Israel/Palestine in World Religions: Whose Promised Land?
This balanced introduction to a complex subject presents the multiple positions within the great monotheistic traditions. It demonstrates that the secular discourses in the public square concerning ownership privileges, historical precedence, political rights, and justice that have allegedly replaced religious claims actually coexist with, and often complement, the theological. It explores the century-long tangle of secular and theological debates about Israel’s legitimacy. Whether readers support a Jewish state or are resolutely opposed, the serious and substantial scholarship of this well-reasoned and innovative book will contribute to a nuanced and better-informed understanding of this persistent issue that has entered its second century on the international agenda. Prof. Ilan Troen discusses his book, "Israel/Palestine in World Religions: Whose Promised Land?" Prof. Troen was an awardee for the 2024 Bernard Lewis Prize for this publication. Speakers
Yael Aronoff is a Professor of Political Science/International Relations at Michigan State University. She is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel and is the Serling Chair of Israel Studies at MSU. Jacob Lassner is the former director of Jewish Studies at Northwestern University, is the Phillip M. and Ethel Klutznick Professor Emeritus of Jewish Civilization in the departments of History and Religion of that university. Franck Salameh is Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Boston College. Salameh's areas of specialization focus on Minorities in the Middle East, Contemporary Near Eastern History, History of Ideas and Political Thought and the Cultural, Linguistic, and Intellectual Traditions of the States of the Levant. A limited amount of copies of Israel/Palestine in World Religions: Whose Promised Land? is for sale via ASMEA. You can order a copy in advance for the event HERE. |
The struggle over Israel/Palestine is not just another contest by competing nationalisms or an instance of geopolitical competition. It is also about control of sacred territory that involves local Jews, Muslims, and Christians as well as worldwide faith communities, each with their own interests and stake in what transpires. 
Ilan Troen is emeritus of both the Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies (Brandeis, 2017), and the Lopin Chair of Modern History (Ben-Gurion University, 2007). He has served as founding director of the Israel Studies centers at both institutions and dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Ben-Gurion University. He is past president of the Association for Israel Studies and received in 2023 its "Lifetime Achievement Award."