Citizens' Assemblies in Israël : A Ray of Hope in Troubled Times
- jonmoskovic
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
Training - Strategy
In a context of war, colonization, occupation, and daily violations of international law, a ray of hope has emerged in the form of the first local citizens’ assemblies in Israël (following successful pilot in 2022). Recently, citizen assemblies took place in the Arab village of Jatt and in Eilat, before moving on to the Druze village of Beit Jan, Raanana, Kfar Saba and Regional authority of Bnei Shimon.
I was fortunate to meet the proponents of the Democracy 3.0 project at the G1000 Summer University a few years ago. Since then, I have had the opportunity to reconnect with them both virtually and in person, supporting their reflections on the project. I am also honored to have contributed to the 2024 kick-off of this amazing project , where I introduced the deliberative wave in Belgium and Europe.
Inclusive assemblies
In each local assembly, 70 citizens are randomly selected to represent the diversity of the population, gathering in six sessions to formulate political recommendations. The current assemblies are being held in both Arab and Jewish villages and cities. As the goal is to mainstream Citizens’ Assemblies across Israel, future cohorts will include participants from mixed cities such as Jerusalem, Akko, Haifa, Jaffa, and others. In these cases, the assemblies will be conducted in both Arabic and Hebrew to ensure inclusivity and to accommodate all religions and cultures.
A future peace assembly
This initiative is just the beginning of what could eventually evolve into a future Israeli Palestinian Citizen Assembly or perhaps even regional Middle Eastern citizens Assemblies, designed to tackle thorny issues—similar to the assemblies in Ireland with abortion and same sex marriage or, more recently, in France with end-of-life debate.
This movement towards participatory democracy underscores that even amid adversity, the voices of citizens can come together to propose solutions and pave the way for a better future. Let’s hold on to this hope and continue striving for a society where everyone can contribute to meaningful change and lasting peace.
