The French Embassy, French Institute of Israel, Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and French radio station France Culture are hosting a three-day forum on "Democracy and Religion" from June 5-7 at the Habima Theater in Tel Aviv. [The forum] will bring together philosophers, religious leaders, academics, writers, journalists, and artists from France and Israel to discuss issues of secularism, national identity, and the relationship between democracy and religion in both countries. Over 100 people from France and Israel are scheduled to participate in panels and discussions over the three days.

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The French Embassy and the French Institute of Israel, the newspaper Haaretz, and the
French radio station France Culture are pleased to announce:
A FORUM:
DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION
Back to the question
From June 5 to 7
at the Habima Theater, Tel Aviv
In Israel, the question of a “Jewish and democratic state” is still relevant to the public debate. In
France, the themes of secularism, national identity, and the place of religion in accordance with the
values of the Republic have been widely aired in the past and still are. It is in this context that the
French Embassy and the French Institute of Israel, in partnership with the Israeli newspaper
Haaretz and the French radio station France Culture, have organized a forum on these
unresolved issues for June 5 to 7 at the Habima Theater: “Democracy and Religion, back to the
question,” a continuation of a French-Israeli dialogue initiated two years ago with the forum
“Democracy: The New Challenges.”
France and Israel face very different realities. Each country, in its own way and according to its
respective political model, has attempted to respond concretely to the issues raised by the
coexistence of religions with democratic values. France was the first country to adopt a law of
separation between church and state, but nevertheless faces crises of multiple identity today. Israel,
monotheism where was born, is a state created by devoted secular people, but involved in numerous
religious tensions. The forum “Democracy and Religion” will attempt to shed new light and to bring
a novel debate and a critical view to this crucial issue.
The three-day forum will bring together philosophers and religious leaders, academics and
researchers, writers, journalists and artists, both Israeli and French. From the French ranks, we are
pleased to receive Hassen Chalghoumi, President of the Imams’ conference of France; Delphine
Horvilleur, Rabbi and Editor-in-chief of Tenoua; the philosophers Alain Finkielkraut, Pascal
Bruckner, and Raphael Enthoven; the essayist Caroline Fourest; Frederic Encel, Professor of
International Relations; Professor Shmuel Trigano; the political scientist Fiammetta Venner; the
filmmaker Nadia El Fani; the artist Majida Khattari; the lawyer Richard Malka; and essayists
and French journalists such as Marie Drucker, Elizabeth Levy, and Slimane Zeghidour.
From the Israeli ranks, the forum will welcome Zeev Sternhell and Claude Klein, professors at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Denis Charbit, Professor of Political Science; Emmanuel
Navon, Director of the Department of Political Science at the College of Orthodox Jerusalem and
Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Tel Aviv; the philosopher Haviva Pedaya;
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Elie Barnavi, historian and former Israeli Ambassador to France; Haim Amsellem, Member of the
Israeli Parliament and Chairman of the political party Am Shalem; the Israeli writer Yoram
Kaniuk; the film director David Volach; the archaeologist Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv
University; Micah Goodman, PhD in Jewish philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and Director of Ein Prat; the rabbis Menahem Frooman and Yuval Cherlow; Father David
Neuhass, vicar, and Father Louis-Marie from the Benedictine Monastery in Abu Gosh; Issa
Jabber, director of socio-educational projects in Abu Gosh; Ghassan Manasra, Director of the
Islamic Cultural Center of Nazareth; Yara Mashour, journalist and editor-in chief of Lilac
magazine; Hannah Kehat, founder of Kolech, an Orthodox women’s organization in Israel; the
Palestinian cartoonist Baha Bukhari; Shahar Ilan, vice president of the association Hiddush for
Religious Freedom and Equality; and the journalists Claude Sitbon, Ben Dror Yemini, and Yaron
London.
The opening evening of the forum will be attended by Gideon Saar, Minister of Education; Ron
Huldai, mayor of the municipality of Tel Aviv–Yafo; H. E. Christophe Bigot, France’s
Ambassador in Israel; Olivier Rubinstein, Cultural Counsellor and Director of the French Institute
of Israel; Aluf Benn, Editor of Haaretz; and philosopher Raphael Zagury-Orly, Director of the
Master of Fine Arts Program at the Bezalel Academy.
Details:
Forum
Democracy and Religion
June 5 to 7
Habima Theatre
2 Tarsat Street, Tel Aviv
Information:
Forum@ambfr-il.org
Program:
www.ambafrance-il.org
Booking:
www.habima.co.il
or by phone: 03-5266666
In French and in Hebrew
Please find our program below.
Institut français de Tel Aviv - 7, boulevard Rothschild, 66881 Tel Aviv - Tel : 03 796 80 29 - Fax : 03 796 80 44

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***
Forum Democracy and Religion, back to the question
The program
Tuesday June 5th
7pm – 9.30pm
Opening
MC: Marie Drucker, Yaron London
Gideon Saar, Minister of Education
Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo
H.E. Christophe Bigot, Ambassador of France in Israel
Olivier Rubinstein, Cultural Counselor, Director of the French Institute
Aluf Benn, Editor in chief, Haaretz
Inaugural Talk
French secularism, Israeli secularism
• Zeev Sternhell, Emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Alain Finkielkraut, Philosopher
Moderator: Marie Drucker, Journalist, and Raphael Zagury-Orly, Philosopher, Director
of the Master at the school of fine arts, Bezalel
Wednesday June 6th
9.30am – 11.00am
1st panel: Secularism in France and Israel, in Arab countries
• Hassen Chalghoumi, Professor of the Imams conference in France
• Denis Charbit, Lecturer in Political Science, Open University of Israel
• Frédéric Encel, Professor of geopolitics
• Alain Finkielkraut, Philosopher
• Caroline Fourest, Essayist
• Shahar Ilan, Vice president of the Hiddush association for freedom and
religious equality
• Claude Klein, Professor at the faculty of law at the Hebrew university of
Jerusalem
Moderator: Marie Drucker, Journalist
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11.30am – 1:00 pm
2nd panel: Faced with fundamentalism, women's struggle
• Pascal Bruckner, Philosopher
• Nadia El Fani, Movie director
• Delphine Horvilleur, Rabbi, Chief editor of Tenoua
• Yara Mashour, Journalist and Chief director of Lilac magazine, Nazareth
• Haviva Pedaya, Philosopher
• Fiammetta Venner, Political scientist
Moderator: Tamar Rotem, Journalist, Haaretz
2.30pm – 4pm
3rd panel: Who’s afraid of blasphemy?
• Baha Bukhari, Illustrator and cartoonist
• Pascal Bruckner, Philosopher
• Yoram Kaniuk, Writer
• Majida Khattari, Visual artist
• Richard Malka, Lawyer and screen writer
• David Wolach, Movie director
Moderator: Yaron London, Journalist
4.30pm – 6 pm
4th panel: Communitarianism, ethnicity, French and Israeli models
• Haim Amsellem, Deputy, President of Am shalem
• Raphaël Enthoven, Professor of philosophy
• Micah Goodman, PhD in Jewish philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and Director of Ein Prat
• Elisabeth Levy, Journalist
• Zeev Sternhell, Emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Shmuel Trigano, University professor
• Slimane Zeghidour, Writer, journalist
Moderator: Claude Sitbon, Journalist
6.30pm: Screening of Pork and milk, Valérie Mréjen (English subtitles, 52’)
Thursday June 7th
9.30am – 11.30am
5th panel: Archeology and history, when politics gets involved
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• Elie Barnavi, Emeritus professor at the University of Tel Aviv, former Israeli
ambassador in France
• Yuval Cherlow, Rabbi
• Raphaël Enthoven, Professor of philosophy
• Israel Finkelstein, Archaeologist, Tel Aviv University
• Shmuel Trigano, University professor
• Father Louis-Marie, Benedictine monastery of Abu Gosh
Moderator: Nir Hasson, Haaretz journalist
11.45am – 1pm
6th panel: Minorities, diversities, tolerances
• Hassen Chalghoumi, Professor of the Imams conference in France
• Delphine Horvilleur, Rabbi, Chief editor of Tenoua
• Issa Jabber, Responsible for socio-educational projects of Abu Gosh
• Hannah Kehat, Founder of Kolech, Orthodox Jewish feminist organization in
Israel
• Haviva Pedaya, Philosopher
• Father David Neuhauss, Latin patriarchal vicar, Hebrew-speaking Catholic
community
Moderator: Elisabeth Levy, journalist
2.30pm – 4.30pm
Screening of the documentary Secularism Inch-Allah with Nadia El Fani, movie director
(Hebrew subtitles, 72’)
Screening followed by discussion with movie director and Ibtissam Mahmid, Director of Al-
Anwar, Association for the Defence of Women in Um al Fahm
Moderator: Marie Drucker, Journaliste
4.45pm – 6pm
7th panel: Politics and religion
• Caroline Fourest, Essayist
• Menahem Frooman, Rabbi
• Elisabeth Levy, journalist
• Ghassan Manasra, Director of Islamic cultural center of Nazareth
• Emmanuel Navon, Director of the Department of Political Science at the
College of Orthodox Jerusalem and Lecturer in International Relations at the
University of Tel Aviv.
Institut français de Tel Aviv - 7, boulevard Rothschild, 66881 Tel Aviv - Tel : 03 796 80 29 - Fax : 03 796 80 44

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•Raphael Zagury-Orly, Philosopher, Director of the Master at the school of
fine arts, Bezalel
Moderator: Ben-Dror Yemini, journalist and researcher
6.15pm: Performance by the artist Majida Kattari and Betzalel students
Press contact:
Anne-Sophie Trouillard
French Institute of Israel
7 Rothschild Street, Tel Aviv
+972 (0)3-796 80 28
+972 (0)52 396 4467
Institut français de Tel Aviv - 7, boulevard Rothschild, 66881 Tel Aviv - Tel : 03 796 80 29 - Fax : 03 796 80 44