1. Israeli Society Today Raphael Cohen-Almagor
11/23/2018
Israeli Society Today
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
First Annual Tel Aviv University Workshop on the Arab-Israeli Conflict
25 June 2006
November 23, 2018

2. Preliminaries Israel was established as a Jewish democracy
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Preliminaries
Israel was established as a Jewish democracy
Based on Liberal-Democratic values
AND
Jewish values
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3. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
Israel is a young democracy. It is still in process of development and undoubtedly it will face further tests.
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4. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
The key factor for its success is its relationships with our neighbours.
Security expenses exhausts a third of our budget, leaving insufficient resources for the development of other spheres.
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5. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
The constant security threat destroys the tourism industry and preempts external investments essential for economic growth.
Unemployment continues to be significant.
Salaries going down in real terms.
Welfare benefits are cut.
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6. Preliminaries Taxes are high and continue to rise.
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Preliminaries
Taxes are high and continue to rise.
Israel has the highest tax rate in the world, outside Scandinavia.
High-tech industries, one of the country's strengths, experience what the rest of the world is experiencing.
The only business that is flourishing is security. Stroll the streets and see soldiers, policemen, and personnel of many security operations.
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7. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
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8. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
People are worried about their physical security as well as about their economic security.
About 70% of the population claims their expenses outweigh their earnings.
About 25% of the population are below the poverty line.
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9. 11/23/2018
Preliminaries
No natural resources: no gold, no silver, no diamonds, no oil
Lecture in South Africa
“All this mess for face cream?”
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10. Preliminaries Our greatest asset is education
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Preliminaries
Our greatest asset is education
But it is not in the government’s priorities
20% cut in universities’ budget since 2001
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11. Preliminaries Almost no new hiring
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Preliminaries
Almost no new hiring
Israelis study in the finest universities in the world, including yours, and then cannot find a job in their home country
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12. Preliminaries What is the good state?
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Preliminaries
What is the good state?
In a nutshell: A place where you wish your children grow up
Israel is in problem in this regard: more than 900,000 Israelis left the country and live abroad
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13. Preliminaries Many because of the hardship of life
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Preliminaries
Many because of the hardship of life
Others because they cannot find a job
Our best of people: engineers, physicians, high-tech, academic emigrated from Israel
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14. Arguments I argue for seperation between state and religion 11/23/2018
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15. 11/23/2018
Arguments
I argue for accommodating the interests of the Israeli-Palestinians, striving to safeguard equal rights and liberties for all citizens notwithstanding nationality, religion, race or colour, and insisting that citizens have also duties to fulfil.
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16. Arguments I argue for ending the occupation
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Arguments
I argue for ending the occupation
I argue for strengthening democratic values
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17. 11/23/2018
Arguments
The most basic norms democracy has to secure are respecting others as human beings, and not to inflicting harm upon others.
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18. Society’s Profile No shared raison d'être
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Society’s Profile
No shared raison d'être
20% wish to transform democracy into theocracy
20% do not endorse the Zionist ethos
20% of the population are immigrants from the former Soviet Union where no democracy existed
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19. Main Schisms Between Jews and Arabs
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Main Schisms
Between Jews and Arabs
Between secular and religious people
Between Israel and the Occupied Territories
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20. 11/23/2018
Questions
Can a liberal democracy allow minority groups to restrict the individual rights of society at large?
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21. 11/23/2018
Questions
Can a liberal democracy allow minority groups to restrict the individual rights of their members, or should it insist that all groups uphold liberal principles?
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22. 11/23/2018
Live and Let Live
We need to differentiate between the symbolic aspects and the modus operandi aspects. As far as the latter are concerned, separation between state and religion should be achieved.
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23. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
If an illiberal minority is seeking to oppress other groups, then most liberals would agree that intervention is justified in the name of self-defence and liberty
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24. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
The secular majority in Israel has every right to object to attempts which aim at narrowing its freedom of conscience and to broaden the authority of religious orthodoxy.
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25. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Democracy is supposed to allow each and every individual the opportunity to follow her or his conception of the good without coercion.
Israel today gives precedence to Judaism over liberalism.
I submit that on issues such as this one, the reverse should be the case.
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26. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Israel, being the only Jewish state in the world, should strive to retain its Jewish character.
The symbols should remain Jewish with some accommodations in order to make the state a home for its Palestinian citizens as well.
Shabbat should remain the official day of rest.
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27. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Palestinian villages and towns may make Friday their day of rest.
Hopefully, one day, when security considerations would become less dominant and pressing, and the Israeli economy could afford two days of rest, as is the case in many parts of the world, then Friday and Shabbat will become the two official days of rest.
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28. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
while Shabbat should be observed, malls and shopping places outside the cities should be available for the many people who work during the week and do their shopping during weekends.
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29. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Public transportation should be made available for all people who cannot afford having a car and for those who do not drive.
The state should cater for the needs of as many citizens as possible.
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30. 11/23/2018
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31. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Kosher shops and restaurants should be available and with them non-Kosher shops and restaurants for the secular, agnostic population.
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32. 11/23/2018
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33. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Most importantly, the significant events in one's life: birth, wedding, divorce and death should be handled in accordance of the people's own choices.
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34. 11/23/2018
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35. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
If they so desire, people may involve rabbinate and other religious institutions in their private lives.
But this option should be left to them. If people wish to have secular ceremonies then they should have the ability to conduct them and not to be forced to undergo practices which mean very little to them, if anything.
The state should have as little as possible say in family, intimate affairs.
November 23, 2018

36. 11/23/2018
Religion and State
Along Hevra Kadisha secular burial services should be offered.
People need not travel outside the country to marry in civil marriage.
10% of the population are gay/lesbian. The liberal state should address their needs as well and allow them to marry as they see fit.
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37. inter-group relationships v. intra-group relationships
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inter-group relationships v. intra-group relationships
One group has no right to coerce the entire society into following its conception of the good and abiding by its cultural norms.
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38. Internalized Coercion Vs. Designated Coercion
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Internalized Coercion Vs. Designated Coercion
Unlike the internalized coercion, designated coercion is not concerned with a machinery aiming to convince the entire cultural group of an irrefutable truth
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39. 11/23/2018
Exit right
The power of religious communities over their own members must be restricted so that individuals could freely and effectively exercise exit capacity
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40. 11/23/2018
Ufff…
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41. 11/23/2018
Stretching
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42. The Declaration of Independence
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The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence holds that Israel will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; that it will be based on the foundations of liberty, justice and peace;
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43. The Declaration of Independence
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The Declaration of Independence
that it will uphold complete equality of social and political rights to all of its citizens irrespective of religion, race or sex, and that it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.
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44. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
Formal v. Full Citizenship
Discrimination
Racism
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45. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
Arabic is one of the two official languages of the State of Israel. Therefore it should enjoy a dominant status and have the importance it deserves.
Arabic should be taught at every primary and high school together with English.
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46. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
Studies of all religions that exist in Israel should be made available.
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47. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
Delegates of the Arab minority should be represented, in accordance with their size in society, in the Knesset and in the government.
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48. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
To date, there has never been an Arab minister. This should be corrected.
At the same time, Israel would like to see from all its citizens, without exception, a real and strong commitment to the state, to peace, and to the struggle against terror.
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49. Israeli-Palestinians
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Israeli-Palestinians
Guaranteeing representation for a minority
Devolving power to local levels in just ways by just means
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50. 11/23/2018
Duties
Large sectors, mainly the ultra-orthodox, do not pay taxes, do not serve in the army, do not work;
yet, they receive state support allowing them to study torah.
Resources should be distributed equally to all sectors.
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51. 11/23/2018
Duties
Every citizen is expected to pay in accordance with his/her abilities.
Israel should sponsor religious studies to the same extent that it supports university and other forms of high education.
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52. 11/23/2018
Army/National Duty
Citizens who have a problem in serving the army for religious, moral or national reasons should commit themselves to do national service for the required period of time (presently three years for men; two years for women) in their own communities, working to better the conditions of their own group.
Army service – pretext for discrimination
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53. 11/23/2018
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54. Occupied Territories Ending the occuption
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Occupied Territories
Ending the occuption
Withdrawing settlements and the IDF
Two state solution
1967 Borders
The Fence
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55. Occupied Territories Ending terrorism and Qassam missiles
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Occupied Territories
Ending terrorism and Qassam missiles
The Right of Return
The refugee problem
Jerusalem
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56. Conclusions The severity of rights violations within the communities;
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Conclusions
Relevant factors:
The severity of rights violations within the communities;
The extent to which formalized dispute resolution mechanisms exist within the community;
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57. 11/23/2018
Conclusions
The extent to which these mechanisms are seen as legitimate by group members;
The ability of dissenting group members to leave the community if they so desire;
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58. 11/23/2018
Conclusions
The existence of historical agreements which base the national minority’s claim for some sort of autonomy
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59. Problems No shared raison d'être Many schisms
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Problems
No shared raison d'être
Many schisms
Not-so-friendly neighbours
Terror
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60. Problems Shaky economy
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Problems
Shaky economy
Problematic election system that bring about unstable Knesset and corruption
Culture in which generals are heavily involved in politics during and after service
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61. 11/23/2018
Problems
Racism
Some thirty percent of Israeli citizenry wish to transform democracy into "a government based on strong hand", limit free expression and freedom of the press so as to have "better control".
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62. Remedies Every student of history needs to worry
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Remedies
Every student of history needs to worry
Strive for peace with Syria and Lebanon
Modify election system – Germany
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63. Remedies Need to strengthen the democratic foundations
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Remedies
Need to strengthen the democratic foundations
Promote Civic Culture
Education: There is no democratic education in Israel
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64. Center for Democratic Studies
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Center for Democratic Studies
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65. Center for Democratic Studies
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Center for Democratic Studies
The aim of The Haifa Center for Democratic Studies is to promote awareness and understanding of civic culture in democracy.
Recognizing the growing need to secure the foundations of democracy and to facilitate conditions for pluralism, the Center establishes a national and international forum for deliberation and discussion.
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66. Center for Democratic Studies
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Center for Democratic Studies
The Center aims to increase public awareness of liberal democratic values: liberty, tolerance, justice, equality and peace
Focus is on the role of ethics and justice in all spheres of public life: politics; economy; culture; academy; business; law; media and medicine.
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67. Center for Democratic Studies
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Center for Democratic Studies
Strengthening of active participation in public life, professional ethics, accountability for one’s actions, multiculturalism, diversity, and civic equality
The Center also focuses attention upon abuse of power and violation of basic human rights. It will encourage open debate on the vital importance of freedom of expression, in its broad sense, in democratic life.
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68. Center for Democratic Studies
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Center for Democratic Studies
On this front the Center sees an urgent need for education on all levels: primary schools, high schools and universities.
Develop a broad curriculum of recent history and civics, empowering civic education.
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69. 11/23/2018
Thank you
November 23, 2018