Hear what Israel’s top experts in the fields of intelligence, security, international relations and diplomacy have to say about Israel and the complexities of the Middle East in the 21st century.
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Playlists
Israeli Contemporary Affairs
Insider Briefings on Israeli Affairs
Jewish Communities
What’s on the Mind of Jews in the Modern World?
Holocaust and Anti-Semitism
An age-old hatred: Anti-Semitism in the post-Holocaust world
Conferences
Listen to speakers from recent conferences in Jerusalem
Highlights

What’s the History of the Egypt-Israel Border? – Prof. Ruth Lapidoth
Professor Ruth Lapidoth, Senior Researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and Professor Emeritus of International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem addresses the legal aspects of Sykes-Picot Agreement.

The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege (pt. 1, 2) – Kenneth Levin
The phenomenon of Diaspora Jews embracing as truth the indictments of Jew-haters has been so commonplace that a literature on the subject emerged under the rubric “Jewish self-hatred.” A similar predilection evolved in Israel, particularly among the nation’s cultural elites, in the context of the Arab siege. (Pt. 2)

The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership – Amb. Yehuda Avner
In his book Ambassador Yehuda Avner tells about his work with four former Prime Ministers. He illustrates their responses to major challenges and re-enacts their intertwining relationships with foreign politicians, in particular American presidents. The book also gives major insights on matters of great actuality.

The Jewish Claim to Jerusalem: The Case Under International Law – Dr. Jacques Gauthier
Dr. Gauthier’s comprehensive thesis entitled Sovereignty over the Old City of Jerusalem was completed in 2006 at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

How the West Misreads the Iranian Mentality – Dr. Harold Rhode
In this briefing, Dr. Harold Rhode provides an analysis that identifies patterns exhibited by the Iranian government and the Iranian people since ancient times. Most importantly, he identifies critical elements of Iranian culture that have been systematically ignored by policymakers for decades. It is a precise understanding of these cultural cues that should guide policy objectives toward the Iranian government.

The Role of Jewish Grandparents: An Exploration of the Inter-generational Transmission of Values – Dr. Rela Mintz Geffen
Who are the influential members of the Jewish family in the 21st century and what are their roles vis-a-vis future generations? In particular, what are the roles of Jewish grandparents today and do they differ in Israel and America? What new and reworked Jewish cycle rituals now include grandparents?

The Perception and History of the Jews as Chosen People (pt. 1, 2, 3) – Avi Beker
What does it mean for Jews to be the chosen people? How is Jewish “chosenness” perceived by non-Jews? Why does this idea of “chosenness” still inform new views of anti-Semitism? The answer to these questions can be found by looking at the concept of “chosenness” from the Old and New Testaments to the Arab-Israeli conflict over two millennia. (Pt. 2, pt. 3)

Being Jewish in China:The Current Situation of the Kaifeng Jews – Gidon Elazar
This talk is based on a visit by Gideon Elazar with the community in Kaifeng under the auspices of the organization “Shavei Yisrael” during the holiday of Sukkot, and an analysis of their history and current situation in the context of contemporary China.