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ABOUT THE INSTITUTE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS DR. KENNETH W. STEIN, DIRECTOR TEACHER WORKSHOPS TEACHING AIDS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS PUBLICATIONS
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...enhancing the knowledge and scholarship of Israel and the Middle East on the Emory Campus and beyond
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Israeli Attitudes Toward Their Democracy The Israeli Democracy Index 2011 resulted from research carried out by the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center. The Index is based on an annual survey that seeks to sketch a detailed picture of public opinion in Israel—addressing all the country’s subgroups—concerning preferred form of government, function of the political system, behavior and performance of elected officials and key democratic values. Data gathering was conducted in March 2011, before the protests began, by the Dahaf Institute, headed by Dr. Mina Zemach. The national survey interviewed a representative sample of 1,200 Israelis (age 18 and up). Certain questions were then reexamined in a survey conducted in September, following the great wave of protests. The survey is rich in opinion and demographic data on matters affecting Israeli society. US-Israeli Relations: the View from Washington, 1947-2010 Since the end of World War II, the US has had multiple interests in the Middle East. They have included support of moderate Arab states, insuring access to oil, promoting democratic values, securing and sustaining reliable allies, and supporting Israeli legitimacy and security. In the late 1960s, the US added mediation of the Arab-Israeli conflict to its roster of priorities in the region, and later in the 1990s, international terrorism, spread of weapons of mass destruction, and limiting aggressive Iranian hegemonic actions. Over the last sixty years, Washington has had philosophical and ideological motivations to accompany its strategic interests in supporting Israel’s ability to protect its borders and citizens. However, among the several reasons that sustained the US-Israeli relationship, a major reason why a succession of US presidents have aligned with Israel, despite deep disagreements about Israel’s access of nuclear technology and building of settlements is that, Arab leaders have either rebuked American overtures or engaged in policies that greatly offended the American public ( the PLO’s engagement in terrorism, Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, and the attack on America on 9.11.2001) and its leaders. This article traces the frequency with which American presidents approached Arab leaders, and the equal frequency that Arab political actions angered American policy makers. CURRENT ISSUES OF INTEREST ON ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST
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SUMMER 2012 ISMI and CIE are delighted to announce that the CIE 10th one-week pre-collegiate workshop on Israel, held June 19-24, 2011, was our most successful to date.Virtually all cost are subsidized by The Avi Chai Foundation! Learn more about the Summer 2012 Workshop on Modern Israel MAPS United Nations 1947 Partition Plan |
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