28 November 2022. Dr Einat Wilf “„The Elections in Israel: Is the Collapse of the Left Parties Punishment for Their Conciliatory Attitude Toward Palestinian Illusions? Is This Also a Problem for the West in General? “

Words of Welcome and Moderation: Univ. Prof (em.) Dr Mitchell Ash, President of the Center for Israel Studies Vienna

The recent elections in Israel are likely to produce the most right-wing government in the country’s history. Commentators on this outcome have written that one reason for the left parties’ disastrous performance is that voters no longer think that a two-state solution has any chance of success and have therefore punished liberal and left parties for continuing to maintain what the right calls a conciliatory attitude toward the Palestinians. Einat Wilf sees a connection between this analysis and her own view that the West in general, by indulging Palestinian illusions, has stood in the way of peace.

Einat Wilf studied at Harvard University (B.A.) and at Insead (MBA), and received her PhD in Political Science from Wolfson College, University of Cambridge in 2008 with a study of the World Jewish Congress‘ campaign against the Swiss Banks. She served in the Knesset (Avoda, Labour) from 2010 and co-founded the party Ha’Atzma’ut in 2011, which however did not enter the Knesset elections in 2013. She is now an author and political consultant. Among her numerous publications are:
–My Israel, Our Generation (2007)
–Winning the War of Words: Essays on Zionism and Israel (2015)

–Telling Our Story: Essays on Zionism, the Middle East, and the Path to Peace (2018)

Her most recent book (with Adi Schwartz) has just appeared in German translation: Der Kampf um Rückkehr. Wie die westliche Nachsicht für den palästinensischen Traum den Frieden behindert hat (2022).