The "Center for the Study of the Extreme Right in Israel," which I lead, is the result of a research into the activists of the Kahanist movement, the Hilltop Youth movement, and the Ginsburghist movement (led by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh). While my research primarily focused on the West Bank, it also extended across the entire country.
Photography: Idan Yaron (Artist: Oren Fischer)
Methodology: My expertise lies in social anthropology. Accordingly, I focus on contemporary cultures, and conduct fieldwork, striving to grasp events in their broadest context to understand their interconnections and interdependencies.
The primary research method I use is participant observation – a technique where I not only observe but actively participate in the group's activities. This approach allows me to experience events from "within," gaining insights from the perspective of those being studied. Throughout this process, I engage in conversations, document findings, and maintain a critical, professional perspective.
Mission: The website aims to enhance public understanding of the movements, groups, and individuals that constitute Israel's extreme right. It seeks to document, interpret, and analyze their activities while addressing their broader implications.
Ultimately, the key recognition is that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The different components, when integrated into the overall system, reinforce one another – embodying the concept of "synergy" (Greek: working together). This integration forms a "gestalt" (German: pattern), which in turn creates a "holistic" (overall) image of the whole – like a completed puzzle – where each individual piece alone offers only a limited and incomplete impression.
My own insights are drawn from fieldwork, based on participant observation, following deep penetration into these social groups for over a decade.
Why Is This Important? Anthropology helps us understand how people think and act in both distant and familiar societies. Through this lens, we not only learn about "others" but also gain deeper insights into "ourselves" – as rational individuals striving to broaden our understanding of the world.
In today's world – particularly in Israel and the broader Western society – such knowledge is vital for any citizen concerned with the well-being and future of society and the state.
How Can We Help? The website will serve as a comprehensive information hub for anyone seeking to understand the extreme right – both in general and within Israel specifically. It will offer detailed, in-depth, and logical analytical framework, to provide clear insights into this critical field.
Dr. Idan Yaron
Ph.D. in sociology and social anthropology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Current position: Independent sociologist and social anthropologist.
Major specialization: Far – extreme and radical – right in Israel.
Other specializations: military (and police) studies; applied anthropology – education and schools; cultural studies – literature, art cinema.
Relevant Publications (English)
Basic Concepts Used in the Site