Lecturer Ahmed Faisal Ali, from the Department of Public Policy at our College, has obtained a PhD Degree in Political Science / Political Systems and Public Policies from the University of Al-Nahrain / College of Political Science / Department of Political Systems and Public Policies, on Monday, March 30, 2026, after the successful defense and approval of his dissertation entitled “Religion and the Frameworks of Collective Memory in (Israel): Constants and Variables,” at the Mesopotamian Civilizations Hall, College of Political Science.

The dissertation examined the approaches adopted by Zionist political elites in employing religion within the frameworks of constructing a national identity for diverse cultural groups in (Israel), based on what is known as the concepts of “melting pot” and “separate development.” These approaches involve the adoption of discriminatory and exclusionary standards that establish hierarchical identity structures, often marginalizing non-Ashkenazi groups, while considering Western European culture as the primary criterion for political participation.

The study further analyzed how such policies have led to the emergence of a societal security dilemma and deep internal divisions within the regional entity, reinforcing multiple forms of conflict—religious vs. secular, Eastern vs. Western, and others. It highlighted the failure to establish a unified definition of what constitutes “Jewish” and “Israeli” identity, which in turn fostered the creation of alternative bonds based on dynamic hostility toward the non-Jewish “other,” particularly the Arab Palestinian side. This has involved attempts to erase and appropriate Palestinian identity and collective memory—both materially and emotionally—while replacing it with a Zionist Jewish narrative in space and time, often justified through selective interpretations of religious texts.

The dissertation concluded that these policies have contributed to the continuation of conflicts with non-Jewish actors, whether within historical Palestine or with regional states opposing Zionism, in an effort to preserve a unified Jewish identity and its collective memory within Zionist frameworks.

The defense committee consisted of:

1. Professor Dr. Imad Salah Al-Din Abdul Razzaq – Chair.

2. Professor Dr. Kazim Ali Mahdi – Member.

3. Professor Dr. Ahmed Ghalib Mohi – Member.

4. Professor Dr. Yasser Ali Ibrahim – Member.

5. Assistant Professor Dr. Saad Hamid Ibrahim – Member.

6. Professor Dr. Hisham Hikmat Abdul Sattar – Member and Supervisor.