Kohelet Policy Forum:How a Far-Right, US-Funded Israeli ThinkTank Shapes Policy&Law in the US&Israel

As Israel’s far-right has gained political influence and momentum, including with respect to the current government’s “judicial reform” plans, the outsized impact of the Kohelet Policy Forum - a formerly low-profile, high-impact Israeli think-tank - has increasingly been making headlines. These include the New York Times (“Who’s Behind the Judicial Overhaul Now Dividing Israel? Two New Yorkers”), Haaretz (The Kohelet Tentacles: Inside the Web Surrounding the Right-wing Think Tank).  Two key parts of this story -- insufficiently understood and examined by the media -- are the ties between Kohelet and right-wing fellow travelers and funders in the U.S., and their years-long efforts to influence policy and law not only in Israel, but in the United States, both at the state- and federal-level. Join FMEP & Jewish Currents for a conversation among experts who have been researching and documenting the activities and funding of the Kohelet Policy Forum including its transnational connections and impact of its work in both the U.S. and Israel/Palestine.  Featuring Ran Cohen (Democratic Bloc), Yousef Munayyer (Arab Center DC) & Eran Nissan (Mehazkim), and Lara Friedman (FMEP); moderated by Sarah Anne Minkin (FMEP).