Playing by the Rules: Israel's Palestinian-Arab Citizens
Playing by the Rules: Israel's Palestinian-Arab Citizens
Palestinian-Arab citizens constitute close to 20% of Israel’s population. They are an unassimilable minority, considered by some potentially disloyal to the state for being part of the inimical Palestinian people, and ideologically dissident for rejecting the state’s basic ideology of Zionism. They are also discriminated against in state policies and many areas of life. Since 1948 they have been navigating a unique socio-political landscape that requires balancing their distinct cultural and national identity with the legal and civic framework of the Israeli state. The webinar talk will examine their experiences, struggles, and contributions, and shed light on the broader issues of integration, equality, and coexistence in a diverse and multifaceted society.
Dr. Sammy Smooha is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Haifa. He is a member of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an Israel Prize laureate in Sociology. He served as a visiting professor and a senior research fellow at many academic institutes in the West. Prof. Smooha studies Israeli society in comparative perspective, with a focus on ethnic relations and democracy and has published widely on the internal divisions and conflicts in Israel.