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Dr. Susan Nashman Fraiman: Against the Canon: Voices of Diversity in Israeli Art (44:21)

In less than 45 minutes, Israeli educator Susan Nachman Fraiman presents a taste of the variety of voices in Israeli art that have emerged in the past 20 years: female, religious, Mizrahi, Ethiopian and Israeli-Palestinian, all of which are rich subjects in themselves. We examine a few examples of works from each of these sectors and try to understand the rich background from which they come. This video is from a session July 25, 2022, at the 21st annual CIE/ISMI Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel.

In-Depth Presentations and Webinars|July 25, 2022

Israel’s Story — Telling and Remembering It

Where you choose to begin or tell or remember it shapes the history and politics you do or do not want to convey. What you include and what you leave out reveals your knowledge,
biases, and political intentions.

Curriculum/Syllabi, Historiography, Ken's Blog|August 24, 2024|Spanish

Oslo Accords (Declaration of Principles on Interim Self- Government Agreements), Israel and PLO, 1993

Negotiated through the Norwegians, the Accords call for limited Palestinian rule in some of the territories; it did not call for a Palestinian state or an end to settlements.

Documents and Sources|September 13, 1993|Spanish|Hebrew

Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism, Then and Now

By Scott Abramson, May 2024 Introduction — A Unique Hatred If the Bible nearly 3,000 years ago described the Jews as “a people who shall dwell alone,” Jewish history has since validated this as prophecy….

Issues and Analyses|May 31, 2024|Spanish

Lewis: Ken Stein Interview with U.S. Ambassador Sam W. Lewis, Washington, D.C.

Sam Lewis was the U.S. ambassador in Israel when Menachem Begin was prime minister; his influence was most significant in keeping a taut and fraught Israeli-U.S. relationship from unravelling in the Camp David era. Lewis’ recollections and conclusions are enormously incisive.

Interviews|February 28, 1992

David Ben-Gurion’s Secret Remarks on “Arab Perceptions of Zionism,” 1937

Ben-Gurion recognized that Arab opposition to Zionism is a national feeling and that Palestinian Arab leadership had done little to help the majority impoverished peasant population.

Documents and Sources|January 7, 1937

Herbert Samuel’s Review of Present and Future Zionist-Arab Interactions in Palestine, 1920

Samuel would serve as Britain’s first and only Jewish High Commissioner (1920-1925) in Palestine; he noted reasons for Arab political in-fighting, origins of Arab dislike of Zionism, how land sales to Jews generated Arab jealousies, Jewish educational focus, and Palestine as a land area capable of supporting 4 million people.

Documents and Sources|April 2, 1920

Iran, the Jewish People and Israel

May 18, 2025 Contradiction has been a theme in Iran’s relationship with the Jewish people, for nowhere else in the Muslim world have Jews both suffered so grievously and flourished so thoroughly. Nor is the…

Issues and Analyses|May 18, 2025

Avineri: Ken Stein Interview with Professor Shlomo Avineri, Hebrew University Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel

Serving as director general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976-1977, Avineri recounts Romanian overtures to Rabin for a visit to gauge interest in another agreement with Egypt. He estimates that Rabin and Begin both took strategic considerations in hand in negotiating; he is highly critical of Carter’s political naivete.

Interviews|July 6, 1993

Meir Litvak, “The Islamization of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: The Case of Hamas,” 1998

The rise of Hamas marks a shift in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a struggle between national movements or states to a battle between religions, making a resolution all the more difficult to achieve.

Issues and Analyses|January 1998

Asher Sussser, “The Rise of Hamas in Palestine and the Crisis of Secularism in the Arab World”

Asher Sussser, “The Rise of Hamas in Palestine and the Crisis of Secularism in the Arab World,” Brandeis, 2006 (79pp). (with permission) Read full article

Issues and Analyses|July 31, 2024

Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran Asserts Anger at U.S., Hatred of Israel, Importance of Jihad, 2006

Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh says, “we shall never recognize the “usurper Zionism government”…continue Jihadist movement until liberation of Jerusalem.”

Documents and Sources|December 6, 2006

Hamas Charter, Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine, 1988

As a militant Islamic Palestinian national organization, Hamas’s adherents believe that Israel is illegitimate and should be destroyed through Jihad. Hamas opposes all recognition and negotiation with Israel, and likewise opposes the PLO/PA who have negotiated and collaborated with Israel from time to time. Hamas and the PA’s competition severely fragment the Palestinian political community.

Documents and Sources|August 18, 1988|Spanish

Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses Congress on Hamas War, 2024

In a 52 minute speech, Netanyahu explained Israel’s absolute need for total victory in the Gaza war because Hamas and Iran were both enemies of the United States and Israel. With bi-partisan emphasis, he thanked Presidents Biden and Trump for their unwavering current and past support. Dozens of congressional members did not attend his speech, noting disagreements with the Prime Minister’s policies.

Documents and Sources|July 24, 2024

88 Israelis Go for Gold in Paris

Michael Jacobs, July 24, 2024 Israel is sending 88 athletes to the 2024 Summer Olympics, officially opening Friday, July 26, in Paris. It’s the second-largest Israeli Olympic delegation ever, behind the 90 competitors at the…

Issues and Analyses|July 24, 2024

Senator Kamala Harris Addresses 2017 AIPAC Conference

Two months into her Senate position, Harris promised “to do everything in my power to ensure broad and bipartisan support for Israel’s security and right to self-defense.” She endorsed the 10 year, $38 billion US military aid package to Israel while strongly backing (seven years before October 2023) a two-state Palestinian-Israeli solution.”

Documents and Sources|March 28, 2017

Gil Troy, “The Essential Guide to October 7 and Its Aftermath: Facts, Figures, History,” Jewish People Policy Institute, Jerusalem, July 2024; 65 pages, CIE Board Member

This guidebook seeks to help Jews and non-Jews, in Israel and worldwide, understand the events that have unfolded since October 7 in historical and ideological context. These are difficult times – and this is no…

Issues and Analyses|July 21, 2024

David Makovsky, “Disagreements on Hostages Loom Over Netanyahu’s Washington Trip,” July 19, 2024, Washington Institute for Near East Policy

With permission Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s latest Washington visit will center around a July 24 speech to a joint session of Congress and a meeting with President Biden two days earlier, marking their first…

Issues and Analyses|July 21, 2024

Minutes of Jewish Agency Meeting on Inaugural Maccabiah Games, Jerusalem, 1932

Zionists decide to hold the first international sports games in Tel Aviv bringing 400 Jewish athletes from 18 countries. The games open on March 28, 1932. Zionists value the games as a “possible awakening of youth in the Diaspora” to Zionism and the positive economic outcome for the Jewish community in Palestine.

Documents and Sources|January 1, 1932

Ronald E. Neumann, “Lessons for Postwar Gaza From the American Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, July 2024

(with permission) “Don’t repeat our mistakes—we can do it ourselves.” This line occurred to me as I listened to discussions of “the day after” in Gaza. Plans and ideas need to address the detailed problems…

Issues and Analyses|July 18, 2024

“The Jewish State,” Theodor Herzl

Eventual head of the World Zionist Organization, Theodor Herzl says anti-Semitism requires a Jewish state.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses Congress on Iranian Nuclear Program, 2015

Netanyahu praises the Obama administration for its support of Israel’s security, then roundly criticizes it for negotiating a deal with Iran that will not roll back its nuclear breakout time and for not demanding that before sanctions are lifted that Iran stop its support of terrorism and threats to wipe Israel off the map.

Documents and Sources|March 3, 2015|Spanish

Quotations From Hamas Sources Expressing Hatred for Zionism, Israel and Jews, 1988-Present

Since its inception in 1988, Hamas has been crystal clear about its total opposition to Zionism and Israel. It opposes any kind of negotiations or agreements that recognize Israel as a reality, and its more extreme spokesmen regularly incite or celebrate the killing of Jews.

Documents and Sources|1988-Present|Spanish|Portuguese

Yitzhak Rabin’s Reasons for Signing the 1993 Oslo Accords, Explained in 1995

November 1, 1995 Three days before he was assassinated Nov. 4, 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin told his speechwriter Yehuda Avner why he recognized the PLO and Yasser Arafat. That recognition came in the exchange…

Documents and Sources, Ken's Blog|November 1, 1995|Spanish|Hebrew