Center for Israel Studies
Dr. Steven L. Spiegel
Director of the Center for Middle East Development (CMED) and Professor of Political Science at UCLA; Chair of the Center for Israel Studies at AJU, and national scholar of Israel Policy Forum.
The United States and the Israeli-Palestinian "Peace Process"-The Road to Somewhere?
President Bush has called for an International Conference on Palestinian issues this fall, presumably in mid-November. This is the latest effort to revive a process that has been moribund throughout his term in office. The following factors have all contributed to Washington's reticence in this decade to become seriously engaged in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations: a reduced American interest in engaging in negotiations after the disappointments of President Clinton's last few months and the results of 9/11; the violence inflicted on Israel during the second intifada; crises elsewhere in the region in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon; and a general administration disinclination to active diplomacy.
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New Voices
In an effort to foster new thinking and scholarship in the area of Israel Studies, the Center for Israel Studies is sponsoring a bi-monthly "New Voices" series. Articles will be written by young Israeli and American scholars taking opposing points of view on issues of central importance to the State of Israel and to US-Israeli relations.
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Sigi Ziering Institute
Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust
Dr. Michael Berenbaum
Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute and an adjunct professor of theology at American Jewish University.
A Compelling Need
As a central, epoch-making event of the 20th century, the Holocaust has impacted our understanding of divinity, humanity, responsibility, identity, and mankind’s capacity to do evil. A trauma of seismic dimensions, it single-handedly shattered national myths and challenged the moral credibility of governments, citizens, and corporations.
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