Avi Shlaim

Avi Shlaim
Name	Avi Shlaim
Birth date	1945
Birth place	Baghdad, Iraq
Nationality	Israeli, British
Occupation	Historian, Professor Emeritus
Known for	Revisionist history of Arab–Israeli conflict, work on Kingdom of Jordan-Iraq relations, analysis of Yalta Conference ramifications
Alma mater	University of Oxford, Balliol College, Oxford
Employer	University of Oxford, St Antony's College, Oxford

Avi Shlaim is an Iraqi-born Israeli–British historian best known for pioneering a revisionist interpretation of the Arab–Israeli conflict and for critical studies of Israeli–Jordanian relations, Israeli–Palestinian relations, and Anglo-American policy in the Middle East. A Professor Emeritus at University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, he has written influential monographs and essays that challenge traditional Zionist narratives and emphasize archival evidence from British Foreign Office and United Nations records. His work engages with global figures and events including Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, Gamal Abdel Nasser, King Hussein of Jordan, and the diplomatic milieu shaped by the Cold War.

Early life and education

Shlaim was born in Baghdad in 1945 into a Jewish family during the period of the Iraqi Jewish community and the aftermath of the Farhud. His family emigrated to Israel amid the mid-20th century waves of Jewish migration associated with the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the establishment of the State of Israel. After military service in the Israel Defense Forces and early employment in Israeli civil service roles, he pursued higher education in the United Kingdom, studying at Balliol College, Oxford where he completed postgraduate work in modern history under scholars influenced by research on British policy in the Middle East, Ottoman Empire legacies, and the diplomatic history of the League of Nations.

Academic career and positions

Shlaim held academic posts at institutions including University of Oxford and was a Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford, where he taught modern Middle East history and diplomatic history. He served on editorial boards and research committees linked to archives such as the Public Record Office (now The National Archives (United Kingdom)) and collaborated with historians from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University. He participated in fellowships and lectures at centers including the Institute for Advanced Study, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), contributing to comparative work on post-World War II diplomacy, Soviet Union policy in the Middle East, and Anglo-American relations.

Major works and historiographical contributions

Shlaim's major books include "Collusion across the Jordan" (co-authored studies on King Hussein of Jordan), "The Iron Wall" (a revisionist account of Zionist strategy and Palestinian national movement interactions), and "Lion of Jordan" (a biography of King Hussein). In these works he draws extensively on British, American, and Soviet Union archives to reassess events such as the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Suez Crisis, and the Six-Day War. Shlaim advanced the "New Historians" school in Israeli historiography, alongside figures like Benny Morris, Ilan Pappé, and Tom Segev, challenging narratives associated with David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, and legacy accounts shaped by early state institutions. He emphasized themes of realpolitik, contingency, and the role of external actors—United Kingdom, United States, and USSR—in shaping outcomes in Palestine and neighboring states such as Jordan and Syria.

Views on Israeli politics and foreign policy

Shlaim has been an outspoken critic of successive Israeli governments' approaches to the Palestinian territories, settlement policy in the West Bank, and the negotiation strategies surrounding Oslo Accords. He has argued that Israeli policy often prioritized security doctrines articulated by leaders including Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon over possibilities for compromise with Palestinian leadership figures like Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas. In international terms he has critiqued close United States–Israel relations during administrations from Lyndon B. Johnson to George W. Bush for enabling unilateral Israeli moves and for the role of American policy during crises such as the Yom Kippur War and peace negotiations mediated by figures like Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Criticism and reception

Shlaim's scholarship has provoked debate and critique from scholars and politicians who defend traditional narratives; critics have included historians tied to Israeli national institutions and commentators aligned with governments led by figures such as Benjamin Netanyahu. Some reviewers challenge aspects of his archival interpretations and conclusions about intent and causation in events like the 1948 War and Suez Crisis, while others dispute his assessments of leaders' motives. Defenders of Shlaim note his rigorous use of primary sources from British Foreign Office and United States Department of State archives and his careful reconstruction of diplomatic correspondence; supporters include academics at Oxford, Cambridge University, Princeton University, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem who cite his influence on subsequent research into Arab–Israeli diplomacy.

Honors and awards

Over his career Shlaim received academic recognitions and invitations to lecture at universities and policy institutes worldwide, including named fellowships and visiting scholar positions at Harvard University and Princeton University. He has been awarded honorary memberships and citations from scholarly societies concerned with Middle Eastern studies and diplomatic history, and his works have been shortlisted for prizes in historical writing and international affairs. He holds fellowships at St Antony's College, Oxford and is frequently cited in bibliographies on Middle East peace process studies and diplomatic historiography.

Category:Historians of the Middle East Category:British historians Category:Israeli historians