Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities
The Center for Iranian Studies
Dr. Habib Levy Program for Iranian Jewish History
Organized by
Sunday, May 24, 2009, The Malka Brander Hall of Justice, Trubowicz Building
9:00 – 9:30: Greetings
Prof. David Menashri, Director, Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University
Prof. Zvi Galil, President, Tel Aviv University
Mr. Jonathan Yaghoubzadeh, 30 Years After, Los Angeles
9:30 – 11:00: The Politics of Islamic Revolution
Chair: Prof. David Yeroushalmi, Tel Aviv University
"The Islamic Republic and the Dialectics of Political Development"
Prof. Shlomo Avineri, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"The Shah and the Islamic Revolution: Individual Character, National Destiny"
Prof. Abbas Milani, Stanford University
"Obstacles to Democracy in Iran"
Prof. Farhad Kazemi, New York University
11:00 – 11:30: Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:45: The Quest for Hegemony: Iran and the Middle East
Chair and Discussant: Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, Tel Aviv University
"Egypt-Iran-Israel in the Middle Eastern Power Struggle"
Prof. Shimon Shamir, Tel Aviv University
"Cast a Giant Shadow: Revolutionary Iran and the Arab World"
Prof. Asher Susser, Tel Aviv University
12:45 – 14:15: Lunch Break
14:15 – 15:30: Security Dilemmas and Foreign Policy I: The Region and Beyond
Chair: Prof. Aron Shai, Vice-Rector, Tel Aviv University
"Iran’s Foreign Policy since the Islamic Revolution"
Mr. Li Guofu, China Institute for International Studies, Beijing
"Iran'
s National Security Concept since the Revolution"
Dr. Ephraim Kam, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv
15:30 - 16:00: Coffee Break
16:00 – 17:00: Changing Dynamics: Security and Foreign Policy II
Chair: Prof. Eyal Zisser, Tel Aviv University
"Iran and Its Neighbors: New Power Relations in the Middle East"
Prof. Ersin Kalaycioglu, Sabanci University, Istanbul
"Arab Sunni Islamists and Iran"
Dr. Israel Altman, Interdisciplinary Center, Israel
17:00 – 19:00: Iran as an Emerging Nuclear Power
Chair: Dr. Yehuda Ben Meir, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv
"The Iranian Nuclear Issue and Regional Politics"
Prof. Jeong-Min Seo, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul
"Iran'
s Nuclear Aspirations: A Problem of Regional Dimensions"
Dr. Emily Landau, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv
"The Iranian Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Program in 2009"
Dr. Therese Delpech, Centre d’Etude des Relations Internationales, Institut de
Sciences Politiques, Paris
"The Nuclear Factor in Russian-Iranian Relations after the Revolution"
Mr. Anton Khlopkov, Center for Energy and Security Studies, Moscow
Monday, May 25, 2009, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Hall 001
9:00 – 10:30: Society and Economy under the Islamic Republic
Chair and Discussant: Prof. Morris Mottale, Franklin College, Lugano
"The Iranian Women'
s Movement since the Revolution"
Ms. Elham Gheytanchi, Santa Monica College
"Young and Restless: Urban Youth Culture in Tehran"
Dr. Liora Hendelman-Baavur, Tel Aviv University
"The Iranian Economy since the Revolution"
Dr. Paul Rivlin, Tel Aviv University
10:30 – 11:00: Coffee Break
11:00 – 13:00: Ethnic and Religious Minorities: The Place of the Other in
Revolutionary Iran
Chair and Discussant: Dr. Charles Asher Small, Yale University
"Stories Untold: Memoirs by Iranian Jewish Women"
Prof. Jaleh Pirnazar, University of California, Berkeley
"Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Jews in the Islamic Republic"
Ms. Miriam Nissimov, Tel Aviv University
"Ethnic Politics in Islamic Iran"
Dr. Brenda Shaffer, University of Haifa
"The Baha'
is of Iran: Pessimism and Optimism Combined"
Dr. Soli Shahvar, University of Haifa
13:00 – 14:30: Lunch Break
14:30 – 16:00: Revolutionary Ideology and Iranian Culture
Chair: Prof. Gad Gilbar, University of Haifa
"The Secularization of Iran'
s Faqih-headed Islamic State: Its Mechanisms and Prospects"
Prof. Yasuyuki Matsunaga, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
"Mysticism and Gender in Revolutionary Iran: New Perspectives"
Dr. Eldad Pardo, The Hebrew University of Jerusale
"From Gharbzedegi to the Decline of the West: A Changing Discourse in the
Islamic Republic"
Dr. Meir Litvak, Tel Aviv University
16:00 – 16:30: Coffee Break
16:30 – 18:00: Obama, Ahmadinejad, and Netanyahu in an Election Year
Chair: Dr. Uzi Rabi, Tel Aviv University
"Iran and the United States: Prospects for Diplomacy"
Prof. Steven E. Miller, Harvard University
"U.S.-Iran Dialogue: Consequences for Israel"
Prof. Paolo Cotta-Ramusino, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
"Israel’s Iran Dilemmas"
Amb. Efraim Halevy, Shasha Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
18:00 – 19:30: The Long View: Perspectives on the Islamic Republic 30 Years After
Chair: Prof. Clive Jones, University of Leeds
"The Legacy of the Revolution"
Dr. Bernard Hourcade, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris
"The Iranian Revolution: An Undone Summary"
Prof. Aleksei Malashenko, Center for Strategic and Political Studies, Moscow
"Thirty Years After: Islamism vs. Iranianism"
Prof. David Menashri, Tel Aviv University
Closing Remarks: Mr. Sam Yebri, 30 Years After, Los Angeles
Open to the Public,
Limited Seating Available
Paid parking is available in lots outside of the campus
The Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University
The first of its kind in Israel, and one of only a few throughout the world, the Center for
Iranian Studies (CIS) was established in 2006 under the direction of Professor David
Menashri, and is dedicated to initiating, supporting, and coordinating research and
teaching regarding all aspects of Iran’s politics, culture, and society. The Center engages
the public and policy-making communities by publishing its research, hosting lectures,
seminars, and conferences, and harnessing mass media. For the past thirty years, a
radical Islamic theocracy has governed Iran and has placed the country at the center of
international politics. The CIS works to promote a better understanding of this “New
Iran.”
30 Years After
Founded in 2007, 30 Years After is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
promote the participation and leadership of Iranian American Jews in American political,
civic and Jewish life. With chapters in Los Angeles, New York, and now in Tel Aviv, 30
Years After, a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization, educates and empowers the Iranian
Jewish community through conferences, lectures, mentorship programs, voter registration
drives, cultural anthologies, and missions to Israel.