A “Kulturkampf” in Israel? The status of women in the Israeli Society

Q & A to Dr. Galit Desheh, Director of the Israel Women’s Network

After the social protests in the Summer 2011, a new topic has hit the streets in Israel: the role of women in public life. Particularly, some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, so-called Haredim, clash with secularly oriented Israelis. Do we have yet another proof that Israel's society is heading towards a "Kulturkampf" threatening the social fabric of the country? Nadine Mensel asked Dr. Galit Desheh from the Israel Women's Network about the status of women in Israel.

Joint Israeli-Palestinian Poll, December 2011

Increase in Israelis’ and Palestinians’ willingness to compromise

Israelis’ and Palestinians’ willingness to compromise has increased amidst a climate of feud and mistrust - this is a noticeable result of the most recent poll conducted jointly by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Ramallah and Jerusalem and the Ford Foundation Cairo office. Hereinafter you find a summary of the main results of the survey.

Abschied von vermeintlichen Sicherheiten

Newsletter, Ausgabe Dezember 2011

Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser! In europäischen Breiten ist es (ähnlich wie in Israel zwischen jüdischem Neujahrsfest und Jom Kippur) gute Tradition, am Jahresende innezuhalten, sein Gewissen zu erforschen, Bilanz zu ziehen und ein paar – tunlichst nicht zu viele! – Vorsätze zu fassen.

Five Questions, Five Answers: Bringing Europe to Israel

Five questions to Ido Rosenblum

This episode of our series "5 Questions - 5 Answers" draws attention to a new website in Hebrew that is entirely dealing with issues related to Europe and the European Union. Ido Rosenblum, student at the Center for the Study of European Politics and Society at Ben-Gurion University in Beer-Sheva provides our readers with background information.

In need for information on Europe and the EU?

A personal invitation from Dr. Sharon Pardo

Dear reader,We would like to invite you to visit our new website, which is dedicated entirely to Europe and the EU. This website was envisioned and brought to fruition by a student from the Center of European Politics and Society, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Debate: „Five questions – five answers“

Our list of publications now contains a new series called „Five questions – five answers“. At irregular intervals, readers will be informed on thesis and ideas, currently being discussed with our cooperating think tanks. The answers to our questions differ, sometimes they are even conflicting. Nevertheless, they reflect a pluralism so typical for the vividness of political debates in Israel.

Five questions, five answers: Israel and the Iranian Nuclear Progam

Five questions to Dr. Reuven Pedatzur

Recently, a new report about the Iranian nuclear program, published by the International Atomic Energy Agency, resulted in a new international discussion about the growing tensions between Israel and Iran. In the framework of our new series “Five questions, five answers”, we asked Dr. Reuven Pedatzur, academic director of the „S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue, Netanya Academic College” for his assessment of the current situation:

Linke Nichtregierungsorganisationen

„Nützliche Idioten“ im Dienst des Feindes?

Das „Ministerial Committee for Legislation“ hat am Sonntag, den 13. November 2011, grünes Licht für zwei Gesetzentwürfe gegeben, die darauf abzielen, die Finanzierung von israelischen Menschenrechtsorganisationen durch ausländische Geldgeber einzuschränken.

“Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”

Gilad Shalit is free and back home.

In the morning of October 18, people in Israel held their breath. In an atmosphere full of tension but also anticipation, Israelis were following the live coverage of Gilad Shalit’s release and return back home. It was a triumph of humanity. One life in exchange for 1027 prisoners – that kind of ratio is a symbol of its own indicating the asymmetry in the conflict with Hamas, an organization that ruthlessly sends suicide assassins on lethal missions to destroy as many human beings as possible.

Joy over the exchange deal in favour of Gilad Shalit

In Germany, the news about the agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas on the release of Gilad Shalit has been received with great joy. The soldier Gilad Shalit had been kidnapped more than five years ago by a militant group of Palestinians. Shalit is expected to return home next Tuesday. Amongst others, Dr. Gershon Baskin, the Israeli Co-Director of the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) – a think-tank KAS Israel has been closely working with for many years – has been part of the talks preceding the agreement.