These webinars and other videos drawn from in-person and online events run as little as 20 minutes and in some cases more than an hour to provide deep insights into modern Israel and its history, politics, culture, foreign relations and other important societal topics.

Israel’s 9/11 — The Danger of Hezbollah: Rockets, Evacuees and the Risk of War (39:55)

Israel’s 9/11 — The Danger of Hezbollah: Rockets, Evacuees and the Risk of War (39:55)

Since Hamas brutally murdered 1,200 Israelis and others on Oct. 7 and kidnapped more than 240, Hezbollah and Israel have battled along the Lebanese border, trading missiles and airstrikes but so far avoiding all-out war. The threat, however, has forced Israelis to evacuate from the northern border, and the risk of fighting on the scale of the 2006 war seems to be rising. Assessing the danger and the impact on Israelis in the north during CIE’s 22nd weekly webinar March 13 are retired IDF Maj. Gen. Yaacov Ayish of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and Anat Shapira of the Institute for National Security Studies. Moderating the discussion is Dr. Ken Stein, CIE’s president and an Emory University emeritus professor of Middle East history, political science and Israel studies.

Israel’s 9/11 — Domestic Reactions, Regional Motivations, International Responses (39:00)

Israel’s 9/11 — Domestic Reactions, Regional Motivations, International Responses (39:00)

The murderous attacks perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against Israelis reverberated across Israel, the region and the world. As Israel buried tens of hundreds of its dead, the government formed an emergency war cabinet to shape responses as thousands were mobilized for reserve duty. On Israel’s borders and across the region, tensions rose. The U.S. responded with unequivocal presidential, congressional and military support for Israel’s national security and President Biden’s visit to Israel on October 18. Joining CIE to provide insight into Hamas’ ideological motivations, its connections to Iran and the rise of Islamic antisemitism were Tel Aviv University Professor Meir Litvak. Discussing Middle Eastern, North African and international responses was Dr. Sarah Feuer, a lecturer at Reichman University and a research fellow at the Gazit Institute in Tel Aviv. Addressing the implications and context of Biden’s visit was Dr. Amnon Cavari, who teaches at Reichman University and this year is an Israel Institute visiting professor of political science at the University of Michigan. During this 39-minute webinar, they talked about Hamas’ genocidal ideology and its reasons for striking now, the likelihood of weakening regional and international support for Israel as the war continues, and the war’s best possible outcomes for Israel. Moderating was Dr. Ken Stein, the Center for Israel Education’s president and an Emory University professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history and political science.