Democracy

Immunity is not impunity: Gotliv case tests Israel’s democratic protections - editorial

The Gotliv debate underscores a simple truth for Israeli democracy: immunity safeguards debate, but it cannot eliminate legal responsibility.

MK Tally Gotliv attends to a Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem. March 23, 2026.
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit arrives for a hearing on a petition concerning the continuation of the criminal investigation into alleged leaks in the “Sde Teiman” affair at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, May 31, 2026.

Israel's judiciary faces a legitimacy crisis of its own making - opinion

 TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Turkey’s irredentist policies, from its actions in Cyprus to its growing involvement in Syria, highlight a policy of territorial expansion and ethnic dominance, the writer maintains.

Turkey’s democracy is dying as Erdogan dismantles opposition - opinion

 A woman walks past a large mural depicting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Agaro, a town in the constituency where the Ethiopian leader is running for office in the June 1 general election, in Oromia region, on May 28, 2026.

7th Ethiopian general election in Ethiopia: Voter surge and electoral innovations - opinion


The new Knesset Museum: Is one of its tasks to bolster democracy? - opinion

The dissonance between what is happening in today’s Knesset and what is displayed in the Knesset Museum is worth considering.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening ceremony of the new Knesset Museum as Speaker Amir Ohana looks on, in Jerusalem last week.

Can technology save Israel's democracy from decades-long decay?

Here is the rather shocking evidence of the decades-long decay of democracy in Israel and abroad, a problem long neglected, and an interview with an expert who proposes a sweeping solution.

 People demonstrate against the government’s judicial reform, in Tel Aviv in 2023.

Eyal Gur: Fighting in Jerusalem for Israel's democratic, religious, Zionist values

Jerusalemite of the week: Under Eyal Gur's guidance, Safeguarding Our Shared Home has grown and is taking a stand against major issues facing Israeli society.

 Eyal Gur

EU must stop funding controversial NGOs - opinion

The European Union's funding of Israeli political NGOs that oppose the government and support human rights has been highly controversial.

 EU FOREIGN POLICY head Kaja Kallas rings the bell at the start of a foreign ministers council meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. She has made efforts to repair the broken ties with Israel, say the writers.

Israel’s missing constitution creates a half-democracy - opinion

Israel's brittle democracy is vulnerable to attacks from within because of its lack of a constitution and other critical elements.

 ATTORNEY-GENERAL Gali Baharav-Miara attends a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in April. Israeli democracy is actually shockingly half-baked, the writer argues.

A-G Baharav-Miara: Dismissal hearing part of 'political deal' aimed at ensuring gov't's survival

She warned that the hearing has devastating consequences for anyone who fills the role of attorney general in the future, as their hiring process will be subject to foreign and corrupt influences.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Gali Baharav-Miara attends a Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee meeting in April. She says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to advance the appointment of Maj.-Gen. David Zini as head of the Shin Bet is invalid and illegal.

Is a democratic Iran possible? - opinion

Two organizations situated outside Iran are dedicated to bringing it about. However, they are at loggerheads with each other.

 Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran, speaks during a press conference about the situation in Iran and the need to support Iranians, in Paris, France, June 23, 2025.

Jew-hatred knows no borders: Israel is everything Iran's regime hates - opinion

It’s the same ancient hatred that has chased the Jewish people from continent to continent and century after century. Today, that hatred wears a black turban in Tehran.

 THE WRITER attends a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The Jewish people have seen Pharaohs and Romans, inquisitors and Nazis, and pogroms and rockets; we are still here, he asserts.

Benny Gantz's faction to hold leadership primaries as Israeli election looms

Gantz’s party will hold leadership elections and open public registration amid falling polls and rising support for Eisenkot.

 Leader of the National Unity Party MK Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 26, 2025.

Israel, don't let democracy die: Beware the populist tide in Europe - opinion

After a populist with ties to organized crime won the Polish elections, does Israel face a similar threat?

  Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, gestures next to his wife Marta Nawrocka, his sons Antoni and Daniel and daughter Katarzyna, as they react to the exit polls of the second round of the presidential election, in Warsaw, Poland.