The Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions

17/05/2026

Who Governs Suwayda? The Massacre of the Druze and the Politics of an Abandoned Territory

The Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions recently hosted an essential seminar addressing a critical yet widely overlooked humanitarian and geopolitical crisis: the plight of the Druze community in Suwayda, Syria.

In this presentation, Dr. Sawsan Kheir provides a rigorous analysis of the current realities on the ground, blending objective academic research with a deeply personal perspective. The lecture explores life under the devastating wave of violence targeting minority communities, and how Suwayda has transitioned into an "abandoned territory" where formal state sovereignty exists only on paper.

Understanding these complex regional dynamics is vital for anyone analyzing international humanitarian law, minority protections, or the evolving security landscape of the Middle East.

Watch the full seminar here:

Who Governs Suwayda? The Massacre of the Druze and the Politics of an Abandoned TerritorySpeaker: Dr. Sawsan Kheir, Department of Multidisciplinary Studies F...

13/01/2026

Upcoming Event: Linking Populist Attitudes and Public Sector Stereotypes 🏛️

How do our political beliefs change the way we see the people who run our public institutions?

Join us on Wednesday, January 21, for a fascinating talk by Dr. Saar Alon-Barkat. He will be sharing insights from his latest research (co-authored with Michal Gilboa and Jurgen Willems) on the connection between populist attitudes and the stereotypes we hold about civil servants and "bureaucrats."

The Study: Using data from Israel, the research examines how the "corrupt elite" narrative impacts the perceived legitimacy of the public sector, especially among supporters of populist coalitions.

📅 When: January 21, 2026, at 14:15 (Israel time)
📍 Where: Hybrid Event

In-person: Room 1013, Hamadrega building, University of Haifa
Online: Via Zoom.

Link and more information available at: https://minervaxtremelaw.haifa.ac.il/2025/10/30/linking-populist-attitudes-and-public-sector-stereotypes/

08/12/2025

Join our upcoming seminar session: "A State in Waste".

When: December 17, 2025 at 14:15-15:45 (Israel time)
Where: Minerva Center - Room 1013, Hamadrega building, University of Haifa and Via Zoom.

Dive into an essential and urgent discussion on how Israel’s waste crisis is disproportionately impacting Arab-Palestinian society.

This session features an ethnographic view of contemporary Israel, examining the mountains of waste accumulating in places like the Arab town of Arraba in the Galilee. We'll explore the complex web of players—from criminal organizations and waste collection cartels to local politicians and environmental regulators—and how their actions (and inactions) produce a system of profiteering backed by violence.

We'll see how this crisis is not just environmental, but a mechanism that reinforces networks of patronage and ties racialized peripheries to the center through capitalist colonial governance.

Speaker: Dr. Eilat Maoz, Lecturer at the School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, Haifa University.

Dr. Maoz's Expertise: Anthropologist specializing in the criminalization of the state, West Bank settlers' illegal production of sovereignty, and the rise of organized crime in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel.

For more information check here: https://minervaxtremelaw.haifa.ac.il/2025/11/03/a-state-in-waste-profits-protection-and-patronage-in-the-galilee/

25/11/2025

We had a fantastic weekend in Hamburg hosting our latest workshop for the Scholars Research Group on "Multiple, Complex & Cascading Extreme Conditions".

It was an incredible gathering of our research team and brilliant special guests. We spent the time delving into some of the most complex legal and societal issues facing the world today.

Great minds, important conversations, and we are looking forward to what comes next for this project!

Check out the link below to learn more about the research: https://minervaxtremelaw.haifa.ac.il/2024/09/17/scholars-research-group-extreme-conditions-multiple-complex-cascading/

26/10/2025

Congratulations to our post-doc Or Asher on his new paper, written together with Ronen Mandelkern. The paper, "Diaspora–Local Cooperation as a Driver of Ideological Change: The Ascendance of American Conservatism in Israel," has been published in Perspectives on Politics.

The paper develops an alternative explanation for the surprising ascendance of American conservative ideology in Israel’s political Right, focusing on diaspora–local cooperation as the crucial driver for importing, localizing, and ultimately causing this ideological change.

👏 Read the full article to learn more! https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/diasporalocal-cooperation-as-a-driver-of-ideological-change-the-ascendance-of-american-conservatism-in-israel/1114BF43E1A4A649C9E46387BB26DFDB

21/10/2025

📢 is back! 📢

Join us for the opening session of the new academic year with an urgently relevant discussion.

Dr. Sigall Horovitz will speak on:
"Transitional Justice in Israel-Palestine after the Gaza War: Challenges and Opportunities for Peacebuilding"

📅 When: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 10:15 AM (Israel time)
📍 Where: Hybrid format (Minerva Center & Zoom)

🔗 **More Info & Registration:**
https://minervaxtremelaw.haifa.ac.il/2025/02/20/transitional-justice-in-israel-palestine-after-the-gaza-war

Don't miss this crucial conversation. Share with a colleague!

15/10/2025

Seminar talk with David Levi-Faur on The Works of Stefan Voigt.
Prof. Voigt will talk on judicial independence and their governance implications and on political corruption and independent prosecutors.
Thursday, October 16 at 14:00 CET (15:00 in Israel) via Zoom

https://huji.zoom.us/j/86847479607?pwd=L2ZFVWVhOU0rZUY0OERlR2YrZHlpZz09

https://regulationandgovernance.org/webinars/

06/09/2025

Big news! We're officially unveiling our brand new logo for the Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions.

We're so excited about this next chapter and can't wait to hear what you think!

Watch the GIF for the full reveal!