About this course: This course deals with the Israeli politics, economy, society and culture, since its creation in 1948 till today. It analyzes the construction of the Israeli historical narrative as an identity-building narrative, intending to inculcate a collective memory to a diverse society. We will focus on key events and essential components that shaped the Israeli society from the fifties till the present. We will also discuss the changes that the Israeli society experiences in its almost seventy years of existence and how it affects its politics and culture. Among the topics we will discuss issues such as immigration, economic transformation, political upheaval, religious Zionism and post-Zionism, privatization and Americanization, Holocaust increasing role in shaping Israel's identity, diversity and multiculturalism, as well as the enduring conflict with the Palestinians and the Arab world.
Created by: Tel Aviv University
Taught by: Professor Eyal Naveh, General History
General History professor at Tel Aviv University and at the Kibbutzim College of Education
Taught by: Professor Asher Susser, Senior Research Fellow
Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 5 weeks of study, 1-2 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Hebrew |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Israeli Society: The First Years 1948-1967
In the first two decades of its existence the new state of Israel faced many challenges. Israelis at this period faced economic difficulties, insecure boarders, political challenges and social upheavals. Led by the Labor party, the new state absorbed huge numbers of Jewish immigrants who came primarily from Arab countries, as well as a significant number of Holocaust survivors. These projects and others required a collective effort and a spirit of commitment at the expense of individual needs and aspirations. Thus we can define Israeli society in those years as a mobilized society.
13 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Course Trailer
- Video: Introduction
- Video: The Israeli Political System
- Video: The First Years - A Political review
- Reading: The Armistice - Moshe Sharett
- Video: Security Threats and Military Operations
- Discussion Prompt: The murder of Roi Rotberg and Moshe Dayan's eulogy
- Reading: The Kfar Qasim massacre court trial
- Video: Economic Difficulties and Economic Growth
- Video: Facing mass Immigration and the Challenge of Absorption - Part 1
- Discussion Prompt: The Challenge of Absorption
- Video: Facing mass Immigration and the Challenge of Absorption - Part 2
- Video: The Eichmann Trial
- Video: International Relations and Domestic Policy
- Video: A Man & A Symbol: Ben Gurion's Leadership – An interview with Prof. Zeev Tsachor (In Hebrew - Please use subtitles)
- Video: Popular Culture and Common Life in the fifties and Sixties - An interview with Prof. Orit Rozin
- Video: Summary
Graded: Evaluate your knowledge
WEEK 2
Israel, Between War and Peace 1967-1979
From the late Sixties until the late Seventies Israeli society experienced two major wars that had a huge impact on life in the country, as well as one peace agreement that altered the status of Israel in the area and reinvigorated hope for a better future.
9 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Opening
- Reading: The path towards the Six-Day War - Political view
- Reading: The path towards the Six-Day War - Civilian view
- Discussion Prompt: The path towards the Six-Day War
- Video: The Six-Day War
- Video: The Impact of the War on Israeli society: Geography, demography, economy, politics, defense, culture, the issue of the territories
- Discussion Prompt: Different views regarding the "Fruits of the War"
- Video: The Yom Kippur war
- Video: The Impact of the war on the Israeli society: political impact, economic, shattering of Israeli identity
- Video: Non-Parliamentary political organization - Settlement movement
- Video: Non-Parliamentary political organization - Peace Now
- Video: Peace with Egypt
- Video: The relations with Egypt - Interview with Shimon Shamir
Graded: Quiz
WEEK 3
Israel - A Society in transition 1977-1995
In this lesson we will discuss the essential developments that transformed Israeli society at the end of the twentieth century.
10 videos, 1 reading
- Video: Opening
- Video: The political turnover and the rise of the "National traditional block"
- Reading: Sephardi discrimination feelings
- Video: Economic transformation
- Video: The 1st Lebanon war
- Video: The Palestinian uprising (1st Intifada)
- Video: Immigration
- Video: Towards negotiations with the Palestinians
- Video: The Oslo accords
- Video: Peace with Jordan
- Video: Rabin's Assassination
- Discussion Prompt: Learning from the tragedy
Graded: Quiz
WEEK 4
Changing Identity
This segment of the course attempts to explore the very elusive topic of Israel’s changing identity.
7 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Opening
- Video: Americanization and Globalization: Politics and Culture
- Discussion Prompt: The Americanization process
- Video: The Jewish context: Israel-Diaspora relationship
- Discussion Prompt: The Melting pot
- Video: Towards a Multi-Cultural Society
- Reading: President Reuven Rivlin address regarding the fragmentation of the Israeli society
- Reading: Author Amos Oz arguing for cultural diversity
- Video: Zionism, Post-Zionism & Religious Zionism
- Discussion Prompt: A fictional monologue of a "post –Zionist"
- Discussion Prompt: Post-Zionist or Anti-Zionist?
- Discussion Prompt: Messianic Zionism: Deviation or Evolution?
- Reading: Author Aharon Appelfeld, a Holocaust survivor, testifies:
- Video: The Memory of the Holocaust as a Basis for Collective Identity
- Video: The Memory of the Holocaust and the IDF (Israeli army) - An interview with Dr. Tammy Hoffman
- Discussion Prompt: The lessons of the Holocaust
Graded: Quiz
WEEK 5
Israel in the 21th century
The last part of the course will explore current issues that characterize Israel today. The "Start Up Nation", Social inequality, the Political fragmentation & the difficulties of being situated in the unstable and non-democratic Muslim Middle East.
8 videos
- Video: Opening
- Video: Economic growth and Transformation - The Start-Up nation
- Discussion Prompt: Tycoons Controlling the economy
- Video: Israeli society Probes, Challenges, The social protest and its results
- Discussion Prompt: Prof. Shlomo Ben-Ami warns of a real emergency:
- Video: Israeli Democracy Political Fragmentation and Discontent
- Video: The 2nd intifada, Gaza withdrawal and wars
- Video: The Transformation of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (State Actors and non-State Players)
- Video: Jewish and Democratic: Challenges and tensions
- Discussion Prompt: Jewish and/or Democratic
- Video: Jewish and Democratic or Jewish vs Democratic? - An interview panel (In Hebrew - Please use subtitles)
Graded: Quiz
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Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University (TAU) is Israel's largest institution of higher learning – with over 30,000 students and more than 125 schools and departments in nine faculties. Global in outlook and impact, it is consistently ranked among the world's top 100 universities, as well as the top 20 institutions in terms of scientific citations. A spirit of openness and innovation is evident in all of TAU's teaching and research activities, breaking down barriers between disciplines, and boldly striving to address the twenty-first century's most pressing challenges.
Ratings and Reviews
Good info. Very credible professor. Up to date.
I really enjoyed this course do keep up the good work.
תודה!
I like the discussion forum which are inserted in course arrangements, the professors are excellent, and I have learned a lot about Israel.
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RT
Factual Based. Without the bias usually found in course of this subject