A New President for ACRI, a New Knesset for Israel
November 10, 2026
Dear friend,
While Israel’s political arena may continue to be chaotic (more on that below), I'm happy to announce that ACRI recently elected a new president, Professor Michael Karayanni. Michael holds the Bruce W. Wayne Chair in International Law at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he previously served as the Dean of Faculty. Professor Karayanni is an internationally renowned scholar of private international law, interreligious law, and multiculturalism and has been involved in numerous public initiatives to advance equality and the rights of minorities in Israel. His books include A Multicultural Entrapment: Religion & State Among the Palestinian-Arabs in Israel and Conflicts in a Conflict: A Conflict of Laws Case Study on Israel and the Palestinian Territories. You can read more about his impressive biography here. Michael served on ACRI’s Board of Directors from 2004-2006; I am excited to have him back at ACRI, and look forward to all that we will accomplish together.
A new Knesset is being sworn in today, as we wait to see what government (if any) is formed. After receiving recommendations from the elected parties, President Isaac Herzog tapped the leader of the Yashar Party, Gadi Eisenkot, to try to form a government. Eisenkot has just under a month (if necessary, he can receive a two-week extension) to build a coalition of at least 61 seats. If he does not succeed, President Herzog will give Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party the opportunity to form a governing coalition. If Netanyahu, in turn, is unable to form a government within 28 days (there are no extensions), the country will hold new elections.
It’s a complicated process, and it will take time for it to play out. But amidst the uncertainty, a few things remain clear:
Partnership is a superpower. The energy that we saw from large segments of Jewish society and Arab society separately mobilizing in unprecedented numbers demonstrates the desire for change, and that partnership is the only way forward to build an equal society based on human rights. Separately we cannot overcome fascism. Together, we are unstoppable.
Democracy can never be taken for granted, and ensuring the rights of citizens from minority populations to exercise their democratic rights is work that does not end with the elections. ACRI sent a number of urgent Supreme Court petitions on election day in response to unusually long lines at polling stations in Arab communities. In the days following the election, we have also been sending legal correspondence in response to Bedouins being summoned for interviews with the Shin Bet regarding illegal voter activity. All citizens have the right to vote, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. Attempts to undermine that democratic right for some undermines that right for all, and we will continue to fight for everyone’s right to vote safely and without fear.
This is a time of uncertainty, but it also allows us to hope for a new start, and a better future. The walls we bang our head against are hard, but they are not unbreakable. Together we can bring change. Donate Now.
More News from ACRI
One of the more overlooked issues stemming from the chaos and violence in the West Bank: the disruption to children's education. A lost year of childhood and a lost year of school can never be recovered.
Why we won't miss the outgoing government.
Police close Arab businesses threatened by protection rackets, protecting no one and harming only the already-beleaguered business owners.
Instead, police are using their resources to disrupt Arab weddings. Sometimes they even help themselves to the food.
Thai workers who come to Israel to work in agriculture face significant language and cultural barriers. The courts must ensure that they are not exploited.
