Lian Najami – A Unique Perspective
Warwick’s International Relations Society and Warwick’s Jewish Israeli Society are excited to announce their speaker event taking place on the 22nd of February 2019 at 6pm in S0.21. Lian Najami – the first ever Israeli-Arab Rhodes Scholar – has been invited to share her perspective on Arab-Israeli relations.
Ms Najami possesses a remarkable history of academic studies: she graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of Haifa in 2016 and attended Oxford University with a Rhodes Scholarship. This educational background, amongst other things, allowed her to delve into the world of international relations: she had analysed counter-terrorism strategies and helped to draft Senator Schatz’s speech against Trump’s travel ban during her internship in Washington DC.
Background information on Arab-Israeli relations
Predominantly characterised by the current conflict in Israel and a number of Arab countries, the Arab-Israeli tension refers to the ideological, political and military conflicts which exist since the end of the 19th century. The rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism in this historical period gave rise to claims for land which the Palestinians believe to belong to them historically. On the other hand, this same territory is what the Jewish people claim to be their ancestral home.
We believe that Ms Najami’s insight and expertise will allow us to gain greater insight into the current social relations between Palestinians and Israelis in what is their own home; her background will serve to inform this first-hand account of how the daily lives of these people are affected by the existing ideological tensions. Moreover, we will explore the available solutions which can be implemented so to reach an integration of the Arab population in the Israeli state, to ensure steps are taken towards a fully accepted multicultural and multireligious community.
