Settler Colonial Studies, Secessions of Colonialism, and Ethnonationalism: An Edward Saidian Consideration
Recent years have witnessed the framework of Setter Colonialism gaining hegemonic explanatory dominance among attempts to elucidate the Palestine/Israel trajectory. Scrutiny of many texts in this (newly-awoken) domain ultimately reveals that a modest number of new insights have been added to those already published by (anti-Zionist) Arabs and Israelis between 1962 (the foundation of Israel’s Matzpen) and 1974 (the PLO’s adoption of its Ten Point Programme). Whereas the pre-1974 Settler Colonial school was ‘historical’, the 21st century one appears somewhat ‘ahistorical’.
Rituals of Loyalty: When Israeli Journalists Face Digital Hate
The Israeli news media has transformed significantly in recent years, due to an unprecedented wave of anti-media populism and online harassment. In this talk, I examine how and why Israeli journalists use their military service as a shield in response to online violence and digital hate, and what may be the implications for the future of media and democracy in Israel. What I call ‘the military-as-alibi strategy’ is highly consequential, I would argue. First, it excludes Israeli citizens who are exempt from military service (mostly Palestinian citizens of Israel and ultra-orthodox Jews).
The Israel Supreme Court Religion and the Relationship of State and Religion in Israel
Israel was originally to have a Constitution, but it never did as the issue proved divisive on religious grounds, among others. An unwritten constitution developed in its place. This is the legal context of current constitutional debates, including on the constitutional status of religion in Israel. The solution was the adoption of chapters or Basic Laws, that together would form a constitution. What are the Basic Laws - an exercise of a constitutional authority of the Knesset, if such existed? An exercise of legislative authority?
The Political Fairy Tale: The Case of Little Red Riding Hood in Palestine
This study seeks to analyse the ways in which Little Red Riding Hood was instrumentalized in the Palestinian critical and subversive discourse. Although this text is usually presented as a children's story, various media sources use it as a tool for social and political criticism of Palestinian society and Israeli policy toward Palestinians. One of the unique themes identified in the study highlights the absence of the grandmother's character. Considering the significance of this character as an essential part of the classical fairy tale, this absence grabs attention.
The Fusion of Zionism and Science: The First Two Decades—And the Present Day?
Focusing on the relationship between Zionism and science in the first two decades of the Zionist movement, the argument of this paper is threefold. First, that a relationship was established with the very inception of the Zionist movement.
Invisible Settles: Resettling Palestinian Collaborators in Israel
What are the social and economic costs of using cohorts of local informers to ensure military control of a hostile territory? In 1994, an Israeli NGO (B'Tselem) published a study that analysed the incidents of Palestinians murdered by their own people on suspicions of collaboration with Israeli intelligence during the first Palestinian uprising (Intifada 1987-1993). It has been estimated that 900 Palestinians were executed on these grounds.
Homelands: A Personal History of Europe
Timothy Garton Ash discusses his new book with Lenka Bustikova Siroky, Sonia Cuesta Maniar (St Antony’s, Oxford) and David Priestland (St Edmund Hall, Oxford). Wine will be served after the discussion, and copies of the book available at a reduced price.
Workshop: A strategy for Europe
Dahrendorf Programme special workshop.
Panel 1, 2-3.45pm: European strategy: Lessons from history, with panellists Patrick Cohrs, Jakob Zollmann, Patricia Clavin and Chair Paul Betts.
Panel 2, 4.15-6pm: European strategy: Lessons from politics and international relations, with panellists Andrew Hurrell, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Kira Huju and Chair Hartmut Mayer
Panel 1, 2-3.45pm: European strategy: Lessons from history, with panellists Patrick Cohrs, Jakob Zollmann, Patricia Clavin and Chair Paul Betts.
Panel 2, 4.15-6pm: European strategy: Lessons from politics and international relations, with panellists Andrew Hurrell, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Kira Huju and Chair Hartmut Mayer
Uncivil society in Central and Eastern Europe
What are the social origins of illiberal rule? This presentation investigates current theories about the roots of illiberal attitudes, specifically with regard to state-church relations, democracy, the economy, ethnic and sexual minorities. Using new experimental data from four Central European countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), the study finds that respondents overwhelmingly support for teaching Christianity in schools, dissatisfaction with democracy, economic paternalism, state regulation of ethnic relations, opposition to same-sex marriage.