CMEI Colloquium
Larsen Hall, Harvard Graduate School of Education
October 19, 2010
In a CMEI blog post, Dr. Bar-Tal argued that “due to the negative nature of an occupation – especially a prolonged occupation, and in particular when the occupying society settles in the occupied areas – it generally elicits violence, oppression, exploitation, domination and discrimination.” When the occupying society “violates the fundamental principles of justice, morality and human rights,” he continues, it condemns itself to “deterioration, degeneration and decline, at least with regard to its democratic, humane and moral qualities,” which in turn lead to a “degenerating political performance.” Dr. Bar-Tal further asserts that even though the occupants are driven by “deep and significant motives,” the longer their occupation continues, the more they encounter difficulties “relating to their own morality,” as well as “their relationship with the occupied population and with the international community. Members of such a society must thus construct a convincing rationale for the act of occupations or deny its existence.” During his talk, Dr. Bar-Tal discussed these controversial issues.
Speaker Biography: Daniel Bar-Tal is Professor Emeritus at School of Education, Tel Aviv University. He received his graduate training in social psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, and completed his doctoral thesis in 1974. He is currently Professor of Psychology at the School of Education, Tel-Aviv University. He served as a Director of the Walter Lebach Research Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education, Tel Aviv University (2002-2005) and was a Co-editor in Chief of the Palestine Israel Journal (2001-2005). He also served as the President of the International Society of Political Psychology (1999-2000).