Podcasts about yohanan plesner

Listen as Rabbi Cosgrove discusses the current political climate in Israel with Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute since 2014. For more Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, follow @Elliot_Cosgrove on Instagram and Facebook. Want to stay connected with PAS? Follow us @ParkAvenueSyn on all platforms, and check out www.pasyn.org for all our virtual and in-person offerings.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would not join cease-fire talks over his demand that Israel remain in control of Gaza's border with Egypt. He spoke after thousands of workers walked off their jobs following a night of protests over his failure to reach a deal for the release of hostages. John Yang discussed more with Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would not join cease-fire talks over his demand that Israel remain in control of Gaza's border with Egypt. He spoke after thousands of workers walked off their jobs following a night of protests over his failure to reach a deal for the release of hostages. John Yang discussed more with Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Israel had never seen anything like the brutal attack by Hamas and is now poised for a military operation in Gaza that Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed will exact a price that its enemies will remember for decades to come. John Yang has perspectives on these historic events from Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Israel had never seen anything like the brutal attack by Hamas and is now poised for a military operation in Gaza that Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed will exact a price that its enemies will remember for decades to come. John Yang has perspectives on these historic events from Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Israeli democracy is facing its biggest challenge since the founding of the state, after the Knesset passed the first law in its package of legislation designed to cripple the judicial branch. Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, joins Haaretz Weekly host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss what comes next in the battle between Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which appears determined to move forward with its “radical and extreme” judicial overhaul, and the protest movement that has been battling the move for the past 30 weeks. Plesner looks ahead to the Knesset session in the fall and, before that, the upcoming petitions against the law in the Supreme Court (sitting as the High Court of Justice). He also reacts to Netanyahu's refusal to state – in response to a question he was asked on both CNN and Fox News – that he would abide by any potential Supreme Court ruling striking down the reasonableness law that was passed last week. “I think it's despicable and a new low,” he says of Netanyahu's remarks. “Israel is a democracy and the basic character of democracies is the rule of law, human rights, an independent judiciary, and everyone in the land – including the politicians – obeying court decisions. And Netanyahu was elusive. I think this is very bad.” The fact that the prime minister “is conveying such a message is extremely reckless and disappointing,” he adds. Plesner, a military reservist in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, also discusses the “heartbreaking” choice by his fellow soldiers to suspend their service due to opposition of the overhaul, as well as his recent call to the United States and American Jews not to give up on Israel. To American Jews who insist that internal Israeli affairs are none of their business, he counters that “of course it's your business if Israel ceases to be a Jewish and democratic state, and it turns into a religious ethno-nationalistic state – this will end the relationship between Israel and the majority of Diaspora Jewry.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 35 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about the consequences of the new Israeli government's judicial reform initiatives, how today's issues compare to existential threats of Israel's past, and Yohanan's hopes and aspirations for the future of Israeli democracy.

In this week's podcast, Yaakov and Tamar discuss the recent IDF raid on Jenin, the varying stances within the Diaspora community relating to judicial reforms in Israel, and Netanyahu's defense of the policies. Then, they cheer up and think about what they'd like their last meals on earth to be. This episode also features Yaakov's conversation with Yohanan Plesner, former Israeli politician and president of the Israeli Democracy Institute, who spoke with Yaakov at the IDI and The Jerusalem Post's Democracy 2023 Conference on Tuesday evening.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/7dd6de54-58d0-4a5f-9c74-d599b513a668Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, finally left office this year. He is now on trial on corruption charges and Israel is ruled by the most diverse coalition in its history. Gideon discusses Israel's new political landscape with Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute.Clips: IsraeliPM, Reuters  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Yohanan Plesner, the President of the Israel Democracy Institute, about the chances of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being able to form a government, the alternatives and what to look out for in Netanyahu’s trial. Plesner, a former member of the Knesset  between 2007-13, also offers an insider's guide to coalition building.  

Ben Caspit talks this week with Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute. Plesner warns that the undermining of Israel’s democracy may seem unconceivable, but is indeed possible. For Plesner, some eastern European countries — where democracy is being eroded — are models that Israel should not learn from. "Under certain circumstances we could find ourselves in a similar situation. It’s a situation where populist leaders frame their rule as the rule of a strong man representing the people against the elite, undermining free media, professional bureaucracy, civil society and independent judiciary,” he says.

In his interview with Lahav Harkov, Sa'ar said he wants to involve Egypt and Jordan in the Palestinian issue and take steps to improve the daily lives of the Palestinians. Plus, elections analysis by Chief Political Correspondent Gil Hoffman and Israel Democracy Institute head Yohanan Plesner.

Ahead of a fourth general election in under two years, Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, joins us to discuss what needs to be done to come out of the ongoing political crisis that has left Israel without a stable government, a state budget for three years on end, and an effective response to the Covid pandemic. This episode is made possible by the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent center of research and action dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy.

At around 7 p.m. on Saturday, tens of thousands of people in cities and towns across Israel came out to protest with demands for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign.Netanyahu is facing corruption charges in court, but people are also angry about a new emergency law passed last week aimed at curbing the coronavirus that essentially prohibits large protests or demonstrations during the pandemic. Israel became the first country in the world to implement a second national lockdown two weeks ago. Since then, the coronavirus cases have skyrocketed to nearly 9,000 daily infections. Related: Israel's hurried school reopenings serve as a cautionary taleWeekly protests against Netanyahu have been going on for more than four months. The main protest site used to be at the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, but the new emergency law bans protesters from holding demonstrations or protests more than a kilometer (about a half-mile) from their homes. In response, some activists have turned to WhatsApp, Facebook and even an interactive map to find protests near them.  “[Netanyahu] cares only [about] himself and not for us. That's why I’m here today." Ittai Shaked, protester, Givatayim, a Tel Aviv suburbIn the Tel Aviv suburb of Givatayim, Ittai Shaked, 49, joined a group of more than 200 protesters, banging pots and pans and waving black flags. “[Netanyahu] cares only [about] himself and not for us. That's why I’m here today,” Shaked said. Shaked feels that the new law crosses a line. “It made me feel bad because I don’t want to lose my right to protest,” Shaked said. Related: Israel considers a second lockdown as coronavirus cases surgeLior Vertheim, 33, would rather be protesting outside of the prime minister’s Jerusalem residence about 68 kilometers (about 42 miles) away from Givatayim, but since that’s against the law now, she protested on Saturday night down the street from where she and her partner live.  A crowd of protesters gather near a police van in Habima square in Tel Aviv. Credit: Ariel Oseran/The World  “We’re also in a WhatsApp group and also we hear whenever people are here and we just come down,” Vertheim said. That happens once or twice a week. “I hope that it gets more often these days.”Vertheim doesn’t believe that Israel’s spike in COVID-19 cases is the real reason for strict measures against protests. “It’s really upsetting because there’s no reason, no good medical reason or anything like that for the lockdown. It’s literally just political,” she said.Many protesters share that sentiment.Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, has his doubts, too. He said the prime minister’s decision to crack down on protests goes against the advice of his own health and economic officials. “The uniqueness about the restrictions in Israel is the level of severity, and the fact that the prime minister turned it into such a big issue in fighting the pandemic." Yohanan Plesner, president, Israel Democracy Institute“The uniqueness about the restrictions in Israel is the level of severity, and the fact that the prime minister turned it into such a big issue in fighting the pandemic,” Plesner said.He added that the economy is taking a hit, too. The restrictions forced many small businesses to close, which just fuels the protests against Netanyahu.“It seems that the only logical explanation is that he wanted to — in this way — justify the severe restriction of the right to protest,” Plesner said. Related: Coronavirus restrictions challenge customs of ultra-Orthodox in IsraelOne of the biggest turnouts on Saturday night was at Habima Square in downtown Tel Aviv. Police set up barriers ahead of time to divide between the thousands of protesters and separate them into bubbles. But that made it virtually impossible for protesters to maintain social distancing. As the crowd began to grow, so began the arrests. The World witnessed one protester snatched from the crowd and placed into a police van. Within moments, hundreds of protesters surrounded the van yelling “shame,” as cops dragged another demonstrator away. By the end of the night, 38 protesters were arrested. At one point, police started handing out tickets to protesters for violating the 1-kilometer rule and several protesters said they also got tickets for violating social distancing guidelines. Lilach Sapir, owner of the now-closed Peacock bar in Tel Aviv, also joined Saturday's demonstration. She’s one of several national organizers of neighborhood-based protests.Sapir told The World she had to dig into family savings just to make ends meet. That’s the case with many Israelis, she said, and it’s why people are directing their anger at Netanyahu. “It started with a small post I put on Facebook, saying if we can’t have 10,000 people in Balfour [the street where Netanyahu lives] then we’ll have 10,000 demonstration places all over Israel, in each kilometer."Lilach Sapir, protest organizer, Tel Aviv“It started with a small post I put on Facebook, saying if we can’t have 10,000 people in Balfour [the street where Netanyahu lives] then we’ll have 10,000 demonstration places all over Israel, in each kilometer,” Sapir said. Sapir and other activists are mapping the weekly neighborhood protests online under the motto, “1 kilometer it is.” She said she wanted to help people exercise their right to protest without having to break the law. “[Israelis] understand that he doesn’t care about them,” Sapir said. “He’s not dealing [with] the economy. He should have been very wise with [the] economy. It’s one of the things he knows how to do.”Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, earned the nickname “Mr. Economy,” back in the 1990s, but Plesner, from the Israel Democracy Institute, said that Netanyahu’s approval ratings with the Israeli public have now sunk to 27%. “They don’t trust the effectiveness of the government that did not seem to build the proper systems and policies and frameworks to deal with the crisis,” he said. Plesner explains that there’s been a dramatic drop in compliance with health and safety regulations, despite the various coronavirus restrictions. And with winter just around the corner, that means Israel could be in a state of lockdown for some time to come. 

After a decade of mesmerising world leaders, subduing his rivals and eking out dramatic election victories, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future is suddenly in doubt.With near-final results from Israel's election on Tuesday, he has been left well short of the parliamentary majority he had sought — not only to continue in power but also to fend off a looming corruption indictment.With over 90% of the votes counted late Wednesday, challenger Benny Gantz's centrist Blue and White party captured 33 seats in the 120-seat parliament, to 32 seats for Netanyahu's conservative Likud.That leaves neither party poised to control a majority coalition with their smaller allies, leaving maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beitenu party, as the key power broker. Lieberman has called for a broad unity government with the two major parties."Judging by the present situation assessment, Netanyahu is no longer capable of winning an election in Israel. This story is over," said Yossi Verter, political commentator for the Haaretz daily.Such forecasts might be seen by some as premature. But it appears that Netanyahu's political instincts, once deemed impeccable, led to some questionable decisions that came back to hurt him in the latest campaign.Netanyahu, who turns 70 next month, has traditionally relied on a stable majority of ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious and hard-line nationalist parties. That alliance fell apart following elections in April when Lieberman, a longtime ally turned rival, refused to join a new coalition with religious partners.Lieberman, a hawk like Netanyahu on security issues but also fiercely secular, said ultra-Orthodox parties had gained too much influence. Just short of a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu was forced to take the unprecedented step of holding a second election in a year.Looming over the campaign were Netanyahu's legal woes. Israel's attorney general has recommended indicting him on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in a series of corruption scandals, pending a hearing scheduled in early October.Netanyahu had hoped to capture a narrow coalition of hard-line parties that would grant him immunity from prosecution.He embarked on a campaign of stunts and promises aimed at shoring up his base. Borrowing tactics from the political playbook of his friend, President Donald Trump, he lashed out at the media, police, judiciary and election commission, alleging a vast conspiracy against him. He vowed to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank and threatened to unleash a war on Gaza militants.He saved special vitriol for Israel's Arab minority, implying that they were a hostile fifth column out to destroy the nation. He tried, and failed, to pass legislation that would install monitoring cameras in voting booths as he made unfounded claims of fraud in Arab districts. An automated post on his Facebook page claimed Arabs "want to annihilate us all."Arab leaders accused Netanyahu of racism and trying to intimidate voters to stay home on election day.The strategy appeared to backfire on many counts. The latest election returns showed a drop of support for Netanyahu's Likud party compared to April's vote. The results indicated that former Likud voters had migrated to other Jewish parties, including to Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu, which nearly doubled its representation."He took the polarization one step too far, and I think he's going to pay the price for it," said Aron Shaviv, a campaign strategist who managed Netanyahu's re-election campaign in 2015.Netanyahu's attacks on Arabs were credited with driving a surge in turnout in Arab towns. The Joint List, an alliance of Arab factions, gained at least two seats and is now poised to be a major player in the next parliament, according to the near-final results."Incitement has a price," said Ayman Odeh, leader of the list.Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank,...

James Sorene and Calev Ben-Dor talk to Yohanan Plesner, from the Israel Democracy Institute, about Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to secure immunity from prosecution and restrict the powers of the Israeli Supreme Court. James and Calev also discuss the Palestinian boycott of the US peace plan and the ‘economic workshop’ in Bahrain on 25 June.

In the midst of crucial elections, Yohanan Plesner, head of the Israel Democracy Institute, discusses the state of Israel’s democracy.   Follow David Suissa on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Will Israel's democratic institutions prove resilient? How is the party system changing and is Israel headed for a tyranny of the majority? Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, examines the ramifications of the unprecedented indictment of an incumbent Prime Minister in Israel. This episode of the Tel Aviv Review was brought to you by the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent center of research and action dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy.

Yohanan Plesner, the president of the Israel Democracy Institute, joins us to discuss the past accomplishments and future challenges of democracy in Israel. Ahead of the 70th Independence Day celebrations, the IDI will launch the Democracy Pavilion along the Independence Trail in Tel Aviv, with a view to celebrating its many achievements and educating local and international visitors about its importance. This episode of the Tel Aviv Review is made possible by the Israel Democracy Institute, which works to bolster the values and institutions of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) President Yohanan Plesner discussed the aftermath of the 2015 Israeli elections with radio talk show host, speaker, and professor, John Rothmann at Congregation Emanu-El on June 10, 2015.