The Middle East has always been seen as a vital arena in global affairs with its importance as a religious and strategic center which has resulted in continuous conflicts over the centuries. The session will concentrate on the modern period with Israel as its focus and will discuss when tensions could, and did, develop into improved relations.

 

Paul Liptz, a social historian, was on the Tel Aviv University faculty for 40 years, teaching graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Middle East and African History and the International School, where he dealt with a wide range of topics. His main interests are History of the Yishuv [Pre-State], the Modern State of Israel and Arab Women and Nationalism in the Middle East. He taught graduate students at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem for 25 years as well as at the Conservative movement seminary, dealing with modern Jewish history, Israeli society and the contemporary Middle East. In the Israeli army reserves, he lectured officers and non-commissioned officers on non- military realms. He is still active in Israel and is involved in various academic and educational fields. In the last few decades, he has travelled the world extensively, lecturing and conducting workshops in

some twenty countries. He has also been a visiting scholar with many American groups in Central and Eastern Europe. Paul was born in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and came as a volunteer to Israel one day before the Six Day War on June 4, 1967. He decided to stay in Israel, married Brenda and they have 4 children and 11 grandchildren