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2 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER

LANDMARK MEETING: PROMINENT IRAQI POLITICIAN VISITS TRUMAN INSTITUTE

There is certainly nothing unusual about a foreign visitor commending the research activities at the Truman Institute. Unless that guest happens to be the first Iraqi politician to visit the Hebrew University.Invited to attend a seminar meeting, Mr. Mithal al-Alusi, known for his pro-democracy position in his native country, called his visit “an important one,” praising the Institute’s high academic standards and its commitment to fostering peace and cooperation in the region. Longtime head of the De-Ba’athification Committee, Mithal al-Alusi, survived an apparent attempt on hislife when armed men fired on his car on the morning of February 8, 2005. Two of al-Alusi’s sons -- Aymanand Jamal -- and a bodyguard who were inside his vehicle were killed when the assailants struck just outside al-Alusi’s Baghdad home.

Al-Alusi was born in 1953 to an Arab Sunni family of educators in the al-Anbar province of Iraq. After 27 years in exile during Saddam Hussein’s era, he returned to Iraq, taking on a politically active role in the emerging process of democratization. While serving, untill recently, as head of the de-ba’athificationcommittee in Iraq, al-Anbar checked the records of those applying for higher office in the new Iraqiadministration, with the aim of keeping at bay active supporters of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Earlier this year, he established a new political party in Baghdad, Iraq’s Democratic Umma Party [Hizb al-Umma al-’Iraqi al-Dimuqrati], currently serving as its secretary general. According to al-Anbar, the party has been gaining support and momentum throughout the different districts of his country.

Professor Amnon Cohen, who heads Truman’s research project on contemporary Iraq, introduced Mr. Alusi to the forum of Truman Institute research fellows and led a stimulating discussion on the present realities of Iraq and its prospects for the future.. “It is a great honor to be here”, noted al-Alusi, “and report first-handon the political situation in Iraq and our current attempts to implement democracy,”

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MORE THAN TWO SIDES: THE SEPARATION BARRIER IN JERUSALEM

U.S. AMBASSADOR BIDS TRUMAN INSTITUTE FAREWELLPrior to ending his post in Israel, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador, H.E. Dan Kurtzer, initiated a farewell visit to the Truman Institute. Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, director of the Institute greeted the Ambassador and his staff. He also met with other Truman research experts, as well as experts from the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations and researchers from other departments of the Hebrew University, specializing in Middle Eastern issues and Israeli-Palestinian relations. “The academic briefingsand up-to-date reviews of Middle East affairs that I received during my tour were invaluable,” noted the Ambassador, thanking the Truman researchers for their warm reception.

The social, political and spatial ramifications of creating a separation barrier in Jerusalem were the focusof a panel discussion at the Truman Institute, organized by the Middle East Unit. Considering the topic from various perspectives, four specialists presented their research. Rami Nassrallah, director of the International Peace Cooperation Center, noted that Israeli policy has written off the idea of an enlarged unified Jerusalem, and has developed, instead, the concept of a smaller Jewish Jerusalem. This approach,he added, will damage the process the city’s urban and societal space. Danny Seideman, from ‘Ir ‘Amim, argued that the separation barrier in the city is not motivated by security considerations, but rather by political ones. He noted that the barrier ignores the reality of the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents, and unnecessarily entangles the State of Israel in an unnecessary political and operational quandary. David Shearer from the Office of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations linked the separationbarrier in the city with the general Israeli policy of closures and barriers, highlighting the humanitarian crisis that the barrier has created in Jerusalem. Kobi Michael from the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, criticized the decision-making process that has followed the construction of the barrier. While the construction continues, he added, it is improbable that it would ever be fully completed because of the inability to completely monitor population movement in the terminals that are intended to be part of the wall.

(Left to right) Dr. Asher Kaufman, Rami Nassrallah, David Shearer and Danny Seidemann

(Left to right) Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director, Truman Institute, HU and Former US Ambassador H.E. Dan Kurtzer

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4 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER

The Israeli-Palestinian Public Opinion Poll is the only project that tracks systematically both Israeli and Palestinian populations since the beginning of the current Intifada. A joint initiative of the Truman Institute and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), it is one of the few joint projects which survived the violent transformation in Israeli-Palestinian relations. The principal investigators are Dr. Jacob Shamir from the Truman Institute and the Department of Communications and Journalism at the

Hebrew University and Dr. Khalil Shikaki from the PSR in Ramallah. The project is being carried out with the generous support of the Ford Foundation, Cairo.

“In making our findings public, we seek to provide decision makers with credible data pertinent topeacemaking,” notes Shamir. “We hope to turn people’s private opinions on both sides into more knowledgeable and accurate public opinion,” he adds.

Initiated in July 2000, in the wake of the Camp David summit. “Our first survey was aimed to assess bothsides’ support for their delegations in the failed summit,” says Shamir. Since then, 14 more surveys have been conducted, the most recent one completed in March 2006.

Each of these surveys was conducted in response to important crossroads in the conflict and to thevarious efforts to renew the political process since Oslo. The surveys trace systematically the two publics’ attitudes regarding the conflict, their perceptions of majority support in their own society, as well as intheir enemy, and expectations of future developments. “ We have also constructed a reconciliation scale, which we repeat periodically to tap long-term prospects for reconciliation between the two peoples,” notes Shamir.

“In each of the surveys we devote a large section of the questionnaire to an issue high on the conflict’s agenda,” adds Shamir. Perceptions of terrorism, attitudes towards democracy anddemocratization in the Palestinian Authority, support for the Clinton parameters for a final statussolution, and support for mutual recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the state of the Palestinian people were among the many issues addressed. Going beyond the national Palestinian and Israeli samples, the project also conducts annual surveys among Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza and among the Arab citizens of Israel.

YOUR OPINION, PLEASE

(Left to right) Major General (Ret.) Ami Ayalon, former Head, General Security Service, Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Director, PSR, Ramallah and Dr. Sa’eb Erekat, Head of the Negotiations Affairs Dept. P.A.

(Left to right) Dr. Khalil Shikaki and Dr. Jacob Shamir, Truman Institute, HU

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Top photograph:(Left to right) Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director, Truman Institute, HU, Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, Dr. Jacob Shamir

Above:(Left to right) Walid Salim, Panorama, Dr. Colin Irwin, Queens University, Belfast, Dr. Khalil Shikaki Bottom center:(Left to right) Dr. Jacob Shamir and Vice Prime Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres, Vice Prime Minister of Israel and Prof. Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al-Quds University were among the guest speakers at a recent international conference, “Public Opinion Democracy and Peacemaking,” which was attended by representatives from Cyprus, Ireland, Jordan, the U.S., Israel and the Palestinian Authority . The conference took place both at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center and at the Hebrew University, and was organized by Dr. Jacob Shamir of the Truman Institute and Dr. Khalil Shikaki, Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), initiators of the Joint Israeli-Palestinian Public Opinion Polls Project.

Emphasizing his continuing close ties with the Truman Institute, Dr. Nusseibeh noted the importance of Joint Israeli-Palestinian Opinion Polls, which give voice to the Palestinians’ preparedness for true peace. He added that efforts must be made to strengthen the influence of public opinion, strengthening people from both sides to take their fate intotheir own hands and guide their leaders towards finding a peaceful resolution.

Mr. Peres expressed a certain degree of skepticism regarding the use of public opinion as a guideline for political decision-makers. He noted the importance of relying on historical perspectives versus the availability of public opinion polls, saying: “Polls are nice to smell, but dangerous to swallow.” Describing

VOICE OF PEACE: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

the numerous political disappointments he experienced during his long career, Mr. Peres noted that, “My task is not simply to satisfy the living, but prepare a better future for the generations to come.” Sitting on the panel with the Vice Prime Minister were Dr. Shamir and Dr. Mina Zemach, Israel’s foremost pollster from the Dahaf Research Institute.

The conference explored the ramifications andinfluence of public opinion in the realm of conflictresolution from numerous perspectives, including trends in Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian public opinion. The role of public opinion in Ireland and Cyprus was also discussed

ON PUBLIC OPINION DEMOCRACY AND PEACE MAKING

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After years of violent confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians, it became apparent that both sides had lost any form of trust between them that would enable a resumption of the peace process. Recognizing the importance of international involvement in resolving the crisis, a group of Israeli and foreign scholars established a working group to re-assess the conflict and take a fresh look at third party intervention, thistime in the form of a peacekeeping operation.

To date, two Peacekeeping Workshops on Canadian and Israeli Perspectives have been held, both in Canada and Israel, aimed at understanding peace missions and developing models of international involvement in ethno-political conflicts, especially within the Middle East region. The workshops are an integral part ofa joint academic project involving some 20 Canadian and Israeli researchers and practitioners, developed between the Truman Institute and the Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy in Jerusalem and the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice and the Centre for Defense and Security Studies, both of the University of Manitoba.

Underlying the workshops was the basic premise that a more comprehensive understanding of civilian-military cooperation and international involvement is crucial for all potential players in peacekeeping operations—in both governmental and non-governmental institutions. Providing a balance between Canadian peace operation experiences and Israeli security concerns, on a more practical level, the workshop developed MARS (Monitoring Apparatus for Regional Stabilization), a new model for maintaining stability, taking into account the myriad of concrete problems inherent in the region. In order to develop new ideas and approaches, workshop participants agreed that both Canadian and Israeli academics and military personnel would benefit from examining cases on a modular basis. In short, both theory andpractice are reflexive and inform each other in a systemic approach to conflict intervention.

This first workshop brought together Canadian and Israeli expertise to identify and critically examine thevarious options for a future Peace Operation in the region. The University of Manitoba in cooperation with the Truman Institute recently published a book, entitled Old Conflict, New Challenges Peace-building inIsraeli-Palestinian Relations, based on the workshop as part of the Bison Series (Bison Paper 8). A second workshop took place recently in Jerusalem, with the added participation of Palestinian scholars and practitioners from the Panorama Institute in Ramallah.

A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON THIRD PARTY INTERVENTIONKEEPING THE PEACE:

(Left to right) Dr. SufianAbu-Zaida, Prof. Galia Golan and Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director, Truman Institute

Group photograph of the Canadian and Israeli participants of the workshop held at the University of Manitoba, Canada

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An aura of intellectual excitement was in the air as eight Australian diplomats took part in an intensive two-week seminar at the Truman Institute, The Middle East, Israel and the Palestinians. Aimed at providing the officials with a comprehensive understanding of the region, the seminar—now in its second year—wassponsored by the Australian Friends of the Hebrew University in conjunction with the Government of Australia, and organized following the enthusiastic response of last year’s participants.

Among the participants—some of whom came from countries with no diplomatic relations with Israel—were representatives of Australian embassies in the Middle East, including Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon and Tel Aviv, as well as several from Canberra. All participants had some prior knowledge of the situation in the Middle East and the challenge was to build a program that would benefit them all. “The seminar included awide range of subjects according to the needs and expectations of those taking part, while maintaining the high academic standards of the Truman Institute,” said Prof. Mario Sznajder, former Acting Director of the Institute.

The program included lectures by senior university researchers, meetings with journalists and prominent experts in the field, as well as excursions to various parts of the country. The seminar was essentiallydivided into three segments. The first section focused on the Middle East. Prof. Moshe Ma’oz , TrumanResearch Fellow and member of Hebrew University’s Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, provided an update of recent developments in the region and their influence on Israel, while other expertslectured on various countries in the area, including Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon and on strategic subjects such as ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ and ‘International Terrorism.’

The second aspect of the seminar focused specifically on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From shared water resources and the refugee problemto Jerusalem and the separation barrier, the topics under discussion were presented from different and often conflicting perspectives. Israeli societywas the third focal point of the seminar. In addition to attending lectures on the Israeli political system, the Israeli Palestinian citizens, and the theology of the Jewish radical religious movements, the Australian guests “experienced” the country firsthand, visiting important sites in Jerusalem,Tel Aviv and the Galilee.

Participants gave the seminar—both in terms of content and organization—a “five star” rating. The Australian Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Tim George,described the program as “ really excellent,” while Mr. Alexander Downer, the Australian Foreign Minister noted that “it offered very valuable insights into the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and the region more generally.”

“Australia will never be just a casual observer of issues of importance to Israel,” added Mr. Downer. “By deepening the awareness of Australian officials of the issues of most immediate concern to Israel, especially thosesurrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the seminar at the TrumanInstitute can only have served to reinforce those important people-to-people links.”

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMATS ATTEND TRUMAN SEMINAR

Group photograph of the Australian diplomats and ambassadors, together with Australian Ambassador, H.E. Timothy Spencer George (front row center), Mr. Avi Armoni, Vice-President for External Relations, HU (center right) and Prof. Mario Sznajder, Former Acting Director, Truman Institute, HU (center left)

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Dr. Michael Devine, Director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, U.S., and Truman Library Deputy Director, Mr. Scott Roley, made recent visits to the Truman Institute in Jerusalem to solidify details of a partnership between the two institutions. “The Truman Library is pleased to renew its historic ties with the Jerusalem-based institute,” noted Devine upon his return to the U.S. “The former president was in fact active in fund-raising efforts on behalf of the Institute in the 1960’s.”

The Truman Library is one of the eleven Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration of the U.S. government. It is the official repository of President Harry S. Truman’s official and personalpapers, as well as more than 500 archival collections. “Our museum collection still holds an original architect’s model of the Truman Institute building,” added Devine.

The Truman Institute and the Truman Library have agreed to co-sponsor a joint conference, Harry S. Truman and the Quest for Peace in the Middle East to take place in 2008 to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. Additional partnership plans include a joint website on the Truman administration’s foreign policy regarding Israel, as well as invitations to members of the Truman Institute to speak in the Kansas City metropolitan area over the next several years.

Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director of the Truman Institute, together with a group of Truman fellows, met with a contingent of parliamentary representatives from Singapore. In addition to a tour of the Institute, Prof. Eyal updated them on current projects at Truman, as well as an assessment of recent developments in the Middle East. The guests included MP Ahmad Khalis Abdul Ghani, MP Ahmad Mohd Magad, MP Irene Ng Phek Hoong, MP Dr. Teo Ho Pin, MP Ravindran s/o Ramasamy.

The visit was capped by the magnificent views seen fromthe roof of the Truman building, including the Judean Desert and Dead Sea as well as western Jerusalem and the Old City.

Michael Devine and Scott Roley in front of the Truman Institute, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem

FOR THE RECORD: THE TRUMAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

FROM THE FAR TO MID-EAST

Parliamentary delegation from Singapore with Truman researchers during their recent visit to the Hebrew University

Group photograph of Chinese delegation together with Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director, Truman Institute, HU

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”Already as a youngster, many predicted that he would have a splendid future – and these predictions proved accurate.” So noted Prof. Haim Rabinowitch, Rector of the Hebrew University, at the conclusion of a conference held in honor of Prof. Moshe Ma’oz who recently retired from the university. Prof. Ma’oz served as Director of the Truman Institute between the years 1975-79 and 1992-98. The aim of the conference, “Israeli-Arab Relations: From Conflict to Resolution,” attended by Israeli,Palestinian and American scholars, was to assess the prospects of moving from a state of conflict tosome form of resolution between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The first panel dealt with the Israeli-Lebanese-Syrian triangle. The speakers emphasized the domestic difficulties of the Syrian State, whichbrought about its withdrawal from Lebanon and handicapped any progress in Israeli-Syrian relations.

The second panel dealt with the Palestinian refugee problem, which is considered a main--if not THE main--obstacle for achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace. According to the Palestinian speaker, the Israeli public should be aware that most of the refugees, according to available statistics, are not intent on returning to Israel.

The third panel dealt with various plans for conflictresolution. Most of the speakers emphasized that the political changes in the Palestinian Authority necessitate a reorientation from conflict resolutionto conflict management plans. The final panel, withthe participation of both academics and politicians, attempted to assess Israeli-Palestinian relations following Hamas’ recent electoral victory. All agreed

THE TRUMAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

ISRAELI-ARAB RELATIONS: FROM CONFLICT TO RESOLUTION?

CONFERENCE IN HONOR OF PROF. MOSHE MA’OZ, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE TRUMAN INSTITUTE

that in the immediate future, we are not going to witness positive changes, even if Israel embarked on a wider disengagement plan. Yet, it is likely that some moderation might take place within the Hamas organization as a result of internal and external pressures. Furthermore, the impact of the burden of responsibility might conceivably force it to be more attuned to public needs. While all speakers expressed pessimism with regard to future Israeli-Palestinian relations, some were more optimistic with regard to relations in the longer run.

Among the conference speakers were Prof. Naomi Chazan, former MK and former director of the Truman Institute, currently a researcher at the institute, Dr. Sufian Abu-Zaida, former Ministerof Prisoner Affairs, Palestinian Authority, and researcher at the Truman Institute, Prof. Haim Rabinowitch, Rector of the Hebrew University and Prof. Steven Kaplan, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Hebrew University.

The conference was followed by a festive dinner, at which the invitees shared their own personal relations with Moshe Ma’oz, the man and the researcher.

The conference was held thanks to the generous support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and its Director, Dr. Lars Hänsel, who surprised the audience with his opening words in three languages – Hebrew, Arabic and English.

(Left to right) Prof. Moshe Ma’oz and Dr. Sufian Abu-Zaida

(Left to right) Prof. Moshe Ma’oz, Dr. Sufian Abu-Zaida,Prof. Elie Podeh and former MK Prof. Naomi Chazan

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Accompanied by Hebrew University President, Prof. Menachem Magidor, Mr. Robert Rydberg, Swedish Ambassador to Israel, recently visited the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. Prof. Mario Sznajder, former Acting Director of the Institute described the varied activities of the Institute, to which the ambassador exhibited great interest, especially in the areas of peace and

the Institute’s close ties with the Palestinians. “It is our hope,” noted Sznajder, “that our research efforts go beyond the academic world and have an impact on decision-makers the world over.”

The Ambassador then visited the memorial corner devoted to Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), comprising Schindler’s List, an account of his rescue of 1,098 Jews, as well as photographs and a bust of this Righteous Gentile.

A recent academic panel, Dictatorship, Democratization and Anti-Semitism in Argentina, commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the military coup in Argentina, attracted over a hundred researchers and guests. The panel was organized by the Latin America Unit of the Harry S Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, in cooperation with SICSA, the Vidal Sassoon Centre for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Hebrew University.The Ambassador of Argentina in Israel, Mr. Atilio Molteni, opened the event by stressing the need to remember and overcome the legacy of human rights violations that took place in Argentina, under military rule, between 1976-1983. Professor Mario Sznajder discussed the military rule’s success in terrorizing and demobilizing Argentina’s society and its affect on the democratization the

country underwent since 1983. Dr. Leonardo Senkman talked about Israel’s role in helping Argentinean Jews, victims of persecution and repression, while Martina Weisz examined the anti-Semitic aspects of the repression and compared the process of national reorganization in Argentina with other cases in which anti-Semitic policies have played a central role. The presentations were followed by a lively debate with the participation of the public.

DON’T CRY FOR ME, ARGENTINA

VIEWS FROM THE INSTITUTE: SWEDISH AMBASSADOR AND HU PRESIDENT AT TRUMAN

(Left to right) Dr. Leonardo Senkman, Prof. Robert Wistrich, Amb. of Argentina, Atilio Molteni and Ms. Martina Weisz

(Left to right) Prof. Menachem Magidor, President HU, Mr. Robert Rydberg, Swedish Ambassador to Israel and Prof. Mario Sznajder, Former Acting Director of the Truman Institute, HU

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The Ivri Committee recently proposed creating a special voluntary-based civil service track for Arab citizens as an alternative to army conscription. This controversial issue was the focus of another public debate at the Truman Forum. ”A cultural gap between Jews and Arabs hampers the ability to reach a modus vivendi between the State and the Arab population regarding the civil status of the Arab minority.” So noted Dr. Yitzhak Reiter, organizer of the event, in his opening remarks. “Some kind of civil service is necessary for the Arab population to be better integrated in the long-run within Israeli society.” Taking part in the conference were both academics as well as public figures, most of who came from the Arab sector.

Dr. Dan Avnon, Head of the Gilo Center for Citizenship, Democracy, and Civic Education at the Hebrew University, highlighted a lack of a common vision regarding citizenship and its imperative regarding civil rights and duties to be shared by Jews and Arabs alike. Advocate Aiman Odeh, member of the Political Bureau of the Hadash Party, argued that the Arab lack of trust in the State apparatus makes any recommendation regarding citizenship duties of the Arabs untenable. This is compounded by the fact, he added, that the committee advocating the civil service option was established by the Israeli Cabinet and headed by Ivri, a former military general. The columnist and editor of the Al-Mustaqbal monthly Arabic journal, Salem Jubran, supported Odeh’s argument, but strongly backed the establishment of a civil service framework that would serve the interests of the Arab population, and would exert pressure on the government to ensure that they too would enjoy equal rights and benefits. Imad Shaqour, an Israeli

CIVIL SERVICE FOR ARABS IN ISRAEL: IN THE WAKE OF THE IVRI REPORT

Arab citizen, affiliated withthe Fatah’s Revolutionary Council concurred with Jubran’s assessment.

Finally, Nasra Hamoud from Ramla, who had volunteered in the Israeli National Service for a year, serving at the Kaplan Hospital’s Trauma Unit, described her experiences and the lessons she learned: “As a young Arab girl from a peripheral community, National Service provided me with the opportunity of acquiring new professional and social skills, as well as employment opportunities, which are of the utmost importance for a minority citizen in order to improve both oneself and one’s community’s conditions.” Hamoud recommended civil or national service for young Arabs as an alternative service. Israeli government officials attended theconference, including a representative of Israel’s National Security Council. They showed much interest in the debate, which could conceivably have an impact on government policy.

(Left to right) Dr. Aziz Haidar, Imad Shaqour, Dr. Ahmad Masalha and Salem Jubran

The President of the State of Israel, Moshe Katsav, kindly agreed to be interviewed for a recently produced film on the Truman Institute. The President congratulated the Institute on its intensiveactivities towards furthering understanding between Arabs and Jews.

In 2003 President Katsav initiated a joint forum of the Truman Institute and Israeli Arab representatives to deal with Jewish-Islamic relations. This was the beginning of the president’s close ties with the Institute. The joint forum discussed topics common to both Jews and Muslims in Israel, including social and cultural issues, family, drugs and crime, and education. Political questions were also raised, such as the influenceof the peace process on Israeli Arabs. In addition, a seminar was held on the Bible and the Koran.

A PRESIDENTIAL CONNECTION

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Annual Meeting of the Truman Board of Trustees

DANIEL FURMANFounder and Managing Director of ARBA Finance Company, Ltd., Daniel Furman is also a director of a number of enterprises, including the First International Bank of Israel, the B & E de Rothschild Israel Seed Fund L.P., Telemessage, Ltd., OR-X, Ltd., and Picom Software, Ltd. Prior to founding ARBA in 1978, Furman served as the Finance Manager of Aircraft Trading and Services, Inc., an international company specializing in trading and leasing commercial aircraft. He was a senior consultant for National Consultants (Israel); a member of the Corporate Finance Department of Eurofinance in Paris; and anassistant to the Vice President of Corporate Planning of Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd.

NEW MEMBERS OF THE TRUMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

STANLEY CHAISStanley Chais is the head of Unicycle Trading Company, a privately held venture capital investment company, and major supporter of causes throughout the Jewish world. Mr. Chais is a Governor and Benefactor of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a member of its American Friends’ association’s National Board of Director. He and his wife Pamela Chais are generous supporters of numerous educational and cultural projects in Israel. The Chais family has also invested in many Israeli high technology companies. When asked, if nominated, would he be willing to serve on the Truman board and attend the board meeting in Jerusalem, he replied that he would be honored to do so.

GEORGE A. SCHIERENGeorge A. Schieren is the American Head of the Regulatory/White Collar Practice at Clifford Chance (New York), specializing in securities litigation and regulatory enforcement proceedings. He has more than three decades of experience in SEC and securities regulation, litigation and corporate governance. Prior to joining Clifford Chance, Schieren served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, the largest broker-dealer in the U.S. In addition, he served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Merrill Lynch & Co. He has worked extensively with U.S. and EU regulators on a wide range of compliance and enforcement issues.

TODD S. LUNDYA Managing Director of American Express Tax & Business Services and Director of its Chicago Litigation Services Group, Todd S. Lundy has advised numerous law firms in partner compensation, strategicplanning, mergers, firm management, marketing and other organizational issues. He has publishednumerous articles on law firm management and litigation. In addition, Lundy is very involved with AFHUon both a regional and national level. Chairperson of the Chicago Executive Board, he is also a member of AFHU’s National Board of Director and serves as the co-chairman of its Executive Committee. Todd is a Governor of the Hebrew University.

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NEW MEMBERS OF THE TRUMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

“As a Jordanian researcher, I feel comfortable with my surroundings here,” notes Dr. Wasfi Kailani, acurrent research fellow at the Truman Institute, who has spent time in the past at a university in Saudi Arabia. “The Institute is great place to conduct my research, both because of its location on Mount Scopus and because of the personal contacts I have made with fellow researchers here.”

Dr. Kailani is among the many distinguished visiting research fellows who come to Truman from renowned research institutes around the globe. Fellowship applications are received throughout the year, including from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Indonesia. The Institute has recently hosted research fellows from China, Cyprus, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Nigeria, Turkey and the United States.

With its wide range of research topics, visiting research fellows at Truman—their stays range from one month to a year—carry out studies on any number of issues from peace to the Middle East to the Third World. Visiting fellows receive officespace, computer facilities, administrative support as well as assistance in everyday life in Israel.

IS THERE A FUTURE FOR AFRICA STUDIES

IN GOOD COMPANY

The Africa Unit at the Truman Institute recently hosted an event, Is There a Future for African Studies? This symposium brought together Africanists from all over Israel to discuss the recent closure of African Studies programs throughout the country, and to formulate an advocacy program to promote these studies in the Israeli higher education system.

Participants discussed options for networking and fundraising, and a smaller sub-committee was formed to begin organizing these efforts. The event succeeded in raising awareness and public debate regarding the place of African Studies in academia in Israel.

Participants of the Symposium Is There a Future for African Studies?

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HERITAGE COLLECTION:

THE ABBA EBAN CENTRE FOR ISRAELI DEMOCRACY

History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.

Father of Israeli statesmanship and one of the greatest orators of modern times, the late Abba Eban donated to the Israeli public his entire collection of papers, videocassettes, photographs and recordings. A former Israeli Ambassador—Israel’s first representative to the United Nations—Member of Knesset,Education and Foreign Minister, Mr. Eban was famous for his eloquent rhetoric, both in speech and writing, in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Covering five decades of Mr. Eban’s career, this rich collection is beinghoused at the Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Democracy at the Truman Institute, founded at the initiation of Mr. Eban’s wife, Suzy. A treasure trove for scholars, students and other researchers exploring the half-century of Israel’s emergence into the community of nations, the Centre contains—and continues to acquire—material related to the statesman’s activities in the realm of Israeli diplomacy culled from archives, private collections in Israel and abroad, and bibliographic databases.

Ambassadors, parliamentary groups and policy makers from all over the world visit the Centre annually. Among recent visitors were the Ambassadors of India, Argentina, France, China, Chile, Serbia and Montenegro, Kazakhstan, as well as the outgoing and incoming U.S. Ambassadors. Other guests this past year included, the Delegation Head of the European Union, members of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations and Security from Taiwan, Members of Parliament from China and Singapore, and a special delegation from Jordan.

“The government of Belgrade is convinced that Al Kheida maintains close ties with the tribe of Haradin in Kosovo,” stated the Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro, Dr. Krinka Vidakovic-Petrov, at a lecture given within the framework of the Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy at the Truman Institute.

Following the military campaign of NATO and the United Nations, all the Albanian refugees from Kosovo returned to their homes, while at the same time, 280,000 Serbs fled and became refugees. TheAmbassador expressed concern that if Kosovo gains independence, no one will guarantee the safety of the non-Albanian population living there, especially in light of the fact that Albanian terror against the Serbs living there continues to this day. “Independence to Kosovo would create a dangerous precedent for other minorities among UN state members to act in a similar manner, further jeopardizing regional and international stability,” concluded the Ambassador.

KOSOVO: MINORITY RIGHTS VERSUS INDEPENDENCE

(Left to right) Prof. Eyal Ben-Ari, Director of the Truman Institute, Dr. Krinka Vidakovic-Petrov, Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro and Yoram Shani, Coordinator, The Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy

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TRUMAN NEWSLETTER 15

The Ambassador of Chile to Israel, Sally Bendersky, was among the recent guests at the Truman Institute’s Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy. The Ambassador was accompanied by Professor Claudio Fuentes, who lectured on Latin America’s elections, within the framework of the Latin America Unit of the Truman Institute. Prof. Mario Sznajder, former Acting Director of the Institute, hosted the guests.

Following the lecture, Prof. Sznajder took the Ambassador on a tour of the Truman Institute. She displayed great interest throughout the visit and was most impressed by the statue of Abba Eban (see photo), located at the entrance to the Centre, created by the sculptor, George Segal, one of the renowned sculptors of the twentieth century.

“The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, plans to transform Iran into the center of the world conflict against theUS, Israel and the West.” So noted Aryeh Levin, former head of the Department for Political Research, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a lecture within the framework of the Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy.

He added that the President of Iran and his supporters are currently trying to build a military and state system to fulfill thedream of Houmeini; that is, the renewal of Umma - the Islamic people under the leadership of Iran’s Shiite State.

The Iranian tactics are built in stages, explained Levin: firstly,providing assistance to terrorist organizations as a means of infiltrating the Middle East, the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Secondly,intimidating and threatening Israel and the US in order to gain support. Finally, striving to gain nuclear weapons as a threat to world stability.

A CHILE VISIT

THE HOUMEINI LEGACY AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

(Left to right) Aryeh Levin, former head of the Dept. for Political Research, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yoram Shani, Coordinator, The Abba Eban Centre for Israeli Diplomacy

(Left to right) Prof. Mario Sznajder, Former Acting Director, Truman Institute, HU, Gustavo Silva, Ambassador of Chile to Israel, Sally Bendersky and Prof. Claudio Fuentes

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16 TRUMAN NEWSLETTER

THE TRUMAN SHELVES

Outsider in the Promised Land by Nissim Rejwan colorfully chronicles Israel’s internal and external struggles to become a nation, as well the author’s integration into a complex culture. Comprised of a series of essays, articles, letters and diary entries, the author documents how the powerful East European leadership, acting as advocates of Western norms and ideals, failed to integrate Israel into the region. Currently a Research Fellow at the Truman Institute, Rejwan’s essays are an illuminating example of how minority groups were able to use journalism to have an influential impact on society.

The Iraq War by Raphael Israeli provides significant insightson the realities of the war, and offers an informative analysis of the dynamics of ethnic, tribal, and religious politics in Iraq. Providing a history of Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime—an its linkage to terrorist groups—the

author then focuses on the Shi’ite, Kurdish and Sunni communities, as well as Arab and Muslim fears. This in-depth collection of essays offers an invaluable analysis of the impact of the war in terms of Iraq’s future, the evolution of the strategic situation in the Middle East, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, as well as the role and influence of the United States in the region.

Prof. Ben-Ami Shillony was born in Poland in 1937 and immigrated to Israel in 1948. After receiving his M.A in History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1965, he studied Japanese at the International Christian University in Tokyo, and in 1967 attended Princeton University, where he worked on his doctorate in Japanese history under Professor Marius B. Jansen. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the February 1936 military revolt in Japan. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1971, he returned to Israel, where he has been teaching Japanese History and Culture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has also taught, lectured and conducted research at the universities of Tokyo, Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford, and Colorado.

Prof. Shillony served as Director of the Joseph Saltiel Center for Pre-Academic Studies (1977-1979), Chairman of the Department of East Asian Studies (1979-1984, 1996-2000), Chairman of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace (1987-1990), and as a member of the Standing Committee of the Senate (1999-2003). He was twice awarded the Michael Milken Prize for Excellence in Teaching, in 1996 and in 2005. In 2000 he was appointed the Louis Frieberg Professor in East Asian studies. In November 2000 the Emperor of Japan bestowed on him the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (Zuih�sh� Kun-nit�).

Prof. Shillony served as the Chairman of the Academic Committee from 1987-1990 and from 2001-2005.

BEN-AMI SHILLONY –

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF TRUMAN ACADEMIC COMMITTEE

Arab Society in Israel: Demographics, Economics and Education by Aziz Haidar provides aggregate data pertaining to key aspects of Arab society in Israel, which will enable, for the first time, an informed,responsible discussion on the topic. Until now, critical issues like stratification, regionalism, center/peripheryrelations and religious affiliation had been leftuntouched by researchers for lack of sufficient data.This important volume was presented to the President of the State of Israel at an official ceremony and hasreceived much attention in the media.

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THE TRUMAN SHELVES

This coming summer, the Truman Institute, together with the Russian Friends of the Hebrew University, will hold another two-week seminar for fifteen students from MGIMO Diplomatic Academy, Moscow StateUniversity, St. Petersburg State University, Tomsk University young professionals from MFA and the Diplomatic corps. Among topics to be discussed will be the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Arab-Israeli Relations in

Israel, the Iranian threat, the rise of the Hamas, and the Iraqi Situation.

This seminar follows two other seminars previously organized by the Truman Institute for Russian representatives in cooperation with the Russian Friends of the Hebrew University.

Just over a year ago, twelve candidates from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs took part in an intensive three-week program at the Truman Institute, The Middle East, the Palestinian-

Israeli Conflict and Israeli Society. The participants heard lectures by Israeli and Palestinian experts, metwith politicians and diplomats and visited key institutions. Participants also toured Jewish, Christian and Muslim sites in Jerusalem and around the country, and were given Hebrew and Arabic lessons throughout the three-week program.

The Last Jews in Baghdad: Remembering a Lost Homeland by Nissim Rejwan is an autobiography of a place, offering a rare portrait of a culture that is no longer extant. A wonderful resource for both the scholarly historian and casual reader, it tells the story of Iraqi society in the thirties and forties, of the once vibrant Jewish community and the making of a young intellectual. A

distinguished historian and journalist and author of a dozen books, Nissim Rejwan, is currently a Research Fellow at the Truman Institute.

Confronting the Occupation by Maya Rosenfeld is a study of work, education, political-national resistance, family, and community relations in a Palestinian refugee camp under conditions of Israeli military occupation. Based on extended field research carried out by an Israeli sociologist-anthropologist in the Dheisheh refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, between 1992 and 1996, the author teaches at the Hebrew University and is currently a research fellow at the Truman Institute.

Next Year in Jerusalem is a moving memoir by Daphna Golan-Agnon, recognized as one of the most courageous voices for a more just Israeli society. Daughter of a former member of the Stern Gang, Golan-Agnon writes eloquently of her early years in a right-wing Israeli household, her

marriage into the family of the country’s most eminent novelist, and her efforts to raise children in a society caught up in violence and instability. A senior researcher at the Truman Institute, Dr. Daphna Golan-Agnon teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she is the Director of the Human Rights Internship Program at the Minerva Center for Human Rights.

A RUSSIAN AFFAIR

Russian participants of the seminar together with Vice Prime Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres

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