Israeli Case Research Articles

Readability of online government information about welfare rights and benefits: the Israeli case

AbstractThis study examines the readability of government information about social benefits and rights concerning citizens’ engagement. Such information is often obscured and hard to find and, therefore, sometimes less accessible to those who mostly need it. How will readability characteristics affect engagement measures as attesting to information comprehension? This article addresses this question by analyzing year-long usage data records of an Israeli national rights website. We tested readability components to determine how they perform, and whether they affect engagement measures as evidence of comprehension. Analysis using the classic Flesch-Kincaid readability formula shows that most texts on the website are suitable for the college level. Furthermore, as the information was less readable, people spent more time on the page, and there was less bounce rate. Conversely, we found a positive correlation between exit percentage and readability measures. The results raise questions about the Flesch-Kincaid formula and the engagement measures’ relevance to information about benefits and rights, and highlight the need for a Hebrew-adapted readability formula. Further research directions are suggested.

Efficiency of coronavirus testing from a spatial perspective: the Israeli case

ABSTRACT A prominent characteristic of. COVID-19 is the long incubation period, the lack of symptoms during that period, and significant geographic variation in prevalence and testing. This article investigates the relationship between testing and infection based on an Israeli sample of 193 municipalities and a report from 11 May 2020. Results support an exponential rise in the fraction of positive. COVID-19 outcomes with the fraction of tests. Finally, under conditions of equal socioeconomic ranking, population density and income inequality, the projected efficiency of tests rises with population density and the Gini index and drops with socioeconomic ranking.

On political interests and self-serving diversity: How state policymakers envision public service media

ABSTRACT Since 2012, diversity has been a declared pillar of Public Service Media (PSM) organizations worldwide – yet the term lacks conceptual clarity. This article offers an empirical analysis of how diversity is discussed and conceptualized in the process of legislating a new PSM law. Through reflexive thematic analysis of 160 transcripts of Israel’s parliament discussions during 2012–2018, we find that policymakers approach diversity as a crucial feature in PSM organizations, yet seem unable to produce an operationalizable definition of it. Our findings suggest diversity is easily manipulated for political interests – a phenomenon we coin as “self-serving diversity.” The Israeli case herein contributes a data-based approach to theorizing media diversity as a bendable ideology rather than a concrete embracive approach to society.

The Effect of COVID-19 on a Short-Term Teacher-Education Program: The Israeli Case

The Effect of COVID-19 on a Short-Term Teacher-Education Program: The Israeli Case

Hybrid religious civil society organization, the Israeli case of “the path upwards” lesson learned

Hybrid religious civil society organization, the Israeli case of “the path upwards” lesson learned

PRINCIPLES FOR LEADING REFORMS AND POLICY CHANGE IN EDUCATION SYSTEMS (The Israeli case)

The increasing processes of globalization and competitiveness, and the increasing complexity of organizations and the goals they promote, make changes necessary in the last decades to adapt the public systems to internal and external changes. Therefore, promoting organizational changes and performing change moves are the main part of modern organizational activity, policy, and leading reforms, and considerable resources are allocated for them. This article presents and analyses various innovative opinions and perspectives of approaches to educational policy and focus on principles for implementing educational policy reforms in the countries. this analysis is made through a critical literature review, which analyzes professional literature based on empirical research in education, national policy approaches, and organization management. The analyses mainly present pragmatic aspects that influence on a day-to-day basis strategy characteristic from a macro and micro point of view in educational policy management. The global McKinsey report (from 2018) is deeply reviewed and so are the sources from the OECD international library. This expanded mix is integrated with the researcher's approach and accumulated experience, which will be reflected in an interdisciplinary analysis of the proposed reform, emphasizing the Israeli case. The summarizing part includes a comparative discussion, divided into conclusions between the McKinsey report conclusions and the required operation for implementation in Israel and a final summary

Who’s afraid of AI? socio-technological perspectives on artificial intelligence in the workforce: an Israeli case study

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the perception and acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies among the Israeli workforce. More specifically, it examined how age, income, and education level are related to employees’ fears of being replaced by AI technologies and their willingness to adopt these technologies in their personal and professional lives.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by surveying 502 adults from the Jewish population of Israel in February 2023 via an Internet panel. Stratified sampling was performed to ensure a representative cross-section of the population.FindingsContrary to the expectations from a technologically advanced society, the findings indicated varied levels of enthusiasm and apprehension. Age was found to be negatively correlated with the fear of being replaced by AI technologies and the willingness to adopt these technologies. Income was negatively correlated with the fear of being replaced by AI technologies. Education level was negatively correlated with the fear of being replaced and positively correlated with the willingness to adopt.Practical implicationsThe findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers, educators, and business leaders in shaping AI integration strategies. They emphasize the need for targeted educational and policy initiatives to bridge the gap in AI readiness.Originality/valueThis study offers unique insights into the perceptions toward AI in a leading technological hub, contributing to the understanding of how advanced societies are adapting to rapid AI integration.

Automated photo filtering for tourism domain using deep and active learning: the case of Israeli and worldwide cities on instagram

Social media platforms like Instagram significantly influence tourists’ travel decisions by providing them with valuable insights, recommendations, authentic information, and points of interest. However, photos shared with location-specific hashtags, even those related to tourist attractions, do not always reflect the actual destination, creating challenges for potential visitors seeking accurate information. To assist tourists in finding pertinent tourism information for specific destinations, we propose VISTA: Visual Identification of Significant Travel Attractions. The proposed method employs deep learning and active learning techniques to automatically classify photos into: ‘Tourism-Related’ photos (i.e., photos related to tourism) and ‘Non-Tourism-Related’ photos (i.e., photos unrelated to tourism). To train our machine learning classifier, we created a dataset containing photos of the 10 most popular Israeli cities on Instagram. The classifier obtained an accuracy score of 0.965 and a weighted F1 score of 0.964. Evaluating our classifier’s global generalization on the InstaCities100K dataset, derived from InstaCities1M, yielded an accuracy score of 0.958 and a weighted F1 score of 0.959. The effectiveness of VISTA was demonstrated by comparing tourism-related and non-tourism-related photos in terms of photo proportion, user engagement, and object comparison. We found that most photos published on Instagram associated with cities are irrelevant to tourists and that tourism-related photos received more likes than non-tourism-related photos. Finally, there was a low overlap between objects in the two photo collections. Based on these results, we conclude that VISTA can help tourists tackle the problem of finding relevant tourism-related photos among the high volume of photos available on Instagram.

Laundry-on-Air: Cultural Intimacy and the Transnational Circulation of Popular Culture

Abstract TV shows and movies, as dominant forms of modern popular culture, often trigger domestic discussions, especially when dealing with sensitive and thorny issues in society. But what happens when these domestically-created cultural productions are globally circulated and consumed? In recent years, especially following the streaming revolution, there have been increasing numbers of national TV shows and films that are internationally distributed and broadcast. Focusing on the Israeli case, this article examines discursive responses to conflict-related TV shows and films that were created in Israel and are broadcast to an international audience. Situating these responses within International Relations constructivism and Social Psychology literature, we argue that the Israeli harsh and emotional response is a result of three dimensions related to these productions: (1) they deal with culturally intimate issues; (2) they expose Israeli vulnerabilities to outsiders; and (3) they are created by Israeli citizens, expected to align with group norms. In addition to bringing to the surface domestic identity debates, these internationally consumed cultural productions add another layer of ontological anxiety—the uncomfortable feeling associated with “airing the dirty laundry in public.”

Media-Based Social Work as a Modality for the Enhancement of Public Awareness of Violence against Women: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cases Covered by the Israeli Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Utilising framing theory and conceptual metaphor theory, the present study delves into how media can aid social workers in enhancing public awareness of social problems. A comparative content analysis was conducted, focusing on two Israeli cases involving the attempted murder of women by their partners during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Of the 570 reports analysed, 210 reports focused on the two cases of attempted murder of women by their partners. The first case received only episodic framing in contrast to the second case, which transitioned from episodic framing to thematic framing, leading to noteworthy social and legislative changes. Three transformative factors were identified as contributors to the shift in media coverage: the timing of the event; the willingness of the victim to be interviewed and the presence of a family member or professional accompanying the media story. This study also underscores the importance of understanding the metaphorical language employed by the media in influencing public awareness. On a practical level, the findings of the study offer insights into the essential elements of media-based social work that can foster the recognition of social problems and their prevention, complementing other social work interventions.

Cold War Kreutzer: Tolstoy’s Posthumous Political Career from Venice to Palestine

ABSTRACT The year 1960 marked the fiftieth death anniversary of Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), one of the earliest self-proclaimed world writers. That summer, the CIA-funded Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) organized a lavish international conference near Venice; meanwhile, in Haifa, the Palestinian Trotskyist Jabra Nicola (1912–1974) published his translation of Tolstoy’s sex-obsessed late novella The Kreutzer Sonata. These two events exemplified contrasting styles of Cold War literary internationalism, one aspiring to global dominance and the other to local impact. Both responded to Tolstoy’s “world” status, Kreutzer’s moral ambition, and the Soviet Union’s successful appropriation of nineteenth-century Russian literature. Exploring the CCF archives and the Arabic Kreutzer tradition, this article asks how each of these 1960 events came about, what they assumed, and what they achieved. The Palestinian Israeli case offers a usefully peripheral perspective from which the Cultural Cold War appears both more tangible and less strictly bipolar. Jabra’s translation used the resources provided by Soviet cultural diplomacy for local progressive ends: not to press for social change in Arab society, but to build the cultural confidence of readers who found themselves both minoritized as Israelis and isolated from their fellow Arabs.

Democratic backsliding and the constitutional blitz

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyze the acceleration of the democratic backsliding Israel experienced between January 2023 and April 2023 during the first session of the 25th Knesset and the 37th government in Israel. We explore the factors that contributed to this process. Our goal is to determine whether there are any elements that are unique to Israel in this regard that distinguish it from other countries that have experienced such backsliding in recent years. To do so, we utilize an event history analysis based on a timeline of the actions of the members of the 37th government. The analysis shows that the four incentives that aligned together before the election of the 25th Knesset and the creation of an extreme right-wing government accelerated the backsliding of Israeli democracy. The unique factor that distinguishes Israel from other countries is the indictments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The conclusions offer several insights for Western democracies from the Israeli case.

Femicide and Domestic Violence Against Women During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Israeli Case

This paper presents an empirical study of femicide and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Israel during 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years. Studies worldwide found elevated IPV during 2020 and a mixed picture of femicide, as both increases and decreases were reported, depending on the country. In Israel, the media reported a growth in IPV and femicide. However, no comprehensive empirical comparison of femicide and IPV during the lockdown months in 2020 in comparison to previous years was conducted. The current study fills this gap, comparing the 2014–2020 period in terms of IPV and femicide to determine whether the first pandemic year was unusual in terms of femicide and IPV. Data were collected from news websites, the Knesset (Israeli parliament) report, and annual public police reports to break down case-by-case femicide reports. The findings show a growth in femicide and IPV in the pandemic’s first year, compared to 2019. However, compared to previous years, 2020 was not unusually high in terms of femicide. However, IPV was higher in 2020 than that in previous years. Hence, the media claims about the pandemic’s elevated risk of femicide and IPV are only partially true.

POWERING UP: CHINA’S SURGE INTO ISRAEL’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET

Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) have experienced a rapid surge in Israel, swiftly gaining a significant foothold in the market. This dominance of Chinese brands within Israel's EV sector is driven by recent market dynamics and their compelling product offerings. Factors such as the affordability and quality of these vehicles, the growing China-Israel ties, Israel's technological expertise, and its strategic position as a gateway to Europe all contribute to this trend. This study examines this phenomenon, exploring the key drivers, potential challenges, and broader implications. Challenges on the horizon include internal logistical barriers, competition from established market players, geopolitical tensions stemming from the US-China rivalry, and concerns regarding data security. Israel's case offers a glimpse into a broader trend of Chinese EV dominance with global implications.

Israeli tech entrepreneurship: glorification of business exits in the media

ABSTRACT Traditionally, entrepreneurs build long-term companies that generate profits by selling goods and services. Nowadays, entrepreneurs are building companies solely to sell them to larger corporations to profit from early ‘exits’ due to the glorifying media characteristic. Based on an Israeli case study, this article examines how media outlets portray the ‘exit’ catchphrase. An analysis of semi-structured interviews with Israeli tech journalists and a thematic analysis of news articles is used to identify the three main narratives appearing in the media for encouraging exits: High-tech entrepreneur (individual), company (entity), and the industry (macro point of view).

Multiculturalism in teacher training: the Israeli case

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been an increased interest in multiculturalism in teacher training around the world. This qualitative study examined Arab Bedouin preservice teachers’ (PSTs) experience teaching in a Jewish school in times of political and social tension in Israel. Data from 30 PSTs were collected through semistructured interviews, reflective diaries, and questionnaires. Analysis of the findings reveals a complex multidimensional picture of professional, personal, and cultural challenges and opportunities that the PSTs faced. The findings show the experience of teaching in a multicultural environment within the framework of the teacher training programme in optimistic light.

A multivariate model for explaining gender differences in commitment to volunteering in the COVID-19 pandemic: The Israeli case.

This study examined gender differences in commitment to volunteering and its explanatory variables among Israeli volunteers in the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Commitment to volunteering was assessed based on tendency to continue volunteering over time, expected intensity of volunteering, and tendency to recommend volunteering to others. The sample included 173 men and 331 women. The social-structural and psychological approaches formed the theoretical basis for explaining commitment to volunteering. Data processing was conducted through path analysis. For both genders, routine volunteering explained commitment to volunteering over time. Instrumental motives for volunteering were stronger for men than for women. A positive correlation was found for both genders between the level of anxiety and motive to escape from reality through volunteering. For women, fear of contracting the coronavirus correlated negatively with expected intensity of volunteering. Recommendations are made to volunteer organizations to adopt a gender-sensitive approach when managing volunteers in an emergency.

The political economy of populists in power, between policy and polity: Evidence from the Israeli case

This paper explores the connection between the current wave of populism, economic policies and governance practices. We first review the different ways in which populist political economy has been conceptualised, focusing on the relationship between populism and neoliberalism in terms of both policy and polity. We then briefly discuss right-wing populist governments’ recent economic policies and institutional changes. We argue that, while representing a continuation of neoliberalism in some areas, right-wing populism may, when in power, undermine neoliberal economic policies and institutional power by subverting governance norms and reintroducing the state as a major actor in the economy. To demonstrate and support our argument, we analyse the Israeli case, in which the right-wing populist leader Benjamin Netanyahu led three governmental coalitions between 2009 and 2019. We focus on the Israeli government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis. We show that the populist Israeli government went beyond clientelism and welfare chauvinism and moved towards a more redistributive and expansionist economic agenda. To finance and legislate this agenda, it used unorthodox, short-term governance practices to bypass or overcome institutional limitations.

The decoupling practice of “Democraticwashing”: the case of Israel

ABSTRACT This study introduces and elaborates on the decoupling practice of “democraticwashing” within contemporary political discourse, where anti-democratic actions are concealed behind democratic rhetoric. The primary aim is to unravel the multifaceted nature of democraticwashing, which extends beyond mere language manipulation for legitimization. It explores instances where democratic values and the legitimation attached to them in the present day are internalized to the extent that contradictions between rhetoric and reality are adamantly denied. By analysing the relation between democratic discourse and anti-democratic actions in the Israeli case since 2009, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of how democraticwashing contributes to the erosion of democratic elements in states usually considered as democracies in the global arena. This research advances our comprehension of the contemporary challenges facing democratic governance worldwide while proposing a new analysis tool for the erosion of democracy in the contemporary era.

Aspects of the Management Style of Top Managers of the Treatment Centers for Women Violence. The Israeli Case

Aspects of the Management Style of Top Managers of the Treatment Centers for Women Violence. The Israeli Case