We have the honor to welcome Dr. David Mendelsohn who will present: 21% Israeli: The Identity Struggle for Arabs with Israeli Citizenship. Arabs make up roughly twenty one percent of Israel's population - approximately 2 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim but also include significant Christian and Druze minorities. This makes them the country’s largest ethnic minority, holding full citizenship or permanent residency.

The session will look at the history and current challenges faced by Arabs with Israeli citizenship. How do they self-identify, and how do they navigate questions of language and culture in a predominantly Jewish majority? How has October 7 affected their relationship with Israel and the Palestinian world?

Contact Rona for location information.

Dr. David Mendelsohn holds a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics, an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics, and an Honours B.A. in Classical Studies. He is a recipient of Canada’s prestigious Trudeau Prize for his sociolinguistic work on Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, examining the influence of Hebrew on Arab cultures in Israel.

David lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Ronny, and their three children. For over 25 years, Dr. Mendelsohn has researched Jewish communities across the world, including in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Egypt, and India. 

Combining his expertise as a historian, archaeologist, and sociolinguist, he uncovers the unique influences of local cultures while identifying the shared threads that connect these diverse Jewish communities.