Barack Obama secured two remarkable deals during his presidency: the nuclear deal with Iran and the military deal with Israel. Which beliefs inspired Obama to establish these deals? In this thesis...Show moreBarack Obama secured two remarkable deals during his presidency: the nuclear deal with Iran and the military deal with Israel. Which beliefs inspired Obama to establish these deals? In this thesis Obama’s foreign policy towards nuclear Iran and military Israel is explored to determine whether any of the three ideologies – liberty promotion, orientalism and containment – have potentially inspired Obama’s decision to establish the deals. In both cases Obama’s actions indicate strong influence of the ideology of liberty promotion. The ideology of orientalism seems absent in both cases, and the containment ideology can be found in the Iran case only. The findings indicate that Obama’s approach has been inspired by particular ideologies when he dealt with nuclear Iran and military Israel.Show less
This paper discusses the relationship between Israel’s high-tech industry and the high levels of income inequality in the country. The high-tech cluster in Israel is very successful, but this...Show moreThis paper discusses the relationship between Israel’s high-tech industry and the high levels of income inequality in the country. The high-tech cluster in Israel is very successful, but this success does not benefit the Israeli workforce equally. The main argument of this paper is that the high wages of the Israeli high-tech industry benefit only a small, overwhelmingly Jewish and highly educated elite, and thereby contribute to the high income inequality. The findings of this paper support the main argument. The majority of the workers in the high-tech sector are highly educated and Jewish. Their wages are significantly above the average wages in other sectors and qualify them to belong to the quintile with the highest income share. In addition, the data confirms that only the wages of the upper quintile are increasing, while the wages of all other quintiles are declining. This development is reinforced by the lack of unionisation in the high-tech sector and the declining importance of trade unions in other sectors. The findings further suggest that entrepreneurship in the high-tech sector requires substantial levels of knowledge and finance. Overall, it can be concluded that the high-tech industry in Israel contributes to a polarisation of income in the country.Show less
In a globalizing world, where experiencing new cultures is on a lot of bucket lists, the study of cultural interaction has become very popular. In our modern day and age, we like to project this...Show moreIn a globalizing world, where experiencing new cultures is on a lot of bucket lists, the study of cultural interaction has become very popular. In our modern day and age, we like to project this etic phenomenon of our modern day globalization onto the ancient world. And not without avail, research has found that cultural interaction did indeed take place in the ancient world, although we need to keep in mind that the emic perspective might have been a bit different from our own. A lot of intercultural interaction took place in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. During this period ships filled with luxurious gifts and exotic merchandise were plying the seas. However, this transfer of material culture did not only occur through trade or gift exchange, but also through warfare and travelling craftsmen. The transfer of non-material culture also took place, for example through the transfer of techniques and ideas. This could also take the form of motif transference. This thesis examines the phenomenon of motif transference between the Aegean, the Near East and Egypt during the Bronze Age. Besides the acculturation between two cultures, it is also possible for cultural interaction to take place between three or more cultures. This is reflected in the art of the Bronze Age, in which some motifs were shared by the artistic traditions of the Aegean, the Near East and Egypt. The transfer in style as well as technology and iconography created a new level of hybridity that lasted until the end of the Late Bronze Age and which is often called the international style. But the objects which are considered to belong to the international style, were not the only ones displaying a common style. Throughout the Eastern Mediterranean frescoes were found with motifs from the Aegean artistic tradition, which were produced during the Middle and Late Bronze Age. They are found in geographically important cities, which were located along important trade routes. These paintings were found at Alalakh, Miletus and Hattusa in Turkey, Qatna in Syria, Tel Kabri in Israel, Tell el-Dab’a, Malkata and Amarna in Egypt and display hybrid influences in iconography as well as technology. The goal of this thesis is to determine if the much-debated international style at present has a too narrow definition, which might need to be expanded to include these frescoes. This study tries to determine whether or not the palatial art found in the Eastern Mediterranean can be seen as a part of the international style.Show less
The thesis has sought to shed light into the relationship between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel through the lenses of the Brazilian Jewish community. Due to the fact that it holds the largest...Show moreThe thesis has sought to shed light into the relationship between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel through the lenses of the Brazilian Jewish community. Due to the fact that it holds the largest Jewish population of Brazil and hosts numerous prominent Jewish organisations, the state of São Paulo was chosen as the case study of the research. Based on the analysis of publications and websites of those institutions and, mainly, of interviews with the most important leaders of the Jewish organisations in São Paulo, the author has tried to bring to the fore their chief activities concerning Israel. Furthermore, the conduction of semi-structured interviews enabled the identification of attitudes and perceptions of the main Jewish Brazilian leaders towards Israel, as well as their role as members of a significant Jewish Diaspora. Central political issues that affect Israel, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, were also analysed by the leaders of the most prominent Jewish institutions. The relevance of the research lies in the fact that it touches upon issues of long-distance nationalism, collective identity and Diaspora politics from a standpoint that is not sufficiently explored by the contemporary academia.Show less
Besides strong physical presence in Israeli society, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) symbolic presence in society is even more pervasive through constant transmission of its prominent values,...Show moreBesides strong physical presence in Israeli society, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) symbolic presence in society is even more pervasive through constant transmission of its prominent values, embodied by the concept of strategic culture. This paper analyses the process of cultural transmission, performed by the IDF, within the framework of militarized socialization. Arguably, the process of militarized socialization underwent a shift from the use of military education as the main vehicle for socialization, to the use of religion as a vehicle for socialization and as an identity marker of the Israeli military as a whole. The gradual return of religion to the ranks may have important implications for the development of Israeli society, as well as for the course of the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of decreased chances of rapprochement between the two parties.Show less
Israel's existence in a near constant state of conflict has had many side effects for the lives of people living there. One such cost felt by the majority is that of national service to which the...Show moreIsrael's existence in a near constant state of conflict has had many side effects for the lives of people living there. One such cost felt by the majority is that of national service to which the majority of Israel are subject to. National service sees Israel's Jewish youth and other minorities living there forced to take part in military activity. This comes with the notable exception of the Haredim otherwise known as the Ultra-Orthodox. The draft exemption enjoyed by the Haredim has a valid historical context however such legitimacy is no longer applicable to contemporary Israel. Addressing why the Haredim living in israel are not subject to the draft will explore the institutions that have facilitated and protected the draft exemption. And identify those areas that bring benefits to the modern state and this qualify the continuation of the draft exemption to arrive aShow less
