The Middle East Institute announces a special edition of Viewpoints, “Israel: Growing Pains at 60.” The wide-ranging mega-collection of essays explores the challenges facing Israel today in culture and media, the economy, domestic and international relations and society and identity. Thirty leading Israel experts from around the world provide provocative and thoughtful commentaries on the country’s major transformations, the impact of its history on modern literature, religious thought as an engine for peace or war, the influence of the Israeli-Jewish Diaspora, the dilemma of Israeli identity, future challenges for the state and society and much more.

The special edition of MEI’s prestigious web-based Viewpoints series also includes maps and statistics about Israel’s development over the past six decades as well as a comprehensive bibliography of more than 1,200 books and articles focused on Israel.

MEI Adjunct Scholar Paul Scham prefaces the collection. Don Peretz, who has focused on the Israeli-Arab conflict for more than five decades and published more than 200 articles and 10 books on the subject, provides an introductory overview with his personal and professional reflections on Israel and MEI’s role in the study of the country. The contributors include Ian Lustick, Menachem Klein, Ilan Peleg, Gabriel Weimann, Efraim Inbar, Glenda Abramson, Eva Etzioni-Halevy, Mark Tessler, Galia Golan, Ronald Zweig and others.

“Israel: Growing Pains at 60” and its extensive bibliography, maps and statistics are a valuable reference resource and educational tool for students and scholars of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The complete series is accessible at www.mideasti.org.

For more than 60 years, the Middle East Institute has been dedicated to increasing Americans’ knowledge of the region. Through its programs, media outreach, language courses, scholars, library and academic journal, the Institute aims to foster mutual respect based on understanding.
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For information about The Middle East Institute or the special Viewpoints series, please contact MEI Communications Department at 202-785-5336 or by email: media@mideasti.org.