Abba Eban Speech at Special Assembly of the UN, June 1967
Following the conclusion of the June 1967 War, the Israeli government sent word to Egypt and Syria seeking peace plan that was intended to jumpstart a peace process with Israel’s belligerent neighbors, Egypt and Syria. The messages were sent through the US, but no response was apparently received.
¿Tuvo éxito el sionismo? ¿Cómo es eso? ¿Está sin terminar? ¿Han cambiado las expectativas y sus definiciones?
El concepto general del sionismo: ¿cuál es esa historia? Resultados acabados o bien formados del sionismo Resultados inconclusos del sionismo, hasta ahora Israel no ha respondido o no ha podido responder completamente si, cómo o cuándo
El Texto de la Constitución propuesta para el Estado de Israel
Los New York Times (10 de diciembre de 1948) Texto de la Constitución propuesta para el Estado de Israel que se votará después de las elecciones de enero Preámbulo: Nosotros, el pueblo de Israel, humildemente dando gracias a Dios Todopoderoso por habernos librado de la carga del destierro y habernos traído de vuelta a nuestra […]
Soberanía judía encerrada en la Declaración de Independencia de Israel
El impulso sionista moderno para crear un territorio para la soberanía judía comenzó en el siglo XIX, aunque las conexiones judías con la Tierra de Israel se remontan a los tiempos bíblicos. Como idea y movimiento, el sionismo se filtró a lo largo del siglo, catalizado por otros pueblos que.
Proposed Constitution for the State of Israel
This draft spoke eloquently about protecting individual, religious, and civil rights for all. Instead individual civil rights in Israel were protected by a series of Basic Laws.
House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Jewish National Home in Palestine, Washington, DC.
In four days of sharply presented testimony and debate, the House evaluated the pros and cons of whether to endorse Jewish immigration to Palestine. Pressure from the Executive Branch not to pass such a resolution was heeded. According to Chief of Staff George Marshall “such a resolution would have adverse effects on the Moslem world.” This was the same argument that the State Department used in trying but failing to persuade President Truman in 1947 not to vote in favor of Palestine’s partition into Arab and Jewish states. The debate in the Congress took place more than a year before World War II ended in Europe. Fear of Arab state retaliation against the US never materialized because the US endorsed Jewish immigration to Palestine and a two state solution.
Daniel Brumberg, “The Carter Administration and the Logic of Comprehensive Peace – A Study of How Middle East Policy Became a Presidential Concern and the Limits of a Globalist Foreign Policy.” (With permission of the author, September 2022)
As an MA student, Brumberg’s thesis cogently lays out how and why President Jimmy Carter, a candidate without any significant foreign policy experience chose to embrace the unexpected objective of seeking a comprehensive Middle East peace. Prompting Carter’s imperative was the drive provided by Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter’s National Security Adviser. Brzezinski’s motivation emerged from wanting to satisfy a Saudi imperative to find a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and thereby reduce the chances of another oil price spike or oil price embargo. Brzezinski believed that a stable oil order would benefit Carter’s re-election chances. Brzezinski also wanted to severely reduce the influence of the American Jewish community’s influence on the making of Middle East foreign policy. He wanted to demonstrate to the Saudis that he could accomplish that objective. In the end oil prices were higher in November 1980.
#122 Contemporary Readings April 2023
Assembled by Ken Stein and Wendy Kalman, Center for Israel Education Agence France-Presse, “China ready to broker Israel-Palestine peace talks, says foreign minister,” The Guardian, April 17, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/18/china-ready-to-broker-israel-palestine-peace-talks-says-foreign-minister Fares Akram, “In First, Iran’s president addresses Palestinians in Gaza,” Associated Press, April 14, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/iran-palestinians-gaza-jerusalem-256ccdd3029ba63f8b19302a6640b363 Peter Beinart, “Could Israel Carry Out Another Nakba?,” Jewish Currents, https://jewishcurrents.org/could-israel-carry-out-another-nakba Ilan […]
Soberanía judía encerrada en la Declaración de Independencia de Israel
El impulso sionista moderno para crear un territorio para la soberanía judía comenzó en el siglo XIX, aunque las conexiones judías con la Tierra de Israel se remontan a los tiempos bíblicos. Incluyen los pactos bíblicos de Di-s ( español ) con el pueblo judío y repetidas referencias litúrgicas a Jerusalén y Sión en la oración judía ( español ) . En la historia del sionismo en la Enciclopedia Judía de 1906 se hace una crónica detallada de la construcción de un territorio judío moderno.
Reaction and Review of the Four Elements of the Planned Overhaul of Israel’s Judiciary
Ken Stein, May 1, April 4, March 22, March 5, February 11, 2023 After Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister to lead Israel’s 37th government in late December 2022, his Cabinet focused immediately on presenting several laws that would remove political power from the Supreme Court to engage in judicial review of Knesset […]
Zionism and Us: Has Zionism Succeeded?
Center for Israel Education President Ken Stein explores the state of Zionism and the Jewish people in an in-person conversation with Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple in Atlanta, Rabbi David Silverman of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, Jewish Fertility Foundation founder and CEO Elana Frank, and Atlanta-based Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon. Running 20 minutes, these highlights address how Zionism is and […]
Peter Evan Bass, The Anti-Politics of Presidential Leadership: Jimmy Carter and American Jews
Peter Bass’s Princeton University Senior thesis is the most comprehensive work on a critical topic that befuddled and dominated Carter’s entire presidency.
Historical context evolves from tepid Jewish support for Carter in the 1976 campaign through ever widening gaps between his administration, Israel and the Jewish community. Carter wanted Middle East policy his way as shaped by Brzezinski. All Israeli leaders chafed at being told what to do, and frequently in public about territorial compromises “they had to make.” American Jews who voted reluctantly for him in 1976, did not do so in the 1980. Carter carried that sting with him for the rest of his life. Bass’s work is superb; thanks are given to him for giving us permission to provide his thesis here.
ERA II: Da autonomia à soberania – 1948
Desde 1898 até 1947, o sionismo evoluiu de um ideal a uma realidade concreta: o estabelecimento do Estado judeu, Israel. Quando Theodor Herzl escreveu O Estado Judeu, as pessoas não tinham poder político e detinham poucos recursos financeiros para converter o ideal em uma realidade territorial. Por séculos, os judeus preservaram firmemente a sua identidade […]
David Ben-Gurión, Acuerdo de statu quo, 19 de junio de 1947
El Acuerdo de Status-Quo es un entendimiento alcanzado entre David Ben-Gurion, entonces presidente Ejecutivo de la Agencia Judía, y los partidos religiosos en el período anterior a que Israel se convirtiera en un estado. En una carta al partido religioso Agudat Israel, Ben-Gurion estipula que en el próximo estado se protegerán leyes judías específicas.
Shmuel Rosner, Camil Fuchs, and Noah Slepkov, “Pluralism Index: 2023: Israelis Want a Democratic and Jewish State.”
(with permission) Read Article The vast majority of all Israelis want Israel to be a democratic state; strong support for Israel as a Jewish state and adherence to articles in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, (Espanol) (עִברִית) (Português) (Italiana) (Polski)
#121 Contemporary Readings March 2023
Assembled by Ken Stein and Wendy Kalman, Center for Israel Education Ghaith al-Omari, “To Prevent the PA from Unraveling, Address Internal Reform,” Washington Institute, February 28, 2023, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/prevent-pa-unraveling-address-internal-reform AJC Staff, “The State of Anti-Semitism in American 2022: AJC’s Survey of American Jews,” American Jewish Committee, February 2023, https://www.ajc.org/AntisemitismReport2022/AmericanJews “Bank of Israel head issues new warning […]
The Israeli Government’s Proposed Judicial Overhaul: Events and Published Items, January 1, 2023 – March 28, 2023
When Israel’s government announced the elements of judicial overhaul that it was seeking, Israelis and those across the world voiced abundant and vociferous views. The media paid attention to the weekly gatherings of large crowds in Israeli streets; webinars were held, blistering OPEDs were written praising and condemning the impact of the suggested judicial changes […]
President Isaac Herzog offers a far-ranging “People’s Directive” for a compromise to the judicial overhaul controversy
President Herzog offers a compromise to the coalition’s proposed judicial overhaul in the forms of enacting a new Basic Law, and writing amendments to existing Basic Laws. Its detail suggests considerable behind the scenes discussion, and if only portions are enacted upon, this document could be seen in the future as a benchmark in Israel’s “constitutional” history.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Two speeches to the Nation – continuing the judicial overhaul and pausing the legislative process
Prime Minister Netanyahu offers two speeches to the nation within four days, emphatically not pausing the judicial overhaul process and then calling for a pause to it. Netanyahu’s 2012 firm statement protecting the Supreme Court’s Independence is notable.
Israel Bytes: An Interactive Encounter
Learners can immerse themselves in multimedia experiences illuminating Israel’s most important issues through these online modules.
Discurso del Presidente Isaac Herzog a la nación – Propuesta de reforma judicial – Impacto en el país y Compromiso
Luego de su discurso de febrero de 2023 para llegar a un compromiso sobre el tema de la masiva reforma judicial propuesta, el presidente Isaac Herzog, en los términos más duros, dijo que Israel estaba en el “abismo de una guerra civil”, mientras opositores y defensores se dirigían hacia un enfrentamiento con consecuencias. Calificó el intento de reforma como “erróneo, opresivo y que socava nuestros fundamentos democráticos”. Sugirió un amplio plan de compromiso consensuado para que las partes lo consideren.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s speech on pausing the judicial overhaul
Citing deep disaffection among elements of Israeli military reserve units, and expressing those concerns to Prime Minister Netanyahu privately, Gallant makes his opinion public, causing Netanyahu to fire him, resulting in hundreds of thousand of Israelis in the streets. Two days after Gallant’s speech, Netanyahu called for a pause in pushing forward the judicial overhaul legislation.
Declaration — One School’s Approach
Pressman Academy in Los Angeles, part of CIE’s Day School Initiative, has graciously shared its Megillat HaAtzmaut and accompanying, grade-specific lesson plans for exploring Israel’s Declaration of Independence at Yom Ha’Atzmaut. Reading of Megillat HaAtzmaut: Israel’s Declaration of Independence Slides for a community commemoration Slides for the classroom Discussion Before Reading: • Why do the […]
Declaration Activity: A Look Back
This video, prepared as Israel approached its 73rd birthday in 2021, incorporates multiple perspectives on the previous year. Have members of your class, in small groups or collectively, create a similar video addressing the highs and lows, the achievements and the challenges, for Israel from the past year. Students can research specific areas (politics, religion, […]
A “Constitutional” Democracy
Israel, like Britain, is a parliamentary democracy, but, like Britain, Israel lacks a formal constitution. The following items show how the system works and include Israel’s proposed 1948 constitution and the Basic Laws that fill the constitutional void. For extensive study of the Israeli political system, including guiding questions and resources organized by age group, […]
Memorandum of Conversation Between President Carter and President Assad
This meeting between President Carter and Syrian President Assad was the only one they had during the Carter presidency. Carter wanted to learn what Assad’s requirements were for an agreement with Israel: borders, security, nature of peace, and willingness of other Arabs join. Assad doubted that the Saudis would join this process. When the conversation was finished, Assad made it clear that he was not rushing into an agreement with Israel, even if asked by the United States. Carter acknowledged to Assad that he knew little about the Palestinian refugee issue. Carter did tell Assad that the US was committed to the security of Israel. Assad did not say that the Soviet Union’s participation at a conference was necessary, in fact Assad noted how difficult his relations were with Moscow in the immediate past; Assad did tell Carter that it was Secretary of State Vance who first raised the possibility of Moscow attending such a peace conference. From American diplomatic sources we learn that Assad was very pleased to have been squired by Carter. For their part, the Israelis were deeply anxious about Carter’s positive statements about Assad made after this meeting.
President Isaac Herzog’s speech to the nation – Proposed Judicial Overhaul- Impact on the country
Following up his for compromise on the matter of the massive proposed judicial reform overhaul, President Isaac Herzog, in the starkest of terms, said Israel was at the “abyss of a civil war,” as opponents and proponents headed toward a consequential showdown. He characterized the attempted overhaul as “wrong, oppressive, and undermines our democratic foundations.” He suggested a wide ranging consensus compromise plan for the sides to consider. Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected Herzog’s compromise plea.
Jerusalem Timeline
The Jewish people have a 3,000-year history with the city of Jerusalem as a political, economic, religious and cultural center. In ancient times, the city housed the First and Second Temples where Jews from throughout the Land of Israel and the growing Diaspora made regular pilgrimages. Español | Italiano
Ken Stein Interview with Dr. Harold Saunders, Washington, D.C.
From 1961 until the early 1980s, Harold Saunders was a key US State Department bureaucrat, an enormously capable word-smith. He had his hand in drafting the 1974-1975 ARab-Israeli Disengagement Agreements, Camp David Accords and E-I Treaty. His memory for detail enabled consequential decision-makers to understand the historical context of events and ideas such as ‘land for peace,’ ‘territorial integrity,’ ‘legitimate rights,’ and a myriad of diplomatic promises made spanning multiple presidencies.