Association for Progressive Democracy

The Association for Progressive Democracy (Hebrew: העמותה לדמוקרטיה מתקדמת) is an Israeli registered non-profit association (amuta) founded in 2008. It works to strengthen Israeli democracy by promoting practical solutions to flaws in democratic mechanisms, with a particular focus on the relationships between money, government and the media — often described in Hebrew as קשרי הון-שלטון-עיתונות. The association states that it seeks to ensure that democratic governance systems in Israel operate in the public interest, in accordance with the values of equality, transparency and justice. The association was founded in 2008 to confront the problems of money–government–press relations, which its founders identified as the most serious threat to the future of Israeli democracy. From 2011 it began to focus on regulating the activity of paid lobbyists in the corridors of power, and it has also assisted in struggles against money–government–press–tobacco relations and in other campaigns such as health labeling on food products, the fight against the natural gas outline, and the cost of living. The association describes itself as completely independent, both politically and financially. It states that it has no affiliation with any actors on the political map and is not supported by or connected to any political body, foundation or wealthy individual. Throughout its years of activity, its work has relied on volunteering. Its declared goals include applying deep transparency to the actions of elected officials and public servants (transparency of the three legs: documentation, reporting and timely accessibility); the struggle to regulate the activity of paid lobbyists in the Knesset, government ministries and public institutions; promoting creative solutions to the collapse of the journalistic system in light of the current nature of money–press relations; projects derived from the flaws of money–government–press relations; and producing reports on the various subjects it deals with, as well as professional conferences to develop the discourse on these issues. The association reports several achievements, including a victory in the "Edelstein" High Court petition in 2020; a victory in "Icos 1" against Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Philip Morris in 2017; a victory in "Icos 2" against Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in 2017; the application of a registration requirement for the presence of lobbyists in Knesset committees; publication of the "Lobbyists and Their Clients in the Knesset Index" every two months to expose information about lobbyist activity in Israel; a procedure for suspending from the Knesset lobbyists under investigation on suspicion of corruption; a transparency requirement for meetings with tobacco company lobbyists; and the surfacing of cases of conflict of interest in lobby representation, which caused the Israel Lung Cancer Association to leave Gilad Lobbying after discovering that it also represented tobacco companies alongside their representation (and that of other health organizations). During the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, the association demanded that time be allocated for journalists' questions after the prime minister's public statements on the subject, which were broadcast in prime time; the prime minister's spokesperson acceded to the request. The association is registered as amuta number 580494870. Its committee members include Eitan Lahat, John Kagan and Rinat Tzur. The head of the local government field is Hagai Korach, and the legal advisor is Adv. Yifat Solel. Eitan Lahat is a committee member, and Bi Gatnio is the founder. Rinat Tzur is an active committee member and social activist in the fields of shared life (Jews–Arabs) and the rights of people with special needs; she works in high-tech as a quality manager, is a graduate of the academic reserve track (Captain), holds a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering from the Technion, and lives in Haifa.

The Association for Progressive Democracy was founded in 2008 as a registered non-profit association in Israel. Its founders identified the flaws of money–government–press relations as the most serious threat to the future of Israeli democracy and established the association to confront them. In its early years, the association worked to expose and regulate the activity of lobbyists in the Knesset and government ministries, a struggle it describes as its first major campaign. From 2011, the association began to focus on regulating the activity of paid lobbyists in the corridors of power. It also assisted in the struggle against money–government–press–tobacco relations, coining the phrase "הון-שלטון-עיתון-טבק" (money–government–press–tobacco), which it says is linked to the deaths of 8,000 Israelis each year and makes tobacco companies the number one enemy of public health in Israel. A third major campaign concerned money–government–food companies, in which the association helped pass a law requiring health labeling on food products in Israel. The association states that it works independently of any right–left agenda in Israel and cooperates with anyone interested. It emphasizes that it is not supported by or connected to any political body, foundation or wealthy individual, and that all its work has relied on volunteering. Over the years, the association has reported several achievements. It won the "Edelstein" High Court petition in 2020. It won the "Icos 1" petition against Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Philip Morris in 2017, and the "Icos 2" petition against Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in 2017. It secured a registration requirement for the presence of lobbyists in Knesset committees and began publishing the "Lobbyists and Their Clients in the Knesset Index" every two months to expose information about lobbyist activity in Israel. It also achieved a procedure for suspending from the Knesset lobbyists under investigation on suspicion of corruption, and a transparency requirement for meetings with tobacco company lobbyists. It surfaced cases of conflict of interest in lobby representation, which caused the Israel Lung Cancer Association to leave Gilad Lobbying after discovering that the firm also represented tobacco companies alongside their representation and that of other health organizations. During the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, the association demanded that time be allocated for journalists' questions after the prime minister's public statements on the subject, which were broadcast in prime time. The prime minister's spokesperson acceded to the request. The association is registered as amuta number 580494870. Its committee members include Eitan Lahat, John Kagan and Rinat Tzur. The head of the local government field is Hagai Korach, and the legal advisor is Adv. Yifat Solel. Bi Gatnio is the founder. Rinat Tzur is an active committee member and social activist in the fields of shared life (Jews–Arabs) and the rights of people with special needs; she works in high-tech as a quality manager, is a graduate of the academic reserve track (Captain), holds a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering from the Technion, and lives in Haifa.

• 2020

  Victory in the "Edelstein" High Court petition.

• 2020

  During COVID-19, association demands journalist question time after prime minister's prime-time statements; spokesperson accedes.

• 2017

  Victory in "Icos 1" against Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Philip Morris.

• 2017

  Victory in "Icos 2" against Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon.

• 2011

  Association begins focusing on regulating paid lobbyists in the corridors of power.

• 2008

  Association founded to confront flaws in money–government–press relations.

Independent, non-partisan civil society association promoting transparency, equality and justice in Israeli democratic governance.

• Lobbyists and Their Clients in the Knesset Index

  Published every two months to expose information about lobbyist activity in Israel.

• Reports on money–government–press relations

  Reports produced on the various subjects the association deals with.

• Professional conferences

  Conferences to develop the discourse on the issues the association addresses.

1. 1העמותה לדמוקרטיה מתקדמת | מחזקים את הדמוקרטיה הישראליתprogdemocracy.com
2. 2אודות | העמותה לדמוקרטיה מתקדמתprogdemocracy.com
3. 3Association for Progressive Democracywikidata.org
4. 4העמותה לדמוקרטיה מתקדמתhe.wikipedia.org