Dr. Ilan Troen is the Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies and Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. He has authored 11 books in American, Jewish and Israeli history.

 

Ilan Troen will examine the ways in which claims to the Holy Land are made. This complex and contentious subject is at the root of the Arab/Israeli conflict. Historical claims are now perhaps the most significant and contentious. In the case of the land of Israel/Palestine those claims are mixed with the religious traditions of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and even secular Jews and Arabs reference continuities with the ancient past as a means of claiming priority. The presentation will attempt to clarify this extraordinarily complex issue.