Israeli Studies in the recent years have been growing in popularity with researchers living in post-Soviet countries and specializing in different fields, such as political science, economy, history, and sociology. Among the factors determining the surge of interest to this topic in the CIS are: its lopsided and biased development in Soviet historiography; aspiration of the elites of the new states to expand their contacts with Israel; their attempts to build their own independent foreign policy, including the policy in the Near Eastern; active development of the academic Jewish Studies on the post-Soviet territory; participation of Israelis of Soviet origin, who speak Russian and understand the interests of the local audience, in Jewish educational and scientific activities.

Israeli Studies are believed to be an "over-researched" discipline in the world. Unfortunately, the high demand of the Russian readership for classical works of modern science in this area has unsatisfied remained for a long time. The only exception was the three-volume edition of the "History of Israel" by G. Saker that contained useful information on the main events of Israeli history up to 1967. This book was released by the "Library of the Aliyah" publishing house in Jerusalem in early 1990s, and was widely available in libraries of Jewish communities and educational institutions of the CIS.

The anti-Zionist "popular science" publications that appeared in huge quantities in the USSR in 1950s-1980s can hardly be regarded as literature on Israeli Studies. The contents and the degree of correctness and objectivity of such texts can be assessed from their titles: "The Fascism under a Blue Star", " Zionism as an Instrument of Imperialism", etc. While prior to 1967 such "masterpieces" appeared less often, after the victory of Israel in the Six-Day War the situation changed drastically. The starting point for the development of a special branch of science under the name of "Zionology" was the publication in 1969 of a book by Y. Ivanov entitled "Watch Out: Zionism!".

There were, naturally, some exceptions to the coordinated anti-Zionist chorus. Works by Yevgeniy Primakov, which in general complied with the spirit of Soviet science, were reasonable and balanced. In his monographs a statement was made, which was not quite characteristic of the Soviet propaganda, that the "Israeli political nation" was formed in the Near East. However, the surge of really scientific research started with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Israel that followed the collapse of the USSR.

The shift from the Soviet to the post-Soviet historiography was marked with the publication in 1992 of the compilation of articles "The State of Israel in 1980s". The editor of the compilation was T. Karasova, whose works stood out already in the Soviet times due to their objectivity and rich usage of foreign bibliography. The book's novelty was the conceptual re-thinking of many crucial events in the history of the Near East. The approach to describing the activities of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) also changed, and the emphasis was made on the use of terrorist methods by the organization. This book did not lose its topicality to the present day.

The need for conducting complex and thorough research of Israeli past and present resulted in emergence of scientific centers specializing in this field. The above-mentioned compilation of articles was the result of research work conducted by the Israeli Studies Department that was created at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Today it is headed by Dr. A. Fedorchenko.

The scientists of this department took part in establishing the Institute of Israeli and Middle Eastern Studies (IIMES) in Moscow, which today is the leading analytical and publishing center in this field on the post-Soviet territory. The Institute publishes diverse scientific literature, and volumes of its publications increase every year. The Institute is headed by economist, businessman and philanthropist Yevgeniy Satanovskiy, who in the recent past was the Head of the Russian Jewish Congress. The Institute's website is www.iimes.ru.

Even though Israeli Studies occupy an important place in the Institute's publishing activities, it also publishes books on issues related to development of other countries of the Near and Middle East. Most of the books released by the Institute were created in cooperation with experts of different departments of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1995 the Institute published the book written by Soviet diplomat A. Yegorin and entitled "The War for Peace in the Near East", which is dedicated to the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. In the same year the first in the series of A. Fedorchenko's books on Israeli economy and its main sectors appeared, entitled "Israeli Agriculture". Such detailed analysis of specifics of agriculture in Israel was undertaken for the first time in local science. A. Fedorchenko is also the author of the following books: "Israel on the Eve of the 21 Century", "Financial Structures of the Near East" (co-authored by A. Filonik and V. Isayev), and "Economy of an Immigrant Society".

Since that time the Institute has released several dozen books in its field of specialization, including works on issues that were previously totally unknown to Russian readership (such as, for instance, Z. Khamzin's book "The Water Resources of the Jordan River and the Arab-Israeli Conflict").

Up until 2000, the main problem for researchers of the history of Israel was the lack of published diplomatic documents that could provide serious help for further research. The situation changed after two compilations of documents were released in Moscow, which illustrated in enough detail the development of the Soviet-Israeli relations at their initial stage and the forming of the Soviet policy in the Near East. The two-volume edition of "Soviet-Israeli Relations (1941-1953)" and the compilation entitled "The Conflict in the Near East. 1947-1967. Documents" were published one after another. Preparation of these publications took considerable time. Russian and Israeli diplomats took part in selecting materials for the books. As a result, researchers gained access to a voluminous collection of documents that were previously not allowed for publication.

Another significant event was the publication of a summarizing work "Wars and Diplomacy" by Alec Epstein in 2003 (its Moscow edition was entitled "The Endless Confrontation"). The book was released in parallel in Kiev and Moscow thanks to the efforts of the Institute of Jewish Studies (director Leonid Finberg) and the IIMES. This can be regarded as an optimistic signal on synchronization of Israeli Studies in Russia and Ukraine. For the first time in the Russian-language science literature a detailed analysis of the key events in the Arab-Israeli confrontation was performed by Israeli scientists.

Despite the abundance of literature on Israeli Studies that saw the light in the recent years, works by foreign researchers still remain largely unavailable. This is true both for new publications and the "classical" works. Works by M. Lissak, B. Rubin, R. Fridman, Y. Roi, D. Elazar, E. Ben-Rafael and others still remain largely unknown. The publication of monographs and articles by these authors could contribute to a more integral understanding of the trends that exist in the Israeli Studies in the world.

Besides monographs, the IIMES also publishes a periodical anthology "The Near East in the Modern World". As of today, 22 issues of the compilation have been released. Articles in the compilation have a rather large range of subjects and encompass such little-known aspects as, for instance, Indian-Israeli relations, relations of Israel with the CIS countries, the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the problems of Israel's Arab population. For the time being this anthology is the most competent Russian-language periodical dedicated to issues of the Israeli Studies.
The "Vostok" ("East") magazine published under the aegis of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences also pays attention to topics related to the Israeli Studies. This periodical published for the first time in the Russian language analytical articles on the history of studies of the State of Israel and on the main trends in this process.
In Ukraine, as well as in other post-Soviet countries, the interest to scientific research of Israel increased starting from early 1990s. The A. Krymskiy Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Association of Middle East Studies established on the basis of the Institute's Modern East Department have been involved in the Israeli Studies for several years now. Some articles dedicated to Israeli subjects are published in the Institute's "Eastern World" and "Oriental Studies" magazines, as well as on the Association's website at www.ames.kiev.ua.

There is no doubt that the topical issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict catches the attention of many broadcast and print media, both "Jewish" and "general". Naturally, most of such publications are just plain reporting, but serious analytical articles that can be compared to scientific papers also appear. First of all, the newspaper of the Russian Jewish Congress deserves a mention. Its editor Nikolay Propirniy managed to create a publication that provides information on different aspects of Israeli politics, economy, and social relations. The newspaper regularly features analytical articles dedicated not only to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but also to news on Israeli economy, in particular, in the area of finance and investment.

The emergence of the system of state and private "Jewish" higher education in the CIS countries created the preconditions for organized training of specialists in the Israeli Studies. Even though initially the institutions offering courses in the Jewish Studies rarely turned their attention to studies of modern Israel, by the end of 1990s the situation had changed substantially. In 1998 the Institute of the Countries of Asia and Africa at the Moscow State University (MSU), in cooperation with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Jewish University in Moscow (which in 2003 was renamed into the Dubnov Higher School for Humanities) established the Center for Jewish Studies and Jewish Civilization, which became the main center preparing specialists in Israeli Studies. History students are given the opportunity to attend special courses dedicated to main stages of the country's political history, Soviet-Israeli relations, "Russian" community in Israel, and other topics. Students of the social and economic studies department also receive a profound training in the Israeli Studies. After completing the study course they graduate with a degree in the field of "Politics and Economy of Modern Israel". Students of the social and economic studies department are offered an expanded selection of special courses on the Israeli Studies ("Israel and the World Economy", "Israeli Economy", "Political System of the State of Israel", "Social and Political Structure of Israel", "Social and Political Conflicts in Israel", etc.).

In addition to the Center for Jewish Studies and Jewish Civilization at the MSU, there is a number of educational institutions in Moscow offering formal education in Jewish Studies. However, not all "Jewish" higher education institutions offer specialized courses in the Israeli Studies. For the time being, students of the Dubnov Higher School for Humanities show relatively high interest in this subject.

Besides "Jewish" educational institutions, it is worthwhile mentioning first of all the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where the Israeli Studies are supervised by the Institute's pro-rector V. Vorobyev. Considerable interest to the Israeli Studies is also manifest at higher education institutions in the Russian provinces. Some of them back in the Soviet times had strong international relations departments, which preserved their high potential during the transition period. Today specialists in history and politics of the Near East work in Tyumen, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, and other Russian cities.
In Ukraine for a long time the only higher education institution offering training in the Jewish Studies was the International Solomon University (ISU). It preserved its "monopoly" in the field of the Jewish Studies in Ukraine until the end of 2003, when a certified Jewish Studies program was launched at the National University of Kiev Mohyla Academy.

The Eastern-Ukrainian branch of the ISU in Kharkov chose the studies of ancient and medieval history, and primarily the Khazarian Studies, as its research profile. Nevertheless, there are students interested in topics related to Israeli Studies at its economic department.

Higher education institutions in Belarus also take part in the described process. Unfortunately, speaking about this republic we cannot name universities or institutes offering courses in the history of Israel. However, courses in modern Hebrew were launched at the International Relations Department of the Belarus State University back in 1997. Starting from 2000, Hebrew was taught at the International Humanitarian Institute, which has now ceased its activities, but at that time could be considered the "Jewish education institution of Belarus".

Besides the studies of Israeli history at higher education institutions, there are also other forms of education that proved to be successfully. Starting from 1996 in Moscow, and later in St. Petersburg, Kharkov, Kiev, and other cities the Moscow "Sefer" Center for Scholars and Teachers of Judaica at higher education institutions in the CIS and Baltic countries has been organizing Summer and Winter Schools of Jewish Studies. The schools' seminars often feature topics related to the Israeli Studies.

The Russian-language program of the Open University of Israel (OUI) has also made its contribution to popularizing the studies of Israel and its history. The program was launched in the CIS in mid-90s. Even though initially its "package" did not comprise courses in the Israeli Studies, later a large number of them was added to the program. In 1997 the ten-volume course book "Power and Politics in the State of Israel" was translated into Russian. This study course, prepared by a group of authors headed by Prof. B. Noiberger, is one of the best courses of the OUI not only in Russian, but also in Hebrew. It contains an encyclopedic compilation of information on Israeli politics and law from the moment of creation of the state and to this time. In 2001 a four-volume course book entitled "Coming into Being of Israeli Democracy" was released, which encompasses the most important events of the first decade of existence of the State of Israel. In 2002-2003 a four-volume course was published, entitled "Israeli Society, Economy, and Culture. The First Decade", which is a continuation of the previous course. It sheds light on issues related to the development of Israeli agriculture, education system, trade unions, cities, and banking system, that are little known to Russian-speaking readers.

An important component in the development of the Israeli Studies in the CIS countries are scientific conferences that bring together experts in this field. It has to be noted that here we are talking rather about thematic sections that meet within the framework of scientific events dedicated to larger scopes of topics.

The "Modern Israel" section has met since 2000 at the interdisciplinary conferences on the Jewish Studies organized by the "Sefer" Center. Initially it was launched not at the main winter conference, but at the summer conference for scientists under 35. Papers on this topic were presented for the first time at the Fifth Youth Conference on Jewish Studies in St. Petersburg. Over the five years that passed since that time tens of scientists from different countries of the CIS and from Israel took part in such meetings at the "Sefer" conferences. The papers that were presented could be conventionally subdivided into three thematic groups: the history of Zionism, the history of Israel, and the modern Near East. Most reports in these groups are in the field of political science. Some aspects of Israeli Studies were discussed at the conference entitled "Russian Zionism: History and Culture", organized in Moscow in 2001 by the Jewish Agency and the "Sefer" Center. The results of all conferences organized by the "Sefer" Center are published as compilations of articles.

As of today, the only large-scale scientific forum entirely dedicated to the Israeli Studies remains the conference entitled "Modern Israeli Society and Politics" that was held in Moscow in September 2000. The conference became the first instance of an open dialogue between Russian and foreign specialists on the Israeli Studies in Russia. The number of participants and the level of reports were unprecedented in the history of Jewish Studies in Russia. The conference's organizers were A. Epstein and A. Fedorchenko. The conference was held at the Institute of Israeli and Middle Eastern Studies, the Institute of the Countries of Asia and Africa at the Moscow State University, and at the Culture Center of the Israeli Embassy in Moscow. Its results were published in two compilations of articles, "Migration Processes and their Impact on the Israeli Society" (Moscow, 2000) and "Modern Israeli Society and Politics" (Moscow/Jerusalem, 2002).

In order to draw a conclusion we can say that for the time being the Israeli Studies discipline on the post-Soviet territory is only looking for its place in the scientific world. Regular research in this field is being conducted in Russia, but has not so far resulted in any significant breakthroughs. It appears that the time for them is yet to come.

The situation in Ukraine seems to present more problems. Unlike Russia, the Jewish Studies here are still perceived as a historical discipline having to do primarily with the Holocaust and the material and spiritual heritage of the vanished Jewish universe. Other fields of the Jewish Studies do to have a full-fledged scientific school so far. Another issue are the weak traditions of the Ukrainian Oriental Studies, which today are only being created. The literature on the Israeli Studies is published in Ukraine on a sporadic basis, and the access to similar Russian publications is limited. Nevertheless, certain prerequisites for the development of Israeli Studies have been created here.

The prospects of the Israeli Studies in Belarus are hard to forecast. The instability in the relations between Belarus and Israel is preserved, and this does not contribute to the scientific development. According to estimates by Belarussian researcher Dmitriy Shevelev, only a handful of people in the republic are engaged in the Israeli Studies. Even though a similar situation is characteristic of Ukraine, the elite there is more interested in supporting the research in the area of the Israeli Studies.

Basing on what has been said above, it is too early to talk about research trends characterizing scientists of the CIS countries. The summary volume of research so far is not large enough to make generalizations of any kind.