Libitzky Lecture on Israel and the Great Powers

Past Lectures 

2024–2025: Israel and the United Nations

How should we understand Israel’s complicated relationship with the United Nations? Please join Yuval Shany (Former Member and Chair of the UN Human Rights Committee) and Masua Sagiv (Koret Visiting Professor at HDI) for a frank discussion about the complexities and nuances of Israel’s current and historical relationship with the world’s preeminent international body. This is the fifth in a series of talks examining Israel’s relationships with global powers. Prior talks have explored Israel's relationship with China, Russia,Turkey, and Iran.

2023–2024: Israel and Iran

How should we understand Iran’s evolving relationship with Israel? Where do their interests diverge and where do they clash? Please join Abbas Milani (Stanford University) and Ron Hassner (UC Berkeley) for a conversation about Iran’s vision for the region; its influence on proxy forces such as Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis; and Israel's policy towards Iran. This is the fourth in a series of talks examining Israel’s relationships with global powers. Prior talks have explored Israel's relationship with China, Russia, and Turkey.

Abbas Milani, The Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University

Ron Hassner, Chancellor's Professor of Political Science and Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies; Faculty Co-Director, Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies, UC Berkeley

2022–2023: Israel and Turkey

After a turbulent decade, Turkish–Israeli ties are now undergoing a revival. What are the implications of this reconciliation for stability in the region and what are the effects of global developments on the ties between these two regional powers? Please join Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Ron Hassner, the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies UC Berkeley, for a conversation about Israel’s relationship with Turkey. This is the third in a series of talks examining Israel’s relationships with global powers.

Soner Cagaptay, Beyer Family Fellow; Director, Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Ron Hassner, Chancellor’s Professor of Political Science; Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies; Co-Faculty Director, Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies

2021–2022: Israel and Russia

Anna Borshchevskaya, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, joins Professor Ron Hassner, the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies at UC Berkeley, for a conversation exploring Israel’s relationship with Russia and what this might mean for geopolitics as we know it. This is the second in a series of talks examining Israel’s relationships with global powers. 

2020–2021: Israel and China

Israel Institute Visiting Professor Ehud Eiran (Haifa University) joins Professor Ron Hassner, the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies, for a conversation exploring Israel’s new alliance with China and what this might mean for geopolitics as we know it.