Lecture
Yohanan Plesner
Wednesday 21.10.2026
Yohanan Plesner
What’s at Stake in Israel’s Election with Carly Maisel
Wednesday 21.10.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 21 October at 7:00pm (UK).
Summary
After a tumultuous four years spanning the judicial overhaul and mass protests, the October 7 attacks, and a three-year war on multiple fronts, Israelis will head to the polls on October 27 to determine the future of their country.
Please join us for an exclusive briefing with Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute and former Member of Knesset. Plesner will survey the candidates, the issues, possible outcomes based on the current polls and policy implications for Israel and the Jewish People.
Yohanan Plesner
Yohanan (Johan) Plesner has been president of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) since 2014. With more than 80 publications per year, IDI is the country’s largest impact-oriented policy planning institution. From 2007 to 2013, he served as a member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament). After serving in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s office as Head of Special Projects, he later became the first Secretary-General of Israel’s new ruling party, Kadima, and spearheaded the creation of the party’s organizational infrastructure. Johan holds an MPA in political economy and international security from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He graduated magna cum laude with a BA in economics from the Amirim Program for Excellence at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He grew up in Jerusalem and served as a combatant and officer in the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal unit, in which he still serves as a major in active reserve duty.