I recently returned from a two-week trip to Israel where I taught a course on "Knowledge and Democracy" at the law faculty at Uriel Reichman University (the former IDC Herzliya). I also did presentations at both Uriel Reichman and Tel Aviv University (both schools are among Israel's leading academic institutions). During our time in Israel, my family and I also met with Israeli relatives of mine, various Israeli academics, and even a justice of the Israeli Supreme Court (that latter discussion is confidential; I promised not to write what she said). I saw a society that is resilient, but also beset with difficult challenges. Many Israelis also worry about the future of their relationship with the US.
This was my fifth trip to Israel, but the first in which I was actually a visiting professor at an Israeli university, and the first since the October 7 war. Given worldwide attention on Israel in recent years, my impressions may be of some interest. But I must caution that I do not speak Hebrew or Arabic, and I am not a true expert on Israeli politics and society. Also, although I have a variety of contacts in Israel, those I know are by no means a representative cross-section of Israeli society. Thus, the analysis here is just one part of a broader picture. But it could be helpful, despite its unavoidable limitations.
