Israel has been facing an ongoing crisis of democracy reaching an inflection point with the current radical right government. Since January 2023, the government has proposed over 200 laws to limit judicial power, control the media landscape, and reinforce the country's Jewish ethno-national character. Taken together, these laws serve as a template for an illiberal regime transition. These attempts were met with large-scale and persistent social protest that has so far limited the government’s actions.

This virtual panel discussion hosted by the GWU’s Women’s Leadership Program brings together Israeli scholars to discuss the root causes for illiberalism in Israel, explanations for the unparalleled protest, the prospects for Israeli democracy, and the implications for both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the future of liberal democracy more broadly.

Participants:

Shai Agmon, Oxford University

Shani Cohen, Harvard University

Dr. Arnon Degani, Mold Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy

Moderator: Dr. Hadas Aron, GWU