Democracy

Our future rests on prioritizing the common good, not the elections - opinion

Democracy’s greatest strength has always rested upon something deeper: the belief that despite our disagreements, there exists a common good that is worth pursuing together.

|ByJEFFREY KAHN
An AI-illustrated image.
A photograph of the glass door at Haaretz smashed by a masked vandal.

Masked vandal smashes entrance to Haaretz offices, days after similar attack on Channel 12

Security footage showed the individual reaching through the entrance grates and tossing two bricks at a glass door, which punched a hole through the entrance before he fled. 

|ByJONAH DAVIDOV
A passenger looks on as members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front ride the Washington Metro on July 04, 2026 in Washington, DC.

White nationalist group Patriot Front marched through Washington DC ahead of Independence Day

Many were carrying the group's flag, Confederate flags, and variations of the US flag, at times chanting "Reclaim America."

|ByREUTERS
AMERICAN AND ISRAELI flags fly during a demonstration in support of Israel at the US Capitol in 2002.

At 250, Israel needs an angry America to rediscover its way - opinion

Israel is losing both large parties, but there is still hope for the underrepresented pragmatic center.

|ByDAN PERRY

Immunity is not impunity: Gotliv case tests Israel’s democratic protections - editorial

The Gotliv debate underscores a simple truth for Israeli democracy: immunity safeguards debate, but it cannot eliminate legal responsibility.

JUNE 10, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
MK Tally Gotliv attends to a Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem. March 23, 2026.

Israel's judiciary faces a legitimacy crisis of its own making - opinion

Rather than asking why public trust is eroding, the judiciary forcefully demands that the public restore trust while leaving the underlying causes unaddressed.

JUNE 7, 2026ByDANIEL WINSTON
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit arrives for a hearing on a petition concerning the continuation of the criminal investigation into alleged leaks in the “Sde Teiman” affair at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, May 31, 2026.

Turkey’s democracy is dying as Erdogan dismantles opposition - opinion

A court ruling targeting the CHP shows how Turkey's institutions now serve power rather than democratic change.

JUNE 3, 2026BySINAN CIDDI
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Turkey’s irredentist policies, from its actions in Cyprus to its growing involvement in Syria, highlight a policy of territorial expansion and ethnic dominance, the writer maintains.

7th Ethiopian general election in Ethiopia: Voter surge and electoral innovations - opinion

Beyond determining electoral outcomes, the process serves as a reflection of the country’s commitment to constitutional governance, institutional strengthening, and democratic participation.

MAY 31, 2026ByTESFAYE YETAYEH
A woman walks past a large mural depicting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Agaro, a town in the constituency where the Ethiopian leader is running for office in the June 1 general election, in Oromia region, on May 28, 2026.

Israel’s future will be decided by those who show up

Fly & Vote is not merely a slogan. It is a declaration that Israelis abroad still believe they are responsible for the future of their country.

MAY 29, 2026ByJEREMY LEVIN, IN COLLBORATIONS WITH THE AID COALITION
Dr. Jeremy M. Levin, former CEO Teva Pharmaceuticals

Why Israel cannot be secure or democratic without justice for all - opinion

A country that is inherently immoral because of the inequality of its citizens based on national-religious identity and rejects the aspiration of seeking maximal justice cannot survive forever.

MAY 28, 2026ByGERSHON BASKIN
VIEW OF Independence Hall, the site of the signing of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. The document promises that democratic Israel would uphold full social and political equality of all its citizens, the writer says.

Turkey lurches into political crisis with crackdown on opposition - analysis

Clashes erupted at CHP headquarters in Ankara after a court removed opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, raising fears of a deeper political crisis as Erdogan tightens his grip.

MAY 24, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Supporters of ousted Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel react as riot police enter the party’s headquarters to evict its leadership after authorities ordered enforcement of a court ruling removing them from the building, in Ankara, Turkey, May 24, 2026.

The civilian army: Anat Vidor and the quiet power of WIZO

“Give power to civil society. Because otherwise we will teeter on the edge of totalitarianism. Not instead of the government. Alongside it.”

MAY 24, 2026ByRONNIE ROSENMAN, IN COLLABORATION WITH WIZO
World WIZO President Anat Vidor. A biography that reads like the story of Zionism.

Are new Knesset proposals pushing Israel toward Hungary-style governance? - opinion

Concerns mount that Israel’s new legislation could reshape democracy in a Hungary-like direction.

MAY 16, 2026ByPAUL GROSS
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks alongside former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in Budapest last year. Orban transformed Hungary into a quasi-autocracy, while Netanyahu has not achieved the same in Israel, the writer says.

In double trouble: Iran’s oil crisis – opinion

Given that the Islamic Republic’s lifeblood – oil – is being squeezed, it should learn from history that collapse always begins with a warning sign such as this one

MAY 11, 2026ByMIKE EVANS
A Satellite image shows a likely oil spill covering dozens of square kilometers near Iran’s Kharg Island, earlier this month.