Institute for Israeli Thought

The Institute for Israeli Thought(IIT) was founded in 2020 by the historian Avner Ben-Zakan and the industrialist Boaz Amitai. Through multi-disciplinary research that focuses on structural issues in Israeli society and its dissemination to the general public, the institute seeks to shape a public discourse focused on creating a vision for a new Israel. The institute calls for public attention to be diverted towards the internal threat to the existence of the State of Israel which mainly stems from shaky and temporary governmental structures that need to be replaced with permanent and stable state structures.[1]

Objective

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The Institute for Israeli Thought (IIT) aims at generating Israeli thought and transforming the state from being fragmented by ethnic, national or religious identities into a more unified and inclusive Israeli civic national identity. The Institute focuses its research activity on structural reforms such as

-fixing Israel's borders.[2]

-transforming its electoral system.[3]

-drafting a constitution.[4]

These structural changes are necessary as means for shifting Israel to a new political paradigm that strives to forsake temporal arrangements and establish the state on more solid foundations, following modern Western democratic republics.[5]

Activity

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In April 2023, the IIT published an "Israeli Covenant" whose purpose is to complete the Declaration of Independence.[6] At its core is a plan for a grand structural reform that will turn Israel into a state based on a common Israeli identity, separation of religion from state, regional elections, a regional governing layer, and an Israeli civil culture.[7]

Awards

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The IIT gives out annual awards to intellectual and cultural studies that are thematized around questions of civic Israeli.

-The Hillel Kook Award for a research monograph on Israel.

-The Jacqueline Kahanoff award for Israeli literature.

-The Eli Kalir Award for Israeli documentary film.

-The Zvi Keseh Award for the best doctoral dissertation that explores Israelism.

Notable Fellows

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The Institute's fellows comprise notable public intellectuals from various disciplines, covering a wide range of research and public policy interests pertinent to the challenges Israel is now facing. Alongside the Institute's senior fellows, fellowships are available to post-doctoral fellows and doctoral candidates who devote their research to the question of civic identity in Israel.

-Avner Ben-Zaken

-Eva Illouz

-Joseph Zaira

-Tamar Hostovsky Brandes

-Muhammad Wattad

-Mordechay Cohen

-Micha Popper

References

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  1. ^ "'State institutions are reaching the point of collapse'". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. April 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "A New Israeli Strategy - Opinion". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. October 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "'Either Israel Becomes a True Republic, or a Crusader State – of Bible and Sword' - Haaretz Magazine - Haaretz.com".
  4. ^ "Israel is in need of a new social contract - opinion". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. April 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  6. ^ "'It's time to complete Declaration of Independence' - Prof. Ben-Zaken". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. April 27, 2023.
  7. ^ "We need a common Israeli spirit that can carry us toward a promising future - opinion". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. April 23, 2023.