This open access book examines the mass protest movement that emerged in Israel in 2023 in response to the government’s proposed judicial overhaul, situating it within the broader political, institutional, and societal tensions shaping the country’s trajectory. It explores the challenges confronting Israel’s democratic institutions, security, and political order at a moment of profound uncertainty and transformation.

The volume also considers the repercussions of the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, the ensuing war in Gaza, and the shifting regional and international landscape, including diplomatic initiatives such as the Trump 20-point plan.

Bringing together leading scholars from a range of disciplines, the book offers original analyses organized around three intersecting themes: contestation over Israel’s national identity, the dynamics of democratic backsliding, and the enduring consequences of the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A timely resource to scholars, students, and informed general readers.

Karin Aggestam is Professor of Political Science and former Director of the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University. She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland, Australia.