Yuli Tamir

In Mideast, Kids Back at School Amid Controversy

A new report issued this week by the United States Institute of Peace states that "teachers and school systems can play a vital role in defusing tensions and helping young Palestinians and Israelis understand their evolving environment and find places for themselves within it."

But as Israeli and Palestinian children returned to school this week, what, when, where, and how they are being taught has stirred controversy and tension.

Israel's Arab Citizens and the State: Is the Relationship Changing?

Policy Developments During Olmert's Term and Prospects for the New Government

Regardless of how one views the legacy of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or his government, it is clear that significant developments in government policy vis-à-vis Israel's Palestinian-Arab citizens occurred in the course of his term. One can examine policy from two general perspectives. The first is a policy de jure perspective, comprised of statements, rhetoric, plans and programs; the second focuses on policy de facto, which is measured by real actions (and can therefore be measured only in retrospect). While examining Olmert's policy through the prism of both perspectives, we can see that his term between February 2006 and early 2009 can be described as positive. Here are a few examples to support this assessment.