish communities, of Israeli emigrants abroad. To read the recommendations: Strengthening Jewish-Israeli Identity of Israelis abroad