Please join the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 12:00PM, for a virtual talk with Dr. Jonathan Ghariani, their current visiting scholar on the topic of Israeli-Morocco relations. Abstract Until recently most Arab countries refused to engage in any form of negotiations with Israel. In contrast to the pan-Arab consensus of boycotting Israel, Morocco and Oman established informal ties with Israel in the early 1960s and 1975 respectively. Morocco and Oman were one of the first Arab countries besides Egypt and Jordan to establish formal diplomatic relations with Israel. These relations were abruptly severed after the outbreak of the second intifada in Israel and the Palestinian territories. However, with the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and three Arab countries, Morocco joined the circle of peace and restored its pre-intifada partial diplomatic ties with Israel.

Please join the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 1:00PM EST / 8:00PM ILT for a virtual talk given by Lilach Ben Zvi, our 2021 Academic Visitor at the Institute on After "Shomer Homot" - National Struggles in Israel. "In May 2021, Israel went on a military operation, "Shomer Homot" in Gaza. Simultaneously with the operation, hard riots broke out inside many cities in Israel. In this presentation, I will describe the events of "Shomer Homot" and specifically examine how it redefined the Jewish-Arab relationship in Israel." - Lilach Ben Zvi Lilach is completing her doctorate at the University of Haifa. Focusing on the political theory of Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Lilach will examine the nature of the public sphere in Israel and the way it can serve as a battleground for different and contradictory world views about Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Her work contributes to discussions about the meaning of the public and private spheres as well as the promotion of an essential and active civil society in Israel.