Reflecting on ODR: The israeli example

The state of ODR in Israel provides an instructive illustration of the developments and achievements in the field as well as the significant challenges that it still faces. The general picture is one in which there are very few ODR projects on the ground, hardly no theoretical study of these systems and little, if any, general public awareness of the phenomenon. This picture is not very different from the state of ODR globally. With the exception of a handful of extremely successful ODR systems, after over a decade of existence, this avenue for dispute resolution and conflict transformation has yet to be fully discovered. The article explores these themes through the description of those ODR projects that have developed in Israel - The New Generation Court System (NGCS), Benoam online arbitration system, Emun Hatzibur ODR scheme for the resolution of consumer complaints, and several others. This handful of case studies suffice to challenge some of our limiting conceptions about ODR - its scope, definition and impact - and to defy our expectations. At the same time, the Israeli experience also provides a good demonstration of the strong barriers - financial, cultural, institutional and professional - that still stand in the way of expansion of the field.