Visiting professor Mohammed Wattad wins Young Scholars Award for contributions to Israel studies

UCI visiting professor Mohammed Wattad received the Young Scholars Award on Tuesday, June 2, at the annual meeting of the Association for Israel Studies in Montreal. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the field. Wattad is teaching courses in UCI’s Department of Political Science and School of Law as the 2014-15 Schusterman Visiting Israel Professor. The program is a partnership among UCI, the Rose Project of Jewish Federation & Family Services, and the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Wattad is a legal scholar specializing in international and comparative criminal law; comparative constitutional law; and international law and legal issues related to war, torture and terrorism. He has expertise in the history of Israel and issues of self-image and identity in multicultural societies. He has written and spoken extensively on societal challenges confronting the Middle East and Israel, including relations between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens and Israel’s external relations with surrounding Arab states. “Wattad’s role has deepened our understanding of the instrumental role Israel’s Supreme Court has played in shaping democracy and the protection of minority rights in that country,” said Lisa Armony, executive director of Hillel Foundation of Orange County and director of the Rose Project.