Avi Shlaim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avi Shlaim
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| אבי שליים أفي شلايم |
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Shlaim in 2015
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| Born | 31 October 1945 Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq
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| Spouse(s) |
Gwyneth Daniel
(m. 1973) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | British Academy Medal (2017) |
| Scientific career | |
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| Thesis | The United States and the Berlin Blockade, 1948–1949: A Study in Crisis Decision Making (1980) |
Avi Shlaim is a well-known historian from both Israel and Britain. He was born on October 31, 1945. He is part of a group called the "New Historians" in Israel. These historians look at the history of Zionism and Israel with a fresh, critical view.
Contents
Avi Shlaim's Early Life and Education
Avi Shlaim was born in Baghdad, which was then the Kingdom of Iraq. His family was Jewish and quite wealthy.
Moving to Israel
In the 1930s, life became harder for Jewish people in Iraq. This was due to the rise of Arab nationalism and Jewish nationalism (Zionism). After the Arab armies lost the 1948 war and Israel became independent, the situation for Jews worsened. In 1951, during a big move called Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, Shlaim's family decided to move to Israel. Like many other Iraqi Jews, they had to give up their Iraqi citizenship. The family lost all their belongings before moving to Israel.
Studying in England
Shlaim grew up in Ramat Gan, Israel. When he was 16, he moved to England to attend a Jewish school. He returned to Israel in 1964 to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. After his service, he moved back to England in 1966. There, he studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge, earning his first degree in 1969. He then earned a master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1970. Later, he completed his PhD at the University of Reading. From 1970 to 1987, he taught politics at the University of Reading.
Avi Shlaim has lived in the United Kingdom since 1966. He holds citizenship in both Britain and Israel. He is married and has one child.
Avi Shlaim's Career as a Historian
Avi Shlaim taught international relations at Reading University. He focused on topics related to Europe. His interest in the history of Israel grew in 1982. This was when Israeli government records about the 1948 Arab–Israeli War became available to the public. His interest deepened when he joined St Antony's College, Oxford, in 1987.
Teaching at Oxford
At Oxford, he was a special reader in international relations from 1987 to 1996. He also directed graduate studies in that subject for several years. He received special research awards from the British Academy in 1995–97 and 2003–2006.
His Approach to History
Shlaim believes that a historian's main job is not just to list events. He thinks historians should also carefully check and judge all claims. They should reject any claims that are not true, even if people strongly believe them.
Avi Shlaim's Views and Opinions
Avi Shlaim often writes for The Guardian newspaper. In January 2009, he signed a letter in that paper. The letter criticized Israel's actions during the Gaza War.
On Israeli Politics
Writing in The Spectator, Shlaim described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as someone who believes in "permanent conflict." He felt Netanyahu's policies made it harder to find a peaceful solution with Palestinians. Shlaim also thought that Israel's foreign policy supported stable Arab governments. He believed this was true even when new democratic movements appeared during the Arab Spring.
Political Affiliation
Shlaim is a member of the British Labour Party. In August 2015, he signed a letter that criticized The Jewish Chronicle. The letter disagreed with how the newspaper reported on Jeremy Corbyn's connections to people accused of antisemitism.
On Historical Events
In his book, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew, Shlaim discusses the reasons why many Jews left Iraq between 1950 and 1951. He believes that some bombings against Jews in Iraq during that time were carried out by Mossad. Mossad is Israel's national intelligence agency. He thinks these actions were meant to encourage the quick move of 110,000 Jews from Iraq to the new state of Israel.
Awards and Recognition
In 2006, Avi Shlaim was chosen as a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). This is a high honor for experts in humanities and social sciences in the United Kingdom.
On September 27, 2017, Shlaim received the British Academy Medal. This award recognized his achievements throughout his career.
In 2024, Avi Shlaim won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize. He received this award for his memoir, "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew."
See also
In Spanish: Avi Shlaim para niños
- "The bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man"
