The Council of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, whose legally stipulated role is to advise the Israeli Government on issues of national importance in the fields of scientific research and planning, including providing assessments on the national level, vehemently opposes the process of policy decision-making by government bodies and the Knesset in recent weeks, and especially the decisions concerning the legislative changes currently being proposed and legislated.

 

The Academy’s Council expresses deep concern over these processes, and dreads the possibility that the proposed legislative changes, not exclusively relating to the judicial authority, will cause serious harm to Israel’s scientific institutions as well as to Israel’s status in the global scientific community, fearing a potential brain drain on the one hand, and difficulties in recruiting Israeli researchers who are abroad on the other. There is substantial reason to believe that these processes will also lead to a significant decline in international funding for science and culture in Israel, reduction in joint projects with international scientific organizations, and decreased support provided by leading research foundations abroad.

 

The Council implores the Israeli Government to halt the legislative changes immediately, and to hold a thorough and comprehensive discussion, with broad participation of all relevant bodies, in order to reach a wide-ranging agreement on any legislative changes, and thereby prevent the ominous short-term and long-term damage to the resilience, security and future of the State of Israel.

 

Prof. David Harel, Academy President

Prof. Margalit Finkelberg, Vice President

Prof. Sergiu Hart, Chairperson, Humanities Division

Prof. Yadin Dudai - Chairperson, Sciences Division

Prof. Nili Cohen, Past President

Ms. Galia Finzi - Director General