Perspectives on the Gaza War: Politics, Security, and Society in Israel

The ongoing war in Gaza has reshaped Israeli politics, security strategies, and social life in profound and often unexpected ways. This lecture will examine the conflict through multiple lenses: the evolving political landscape, the military and strategic dimensions of the war, and the effects on Israeli society, from shifting public opinion to the strains on civil resilience. By situating current developments within broader historical and regional contexts, the discussion will highlight both the immediate challenges and the long-term implications for Israel’s future.

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Dr. Ilai Saltzman is an Associate Research Professor of Israel Studies and the Director of the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. His scholarship and teaching focus on international security, Israeli foreign and security policy, US foreign policy, and political psychology. Dr. Saltzman is the author of Securitizing Balance of Power Theory: A Polymorphic Reconceptualization (2012). He has also written numerous scholarly articles, and book chapters, as well as commentaries in the Los Angeles Times, Ha’aretz, The Jerusalem Post, and other prominent outlets. Dr. Saltzman earned his Ph.D. in International Relations in 2010 from the University of Haifa and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the International Security Program (ISP), Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (2009-2010).