Dahlia Scheindlin

Dahlia Scheindlin is a Tel-Aviv based American-Israeli political consultant, pollster, and journalist; she is the author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel, Promise Unfulfilled. She supports liberal causes and is an advocate of a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse.

Early life and education

Scheindlin is from New York. Her mother is Judge Shira Scheindlin, who in 2014 ruled that stop and frisk is unconstitutional. Her father. Raymond, is professor emeritus at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She received a BA from McGill University in comparative religion and an MA from Harvard Divinity School. She made aliyah in 1997. and later received a PhD in political science from Tel Aviv University. After the move to Israel, Scheindlin felt she had no profession and describes a deep existential struggle. She found her calling in Ehud Barak's successful 1999 campaign, where she met renowned political consultants. Stan Greenberg took her on, taught her about polling issues and stats, mentoring her to help start career.

Career

Political consultant

Scheindlin was a political consultant on eight Israeli national elections over a 20-year period. She has done similar work in 15 countries and regions. She has had fellowships at Columbia University, Mitvim and The Century Foundation.

Polling

She has conducted extensive public opinion and policy research on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict including a three-year series of Israeli-Palestinian public opinion surveys with the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Findings indicated declining support for the two-state solution. Polling in 2024 showed strong support for the Gaza war, but support for leadership at it lowest level ever.

Journalism

Scheindlin has written for Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Haaretz, The Guardian, Time, and other publications. She is the co-founder of +972, a left-wing news and opinion online magazine, established in 2010.

Writings

• Gaza: "October 7 was a watershed moment that startled Israeli Jews and has been manipulated and fetishized for political gain since it occurred." And: "The government has abandoned the hostages and the people in general, for its own political survival."
• One-state solution: Scheindlin recognizes the difficulty of getting Israeli and Palestinian support for the idea, but "that doesn’t mean we should not try." Her opinion is that the two-state solution is dead. The best option is a Palestinian-Israeli confederation.
• Oslo Accords: She feels the accords should have been a path to peace. But, since 1993 Israeli governments have been using it a cover for the occupation, "enabling Israel’s profound penetration into Palestinian life, through physical, military, bureaucratic, and cyber-surveillance mechanisms;" as well as maintaining "Israel’s military control over all of the West Bank, and over Gaza by controlling its borders, airspace, and seaports." She describes this as a blasphemous betrayal of the intent of the accords.
• The Israeli left: Scheindlin explains that in Israel, the “left” stands for the idea that Palestinians and Israelis can split their differences and their land, live more peacefully if not perfectly, perhaps one day even reconcile. "I have held these views for my entire adult life, and have spent my career working with political parties, civil society groups, and media outlets advocating them—which can sometimes lead to despair."
• Democracy: In her book,The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel, she acknowledges that there is social and political equality for all citizens. But, she goes on to say that “Zionism cannot be predicated on preventing the self-determination of Palestinians and still be democratic.”