Program Overview

Our Middle East and Israel Studies program is for those of you keen to dive deep into middle eastern studies and understand the complexities of the region.

Stimulate your curious mind with an insightful online course at one of Israel’s very best universities, examining and learning all about the Middle East & Israel.

Gain an in-depth understanding of the the main drivers of political change in the Middle East from the Arab uprisings, which began in 2010 and 2011, through the Iran-Israel war in 2025.

The course will examine:

• How the United States’s effort to redefine its role in the region has influenced regional politics;

• How the Arab Spring uprisings threatened to alter the regional balance of power between Sunnis and ShiꜤis;

• How the intra-Sunni divide over the Muslim Brotherhood manifested itself across the region;

• How the Coronavirus epidemic and the Ukraine War led to a process of regional de-escalation;

• How Hamas's October 7 terror offensive can be seen as the opening salvo in the first Iran-Israel war.

• How these processes contributed to the sidelining and marginalization of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the Middle East regional agenda.

Vasundhara Sinha:

"The course was well-structured and comprehensive. We covered the happenings of the Arab spring extensively, along with the different implications the event had and continues to have on the region. The readings assigned were beginner friendly but allowed even the newcomers a global and panoramic view of the situation."

Mahira Sharma:

"The Summer Course offered by Tel Aviv University was well curated and Prof. Friedman made sure to make the classes as interactive as possible."

Expect some challenging and compelling coursework to guide you into understanding the key past and current affairs and culture of the region. 

Uncover the reasons behind the pressing issues in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.