As the war in Gaza drags on, wreaking further devastation and immense casualties, the Israeli government is pressing ahead with its outright assault on democratic institutions and norms. It is no exaggeration to say that Israel’s democracy faces its most significant threats since the country’s establishment.
Over the last few months, the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Netanyahu has advanced a flurry of anti-democratic legislation, including bills that would criminalize cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC); that would bar Arab parties from running for Knesset; that would impose an 80% tax on NGOs receiving funding from foreign governmental entities – and recently passed a law that politicizes judicial appointments. Civil liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of protest, especially among Palestinian citizens and pro-democracy activists, are being quashed by an increasingly unrestrained police force, while human rights in the West Bank are violated daily.
Meanwhile, the government continues attacking the gatekeepers of Israeli democracy and the rule of law: Netanyahu fired the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s general security service, and is moving to fire the attorney general, drawing the country closer to autocracy and to a constitutional crisis. This alarming state of affairs has been exacerbated by a U.S. administration under President Trump that, unlike the previous administration, is enabling Israel’s more extreme moves in the occupied territories and emboldening the most right-wing elements in the Netanyahu government.
These are tremendous challenges, and uncertainty about the future is great. We at the New Israel Fund are leading a movement of our civil society partners to confront these threats the only way we know how: with a gritty resolve that is guided by our values and our firm belief that a better future is possible.
How NIFC is Meeting This Moment:
NIFC’s strategic approach to the current challenges relies on a “building and blocking” framework that employs the following strategies:
– “Building” a movement that 1) Presents a positive vision for Israel’s future and is grounded in new ideas and policies; 2) Works with diverse leaders to bolster the pro-democracy movement; and 3) Mobilizes the broader public around a commitment to liberal democratic values with the aim of building political power.
– “Blocking” measures including 1) Anti-democratic legislation and initiatives; 2) Efforts to curb civil liberties; and 3) Moves to further entrench the occupation and settlement enterprise, including soaring settler violence and expulsion of communities in the West Bank.
Building
Presenting a Positive Vision for the Future
The Israeli political landscape has been dominated in recent years by the illiberal agenda and vision of the ultranationalist right—a vision that includes annexation of the West Bank and ethnic cleansing of Gaza, a neutered judicial system, and a subordinate press. NIFC is leading the movement to oppose this vision through strategic thinking and action. We support project partners that are forging a different narrative for Israel’s future: one that envisions peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, that educates the public toward liberal democratic values, and that protects democratic institutions and a free press.
Our project partner Mitvim: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies has joined forces with the Berl Katznelson Foundation to draft a peace plan called “The Israeli Initiative”, and they are engaging Israeli politicians and others to push for peace and oppose annexation, occupation, and ethnic cleansing.
Supporting Emerging Leaders and Building Networks
NIFC is supporting and coordinating work to cultivate new progressive leaders and create platforms for them to network.
Shatil, NIF’s operating department in Israel, is running its fourth year of the Rawabit (Connections) program, a year-long leadership training designed to support young Palestinians who have the potential to lead social change and advance new initiatives in their communities.
Public Mobilization
An especially critical component of NIFC’s building work is organizing diverse groups within the Israeli public and mobilizing them in support of the pro-democracy movement and its values.
The pro-democracy movement in Israel relies on research conducted by NIFC project partner aChord, a social psychology centre, to craft effective messaging that spurs the public to action—be it rallying tens of thousands of Israelis to take to the streets in support of democracy and ending the war, organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel to collect and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, or inspiring thousands to attend the largest pro-peace event in recent memory last summer and aiming for an even greater turnout at an upcoming peace convention.
Blocking
Fighting Anti-Democratic Legislation and Policy
As the government presses ahead with anti-democratic legislation and veers toward autocracy, NIFC and its partners, including our flagship project partner, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), are pushing back.
After the Knesset passed a law to change the makeup of the judicial selection committee, thereby increasing political control over judicial appointments, ACRI immediately petitioned the High Court of Justice to overturn the legislation on the grounds it is unconstitutional.
The New Israel Fund global network is doing everything in our power to stop proposed legislation that would levy an 80% tax on donations to civil society organizations from foreign governments and prevent those NGOs from seeking recourse through the courts. ACRI and NIF partner the Democracy Task Force, led by NIF’s action arm, Shatil, are leading the charge to oppose that bill.
Safeguarding Civil Liberties
Civil liberties, including freedom of speech and freedom of protest, have been severely limited under the current government: Between protests against the judicial overhaul and criticism of the war in Gaza, the government has increased efforts to muzzle dissent through legislation and increasingly excessive police force.
NIF created the Civil Society Protection Hub in 2023 for the express purpose of protecting activists and organizations and enabling them to operate safely and effectively in a climate shaped by a far right-wing government. The Hub connects threatened individuals and NGOs with an array of NIF-funded services, and has helped more than 100 individuals and organizations to date – including a 12-year-old girl who was suspended from school for sympathizing with Gazan civilians and the co-directors of the Oscar-winning film “No Other Land,” who have faced physical and verbal assaults in recent weeks.
Opposing Settler Violence and Annexation
NIFC and our partners are working to thwart negative developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), such as de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank, expulsions of Palestinians from West Bank villages, the ethnic cleansing and reoccupation of Gaza, and settler violence—all of which are part of the government’s radical agenda.
NIFC project partners such as Breaking the Silence work to raise awareness about the human rights violations occurring in the West Bank, while Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights provides legal assistance to Palestinians whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by army and settler violence.
Shatil launched a forum that coordinates “protective presence” work of anti-occupation organizations and activists who accompany Palestinians as they work their fields or harvest olives, and Shatil’s OPT Activists Support Program provides multifaceted support for frontline activists—including everything from resilience training to body cameras used to document instances of violence.
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