Israel's "Radical" move to the political center — and lessons for the rest of us

One theme of these 2020s is the polarization ripping through the US and other democracies around the world. Every day there’s a new story. Is there any way out of it? Dr. Micah Goodman thinks so. He’s been studying the Israeli model of consensus as an antidote to polarization. Micah is on speed-dial of several of the leaders of Israel’s new centrist coalition government. This Government is like nothing else in Israel’s history…or anywhere else for that matter. It consists of 8 political parties that span the extremes of the ideological spectrum. In fact, this Government would not have been formed without the kingmaker role of a Muslim Arab Israeli political party in Israel’s parliament. Micah is a polymath, having written books ranging from biblical lessons for the modern age to Israel’s geopolitics. Not only have all of his books been bestsellers in Israel, he essentially created a new genre; books that bring core texts of Jewish thought to a general, secular audience. He is a founder of immersive programs fostering personal growth and group identity for young adults at a formative stage in their lives. The organization is called Beit Prat, and Micah is its president. Micah is also a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel.