Middle East Studies Program

Today, unprecedented changes are taking place in the Middle East. Citizens of countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya and others are trying to create a new future by rebelling against their respective leaderships. No one can predict the outcome of these rebellions, but one thing is certain – nothing will be as it was.
Israel must now find a way to adapt to the new regional reality; it must find a way to come to terms with the changes occurring around it, aligning itself with the potential democracies of the future instead of tying itself to the dictatorships of the past. Otherwise, it risks alienating itself even further.
As New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman noted in his op-ed piece titled "Postcard from Egypt, Part 2", "If that dynamic democratic Egypt does come into being one day, Israel will have no choice but to make peace with 80 million Egyptians – instead of with just one man. And if that is the case, then Israel needs to be making it clear from today."

Against the backdrop of this dynamic state of affairs, the Galilee Institute is gearing up for its upcoming Middle East studies courses, where programmes have been designed to address the current state of the Arab-Israeli conflict in light of the unrest and upheavals in the Arab world.
The programme is intended for students of history, political science and Middle East studies, as well as professionals interested in the Middle East, and registration for both 2011 sessions – summer and winter (July and December) – is now open. We would appreciate you bringing this programme to the attention of the students at your university. A limited number of tuition scholarships will be available to qualified candidates. Students who are interested should contact the Programme Director, Mrs. Shiri Salant Fein, at: ssalant@galilcol.ac.il.