Natan Sharansky

Natan Sharansky, Jewish Agency head (Jewish Agency for Israel/CC BY ND 2.0)

Why the Israeli debate on the occupation misses the point

In the eyes of most Israelis, democracy consists of two Jews arguing over the fate of the Palestinian. Natan Sharansky, the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, used his experiences as a prisoner of conscience in the Soviet Union in a recent op-ed in order to attack the activists of Israeli anti-occupation organization, Breaking the Silence, who do…

By Noam Sheizaf February 1, 2016

Participants in the Open Hillel Conference, Harvard University. (photo: Gili Getz)

At Open Hillel conference, Jews demand their spot at the communal table

By demanding their voices be heard, Open Hillel students are making dissent within the Jewish community impossible to deny. By Sarah Anne Minkin Hillel is the Jewish home for college students. With more than 550 Hillels worldwide, mainly in North America, it is one of the primary sites where young Jews express, explore, and cultivate…

By +972 Magazine October 17, 2014

'Haaretz' journalist Gideon Levy (Photo by Yossi Gurvitz)

Dissent in Israel: On the margins, yes, in the mainstream, no

Regarding the controversy over Mairav Zonszein’s ‘New York Times’ op-ed: An ongoing climate of fear and suspicion is not conducive to ‘vibrant democracy.’ It is unfriendly to left-wing protest over security matters. Since my colleague Mairav Zonszein published her ballbuster op-ed “How Israel Silences Dissent” in the New York Times several days ago, there’s…

By Larry Derfner October 2, 2014

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Are Israelis living in a ‘fear society,’ or a ‘free society’?

As much as left-wing protesters have to fear Israeli cops, they have to fear even more the Israeli “street” the cops are shielding them from. In his 2004 book The Case for Democracy, Natan Sharansky (with co-author Ron Dermer, head of Bibi Netanyahu’s brain trust) popularized his “town square test,” which he called the threshold…

By Larry Derfner April 27, 2012