Rebuilding Agora: From Gladiator's Arena to Open Democracy

Contemporary liberal democracy faces a profound crisis of legitimacy. Drawing on comprehensive behavioral data of civil activism and critical discourse analysis, this article scrutinizes the crisis of democracy theoretically and comparatively, focusing on the case of Israel and offering fresh paths to revive “open politics” through direct and deliberative democracy. The crisis of democracy, I propose, stems from a pervasive disconnect between public aspirations and representative democracy. The core challenge lies in the “closed politics” model, where power is centralized in self-serving elites and political discourse is reduced to theatrical battles rather than substantive debate. This phenomenon is symbolized by the shift from the ancient Greek agora—a space of open dialogue and collective decision-making—to a gladiator's arena, where individuals and groups are pitted against each other in a destructive spectacle. The gladiatorial metaphor captures the degeneration of democratic practices: the public is reduced to spectators of divisive, zero-sum contests, while the burden of personal responsibility and meaningful choice is outsourced to unaccountable leaders. Politicians hide behind masks of persona, prioritizing survival in the arena over representing collective interests. Contemporary representative democracy dehumanizes politics, fostering cycles of blame and distrust between leaders and the public, deepening the political impasse. Israel’s unique position makes it both highly vulnerable to these trends and uniquely capable of overcoming them. Despite external existential threats and internal polarization, Israel's civil society—embodied by its robust protest movements—holds the potential to challenge the dominance of "closed politics." The path forward demands a return to the agora, reimagined for the 21st century through three core practical approaches: fostering open civil dialogue, institutionalizing citizens' assemblies, and embracing referendums as tools for direct democratic engagement. Rebuilding the agora requires dismantling the gladiator's arena by cultivating spaces for deliberative dialogue where citizens from diverse backgrounds can collectively shape their future. Citizens' assemblies provide a structured mechanism for informed and inclusive decision-making, enabling a representative cross-section of society to address complex issues thoughtfully. Referendums, when thoughtfully designed, empower the public to make direct decisions on critical matters, bridging the gap between governance and the people. This comprehensive approach seeks to reject the false dichotomies and manufactured dilemmas of the arena in favor of collaborative solutions rooted in mutual respect and long-term vision. As a global microcosm of democratic decline and resilience, Israel can serve as a pivotal case study for reinvigorating open and inclusive democracy worldwide.