Israel Dialogues Spring 2025
March 28, April 2, April 11, May 2, 8, 22, 29 12:00 pm (online only)
with thanks to our Israel Dialogues Organizing Committee and our expert panellists
Friday, March 28
Dr. Shay Menuchin
Legal Perspectives on Dawning Events in Israel
Our Member Shay Menuchin was admitted to practice as a lawyer in both New York State and Israel. Holds a PhD in law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. From a legal perspective, he will discuss the evolving situation with the leadership of the Shin Bet, the Attorney General, and the ongoing battle between the courts and the legislature.
Wednesday, April 2
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
Israel in Crisis: A Jewish Diaspora Response
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of the Steven S. Wise Free Synagogue in New York will join us on WEDNESDAY April 2nd. Rabbi Hirsch is the former Executive Director of ARZA and last year was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post. Rabbi Hirsch is one of the foremost proponents of Jewish peoplehood and Zionism in the Reform Movement. Rabbi Hirsch is joining us for the first time. His presentation is titled “Israel in Crisis: A Jewish Diaspora Response.”
Friday, April 11
Prof. Asher Susser
Trump, the Arabs and the New Middle Eastern Balance of Power
Dr. Asher Susser will return right before Pesach on April 11th. Dr. Susser is Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern History at Tel Aviv University (TAU). He was the Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at TAU for twelve years and taught for over thirty-five years in TAU’s Department of Middle Eastern History. Dr. Susser’s most recent book is Jordan, Palestine, and the Politics of Collective Identity – A History. (Boulder & London: Lynne Reiner, 2024)
Friday, May 2
With Amb. (ret’d) Scott Proudfoot
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: a Canadian diplomatic perspective
Douglas Scott Proudfoot is a retired foreign service officer who served in Nairobi, Delhi, Vienna (IAEA), London, Ramallah, Juba, Bamako and Montreal (ICAO). From 2016-2019 he was Canadian Representative to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and resided in East Jerusalem. During that time, he travelled frequently to Gaza as well as all parts of the West Bank, while also representing Canada on the UNRWA Advisory Commission.
Thursday, May 8
Dr. Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky
Beyond the Headlines: Understanding Israel’s Legitimacy Challenges on the Global Stage
The anti-Israel grassroots campaign is not a new phenomenon. Since October 7, 2023, however, anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment appears to have intensified. While multiple polls attest to the latter, the former phenomenon in which Israel is delegitimized is difficult to quantify and assess. In this session, we will unpack grassroots efforts to dent Israel’s international positioning since October 7, along with pro-Israel pushback efforts, in six key arenas: academic, culture, digital, economy, legal and sports. The findings presented in this session are based on research conducted by the MIND Israel team, culminating in February 2025.
Prior to joining MIND, Michal held various managerial and research positions in the academic, philanthropic, and civil-society sectors, including at the Azrieli Foundation, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), the Institute for Inclusive Security, and the Geneva Initiative (HL Education for Peace). She is a Founding Member of Forum Dvorah: Women in Foreign Policy and National Security and an adjunct lecturer at Tel Aviv University. Her research focuses on soft challenges for Israel in the international arena, including legitimacy issues, relations with the Western world (Europe and the US), international organizations and Israel-Diaspora Jewry relations.
Read: Theorizing state stigmatization: A comparative perspective on South Africa and Israel
Thursday, May 22
Ben Murane
Civil Society: from Progressive to Extremist in Israeli Society
Ben Murane is the Executive Director of the New Israel Fund of Canada and a leading voice of millennial engagement with Israel. For over twelve years, Ben has led at the intersection of Jewish life, social justice, and Israel. He previously worked for NIF’s U.S. branch, won Jewish innovation awards for his work in environmentalism and campus life, and founded both online and offline Jewish communities. In 2012, he received the prestigious Dorot Leadership Fellowship in Israel, where he studied Zionism and worked at a political think tank.
Thursday, May 29
Prof. Gabriel Ben-Dor
Israel in a New and Uncertain Regional Strategic Environment: a Conversation
Gabriel Ben-Dor is Professor of Political Science at the University of Haifa in Israel. He holds a doctorate in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from Princeton University in the United States. He served as the Rector of the University, and also held the posts of Chairman of the Department of Political Science, Director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies, and Dean of Research. Previously he held the elected position of President of the Israel Political Science Association. Until recently he directed the graduate study program at the National Defense College, the highest course of the studies in the Israeli Defense Forces. He was also the founder and director of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa. He has recently completed a six-year term as a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Middle East Studies. For over twenty years Ben-Dor lectured at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London, England, one of the leading institutions for national security affairs in the world.
