Professor Colin Shindler A Forever War: Israel, Palestine & the Quest for Impartial History

About

In a moment when opinions harden and narratives polarize, Colin Shindler offers something rare a calm, scholarly, and critical examination of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Drawing on his forthcoming book A Forever War, he asks the most difficult questions: how did this enduring conflict arise? Is it truly possible to write history without bias? Was the Balfour Declaration a misstep or a milestone? Could much of the bitterness and violence have been avoided? And how is it that Israel, founded as a homeland for Jews, is itself fractured while Palestinians remain in limbo, even among other Arab states?

This session will walk us through seventy-plus years of conflict, probing both the mainstream and the fringe from militant Islamists to ultra-Orthodox Jewish nationalists yet always striving to remain even-handed. In a turbulent moment, it is an invitation to pause, reflect, and question how we seek truth in a forever war.

Colin Shindler is Emeritus Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies at SOAS, University of London, and the founding chairman of the European Association of Israel Studies, which he helped establish as the leading academic forum for the field. Over several decades he has been a prominent voice in the study of Israeli history, Zionism and Jewish politics, lecturing widely in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

A former journalist and broadcaster, Shindler has contributed to major international outlets and advised media and policy groups on Middle Eastern affairs. Known for his clarity and balance, he has dedicated much of his career to fostering informed, civil discussion on IsraelPalestine at a time when debate is often polarised.

A Q&A Session will follow.