TRUMAN_17

THE HARRY S. TRUMAN RESEARCH 

News 

INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE 

Institute Welcomes Latin 

American Rectors 

Visit of Religious Leaders 

from the Far East 

3 5 

Students for Peace 

8-9 

Promoting Women 

Empowerment 

13 

Face to Face with War in 

Syria 

Religion and 

Peacebuilding in Africa 

4 6 

The Economic Side 

of the Conflict 

New Researchers 

10 17-21

HISTORIC MEETING 

AT THE VATICAN 

Scholas Occurrentes and Truman to Partner on Educational 

Encounter for Youth of Different Religions 

Truman Institute and Hebrew University leaders had the 

honor of meeting with Pope Francis and Scholas Occurrentes 

Global Directors on a visit to the Vatican that marked the 

beginning of an exciting collaboration for the Institute. 

In the 45-minute meeting, which was held in 

an unprecedented atmosphere of friendship, 

the Pope, along with Scholas President, José 

María del Corral and Scholas Secretary and 

Global Director, Enrique Palmeyro, Presented 

his view of the project to his Israeli guests: 

Hebrew University president Prof. Menahem 

Ben Sasson; Mr. Yossi Gal, Vice President of 

External Relations; Truman Institute Director 

Prof. Menahem Blondheim, and Executive 

Director Ms. Naama Shpeter. 

The leader of more than 1.2 billion Catholics 

around the world expressed happiness and 

satisfaction that the Institute will handle this 

important project. “Religion can bring us 

together and teach us to create the bonds 

of friendship,” the Pope stated. “With the 

intuition of Scholas and the intelligence and 

history of the Hebrew University, I am sure 

that this will produce great changes in the 

world.” 

The unique invitation came from the Pontifical 

Foundation Scholas Occurrentes after it selected 

the Truman Institute to organize and host the first 

international congress of Scholas Occurentes in 

Jerusalem. Scholas is an educational organization 

established by Pope Francis when he was 

Archbishop of Argentina. Initiated on the local 

level and taken international when the Pope began 

his reign, Scholas is dedicated to educating youth 

towards values, leadership and peacebuilding. 

The four-day 2nd Scholas Chairs International 

Congress and a simultaneous inter-religious 

youth meeting, “Between University and School - 

Peacebuilding through Culture of Encounter,” will 

take place at the Truman Institute in July 2017. 

2 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2017

INSTITUTE WELCOMES LATIN 

AMERICAN RECTORS 

More than 20 rectors of leading universities in Latin American countries, 

including some that have no diplomatic relations with Israel, visited the 

Truman Institute in a new initiative aimed at strengthening academic 

connections between their universities and the Hebrew University. 

Hailing from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Nicaragua, 

Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Columbia, 

Honduras and Bolivia, the Rectors met with Hebrew University President 

Prof. Menahem Ben Sasson, Hebrew University Rector Prof. Asher Cohen 

and Nobel Prize laureate Prof. Yisrael (Robert) Aumann. They also met with 

leading researchers at the University’s two Jerusalem campuses and The 

Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot. A high point 

of their stay was a meeting with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin at the 

President’s Residence in Jerusalem. 

The results of the exceptionally 

successful visit: 20 new academic 

agreements were signed between the 

Truman Institute and Hebrew University 

and the universities represented by the 

rectors, for cooperation on joint research 

projects on topics including the Middle 

East, peace and social processes. 

The visit was carried out in cooperation 

with the Israeli Foreign Ministry. 

TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2017 3

FACE TO FACE WITH THE WAR 

IN SYRIA 

The horrific situation that has become reality for the Syrian people in 

recent years was described in detail by two Syrian expatriates in a forum 

for media and the public sponsored by the Truman Institute. In the first 

event of its kind in Israel, the Syrians presented their view of the Assad 

regime and how it has been abusing their fellow citizens. They expressed 

bewilderment and incredulity that the international community is failing 

to bring an end to the war and atrocities that are ravaging their country 

and killing their families and friends. 

The Syrians also described what they felt Israel can do to help the Syrian 

people trapped in the combat zones with no means of escape. Their 

presentation incorporated live conversations with opposition leaders in 

the country’s battle zones, who provided vivid illustrations of life in their 

war-torn land.

FAR EAST AND MIDDLE EAST IN 

JOINT PRAYER FOR PEACE 

A delegation of Asian religious leaders visited the Hebrew 

University for a day of discussions hosted by the Truman 

Institute. The leaders met with their Israeli counterparts 

from the worlds of religion and academia, to exchange 

ideas on issues such as protecting the environment and the 

role of religious leadership in peacemaking. The delegation 

included representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Shinto, 

Sikh, Taoist and Zoroastrian faiths, from China, India, Japan, 

Myanmar, South Korea and Taiwan. 


RELIGION AND PEACEBUILDING IN AFRICA 

Key politicians and religious leaders from across Africa came together for an international conference 

on Democratization, Religion and the Pursuit of Peace in Africa, sponsored by the Truman Institute 

and the Africa Center for Peace and Democracy. The event provided an opportunity for these leaders 

to engage with researchers from Israel, France and the USA, with a focus on current academic trends 

in peacebuilding, ethnic and religious diversity, democratization and elections, and the effects of the 

Africa’s deep history on its cultural and political present. 

The conference also furnished 

a forum for continent-wide 

debate among parliamentary 

representatives and church 

officials from Kenya, Botswana, 

Sierra Leone, Mozambique, 

Burundi, Liberia, Namibia and 

Tanzania, as they engaged in 

understanding the role religion 

and religious institutions 

can play in peacebuilding, 

democratization and 

development processes. At 

the same time, the venue 

of Israel, Jerusalem and the 

Truman Institute provided 

an opportunity for gaining 

perspective on Israel and the 

Middle East. 

86 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2017 2013

PRESIDENTIAL VISITS 

THE PRESIDENT OF GERMANY 

On an official visit to the Truman Institute, German 

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Hebrew 

University leadership and delivered an address to a 

packed auditorium. Accompanied by University President, 

Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson and Rector Prof. Asher 

Cohen, Steinmeier took in the panoramic view of 

Jerusalem and the Judean desert from the roof of the 

Truman building. “It’s good to be back again,” the German 

President wrote in the Truman guest book, referring to his 

visit last year, when he was presented with an honorary 

doctorate by the University. 

THE PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA 

The Truman Institute was honored to host the 

ceremony of conferring an honorary doctorate, 

of the Hebrew University to the President 

of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales. Following 

a Reception in the Truman lobby, and the 

awarding of the degree in the Institute’s Handler 

Auditorium, Hebrew University President Prof. 

Menahem Ben Sasson carried out a private 

meeting with President Morales at the Institute. 

THE PRESIDENT OF ITALY 

The Truman Institute was proud to host the 

President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarela. 

President Mattarela was welcomed by the 

management of the Hebrew University in the 

Institute’s Round Room, followed by a reception 

in the lobby of the Institute. The president 

delivered a lecture entitled “Israel and Italy – 

Memory, Responsibility and Solidarity in the Age of 

Globalization.” The guests at the lecture also enjoyed 

a musical performance of the song “Beautiful That 

Way,” an example of Israeli – Italian collaboration. 


REACHING OUT 

IN SUR BAHER 

AND BEIT HANINA 

In a unique project, students are carrying out volunteer work in the Arab neighborhoods of Sur Baher and Beit 

Hanina in the outskirts of Jerusalem. This is a joint project of the Truman Institute and the School of Social Work 

and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University. In Sur Baher, the students are assigned to work with youth to prevent 

dropping out of school and to improve parent-child relationships in at-risk families. The students in Beit Hanina 

work through the community’s recently-established Center for Citizens’ Rights on projects established to benefit the 

community. These include support groups for empowering single mothers and activities aimed at increasing the 

involvement of residents in decision-making relating to the character of their neighborhood. 

STUDENTS FOR PEACE 

Youth for Peace, a joint project of the Truman Institute and the Youth Peace Initiative (YPI), a Dutch organization, 

brought together a delegation of Israeli students from the Hebrew University with a Palestinian student delegation, 

for dialogue and negotiations. In a secluded hotel outside Amsterdam – chosen to enable participants to focus on 

the heart of the issues – the students first studied the history of the conflict and received guidance and coaching on 

effective communication. 

The Ambassadors of 

Israel and the Palestinian 

Authority participated in a 

special event. At the close 

of the discussions, the two 

sides reached agreements 

on carrying out cooperative 

ventures in culture and 

entrepreneurship, with an 

eye toward continuing the 

dialogue in the future. 


LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE – 

AND EACH OTHER 

PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING 

THROUGH RELIGIOUS STUDY 

Although Jewish and Arab students attend classes together at Hebrew 

University, they rarely meet outside class. Now, 18 Jewish, Moslem and 

Christian students are meeting on a regular basis to explore their different 

religions by studying fundamental texts - including the Jewish bible, the 

Koran and the New Testament – through a new initiative: the Inter-Religious 

Beit Midrash-Madrasa. 

In small groups led by one Jewish and one Moslem or Christian facilitator, 

participants are focusing on topics such as the creation of humans in 

the image of God; relating to others; conflict between tradition and new 

religious ideas; and women and religion. Through their study, the students 

are revealing similarities and differences among religions, learning about 

different cultures and traditions, and discovering the facets of religion that 

connect them all. Along with studying texts, the students visit religious 

places – synagogues, mosques, churches and religious courts. 

With support from the Truman 

Institute, a new Arabic language 

and culture project is breaking 

down social barriers between 

Jewish and Arab students in the 

Hebrew University’s Department 

of Islam and Middle Eastern 

Studies, while helping students 

learn to speak Arabic. Arab 

students teach Arabic language 

to Jewish students, working with 

them to increase their vocabulary, 

read texts and increase their 

spoken fluency while introducing 

them to Arabic culture. With 

the Arab students guided and 

supervised by university Arabic 

teachers, the program is exposing 

Jewish students to the differences 

between spoken Arabic and the 

literary Arabic taught in school, as 

well as to Arab culture, customs 

and holidays. 

With the students’ progress in 

learning Arabic and the positive 

relationships that have developed 

between the Jewish and Arab 

students all pointing to the 

success of the program, the 

project is expanding to include 

cultural activities, such as movies, 

theater and music performances 

and culinary events. 


THE ECONOMIC SIDE OF THE CONFLICT 

The Truman Institute-based Aix group, which has been analyzing the economic effects, impact and 

consequences of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for several years, held a conference in Jerusalem to 

present the results of its research. Representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary 

Fund joined the group’s Israeli and Palestinian economists; military, security and legal professionals; 

architects, and experts in agriculture and the environment to explore future cooperation toward 

promoting a two-state solution. 

POLITICS, RELIGION AND THE PURSUIT 

OF PEACE 

Scholars, journalists, religious leaders, and political figures from Brazil, Israel, and Palestinian Authority 

gathered together for the Sixth International Symposium on Brazil at The Truman Institute, to discuss the 

interaction of politics and religion in the three societies, and their effects on the search for peace. They 

considered issues including the role of religious leaders in setting the stage for dialogue, the relative merits 

of framing the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Authority in religious or secular terms, and the 

pressures of conservative religious forces that are challenging the secular nature of the Brazilian state. 


LATIN AMERICAN AMBASSADORS VISIT 

Fifteen Latin American ambassadors visited the Truman Institute and gained understanding about the Israeli- 

Palestinian conflict and the Middle East region at a day of lectures hosted by the Latin American Unit. The 

Ambassadors represented Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Brazil, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, 

Ecuador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Honduras and Mexico. 

These events were part of the Unit’s full schedule of conferences exploring different topics in Latin American politics 

and policy. These included Fascism and Populism in Latin America and the Renewal of Relations between Cuba 

and the U.S., with a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of the new policy, and its possible consequences 

for Israel. Another conference examined changes in U.S. and Latin American relations following the election of U.S. 

president Donald Trump. 

The unit, under its dynamic coordinator Dr. Mauricio Dimant, also conducted a series of meetings in partnership 

with the Hebrew University’s Lafer Center for Women and Gender Studies, discussing the unique connection 

between gender and ethnicity in Latin America. Another seminar was held on the subject of Diaspora and 

International Migration, to examine recent changes in the involvement of ethnic minorities in social, political and 

cultural processes in the region. The Unit also introduced a series of lectures on Brazil in collaboration with the 

Brazilian lectureship program at the Hebrew University. 

RESOLVING CONFLICT AND CRISIS 

The Middle Eastern Unit organized a conference in honor of the publication of 

Jews and Arabs in Israel Encountering Their Identities: Transformations in Dialogue, a 

book by Dr. Maya Kahanoff. Speakers explored the ways in which it is possible to 

promote resolution, reconciliation and understanding between two sides 

of a conflict, with an emphasis on Israelis and Palestinians. Looking at the 

practice of transformation and conflict in Israeli civil society, they discussed 

ways of transmitting messages towards advancing the status of Arab Israeli 

citizens, negotiations over religious issues, and how to build community 

and establish processes of socialization during times of crisis, such as the 

evacuation of the communities of Gush Katif and Amona. 


PUBLIC HEALTH DELEGATION AT TRUMAN 

A group of 21 public health students from developing 

countries including Africa, India, Haiti and Jordan 

learned about the work of the Truman Institute’s 

regional divisions and researchers during a visit to 

the Institute. Participants in an intensive one-year 

program at the University’s school of Public Health 

and Community Medicine, the students gained new 

perspective on Middle East topics in conversation with 

Truman researchers. Like most visitors, they enjoyed 

the panoramic view of Jerusalem seen from the roof of 

the Truman Institute. 

MOTIVES AND DILEMMAS OF AN INFORMANT 

The contribution of Palestinian agents to Israel’s security is more effective than that of Arab soldiers in the Israel 

Defense Forces. That opinion was voiced by Abed Rajoub, a former informant who now holds permanent Israeli 

residence, at a conference on collaboration organized by the Institute’s Middle East Unit. Rajoub, a cousin of 

Palestinian politician Jibril Rajoub, told his story and critisized the discriminatory way in which Israel treats its 

collaborators. “They are considered traitors, even though they choose to put themselves in danger by helping 

the enemy,” he declared. 

The conference explored the factors that motivate cooperation with the enemy, and the effects of that 

collaboration. Relating to the phenomenon in the Israeli-Arab conflict, speakers noted that collaboration 

takes many different forms, including security and intelligence, selling land to the enemy, and even in buying 

consumer goods from the enemy. They discussed how Israeli and Palestinian society view collaborators, and laws 

that relate to this phenomenon. On the global level, researchers compared collaborators in Northern Ireland 

to their counterparts in Israel, and discussed conflicts in identity of members of the Southern Lebanese Army 

between their Israeli activity and Lebanese patriotism. 

12 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2016

PROMOTING EMPOWERMENT 

OF WOMEN 

Now in its third year, the Female Researchers Forum at the Truman 

Institute is a friendly social forum that provides a platform for the exchange 

of ideas and advice among women who carry out research at the Institute 

and the Hebrew University. The Forum brings together veteran researchers 

and young academics at the start of their careers for activities ranging 

from meetings with groundbreaking researchers to practical workshops on 

topics such as defining a clear academic niche, writing and publicity, and 

television interviews. Meetings are often open to academics from other 

institutions across Israel. The goal: is to foster supportive relationships 

and to enable young women in research to benefit from the experience 

of female role models who can help them blaze trails in the largely maleoriented 

world of academia. 

FROM 

TULANE 

TO TRUMAN 

A group of students from 

Tulane University in New Orleans 

gained broad and in-depth 

understanding of the Middle East 

as participants in Tulane’s Stacy 

Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye 

Program in Middle East Peace, 

hosted by the Truman Institute. 

During their stay in Israel, the 

students heard presentations by 

Truman researchers and fellows, 

in addition to touring the country. 

They met with Knesset members, 

heads of different communities, 

and people working to change 

the life in Israel – all with the aim 

of gaining better understanding 

about the Israeli-Palestinian 

situation, the history of the 

two peoples and their different 

viewpoints. 


IN HONOR OF AN ACADEMIC TRAILBLAZER 

A one-day conference exploring sultans and dictators marked the 80 th birthday of Prof. Amnon Cohen, 

former head of the Truman Institute. Well-wishers included the University President, Prof. Menahem Ben 

Sasson, who opened the event with a review of Prof. Cohen’s accomplishments, including the 2007 Israel 

Prize. The conference sessions illuminated Prof. Cohen’s many years of research on the Ottomon Empire, with 

emphasis on its rule over the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. In recent years, Prof. Cohen has devoted his work 

to Iraq, Turkey and relations between Jews and Arabs throughout history, as well as Turkey under the current 

rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF ARGENTINIAN 

PROSECUTOR NISMAN 

Argentinian federal judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado headlined a 

conference run by the Institute’s Latin American Unit on the case of 

prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who headed the investigation of the 

1994 terror attack on the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires 

until he was found shot dead at home in 2015. Salgado, Nisman’s 

former wife, presented her unique position on Nisman’s death, 

which was first declared a suicide until an investigation raised the 

possibility that the suicide was staged. 

Salgado discussed questions about the case that remained 

open, and the connection of Nisman’s death to his legal work. 

The conference, which was co-sponsored by the University’s 

Department of Romance and Latin American Studies, also raised the 

issues of Argentine intelligence involvement in the investigation of 

Nisman’s death, and the Iranian connection to the attack. 


LITTLE THINGS THAT MEAN A LOT 

A small humanitarian movement has grown out of a recent visit by Prof. Dalia Gavrieli-Nuri of the Truman 

Institute to a refugee center run by volunteers in an old Athens hotel for some 400 people from Syria and 

other countries. Upon returning to Israel, Dalia collected donations of perfume for the female residents. 

“They have food and clothing, but they don’t have a moment to just be feminine,” she explained. “They 

carry much of the burden, especially if there are young children involved, and they don’t receive any special 

attention.” After distributing the perfume to grateful recipients, Dalia spearheaded a toy drive in Israel for 

the center’s 150 children, and, after consulting with a doctor at the center, also purchased much-needed 

medications and toiletries. 

Dalia believes that along with providing material support, it is most important simply to be with the 

women and children, and speak to them as much as language limitations permit. “After the very difficult 

tribulations they’ve gone through, they appreciate humanity and solidarity,” she remarks. “They know that 

I’m from Israel and it touches them. Maybe this is a way to make peace.” 

DISTINGUISHED AWARDS 

Prof. Zehavit Gross has been awarded the Distinguished Scholar 

Award from the Religion and Education SIG of the American 

Education Research Association (AERA). The award recognizes 

her contributions to the fields of religion and education in both 

scholarship and service. 

The government of Japan has honored Prof. Meron Medzini Prof. Zehavit Gross 

with its Order of the Rising Sun, presented in recognition of his 

contributions to the development of Japan studies, and his work in 

promoting understanding and friendship between Israel and Japan. 

Prof. Meron Medzini 


HONORARY AWARD 

Michael S. Kurtz, a longtime member of the Truman Institute’s Board of 

Trustees, is being awarded an honorary doctorate by the Hebrew University in 

recognition of his steadfast commitment to Israel’s well-being and his support for 

its leading institution of higher education and research. The honorary doctorate 

will be conferred during the opening Convocation of the University’s 80 th 

International Board of Governors in June. 

A certified public accountant with the firm of Kurtz and Hornak, P.A., which he 

founded, Kurtz has been active on behalf of the Hebrew University since 1978. 

In addition to serving on the Truman board, he is a member of the University’s 

Board of Governors and a member of its Budget and Finance Committee, as well 

as a board member of the Rothberg International School. He has been National 

Chairman of the American Friends of the Hebrew University since 2013. A co-chair 

of the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Michael and his 

wife Carol support pioneering advances in science through the center’s Michael S. 

and Carol A. Kurtz Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Cancer Research. 

INTRODUCING THE ACTING DIRECTOR 

OF THE INSTITUTE 

IN MEMORIAM 

We mourn the loss of Harvey M. Krueger, a longtime active member of 

the Truman Institute’s Board of Trustees. The Institute benefited greatly from 

his experience and wisdom. Renowned in the field of investment banking, 

Harvey was equally admired and respected for his tireless efforts in support of 

Israel and its economic and educational institutions. He served two terms as 

president of the American Friends of Hebrew University, and was chairman of 

the Hebrew University Board of Governors for nine years. 

Dr. Nissim Otmazgin is the Chair of 

the Department of Asian Studies and a 

member of the Israeli Young Academy 

of Science and Humanities. A political 

scientist in training, his research focuses 

on political and cultural change in 

contemporary East Asia. Dr. Otmazgin 

has been at the Truman Institute since 

completing his Ph.D. in 2007 (Kyoto 

University), first as a postdoc, then as a 

research fellow and associate director, 

and now as the Acting Director. 


NEW TRUMAN Researchers 2017 

Wael Abu-‘Uksa, a scholar of the 

history of political and religious ideas 

in the Middle East, has a Ph.D. from 

the Hebrew University and is a faculty 

member in its Department of Political 

Science. Wael did post-doctoral work 

at Harvard University and at the Van 

Leer Institute in Jerusalem Institute and 

recently published his book, Freedom in 

the Arab World: Concepts and Ideologies 

in Arabic Thought in the 19 th Century. 

At Truman, Wael is researching the 

concept of civilization in the 19th 

century in Arabic-speaking regions 

through the lens of conceptual history. 

His work explores the language of 

modernity through the concept of 

civilization, and presents its historical 

roots and their modern theorization 

in the early modern intellectual works 

in Arabic. This analysis suggests 

understanding Arab modernity and 

its critique from within, rather than 

outside of, the temporality of the 

historical condition. 

Atalia Shragai is researching how 

eco-tourism projects in Central America 

are essentially an imperialistic tool in 

the hands of wealthy American and 

European individuals and organizations. 

Focusing mainly on Costa Rica, 

Nicaragua and Panama, she examines 

how these projects, which social 

scientists call the ‘new mission stations’, 

are making use of money people and 

ideology originating outside Central 

America to keep countries in the region 

poor, weak and dependent on firstworld 

countries, thus mimicking the 

Dr. Wael Abu-‘Uksa 

Dr. Atalia Shragai 

TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 2017 17

Dr. Sami H. Miaari 

Dr. Yakir Englander 

Dr. Yael Ben David 

Dr. Yonatan Gez 

Dr. Verena Krebs 

Dr. Gregor Buss 

patterns of colonialists and imperialists 

from the time of the Spanish conquest 

in the 16 th century. Atalia, who holds a 

Ph.D. in history from Tel Aviv University, 

teaches in the Department of English 

and American Studies at TAU and the 

History Department of the Kibbutzim 

College. 

Sami H. Miaari is a lecturer in conflict 

economics and labor economics in the 

Department of Labor Studies at Tel 

Aviv University. His research examines 

the welfare impact of trade restrictions 

on the Egyptian and Israeli borders, by 

analyzing the prices of essential goods 

in Gaza. Sami is concentrating on the 

influence of the rise of Hamas to power 

and the effect of opening the tunnels 

on the welfare of Gaza residents. Sami 

has a Ph.D. from Hebrew University 

and did post-doctoral work at the EU 

Institute in Florence, the University 

of California in San Diego and at the 

Institute for Economic Research in 

Berlin. 

Yakir Englander is continuing postdoctoral 

research that he began at 

Northwestern University in Chicago 

and at Harvard University, where he 

wrote his first book, The Male Body in 

Jewish Lithuanian Ultra-Orthodoxy. 

He is now carrying out research for a 

new book, An Intimate Jewish Critique 

of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. For 

the past 12 years, Yakir has been an 

activist in religious spheres of the 

Israeli-Arab conflict, especially in 

Jerusalem. He is one of the founders 

of the interreligious “Kids4Peace” 

youth movement, which has some 500 

Israeli and Palestinian members from 

6 th grade through high school. He is 

also a founder of “From Dialogue to 

Action,” a project encompassing Israeli 

and Palestinian young adults who 

operate in the public spheres of both 

communities in Jerusalem. 

Post-doctoral fellow Yael Ben David 

is studying how Jewish and Arab 

members of the neighboring Negev 

communities of Omer and Tel-Sheva 

experience injustice in their lives. Yael 

is exploring the different perceptions 

within each community in relation to 

its neighboring community and to 

the residents’ perceptions of injustices 

that were done to them, or injustices 

they have done to others. Through 

interviews, observation and focus 

groups, she is analyzing how identity 

dimensions such as gender, class 

and ethnicity shape the experience 

of harmdoing in the context of the 

relationship with the Jewish/Arab 

“other.” Yael teaches conflict resolution 

at Ben Gurion University and social 

psychology at IDC in Herzliya. 

Yonatan Gez, a post-doctoral 

researcher in anthropology, is 

collaborating with Verena Krebs 

and Gregor Buss on establishing 

and operating “Africounters,” an 

initiative that brings together some 

40 researchers in different fields 

relating to Africa. These include 

immigration and mobility, religion, 

economic development, women, 

youth and education, and culture 

and democratization in politics. The 

program carries out meetings, tours 

and conferences, with the goal of 

reinvigorating research on Africa at the 

Hebrew University. Yonatan holds a 

doctorate from the Graduate Institute 

of International and Development 

Studies in Geneva. Gregor Buss is 

a post-doctoral fellow at the Martin 

Buber Society of Fellows in the 

Humanities and Social Sciences and 

part of the Africa Unit at Truman 

Institute. He studied Catholic theology 

at Muenster University, Germany, and 

holds a Ph.D. from Charles University 

in Prague, Czech Republic. Verena 

Krebs is also a post-doctoral Martin 


Buber Fellow at the Hebrew University. 

She holds a binational Ph.D. from the 

University of Konstanz, Germany and 

Mekelle University, Ethiopia. 

Seung Hyok Lee is a postdoctoral 

fellow who received his Ph.D. in 

political science and international 

relations from the University of 

Toronto. His book, Japanese Society 

and the Politics of the North Korean 

Threat, was published last year. Seung 

Hyok is investigating the ways in 

which domestic public and societal 

influences stemming from national 

historical narratives can serve as a 

“watchdog” for governmental foreign 

policies and diplomatic negotiations 

in history-linked and “publicized” 

security issues, and the resulting 

consequences for international 

conflicts and negotiations. Focusing on 

contemporary South Korea-Japan and 

Japan-North Korea relations, his work 

takes an interdisciplinary approach to 

international relations, foreign policy 

studies, regional history, and media 

studies. 

Elyakim Kislev is a faculty member 

at the Federmann School of Public 

Policy and Government of the 

Hebrew University, with a Ph.D. from 

Columbia University. He is analyzing 

the integration of Israeli Arabs in the 

Israeli high-tech industry. Although 

the integration of Arabs in the Israeli 

workplace in general, and in hightech 

specifically, tends to be low, 

high-tech firms with a more global 

nature can provide Israeli-Arabs 

with opportunities for shattering 

their minority status and entering a 

universal realm of employment that 

opens possibilities for upward mobility 

and enhanced status. “I see great 

importance in talking about Israeli 

Arabs who stand out at the cutting 

edge of Israeli industry,” Elyakim states. 

“Relating in this way changes the 

conversation and transforms them 

into an appreciated minority, similar 

to the process that took place with 

Jews in the U.S. and Europe.” 

Henriette Dahan Kalev is a professor 

of political science and gender studies 

at Ben Gurion University, who has also 

taught and carried out research at 

New York University, Oxford, and the 

French National Center for Scientific 

Research. Her work at Truman focuses 

on gender, immigration and the 

Maghreb region of North Africa, 

with the aim of reaching a solution 

to gender-related problems of 

immigrants from Maghreb in Europe. 

“My previous studies have shown that 

women assimilate better than men 

in the public sphere at the country 

of destination,” explains Henriette, 

who has a Ph.D. from the Hebrew 

University. “However, in the private 

sphere, they are still restricted to the 

family codes of the country of origin. 

This tension creates contradictions 

and difficulties in the immigrants’ lives, 

even when the host countries provide 

social services and protect their rights.” 

Min Zhang has a Ph.D. in cultural 

anthropology from Harvard University. 

Her areas of specialization include 

education and youth development. 

At Truman, she is working on a 

monograph about the processes 

and practices involved in promoting 

school success in China’s public 

school system. Min proposes that 

Chinese educators actively construct 

a moralized lecturing system to boost 

educational success. Her study shows 

how the efforts of educators in one 

county pervade many of the pivotal 

domains of teenagers’ daily school 

life, such as time management, spatial 

organization and seating practices, 

psychological and social maturation, 

moral development, school safety, 

and teachers’ evaluations. In the 

Dr. Seung Hyok Lee 

Dr. Elyakim Kislev 

Prof. Henriette Dahan Kalev 

Dr. Min Zhang 


Dr. Reut Barak Weekes 

Dr. Yoni Furas 

Prof. Zehavit Gross 

Dr. Yael Litmanovitz 

context of the exaltation of educational 

success and the accelerated polarization 

of Chinese society, such efforts can both 

acculturate to, and subvert the influence 

from, the wider environment. 

Dr. Reut Barak Weekes is a lecturer 

and internship coordinator in the Glocal 

International Development program at 

the Hebrew University. She has a Ph.D. 

from SOAS, University of London, in 

Political Economy and Development. 

Her research explores the influence of 

microfinance schemes on relationships 

in communities within Eastern African 

society. “Micro financing systems enable 

people in poor and remote regions to 

save money together and use these 

funds for loans within their community,” 

Reut explains. She is focusing on these 

systems in Uganda and Rwanda, and 

their effect on relationships, institutions 

and traditional leadership within the 

community. Reut is a member of the 

“Africounters” research group at the 

University, and sits on the Board of 

Directors of SID-Israel, an umbrella 

organization for organizations in Israel 

working in international development. 

Yoni Furas specializes in Palestinian 

history and the sociology of Palestinian 

knowledge during the British Mandate. 

His Ph.D. thesis research at Oxford 

University explored the teaching of 

history within the Arab population in 

Mandatory Palestine, focusing on who 

wrote the textbooks, the sources they 

used, how and where teachers learned 

the material and how their students 

related to it. Among the questions he 

sought to answer: What was the effect of 

their relations or absence of relations with 

Zionists- consciously or unconsciously - 

and how did Jewish education influence 

Palestinian education, and vice versa? At 

the Truman Institute, Yoni is working on 

his second book based on this research, 

as well as two other projects: one on the 

Palestinian Kuttab during the Mandate 

and the second on Arab doctors during 

the same period. 

Prof. Zehavit Gross is the head of the 

graduate program of Management and 

Development in Informal Education 

Systems at the School of Education at 

Bar-Ilan University, Israel. She also heads 

the UNESCO Chair in Education for 

Human Values, Tolerance, Democracy 

and Peace; and the Sal Van Gelder Center 

for Holocaust Instruction & Research 

at Bar Ilan. Zehavit’s main research 

areas are multicultural and intercultural 

education, peace education, interfaith 

and religious education and Holocaust 

education, with a concentration 

on socialization processes among 

adolescents. At the Truman Institute, 

she is analyzing the attitude of the 

religious Zionist community toward 

the phenomenon of Tag Mehir and the 

justification of revenge. Zehavit recently 

won the Distinguished Scholar Award 

from the Religion and Education SIG 

of the American Education Research 

Association (AERA). 

Yael Litmanovitz’s Ph.D. dissertation 

at Oxford University’s Department of 

Social Policy focused on training border 

police for handling demonstrations 

in democratic countries – a topic of 

interest to her since she worked for 

Amnesty International, leading training 

for police officers on the topic of human 

trafficking. In her postdoctoral work at 

the Truman Institute, Yael is examining 

policing and police training in divided 

countries. She is examining the work of 

the police in Arab society in Israel from 

the viewpoint of station commanders, 

and undertaking additional research, 

deriving from the protocols of the Or 

commission, on developing a theoretical 

model for policing demonstrations. Yael 

is also participating in a European Union 

research program, in which she leads a 

team investigating risk factors for terror 

and radicalization. 


Dr. Daniel Zisenwine teaches at Tel Aviv 

University and at the Rothberg School 

for Overseas Students at the Hebrew 

University. His field is the political and 

social history of the North African 

countries of Morocco, Algeria and 

Tunisia. Daniel’s research monitors the 

Reconciliation Commission established 

in Tunisia to investigate the wrongdoings 

of the old regime that was overthrown in 

2011. “This is the first time that an Arab 

country has initiated a national project 

to collect this type of evidence,” he says, 

explaining that gathering information is 

part of the transition from an authoritarian 

regime to a democratic one. Noting that 

the commission model originated in 

South Africa, Daniel expresses interest 

in learning whether Tunisia will design a 

model more suited to Arab and Middle 

Eastern countries that have experienced 

revolutions. 

Dr. Daniel Zisenwine 

THE GILUTZ PRIZE RECIPIENTS 

The Gilutz Fund was established in memory of Ruth Gilutz by the Gilutz family. Ruth was killed in a terror attack in 1972. 

The Prize is awarded for graduate research in the field of Israeli-Arab coexistence. 

Tajread Keadan is a doctoral candidate 

in the department of Islamic and Middle 

East Studies at the Hebrew University. She 

teaches Islamic studies and pedagogy 

at the Al-Qasimi College of Education in 

Baka al-Gharbiya. Tajread focuses on the 

rights of women, especially Palestinian 

women, and wrote her dissertation 

on the law of equal rights for women, 

from its legislation in 1951 until 1961. 

Her doctorate examines the Movement 

of Democratic Women, which fought for 

reproductive rights for women in Israel, 

among other issues, between 1948 and 

1966. “The movement was founded by Arab 

communist women immediately following 

the creation of the State,” she explains. 

“Two years later, Jewish women joined the 

organization, so its name was changed to 

the Union of Democratic Women.” 

Tajread Keadan 


FACT-FINDING TRUMAN TRIP 

Each year, The Truman Institute community expands its horizons by visiting a different community in Israel. This 

year, they traveled to the city of Baqa al-Gharbiyye, to learn about the local community and its developing academic 

institutions. The first stop was the Al-Qesami College, where the administration and academic staff - including 

many female researchers - gave presentations that highlighted the incorporation of Muslim beliefs and values 

with academic studies and careers. After lunch at the college, the group proceeded to City Hall, where the Deputy 

Mayor, the local Education Director and the women’s Empowerment Advisor spoke to them about challenges at the 

municipal and national level. 

The trip was coordinated by Truman fellow Tajread Keadan who lives in Baqa al-Gharbiyye. 

VISITING RESEARCHERS 

Rukundwa Sebitereko Lazare is President and Rector of Eben-Ezer University in Minembwe, 

Democratic Republic of the Congo. He holds a Ph.D. in political theology, and is an 

international lecturer in theology, culture, peace-building, land management and gender 

issues. He is exploring possible joint opportunities between the Truman Institute and 

institutes in Africa for promoting peace through trust building, coexistence and dialogue. 

Gökhan Çınkara is a Ph.D. student in political science at Ankara University 

in Turkey. He is writing his thesis on the Israeli labor party. Gökhan is 

carrying out his research in Israel under the auspices of the Israeli Foreign 

Ministry, within the framework of a Turkish-Israeli bilateral agreement. 

Makiko Nambu is a Ph.D. student in global studies at the Tokyo 

University of Foreign Studies. She is examining representations 

of national identity in Palestinian society relating to arrest and 

imprisonment. This includes the impact of imprisonment on 

prisoners’ identities, community and family relations, and the 

social processes involved in the construction of heroism. 


Truman Shelves 

New Books by Truman Scholars 

THE WAR OF 1948 

Representations of 

Israeli and Palestinian 

Memories and 

Narratives 

Edited by Avraham 

Sela and Alon Kadish 

The past three decades have witnessed a major surge in the production, by 

both Israelis and Palestinians, of historical research and memory relating 

to the 1948 war. This has been accompanied by shifting focus of the Arab- 

Israeli conflict from one between Israel and the neighboring Arab states to 

its original inter-communal Arab-Jewish dispute within historic Palestine. 

This volume comprises chapters contributed by scholars of various expertise 

and disciplines, all relating to Israeli and Palestinian memory and historical 

narratives of the 1948 war. 

JUIFS ET MUSULMANS 

EN PALESTINE ET EN 

ISRAEL 

Des Origins a Nos Jours 

by Amnon Cohen 

The book describes the relationship between Jews and Arabs in Israel from the 

beginning of Islam to the present day. Departing from the accepted picture of 

hostile relations and mutual hostility over the past century, the book celebrates 

the hundreds of years preceding the British Mandate. Analysis of thousands 

of documents from the archives of the Muslim court in Jerusalem during the 

400 years of Turkish-Ottoman rule makes it clear that there was a diverse and 

multidisciplinary system of coexistence, tolerance and partnership in all areas 

of life between the Jews of Palestine and their Arab neighbors. 

THE THIRD WAVE 

Protest and Revolution in 

the Middle East 

by Eli Podeh 

and Onn Winkler 

In December 2010, an unemployed Tunisian youth named Mohammed 

Bouazizi set himself on fire. This act ignited demonstrations throughout the 

Arab world, led to the downfall of the regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and 

Yemen and sparked civil war in Syria and Yemen. The Arab Spring was the 

third wave of awakening in the Arab world since the establishment of the Arab 

territorial states after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. This book is the first indepth 

Hebrew examination of the storm of the Arab Spring. 

ISRAEL IN THE 

MAKING 

Stickers, Stitches, and 

Other Critical Practices 

by Hagar Salamon 

The brilliant kaleidoscope of everyday creativity in Israel is thrown into relief in 

this study, which teases out the abiding national tensions and contradictions at 

work in the expressive acts of ordinary people. It examines creativity in Israel’s 

public sphere through the discourse of bumper stickers, which have become 

a potent medium for identity and commentary on national and religious 

issues. The book captures the complex creative essence of a nation state and 

vividly demonstrates how its citizens go about defining themselves, others, 

and their country every day. 

REWRITING 

HISTORY IN MANGA 

STORIES FOR THE 

NATION 

Edited by 

Nissim Otmazgin 

and Rebecca Suter 

Based on a workshop organized by the editors at the University of Sydney, 

this book looks at the way manga (comic publications) reproduces alternative 

visions of Japanese history, and its potential to shape national historical 

memory. The book concentrates on the way in which the past is integrated 

and insinuated into the surrounding environment through the everyday 

production and consumption of manga. Chapters showcase specific instances 

of re-imagining, rewriting, and consuming history in manga format, from the 

late nineteenth century to the present. 



WHY I LEFT SCHOOL 

Voices of Palestinian 

Dropouts in East 

Jerusalem 

by Laila Abed Rabho 

According to data published in 2012, nearly 40% of Palestinian students in East 

Jerusalem do not complete 12 years of study. Comparatively, the dropout rate 

is a mere 3% amongst the overall Jewish population of Jerusalem. This study 

examines the factors that lead to such high dropout rates in East Jerusalem, and 

possible ways to contend with them. It includes extensive in-depth interviews 

with 26 youth who agreed to disclose their personal stories under condition of 

anonymity, as well as interviews with principals, teachers and advisors. 

A LOCAL HABITATION 

AND A NAME 

A Literary and Cultural 

Reading of the Arabic 

Geographical Names of 

the Land 

by Amer Dahamshe 

The book examines the meaning of the Arab names of places in Israel, their 

subjects, the reasons for their existence, and the practices of Arab-Palestinian 

society, as evidenced by local stories and community memoirs that were 

recorded by the Galilee Arabs. The book relates not only to names of settlements, 

but also to names of natural features such as springs, caves, tracts of land, roads 

and more. This is the first academic forum in which Arabic place names are 

analyzed as a cultural and narrative creation whose deep structure contains 

cultural and ideological messages relating to the perception of land and place, 

and the perception of names in Palestinian Arab society. 

HOMELAND 

Zionism as a Housing 

Regime, 1860-2011 

by Yael Allweil 

This book reveals how housing has played a pivotal role in the history of 

nationalism and nation building in Israel-Palestine. The author highlights how 

land and housing are central to both Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, 

and how the histories of Zionist and Palestinian national housing have been 

inseparably intertwined from the introduction of the Ottoman Land Code in 

1858 to the present day. She discusses the formation of nationalism as the 

direct result of the Ottoman Land Code of 1858 and examines housing as a 

means of claiming rights over the homeland. 

MEMORY ACTIVISM 

Reimagining the Past 

for the Future in Israel- 

Palestine 

by Yifat Gutman 

Set in Israel in the first decade of the twenty-first century and based on 

long-term fieldwork, this ethnographic study offers an innovative analysis 

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It explores practices of "memory activism" 

among three groups of Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Palestinian citizens--Zochrot, 

Autobiography of a City, and Baladna—and shows how they appropriated the 

global model of truth and reconciliation while utilizing local cultural practices 

such as tours and testimonies. 

FREEDOM IN THE 

ARAB WORLD 

Concepts and Ideologies 

in Arabic Thought in the 

Nineteenth Century 

by Wael Abu-’Uksa 

This book examines the development of the concept of freedom (hurriyya) 

in nineteenth-century Arab political thought, its ideological offshoots, their 

modes, and their substance as they developed the dynamics of the Arabic 

language. The author traces the transition of the idea of freedom from a term 

used in a predominantly non-political way, to its popularity and near ubiquity 

at the dawn of the 20th century. He also analyses the importance of associated 

concepts such as “liberalism”, “socialism”, “progress,” “rationalism,” “secularism,” 

and “citizenship.” 



REFLECTIONS ON MY 

MISSION AS ISRAEL’S 

AMBASSADOR 

TO AUSTRIA, 

SLOVENIA AND 

SLOVAKIA 

by Yosef Govrin 

These reflections are based on the author's activities in developing relations with 

Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, in substance and in quantity. They include his 

discussions with the heads of these states and their discussions with their Israeli 

counterparts, surveying their internal and external policies, and describing the 

local Jewish communities and their activities to foster relations with them and 

to strengthen their national status. These reflections have a documentary nature 

and constitute a unique and important source for research regarding the history 

of Israel's relations with these from the beginning of the 1990.. 

THE MALE BODY IN 

JEWISH LITHUANIAN 

ULTRA-ORTHODOXY 

by Yakir Englander 

How does ultra-Orthodox literature describe the male body? What does the body 

represent? What is the ideal male body? This book is a philosophical-theological 

journey through the different images of the male body in ultra-Orthodox 

literature after the Holocaust. It focuses on the body as the center of its research 

because the body is the axis by which this community tries to understand its 

meaning and its role in life. The book begins by examining the “problem of the 

body” and the different ways that ultra-Orthodox theology confronts it. 

A STUDY OF 

ANAPHORA IN THE 

ARABIC LANGUAGE 

by Yu Lingbo 

Anaphora is an important approach for article connection and extension, playing 

an indispensable role in article construction. This thesis discusses “anaphora in 

Arabic,” its functions in text and how it is constructed. It also utilizes comparative 

study of Arabic and Chinese texts. 

ISRAEL AND ITS 

ARAB MINORITY, 

1948–2008 

Dialogue, Protest, 

Violence 

by Gadi Hitman 

This study takes a balanced approach to providing a comprehensive picture 

of the Arab sector in Israel over six decades. It examines when and why the 

Arab minority chooses to negotiate with the government, or turn to protest or 

violence in order to change the status quo. The book offers a unique framework 

for enabling policy makers to identify the best policy for implementing toward 

national minorities in order to reduce the possibility of tensions, violence and 

escalation in any given situation. 

POPULAR 

CONTENTION, 

REGIME AND 

TRANSITION 

The Arab Revolts in Comparative 

Global Perspective 

Edited by Eitan Alimi, 

Avraham Sela and 

Mario Sznajder 

Why is it that, in spite of undeniable similarities and time coincidence among 

Middle Eastern and North African countries, there are such different trajectories 

and outcomes of popular contention? And, why is it that, despite unquestionable 

differences between MENA and non-MENA revolts, there are striking similarities in 

the actual dynamics of popular contention? This book moves beyond a sole focus 

on root-causes and structural conditions to focus on dynamics of contentious 

politics. 



UNDER THE 

SHADOW OF THE 

RISING SUN 

Japan and the Jews 

During the Holocaust 

Era 

by Meron Medzini 

Although Japan was a member of the Axis Alliance, its leaders informed Nazi 

Germany that their attitude toward the Jews was very different from that of the 

Nazi regime. Virtually all of the 40,000 Jews under Japanese occupation in World 

War II survived, unlike their brethren in Europe. The book traces the evolution of 

Japan's policy toward Jews from the start of the 20th century and explains why 

Japan ignored repeated German demands to be involved in the "final solution." 

GOLDA MEIR 

A Political Biography 

by Meron Medzini 

For five decades Golda Meir was at the center of the political arena in Israel and 

left her mark on the development of the Yishuv and the state. She was a unique 

woman and a great leader with a magnetic personality: a highly complex 

individual. She held some of the most important positions that her party and 

the State could bestow. She fulfilled most of them with talent and dignity, but 

failed in the top job - that of Prime Minister. This biography traces her origins 

and finally the reasons that led to her failure as prime minister. 

FRENCH COLONIAL 

DAKAR 

The Morphogeneseis 

of an African Regional 

Capital 

by Liora Bigon 

This book looks at the planning, cultural and architectural endeavors that 

shaped the model space of French colonial Dakar, a prominent city in West 

Africa. Part of the burgeoning field of studying the extra-European planning 

history of Europe, this book is a pioneer in attesting to the connection between 

the French colonial doctrines of assimilation, association, and French colonial 

planning and architectural policies in sub-Saharan Africa. 

PLACE NAMES IN 

AFRICA 

Colonial Urban 

Legacies, Entangled 

Histories 

by Liora Bigon 

This volume examines the discursive relations between indigenous, colonial 

and post-colonial legacies of place naming in Africa in terms of the production 

of urban space and place. It traces and analyzes place-naming processes, 

particularly in sub-Saharan Africa during colonial times (British, French, Belgian, 

Portuguese), with considerable attention to both the pre-colonial and postcolonial 

situations. By combining in-depth area studies research with colonial 

history, planning history and geography, the author intends to show that 

culture matters in research on place names. 

BACK TO NOWHERE 

Morocco Revisited 

by Raphael Israeli 

This volume sums up the tribulations of Morocco’s considerable Jewish 

community as it was rejected by the country’s Muslim culture in the 1950s and 

1960s, resulting in massive immigration to Israel. The fate of Moroccan Jewry is 

told through the private experiences of a young Jewish boy growing up amid 

these difficulties, and emigrating to fledgling Israel, to be followed by his entire 

family. 



THE DEATH CAMPS OF 

CROATIA 

Visions and Revisions, 

1941-1945 


Anti-Semitism was widespread and deeply rooted throughout Yugoslavia 

during World War II. The author traces the circumstances and historical context 

in which the pro-Nazi Ustasha state, encompassing Croatia and Bosnia, 

erected the Jadovno and Jasenovac death camps. This volume distills fact and 

historical record from accusation and grievance without passing judgment, 

but acknowledges the evil inflicted by all sides upon the Jewish minority in 

their midst. 

OLD HISTORIANS, 

NEW HISTORIANS, 

NO HISTORIANS 


This polemical volume tackles the thorny and controversial issue of the vastly 

different narratives told (or manufactured) by the two parties in the Middle 

East conflict, focusing on 1948 when it all began. The book encompasses a 

wide range of controversial topics, such as an evaluation of the 1948 war, its 

morality and its main reverberations - seven decades of continuing conflict, 

the aggravation of the Palestinian minority in Israel, and the essence of what 

history means. 

“PISCES” OUT OF 

MOROCCO AND 

THE SAGA OF THE 

CLANDESTINE JEWISH 

EXODUS 


This is the partly-autobiographical saga of the underground Jewish 

emigration from Morocco, which placed hundreds of thousands of Moroccan 

Jews on illegal ships to escape persecution under Islam. Facing stormy seas 

and authorities forbidding their emigration, the Jews risked their lives for the 

dream of reaching the shores of nascent Israel. In one of those attempts, the 

ship "Pisces" sank off the coast of Morocco, taking with it 45 souls, including 

entire families. 

CHRISTIANOPHOBIA 

The Persecution of 

Christians Under Islam 

Edited by Raphael 

Israeli 

As chaos, war, and vengeance create havoc in the Muslim world, Muslim 

radicals have been venting their frustrations on the minorities among them. 

Most of these are Christian - Chaldeans in Iraq, Orthodox denominations in 

Turkey, Catholics in Indonesia and Malaysia and isolated Christian communities 

in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Related to this vast and escalating phenomenon 

has been the violent activity of some within the Muslim minorities in the West, 

who have migrated there in the past few decades and now seek revenge 

against their former colonial masters. 

THE ARAB MINORITY 

IN ISRAEL 

Open and Hidden 

Processes 


Israeli Arabs constitute some 20% of the general population – a percentage 

that has remained steady since 1948, despite massive waves of Jewish aliyah. 

Because the Arab population growth rate is greater than the Jewish one, Israel’s 

Jewish nature could be endangered once sources of Jewish immigration dry 

up. Together with Israeli Arab refusal to integrate into Israeli political parties, 

and their insistence on maintaining separate linguistic and educational 

systems, this will perpetuate the growing gap between the two populations. 


Truman Institute Statistics: 

• Founded in 1965 

• Since its establishment: 

• More than 600 researchers 

• More than 2,000 research projects 

This Year at Truman 

• 129 Research Fellows 

• 5 regional research units 

• 375 lectures 

• 38 delegations & official visits 

Governing Body 

Acting Chairman: 

Amb. William A. Brown 

Director: 

Prof. Menahem Blondheim 

Acting Director: 

Dr. Nissim Otmazgin 

Executive Director: 

Naama Shpeter 

Academic Committee 

Prof. Ronnie Ellenblum, Chairman 

Prof. Menahem Blondheim 

Prof. Asher Cohen, HU Rector 

Prof. Ruth Fine 

Dr. Liat Kozma 

Prof. Dan Miodownik 

Prof. Avraham Sela 

Dr. Lihi Yariv-Laor 

Board of Trustees 

Dan Bavly 

Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, HU President 

Ernest Bogen 

Stanley M. Bogen 

Prof. Asher Cohen, HU Rector 

Steven Edelson 

Prof. Ronnie Ellenblum 

Alan Fiske 

Amb. Carmi Gillon 

Lawrence E. Glick 

Amb. Efraim Halevy 

Dan Halperin 

Clive Kabatznik 

Isaac Kaye 

Michael S. Kurtz 

Prof. Celso Lafer 

Tallie Lipkin-Shahak 

Barbara A. Mandel 

Marc Mayer, AFHU President 

Amb. Alfred Moses 

Dr. Leonard Polonsky 

George A. Schieren 

Daniel Schlessinger, AFHU Board Chairman 

Prof. Hermona Soreq 

Ira Lee Sorkin 

Harry Van den Bergh 

TRUMAN 

News 

THE HARRY S. TRUMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE 

Chief Editor: Naama Shpeter 

Editor Producer: Rivka Yuval 

Language Editor: Bracha Osofsky 

Design: Youval Hefetz, Abstract 

Photography: Reuven Remez, Amir 

Hershkovitz, Tamir Kalimian 

Editing Team: Amir Hershkovitz, Tamir 

Kalimian, Lila Arenzon, Reuven Remez 

The Harry S. Truman Research Institute 

for the Advancement of Peace 

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 

Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 9190501 Israel 

Tel: 972-2-5882300 Fax: 972-2-5828076 

e-mail: truman@savion.huji.ac.il 

Website: http://truman.huji.ac/il 

www.facebook.com/TrumanHebrewU

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