Leonard E. Greenberg Memorial Scholar in Residence Weekend

A note from Michael Koplow:

“Israel is undergoing the deepest crisis it has experienced in the 75 years since the founding of the state. The Israeli government, comprised of some parties and ministers who until a few years ago were considered too extreme to even be in the Knesset, has passed the first part of a judicial overhaul intended to fundamentally remake the relationship between the government and the judiciary and transform Israel’s system of checks and balances in a way that will give the government far more power. Opponents of the judicial overhaul have been protesting in the streets since early January, and tens of thousands of IDF reservists have announced their intention to suspend their military service as a result of the new judicial legislation. The proposals and the ensuing standoff have left Israel with a governmental crisis, a military preparedness crisis, and an economic crisis, while also leading to new lows in U.S.-Israel relations.

The impacts are not confined to Israelis. Palestinians, trapped in a stagnant political environment with an Israeli government bent on deepening its hold over the West Bank, face the threat of the collapse of the Oslo status quo and ongoing moves by Israel to annex the West Bank both formally and informally. American Jews, many of whom were already disheartened at the direction of Israeli policy, are questioning what their relationship with and attachment to Israel will look like if Israeli democracy is hollowed out. U.S. policymakers are facing increasing questions about historic American for Israel, and whether Israeli policies related to democracy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict require a rethinking of the scope of the relationship. In this moment, the future of Israel’s stability, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S.-Israel relations, and the American Jewish attachment to Israel are all hanging in the balance.“

Join us for the Leonard Greenberg Memorial Scholar in Residence Program. Michael Koplow is the chief policy officer of Israel Policy Forum, and also serves as a senior research fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Michael Koplow will lead Study Sessions on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Sunday, August 13 at 4:00- 5:30 –  wine and cheese and talk

Israel’s Proposed Judicial Overhaul – Reform or Revolution?
Israel’s political crisis over the Netanyahu government’s proposals to remake the relationship between the Knesset and the judiciary has been roiling the country since January. Why is the overhaul so controversial, and why is the government pushing forward despite the intense opposition and polls showing its deep unpopularity? Is the overhaul a necessary rebalancing, or is it an actual threat to Israel’s democracy and system of checks and balances?

Monday, August 14 from 9:00-12:00 coffee and talk and discussion

Why Two States Is Both Harder And Easier Than You Think
The U.S.-led peace process is all but dead, and Israelis and Palestinians are farther away from a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than at any point in the past three decades. Sentiments that the era of two states has passed are becoming more widespread, with people in the right and left camps embracing other formulas for a resolution to the conflict. Yet the true obstacles to two states are not well understood, while the obstacles widely posed are not as insurmountable as some believe. We will assess whether two states are still possible, and what would have to happen for such an outcome to be viable.

Tuesday, August 15 from 9:00 -12:00  coffee and talk and discussion

Statehood Vs. Peoplehood and the Divide Between Israel and American Jews
American Jews and Israel seem to be drifting further apart by the day. What are the main areas of difference between American Jews and their Israeli counterparts? Is it simply a dispute over Israel, or do the divides run much deeper? We will discuss whether Jewish peoplehood is a concept that makes sense in contemporary Judaism, and how the gap between American Jews and Israel might be bridged.

The following is a list of reading that will be helpful but not essential for understanding the material in each of the three sessions. Please direct any questions about the program or reading material to estastone38@gmail.com. Information about the location of each session will be sent to each registrant.

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2023/01/19/constitutional-revolutions-with-no-constitution/

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2023/02/23/why-the-israeli-government-did-not-start-with-the-supreme-court-override/

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2023/03/23/dropping-the-pretense-of-israels-obsession-with-security/

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2023/06/15/enjoy-your-one-state-reality/

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2017/09/20/really-one-tribe/

www.israelpolicyforum.org/2020/08/13/the-search-for-bonds-of-jewish-peoplehood/

www.jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/334117/is-israel-a-jewish-state-or-the-jewish-state/

All are welcome