The mainstreaming of Israeli extremism
Dec 18, 2024The current Israeli government’s extremism encompasses two entwined trends in Israeli political culture. The first is the rise and mainstreaming of the ideological settler movement and far-right nationalism. The second is Israel’s growing authoritarian tendencies, manifested in systematic efforts to reshape state institutions. As democratic institutions are weakened, the government faces fewer barriers to implementing its expansionist territorial agenda, while the mainstreaming of far-right ideology helps justify the erosion of democratic safeguards. Yet the vast majority of Israelis fail to recognize the connection between these trends, as do most policymakers in the United States.
Congressional Briefing Series
The Congressional Briefing Series is an educational program conducted annually by the Middle East Institute’s Palestinian Affairs Program and the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) to brief members of Congress on the most pressing issues facing Israel and Palestine today. The series features Palestinian and Israeli voices as well as expert analysis on topics of extremism, human rights, and Palestinian internal politics, among others. Video recordings of the webinars are made public at the end of each series.
Advisory Council
Odeh Aburdene
Abed Awad
Khaldoun Baghdadi
Noura Erakat
Dr. Manal Fakhoury
Samia Farouki
Lara Friedman
Rula Jebreal
Rashid Khalidi
George Salem
Susan L. Ziadeh
Program Experts
Nasir Almasri
Graduate Fellow
Geoffrey Aronson
Non-Resident Scholar
Dana El Kurd
Non-Resident Scholar
Eran Etzion
Non-Resident Scholar
Mark A. Heller
Non-Resident Scholar
Anas Iqtait
Non-Resident Scholar
Carol Daniel Kasbari
Non-Resident Scholar
Eyal Lurie-Pardes
Visiting Fellow
