The Forum for Regional Thinking
| Nickname | FORTH |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2014 |
| Type | Alternative media Non-profit NGO |
| Purpose | Expanding the Israeli discourse about the Middle East with professional research and information in Hebrew |
| Location | |
| Website | FORTH website in English FORTH website in Hebrew |
The Forum for Regional Thinking (FORTH) is an Israel-based think tank that focuses on politics, culture, and society in the Middle East. FORTH was established in 2014 by researchers from various fields in order to foster optimism and trust among Israeli citizens regarding neighboring populations in the region, and by adding nuance and complexity to the Israeli public discourse regarding Arab and Islamic communities.[1]. FORTH acts as a unique voice in the Israeli media, portraying the region from a lens that is neither security-focused, nor exclusively concerned with the Israeli government’s political interests. FORTH disseminates information through articles on its official website, its YouTube channel[2], research associates’ appearances in the Israeli media, and public events.
FORTH was established after three years of “Can Think,” a blog run by Prof. Dror Ze'evi, Prof. Nimrod Horowitz, Dr. Shaul Yanai and Dr. Assaf David. Today, FORTH is comprised of 50 research fellows, among them 30 are active in 2019. The majority of research fellows are academics from the fields of Middle East studies, the humanities, and the social sciences, as well as researchers and analysts from the public sector and civil society organizations in Israel. Ronit Piso is FORTH's director. Among FORTH’s research associates are Idan Barir, an expert on Iraq; Marzuq al-Halabi, an expert on Palestinian issues, journalist and author; Professor of Law Yael Ronen; Elizabeth Tsurkov, an expert on Syria; Ayelet Levy, specializing in society and culture in North Africa; Dr. Shmulik Lederman, an expert on political philosophy, and many more.
Political Positions[edit]
FORTH seeks to expose the Israeli public to issues and events in the Middle East and to stimulate dialogue that is not exclusively focused on the Jewish-Arab conflict. FORTH's areas of expertise include economics, society and culture, religion and state, gender, relations between countries in the Middle East and more[3].
FORTH operates from a place of empathy towards all residents of the Middle East. Beyond the core value of respect for all human beings, FORTH believes that this approach also enables researchers to become better acquainted with the peoples of the region and with the way in which they experience and interpret reality. Accordingly, the research fellows present information and analyze events in the region that do not receive coverage and attention in the Israeli public and professional discourse. As such, FORTH adopts a new approach to the study of the region, which examines Israel as part of the Middle East, with cultural and social realities similar to other countries in the region. According to this approach, hostility between Jews and Arabs is not an existential phenomenon, but a temporary situation dictated by politics and politicians. Thus, the key to resolving the conflict is focusing on civil discourse in the Middle East rather than on security.
Activities and Actions[edit]
Research and Communication: FORTH operates daily in the media and online, bringing the associates’ research to sites and channels with vast public exposure. FORTH website homepage is updated on a weekly basis with articles on current events, and offers an archive of thousands of articles and studies. In addition, FORTH associates are regularly interviewed on leading television and radio programs, and featured in popular Israeli and foreign press, including a column in ynet[4] published twice a month.
Public Activities: FORTH holds conferences, dialogues and lectures addressing a range of topics. These events target various audiences, such as decision makers in the executive and legislative authorities, seniors, women, students and the general public.
Educational activities: FORTH conducts educational activities among young leaders and provides annual or semester-long courses in pre-military academies, for members of youth movements, and more.
Research and Prominent Studies[edit]
Alongside articles and studies issued regularly on the website and in the media, FORTH periodically publishes in-depth research responding to unique contemporary phenomena. For example, following Hamas’s publication of a new document of principles in 2017, FORTH researchers issued an analysis of the document from different angles[5]. The study examines the political and civic changes in Hamas’s stated vision, presenting these developments as an opportunity for Israel to establish direct communication with Hamas and to open a channel for dialogue.
On the occasion of the Arabic Language Day, marked for the first time in Israel’s history by the Knesset in May 2016[6], FORTH researchers published a series of studies on Arabic and its place in the State of Israel[7]. The studies emphasized the need to change the status of Arabic in Israel and the way it is taught (mostly for security reasons), and to utilize the language as a point of connection between different sectors of society.
Additionally, FORTH publishes the online journal Shuruk, which tracks contemporary trends in the Middle East and utilizing interdisciplinary approaches. The first issue (2015) was devoted to shifting political structures in a changing Middle East[8]. The second issue (2016) was devoted to demographics, refugees and identity[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Glazer, Hilo (28 June 2015). "Israelis Telling the Middle East Like It Is". Haaretz.
- ↑ "Forth YouTube Channel".
- ↑ "About FORTH".
- ↑ "FORTH on ynet".
- ↑ "Hamas's new document of principles - analysis and assessment" (PDF). May 2017.
- ↑ Lieber, Dov (26 May 2016). "Found in translation: Arabic language wins unexpected approval in Knesset". The Times Of Israel.
- ↑ "FORTH on Arabic". 17 May 2016.
- ↑ "Shuruk 1: shifting political structures in a changing Middle East". 17 June 2015.
- ↑ "Shuruk 2: demographics, refugees and identity in a changing Middle East". 8 February 2016.
External links[edit]
- Official website in Hebrew and English.
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