Background: In recent years the word, "Zionism", has been given the connotation of a conservative political outlook. We see great importance in returning Zionist ideals as the common denominator of all political camps. In furtherance of this goal, the IZS eschews all involvement in matters relating directly to the future of Israel's borders and its relationship with non-Israeli Arabs. This has been the central and cardinal issue dominating Israeli politics, splintering the community, and diverting energies away from the Zionist vocation.

 

The Establishment of the Institute:

Ever since its independence, the State of Israel has been faced with security threats that challenge the very physical existence of the Zionist enterprise. At the same time, recent decades have witnessed a post-modernist intellectual and cultural influence which has come to dominate important elements of our society. The new political correctness widely imposed negates the right of Jewish national self-determination and paints Zionist aspirations as aggressive, colonialist and inconsistent with the enlightened, progressive universal liberalism of the modern age.

 

In today's society, think-tanks and research centers exert a crucial influence on public policy. In Israel, these institutions have taken the place of the political parties who in the past deliberated and formulated long term policy objectives. To the extent that anyone is planning long term in the fields of economic, educational, and political policy, it is to the think tanks that are doing the work.

 

But almost all of these think tanks are heavily funded by foreign governments and Foundations and many in Israel are post-Zionist organizations working to oppose and undermine the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and the existence of the State of Israel as its national home. For some of them, their access to the centers of influence in the society combined with abundant resources afford them great efficacy in determining the national agenda and defining the "politically correct” discourse. Until the establishment of the Institute, there was no organized body to counter this influence and to formulate creative, dynamic and implementable Zionist alternatives. For decades, Zionists were eager to oppose

what should not be, but incapable of proposing what should be. The Institute for Zionist Strategies is bringing this imbalance to an end.

 

Programs:

1)      The Zionist Idea Forum – an intellectual framework for setting research goals.

2)      Research fellows – position papers and research studies

3)      The Zionist Beit Midrash

4)      The Future Leaders Program and the Young Leadership Program

5)      Media committee

6)      Advanced study programs for government ministries

7)      Study tours, discussions and seminars

8)      Journal