New Democracy Index Ranks Israeli Cities on Local Governance Quality
Globes and the Panima Movement have released the first comprehensive Local Democracy Index for Israel, evaluating 52 municipalities representing over 6.5 million residents. The index assesses local government quality across six dimensions: transparency, public trust, citizen involvement, municipal cooperation, checks and balances, and representation. It combines government data with a large-scale survey of approximately 20,800 residents.
The index reveals significant variation among cities. Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, Ashdod, and Rishon Lezion lead in transparency, while Umm al-Fahm, Ramat Hasharon, and Netivot top public involvement. Kiryat Bialik, Umm al-Fahm, and Yavne score highest in cooperation, and Petah Tikva, Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, and Kiryat Bialik rank best in public trust. Netivot, Kiryat Bialik, and Kfar Saba excel in checks and balances, whereas Raanana, Herzliya, and Ramat Gan lead in representation.
Overall, the average score across all municipalities is 51 out of 100, indicating a need for broad improvements in local democracy. Public involvement and cooperation received the lowest average scores (32 and 28 respectively), highlighting areas requiring special attention. The report suggests expanding regulations on public participation and encouraging citizen engagement to strengthen democratic processes.
Even financially stable municipalities, classified as "resilient" by the Ministry of Interior, scored only 55 on average, suggesting that financial health does not guarantee democratic robustness. The study recommends incorporating democratic criteria into the Ministry of Interior’s classification system. Lower socioeconomic clusters generally require more investment to improve local democratic governance.
This index offers the most detailed snapshot to date of local governance quality in Israel, emphasizing the growing importance of municipal authorities as independent democratic actors amid national political turbulence. The findings aim to inform policymakers and the public about the strengths and weaknesses of local democracy ahead of upcoming elections.
