Israel and the Middle East 2020: What lies ahead
Following the events of the “Arab Spring,” the Middle East got caught up in a continuous spiral. The massive protesting seen in the public squares, the ousting of dictators who had ruled with an iron fist and the consequent breaking out of bloody civil wars engendered dramatic changes in the Middle East. It is clear that the region underwent a process of historical significance, perhaps the most important since the formation of modern nation-states after the First World War. The turbulence experienced by the Arab world is still in progress – and it seems that it is far from dying down – and this will have long-term implications for the Middle East, including Israel, in the 21st century.
Iran and Israel – Dynamics of a Shadow War
With the end of thousands of years of Iranian monarchy, as the Islamic Revolution paved the way for the declaration of an Islamic Republic in Iran in March 1979, the state of mind in Tehran changed completely and Iran severed its ties with the West. This lecture focuses on the relationship between Iran and Israel since the dawn of the Islamic Revolution (1979) and seeks to trace the logic of the Iranian regime in its policy towards Israel. The stark contrast between a state that until 1979 was a pro-western monarchy and had extensive ties with Israel, and a radical Islamic republic, after 1979 wrapped in anti-"Israelism" and anti-Zionism, seeks clarification, and is the focus of discussion in this lecture.
The Resilience of the cold peace between Israel and Egypt
The Israeli-Egyptian peace that has existed for about four decades has special characteristics and indicates the complexity of the Middle Eastern dynamics. Israel and Egypt have a common denominator when it comes to regional interests and understanding, and this is reflected in the functional yet cold cooperation that promotes the interests of the two countries in the region. This practical peace has managed to overcome the upheavals in the Middle East this past decade, and proved that in the 21st century's complicated paths, former enemies can maintain a practical cooperation with mutual benefits, that masks (though does not eliminate) the past residues of the relationship. This does not make the relationship a close one, but merely a joint venture. This duality will be discussed in this lecture.
Prof. Uzi Rabi
Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Israel
English, Arabic, Hebrew
Professor Rabi is the Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and senior researcher at the Center for Iranian Studies at TAU. His research focuses on the modern history and evolution of states and societies in the Middle East, Iranian-Arab relations, oil and politics in the Middle East, and Sunni-Shi’i dynamics. Professor Rabi often delivers lectures and briefings to governmental, academic, and non-academic forums on matters of international and regional importance. Professor Rabi regularly provides expert commentary and analysis on international and Israeli news outlets, including Arabic language television channels. He has written a number of books in both English and Hebrew.