Documenting the Israeli Democracy Protest Movement - Incite at Columbia University

The Israeli protest movement, active since January 2023 in response to government efforts to implement a judicial reform that would expand its power significantly, is recognized as the largest grassroots protest movement in Israeli history and among the most persistent in recent years worldwide.

The "Israeli Democracy Protest Movement Oral History Archive" is a compilation of extensive interviews documenting the activities and milestones of this emerging movement. The archive features over 20 in-depth interviews with prominent organizers representing a wide range of affinity groups—women, students, academics, tech entrepreneurs, veterans, and economists, among others. These interviews capture the participants’ accounts of organizing strategies, challenges, internal debates, and key insights.

With funding from the Left Field Fund, the archive will be preserved through its incorporation into the National Library of Israel and Stanford University’s Judaica and Hebraica Collections. As a result, the archive aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, activists, and the general public interested in understanding and addressing democratic backsliding globally.

Beyond preserving the narrative of a significant historical event, the archive is noted for its potential to provide lessons for other societies grappling with democratic erosion.