Social Trends and Social Justice.
While all democratic countries face questions of social equity, in Israel, these questions are experienced as fiery, personal, divisive, and acute. Its small size paired with its brief and dynamic history, immigrant-rich demographic, and ongoing conflict leads Israel to face dilemmas around social justice with a particular sense of urgency and intensity.
Informative Articles & Videos.
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Dream Doctors Medical Clowns in Israel
Meet some of Israel’s happiest social justice activists in this clip (2:51). Dream Doctors is a non-profit organization that sends medical clowns to hospitals and emergency scenes all over Israel. In this particular clip, 2 such clowns
How’s life in Israel, according to the OECD?
This brief, data-based article published by the OECD Better Life Index overlays some of the OECD’s social findings with its economic figures, pointing to a far more complex picture of life in Israel.
OECD exposes a bipolar Israel
While the OECD’s recent economic report indeed heaps a great deal of praise upon Israel, that is only half the picture, points out Amiram Barkat in this brief but powerful article from Israeli
Economy strong but social equity low, OECD report shows
This write-up of a joint event hosted by the OECD and the Taub Institute for Social Policy Studies in Israel sheds light on the diverse findings of the OECD’s most recent economic survey
The destruction of the kibbutzim and the myth of “the periphery”
This blog post by journalist Asaf Shimoni, independent contributor to the Times of Israel, suggests a surprising link between Israel’s neglected periphery and the high incidence of kibbutzim located there. He posits that
Is soccer enough to raise Be’er Sheva’s social status?
This insightful article from the Jerusalem Post looks at the case of Be’er Sheva and asks whether a peripheral community can ever truly upgrade to ‘central’ status. Be’er Sheva, long known as one
Israel’s periphery extends far beyond geographic borders
This thought-provoking read from popular Israeli news outlet Haaretz explains three terms frequently heard in Israeli media but often misunderstood: the periphery, the frontier, and the center. While the Israeli public is aware of
Discussions of LGBT Issues in the Knesset
Produced by SocialTV in 2017, this video (03:18) features members of the Knesset, activists, and members of the LGBT community discussing the most pressing issues facing the community during the second annual day
PM Netanyahu: Solidarity With LGBT Community & Jerusalem Pride Parade
In this official video (01:50), produced on the day of Jerusalem’s Pride Parade in 2016, PM Benjamin Netanyahu encourages people to support the LGBT community. Condemning violence against the LGBT community around the
A Tale of Two Prides: Tel Aviv vs. Jerusalem
This article in Out Magazine compares the euphoria of Tel Aviv’s Pride Parade with the intimacy and urgency of Jerusalem’s Pride Parade. The author, Brian Schaefer, references instances of violence at previous Jerusalem marches, which
Why Tel Aviv Is One of the Most LGBT-Friendly Cities in the World
This article from The Culture Trip travel website describes Tel Aviv as a haven for the local LGBT community and tourists, thanks to its world-renowned Pride Week, plethora of gay establishments, extensive municipal
Tel Aviv: A “Gay Haven” or “Pinkwashing” Distraction?
This Associated Press video (02:30) highlights Tel Aviv as one of the world’s most gay-friendly cities for locals and tourists alike, focusing on the open atmosphere, exciting night life, annual Pride Parade and
Public Opinion Survey on the Rights of Same-Sex Couples
This article reports the findings of a public opinion survey conducted in honor of the 2018 Jerusalem Gay Pride parade by Hiddush, an organization working towards religious freedom and equality in Israeli society.
Concise Summary of LGBT Rights in Israel
This page presents a concise view of the rights of the LGBT community in Israel, from the website of Equaldex, a collaborative knowledge base for the LGBT movement around the world. Citing the legal
A Critical Examination of Israeli LGBT Advancements: Genuine Progress or Attempts at Elevated Global Status?
This academic article from the Yale Review of International Studies examines advancements in Israeli law, society and culture to gauge whether Israel’s perceived progressive attitude toward the LGBT community is a genuine expression of the
LGBTQ Activist on the Surrogacy Law and Community Rights
In this video (05:19), produced by i24NEWS in light of the 2018 law prohibiting single men and gay couples from state-supported surrogacy rights, LGBTQ activist Yonatan Feffer discusses the progress of LGBTQ rights
MFA: Legal Equality for Israel’s LGBTQ Community
This article from the official website of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs summarizes the legal status of Israel’s LGBT individuals and families, emphasising their equality and protection under the law and the inclusiveness
More funding towards education in the periphery? Yes please, but don’t stop there
Allocating more funding to elementary schools in Israel’s periphery is an important first step but it can’t end there, argues education activist Dalia Perez in this 3-minute read from the Jerusalem Post. Students
Improving education in the periphery through affirmative action
Affirmative action could be the solution to closing the education gap between Israel’s advantaged and disadvantaged communities, according to this enlightening blog post from the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel.
A look at education in Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox community
This statistical report from the the Israel Democracy Institute looks at the longstanding education gap between Israel’s Haredi and general populations, suggesting that it is currently in a state of flux. While more
The key to breaking cycle of poverty in Israel lies in education
The OECD’s recent report on Israel’s economy reveals some disturbing findings about the national prevalence of social inequality, explains this blog post from the OECD Ecoscope. Inequality of education among children and adolescents
Education gaps between Jews and Arabs are closing
Despite the seemingly enormous gaps that national statistics reveal between Arab and Jewish education, this article from The Times of Israel suggests that when socio-economic factors are taken into account, the contrast is far
Changing the status quo for Israeli Arabs
This clip from PBS NewsHour (8:47) addresses the systemic inequality present between Israel’s Arab and Jewish populations, from early childhood education all the way up to higher education, employment, and daily experiences of
Driving innovation in Israel’s periphery
An Innovation Driven Economy in the Periphery: A National Priority is a chapter from the Israel Innovation Authority‘s 2018 report on all things Israel and innovation. Thorough and research-based, this chapter outlines a number
Exclusion of minorities not the only problem with Israel’s economy
While Israel’s economic boom has no doubt left some minority groups behind, this article posits that the problem is in fact much broader than it seems. The glaring exclusion of certain groups—namely Israeli
Poverty and economic inequality on the decline
This informative article analyzes Israel’s lack of socio-economic equity as evidenced by the demographic divide present among its poor. Data from the National Insurance Institute shows both gains and losses for Israel’s minority
A data-based snapshot of Israel’s poor
This 7-page report put out by the Meyers-JDC-Brookdale Institute—a leading center for applied social research in Israel—provides an overview of Israel’s poor. Haredim, Israeli Arabs, and families with four or more children are found to be
Poverty hits some groups harder than others
This brief clip from i24NEWS (2:10) explores not only the general prevalence of poverty in Israel but also the demographic makeup of those living under the poverty line. Researcher John Gal discusses why
Prevalence of poverty in the Haredi community
Israel’s Haredi community continues to suffer from far higher poverty rates than the general population despite that the rates are indeed declining. This statistical report put out by the Israel Democracy Institute sheds
How and why to attract doctors to Israel’s periphery
This academic article from the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research outlines the importance of bringing more primary healthcare physicians to Israel’s peripheral regions. As compared to the communities in the center, peripheral
Inadequate healthcare and general inequity in the periphery
Residents of Israel’s periphery have poorer access to public resources—including education, transportation, and healthcare—than residents of its central regions. As a result of inadequate medical care, these citizens experience lower life expectancy, higher
Even in the same city, Arab infant mortality rates far higher than among Jews
A recent Health Ministry report finds wide gaps between Jewish and Arab citizens’ health outcomes, according to this article from the Times of Israel. With life expectancy lower and infant mortality rates higher
The health of the Arab Israeli population
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics’ (CBS) Social Survey indicates a significant health gap between Israel’s Jewish and Arab populations. A study from the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel
Live long and prosper: health in the Haredi community
The Israeli Haredi community has researchers scratching their heads: How is it that a group of such low socio-economic standing experiences better health and greater longevity than its more prosperous counterparts? Taub Center
Haredim self-report ‘very good’ health despite inferior care
Objective statistics show a growing gap between the healthcare afforded to Israel’s Haredi and general populations. Nonetheless, recent studies suggest that this may not align with how the Haredi citizens experience their own
Some groups are still being excluded from Israel’s Labor Market
At the end of 2018, research found Israel’s labor market to be in relatively good shape. And yet, even amid the economic growth, we continue to find glaring opportunity gaps in the labor
Integrating the Haredi population into Israel’s workforce
Two groups of the Israeli population have long been underrepresented in its growing workforce: Arab women and Haredi men. This in-depth article from the Israel Democracy Institute focuses on the latter, exploring why employment
Ensuring equal opportunities for Arab citizens
This informative clip (1:46) put out by the Israel Democracy Institute explores why more than a third of young Arab citizens are neither employed nor acquiring the necessary education or skills to enter
Israeli government to inject half billion shekels into periphery
In attempts to lessen the opportunity gaps between Israel’s center and its periphery, the government announced in 2018 plans to invest generously in four of its underfunded—yet promising—peripheral communities. Max Schindler, business reporter
High rates of unemployment in Israel’s North: epic fail or future opportunity?
With unemployment rates in Israel’s peripheral regions soaring, many wonder what can be done to reverse the trend. In this op-ed from the Israel Democracy Institute, Nasreen Hadad Haj-Yahya questions what lies behind the
A critical look at Israel’s problematic healthcare system
This Times of Israel blog post by Professor Naomi Chazan explores the less-than-glamorous side of Israeli healthcare—inequitable accessibility, inadequate resources, low doctor-patient ratios, and widespread underfunding. “Nothing exemplifies Israel’s crisis of governance more painfully
Israel’s healthcare is tops, but will it last?
In 2018, Israel ranked 6th worldwide in Bloomberg’s annual Health Care Efficiency Index. But will Israel succeed in maintaining its high ranking in years to come? This brief article from Globes explores why
What can America learn from the Israeli healthcare system?
This i24NEWS clip (3:30) contrasts the American healthcare system to its Israeli counterpart. While American medical care is prohibitively expensive for a large percentage of the population, Israeli care is universal, equitable, and
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What else?.
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MFA Promotional Video for Tel Aviv Pride Parade
Produced by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and featuring tourists from all over the world, this promotional video (02:07) celebrates the joy, energy and endless parties of Tel Aviv’s annual Pride Week,
Tel Aviv Through a Gay Painter’s Eyes
This video presents a slideshow of Rafi Perez’s paintings, which use vibrant colors and naive images to depict the “golden age of the gay community” in Tel Aviv. This article from the Israel