The Blogs: Toward a way forward – together | Aliza Israel

We met in the Jerusalem forest on a beautiful Friday morning, a group of about 40 people sharing our thoughts:

“I have tremendous respect for the settler movement, for its contributions to Israeli society,” said a participant from Raanana.

“I am a Kaplanist,” shared another participant – someone from Hod Hasharon. “And for a long time, I was very involved in the demonstrations…. In the current situation, I feel that listening to each other respectfully is the only way we can move forward as a nation.”

“My daughter has a very close group of good friends, five couples,” she continued. “Do you know how many of them are still living in Israel? Just my daughter and her partner. The rest are overseas now; they’ve left. They don’t see themselves as having a future here.”

“I’ll come back and re-join these discussions after you all decide to show up to the demonstrations!” announced a third participant – then got up and walked out.

Mifgash (Encounter) Organized by the Rivon Harevii Prior to Israel’s Independence Day and Memorial Day

This is just some of what came up in the Mifgash (“Encounter”) I participated in, which was organized by Rivon Harevii (“The Fourth Quarter”) – an Israeli grassroots movement with over 160,000 members that’s focused (in my words) on taking the poison out of Israel’s public discourse. The earnest and (mostly) painful discussions brought up much that was, to quote the iconic song of the legendary Naomi Shemer, “The honey and the sting, the bitter and the sweet” – both of which were present.

Israel’s Most Sacred National Time

Part of the reason I attended this Mifgash – the first in a series of three Friday morning meetings – was that I wanted to do something meaningful during the 10 days that start with Yom Hashoah (“Holocaust Day”) and conclude with Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut (“Memorial Day” and “Independence Day”).

Particularly after the excruciatingly painful losses that Israel has suffered since the start of the war, I find this week and a half to be an acutely emotional time which can be hard to navigate.

Repairing the Rifts

I could think of no better way to mark this period of Israel’s Yamim Hakedoshim (“Sacred Days”) than by doing something designed to help reduce the polarization and antagonism so prevalent across our country.

Hike Near Derech Burma as Part of the Rivon Harevii Mifgash (Encounter)

Our meeting brought together people from what were actually two distinct chapters of Rivon Harevii activists: A group from Hod Hasharon – typically, a more secular and more left-wing group; and a group from Gush Etzion – typically, a more religious and more right-wing group. The goal of the meeting was dialogue, meaning:

To gain insight into opinions different than our own
To practice empathetic and respectful listening
To dispel preconceived notions about those on the “other side”
To build personal relationships
To contribute to the growth of the Rivon as a national, grassroots movement

Agam Berger: “Our Divisions Made Our Captors Happy”

20-year-old Agam Berger – one of the five female IDF lookout soldiers who were freed in the third round of releases in the last hostage deal – recorded a public message shortly after being released.

Agam Berger: “Let’s Maintain Our Unity” © Photo by IDF Spokesperson Unit

She emphasized: “We were there. And when [our captors] saw our internal divisions, it made them happy. They said that when we are united, we have strength. So, I ask of you: Despite our differences, let’s maintain our unity — because that’s our strength as the Nation of Israel.”

(You can listen to Agam’s message, in Hebrew, in this video clip here.)

This message has been broadcast again and again and again, by many of those who were most directly hurt in this war: when disagreement leads to polarization, demonization, and hatred – the bottom line is that we’re only hurting ourselves.

Solutions – Not “Wins”

People always ask me what the Rivon is doing – practically speaking. Beyond creating dialogue groups and running a variety of activities to support those impacted by the war, the Rivon is intensely involved in seeking pragmatic and creative solutions, based on broad consensus, to some of the most divisive issues in Israeli politics.

Rivon activists are working intensely on developing innovative strategy papers on critical, sensitive topics such as:

The Haredi (“Ultra-Orthodox”) Draft
The Constitutional and Political Crisis
Religion & State
Strengthening Israel’s Military
Israel’s Economy
Israel’s Educational System

Rivon Harevii Activists Explore Ways to Work Together to Reduce the Polarization of Israeli Society

Sneak Peak into the Rivon’s Proposal: Tackling the Constitutional and Political Crisis

One of the Rivon’s biggest projects, at present, involves devising a way out of the constitutional and political crisis – by developing a strategy proposal that the vast majority of Israelis can agree on. The following clip provides insight into this proposal:

To create the proposal, a core team of four legal experts from across the width and breadth of Israel’s political spectrum interviewed hundreds of legal authorities. The ideas they came up with were then “put to the test”: They were debated in regional seminars around the country, where thousands of Rivon activists provided constructive feedback. The feedback was then incorporated back into the proposal.

Here are the key takeaways of the Rivon’s proposal for resolving the constitutional and political crisis. (You can also listen to an overview of the proposal in Hebrew provided by Dr. Yoav Heller, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Rivon Harevii, here.)

Part 1. “The Rules of the Game”

Beneath the constitutional and political crisis that erupted in full force about two years ago lies deeper problems that have been gradually eroding the foundations of Israel’s governance for many years.

Therefore, our proposed solution does not focus solely on the issues that were at the heart of the recent constitutional and political crisis. Instead, we aim to:

Tackle the deeper challenges of Israeli politics and society
Propose a comprehensive and detailed future vision for redefining the “rules of the game”
Obtain the necessary balance between the various institutions of government in Israel.

Part 2. Our Starting Point

The fear on both sides is well based; it is justified and real. Therefore, we need a solution that’s based on broad consensus, which will correct the problems and imbalances in the system.

The proposal we developed is not intended to be a type of half-way point. Rather, it represents a third path – a completely different approach that establishes new, more responsible, healthier balances between the institutions of government.

This approach certainly demands concessions on the part of everyone, but it also allows us to emerge from the constitutional and political crisis stronger, more united, and more sympathetic to each other’s pain.

The proposal we present here aims to stay well within the boundaries of Israel’s broad consensus. It is designed to appeal to the broad base of individuals who are moderate – who want to preserve our country in the spirit of Israel’s Declaration of Independence as a State that’s both Jewish and democratic, both successful and secure, both traditional and liberal.

Part 3. Highlights of the Solution

The basic structure of our program involves an upward progression through 3 distinct stages of implementation. The program in its entirety will be agreed upon and legislated at the outset, as one single entity. This should be done as soon as possible. However, the progression from one stage of the journey to the next will be gradual. The basic tenets of our proposal include:

Shifting the balance between branches of government, by strengthening the power of the Knesset and elected officials
Establishing mechanisms and incentives to reach broad consensus – i.e., not based on good will alone
Creating clear “rules of the game” – that define what each branch of government can and cannot do
Providing a gradual resolution implemented in 3 phases over 4 to 5 years – because rebuilding trust takes time

Part 4. A Closer Look

Here is an outline of the three stages of this proposal:

IMMEDIATE: Putting an end to the constitutional crisis; establishing basic “rules of the game” for interactions between branches of government

Basic Laws – only with broad consensus
Limiting the ability of the Supreme Court to cancel laws
Establishing the position of the Attorney General
Neither side has a monopoly on appointing judges

IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS: Decentralization of power – changes in the electoral process; and strengthening the Knesset

Direct election of members of Knesset – by name – on Election Day
Limiting the Prime Minister’s time in office; but limiting the criminal processes that can be brought against a Prime Minister who is serving in office
Expanding the Knesset to 180 members; and strengthening its authority to enforce activity of the executive branch of government

2 YEARS AFTER THE ELECTIONS: Shifting the balance of the constitutional system – more rights, less constitutional involvement

Anchoring equality and human rights in Basic Laws
Limiting the ability of the Supreme Court to intervene in decisions of the executive branch of government
A new procedure in the Knesset for evaluating appointments that may not be suitable

Join the Rivon’s Annual Conference!

To learn more about the work of the Rivon, come to the Ve’idat Ha’ometz, taking place (in Hebrew) on June 11, 2025 in Tel Aviv. To register, click here.

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This post was written with prayers for the safety of the Chayalim, the return of the hostages, and the healing of the wounded. Note that the opinions shared here are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by the leadership of the Rivon.