Shlomo Ben-Ami
Encyclopedia
Prof. Shlomo Ben-Ami is a former Israel
i diplomat, politician and historian.
He was educated at Tel Aviv University
and St Antony's College, Oxford
from which he received a D.Phil. in History. He was a historian at Tel Aviv University from the mid-1970s, serving as head of the School of History from 1982 to 1986. His initial field of study was Spanish history, and his 1983 biography of the former Spanish Dictator, General Primo de Rivera
(1923–1930), is still recognized to this day as arguably the most authoritative study on this subject. He later turned his attention to the history of Israel and the Middle East, but not without leaving a legacy of expertise in Spanish inter-war year politics that is still influential to this day. From 1987 until 1991, before he entered politics, he was the second Israeli ambassador to Spain. In 1996
he was elected to the Knesset
on Labour's list.
When the One Israel
-led government of Ehud Barak
took office in July 1999, Ben-Ami became the Minister of Internal Security, responsible for the Israel Police
. In August 2000, when David Levy
resigned as Foreign Minister
during talks with Palestinian leaders in the United States, Barak designated Ben-Ami to be the acting Foreign Minister and he was officially appointed to the role in November 2000.
Ben-Ami remained Foreign Minister and Security Minister until March 2001, when, having won elections, Ariel Sharon
took over from Barak. Ben-Ami refused to serve in the Sharon government and resigned from the Knesset in August 2002.
In their report published in 2003, the Or Commission
held him responsible for the behavior of security forces during the October 2000 riots
in which Israeli police
killed 12 Israeli Arabs and one Palestinian, and failed to predict and control rioting which resulted in the death of a Jewish Israeli. The report recommended that Ben-Ami be disqualified from serving as Internal Security Minister in the future. Despite the disqualification, Ben-Ami was not considered to be a hard-liner in Israeli relations with the Palestinians and during his time in the Barak government, he was a political rival of Shimon Peres
.
Ben-Ami is currently Vice-President of the Toledo International Centre for Peace (TICpax), which, according to its mission statement, "seeks to contribute to the prevention and resolution of violent or potentially violent international or intranational conflicts and to the consolidation of peace, within a framework of respect and promotion of Human Rights and democratic values."
He lately has become a vocal critic of the some of the Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. His latest book is Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli–Arab Tragedy (Oxford, 2006). The book challenges many of the founding myths in Israel's modern history especially the ones related to the war of independence. Ben-Ami backed the Meretz party for the 2009 Knesset elections
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i diplomat, politician and historian.
Biography
Ben-Ami was born in Tangiers, Morocco, and immigrated to Israel in 1955.He was educated at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.St Antony's is the most international of the seven all-graduate colleges of the University of Oxford, specialising in international relations, economics, politics, and history of particular parts of the...
from which he received a D.Phil. in History. He was a historian at Tel Aviv University from the mid-1970s, serving as head of the School of History from 1982 to 1986. His initial field of study was Spanish history, and his 1983 biography of the former Spanish Dictator, General Primo de Rivera
Primo de Rivera
Primo de Rivera is a Spanish family prominent in politics of the 19th and 20th centuries:*Fernando Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician and soldier, 1831-1921*Miguel Primo de Rivera , dictator of Spain from 23 September 1923 to 1930...
(1923–1930), is still recognized to this day as arguably the most authoritative study on this subject. He later turned his attention to the history of Israel and the Middle East, but not without leaving a legacy of expertise in Spanish inter-war year politics that is still influential to this day. From 1987 until 1991, before he entered politics, he was the second Israeli ambassador to Spain. In 1996
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
he was elected to the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
on Labour's list.
When the One Israel
One Israel
One Israel was an alliance of the Labor Party, Meimad and Gesher created to run for the 1999 Knesset elections.-Background:One Israel was formed by Labor leader Ehud Barak in the run-up to the 1999 elections with the aim of making Labor appear more centrist and to reduce its secularist and elitist...
-led government of Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
took office in July 1999, Ben-Ami became the Minister of Internal Security, responsible for the Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
. In August 2000, when David Levy
David Levy (Israeli politician)
David Levy is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1969 and 2006, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Minister of Housing & Construction and as a Minister without Portfolio...
resigned as Foreign Minister
Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
during talks with Palestinian leaders in the United States, Barak designated Ben-Ami to be the acting Foreign Minister and he was officially appointed to the role in November 2000.
Ben-Ami remained Foreign Minister and Security Minister until March 2001, when, having won elections, Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
took over from Barak. Ben-Ami refused to serve in the Sharon government and resigned from the Knesset in August 2002.
In their report published in 2003, the Or Commission
Or Commission
The Or Commission was a panel of inquiry appointed by the Israeli government to investigate the events of October 2000 at the beginning of the Second Intifada in which 12 Arab citizens of Israel and one Palestinian were killed by Israeli police amidst several demonstrations...
held him responsible for the behavior of security forces during the October 2000 riots
October 2000 events
The October 2000 events were a series of protests in Arab villages in northern Israel in October 2000 that turned violent, escalating into clashes between Israeli Arabs and the Israel Police and ending in the deaths of demonstrators.The Or Commission was established to investigate the police...
in which Israeli police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
killed 12 Israeli Arabs and one Palestinian, and failed to predict and control rioting which resulted in the death of a Jewish Israeli. The report recommended that Ben-Ami be disqualified from serving as Internal Security Minister in the future. Despite the disqualification, Ben-Ami was not considered to be a hard-liner in Israeli relations with the Palestinians and during his time in the Barak government, he was a political rival of Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
.
Ben-Ami is currently Vice-President of the Toledo International Centre for Peace (TICpax), which, according to its mission statement, "seeks to contribute to the prevention and resolution of violent or potentially violent international or intranational conflicts and to the consolidation of peace, within a framework of respect and promotion of Human Rights and democratic values."
He lately has become a vocal critic of the some of the Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. His latest book is Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli–Arab Tragedy (Oxford, 2006). The book challenges many of the founding myths in Israel's modern history especially the ones related to the war of independence. Ben-Ami backed the Meretz party for the 2009 Knesset elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
.
External links
- Column archives at Project SyndicateProject SyndicateProject Syndicate is an international not-for-profit newspaper syndicate and association of newspapers. It distributes commentaries and analysis by experts, activists, Nobel laureates, statesmen, economists, political thinkers, business leaders and academics to its member publications, and...
- The Rise and Fall of the Oslo Process, University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
lecture, 2 March 2004 - Debate with Norman FinkelsteinNorman FinkelsteinNorman Gary Finkelstein is an American political scientist, activist and author. His primary fields of research are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the politics of the Holocaust. He is a graduate of Binghamton University and received his Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University...
, Democracy Now, 14 February 2006 - Toledo International Centre for Peace – TICpax