Institute for Zionist Strategies

Institute for Zionist Strategies
The Institute for Zionist Strategies (IZS) is an Israeli policy and research think tank that is ideologically Zionist. The IZS was established in 2005 by Israel Harel and Attorney Joel Golovensky. It is based in Jerusalem. IZS's chairman is Yoaz Hendel.
The self-described goal of the IZS is "to preserve Israel as a viable, democratic Jewish state, now and forever." For this purpose, the IZS seeks "to put forward creative policies and programs" for implementation by Israeli politicians and the general public.
Activities
The long-term goal of the IZS is the installation of a constitution for the State of Israel. To that end, the IZS, as its first major project, drafted a constitution. It was written by a team of experts and submitted to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the 16th and the 17th Knesset.
The IZS has organized other task forces to deal with contemporary issues in Israel:
Constitutional Task Force
A team of experts headed by Prof. Avraham Diskin that formulated the IZS draft constitution.
In preparation for the opening of the 17th Knesset, this task force gathered a number of academics, politicians, judges, rabbis and other public figures at the IZS and drafted a proposed constitution for the State of Israel. The detailed proposal includes the various components necessary to the constitution. The draft constitution emphasizes the sections defining the State of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, and it significantly alters the relationship between the judicial authority and the legislative and executive authorities. The Constitutional Task Force lists among its members: Prof. Avraham Diskin, Prof. Moshe Koppel, Prof. Berachyahu Lifshitz, Judge (ret.) Uri Strosemn, Rabbi Dan Barry, Dr. Yitzhak Klein, Adv. Joel Golovensky and Israel Harel. In July 2006 the IZS submitted to the president and the Knesset its constitution, entitled "A Constitution for the State of Israel." The Constitution Committee attended the hearings conducted by the 17th Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, headed by MK Menahem Ben-Sasson.
'Trojan Horse'
This project studied more than 20 NGOs in Israel and their donors. The Institute, in collaboration with NGO Monitor, issued a joint report, "Trojan Horse - The Impact of European Government Funding for Israeli NGOs", stating that foreign governments were funding NGOs in Israel in order to influence Israeli policy and public debate. As a result, a bill was proposed to the Knesset requiring funding disclosure by NGOs receiving support from foreign political entities. The bill was approved in February 2011 and was not well received by the European Union.
Young Leadership Program
The Young Leadership Program initiated the Re-Signing by the 17th Knesset of the Declaration of Independence: On Independence Day, to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary, the IZS, led by the Young Leadership group of the Institute, asked all members of Knesset to show their faith in the values of Zionism, as expressed by the founders of the state Declaration of Independence by signing it, thereby affirming they would have signed it if they were present in 1948. Ninety MKs signed.
Academic Post-Zionism
The IZS, as part of the research of Dr. Hanan Moses, examined the extent of bias toward post-Zionist discourse in sociology departments throughout Israeli universities and whether the Zionist narrative is given equal treatment in Israeli academia. The investigation revealed that all Israeli universities except Bar-Ilan University have a clear post-Zionist bias in their sociology departments and this is particularly acute at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Tel Aviv University. This study set off much criticism from far left-wing Israelis who compared it to McCarthyism
References
External links
Zionist organizations
Think tanks based in Israel
Organizations based in Jerusalem