In recent years, authoritarian regimes have been gaining strength worldwide, mostly following financial and social crises. Although Israel has managed to keep its democracy intact, we must remain aware and be vocal about its violations. Attacks on the courts and especially Israel’s Supreme Court, have increased. There are also more and more attacks - from the highest government offices - against Israeli journalists, and even against the Attorney General’s office, and other safeguards of democracy. During this webinar, we will scrutinize the different threats and challenges to Israel’s democracy. One of them, the Supreme Court Override Bill, could remove all power from the Supreme Court. While the Knesset is not fully functional, this can open a Pandoras box for extremist behaviors and indoctrination. It is imperative to understand where seemly harmless actions can lead and what we can do about them.

 

Rabbi Noa Sattath is the Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, the social justice arm of the Reform movement in Israel. She is charged with leading the staff of the organization, developing and implementing social change strategies in the fields of separation of religion and state, women's rights, and the struggle against racism. Prior to her work at IRAC, Noa was the Executive Director of the Jerusalem Open House, the LGBT community center in Jerusalem. Noa was also the Executive Director of MEET, an NGO that uses technology to create a common language between Israeli and Palestinian young leaders. Prior to her work in civil society, Noa worked as a leader in the Israeli software industry. She is a graduate of the Hebrew University and Graetz College. She was ordained by Hebrew Union College in 2014. Noa is a member of Congregation Kol Haneshama in Jerusalem.