Prof. Yuli Tamir

Philosopher, Educator, Activist, and Politician

The intricate, often unprecedented interrelations between philosophy, education, policymaking, and making a better world are at the core of Prof. Yuli Tamir's prolific and multifaceted professional experience

Professor Yuli Tamir is an internationally renowned scholar and lecturer specializing in political philosophy, liberalism, nationalism, and education. A prominent public figure, she has held a series of key leadership roles in founding and heading peace and civil rights organizations, alongside a distinguished career in the Knesset, during which she served as Minister of Education and Minister of Immigrant Absorption. Professor Tamir previously served as President of Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, and currently serves as President of Beit Berl Academic College.

Groundbreaking Research and Philosophical Contributions

Professor Tamir’s pioneering research offers an original perspective on contemporary political philosophy, democratic values, multiculturalism, and the challenges of instilling equality and humanism in the current political era. She famously challenges the conventional assumption that liberal values-such as individualism, universality, and liberty-are in inherent contradiction with national values, such as communalism and the establishment of a shared cultural foundation.

Professor Tamir does not view nationalism as a necessarily reactionary or racist force, but rather as a vital component of personal identity and the realization of freedom for both nations and individuals. According to her approach, the individual requires the freedom to autonomously choose their national culture and language to imbue their life with meaning. Her research further demonstrates that the liberal welfare state, in practice, depends on national solidarity; without a sense of communal belonging, leadership faces difficulty persuading citizens to bear the economic burden required to assist the "Other." Thus, she perceives nationalism as the engine that enables distributive justice and mutual responsibility.

Academic Publications and International Recognition

Professor Tamir’s extensive scholarly output includes several books, numerous studies in international academic journals, and chapters in anthologies on political philosophy, nationalism, and group rights. She is a highly sought-after lecturer at global academic conferences. Her primary authored works include:

  • Liberal Nationalism (Princeton University Press, 1993; Second Edition, 1995).
  • Who’s Afraid of Equality? On Education and Social Justice [Hebrew] (Yedioth Ahronoth, 2017).
  • Why Nationalism (Princeton University Press, 2019).

Professor Tamir is also the co-editor of Democratic Education in a Multicultural State (with Prof. Avner Ben-Amos, 1995) and Moral and Political Education (with Prof. Stephen Macedo, 2001). Her articles have appeared in prestigious journals such as Theory and Research in Education, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, and the Canadian Journal of Philosophy. Additionally, she has authored definitive entries for leading encyclopedias, including the Encyclopedia of Democracy and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Education.

Public Service and Political Leadership

Beyond her academic achievements, Professor Tamir is a central figure in Israeli public life, synthesizing deep philosophical insights with practical political action. Her public work focuses on promoting social justice, equality, democracy, and coexistence.

In 1978, she was a founding activist and board member of the "Peace Now" movement, advocating for a two-state solution. From 1998 to 1999, she served as the Chairperson of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), defending the rights of all citizens, including the Arab minority and workers.

As Minister of Immigrant Absorption (1999–2001), she promoted models for the integration of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. As Minister of Education (2006–2009), she led the "New Horizon" (Ofek Hadash) reform, which aimed to improve teacher status and implement differential budgeting to favor Israel’s socio-economic periphery.

Prof. Tamir promotes a vision of synthesis between Zionism, democracy, and social justice. Identifying with the Zionist Left, she believes that a commitment to national security must coexist with liberal principles and practical steps to bridge gaps between Jewish and Arab societies in Israel.

View Prof. Yuli Tamir’s academic publications and full-text articles here