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Israel by Sydney Fisher
R EVIEW D IGEST: H UMAN R IGHTS & T HE W AR ON T ERROR Israel by Sydney Fisher Israel and Palestine have been in an “interim period” between full scale occupation and a negotiated end to the conflict for a long time. This supposedly intermediate period in the conflict has seen no respite from violations of Palestinians’ human rights or the suicide bombings affecting Israelis. This section will provide resources spanning the issues regarding Israel, Palestine and how the human rights dimensions of this conflict interact with the war on terror. The issue of how both sides will arrive at peace remains a mystery. Background Marek Arnaud. 2003. “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Is There a Way Out?” Australian Journal of International Affairs. 57(2): 243. ABSTRACT: States that the blame for the inability to put an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians must be shared by all parties. Discusses issues of trust and U.S. involvement under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Joel Beinin. 2003. “Is Terrorism a Useful Term in Understanding the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict?” Radical History Review. 12. ABSTRACT: Examines the definition of the term “terrorism” in the context of the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Politically motivated violence directed against civilian populations and atrocities committed in the course of repressing anticolonial rebellions. Shlomo Hasson. 1996. “Local Politics and Split Citizenship in Jerusalem.” International Journal of Urban & Regional Research. 20(1): 116. ABSTRACT: Explores the relationship between ethno-national conflict, local politics and citizenship rights in Jerusalem. -
Israel: Background and U.S
Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief Updated September 20, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44245 SUMMARY R44245 Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief September 20, 2019 The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations: Jim Zanotti Israel’s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths—including Specialist in Middle regional conventional military superiority—to manage potential threats to its security, Eastern Affairs including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel’s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel’s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)— signed in 2016—commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security- related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity. Iran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran’s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. -
Israel: Growing Pains at 60
Viewpoints Special Edition Israel: Growing Pains at 60 The Middle East Institute Washington, DC Middle East Institute The mission of the Middle East Institute is to promote knowledge of the Middle East in Amer- ica and strengthen understanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. For more than 60 years, MEI has dealt with the momentous events in the Middle East — from the birth of the state of Israel to the invasion of Iraq. Today, MEI is a foremost authority on contemporary Middle East issues. It pro- vides a vital forum for honest and open debate that attracts politicians, scholars, government officials, and policy experts from the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. MEI enjoys wide access to political and business leaders in countries throughout the region. Along with information exchanges, facilities for research, objective analysis, and thoughtful commentary, MEI’s programs and publications help counter simplistic notions about the Middle East and America. We are at the forefront of private sector public diplomacy. Viewpoints are another MEI service to audiences interested in learning more about the complexities of issues affecting the Middle East and US rela- tions with the region. To learn more about the Middle East Institute, visit our website at http://www.mideasti.org The maps on pages 96-103 are copyright The Foundation for Middle East Peace. Our thanks to the Foundation for graciously allowing the inclusion of the maps in this publication. Cover photo in the top row, middle is © Tom Spender/IRIN, as is the photo in the bottom row, extreme left. -
Efraim Karsh
EFRAIM KARSH Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] PRESENT POSITIONS Director, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University Professor Emeritus of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London. Personal website Professor of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University Principal Research Fellow, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia PREVIOUS POSITIONS Professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London, 1996- October 2014 Founding Director, Middle East & Mediterranean Studies Program, King’s College London, 1994-2010 (currently the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies): Offers postgraduate research and teaching on the history, politics, economics and international relations of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Currently includes 11 fulltime members of staff, 21 visiting fellows, and some 200 students Director, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia, 2011-12 Reader (Associate Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1992-96 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1989-92 Senior Research Fellow, Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel-Aviv University (currently the Institute for National Security Studies), 1984-89 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Political Science, Tel-Aviv University, 1986-89 Director of Studies in International Relations, Israel’s Open University, 1982-85 Intelligence Analyst, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), attained rank of Major, 1974-81 VISITING POSITIONS First Nachshon Visiting Professor in Israel Studies, Harvard University, Fall Semester 2003 Starr Fellow in Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Spring Semester 2003 Visiting Professor, Universite Assas 2, Sorbonne, Fall 1999 Visiting Professor of Political Science, Columbia University, Summer Semester, 1989, 1990 1 Research Fellow, Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, Wilson Center, Washington D.C., February 1988 Participant in the International Visitor Program, U.S. -
The COVID-19 Crisis: Impact and Implications
The COVID-19 Crisis: Impact and Implications Editor: Efraim Karsh Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 176 THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 176 The COVID-19 Crisis: Impact and Implications Editor: Efraim Karsh The COVID-19 Crisis: Impact and Implications Editor: Efraim Karsh © The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel Tel. 972-3-5318959 Fax. 972-3-5359195 [email protected] www.besacenter.org ISSN 0793-1042 July 2020 Cover image: Coronavirus image via Pixabay The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies is an independent, non-partisan think tank conducting policy-relevant research on Middle Eastern and global strategic affairs, particularly as they relate to the national security and foreign policy of Israel and regional peace and stability. It is named in memory of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, whose efforts in pursuing peace laid the cornerstone for conflict resolution in the Middle East. Mideast Security and Policy Studies serve as a forum for publication or re-publication of research conducted by BESA associates. Publication of a work by BESA signifies that it is deemed worthy of public consideration but does not imply endorsement of the author’s views or conclusions. Colloquia on Strategy and Diplomacy summarize the papers delivered at conferences and seminars held by the Center for the academic, military, official and general publics. In sponsoring these discussions, the BESA Center aims to stimulate public debate on, and consideration of, contending approaches to problems of peace and war in the Middle East. -
Review Article: the Politics of 'Islam' - a Second Look
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by LSE Research Online Fred Halliday Review article: the politics of 'Islam' - a second look Article (Published version) (Refereed) Original citation: Halliday, Fred (1995) Review article: the politics of 'Islam' - a second look. British journal of political science, 25 (3). pp. 399-417. DOI: 10.1017/S0007123400007262 © 1995 Cambridge University Press This version available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/39139/ Available in LSE Research Online: November 2012 LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website. BJ.Pol.S., 25, 399^*17 Copyright © 1995 Cambridge University Press Printed in Great Britain Review Article: The Politics of 'Islam'- A Second Look FREDHALLIDAY* The term 'fundamentalism' has been in use since the 1920s, originating as a description of Protestant sects opposed to 'modernism' within Christianity, and in particular to Darwinian theories of evolution. Yet it is the more recent rise of fundamentalist movements, over the past -
Efraim Karsh
EFRAIM KARSH Contact: [email protected]; [email protected] PRESENT POSITIONS Professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London, since 1996. Personal website Professor of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University, since 2013 Senior Research Associate, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, since 2013 Principal Research Fellow, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia, since 2013 PREVIOUS POSITIONS Director, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia, 2011-12 Founding Director, Middle East & Mediterranean Studies Program, King’s College London, 1994-2010: Offers research and teaching on the history, politics, economics and international relations of the Middle East and Mediterranean at postgraduate level. Currently includes 9 fulltime members of staff, 6 visiting fellows, and over 120 students. Reader (Associate Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1992-96 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1989-92 Senior Research Fellow, Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel-Aviv University, 1984- 89 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Political Science, Tel-Aviv University, 1986-89 Director of Studies in International Relations, Israel’s Open University, 1982-85 Intelligence Analyst, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), attained rank of Major, 1974-81 VISITING POSITIONS First Nachshon Visiting Professor in Israel Studies, Harvard University, Fall Semester 2003 Starr Fellow in Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Spring Semester 2003 Visiting Professor, Universite Assas -
What Every Christian High School Student Should Know About Islam - an Introduction to Islamic History and Theology
WHAT EVERY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM - AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC HISTORY AND THEOLOGY __________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Theology Liberty University __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry __________________ by Bruce K. Forrest May 2010 Copyright © 2010 Bruce K. Forrest All rights reserved. Liberty University has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. APPROVAL SHEET WHAT EVERY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM - AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC HISTORY AND THEOLOGY Bruce K. Forrest ______________________________________________________ "[Click and enter committee chairman name, 'Supervisor', official title]" ______________________________________________________ "[Click here and type committee member name, official title]" ______________________________________________________ "[Click here and type committee member name, official title]" ______________________________________________________ "[Click here and type committee member name, official title]" Date ______________________________ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge all my courageous brothers and sisters in Christ who have come out of the Islamic faith and have shared their knowledge and experiences of Islam with us. The body of Christ is stronger and healthier today because of them. I would like to acknowledge my debt to Ergun Mehmet Caner, Ph.D. who has been an inspiration and an encouragement for this task, without holding him responsible for any of the shortcomings of this effort. I would also like to thank my wife for all she has done to make this task possible. Most of all, I would like to thank the Lord for putting this desire in my heart and then, in His timing, allowing me the opportunity to fulfill it. -
Efraim Karsh
EFRAIM KARSH Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] PRESENT POSITIONS Professor Emeritus of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London. Personal website Professor of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University Senior Research Associate & Chairman of the Executive Council, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University Principal Research Fellow, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia PREVIOUS POSITIONS Professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London, 1996- October 2014 Founding Director, Middle East & Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London, 1994-2010: Offers postgraduate research and teaching on the history, politics, economics and international relations of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Currently includes 9 fulltime members of staff, 17 visiting fellows, and some 200 students Director, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia, 2011-12 Reader (Associate Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1992-96 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in War Studies, King’s College London, 1989-92 Senior Research Fellow, Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, Tel-Aviv University, 1984- 89 Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Political Science, Tel-Aviv University, 1986-89 Director of Studies in International Relations, Israel’s Open University, 1982-85 Intelligence Analyst, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), attained rank of Major, 1974-81 VISITING POSITIONS First Nachshon Visiting Professor in Israel Studies, Harvard University, Fall Semester 2003 Starr Fellow in Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Spring Semester 2003 Visiting Professor, Universite Assas 2, Sorbonne, Fall 1999 Visiting Professor of Political Science, Columbia University, Summer Semester, 1989, 1990 1 Research Fellow, Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, Wilson Center, Washington D.C., February 1988 Participant in the International Visitor Program, U.S. -
Support for Terrorism in Muslim Majority Countries and Implications for Immigration Policies in the West
Support for Terrorism in Muslim Majority Countries and Implications for Immigration Policies in the West Russell A. Berman and Arno Tausch The Wind of Change across Europe With elections in 2017 in key European Union states (France: presidential, April 23, second round May 7, National Assembly, June 11, second round June 18; Germany: Federal Diet, September 24; Netherlands: Second Chamber, March 15),1 an intensified debate about migration to Europe and Middle East terrorism – its origins, trajectories, dangers, and the extent of its mass support – is highly likely. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far right Front National in France, predicted that European elections in 2017 will bring a wind of change across the region.2 With the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and Donald Trump’s US presidential victory, far right political parties throughout Europe are now capitalizing on Euroscepticism and anxieties about migration.3 German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to have responded to Le Pen’s challenge by defending her own refugee policy as an act of moral and legal obligation by a “state of laws,” while asserting that Europeans must stand by the principle of offering asylum to all those fleeing war and oppression.4 The fact that the Berlin terrorist Amis Amri was shot in Milan, Italy, after crossing several European borders following his attack in the heart of Germany, where he had previously applied for asylum, further fuels the controversy about the alleged failures of existing European refugee, immigration, and security policies.5 Prof. Russell A. Berman, the Walter A. Haas Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. -
Islamic Imperialism: a History by Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press, 2006, 276 Pp
Islamic Imperialism: A History by Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press, 2006, 276 pp. Evan Daniel In the Summer of 1993 Samuel Huntington published his influential essay Clash‘ of Civilizations?’ in the journal Foreign Affairs. A book followed, minus the question mark, in 1996. His central thesis: many contemporary conflicts are expressions of an underlying clash of competing civilisations – in particular a clash between the West and the Islamic world. This was vehemently rejected on the radical left for whom George W. Bush’s ‘War on Terrorism’ is merely a ruse to control Middle- Eastern oil, and Islamists are not reactionary aggressors but revolutionary victims of transnational capitalism. But what if neither view is correct? What if the present conflict is best viewed as a straightforward contest between rival political aspirations? So argues Efraim Karsh, historian at King’s College and director of its Mediterranean Studies program, in Islamic Imperialism: A History. Contentious imperialisms, he suggests, ‘should not be misconstrued for a civilisational struggle between the worlds of Islam and Christendom.’ Karsh is no stranger to controversy. Two of his previous works, Empires of the Sand: The Struggle for Mastery of the Middle East, 1789-1923 (1999), and Fabricating Israeli History: The New Israeli Historians (2000), came under attack in The British Journal of Middle East Studies, The International Journal of Middle East Studies, and Journal of Palestine Studies. Re-reading Islamism Islamic Imperialism: A History is a refutation of the commonly held notion that Islamism developed as a reaction to Western historical imperialism. In a recent Commentary article (‘Islam’s Imperial Dreams,’ April 2006) Karsh contends, To intellectuals, foreign-policy experts, and politicians alike, ‘empire’ and ‘imperialism’ are categories that apply exclusively to European powers and, more recently, to the United States. -
Fixing UNRWA Repairing the UN’S Troubled System of Aid to Palestinian Refugees
Fixing UNRWA Repairing the UN’s Troubled System of Aid to Palestinian Refugees James G. Lindsay Policy Focus #91 | January 2009 Fixing UNRWA Repairing the UN’s Troubled System of Aid to Palestinian Refugees James G. Lindsay Policy Focus #91 | January 2009 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. © 2009 by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Published in 2009 in the United States of America by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1828 L Street NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036. Design by Daniel Kohan, Sensical Design and Communication Front cover: A Palestinian worker carries a bag of flour at a United Nations food aid distribution center, Shati refugee camp, Gaza City, November 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) To my many Palestinian and Israeli friends and acquaintances, whose primary wish is to live normal lives, free from threats of violence and in harmony with their neighbors. Contents Acknowledgments. v About the Author . vii Executive Summary . ix Introduction . 1 1. The Origins of the Palestinian Refugee Problem and the Creation of UNRWA . 3 2. What Does UNRWA Do? . 5 3. Key Trends in UNRWA History . 13 4. UNRWA, the United States, and Antiterrorism Initiatives. 27 5. Evaluating Recent Criticisms of UNRWA. 33 6. The Future of UNRWA: U.S. Policy Options. 49 Conclusion . 65 Epilogue. 66 Acknowledgments I WOULD LIKE first to acknowledge the financial support of the Aufzien Foundation, which made this paper possible, as well as the personal encouragement of Alan and Noni Aufzien.