Avi Shlaim

Avi Shlaim is a prominent British-Israeli historian and Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. He is a leading figure among Israel's "New Historians," a group of scholars who have challenged traditional Zionist narratives of Israeli history using declassified government archives. Background and Education Early Life: Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1945 to a wealthy Jewish family. His family fled to Israel in 1950 following escalating tensions and alleged covert Zionist operations in Iraq. Education: After serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a communications instructor, he moved to England. He studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, and the University of Reading. Identity: Shlaim identifies as an "Arab-Jew," a term he uses to highlight the historical coexistence and shared culture between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. Academic Career and Research Shlaim’s work focuses on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of Zionism. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2006. Notable Publications: The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World (2000): An influential study of Israel's "Iron Wall" strategy toward its Arab neighbors. Collusion across the Jordan (1988): Examines the relationship between the Zionist movement and King Abdullah of Jordan. Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew (2023): A personal memoir detailing his family’s life in Baghdad and their subsequent migration to Israel. Genocide in Gaza: Israel’s Long War on Palestine (2024/2025): His most recent work, which argues that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Recent Perspectives In recent years, Shlaim has become an outspoken critic of Israeli government policies. He has described Israel as an "apartheid state" and has warned that the country is moving toward "Zionist fascism". He advocates for a one-state solution as the most viable path toward peace.