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Assembled by Ken Stein and Eli SperlingEmory University and Center for Israel Educationkenstein@israeled.org or kstein@emory.edu  Or Anabi and Prof. Tamar Hermann, “76% of Israelis are Afraid of Getting Coronavirus,” The Israel Democracy Institute, March 31, 2020. https://en.idi.org.il/articles/31155 Tony Badran, “Crisis of the Iranian Order,” Hoover Institution: The Caravan Issue, March 10, 2020. https://www.hoover.org/research/crisis-iranian-order Benny Begin, “Why Abbas […]

Ken Stein, Universidad Emory, Centro de Educación sobre Israel El Profesor Ken Stein enseñando su curso sobre el conflicto árabe-israelí desde su casa, 24 de marzo de 2020. ¿Cuáles son los puntos de inflexión o los momentos que constituyen un legado en la historia? Ese fue el enfoque de mi clase via Zoom para la […]

Ken Stein, Emory University, Center for Israel Education What are turning points or legacy moments in history? That was the focus of my zoom class at Emory for 80 students in late March when we touched on whether the June 1967 War was a turning point or legacy moment in Israeli, Jewish and Middle Eastern […]

Former IDF Chief Spokesperson and member of Knesset Nachman Shai shares insights into the current state of Israeli politics with CIE Vice President Rich Walter.

Contemporary Israeli music has long and varied roots. It is rich and dynamically innovative. Instrumental and vocal streams reflect Jewish and Israeli history. Engage your senses in diversely eclectic flavors. Listen wherever you are—links to free online sources; stream Israeli music from many genres and eras.

CIE is pleased to offer this collection of readings, discussion questions, and activities all designed to incorporate Israel into your Passover seder this year.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s assertion that “the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with inter­national law” is merely the latest example of how US and Israeli policies have marched almost in lockstep since Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. However, the United States and Israel have shared an intense and intimate relationship that long predates the Trump Administration and goes beyond the chemistry of individual leaders. In many respects, in fact, that relationship is unique in American foreign rela­tions and uniquely critical to Israeli security.

The coronavirus is making its way across the Middle East, forcing states to prepare for the possible collapse of governing systems. The virus struck a region already buckling under the weight of armed conflicts, social upheaval, severe economic distress, and identity-related clashes. The data on corona’s spread is far from precise or reliable, given the lack of testing, lagging policies, and likely efforts at concealment on the part of certain regimes.

US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman provides the most detailed Trump administration analyses of the prescribed two-state solution for terminating the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.

The ability of Israeli society to stay resilient at a time of national emergency – specifically in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic – has direct strategic and security implications, insofar as Israel demonstrates that it is capable of facing adversity. in addition, despite the huge budgetary hit engendered by Corona, it is vital to sustain Israeli investment in advanced military capabilities, and retain an untouchable budget reserve for this purpose.

El plan de Trump para el Medio Oriente: contexto e implicaciones Ken Stein, February 2020 Como se puede ver en el mapa que se encuentra frente a ustedes, así se ve en principio el plan de paz de Trump. Entraremos en más detalles al respecto a medida que avancemos. El plan se conoce como “Visión […]

Integrating Israeli culture into your Hebrew learning and practice is not something we need to abandon in this time of social distancing. Here are several resources and suggestions for learners to keep Hebrew language skills sharp while exploring a variety of aspects of Israeli society.

Games and activities are great tools for learning about Israel which can be fun for the whole family.  The games we present here touch on a number of different topic areas: Geography, Tanakh, history, politics, and culture.  Some are based on existing games that you may already be familiar with.  These are all “low-tech,” and […]

This article offers assessments of China in a clear-eyed and non-polemical fashion. It offers not an apology but an explanation for why China, having suffered a century of humiliation by external powers in the 19th century, is focused on re-establishing its role in the world – a role it believes its global economic weight entitles it to have. The Chinese response to the coronavirus is a vivid reminder of the fear that constrains honest discussion or reporting or intellectual development in that vast country.

The Leadership series is a biographical collection of ebooks on a diverse set of individuals who have influenced Israel’s history, politics, and culture. The first six ebooks in this series are: David Ben-Gurion, Shimon Peres, Golda Meir, Ilan Ramon, Netta Barzilai, and Naomi Shemer.

Here is a list of resources for learning about Passover in Israel. For each of the related topics, we are providing ideas for activities and distance learning opportunities, with the supporting links. We hope you will find fun and meaningful ways of celebrating Israel and Passover, and please let us know if these sparked additional ideas and online engagements with your students!

This escape room guides learners through a series of activities using a variety of original sources, ultimately directing them to learn about Shimon Peres, one of Israel’s longest serving and most influential leaders. While not all of the activities are directly related to Peres, they provide additional context into Israeli culture and society by exposing players to learn more about the country’s founding, its national anthem, and its food. The activity is designed for learners in grades 3-6.

Israel is in a state of emergency: schools are closed, businesses are shut, and people continue to lose their source of income. Optimal handling of this dramatic challenge demands a combined strategy. The primary thrust, prevention, protection, and containment, must be complemented by a strategy to promote societal resilience as the secondary effort.

A seminar at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) on political and security implications of the corona crisis underscored the prevalent uncertainty regarding the situation, but also highlighted several instructive points. The biggest threat to the global (and Israeli) economy derives from the slowdown or negative growth in the United States, and at the current stage, the American ability to meet the crisis effectively is not clear. As for Israel, the risks of escalation in the northern arena and the Gaza Strip have decreased in the short term, but toughening the restrictions on the border crossings with the Palestinian Authority could lead to its economic collapse.

We are pleased to announce the release of a new online class as part of our IDEAL series. IDEAL: Passover and the Jewish State is a three session course for students in grades 3-8.

Over four decades, Winston Churchill’s views on Zionism and Jews varied greatly. Without knowing his long held personal beliefs or the policies he adopted while the Jewish state developed, and only reading this speech, one would not know that he was a political opportunist and certainly not a “Gentile Zionist.”

As schools and organizations are being forced to rethink their Israel travel programs, CIE is here to help with this set of resources that will bring Israel to your learners.

In writing history, documents and primary texts are reliably accurate. Veracity can emerge by crosschecking sources. However, if all we have is one shard of pottery from the second temple period, we must settle for it in isolation as evidence of how the pottery was constructed, its composition, use, etc. Unless of course, we are fortunate enough to have a text that describes the pottery piece, and we have the piece of pottery as evidence. When oral recollections are used to bolster the written text, subtle shades and emphatic dimensions provide colorful detail to historical writing. Unlike written records, oral evidence provides vignettes, opinions, hues, suppositions, and sentiments almost always absent in a document.

A Palestinian public opinion poll conducted during this latest Israeli election campaign, January 23-February 11, showed a mere 8% of West Bankers, along with 22% of Gazans, reporting that the vote would probably turn out “better for the Palestinians.” Many more expected Israel’s election to make things worse for them: a third of West Bankers, and nearly half (46%) of Gazans. The remainder—half in the West Bank, and a quarter in Gaza—anticipated that it would “probably make very little difference either way.”

A handwashing machine and facemasks that claim to kill coronavirus. Contact-free monitoring of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Proactive policies to prevent the spread of the virus. A possible vaccine on the horizon. These are among the many ways Israel is responding with characteristic swift ingenuity to the raging coronavirus pandemic.

This whiteboard video explains the history of the World Zionist Congress, its impact and function, how it is selected, and which groups are running as part of the 2020 Congress election.

Israel’s third round of elections last week seemed inconclusive at first, but the deadlock may now be broken. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did better this time than in September’s round two, but his gains were insufficient to form a new government. Potential kingmaker Avigdor Liberman jettisoned his previous idea of getting the two top parties to join forces; instead, personal antipathy and policy differences have led him to definitely state that he will not join any government Netanyahu leads.

Aaron David Miller analyzes the evolving role of the United States in Middle Eastern and Israeli politics and diplomatic processes. Miller currently serves as vice president for new initiatives and a distinguished research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center. He is likewise a global affairs analyst at CNN. Previously, he served for two decades as a […]

In this issue of Iqtisadi, Paul Rivlin delves into the structural factors that led to protests and the overthrow of Sudan’s longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. This background along with more recent developments, explains why some of the leadership in Sudan today believe engagement with Israel makes good economic sense.

Assembled by Ken Stein and Eli SperlingEmory University and Center for Israel Educationkenstein@israeled.org or kstein@emory.edu  Mohamed Abdelaziz, “Arab Reactions to the Trump Peace Plan: An Analysis and Recommendation,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, January 31, 2020. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/fikraforum/view/arab-reactions-to-trumps-peace-plan-an-analysis-and-recommendation AFP, “Israel Awaits ‘Pragmatic’ Abbas Heir, But May Be Disappointed,” Ynet, February 13, 2020.https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HJAGIPG78 Sarah Amandolare, “In the Heart of Israel’s […]