With Israel's Jewish population deeply divided along social and economic lines on how to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, Professor Uri Ram, author of the book Israeli Society: Critical Perspectives and extensive author of articles on Israeli society, politics and culture, will address these and other questions:

  • Did Israel's integration into the new global economy—including its transformation from a state-centered to a market-centered society in the 1990s—serve as a major impetus for Israel's participation in the Oslo negotiation process?
  • How have the effects of globalization since then differentially affected various segments and social classes within Israeli society and influenced people's views about dealing with Israel's Arab neighbors?
  • Does support for Israel's political parties reflect divisions along social and economic class lines, and how do these factors affect policymaking on the conflict?
  • What impact do Israeli economic trends set in motion by the intifada have on efforts to find a way out of the crisis?

Speakers

  • Uri Ram
    Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Israel
    Visiting Scholar, New School University, New York
  • Judy Barsalou, Moderator
    U.S. Institute of Peace

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