Yvonne Friedman
Yvonne Friedman is professor of General History and of Land of Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan University and current chair of the Board of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Her strong interest in interreligious historical contacts and peace is represented by the contributions to her new book Religion and Peace: Historical Aspects. Other fields are Muslim-Crusader peace processes in the Middle East, women in a fighting society, and medieval anti-Semitism, geographical history, and pilgrimage.
Biography
Yvonne Friedman grew up in Norway and arrived at Kibbutz Ein ha-Naziv in Israel when she was 12 years old. She studied general history and Hebrew literature at Bar-Ilan University. She also wrote her PhD at Bar-Ilan University; her dissertation topic was Peter the Venerable. Her study of medieval ransom and captivity, Encounters between Enemies: Ransom and Captivity in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (Brill, 2002) examined this topic from an interdisciplinary perspective. In recent years, her research focus has been on Muslim-Christian peace processes in the Latin East, but also on broader questions of interreligious contacts and peace.Education
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PhD, 1980. Department of History, Bar-Ilan University.
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Ransom and captivity in the medieval Latin East, medieval peace processes, pilgrimage--medieval and modern, women in crusader society, antisemitism, Jews in medieval society
Personal Interests
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Archaeology, medieval history and studies, modern Israeli literature
Books
Articles
How to end holy war: Negotiations and Peace Treaties between Muslims and Crusade
Published: Feb 01, 2015 by Common Knowledge
Authors: Yvonne Friedman
Crusaders and Muslims alike applied a doctrine of holy war to their medieval conflict. Although so ideological a stance would seem to preclude peacemaking efforts, some 120 treaties were signed between the parties to the conflict during the two-century Latin presence in the Holy Land. Explored here is how each party overcame this incongruity between ideology and praxis and sought a “small peace,” which is temporary and practical, rather than “great peace,” which is a final settlement.