22 May 2009: Israel and Europe: Historical Burdens and Future Prospects

Venue: Monash University (Caulfield Campus), 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East
Professor Oz-Salzberger, Leon Liberman Chair of Modern Israel Studies, Australian Centre for Jewish Civilization, Monash University, veteran of Israeli-European dialogue projects and author of the book entitled “Israelis in Berlin”presented a lecture for the Centre entitled ‘Israel and Europe: Historical Burdens and Future Prospects’ for the Centre in May.

Her lecture discussed the relationship between Israel and the European Union, Israel and many European Countries, and Israel and ‘Europe’, which is fraught with historical sensitivities, pain and distrust both within and beyond living memory. Political, societal and cultural dialogues have often stumbled upon these burdens. The Holocaust is the dark focus of almost every cultural and historical dialogue.

The talk analyzed the historical and psychological dimensions of contemporary Israeli-European relations, and surveyed the origins of ensuing misunderstandings and mistrust. The main theme however was the lifting of historical burdens. How Israel and the EU, its member states and civil societies, can embark on a future-looking, honest, critical and fruitful relationship and how such a relationship would affect European memory, Jewish memory, and Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Posted on 14 May 2009