32nd ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR ISRAEL STUDIES A WESTERN OR EASTERN NATION THE CASE OF ISRAEL
JUNE 20-22, 2016 JERUSALEM Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi | Menachem Begin Heritage Center
With the support of the Research Institute for Zionism and Settlement, Jewish National Fund (KKL)
YAD IZHAK BEN-ZVI Institute for Research on Eretz Israel Association for Israel Studies - 32nd Annual Conference A WESTERN OR EASTERN NATION? THE CASE OF ISRAEL Jerusalem, June 2016
Program Committee First Term Board Members, 2015-2019: Arie Naor, Chair Dr. Yael Aronoff (Michigan State University) Judith Goldstein & Michael Feige, Anthropology Dr. Oded Haklai (Queen’s University) Tamar Horowitz & Len Saxe, Communal Studies Dr. Badi Hasisi (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Yoram Peri & Oranit Klein Shagrir, Communication Dr. Amal Jamal (Tel Aviv University) Na’ama Sheffi & Rachel Harris,Film and Theatre Dr. Paula Kabalo (Sede Boqer, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Shula Reinharz & Sylvie Fogel-Bijaoui, Gender Studies Dr. Derek Penslar (University of Oxford) Ilana Szobel & Ranen Omer-Sherman, Hebrew Literature Dr. Joel Peters (Virginia Tech) Alon Kadish & Meir Chazan, History Dr. Sandy Kedar (University of Haifa) Galia Golan & Joel Peters, International Relations Dr. Arieh Saposnik (Sede Boqer, BGU) Gur Alroey & Theodore Sasson, Israel-Diaspora Relations Dr. Orna Sasson-Levy (Bar-Ilan University) Pnina Lahav & Mohammed Wattad, Law Dr. Mohammed Wattad (Zefat Academic College) Ariel Ahram & Oren Barak, National Security Oded Haklai & Mustafa Abbasi, Non-Jewish Minorities Ami Pedahzur & Assaf Meydani, Political Science Second Term Board Members, 2013-2017: Boaz Huss & Mordechai Inbari, Religious Studies Sammy Smooha & Russell Stone, Sociology Dr. Michael Brenner (American University and University of Alan Dowty & Tamar Hermann, The Arab-Israeli Conflict Munich) Colin Shindler & Reuven Gafni, Zionism Dr. Ayelet Harel-Shalev (Ben-Gurion University of the Assaf Selzer, Geography Negev) Dr. Mustafa Kabha (The Open University of Israel) Dr. Jonathan Mendilow (Rider University) Conference Staff Dr. Arie Naor (Hadassah Academic College) Dr. Lilach Rosenberg-Friedman (Bar-Ilan University) Conference Coordinator: Nir Ortal (Yad Izhak Ben Zvi) Dr. Gabriel Sheffer (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Program Assistant: Michal Ginzburg (Yad Izhak Ben Zvi) Program Assistant: Matan Chaim (Menachem Begin Heritage Center) Forum of Immediate Past Presidents: Dr. Menachem Hofnung (The Hebrew University of Board of Directors, Association for Israel Studies Jerusalem) (2013-2015) Dr. Gad Barzilai (University of Washington and University of President: Dr. Ilan Troen (Brandeis University) Haifa ) (2011-2013) Vice-President: Dr. Donna Robinson Divine (Smith College) Dr. Aviva Halamish (The Open University of Israel) (2009-2011) Executive Director: Dr. Moshe Naor (University of Haifa) Treasurer: Dr. Ilan Ben-Ami (The Open University of Israel) Ex Officio Dr. Yoram Peri (Editor, Israel Studies Review) Dr. Paul Scham (Managing Editor, Israel Studies Review)
2 Dear conference participants and guests, Dear Conference Participants and Guests, On behalf of the Program Committee, I welcome you Welcome to the 32nd Annual Conference of the to the 32’nd conference of the Association for Israel Association for Israel Studies. Studies, convening this year in Jerusalem. Those of us who This international academic association began in the U.S participated in the first conferences of our organization and in 1985 through the initiative of a handful of scholars who remember meetings in one or two rooms, may look back shared a common interest in the study of Israel. Israel with satisfaction with AIS growth, reflecting the growth has since become a recognized academic field in North of interest within the general academic community in the America, Europe, China and Israel. While most of our research and study of Israel. conferences continue to take place abroad, this year we The general theme of the conferenc