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Historic Supreme Court Hearing

13/09/2023 12:19

Contrary to the claims of the initiators of the "Legal reform”, trust in the Supreme Court is almost four times greater than in the Knesset

New Religion and State Index 2023: Acute Tension Between ultra-Orthodox and Secular Jews

13/09/2023 12:06

The tension between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews and between the political right and the left are the most significant internal conflicts in Israel, far more than other internal tensions that tore Israeli society apart in the past

“Deri’s Food Stamps”

24/08/2023 10:52

Hiddush will submit a petition to the Supreme Court regarding food security, which challenges the placement of political interests of the Shas party over the welfare and food security of those in need in the State of Israel

Religion and Hypocrisy

24/08/2023 10:34

Agudath Israel in America published a public statement criticizing the involvement of United States government officials in the defense of democracy in Israel. This statement reeks of hypocrisy

The Struggle Against Dictatorship and a “Torah State”

01/08/2023 13:20

The Hiddush team is ready to contribute our part in the struggle against the legal overhaul that seeks to change the backbone of democracy in Israel

Raiders of the Public Coffers

14/05/2023 14:48

While the majority of the public want cuts in allocations to religious institutions, the Coalition is buying the votes of the ultra-orthodox parties, spending additional billions of tax money in shear contradiction to Israel’s security, economic and social interests. Shame on them!

What Does the Public Really Think About Religion and State in Israel?

23/04/2023 14:31

Since its establishment in 2009, Hiddush has published a unique annual report called the "Religion and State Index", which is based on a comprehensive survey and a large representative sample of the adult Jewish public in Israel. Its findings, which are published every year just before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year [you can find the 2022 index report here], have been demonstrating for years that the politicians' cynical statements about the public's support for the "status quo" on matters of religion and state (and especially the false declarations by the speakers of the current coalition that the results of the last elections prove the public's preference for a traditional and religious country ) are completely baseless. A large and consistent majority expresses support for the principle of freedom of religion and conscience guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence and its opposition to every element of religious coercion and excess privileges granted to the ultra-Orthodox sector.

Support for Freedom Of Religion and Conscience and Separation of Religion and State in Israel

We Have Never Been So Close to Civil Marriage

23/04/2023 12:07

At the beginning of March 2023, the Supreme Court accepted Hiddush’s arguments and dismissed the State's appeal against the ruling of the Jerusalem Administrative Court on the issue of "Utah marriages". The Jerusalem Administrative court ruled in favor of the petition filed by Hiddush and ordered that the Population Authority and the Ministry of the Interior are obligated to register as married any couple who marry through the “Utah online marriage". The ruling of the Supreme Court concludes the legal part of Hiddush’s two-year battle against the Minister of the Interior and the Population Authority and enables thousands of couples to marry in a civil marriage without having to leave Israel. Unfortunately (and shamefully) civil marriage and divorce in Israel are still a distant reality, but the ruling of the Supreme Court constitutes a breakthrough in the struggle for freedom of marriage. You can read more about the ruling of the Supreme Court here.

North American lawyers address the new government

Uri Regev 30/11/2022 01:00

On November 30, JPLAN, a network of Jewish lawyers, judges and legal scholars from North America (the Jewish Pluralism Legal Action Network, which works to strengthen Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state in a manner that fully expresses freedom of religion and equality as promised in Israel’s Declaration of Independence) addressed the leaders of the parties currently working to form the new government.

How do we know that the override clause is a despicable initiative?

Uri Regev 10/11/2022 22:14

Many political figures present the demand for legislation of the “override clause” as essential for "the judicial system’s health”, for "increasing public trust in the Supreme Court", and a host of other slogans which sound reasonable and responsible, but which are actually far removed from that.